ZANZIBAR.

among the groups of buyers, calling out " Similla,

similla punda

!

" " Out of the way, out of the

donkey's way

!

" and the people stand aside as a

well-to-do Arab canters past on his handsome Mus-

cat donkey. Then we reach the bridge connecting the suburb of Ng'ambo with the town itself, and

spanning the creek, which at high-tide makes the

town almost an island. Here are crowds of beggars,

dirty and disgusting in the extreme, and suffering from all manner of loathsome diseases ; some are

seated on the ground reciting prayers, while others

hold out their hands to every passer-by, whining out " Maskini

" " I am poor." Just beyond the bridge, turning down to the left, we come to the residences of several Arab physi-

cians, with their apothecaries' shops in the basement,

showing an imposing array of medicines and long

pompous inscriptions in Arabic, setting forth that

the hakim inside has most marvellous drugs which

will cure all the diseases under the sun ; and on

which the suffering crowd we have just passed forms

a keen satire. Making our way towards the centre

of the town, we pass through narrow shady streets

with tall well-built houses on either side, from the

basements 'of which comes the musical clink of the

coppersmith's hammer fashioning the copper and

brazen vessels which are universally employed by the

Arabs and Hindus ; there also may be seen the gold- smiths at work on the delicate jewelry so much worn