Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

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APPENDIX.
country, to be moving about. You may
undergo any liardsliips as long as you move
about, and are in active employment ; but once be
stationary in an unbealtby place (and there is
no place so unliealtliy as .a small Arab town),
and your life is very much, hazarded. I would
add that I think there are also other advantages
in such a plan.
I think the slave-dealers
would then never know where to expect this
officer ; he would be master of his own actions
and movements much better
than he would if
he had to be dependent on calling upon a
man-of-war to take him from one place to
another. I do not think the expense of such a
service would be very great; it would be a
popular service, and many men would be found
who would enter heart and soul into it."
959. "Do not you think the same service could
be performed by one of the fleet cruising about in
the same way from port to port P"— " I think not
so well, because I attach importance to the viceconsul
being enabled to reside on shore for a
short time, by which means he would be able to
obtain information which he otherwise could not
obtain.
The floating-consul might go to any of
those ports, and remain a short time at them ;
and then, without the necessity of asking any one's
leave, he might weigh anchor the next morning,,
and communicate with any of the fleet."