14 
EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
a nap on the floor as the chairs were all cane-bottomed 
and high-backed, but within an hour Pira announced 
that a slight lunch was just served, and this consisted 
of soup, mutton, pigeons, ducks, curried prawns, iced 
pudding and iced mangoes. We all ate until we were 
absolutely stuffed, and had no sooner finished than Pira 
desired to know at what time we should be prepared 
for dinner. I thought about that day week at the same 
hour might do, but the others made excuses for return¬ 
ing to Zanzibar at once, declaring another such gorge 
even a week hence might be dangerous. 
The drive home was full of such incidents as attend 
happy holidays even in England. Our weight proved 
too much for one of the more infirm carriages and - a 
wheel came oft' which nobody knew how to put on 
again. This made it worse for the other carriage, 
which now had to hold five of us in addition to the 
driver, who, fearing a catastrophe and being anxious to 
get as near home as he could before it occurred, 
whipped up his cattle until one became dead beat and 
had to be rested every half mile. Finally we charged 
a bullock cart as we entered the narrow street, and 
this decided us to get through the rest of our journey 
on foot. 
The next day had been fixed for our audience with 
the Sultan and the presentation of a letter kindly given 
us by TI.K, II. the Prince of Wales. Accordingly a 
little after nine, arrayed in black coats and white 
trousers, we met at the British consulate, where we 
found Messrs. Ilolmwood and Drummond awaiting us 
