Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

GBUISE OF THE " CASTOU S
be tliouglit superstitious—we did not remove
our tent until we struck it a day or two afterwards
and left
the island in company with the
barge. Albert and Patterson had a great
laugh at us for losing our provisions, when we
suggested to them that they would have had
more cause to laugh if they had not joined us
with the barge, for in that case they would
not have had, as now, to divide their provisions
with us ; and so we turned the laugh against
them.
We were still,
allowance to
however, even now on short
make the provisions hold out, but
no one seemed to care so much for that as
for the loss of the tobacco, which was sorely
felt by those who smoked; moreover, there
was no reserve of that at Mafamale, and we
did not know when the ship
would return to
provision us. But necessity is the mother of
invention, and a substitute was found by drying
our tea-leaves, which were smoked and declared,
by one or two who tried to put the best face
on their misfortunes, to be preferable to tobacco,
though they did not, I am bound to say, adhere