Note Note 18 — APPENDIX III.

The town of Zanzibar is situated on the west side of the island on a tongue of land formed by the above-mentioned creek, and faces the small sandy isle which constitutes the southern boundary of the harbour. It is large and populous, and is composed chiefly of cajan huts, all neatly constructed with sloping roofs. There are, however, a good number of stone buildings in it belonging to the Arabs and merchants; and in the centre, close to the beach, stands a fort, seemingly partly of Arab, partly of Portuguese, construction. It is square with a tower at each corner, and a battery or outwork towards the sea, in which I observed four or five guns of French manufacture 491remarkable for their length. In the middle of the town we observed a tree[123] of uncommon size: its height was about 8 or 10 feet, and from a rude measurement which we took, its circumference could not, I think, be less than 36 or 40 (Note 18). Zanzibar according to our observations stands in lat. 6° 6′ S., and long. 39° 15′ E.[124] (Note 19.) It is the only assemblage of habitations on the island that deserves the name of town or even village; for the principal part of the inhabitants without the town being slaves of landholders, are scattered over their respective owners’ estates. The sovereignty of the island belongs to the Imaum of Muscat,[125] who appoints the Hakim or governor, and to whom the revenue derived from its commerce and land-tenures devolves. This revenue is said to amount to 60,000 crowns annually, though I have reason to believe it to be much more. His whole establishment consists of the Hakim, an assistant or councillor, and three Arab officers, to command the garrison. The present Hakim is a slave of his own whose history is somewhat curious: he is named Yacoud,[126] and was originally from Abyssinia: he belonged to the Imaum’s uncle and predecessor, who, detecting him in some familiarities with one of his young female slaves, caused him to be emasculated. Since his former master’s death he has become a great favourite of the present one, who promoted him to this distant and lucrative government,—perhaps considering that, as he had lost all relish for the only pleasure that can induce an Arab to dissipate his own or his master’s money, he 492would likely turn out a faithful and valuable servant; nor has he been disappointed. Yacoud’s ruling passion is the love of power, to attain which he himself lives like a beggar, and tyrannically extorts from the inhabitants large sums, which, with his own savings, he faithfully transmits as the price of his continuance in the government. The people, however, who live under his sway, detest and despise him. The revenue, as already stated, arises from land-tenures and customs; and though there is no regular land-tax levied, yet it is sometimes resorted to to raise a supply, an instance of which happened while we were there. One of the Imaum’s ships arrived from Muscat with a demand for 25,000 crowns to assist him in opposing the Wahabees, though I sincerely believe it was to defray the repairs of the very ship which brought the demand, and which was going to Bengal for that purpose. As this sum was not in the Hakim’s possession, he immediately imposed a kind of land-tax, so much to be raised in each district, the chief man of which was ordered to collect it and be answerable for its payment at a stated time, in default of which he was to be imprisoned. The other source from whence the revenue proceeds is a custom of 5 per cent. allowed by the Imaum to be gathered on all imports. This, however, is often very unjustly collected, and few, I believe, except Arabs, ever pay so little on their goods as the lawful sum. The Imaum maintains no kind of military force. The Hakim’s slaves, amounting to 400 or 500 men, are armed to serve as soldiers under the above three Arab officers. There are no imports or exports, though we were told the French pay voluntarily a premium of 10 dollars each for the slaves they take, to secure the good-will of the governor; they are in consequence 493great favourites, and from this circumstance we may easily account for his subsequent coolness to us, which was not lessened by his hearing of the surrender of the Isle of France while we were there, and on which occasion both vessels fired a royal salute. The principal articles of export are slaves and ivory, also a small quantity of drugs (Note 20). The number of slaves annually sent to Muscat, India, and the Isle of France, &c., are estimated at not less than from 6000 to 10,000. The quantity of ivory is also very great, and is sent principally to Surat. Of imports the following are the chief: Surat and Dungaree cloth from Cutch; iron, sugar, and rice from Bombay, rice from Pemba, dates from the Gulf of Persia; slaves, ivory, and drugs from Magadosho, Brava, Ganu, Mombas, and other towns along the African coast (Note 21). The number of trading vessels, including those from Semap and Cutch, amounted at the time we left the island to upwards of 50. I could not procure accurate information as to the quantity of the above articles annually imported; but from the amount of the custom, the value cannot be under £300,000. We were told that the demand for European goods on the continent was very great; and if the natives had any returns to make besides ivory and slaves,[127] I have little doubt but we might here find an extensive and lucrative vent for numerous articles of our manufacture.