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Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

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76 DHOW-ORASING.<br />

and lift<strong>in</strong>g up his hands as an expression of<br />

astonishment, he exclaimed,<br />

"Capta<strong>in</strong> B , Capta<strong>in</strong> B .<br />

that man do<strong>in</strong>g ? "<br />

What's<br />

" Stow<strong>in</strong>g the hay, sir."<br />

" Stow<strong>in</strong>g hay ? By , G— Capta<strong>in</strong> B .<br />

What's his rat<strong>in</strong>g?<br />

"Able seaman, sir."<br />

" A. B. ?—Not fit for it ; send for the clerk,<br />

disrate him, he can't make a haystack."<br />

<strong>The</strong> man was accord<strong>in</strong>gly disrated,<br />

and rema<strong>in</strong>ed<br />

so for some time.<br />

From this time to February of the<br />

follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />

year we cont<strong>in</strong>ued to cruise on the coast, leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />

it only once dur<strong>in</strong>g that time to refit at the Mauritius,<br />

and never did British man-of-war, s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

the blockad<strong>in</strong>g days of the French war, enter a<br />

port need<strong>in</strong>g repair more from truck to keelson.<br />

<strong>For</strong> several weeks we had been on a reduced<br />

allowance of provisions and water ;<br />

and as far as<br />

vessels to eat or dr<strong>in</strong>k out of were concerned,<br />

<strong>in</strong> the midshipman's berth, and I believe many<br />

lower-deck messes too, we were reduced to<br />

cocoa-nut shells to eat out of, cocoa-nut shells to

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