Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

ORTUGUESE POSSESSIONS. 239
Captain to decide oo the application of a Portuguese
in plain clothes, who, for aught I knew,
was the man who owned them, whether I
should deliver them up or not, but I had
already come to
the determination that I would
not do so, as I considered, apart from the
probability of their being flogged to death, that
it would have been a disgrace to the flag,
and dishonourable on my part, to surrender
them.
On the evening when we were about to leave
the
port, and while we were weighing anchor,
the person alluded to,
who subsequently proved
to be the chief of the police, arrived on board,
with a newspaper under his
arm, in which, he
informed me through Mr. Breen, who acted as
interpreter, it was stated we had several " free
negroes" on board; I replied that we had no
such on board, but that those which we had
were slaves.
He said they were not slaves, but
" free," to wliich I repHed that, if so, they had
a right to come on board. "No!" said he;
" they would require passports." I again repeated
that they were slaves, that they came on