Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/456

 870 SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA. their respect by expectorating on a tuft of herbage, and then casting it into the stream. Topography. Since the Portu'>'ues9 have h rl to abandon the stations and strongholds which they possessed on the East African seaboard north of Zanzibar, the whole of the commercial movement between the coast towns and the inland regions has fallen into the hands of the Arab and Swaheli traders. The latter especially are proud of their decided genius for trade, and should any doubt be expressed regarding the success of their undertakiogs, they are apt to exclaim. " Are we not Swaheli ?" as if that were sufficient to guarantee a favourable issue. Till recently not a single Kuropean merchant had gained a footing on any part of this coast, and the onlv whites in the whole country were the Protestant missionaries stationed at Magila in Usambara, at Freretown and Rabai in the vicinity of Mombaz. But a change has taken place since the steamers plying between Zanzibar and Aden have begun to call regularly at some of the intermediate seaports along this coast. Nor can there be any doubt that in the near future the seaboard towns whence the caravans start for ^lasai Laud and the shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza must become important centres of European influence as well as of direct com- mercial relations with the interior, independent altogether of the Zanzibar em- porium. The group of villages situated near the mouth of the Pangani on its left bank, already constitutes a town of some importance. Over a thousand Swahelis, Wazeguha>j, and half-caste Negroes have here erected their little houses or huts on a low-lying phtin bordered seawards by a fringe of mangrove forest. On the opposite or right side the village of Bnani nestles at the foot of a nearly vertical eminence ahout 200 feet high. Before the loss of the caravan which started from P(ut(jani in the year 187S, this place was almost exclusively chosen for the equip- ment of the trading expeditions destined to proceed from the coast to the Kilima- Njaro region, and the territory of the southern Masai tribes. Since the recent treaties with the Zju/.ibar Government, its custom-house is in the hands of German officials. Till recently the Arabs, properly so-called, took scarcely any share in the commerci d life of Pangani. They are more numerous at Tonga {Muoa), a town situated on the south side of a small but sheltered haven which communicates with the sea by a deep channel winding between two walls of coral reefs. Of all the towns lying north of Pangani on the mainland, Tanga, which is girdled round by a zone of cocoanut groves, offei-s the greatest abundance of provisions to passing vessels. It forwards a great part of its live stock to the Zanzibar shambles, and also yields considerable quantities of fruits and vegetables. It was at Tanga that Haron von der Decken equipped his caravan for his famous expedition to Kilima- Njaro. Muoroi'go, which lies on Tangata Bay between Pangani and Tanga, is also a fnH|ucnted little seaport. In the neighbourhood are seen numerous niins and lombs of uncerlain origin. ,