British

East Afrioa 9 HEALTH ; RACE

Other prevalent diseases are small-pox ; cerebro spinal meningitis; sleeping sickness, which is common in the Victoria Province ; venereal diseases; beri-beri, which is endemic on the upper Juba ; and leprosy, which

is found in the Victoria Province and near the coast, especially in the towns of Mombasa and Malindi .

Bilharzia, filariasis and ankylostomiasis also occur, especially in the coast regions.

There are Government hospitals at Nairobi and Mombasa.

(5 ) RACE AND LANGUAGE

Race

Ethnologically the Protectorate forms an inter

mediate zone between the negro and the Hamitic races.

The north -eastern districts are inhabited by pure

Hamites such as the Somali and the Galla ; Bantu

tribes are found scattered through the whole territory,

and the central highlands are occupied by peoples of

a mixed race , the most important and characteristic of

which are the Masai. In addition to these natives, the

coast and its islands were colonised in very early times

by Asiatic settlers. The latter consisted of Arabs and

Persians, and their descendants still form a consider

able part of the population of the coast towns,

especially in the Lamu group,

The following are the chief divisions of the population .

(1) Arabs and Swahili. — The Arabs of Mombasa, and, to a lesser extent, those of the rest of the coast, are mostly immigrants from Muscat during the Zanzibari period, the original Arabs of Mombasa — the Mazrui ,

having retired at Takaungu. The original Arab and Persian settlers are representedby the Bajuns north wards from Patta and by the Swahili south of that point. In the Lamu Islands the latter are as pure in blood as the Muscat Arabs , but elsewhere they are much

mixed with the Bantu , and the name is commonly ex tended to all coast natives who use the Swahili tongue.

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