138 Wanderings in Eastern Africa, 
than when we w^ere doing the hardest work — activity 
is one of the best preventives of fever. It is quite 
possible to be too busy to catch the malady, or for it 
to take hold of you. 
When you have done your utmost to make yourself 
a comfortable home, it cannot but be of the humblest 
description. Your furniture consists of a table, a stool, 
a candlestick, and a hard couch. All your other con- 
veniences are in keeping with this style ; primitive 
simplicity characterizes everything. Your food con- 
sists chiefly of fowls and rice, though you may vary 
your fare with preparations of maize and millet ; while 
sweet potatoes and cassada are generally to be pro- 
cured. If you would have a " chop " you must kill a 
sheep or a goat ; and if your heart is set upon a 
beefsteak " you must slaughter a bullock. What 
you cannot eat yourself you can always give away. 
If you would further extend your bill of fare you can 
sally forth with your gun, shoot a few pigeons, a pair 
of guinea-fowl, or mayhap a hare, a gazelle, or an ante- 
lope. If you have a craving for the delicacies of the 
old country you may import flour, biscuits, now and 
then a ham, preserved meats, etc., from Zanzibar ; 
but the prices for these luxuries are enormously high. 
A great disadvantage arises from the fact that the 
art of cooking is but little understood in East Africa. 
We took with us into the country a Goanese cook 
from the western coast of India, and while he remained 
we did pretty well ; but " mkunguru " (fever) came 
upon him, and he was obliged to retire from the field. 
This necessitated us to engage a Muhammadan slave. 
Ignorance of the art and religious prejudice prevented 
his bein-g a very efficient and satisfactory cook. 
