The After the Trip Letter

Mombasa: the harbor rimmed with verdant tropic foliage...lush mango trees, grace of coconut palms silhouetted against the sky. The Island reeks with history..for 500 years the Arabs and Portuguese pillaged and massacred to hold the key-port for the ivory and slave trade. Since Britain has made Kenya a crown colony they live peaceably enough...English, Arabs, Hindu, Greek, Mohammedan, Portuguese and Goans (from Portuguese India). The native children learn 5 languages in school, and charming modern European buildings rub elbows with native bazaars. 

Side note: A ‘harbor rimmed with verdant tropic foliage…’ likely has a salt and sea-breezy odor; the reeking comes only from the savagery of the ivory and slave trades.

And speaking of things that are glossed over in history, I’ve just learnt (or relearnt) what a crown colony is, versus a regular colony. And as it implies, it is a colony directly represented by the crown and there is a governor for it. Whereas a regular colony doesn’t have that. Also, Mombasa was the first captial of British East Africa. Lesson complete!

The Day to Day Journal

Sun. Dec. 26: Munitions factory at Nairobi working overtime shipping arms to Ethiopia during the war. 32,500 pop, 6 sq mi island, Arabs, Indian, Turks. Brazil coffee shipped here, mixed with Kenya (some of best in world). 

Side note: Ethiopia was defending itself against an aggressive Italy (Mussolini era). Kenya was helping Ethiopia.

And blended coffee even back then!!

The ringing of coins everywhere, so many rupees are bad it is necessary to test every one before accepting it. 

The red teeth and spit of betel nut chewers. The children beating on their tummies, ‘no mother, no father, hungry, backsheesh m’sab’ [backsheesh = small sum of money]. “Help the poor blind man, please, m’sab”. ‘Chota Hareri’ the pre-breakfast breakfast. 

‘Water for hindus’ - ‘water for moslems". The bedding rolls the brass bowls. 

The bathing in the water, then drinking it. Sleep in the streets. 

The honking of rubber auto horns.

Side note: The above is what 500 years of pillaging and massacring will get you.

Shag got the bike off, we toured the island, bot oranges in the Indian market, ate them under a mango tree. Took the road to Nairobi and got a thrill over travel inland in Africa.

Side note: Remember in the last post, on December 23rd, she said they were going to ‘see less of each other’, but now on December 26th they are back on the bike. Maybe he got in trouble for being late for his watch so they’re just being more chill? And it’s not something big and dramatic?

What happened to Christmas, btw??

Capt. and apprentices sailed in ship's boat across to mainland. Tide went out and left them high and dry, could see it thru the telescope. Agent went in launch, brot Capt. back, pilot (in whites, with shorts) took us out to anchor in stream, Capt., 14 natives went in a launch, with ropes and shovels to take the boat off. Return of very sunburned tired apprentices with coconuts, bananas and maize.

Side note: I feel like this ‘ship’s boat’ was mentioned before? It’s a mini-boat, aka a ‘tender‘, that lives on a boat and is used for small jobs.

That particular day, the tender went out for errands and got stuck in the med. Then enter the ‘launch‘ boat, even smaller than the tender, that fits just a few people, and its job was to unstuck the mud-moored tender. But to do that, the tender needed the right men on board. So the launch goes out and picks up the captain and pilot, who don’t do mud. They are returned. Then it heads back to the tender with natives, hired to do dirty work.

It goes back and forth until everyone – including the tender, the launch, the men, and the loot – are back upon the Silverwillow.

Remember that riddle about the small boat and getting the corn and the fox and chicken to the other side without anyone/thing getting eaten? Reminds me of that.

[Present location:] Lat. 3° 35' S; Long. 43° 41" E; Dist. 238 mi.; Av. Speed 15.29 mph Mon.  

Dec. 27: Back to work on navigation, started on my notebook.  

At dinner learned that a misunderstanding resulted in no invitations, no sandwiches for party! Some speedy maneuvers, changing to evening clothes and with a calm front we receive the guests, who have no previous engagement, in spite of the lateness of the invitation. 

Side note: I imagine there aren’t many other engagements on a ship with only nine civilian passengers. And what are they celebrating on December 27 when there are holidays on either side of it?! Belated Christmas?

Capt. starts the ball rolling with plenty of liquid refreshment and some songs. Bill comes to the rescue in good voice, and the evening is saved. Capt. relieves Norfolk and Chief arrives to carry on, which he does with gusto. 

Milian sings lustily, James' voice swells in song, eventually it is midnight (by setting the clock up 20 min.) 

The party buys a ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes. Grand National Mar. 21, "Willow Party", XP02905, 02906. 

Marconigram from Capt. Cross of the Silvercedar!

Side note: Liquid refreshments, crooning, gambling, and radiotelegraphy!

Waving palms, emerald green grass, huge baobab trees, brilliant shrubbery, all under a cool African sky — that is Mombasa: an enchanting coral isle washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, swept by cool sea breezes. Mombasa is called by the natives, "Kisiwa Cha M'vita" — "The Island of War". 

Side note: Such an enchanting place should not have that nickname. Below are Helen’s notes on the history of Mombasa, and it helps explain the unfortunate ‘Island of War’ moniker.

In 2786 B.C. Egyptian King Sankhhara sent an expedition to Land of Punt, probably Mombasa. Later came Arabs, displaced by Portuguese in 1498 with arrival of Vasco da Gamma. In 1500 Portuguese sacked the town, came under Portuguese control 1528 when Nuno Da Cunha attacked and destroyed it. 

* 1585: Ali Bey, Turkish pirate drove out Portuguese
* 1589: Return of Portuguese, capture Ali Bey, massacred people 
* 1592: Erection of Fort Jesus
* 1630: Yussuf Bin Hassan, King of Mombasa, had all Christians on island put to death 
* 1631: See return to control by Portuguese, who ruled cruelly 
* 1696: Muscat Arabs set siege to Fort Jesus, stormed it 33 months, thru 2 reinforcements, broke in to find only 11 men, 2 women, who they killed (Dec. 1698). 2 days later a Portuguese rescue fleet from Goa arrived too late to help
* 1699, 1703, 1710, 1728: other Portuguese expeditions, the latter captured the town, but again driven out by Arabs in 1729 
* 1823: First British ship, Arab Sultan asked for British protection, was refused
* 1887: Imp. Brit. East Af. Co. began administration of Kenya and Uganda
* 1896: British Capt. took control. Slave trade flourished until 1896. 44,000 pop. (1100 Europeans, 11,000 Indians, 6,600 Arabs, 1,500 other nationalities, 24,000 Natives). Island 5.5 sq. mi. - principal port of Kenya Colony finest harbor in East Africa: Kilindini Harbor, also name of main st. 

Side note: Whew. Storming for 33 months sounds pretty tiring for both sides.

Here is a cool picture of Kilindini street from the 1930s.

And study all of the above because there will be a pop quiz later!