Before he was half-way up the fore-rigging I gave the order to light the fires. The smoke had no sooner ascended than the look-out on the fore-top-gallant yard sang out, “She’s gone round without taking her studding sails in.” The wind fell light by sunset. We stopped engines under the stern of a fine rakish-looking ship. Lieutenant Adeane was sent on board, and took possession of the _Manuela_, formerly the _Sunny South_, a Rio packet of upwards of 702 tons. She had 846 slaves on board, and was waiting to complete 900 before proceeding round the Cape to Cuba. She had been hovering off the coast for weeks to complete her cargo. We sent her into Pomony. I went on board, she was a fine-looking ship, seven feet between decks. However, on looking down the fore hatchway, the stench was intolerable. Sent prize in charge of Lieutenant Burlton to the Mauritius. CHAPTER LXXV ZANZIBAR--SHOOTING HIPPOPOTAMI [Sidenote: 1860. Aug. 18.] Arrived at Zanzibar. Having expressed a wish to see the hippopotamus in his native state, Speke, being aware of my weakness, kindly invited me to accompany him to where sport was almost a certainty. It was necessary to procure a dhow, on board which a party could live. [Sidenote: Aug. 19.] Our proposed trip soon got wind. An unusual noise throughout Sunday night on board the Sultan’s yacht was accounted for in the morning by one Captain Mahomet informing us, which we had been well aware of, viz. that he had been all the night bending sails, and half the morning bastinadoing his crew; he stated he had received orders to convey me across the channel. [Sidenote: Aug. 21.] From this infliction I, however, excused myself, as well as from that of the company of the half-civilised, drunken rogue who commanded her. Through the kind influence of Colonel Rigby, Luddah, a Banyan, British subject, and head of the Customs, placed at our disposal a new dhow, with a captain and fourteen Arabs. Hoping to expedite their movements, Speke, Heneage, and myself embarked on Monday night, so as to start early the following morning; but at that time we were not as experienced in Arab movements as we have since been. It commenced raining soon after we got on board, and on our taking shelter below we found the deck overhead leaked, and the stench from the bilge water sickening. We got under weigh at 10 A.M.; at 5 P.M. anchored in an extensive bay off a village called Kesooku. About the bay were shoal patches of sand and several small islands with mangrove bushes, over the roots of which the tide flowed when up; it was on and about these islands that we expected to find our game. We were welcomed to the village by a Bombay Banyan Chief. Having given us a refreshing drink from green cocoanuts, he cleared out part of a store hut for our accommodation. We made up our beds outside on stretchers under the shade of the projecting roof.