The Arabs are said to treat their slaves kindly, and this also may be said of native masters; the reason is, master and slave partake of the general indolence, but the lot of the slave does not improve with the general progress in civilization.  While no great disparity of rank exists, his energies are little tasked, but when society advances, wants multiply; and to supply these the slave’s lot grows harder.  The distance between master and man increases as the lust of gain is developed, hence we can hope for no improvement in the slave’s condition, unless the master returns to or remains in barbarism.

6th March, 1866.—­Rains have begun now that the sun is overhead.  We expect the Penguin daily to come from Johanna, and take us to the Rovuma.  It is an unwholesome place; six of my men have fever; few retain health long, and considering the lowness of the island, and the absence of sanitary regulations in the town, it is not to be wondered at.  The Sultan has little power, being only the successor to the captain of the horde of Arabs who came down and overran the island and maritime coasts of the adjacent continent.  He is called only Said or Syed, never Sultan; and they can boast of choosing a new one if he does not suit them.  Some coins were found in digging here which have Cufic inscriptions, and are about 900 years old.  The island is low; the highest parts may not be more than 150 feet above the sea; it is of a coral formation, with sandstone conglomerate.  Most of the plants are African, but clove-trees, mangoes, and cocoa-nut groves give a luxuriant South Sea Island look to the whole scenery.

We visited an old man to-day, the richest in Zanzibar, who is to give me letters to his friends at Tanganyika, and I am trying to get a depot of goods for provisions formed there, so that when I reach it I may not be destitute.

18th March, 1866.—­I have arranged with Koorje, a Banian, who farms the custom-house revenue here, to send a supply of beads, cloth, flour, tea, coffee, and sugar, to Ujiji, on Lake Tanganyika.  The Arab there, with whom one of Koorje’s people will remain in charge of the goods, is called Thani bin Suelim.

Yesterday we went to take leave of the Sultan, and to thank him for all his kindness to me and my men, which has indeed been very great.  He offered me men to go with me, and another letter if I wished it.  He looks very ill.

I have received very great kindness during my stay from Dr. and Mrs. Seward.  They have done everything for me in their power:  may God Almighty return it all abundantly into their bosoms, in the way that He best can.  Dr. Seward’s views of the policy pursued here I have no doubt are the right ones; in fact, the only ones which can be looked back to with satisfaction, or that have probability of success among a race of Pariah Arabs.

The Penguin came a few days ago, and Lieutenant Garforth in command agrees to take me down to the Rovuma River, and land me there.  I have a dhow to take my animals:  six camels, three buffaloes, and a calf, two mules, and four donkeys.  I have thirteen Sepoys, ten Johanna men, nine Nassick boys, two Shupanga men, and two Wayaus, Wekatani and Chuma.[3]