THE "MOMBAS MISSION.' 1 



7 



suits. The missionaries had commenced operations with 

 vigour, and to the work of conversion they had added 

 certain discoveries in the unknown lands of the interior, 

 which attracted the attention of European geographers. 

 Unhappily Dr. Krapf, the principal, happened to commit 

 himself by the following assertion : — " The Imaum of 

 Muskat has not an inch of ground on the coast between 

 the Island of Wassin and the Pangani River ; this tract, 

 in fact, belonging to King Kmeri of Usumbara, down 

 from 4° 30' to 5° 30' S. The tract, which is very low, 

 is inhabited by the Wasegua tribes, and is the chief 

 slave-market for supplying Zanzibar." 



This " information," put forth in the Journal of the 

 Eoyal Geographical Society (vol. i. p. 203), was copied 

 into the Proceedings (vol. xxiii. p. 106), with the re- 

 mark, that the territory alluded to was a u supposed 

 possession" of the Imaum. Orientals are thin-skinned 

 upon questions of land ; the assertion was directly 

 opposed to fact, and the jealousy of the rival represen- 

 tatives at Zanzibar each on his own side, exaggerated 

 its tendency. Lieut. -Colonel Hamerton, who felt his 

 influence sapped by this error on the part of his pro- 

 tege, had reported the facts to his government. Dr. 

 Krapf had quitted the scene of his labours and dis- 

 coveries, but his Highness the Sultan and the sadat, 

 or court, retained a lively remembrance of the regret- 

 able incident. Before the arrival of the Expedition, 

 " Muhiyy-el-Din," the Shafei Kazi of the island, had 

 called upon Lieut.- Colonel Hamerton, probably by direc- 

 tion of his superiors, and had received an answer, 

 fortified by an oath, that the Expedition was wholly 

 independent of " Dutchmen," as the missionaries were 

 called by the Zanzibarites. I was compelled, somewhat 

 unwillingly, to dispense with urging M. Rebmann's 



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