So after waiting for a whole week, they paid poor Carrambo off, after telling him that they meant to revisit his country another day and open the "debbil pits" in spite of old Goo-goo, then took passage in a large Arab dhow for Zanzibar, with all their goods and chattels, their gold and diamonds.
Two weeks after this there landed on the white sandy beach of that place, three as jolly and as happy boys as anyone ever shook hands with.
CHAPTER IX.--THE VERY IDENTICAL BIRD.
Zanzibar! The spotless sand, on which the blue waves broke lazily into foam, sparkled like silver in the rays of the noonday sun. Higher up were the walls of many a palatial-looking building, consulates, most of them, and each one flying the flag of its country, and with, here and there, gigantic cocoa-palms waving their dark-green foliage between.
Conspicuous above all, the palace of the Sultan, with above it the blood-red Arab flag.
There were many ships in the roadstead; some men-o'-war too, but none belonging to Her Majesty the Queen.
This was slightly disappointing, for our heroes had been told that the little gun-boat was here, and they longed with an indescribable longing to know if their dear friends had been rescued alive from the uninhabited island.
During their voyage from Lamoo--the town lies about fifteen miles inland, and on the banks of the river, and is navigable to vessels of light draught all the way up--the Arab skipper had been both courteous and kind to the young fellows, and when, after the landing of their chattels, they bade him good-bye, they felt truly sorry to part with him.
There were plenty of willing hands on the beach to carry their goods to the hotel. Indeed, they would have carried the boys themselves, and Viking too, had a few pice been offered them as a reward.
But here is the hotel. It has not been a long walk, albeit the narrow streets have been--as they always are--crowded to excess with Arabs, Parsees, Hindoos, Portuguese, Indians, and niggers of every size and shade. Through this crowd they had to jostle their way with many a shout of "Sameela! Sameela!" For neither the streets themselves nor those who fill them have the sweet savour of--