5 1 o WaTiderings in Eastern Africa. 
remain longer than was absolutely necessary in the 
malarious jungles of the lowlands ; and after a while, 
the way opening up, we determined to return to the 
old country." 
Accordingly, learning that the " Abydos " was 
expected at Zanzibar, whence she would proceed to 
England almost immediately, we wrote to the agents, 
and bespoke a passage in her. Leaving Mombasa, 
therefore, on the nth of March, 1872, we sailed for 
Zanzibar ; the trip, which with a favourable wind 
ought not to take more than a day and a half, 
occupying us from Monday to Friday — five days — on 
account of the change which had already taken place 
in the monsoon. We were under the necessity of 
tacking, and of following the bights and bays ; more- 
over, we only travelled by day, as we were always 
dropping anchor, or went down to the bottom ourselves 
in the evening, in order to spend the night in quietude 
and safety. The following will explain this. We 
remember a native telling an incredible story about a 
*^big swim'^ he had once effected across a wide gulf. 
In the middle of his relation he was stopped by a 
common-place man with the question, What did 
you do, my brother, when you got tired "Do.?" 
replied the other, in ineffable contempt, " do 'i why, 
/ went down to tlie bottom and rested, to be sure^ 
Strange as the preceding may appear, this is what we 
really did ; for, sailing among the shallows, when the 
tide receded we were dropped to the bottom, where 
we remained to sleep till we were borne off by the 
rising of the waters. We reached Zanzibar on the 
i^th. On the following Sunday, 17th, the " Abydos 
steamed into port. I could not help feeling somewhat 
