Identifier: travelsincoastla00fitz (find matches)
Title: Travels in the coastlands of British East Africa and the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba; their agricultural resources and general characteristics
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: FitzGerald, William Walter Augustine
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Chapman & Hall
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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renorthern coast-lands lying between the island of Lamu andPort Durnford, hitherto unexplored. My party consisted ofseventeen jjorters, a cook, cook-boy, and one askari, all underthe leadership of my trusty head-man Dumgu—altogethertwenty-two persons. I started on the morning of February 13, 1893, ^^r Golbantion the Tana ri\er by way of Gongoni, Marereni, and LakeKrawa. Once Mombrui was left behind the absence of coco-nut and mango trees was very marked. As one passesGongoni and proceeds northward towards Marereni, thecountry adjacent to the sea consists of low flat plains withbrackish grey soil, intersected with shallow sandy back-waters.Beyond this one comes upon an area of thick low bush,among which numerous umbrella-shaped or flat-toppedmimosas and dwarf palms are noticeable; the soil here beinglight, but good black loam intermixed with sandy particles.This bush-land continues jjarallcl with the sea, skirting thelower sea-flooded levels; and wherever the land rises the bush ^,10
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CH. XVI TRAVELS IN EAST AFRICA 313 grows down to the shore, the surface soil in such places beinggenerally of a very sandy nature. I examined a good portion of this country, and thoughmuch of the bush is thin and scattered and the land poor, yetfertile portions do exist. But the scarcity of water is theprincipal drawback to cultivation. Shallow swamps and poolsof rain-water are formed here and there in the wet season,and if wells were sunk in these places it is probable thatwater might be found. Water is good and abundant atMombrui at no greater depth than about 6 to 10 feet fromthe surface. Fundisha, about half-way between Gongoni andMarereni, may be instanced as a case in point. In this placeshambas have been opened up for the purpose of growingfood for the orchella-weed gatherers who come to Marereni,and here there are springs in the sand, as well as at Marereniitself, within lOO yards of the sea. I have mentioned a dwarf palm as being common in theadjoining bush, particularly near

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