354 



CLIMATE OF KILWA. 



She had proposed accompanying me to the Lake 

 Eegions ; but to travel with a grandmother 

 would have been too compromising. Another 

 grandmother volunteered from India ; in fact, it 

 appeared then my fate to have fallen upon 

 grandmothers. 



The ' emigration ' had been strictly forbidden 

 by the Imperial Government between her colo- 

 nies and Madagascar. But 'Delhi is distant.' 

 Lately (1857) a Bourbon ship, commanded by a 

 Prench captain, touched at Boyannah Bay to 

 embark 100 engages, and took on board some 87 

 Sakalawas, who had been stolen from the in- 

 terior. These men rose up whilst the com- 

 mander was on shore completing his tale, mur- 

 dered the crew, beheaded and quartered the 

 captain's son, a mere boy, ran the - ship upon a 

 reef, and escaped. Even since that massacre 

 another Erench ship from Nosi-be sailed for 

 Boyannah Bay and its ill-omened vicinity. 



The climate of Kilwa is bad and depressing : 

 the people appeared to suffer from severe sores, 

 and their aspect was eminently unhealthy — 

 want of cleanliness is undoubtedly part cause. 

 All complain that the air is dry^ and costive, 



^ This must be understood by comparison : the vegetation 

 shows much humidity, but perhaps not so excessive as upon 

 the coast further north. 



