Vasco da Gama, stout Portuguese gentleman adventurer, conquered it, and no doubt looted the godowns to a lively tune.

Wave after wave of Arabs sailed to it (as they do today) from that other land of mystery, Arabia; and there isn't a yard of coral beach, cocoanut-fringed shore, clove orchard, or vanilla patch--not a lemon tree nor a thousand-year-old baobab but could tell of battle and intrigue; not a creek where the dhows lie peacefully today but could whisper of cargoes run by night--black cargoes, groaning fretfully and smelling of the 'tween-deck lawlessness.
"There are two things that have stuck in my memory that Lord Salisbury used to say when I was an Eton boy, spending a holiday at Hatfield House," said Monty.

"One was, Never talk fight unless you mean fight; then fight, don't talk.

The other was, Always study the largest maps." "Who's talking fight ?" demanded Fred.
Monty ignored him.

"Even this map isn't big enough to give a real idea of distances, but it helps.