34 
THE KILIMA NJARO EXPEDITION. 
Agent. In conversation, 
Sayyid Barghash is often 
sprightly, and all that he 
says is marked by intelli¬ 
gence and good sense. He 
is simple in his diction, 
for an Arab, and sometimes 
baffles verbose flatterers by 
his curt replies. I may re¬ 
mind my readers here of a 
little incident commented on 
at the time of the Sayyid’s 
visit to England. At his 
first meeting with Lord 
Beaconsfield that statesman 
thought to set him at his 
ease by addressing him in 
somewhat high-flown Ori¬ 
ental parlance, and met him 
with the enigmatic question, 
“ Which does your High¬ 
ness prefer, flowers or 
jewels?” “I fail to see 
any connection between 
them,” replied Sayyid Bar¬ 
ghash in all simplicity. 
An interview with the 
Ruler of Zanzibar, then, is 
not of that fade character 
which characterizes a cere¬ 
monial visit to most Ori¬ 
ental sovereigns. He poses 
you with many shrewd ques¬ 
tions, and when the re- 
