Unika. 8 1 
you talk of leaving us so soon ? " But we knew they 
would survive our departure, and so kept to our 
purpose. We left Kaya Bomu at noon for Takaungu, 
on the coast; the march occupying us till 7 p.m. First 
descending to the level of the lowlands, the rest of the 
way led us over barren tracts, with a soil rich enough 
evidently, but overrun with rank weeds, giant grasses, 
tangled bush, and useless thorny woods. When we 
reached the creek, the tide was in, and we had to 
wade through the water up to our armpits, a by no 
means comfortable termination to our day's marching. 
At Takaungu we found accommodation with Rashid 
bin Khamis, the governor of the place, and thence pro- 
ceeded by boat to Mombasa. The country of Geriama 
stretches behind the districts we have described, and 
joins Duruma in the south. Both these are level 
tracts, eligible for the cultivation of grain, or the 
pasturing of cattle, sheep, and goats. Rabai is one of 
the most beautiful portions of Unika, possessing fine 
scenery, and almost every characteristic of a Goshen. 
It has to be observed, however, that on the whole the 
country is badly watered. Udigo is better off in this 
respect than the northern land. Duruma has the 
stream Muache ; Rabai, Ribe, Kambe, Jibana, and 
Chogni, have their mountain streams, and Kauma 
has its perennial current ; but when all has been said, 
the water supplies are few and far between, and some 
of them speedily dry up, and remain dry for months. 
Geriama is worse off than any district. In the dry 
season the women leave their homes at early dawn to 
fetch water, and do not return till night. At the same 
time pools of salt water, temptingly clear, are to be 
found everywhere in Geriama and Duruma. Were 
6 
