Zanzibar and the East Coast of Africa [pp. 70-87]

72 Zanzibar and the East Coast of Africa. [July
ceeding in order, we find the first of their up his residence by preference at Zanzibar,
settlements to be Delagoa Bay or Lourenzo in a very decent stone palace, and lived in
Marquez, just to the north of Natal, which a certain degree of state, with a guard conis but a mere outpost.`Fhen come Inham- sisting principally of Beloochee mercenary
bane. Sofala, and Quilimane, on the river soldiers (from Beloochistan, on the east side
Zambeze. On the banks of this river are of that gulf), a very respectable navy, and
likewise situated the towns of Seena and a magnificent yacht, built for him by the
Tete, and they daim the coast line up to English Peninsular and Oriental Steam NavCape Delgado. But the territory apper- igation Company. He was a staunch ally of
taining to the whole of these settlements is the British, and made the Queen a present
very limited; for most of the tribes in their of a line-of-battle ship built of teak at Bomvicinity are warlike, and will suffer no en- bay, which was christened the "Imam,"transcroachments on their land. Indeed, not ferred, of course, to the British Navy and
only is this the c'ase, but the inhabitants of for many years she was the guard ship in the
the two towns on the upper Zambeze had Cove of Cork. At his death one of his
for a number of years to pay tribute to a sons inherited the original paternal domain
branch of the Zulu nation, and possibly do of Muscat, and another Zanzibar and its
so still, in order to retain peaceable posses- dependencies; and it is the son of the latsion. North of Cape Delgado as far as ter, Sayd Burghash, who now occupies his
Mombasa, we find that the coast is claimed venerated grandfather's throne.
by the Sultan of Zanzibar; but his authority I had the honor of dining on several ocreaches to but a very short distance inland. casions, not exactly with, but in the presHe levies customs' dues, however, on all ence of, the old Imam, and in company
exports or imports-or rather it is done by with an envoy from India and officers of
a Banyan or Hindoo merchant, who farms the Indian' Navy-the Imam sitting in an
this branch of the Sultan's revenue. North an~chair at one corner of the table without
of Mombasa there are sev~ral Arab towns eating, but engaging us in conversation so
that owe the Sultan no allegiance. The that it was somewhat difficult wholly to
coast between them is inhabited by wild satisfy our appetites. There were invariaGalla tribes, and still further to the north bly two ~i~ces de resistance: a whole roast
as far as Cape Guardafui, and then to the sheep (not very large) at one end of the
west towards the south of Abyssinia, by table, and at the other another sheep,
the Somali. stewed,and stuffed with dates, rice, tomatoes,
Zanzibar is an island between fifty and spices, etc., which was really a delicious
sixty miles long, and twenty to thirty miles dish. Then there were pillaus of fowl or
broad, crossed by the 6~ parallel of south mutton, and rice, kebabs, and other
latitude, and distant only a few miles from oriental dishes, altogether a very creditable
the main land. Just to the north of it is repast; but the only beverage allowed was
that of Pemba, of somewhat smaller dimen- iced sherbet (water flavored with rose leaves
sions. Formerly they were owned by Sayd or otherwise and sweetened), no wine or
Sayd, the Mahometan Sultan, or, as he was spirits, these being, as is well known, progenerally called, the Imam (high priest) of hibited' by the religion of which the Imam
Muscat, a small state in Arabia, the chief was the head in his territories. Then there
town of which, of the same name, is sit- was black coffee, intensely strong, served
uated on the western side of the Persian out not only at these dinners, but during
Gulf, and bears the reputation of being one visits of ceremony; but as it was flavored
of the hottest places in the world. He took with cloves, and therefore exceedingly bitter,