Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

APPENDIX. 303
increasing American trade, or rather there was
before the American war, and the German and
French trade is very rapidly increasing. The
German trade has become a matter of very
great interest to all German mercantile men
and political
economists, and German attention
has been very much directed to that coast.
But notwithstanding the large direct trade that
has grown up, the Indian trade continues to
increase almost as much as the English trade,
and there seems to be an almost inexhaustible
field for trade on that coast. I had the advantage
of having Dr. Livingstone living with me
for
some time, between two of his expeditions
to Africa, and he is, as the Committee are
aware, one of the most keen and careful observers
that one could possibly meet with.
was extremely struck when he had travelled
He
little in Western India ; he made two or three
journeys to
a short distance from Bombay, and
he was extremely struck with the immense
apparent facility for a very large mutual trade
being carried on between the two continents.
Dr. Livingstone pointed out that there was an
almost unlimited power of producing food in
Africa. We had been in the habit of supposing
that in India we should never have to import
food from anywhere else ; but it so happened,
during the time he was with me, that in one
a