Thirty years ago Central Africa was what people who are fond of airing their learning would call a terra incognita . To-day its general characteristics are pretty well known. Then, as now, the little island of Zanzibar, situated just south of the equator, on the east coast, was the starting place of all expeditions into the interior, and Unguja (pronounced Oon-goo′jah), the big town of that island, the place where the preparations for plunging into the unknown were made. At that period these exp

“Oh, all right, then,” said Mr. Keema; “let’s go.” When they had gone about half-way the shark stopped, and said: “You are my friend. I will tell you the truth.” “Why, what is there to tell?” asked the monkey, with surprise. “Well, you see, the fact is that our sultan is very sick, and we have been told that the only medicine that will do him any good is a monkey’s heart.” “Well,” exclaimed Keema, “you were very foolish not to tell me that before we started!” “How so?” asked Papa. But the monkey

So Bookoo, the big rat, wrapped Soongoora, the hare, in the straw, and then called to Simba, the lion, “Stand back; I’m going to throw this straw down, and then I’ll come down myself.” When Simba stepped back out of the way, Bookoo threw down the straw, and as it lay on the ground Soongoora crept out and ran away while the lion was looking up. Soongoora crept out and ran away while the lion was looking up. After waiting a minute or two, Simba roared out, “Well, come down, I say!” and, there bein

The lion and the hyena, having stopped to look at the stones, could only say, “Why, really, it’s singular; but it’s just as you say;” and they all resumed their journey, the rabbit being by this time well rested. The lion, the hyena, and the rabbit go in for a little farming. When they had gone some distance the rabbit stopped again. “Aha!” said Feesee; “Keeteetee has stopped again. Now he must be eaten.” “I rather think so,” assented Simba. “Well,” said the rabbit, “I was thinking again.” Their

Koongooroo had lain in the street but a short time, when some passing kites saw him and inquired threateningly, “What are you doing here in our town?” With many a moan he replied, “My companions have beaten me and turned me out of their town because I advised them to obey Mwayway, sultan of the kites.” When they heard this they picked him up and took him before the sultan, to whom they said, “We found this fellow lying in the street, and he attributes his involuntary presence in our town to so s

And they said: “Yes, we know you are Keeyambaaza; it was you who stopped Koosee, the south wind; and Koosee, the south wind, threw down the calabash that struck our teacher Goso. You should not have done it.” But Keeyambaaza said, “If I were so powerful would I be bored through by the rat?” So they went and caught the rat and beat it. But the rat cried: “Here! I am Paan′ya, the rat. Why are you beating me? What have I done?” And they said: “Yes, we know you are Paanya; it was you who bored throu

The sixth day he went to examine the traps, and they had caught so much game, beside what they needed for themselves, that he took a great quantity to the big town of Oongoo′ja, where he sold it and bought corn and other things, and the house was full of food; and, as this good fortune continued, he and his mother lived very comfortably. But after a while, when he went to his traps he found nothing in them day after day. “Mother, we are always hungry.” One morning, however, he found that an ape

“Why,” said they, “that poor fellow has nothing at all. Not a cent.” “Oh, I don’t know that,” said the countryman; “he may have plenty, for all I know.” “Not he,” said they. “Don’t you see for yourself,” continued one of them, “that he is on the dust heap? Every day he scratches there like a hen, trying to get enough grains of millet to keep himself alive. If he had any money, wouldn’t he buy a square meal, for once in his life? Do you think he would want to buy a gazelle? What would he do with

At last some of the people plucked up courage; and, going to the sultan, said: “How is this, master? As you are our sultan you are our protector,—or ought to be,—yet you have allowed this cat to do as it pleases, and now it lives just out of town there, and kills everything living that goes that way, while at night it comes into town and does the same thing. Now, what on earth are we to do?” But Maajnoon only replied: “I really believe you hate my cat. I suppose you want me to kill it; but I sha

So the magician took them away, and in a remarkably short time taught them to read, and to make letters, and made them quite good scholars. Then he took them back to the sultan and said: “Here are the children. They are all equally good scholars. Choose.” So the sultan took the two he preferred, and the magician went away with the third, whose name was Keejaa′naa, to his own house, which was a very large one. When they arrived, Mchaa′wee, the magician, gave the youth all the keys, saying, “Open

Now, Hasseeboo sat in a place by himself, and, having nothing else to do, he picked up a stone and began knocking on the ground with it. To his surprise the ground gave forth a hollow sound, and he called to his companions, saying, “There seems to be a hole under here.” Upon hearing him knock again, they decided to dig and see what was the cause of the hollow sound; and they had not gone very deep before they broke into a large pit, like a well, which was filled to the top with honey. They didn’

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