270 



THE TREASURY. 



kat, some thousand miles N.West instead of 

 S.West of Bombay, and via Halifax — half round 

 the world — was often the speediest way of com- 

 munication with London. No wonder that letters 

 were delayed from 7 to 9 months, causing great 

 loss to the trade, and inconvenience to the 

 authorities. Her Majesty's proclamation was 

 published in India on November 1, 1858 ; the 

 Prince of Zanzibar was obliged with a copy only 

 in March, 1859. A line of steamers from the 

 Cape and other places was much talked of; it 

 would certainly obviate many difficulties, but the 

 Zanzibar merchants who had a snug monopoly 

 were dead against free-trade and similar appli- 

 ances of modern civilization. The French Com- 

 pany then running vessels from Mauritius to 

 Aden, proposed to touch at Zanzibar if permitted 

 to engage on their own terms 6 ouvriers libres.' 

 The liberal offer was declined with thanks. 



The Royal Treasury is managed with an ex- 

 treme simplicity. When the Prince wants goods 

 or cash he writes an order upon his collector of 

 customs ; the draft is kept as an authority, and 

 the paper is produced at the general balancing 

 of accounts, which takes place every third or 

 fourth year. I found it impossible to obtain 

 certain information concerning the gross amount 



