EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
3 2 
shed, in the presence of what seemed the whole Arab 
population; the gifts had to be presented with the 
utmost formality, and after receiving them the Gover¬ 
nor expressed his intention of returning our visit on 
the following day. 
The water at Mombasa was very bad, and, being 
unable to get at our filters, we had to put up with 
cocoa-nut water, which, though not unpleasant, fails 
to quench the thirst satisfactorily ; we also tried some 
strange stuff called “toddy,” made from the juice of 
the cocoa-nut palm trunk left to ferment. It is sweet 
and intoxicating, and only to be appreciated by an 
“ acquired taste.” 
The natives told us that the lions in the neighbour¬ 
hood were numerous and bold, and that during the 
last three days they had carried off two women. I 
was anxious to set a bait and sit up for them during 
the night, but B- said it was a sure way to get 
fever, and that if the lions were genuine man-eaters 
they would never go for the bullock, so I gave up 
the idea. 
The next day the Governor kept his word and 
returned our visit early in the morning, accompanied 
by eighteen other Arabs, among whom we divided 
the seven chairs, which were all we had. We were 
also placed in a slight difficulty by having no coffee¬ 
pot and only four coffee cups, but overcame it by 
making an old tea-pot do deputy, and serving our 
guests with their refreshment in small detachments. 
A varied group they were, of all shapes and sizes, clad 
