558 
AN AFRICAN POLITICAL RING, 
reputed dishonest by all. As au agent, lie pilfers from his 
emplo 3 'ers, be they Banians or Arabs ; as a Governor, ex- 
pected to exercise the office of a magistrate, he dispenses 
justice to him who pays most; and as the subject of a Sul- 
tan, who entrusted him because lie had no power on the 
mainland to supersede him, he robs his superior shame- 
lessly. No Arab or native ever utters a good word for 
kirn, but all detest him for bis injustice. 
The following narrative requires it to be known that his 
brother, Ali bin Salem Buraschid, is equally notorious for 
unblushing dishonesty. All Arabs and Europeans who 
have had dealings with either, speak in unmeasured terras 
of their fraud and duplicity. The brothers are employed 
in trade, chiefly by Ludha Damji, the richest Banian in 
Zanzibar. 
It is well known that the slave trade in this country is 
carried on almost entirely with his money, and that of 
other Banian British subjects. The Banians advance the 
goods required, and the Arabs proceed inland as their 
agents, perform the trading, or rather murdering, and when 
slaves and ivory are brought to the coast, the Arabs sell 
the slaves. The Banians pocket the price, and adroitly 
let the odium rest on their agents. As a rule, no travelling 
Arab has money enough to undertake an inland journey. 
Those who have become rich imitate the Banians, and send 
their indigent countrymen and slaves to trade for them. 
The Banians could scarcely carry on their system of trade, 
were they n< I, in possession of the Custom House, and had 
power to se <e all the goods that pass through it to pay 
themselves for debts. The so-called Governors are ap- 
pointed on ' heir recommendation, and become mere trade 
agents. W :en the Arabs in the interior are assaulted by 
the natives, they never unite under a Governor as a leader, 
for they know that defending them, or concerting means 
for their safety, is no part of his duty. The Arabs are 
neai 1 y ail in debt to the Banians, and the Banian slaves 
wre employed in ferreting out every trade transaction of 
