Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

330 APPENDIX.
Africa to prevent tlie stealing of the natives ?"
" By means of an efficient squadron you would be
able so to check the trade that in a few years it
would be given up ; we could not interfere in
the interior."
596. . .
" Zanzibar is also becoming the emporium
for the sea-borne trade of Madagascar, the
Mozambique, the Comoro Islands, and the whole
of the east coast of Africa. It is now the chief
market in the world for the supply of ivory,
gum, copal, cloves, and cowrees, and has a
rapidly increasing export trade in hides, oil,
seeds, dyes, &c., whilst sugar and cotton promise
to figure largely amongst its future exports.
The foreign trade of Madagascar has increased
with extraordinary rapidity since the ports of
this island have been opened to commerce. It
is impossible to foresee what may be its
extent
in a few years. As one example of this increase,
I was informed by the United States Consul at
Zanzibar, that during the north-west monsoon
of 1865, upwards of sixty large bungalows and
dhows proceeded from Zanzibar to the western
ports of Madagascar, to load rice for Kutch and
Kattiwar, in consequence of the deficient harvest
in those provinces. All this valuable trade is at
present lost to British merchants, because until
there is a postal communication with Zanzibar
it is impossible for them to compete with the