Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

164 DHOW-CHASING.
On the 30tli, another dhow full of slaves ran
on shore and landed them. We had at this
time but one left of the five boats belonging to
the ship—two cutters, gig, whaler, and dingy
—one cutter was detached on the coast, the
whaler had just boarded a dhow some distance
off, the gig was in chase of another, and the
little dingy was made fast to a dhow in charge
of a prize crew; the remaining cutter, under
charo-e of Lieutenant Acklom, was sent in chase
of this dhow, to endeavour to cut off and
capture some of the escaping Arabs and
negroes, as well as to overhaul the dhow on
shore. Although no breakers were on this
part of the coast, there was a heavy surf on the
beach, and while the crew, after ineffectually
chasing the runaways, were launching their
boat in the sm-f, she was swamped, everything
w^ashed out of her, and in spite of every effort
of those on shore, there seemed to be no prospect
of their being able to get her head out and
clear of the surf. We were about half a mile off
the beach in the ship, without another boat to
assist the cutter for some time; we had nothing