They indicate, however,
nothing except his high descent and blood; no traits of character
are visible unless there is just a trace of amiability, and perfect
contentment with himself and all around.
Such is Prince, or Seyd Burghash, Sultan of Zanzibar and Pemba, and
the East coast of Africa, from Somali Land to the Mozambique, as he
appeared to me.
Coffee was served in cups supported by golden finjans, also some
cocoa-nut milk, and rich sweet sherbet.
The conversation began with the question addressed to the Consul.
"Are you well?"
Consul. - " Yes, thank you. How is His Highness?"
Highness. - "Quite well!"
Highness to me. - "Are you well?"
Answer. - "Quite well, thanks!"
The Consul now introduces business; and questions about my travels
follow from His Highness -
"How do you like Persia?"
"Have you seen Kerbela, Bagdad, Masr, Stamboul?"
"Have the Turks many soldiers?"
"How many has Persia?"
"Is Persia fertile?"
"How do you like Zanzibar?"
Having answered each question to his Highness' satisfaction, he
handed me letters of introduction to his officers at Bagamoyo and
Kaole, and a general introductory letter to all Arab merchants
whom I might meet on the road, and concluded his remarks to me,
with the expressed hope, that on whatever mission I was bound,
I should be perfectly successful.
We bowed ourselves out of his presence in much the same manner that
we had bowed ourselves in, he accompanying us to the great entrance
door.
Mr. Goodhue of Salem, an American merchant long resident in
Zanzibar, presented me, as I gave him my adieu, with a blooded bay
horse, imported from the Cape of Good Hope, and worth, at least at
Zanzibar, $500.
Feb. 4. - By the 4th of February, twenty-eight days from the date
of my arrival at Zanzibar, the organization and equipment of the
"`New York Herald' Expedition" was complete; tents and saddles had
been manufactured, boats and sails were ready. The donkeys brayed,
and the horses neighed impatiently for the road.
Etiquette demanded that I should once more present my card to the
European and American Consuls at Zanzibar, and the word "farewell"
was said to everybody.
On the fifth day, four dhows were anchored before the American
Consulate. Into one were lifted the two horses, into two others
the donkeys, into the fourth, the largest, the black escort, and
bulky moneys of the Expedition.
A little before noon we set sail. The American flag, a present to
the Expedition by that kind-hearted lady, Mrs. Webb, was raised
to the mast-head; the Consul, his lady, and exuberant little
children, Mary and Charley, were on the housetop waving the starry
banner, hats, and handkerchiefs, a token of farewell to me and
mine. Happy people, and good! may their course and ours be
prosperous, and may God's blessing rest on us all!
CHAPTER IV. LIFE AT BAGAMOYO.
The isle of Zanzibar with its groves of cocoa-nut, mango, clove,
and cinnamon, and its sentinel islets of Chumbi and French, with
its whitewashed city and jack-fruit odor, with its harbor and ships
that tread the deep, faded slowly from view, and looking westward,
the African continent rose, a similar bank of green verdure to
that which had just receded till it was a mere sinuous line above
the horizon, looming in a northerly direction to the sublimity of
a mountain chain. The distance across from Zanzibar to Bagamoyo
may be about twenty-five miles, yet it took the dull and lazy
dhows ten hours before they dropped anchor on the top of the
coral reef plainly visible a few feet below the surface of the
water, within a hundred yards of the beach.
The newly-enlisted soldiers, fond of noise and excitement,
discharged repeated salvos by way of a salute to the mixed
crowd of Arabs, Banyans, and Wasawahili, who stood on the beach
to receive the Musungu (white man), which they did with a general
stare and a chorus of "Yambo, bana?" (how are you, master?)
In our own land the meeting with a large crowd is rather a tedious
operation, as our independent citizens insist on an interlacing of
fingers, and a vigorous shaking thereof before their pride is
satisfied, and the peaceful manifestation endorsed; but on this
beach, well lined with spectators, a response of "Yambo, bana!"
sufficed, except with one who of all there was acknowledged the
greatest, and who, claiming, like all great men, individual
attention, came forward to exchange another "Yambo!" on his own
behalf, and to shake hands. This personage with a long trailing
turban, was Jemadar Esau, commander of the Zanzibar force of
soldiers, police, or Baluch gendarmes stationed at Bagamoyo.
He had accompanied Speke and Grant a good distance into the
interior, and they had rewarded him liberally. He took upon
himself the responsibility of assisting in the debarkation of
the Expedition, and unworthy as was his appearance, disgraceful
as he was in his filth, I here commend him for his influence
over the rabble to all future East African travellers.
Foremost among those who welcomed us was a Father of the Society
of St.-Esprit, who with other Jesuits, under Father Superior
Horner, have established a missionary post of considerable
influence and merit at Bagamoyo. We were invited to partake of
the hospitality of the Mission, to take our meals there, and,
should we desire it, to pitch our camp on their grounds. But
however strong the geniality of the welcome and sincere the
heartiness of the invitation, I am one of those who prefer
independence to dependence if it is possible. Besides, my
sense of the obligation between host and guest had just had
a fine edge put upon it by the delicate forbearance of my kind
host at Zanzibar, who had betrayed no sign of impatience at the
trouble I was only too conscious of having caused him.
