Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

CRUISE OF THE "OASTOli's" BOATS. 37
several
places mentioned, but, finding tliat part
of the island too liot, liad withdrawn with their
prize to the other side, where we found the
remains of a bonfire at which their feast
had evidently been cooked, some of the staves
of the pork cask, several
empty preserved-meat
tins, and the backs or shells of two or three
turtles, that had probably also landed on the
island to ascertain what the illumination was,
but were not so fortunate
in their adventure as
the other animals. Nothing more, however,
was to be found, and no doubt the provisions
which were not used at this grand "blow out"
had been carried off to the mainland before our
return. Nor could we trace anything about
the place to lead ns to believe that the expressed
wish of one of the crew had been realized,
, namely, that the natives, after walking off" with
the rum and tobacco, might take enough of the
former to cause them when puzzled, as they
would be, to open the powder-magazine, to try
and do it with a red-hot poker.
The result of this loss was that for a few
days we had to go on very short allowance