PARTING AT KONDUCHI. 



277 



swept, cleaned, and garnished for us by old Premji, the 

 principal Banyan of the head-quarter village, and there 

 stared and laughed till they could stare and laugh no 

 more. 



On the evening of the same day an opportunity 

 offered of transferring the Jemadar, the Baloch, and my 

 bete noire, Kidogo, to their homes in Zanzibar Island, 

 which lies within sight of Konduchi: as may be imagined, 

 I readily availed myself of it. After begging powder 

 and et cceteras to the last, the monocular insisted upon 

 kissing my hand, and departed weeping bitterly with the 

 agony of parting. By the same boat I sent a few lines 

 to H. M. consul, Zanzibar, enclosing a list of neces- 

 saries, and requesting that a Battela, or coasting-craft, 

 might be hired, provisioned, and despatched without 

 delay, as I purposed to explore the Delta and the un- 

 known course of the Rufiji River. In due time Said bin 

 Salim and his u children," including the fair Halimah 

 and Zawada — the latter was liberally rewarded by me for 

 services rendered to my companion — and shortly after- 

 wards the sons of Ramji, or rather the few who had 

 not deserted or lagged behind, were returned to their 

 master, .and were, I doubt not, received with all the 

 kindness which their bad conduct deserved. 



We were detained at Konduchi for six days between 

 the 3rd and 10th February. There is nothing inter- 

 esting in this little African village port : instead of 

 describing it, I will enter into a few details concerning 

 African matters of more general importance. 



i 3 



