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THE < kings: 



conquer Incl; thus philosophy, Melinde,' — mean- 

 ing that the Portuguese taught their African 

 friends more drinking than wisdom. Joao 

 de Barros (ii. 4 2) informs us that the Chief 

 of Zanzibar was 6 da linhagem dos Reys de 

 Monibaca, nossos imigos. 5 The inhabitants were 

 ' white Moors ' (Arabs from Arabia) and black 

 Moors or Wasawahili ; the former are portrayed 

 as a slight people, scantily armed, but clothed in 

 fine cottons bought at Mombasah from mer- 

 chants of Cambaya. Their women were adorned 

 with jewels, with Sofalan gold, and with silver 

 obtained in exchange for provisions, from the 

 people of St Lawrence's Island (Madagascar). 

 And here we may remark that the Arab settle- 

 ments in East Africa, visited by the Portuguese 

 at the end of the 15th century, showed generally 

 a civilization and a refinement fully equal to, if 

 not higher than, the social state of the European 

 voyagers. The latter, expecting to find savages 

 like the naked Kafirs of the South, must not 

 have been a little surprised to receive visits 

 from the chiefs of Mozambique and Melinde, 

 men clad in gold, embroidered silks, velvets, and 

 ' crimson damask, lined with green satin ; 9 

 armed with rich daggers and swords sheathed 

 in silver scabbards, seated on arm-chairs, and 



