green rank growth.
The wide river-like bay stretched on before us as far as the waning
light permitted us to see; finally losing itself in the heart of
mystery.

Steadily and confidently our ship steamed forward, until at last, when
we seemed to be afloat in a land-locked lake, we dropped anchor and came
to rest.

Darkness fell utterly before the usual quarantine regulations had been
carried through. Active and efficient agents had already taken charge
of our affairs, so we had only to wait idly by the rail until summoned.
Then we jostled our way down the long gangway, passed and repassed by
natives carrying baggage or returning for more baggage, stepped briskly
aboard a very bobby little craft, clambered over a huge pile of baggage,
and stowed ourselves as best we could. A figure in a long white robe sat
astern, tiller ropes in hand; two half-naked blacks far up towards the
prow manipulated a pair of tremendous sweeps. With a vast heaving,
jabbering, and shouting, our boat disengaged itself from the swarm of
other craft. We floated around the stern of our ship, and were
immediately suspended in blackness dotted with the stars and their
reflections, and with various twinkling scattered lights. To one of
these we steered, and presently touched at a stone quay with steps. At
last we set foot on the land to which so long we had journeyed and
towards which our expectations had grown so great. We experienced "the
pleasure that touches the souls of men landing on strange shores."

FOOTNOTES:

[2] 82-88 deg. degrees in daytime, and 75-83 deg. degrees at night.

VIII.

MOMBASA.

A single light shone at the end of the stone quay, and another inside a
big indeterminate building at some distance. We stumbled towards this,
and found it to be the biggest shed ever constructed out of corrugated
iron. A bearded Sikh stood on guard at its open entrance. He let any one
and every one enter, with never a flicker of his expressionless black
eyes; but allowed no one to go out again without the closest scrutiny
for dutiable articles that lacked the blue customs plaster. We entered.
The place was vast and barnlike and dim, and very, very hot. A
half-dozen East Indians stood behind the counters; another, a babu, sat
at a little desk ready to give his clerical attention to what might be
required. We saw no European; but next morning found that one passed his
daylight hours in this inferno of heat. For the moment we let our mai