Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

CRUISE OF THE " CASTOR's " BOATS. 25
as we rounded the
point within 200 yards, the
stockade opened fire, with round shot and
grape, wounding two men severely.
The boats
now advanced towards the fort
in Hne, abreast,
returning its now well-sustained fire with shell,
grape, and canister, grounding occasionally, for
we were still advancing with the rising tide, and
there was scarcely water enough at the highest
to get close to the stockade. Our object was
either to cut out this vessel—a large dhow of
about 100 tons hauled close on to the beach
with her bows high and dry—or to destroy her.
Some of the
Arabs were firing musketry from
her at one of the " Dees' " boats on the right,
which was sufficient to justify us in destroying
her without examination. In less than a
quarter of an hour the fort was silenced, the
spherical case-shot fired from our boat—the
only one that could fire shell—bursting so
accurately within the stockade that it soon
drove the Arabs into the wood on the right or
behind the vessel, from which they kept up a
fire of musketry; but the grape and canister
from the " Dees' " paddle-box boats were too