'Selections from the Records of the Bombay Government' [‎280] (322/733)

VISIT TO ZANZIBAR.
His Highness the Imaum possesses absolute power, and his word is
law. He has lately built a palace at Zanzibar, and is giving every
encouragement to trade, and improving the island, by planting clove
trees and sugarcane, which thrive in a remarkable manner. It has been
supposed that His Highness will, on some future day, make this his
chief residence, in preference to Muskat. The only places on the coast
of any consequence, subject to his power, are Mombassa and Samoo;
the former is at present in a state of revolt, and he has a frigate block
ading the port.
It produces little more than a few cloves, and a small quantity of
sugar, but both these plantations are in their infancy. The interior is
said to be well cultivated, and extremely populous. Bullocks do not
appear to be plentiful, but there are abundance on Pamba, the neigh
bouring island, which also produces a great quantity of rice, and has a
good harbour ; but the cattle of the latter will not live at Zanzibar.
O '
Fruit and vegetables were in great quantities.
It has within itself little or no trade. That to Bombay consists in the
export of a little gum and ivory, brought from the main, with a few
cloves, the only produce of the island ; and the import trade is chiefly
dates, and cloth from Muskat to make turbans. These things are sent
in small country vessels, which make only one voyage a year; the trade
is consequently very trifling. The revenue is chiefly received from
ships, which come here to trade upon the coast, and which are mostly
Americans. These ships have great difficulty in collecting a cargo, and
their plan is to touch upon different parts of the coast, and leave one or
two of their crew behind, with an interpreter, whilst they visit some
other parts, or come to Zanzibar, which is the great mart and rendezvous.
Out of thirteen ships which touched here last year (between January
1833 and January 1834) only four were English, all the rest Americans.
The two American brigs now here are trading on the coast, but it is
very common for the South Sea whalers to come for refreshments, of
which description the ship now here is one. I w T as surprised to hear
this, and could scarcely believe that a South Sea whaler came here
for refreshments, and that to be her only object. However I found it
truly so, and that he had actually caught between two and three hundred
barrels of oil almost between Zanzibar and the next island of Pamba,
and this the day after he had spoken an English whaler, who had been
on the ground some time, and, after speaking the American, bore away
to the Seychelles for refreshments. Of the tw T o American biigs an
their trade, one belongs to Old Salem, and other to New York, and bot
on their second voyage. The former has both voyages brought dollars
to purchase a cargo; the latter, the first voyage, brought out goo s
which did not answer, and made a bad trip; he has now dollars, ant