GLIMPSES OF EAST AFRICA AND ZANZIBAR 



may have four. But that does not interfere with 

 the number of other additions to his harem, which 

 is pretty considerable. Up to the present the little 

 Sultana has had no children, one little girl born of 

 a concubine died of consumption, the last child was 

 a much-wished-for boy. The other little girl is 

 often to be seen driving about, with two Swahili 

 nurses, and her little aunt, the baby sister of the 

 Sultan, dressed in grand Arab fashion of bright 

 silks and gold. 



The poor boy Sultan was not anxious to be 

 married, when it was arranged that he should be ; 

 however, the Government wished it, and the boy was 

 married in his teens to a little royal Arab maiden, 

 the daughter of the Imaum of Muscat, of about 

 fourteen years of age. However, no little child 

 came to her, and when the Sultan s first baby girl 

 was born she was very jealous and put out, and 

 there was a terrible scene. The Sultan said he 

 would beat her and divorce her. This is easily done 

 if one is a Mohammedan, the man has only to say, 

 *' I don't want you ! I don't want you ! I don't 

 want you ! " in front of three witnesses, and the 

 thing is done. This happened, and the British 

 Consul-General and the First Minister were very 

 perturbed, and told the Sultan his own people 

 would not like it, nor the Foreign Office, and if he 

 divorced his wife he could be no longer Sultan. So 

 the Sultan very quickly said, " Very well I will re- 



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