PREFACE. 
viii 
however unattractive, has at least the merit of being- 
truthful. 
A special interest may perhaps be claimed for any 
book dealing with East Africa, considering the disasters 
which have recently overtaken German enterprise in 
those parts. However, I have found it quite enough 
for my untried hand to deal with facts, and to exclude 
as much as possible speculative fancies. 
The success attending our venture was mainly due 
to the valuable assistance we received from Sir John 
Kirk, late II.M.’s Consul-General at Zanzibar; from 
General Mathews, Mr. Binns, the missionary of llabai, 
and from the late Bishop Parker. To all these gentle¬ 
men I owe a deep debt of gratitude. I also have to 
thank Mr. Godfrey Thrupp for the literary supervision 
of my manuscript. I would say, in conclusion, that 
should any of my comments on various matters here¬ 
after give offence, I shall be truly sorry, it having been 
far from my intention to hurt the feelings of any one. 
