Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

110 DHOW-CHASING.
and here I may add that if it were not for
such men as
he and Mr. Vaudney, the clergyman
at Seychelles, who never failed us, the
ships of the squadron out there which have no
chaplains would be badly off. In the harbour
of Zanzibar may be seen a large fleet of dhows
and several European merchant-ships, Germans
and English, the former the more numerous of
the two, there being a larger German trade
than English, a few French ships, and now and
then an American ;
these last invariably created
suspicion as to the intention of the captains
with respect to the slave-market, but such
suspicions have diminished since slavery was
abohshed in the United States.
It is especially crowded with dhows at the
commencement and towards the close of the
south-west monsoon ; before and after its
strength they prepare to leave for the northward,
before the calms on the coast, preparatory
to the north-east monsoon, take
place. At this time of the year they are
continually entering the harbour from the
southward ; and during the months of Septem-