Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

202 DHOW-CHASING.
were chasing them, they separated and steered
in different directions, but soon finding it
was of no use, as our boats were inside, thej
steered as before along the coast ; we overtook
and boarded these soon after dark ;
we found to be legal
two of them
traders, but on board one
there were three or four slaves, including a
father and son, who stated they had been
domestic slaves in Zanzibar, but had now been
sold, and were being taken to Muscat, to be
sold again : the officer brought these slaves,
and with them an Arab—who was said to be
the negoda and owner of the
dhow—on board
the " Daphne " for further examination ; but it
was evident that he was not the negoda, for
while they were on board, the night becoming
very dark and blowing fi^esh, this dhow, leaving
the
other two alongside, slipped away, and we
saw her no more, possibly the two other
dhows
by spreading out on first sighting us, were
endeavoiiring to help this one in escaping.
We anchored off Maculla on the 26th April.
Maculla is an Arabian town with a large
population of Arabs, and a larger one of slaves.