EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
I 2 
licence. The building, as I have said, was delightfully 
situated, but to my unarchitectural eye represented a 
builder’s blot. The ground floor consisted, first of 
two large unfurnished rooms with floors and ceiling 
divided by a few trumpery chandeliers, and walls 
displaying cheap Paris mirrors and a few coloured 
prints from English Christmas periodicals. Then 
came something really attractive in the shape of a set 
of swimming and Turkish baths. A mean flight of 
wooden stairs led to the first floor, where two rooms, 
corresponding in size with those below, were adorned 
by more chandeliers and mirrors and a few old chairs, 
which were put to shame by a really good carpet. 
These rooms and a cool balcony, also carpeted, formed 
the quarters of the Sultan’s hundred wives, and were 
occupied by them whenever their lord and master 
could tear himself away from the grave affairs of 
state to spend a happy day at Chugnani. On such 
occasions all the ladies were packed into carriages 
at Zanzibar and safely delivered at the country palace, 
the Sultan bringing up the rear alone in his own 
carriage like an old ram. 
On the balcony overlooking the sea a most sump¬ 
tuous breakfast had been prepared for us, with Pira 
the Sultan’s factotum, in attendance. This gentle¬ 
man performed, among other various duties, those of 
steward, detective, spy and news-purveyor, and in the 
latter capacity kept the Sultan well informed of all 
the local fashionable gossip and scandal. He has, 
I believe, recently fallen into disgrace, and been 
