Zanzibar. 381 



attraction to those adopting a sea-faring life than the equally precarious and more prosaic 

 occupations of the coast fisherman. This fully accounts for the large import trade the details 

 of which have been given, for though the climate of the Arabian coast is undoubtedly more 

 favourable for the curing of fish, yet there are here fully seven months in the year during 

 which the weather is quite dry and settled enough for drying fish for consumption in the 

 country and there is no dearth of shark and scar-fish for the purpose. 



Now, however, that the efforts of Sir John Kirk, and the stringent action he has induced 

 the Sultan to take against the slave trade in these waters have dealt so formidable a blow to 

 the traffic, the large body of seafaring men who have so long been engaged in that semi- 

 piratical occupation are beginning to settle down in these dominions, and it is not unlikely 

 that as this body increases they may successfully compete with the present large import trade 

 from Arabia and thus cheapen the staple animal food of the country. 



To those who remember the scarcity of fresh fish here ten or twelve years ago, and can 

 compare it with the regular supply which is now found daily in a commodious fresh fish 

 market, the comparison is very suggestive ; in fact, the fish trade, like every other legitimate 

 industry, has made progress in very near ratio to the decline of the slave trade, which, since 

 the Treaty of 1873, and more especially since the loyal co-operation of H.H. Sayyid Burghash 

 in our anti-slavery policy, has- received a check from which it will never recover, and which it 

 may be hoped will end ere long in its total suppression. 



In Zanzibar itself the class of professional fishermen is large, and aloog the coast there 

 are in every town and village those who pursue that calling. There are also a great number 

 of natives usually employed in cultivation who engage in fishing during slack seasons. 



Fish here are usually caught with a hook and line of native manufacture, the fibre of the 

 pineapple leaf, and of a species of aloe and native cotton, being used in constructing their lines, 

 and the bark of a tree called " M'pesi " employed to tan and strengthen them. Shell fish 

 and squid are the usual baits. The canoes usually lie in seven fathoms and upwards, the 

 fishermen being well acquainted with the resorts of the various species of fish. 



Along the coast, wherever the beach is sandy the seine is used, and large quantities of 

 fish are thus obtained when the tide serves. 



Fish are also taken in calm weather by using a poison called " Utupa," which is prepared 

 by bruising the leaves of a shrub of that name. When thrown into one or two fathoms it 

 instantly stupefies every fish in the locality, and causes them to come to the surface. 



The variety of fish found in Zanzibar waters is very great, but it would be useless to give 

 the native names, and not having a book of reference, it is impossible to identify them either 

 with their popular or scientific designations in Europe. Many are poisonous, and some, though 

 commonly eaten, are known to be liable to induce sickness and rashes. The most marketable 

 kinds are the scar (nguru of the larger fish, and among the smaller the " Changu-chole " 

 (resembling the sole in flavour), the " Kibua " (a kind of mackerel), the " Koana " (red mullet) 

 and the sole, which latter, however, is rare, owing to the difficulty of securing it with native 

 nets. " Dagaa," a name applied to fry and small fish, generally a little larger than whitebait, 

 are also plentiful at certain seasons. 



The price of fresh fish may be considered high, being fully half as much as is paid in 

 London for fish of similar quality. 



Thei e are no special laws for the protection either of fish or fishermen in this country. 

 This brief and imperfect notice of the fish and fish trade of Zanzibar may be concluded 

 with the description of a fish whose use, so far as I am aware, has not been mentioned either 

 by travellers or those who have written specially on fish and their habits. 



The " Chazo " (sucker fish) is well known to naturalists, and is constantly found adhering 

 to sharks, whales and other fish, and to old timbers raised from deep water. I had long 

 heard tales of their being employed by the natives for the purpose of catching tortoise and 

 turtle, but professional fishermen are very jealous and exclusive, and there was great difficulty 

 in getting them to speak on the subject to a European. 



On receiving the notice of the International Fisheries Exhibition, which only reached me 

 two months since, I went among the fishermen, and succeeded in finding two or three fish, one 

 of which I secured, on condition of my consenting to the owner taking it for one more trip, on 

 which he was then starting. The account received from this old fisherman and his companions 



