36 EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
which spring straight from the swamp, and throw out 
roots in all directions until they form an impenetrable 
maze of net-work. The country is hilly and well 
wooded, especially near Jomvu, a small mission station 
within eleven miles of Mombasa, where we disembarked 
to call on Mr. Wakefield, a missionary we had previously 
met, but who was unfortunately from home. 
We arrived at the landing-stage (for such is it called) 
about 12.30 p.m. We were fourteen miles from Mom¬ 
basa, and a walk of half a mile brought us to our first 
camp in East Africa, which presented a very active 
appearance. Our tents were already pitched, and the 
loads stowed away in huts built by the missionaries for 
that purpose : the rifles and pouch-belts were just being 
served out to some of the men, while others were 
receiving their daily portion of rice, and the remainder 
engaged in completing a circle of grass shelters for 
themselves around our tents. The afternoon was 
occupied by the men carrying extra loads up to Eabai, 
about three miles off, where we hoped to obtain the 
additional number of porters required. 
The next morning we made an early march, and 
reached Eabai, in an hour and a half, after a stiff' climb 
up a narrow pass bordered on either side by thick 
coarse grass, the country here being hilly and well 
wooded with clumps of palms and thorn bushes. Eabai 
is a large mission station, N.N.W. of Mombasa, 750 
feet above the sea level, and consisting of many huts 
dotted over an extensive area of cultivated ground. 
A large church was in process of erection, and near it 
