THE PERSIAN TILE. 



135 



like two China platters, also mortared into the 

 Shahadah, is evidently an importation from the 

 far north. It was regarded with superstitious 

 reverence hj the Wasawahili, who informed me 

 that some years before Kimwere, Sultan of 

 Usumbara, had sent a party of bold men to bear 

 it away : of these, nineteen died mysterious 

 deaths, and the relic was thereupon returned to 

 its place. A few muslins, here representing 

 dollars, had a wonderful effect upon their fancies : 

 I was at once allowed by the principal Diwan to 

 remove it ; although no one would bear a hand 

 to aid the Beni Nar, or Sons of Fire, as the 

 Arabs honourably style our countrymen. The 

 tile, a common encaustic affair, found its way 

 to the Royal Geographical Society ; nor did the 

 East African expedition feel itself the worse for 

 having sent it. We did not visit the Tamba-ni 

 settlement, where, according to the people, there 

 is a coralline mosque, and tombs are to be seen 

 under the sea water. 



Our purchase concluded, we returned to the 

 Riami, followed by the headmen, who after re- 

 freshment of dates, Maskat Halwa (sweetmeats), 

 and coffee, naturally became discontented with the 

 promised amount of 'hishmat,' or honorarium. 

 At last they begged us to return, and to assist 



