Sayyid's signature to a treaty for the suppression of the East African slave-trade. This, though refused under threats of bombardment, was granted after a few hours' conversation with Sir John Kirk, and the treaty, which during Sir Bartle Frere's mission had been persistently rejected by the "Sultan," was signed and sealed within a few hours after the envoy's departure, and overtook him in a rapid despatch-boat before he reached Aden. An amusing incident is recorded of Sayyid Barghash during the séance of deliberation which took place before he signed the treaty. Sir John Kirk was explaining to him the terrors and inconveniences of a blockade, how all supplies of provisions would be stopped, and the island. reduced to starvation, and he wound up his effective picture by asking the "Sultan" what he would do then? "Why," said Sayyid Barghash, "I should just come and live with you, Consul."

It is owing to our present representative in Zanzibar that the Sultan has gradually assured and strengthened his hold over the East African coast between the Portuguese northern boundary and the No-man's Land of the Somali Deserts, thus keeping in hands friendly to England the richest coast-lands of East Africa and the trade-routes to the Central Basin. Sir John Kirk has little disguised his views about English influence in the Indian Ocean, and he steadfastly bears in mind that nearly the entire commerce of Eastern Africa is in the hands of British subjects, and that, to uphold our influence in the country, we should encourage to the utmost the thrifty settlers from Western India. He also feels, as any observant politician must, that much as we may admire and sympathize with the promptings to colonization which, like the desire for offspring late

in life, are now animating so many old European nations, there is no reason why England should act as a political midwife, and assist in bringing to birth their late-born children, or neglect the wants of her own large family in order that her neighbours' weaklings may not die of inanition.

One of the firmest resolves of Sir John Kirk has been to keep Eastern Africa between 10° N. and 10° S. clear of foreign influences, and so to hold this littoral through our nominee, the present Sayyid, that whenever the cold fit shall be off and the hot wave of further colonization flow on again—whenever the irresistible spreading of the English people compels it to look towards fresh fields of enterprise-Zanzibar, city, island, and coast, may not be found in hands hostile to British trade. To Sir John Kirk alone we owe it that the Government of Portugal has not now included the important

Fig. 3.-Mtépé (with mat sail).

Rovuma river in its East African possessions; and the same person is responsible for having, with one English frigate, driven away the whole Egyptian fleet under McGillup Pasha, when, acting under secret orders from the Egyptian Government, the Khedive's East Afri

can Expedition proceeded to annex, occupy, and fortify the principal ports in the Sayyid's continental dominions. About the manifold checks that French ambition and " protecting" zeal1 have received

1 In remarks of this character I do not wish it to be supposed that

in these Zangian regions I need not dilate, as they are questions involving political feelings of some acerbity at the present time, and would therefore be out of place in this book. But I might further recall to my readers that it is to the personal exertions of the British Agent and Consul-General that Zanzibar owes its line of telegraph, its mail service, its hospital, its observatory, its standing army (officered and commanded by Englishmen), its horticultural development, its its projected sanitary reform, and possibly also the scarcely less precious introductions of lawntennis and afternoon tea. The British Agency and Consulate-General in the town of Zanzibar is a handsome Arab house standing towards the southern end of the city, and just overhanging the sea, which at high tide lashes its protecting wall. The style of exterior and interior is purely Arab, or, to use a more

Fig. 4.
Small Mtépé and Outrigger Canoe.

while ardently admiring all British officials who have but one singleminded purpose, viz. that of straining every effort to secure peculiar advantages for the power and commerce of their own country, I am hypocritical enough to think it immoral and unjust when the same object is held in view by the servants of foreign powersFrance, Russia, Germany, and the like. From their point of view they are acting quite rightly and deserve every credit from their fellow-countrymen for their determined efforts to thwart our healthy appetite, which must seem like greediness to them. Every one for himself. Self-denial only creates selfishness.