"THERE IS NO GOOD IN THE BONDSMAN." 373 



were stripped from an officer's sword-belt whilst dining 

 with the Prince of Zanzibar. The slave is almost always 

 half-naked ; whatever clothes he obtains from the master 

 are pawned or sold in the bazar ; hence he must pilfer 

 and plunder almost openly for the means of gratifying 

 his lowest propensities, drinking and intrigue. He 

 seems to acquire from captivity a greater capacity for 

 debauchery than even in his native wilds ; he has learned 

 irregularities unknown to his savage state : it is the 

 brutishness of negroid nature brought out by the cheap 

 and readily attainable pleasures of semi-civilisation. 

 Whenever on moonlight nights the tapping of the tomtom 

 responds to the vile squeaking of the fife, it is impossible 

 to keep either a male or female slave within doors. All 

 rendezvous at the place, and, having howled and danced 

 themselves into happiness, conclude with a singularly 

 disorderly scene. In the town of Zanzibar these 

 " Ngoma" or dances were prohibited for moral reasons 

 by the late Sayyid. The attachment of a slave to his 

 master is merely a development of selfishness ; it is a 

 greater insult to abuse the Ahbab (patroon), than, 

 according to Eastern fashion, the father and mother, 

 the wife and sister. No slave-owner, however, praises 

 a slave or relies upon his fidelity. The common expres- 

 sion is, " There is no good in the bondsman." 



Like the Somal, a merry and light-hearted race in 

 foreign countries, but rendered gloomy and melancholy 

 by the state of affairs at home, the negroid slaves 

 greatly improve by exportation : they lose much of the 

 surliness and violence which distinguish them at Zanzi- 

 bar, and are disciplined into a kind of respect for 

 superiors. Thus, " Seedy Mubarak" is a prime favourite 

 on board an Indian steamer ; he has also strength and 

 courage enough to make himself respected. But " Seedy 



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