Before I was on my legs I heard Speke’s gun: Sibuko had had his quietus. I now seated myself on the root of a tree near where my first Sibuko lay; while contemplating the monster, I felt a drop of blood on the back of my hand, and looking up, found that I had shot the dark native who carried my spare ammunition, he having taken refuge when the Hippo No. 2 made his charge in my direction. We got the poor fellow down, moaning and crying; found the ball had passed through the fleshy part of his thigh without touching the bone. The next day he was taken across to the hospital. After a few days and a small donation he was ready and willing to be shot at again! The dead Sibuko was given the natives to eat: it was curious to see how cleverly they cut the flesh, or rather the fat, before taking the skin off, beginning at the backbone and cutting straight down in strips about four inches square, apparently to me of solid fat, and portioned according to the number in a greedy family. Of course I retained the head, which, with the other, was recovered from the natives and buried in the hot sand; after a few days they were taken out sweet and clean, the latter operation performed by white ants. They now occupy, or ought to, a place in the Winchester Museum. CHAPTER LXXVI ZANZIBAR [Sidenote: 1860. Aug. 24.] Returned to Zanzibar; found _Brisk_ absent in search of a slaver that had landed a man on the island who was made prisoner by the Sultan, and afterwards sent on board with a request that he might be given up to the Spanish Consul. [Sidenote: Aug. 25.] _Brisk_ returned with the prisoner, who stated himself to be the doctor; pretended to know nothing about his movements, although he told a different story to the slaver’s friend, the Consul of Imperial France. Fresh water on the island: good, although the streams for watering at inconvenient distances. By proper application through Colonel Rigby, our obliging Consul, natives, or rather slaves, can be sent to bale the water to fill the casks. Fruit and vegetables were given for the ship’s company daily. Found the Sultan kind and obliging; he had a large stud of arabs, and when he found that I could ride, presented me with a couple, whose pedigrees, drawn up in Arabic, commenced some eighty years ago. I got the good Consul to explain that I had no place to put them in. A few days after His Highness presented me with a handsome gold-mounted sabre, with which I was well pleased. On my exhibiting it to my Secretary he admired it as much as I did, but on referring to the station order-book, on no account was an officer permitted to receive a present or presents from any foreign authority. Here was a nice mess! I went to Colonel Rigby to ask him to return the sword and apologise. He said such a thing was impossible; it would not be understood: in fact, almost made me to understand that it would be a _casus belli_! I had the sword wrapped in cotton and stated the case to the Board of Admiralty. 1860.