Notwithstanding the heat of the climate, the vast quantity of wood, and filthy manners of the inhabitants, it does not appear that Zanzibar is an unhealthy island, except during the rainy season, when fevers and fluxes are, from the above causes, very prevalent, but which by proper regulations might be easily obviated. In a place where there is no medical assistance or receptacles for the diseased, it may be supposed numerous miserable objects would be met with; this, however, is not the case. In walking about the town, I did not remark a larger proportion of these unfortunate beings than is generally to be met with in most of our own settlements in India.
Exclusive of fevers, dysentery, and their consequences, such as dropsy, obstruction, &c., no other disease appeared to be frequent except venereal, under which, in all its stages and forms, a very great number of persons laboured. Their fevers are often of the remittent form, but more frequently of the intermittent kind; and in addition to the consequences already noticed to follow them, sometimes terminate in an unusual weakness and pains over the body, particularly of the lower extremities, which cause sometimes a total loss of power.[[131]] I am unable with certainty to determine the cause of this; perhaps it may arise from their sleeping on wet or damp ground while confined with these disorders.
The small-pox,—that scourge of the human race,—also often visits the natives of Zanzibar. We were told that about two years ago it made dreadful ravages all over the island: 15,000 ([Note 27]) are said to have perished in the town alone. This intelligence led me to hope they would receive with avidity any proposal to secure them from the effects of so dreadful a visitation. Though the vaccine matter brought from Bombay was now nearly eleven weeks old, and I consequently had great doubts of its power, I was resolved to let slip no opportunity of trying to introduce it among them. I therefore proposed it to the Hakim at our first interview, confident that it would be eagerly solicited by those who had children and young slaves belonging to them. In this, however, I was much disappointed; for though their interest and the safety of their offspring were at stake, I had the mortification to find their prejudices stronger than the sense of either, and it was with the utmost difficulty I could procure leave to try it on two children. They were inoculated twice over, without being able to produce the disease; but I had no great reason to regret my failure, for I afterwards heard that the French, who, on purchasing young slaves, always vaccinate them, had often introduced it among the inhabitants, but that it had been found impossible to propagate it. Is not this astonishing, that a people with whom self-interest is a stronger passion than any other, should be under the influence of motives which cause them to act in direct opposition to it? One person—he who had allowed me to inoculate his children—acknowledged he himself had lost no less than thirty young slaves during the late prevalence of the disease. Perhaps the indifference they show at the proposal of a preventative remedy arises from a want of faith in its efficacy.
We now began to think of setting out on our return along the coast to Mocha; the wind had begun to set in steady from the S.W., and our consort, the Sylph, which it had been deemed advisable to convert into a brig, being ready to return to Bombay, whither we had orders to send her, we were about to depart, when a circumstance occurred which for some time delayed it.
The Surat merchants, who had often complained of the Hakim’s treatment, represented that he had demanded 3500 crowns from them as their proportion of the tribute exacted by the Imam of Muscat, and in failure of payment had threatened them with imprisonment. As these people were trading under the English flag, and were, in fact, British subjects, Captain Smee did not conceive that a foreign prince had any right to tax them, especially as they had already paid the customary port dues. Impressed with these sentiments, he made a representation to the Hakim, who in consequence withdrew his claims, but privately threatened the merchants with a double imposition after our departure.
To prevent this, it was determined to leave the Sylph to countenance them during their stay, and convoy them across to India at the breaking up of the rainy season. While the Hakim, who had been extremely inimical to us during our stay, and always anxious for us to be gone, informed us he was coming to return our visit; this he had on various pretences heretofore delayed; however, on Sunday, the 7th April, he came on board, when both ships dressed and saluted him, and he was, notwithstanding his ill-behaviour, treated with the greatest attention.
On Tuesday, the 9th, we weighed and sailed from Zanzibar, and in the evening came to anchor under the small Island of Timbat, at the north end of the island. On the morning of this day Henry Golding, a stout, healthy seaman, was found dead between decks: he had no known complaint at the time, and his death was supposed to have been caused by suffocation, as it was understood he went to sleep very much intoxicated. Having interred him on Frenchman’s Island, the watering boat returned on board, and reported they had found the body of a young female recently murdered, lying among the bushes at the freshwater stream; as they had no means of interesting the neighbours in her fate, they buried her immediately. On Wednesday, the 10th, we got under weigh, and passing between Pemba and the mainland, where there is a fine broad channel, we, without anything further remarkable occurring, anchored in Mocha Roads on the 26th April, 1811.
RESUMÉ.
I fell in with the coast of Africa in lat. 9° 30′ N. on the 25th January, and from hence southward examined it as well as circumstances would permit. On the 7th February I anchored in Patta Harbour, and unfortunately found the country distracted by civil dissensions, originating from two rival cousins, who each laid claim to the Sooltanship. I found out the most popular, which happened to be the youngest, and on him I waited with my government letters, accompanied by Lieut. Hardy commanding the Sylph, and Mr Whigham, my surgeon. I must have been three or four hours reaching town, and after as long a detention there, and receiving some menacing insults, which will be particularly detailed on my return, I escaped from these wretches and reached the ship, much fatigued, some time after midnight, having been six hours in the boat returning. Finding the disposition of the natives precluded the success of any inquiries I had to make, it was deemed advisable to quit the port; but another difficulty arose, which points out the cunning treachery of these people: we were now told the vessel could not go out through the S.W. Channel (the only condition on which I entered the harbour), but must warp out the way we came in (a thing impossible against the prevailing wind and sea), or that we must wait the change of monsoon. Detecting their duplicity, I seized and detained two natives, who were concerned in bringing us in, and after two or three days spent in buoying off a channel unknown to them, with the top of high-water spring tides, grounding occasionally, we got the vessel providentially through the banks, and clear of Patta reefs, and then discharged the natives. Hence we proceeded southward along the coast, and on the 24th of February anchored in this fine harbour.
I waited on the Hakim and was kindly received; but the general conduct of this personage has since proved very unaccommodating. I was desirous during my stay here of procuring a house for the purpose of receiving the visits of the well-disposed, and unsuccessfully applied to the Hakim for one, or the use of a French factory for a few days. I am told he forbid any one to furnish me, and has used every endeavour to keep visitors away from the ship. He is a person warmly in the French interest, and derives great pecuniary advantages from the trade to this port. The welcome news of the capture of the Isle of France was brought here by the Surat vessels, which arrived in the middle of March. The Hakim would not credit the account, until it was confirmed by a ship from Muscat a few days ago.