'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From January 1863 to December 1864. (Edited by the Secretary.) Volume XVII.' [‎287] (464/524)

ul< political agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Zanzibar. 287
During the post year His Highness Seyed Majid undertook an es-
Political events. pedition against his rebellious subjects
at Sewee, and was entirely successful in
reducing them to subjection.
Sewee is not a place of much commercial importance, but it appears
to be the pulse of the whole district in which Lamoo and Mombassa
are situated ; according as it exhibits symptoms of loyalty or the
reverse, so one may be pretty well assured that the whole district is well
or ill affected to His Highness.
Even in the lifetime of Seyed Saeed, that able and energetic Prince
was never able to keep it in subjection, and he found it expedient to
adopt a temporizing policy, which had the effect of smoothing difficulties
for the time only, to make them more unmanageable afterwards. And
in truth it was not an easy matter to keep this turbulent people in order ;
their city is surrounded on three sides by swamps, and on the fourth
by an arm of the sea, entirely dry at low-water ; while, owing to a
peculiar custom which prevails there, it is never without a large garrison.
The head man has a body of self-liberated slaves about him, who are
designated and style themselves ITaramees or ruffians, and any slave
who wishes to escape servitude may join this band and his master
cannot claim him. They receive no pay or rations, and subsist entirely
on pillage. x
About 18 months ago these men expelled Seyed Majid’s garrison,
and threw off their allegiance to his government. At first His Highness
despatched Seyed Suleyman, the Governor of Zanzibar, to reduce them
to order; hut seeing that very little good was effected, he wisely
determined to proceed thither in person with all his available troops
and three vessels of his squadron. He landed a party of troops on a
sand-bank facing the town, mounted two or three heavy guns on it,
and speedily reduced the place to order. About 150 of the defenders
Wer e killed, but no casualties took place on his side.
He has now built a fort in such a position as to dominate the town,
aimed it with four guns, and has left a party of soldiers and an officer
fo garrison it. The expense of this expedition amounted 1° ^ 60,000,