2G4 



PRISONS. 



though chastisement is on the whole wild and 

 unfrequent. Zanzibar town is subject to fires, 

 originating with the slaves, often in drunkenness, 

 more often for plunder; and this induced the 

 late Sayyid to forbid the building of cajan 

 ' tabernacles ' (Makuti or Banda-ni) upon the 

 house-tops. His orders were obeyed for four 

 months, an unusually long time; and at last 

 Europeans, in consequence of the danger which 

 threatened them, were compelled personally to 

 interfere with the severest preventive treatment. 

 The Prince alone has the power of pronouncing 

 a capital sentence ; and, as usual in Moslem 

 countries, where murder is a private, not a pub- 

 lic, offence, the criminal is despatched by the 

 relatives of the slain. Death mav be inflicted 

 by the master of the house upon a violator of 

 domicile, gallant, or thief; the sword is drawn, 

 and the intruder is at once cut down. Pines 

 and confiscations, which have taken the place 

 of the Koranic mutilation, are somewhat com- 

 mon, especially when impudent frauds are prac- 

 tised upon the Prince's property. Confinement 

 in the fort, I have said, is severe, but not so 

 much feared as at Maskat, whose rock dungeon 

 is an Aceldama ; I saw something of the kind at 

 Pernando Po. Criminals have a wholesome 



