Shamba Gonera means Gonera’s Field.  Gonera is a wealthy Indian widow, well disposed towards the Wasungu (whites).  She exports much cloth, beads, and wire into the far interior, and imports in return much ivory.  Her house is after the model of the town houses, with long sloping roof and projecting eaves, affording a cool shade, under which the pagazis love to loiter.  On its southern and eastern side stretch the cultivated fields which supply Bagamoyo with the staple grain, matama, of East Africa; on the left grow Indian corn, and muhogo, a yam-like root of whitish colour, called by some manioc; when dry, it is ground and compounded into cakes similar to army slapjacks.  On the north, just behind the house, winds a black quagmire, a sinuous hollow, which in its deepest parts always contains water—­the muddy home of the brake-and-rush-loving “kiboko” or hippopotamus.  Its banks, crowded with dwarf fan-palm, tall water-reeds, acacias, and tiger-grass, afford shelter to numerous aquatic birds, pelicans, &c.  After following a course north-easterly, it conflows with the Kingani, which, at distance of four miles from Gonera’s country-house; bends eastward into the sea.  To the west, after a mile of cultivation, fall and recede in succession the sea-beach of old in lengthy parallel waves, overgrown densely with forest grass and marsh reeds.  On the spines of these land-swells flourish ebony, calabash, and mango.

“Sofari—­sofari leo!  Pakia, pakia!”—­” A journey—­a journey to day!  Set out!—­set out!” rang the cheery voice of the kirangozi, echoed by that of my servant Selim, on the morning of the fourth day, which was fixed for our departure in earnest.  As I hurried my men to their work, and lent a hand with energy to drop the tents, I mentally resolved that, if my caravans a should give me clear space, Unyanyembe should be our resting-place before three months expired.  By 6 A.M. our early breakfast was despatched, and the donkeys and pagazis were defiling from Camp Gonera.  Even at this early hour, and in this country place, there was quite a collection of curious natives, to whom we gave the parting “Kwaheri " with sincerity.  My bay horse was found to be invaluable for the service of a quarter-master of a transport-train; for to such was I compelled to compare myself.  I could stay behind until the last donkey had quitted the camp, and, by a few minutes’ gallop, I could put myself at the head, leaving Shaw to bring up the rear.

The road was a mere footpath, and led over a soil which, though sandy, was of surprising fertility, producing grain and vegetables a hundredfold, the sowing and planting of which was done in the most unskilful manner.  In their fields, at heedless labor, were men and women in the scantiest costumes, compared to which Adam and Eve, in their fig-tree apparel, must have been en grande tenue.  We passed them with serious faces, while they laughed and giggled, and pointed their index fingers at this and that, which to them seemed so strange and bizarre.