Journey to the Galla Country. 171 
the current. In another moment down goes the nose, 
and appears again only a few feet from where you are 
standing. Then, if you have a gun heavily loaded, 
you fire, if not you turn* and w^alk away with in- 
stinctive horror. 
The Sabaki is literally alive with crocodiles and 
hippopotami. Yet, though the stream is often forded 
at low tide, and at the mouth, where the crocodiles 
congregate, no accident scarcely ever happens. The 
reptile, it is said, is easily frightened away with 
a little splashing, the danger being to stand still 
in water where they may exist. The navigation of 
the river is declared to be very dangerous on account 
of the hippopotami, but the ferry-boat is not often 
upset. 
A day inland, and a few hours south of the Sabaki, 
but unconnected with it, we were told there is a rather 
large lake, also abounding with hippopotami and 
crocodiles. The people describe its breadth by saying 
that a man standing on the opposite side could 
scarcely be seen ; but this is probably an exaggeration. 
It must have been seven p.m. before we reached 
Mambrui, for it was quite dark. Hemmet bin Sayid 
was from home at Malinde, but he had left instructions 
with his steward regarding our accommodation. The 
house we were taken into was a newly built one. It 
was fitted up and furnished in a style much superior 
to what is common in these parts, but it was so small 
and so ill-ventilated that after sitting down ten 
minutes we were almost gasping for breath, so forth- 
with hastened into the open air. We told the 
steward we could not endure it, and that we should 
prefer taking up our quarters in the *'baraza'' (ve- 
