KILWA ISLAND. 



357 



lay upon the ground, and the entrance was 

 shaded by a noble ' Persian Almond,' large 

 leaved as the Almendreiras (Sterculise) which 

 adorn Pernambuco.^ Huge sycamores and tama- 

 risks were scattered around, and the luxuriant 

 vegetation had in places breached the defences ; 

 the trees shaded the huts, and the carpeted 

 earth benches upon which the Baloch garrison 

 lolled and played at Bao — cups and counters. 



As the next morning was windless, we set out 

 in a four-oared boat to visit the western shore of 

 the Island. The latter is a low flat breakwater of 

 sand and coralline about five miles long, defend- 

 ing a fine deep sea-arm, land-locked on both 

 sides : the entrance is from east to west. The 

 northern arm has only seven to eight feet depth, 

 ships therefore must prefer Pactolus Gap be- 

 tween Kilwa Island and Sons^o Mnara. On the 

 Barr el Moli, or mainland at the bottom of the 

 bay to the south, is the Mavuji Creek, so called 

 from the district through which it passes, and 

 higher up, where hippopotami are numerous, it 

 receives the Mtera streamlet. Ten days' march- 

 ing southwards (about 120 direct geographical 

 miles) lead to the llufuma river.^ The path 



1 The Highlands of the Brazil, i. 370. 



have exphiined the hitter, like Eufii and Eufiita, to have 

 been derived from Ku fa, to die (Memoir on the Lake Eegions, 



