'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎279] (321/733)

VISIT TO ZANZIBAR.
279
exercised after the military tactics of England, and are dressed in the
English manner, and many of their officers are English. They always
keep this number in training, but they can double or treble the number
whenever they please. They are said to be good and excellent fighting
soldiers. A Frenchman has established a manufactory there for making
muskets, and has written to offer his services to the Imaum (who has de
clined, saying he can buy muskets cheaper than he could make them) ;
and there is an Englishman who has established a powder manu
factory An East India Company trading post. .
One of the principal ports is Majunga, in Bambatooka Bay, in the
.north-western part of the island, where a whole fleet may lay in six or
seven fathoms, sheltered from all winds. Bullocks are plentiful at this
place, and very cheap. About eight years since the Americans carried
on a most lucrative trade from this port, in buying bullocks at two dol
lars a head, which they killed on the spot, and salted the meat, and also
the hides, and took the hoofs and horns, and, the latter selling for the
original price of the bullocks, left the meat for clear profit, which they
sold for an enormous price at the Havannah, when they had lost their
supplies from South America.
His Highness the Imaum's whole revenue is stated to be about
250,000 dollars a year; that is 150,000 from Zanzibar, and 100,000 from
Muskat. This revenue appears very small when compared to his fleet
and establishment. However, he is said to be very rich, arising from
trade, and by property coming to him at the death of his servants, who
are expected to leave him their riches.
He has a squadron of one line-of-battle ship, three frigates, two
corvettes, and a brig, which appears to constitute his great pleasure and
amusement ; and he has now given an order to the English brig to
bring out naval stores to the amount of 30,000 dollars. When on
board, he conducts everything himself; gets her under weigh, shifts her
berth, or brings her to anchor, by giving every word of command.
He is said to have twenty merchant ships of different kinds, but I
could not learn where or how they were employed: there was only one
of that description at Zanzibar, and she was going to the Mauritius, to
endeavour to get an engineer for the steam-engine she brought thence
last year.
The island of Zanzibar is in lat. 6° 6' S., and long. 39° 9' E.
Its climate is said by the Americans, who have been here two years,
not to be unhealthy or disagreeable, except for a week or two at the
change of the monsoon, when there are rains and heavy squalls, but after
that, the weather is settled, and water smooth ; it is now, from the north
erly winds occasionally, for part of the day rough for boats, which
renders it bad for landing on the open beach.