746 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Mav i, 1894. 
Umba, dividiug Biitieh from German territory to 
that of the Juba, north of which comQs the *'ltalian 
sphere," The Juba is navigable for 200 miles inland, 
running in a northerly direction parallel with the 
coast, but this country has not been maah ex- 
plored, nor iudeel as far South as the river Tana, 
another navigable stream into the interior. South 
of the T&ia. on the coast and witbin easy reach 
of Zanzibar are three important ports — Mombasa, 
Lamu and Kasmaya — wbioh possess good harbours 
capable of taking in ocean steamers, and on 
these ports converge the trade of the interior. 
Unlike nearly all the rest of tropical Africa, there 
is here no low malarial belt to be passed at great 
risk to health and life before reaching the high- 
lands of the interior. In "Ibea," immediately behind 
the sandstone or coral beached, rise fertile lands, 
undulating hills and valleys watered by numerous 
streams and green with cultivation or open jungle. 
The products grown or collected iooluda cloves, 
india-rubber, gum opal, orohella. oil seeds, Indian 
oorn, millet, rice and various kinds of timber. 
Mombasa is the headquarters of trade and ad- 
ministration, a leading representative of the 
Company here being an ex-Ceylon planter in Mr. 
J. K. W. Pigott, formerly of tha Matale district. 
The population of the town of Mombasa is esti- 
mated at from 15,000 to 20,000, chiefly Swahilis. 
descendants of Arabs and African negroid races, 
Muhammadans and very much Arabs in physique, 
but speaking an African tongue, great traders 
and in fact the regular "tambys" or pedlars of 
the country to its most remote villages. Mombasa 
is an exceedingly healthy towa, and is in tele- 
graphic oommuuioation with the resi of thu world, 
the cable being landed here. A number of Bombay 
native merohauts uhiefiy control the trade and 
hold the wealth of the place. There is a small 
railway at Mombasa, through the island-town — and 
a few miles on the mainland as if to form a 
Start for the interior. There is no ueel to refer 
to the other coast towns, save to mention that 
several of them as wuU as Mombasa were trading 
stations of the Portuguese 300 years ago, and that 
coconut groves are frequent at different points on 
the coast. 
Before passing into the interior, we may refer 
to the great number and variety of the native 
tribes inhabiting "Ibea" between the sea and the 
Lake region. There may be said to be two great 
divisions or stocks represented by the negroid tribes 
of the Bantu family in the Southern division 
Droken up into a dozen different tribes perhaps 
speaking as many dialects; and then tiorth of 
tneso but often raidmg and robbing them, the Mami 
belonging mote to the negroid people of the Nile, 
f'arther North and East are the Galla race supposed 
to be of Abyfesinian descent and beyond vhem and 
very hostile to them are the Somalis, very different 
in appearance and religion, but closely allied in 
blood and speech. With the Gallas and Somalis, 
however, we shall have nothing to do in crossing 
from Mombasa to the Lakes. 
i&The first division must be from Mombasa to 
Tsavo which is about 1,600 fest above sea level, 
and a distance of 146 miles by one route (which 
rises to 3,500 feet at one point) and 207 miles by 
another. The railway engineers surveyed three 
routes to Tsavo ; but their adopted line reaches 
It in about 125 miles, the highest point being 
1,700 feet. The country Rs far as Tsavo is gener- 
ally uQioterestmg and unprofitable, except eo far 
as cultivated' by the Wa-Teita tribe with beans, 
Indiaq oorn, sugar-cane, &o. and they have fowls 
and goats. There is, however, one exception in 
what is called the " forest paradise " of Taveta, 
come 80 miles east ot (be great mouDtain Kiliman- 
jaro, a great oen'.re of trade loutee, having mbnod- 
ance of supplies— it is described as follows :~ 
Taveta coQiitts of • reotangular patch of foret^t 
some 7 mileH long, lying At a height of 2.400 feet, and 
aitaated on the River Lumi, which ie a narrow, deep 
stream flowing from the moantalu sontbward into 
Lake Jipe. It contains eome 10 eqaire miles of 
clearel f^round, surroan led by an outer friD|;e of im- 
peaetrable jungle, only traversed four narrow 
tortuous approaohts, which can be eftnly blocked Bud 
defended. The soil is highly fertile aod produoaa 
every Bort ot grain and vegotable, ao that Taveta 
is a moit prospecoas place, (eeare a«ain(t attack (rooi 
luaraudiug ueigbbouri, aud rejoicing in ao ample supply 
of food. Baniuas, raiize, beans, millet, yim§, ew«et 
politoes, sug ir caue and tobaoco grow laiLuriantly, and 
these lice liordg of amoll cattle, abe.ep aad goats. It has, 
therefore, alwaye been a great eentra of caravan 
roates, wliioh wait bcre to prooorc a alock of food 
for further joumeyB. 
Taveta is inhabited by two distinct people, the 
]\'atavcla, a mixed raou of Bautu negroidB, akin to 
the WaUita and the Waktoafi, a Moaai people wbo 
hare se'tled and t>tkeQ to agriculture, and who iipealc 
a VLwiX dialect. Ttie Wataveta are friendly and 
peaceable, extraordinarily honest, and maul'y and 
pleasiint ia mauners Tbey ge lerally speak Kwabili, 
owiug to the constant presence of coast traders, but 
thuir own toogujis a Bantu dialect akia to that of 
their ueighljours. In Teita and Ukambani they cul- 
tivate banauas, vegetables, maizs, and sweet potatoei', 
and eiobaof^e tbera with tra ler* for cloth aod coast 
goodf. The population is 6,000, scattered In beehive 
huta amoQg the clearings in the forest. The goverti- 
meut is that of the fVaztt or Elders, supported by all 
the mHle population. 
The u?xt great division or sta;{e for the travell<>r 
may be put down as from Tsavo to Maohakos, a 
distance of 157 miles by the caravan route and 
between 140 and 150 by the projected railway. 
The country along the roadway rises rapidly and 
steadily until at 62 miles on from Tsavo it is 3,000 
feet ; at 124 miles it is 4.000 feet and at Machako's 
5,400 feet above s a level. Several rivers are 
crossed aud mountain peaks skirted, rising (o 
6,500 feet. Immediately rfier crossing the Tsavo 
river, the district of Ukambani is entered, a 
mountainous well-watered region surrouDdod by 
great uniahabited plains and stretching along the 
river Alki for 160 miles. Bcspeoting Ukambani 
and the country on to Machalio's we may quota 
from the Handbook as follows ; — 
It is through Ukambani th<«t the roate o! ail tra- 
vellers ,to the intericr lies, whether the start be 
made by Teita across the desert, or north from 
Mombasa and up the Sabiki valley, for both these 
routes meet at Tsaoo on the threshold of the cuantry; 
The atatioQB in Ukambani are the following : — Tiavo, 
at a height of 1,600 feet on the river of that name 
near its junction wiih the Athi ; Kibwezt, in the 
cuntre of Kikumbuliu, 3,000 feet above the eea, the 
site of a flourishipg Scotch missioD ; iVzoi, in Uln, 
in the midst of a populated and cultivated district, 
under a Boticeable peak of 6,100 feet high, falling 
precipiteualy to the west ; Machako's, a fortified and 
important depot situated at a height of 5,400 feet, 
at the north-western extremity of Ukambani on an ele- 
vated plateau surrounded by hills with well-cultivated 
slopes. Beyond Machakoa are the treeless nninbobited 
grass plains of the upper Athi, at a height of 5,000 or 
6,0tl0 teet, reaching up to the boundary forest of 
Kikuyn, and affording little fuel, bat famished with 
water from the tributaries of the Athi. Like the 
plains to the south and west of Ukambani they are 
full of big game, nnd lions are always to be found. 
Ukambani poseesses a bracing and healthy chmate, 
suitable for Europeans to work in at all seasons, the 
mean average temperature being 68°. The rains occur 
twice a-year, the lesser in November and December, 
the greater in February and March, The soil is well 
watered aud fertile, aud about half the couatry is 
nade< ealtiyatioo. Sugar cape, tobacco, bafioQtat 
