And finally we cannot but conclude that the Northern and N. Western portions of the so-called ‘Victoria Nyanza’ must be divided into three independent broads or lakes, one of them marshy, reed-margined, and probably shallow, in order to account for the three effluents within a little more than 60 miles.
NOTE.
I have printed, as an Appendix to Volume I., a paper which was read out by me before the Royal Geographical Society, on Monday, December 11, 1871. It dwells at greater length upon the interesting theme here sketched, and it enters into certain philological details which may be interesting to students of Kisawahili.
CHAPTER XI.
TO KILWA, THE END OF THE EAST AFRICAN
EXPEDITION (1857–1859).
‘Perseverance, dear my lord,
Keeps Honour bright: to have done is to hang
Quite out of fashion, like a rusty mail
In monumental mockery.’—Troilus and Cressida.
The Zanzibar coast was, at the time of our return to it, in a very uncomfortable state. Cholera, for the first time, had swept southwards from Arabia, decimating the East African population between Unguja and Kilwa. Political troubles were rife, within as well as from without. Sayyid Suwayni, pretexting unpaid arrears of tribute, was reported to be embarking a host of Bedawin brigands upon five ships and sundry Arab craft. It was an act of madness, with cholera and small-pox on board; and, the coast not being open for provisions and water, the invaders, even if left to themselves, were safe to succumb by dribblets. Yet not the less were the Baloch stations drained of mercenaries, whilst 7000 muskets, with an amount of ammunition which made the city dangerous, were distributed to the slaves and other ruffians. Daus ran down from Hadramaut crowded with armed adventurers, all in the market to fight for the best pay. Sayyids Jamshid and Hamdan, two of the young princes, had died of small-pox, which killed the rich as cholera carried off the poor. Sayyid Barghash, another brother of the Prince regnant, and now his successor, becoming Yaghi (rebellious), made a demonstration at the Palace gate with a herd of black musketeers: the Súri Arabs, however, armed themselves, and the serviles fled into the sea, throwing away weapons and ammunition. Sayyid Sulayman was on the square, but the turbulent Harisi chiefs held a review of 2000 black musketeers, and 200 ‘light bobs’ carrying bows and arrows: they maintained an attitude of armed neutrality which threatened mischief to the weaker of the rival brothers. Trade was paralyzed, the foreign merchants lost severely, not less than 80 native craft from Bombay and the North were still expected at the end of the season; and, to complete the confusion, the coast suddenly became subject to the action of ‘l’Émigration libre.’
Despite the untoward situation, I still resolved to visit Southern Zanzibar, and to explore, if fortune would favour us, the Nyassa, or Kilwa Lake. The first step was to dismiss from Konduchi the Baloch guard and the ‘Sons of Ramji:’ the monocular Jemadar shed crocodile-tears as he and his mob departed, begging gunpowder; and my heart felt lighter than it had during many a day. By a casual boat, I wrote to Zanzibar for drugs and medical comforts, necessaries and supplies, and lastly for a vessel engaged at the Consulate to sail down along shore.