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Left section:
GRIND
YOUR COFFEE AT HOME
Right section: |
ZANZIBAR, AFRICA. |
The name Zanzibar, of
both State and Capital city, is a
corruption of the original
"Zanguebar," having
arisen from the mispronunciation
of the local Banyans and other
Indian traders. The State is a
Sultanate of East Central Africa,
comprising originally the four
islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Lamu,
and Mafia, (Monfia,) together
with the adjacent seaboard with
indefinite limits toward the
interior. This amount of
territory was restricted by the
action of the Anglo-Germanic
Convention in 1886, to an exactly
defined strip of coast-land, and
in later years further changes
have taken place, the Sultan's
officers in various seaports
having given way to the
Commissioners of certain European
powers. The Swahili or
"Coast People" are a
mixed race, the elements of the
Bantu and the Arab being mingled
in the proportion of three to
one. They are noted for the
intelligence and enterprise
derived from a large infusion of
Semitic blood, enabling them to
take a leading part in the
development of trade and
industries during the last half
century in Africa. The city of
Zanzibar is on the west side of
the island, about 25 miles from
its port on the
mainland--Bagamoyo. It comprises
two distinct quarters--Shangani,
the centre of trade and residence
of the Sultan, and the eastern
suburb, occupied by the lowest
classes. |
Viewed
from the sea, the aspect is
pleasing, with its gleaming
mosques, palaces, white houses,
barracks, forts and towers. But
the interior is a labyrinth of
ill-kept, narrow, winding
streets, filled with a dense mass
of hovels, described as "a
cesspool of wickedness, oriental
in appearance, Mahommedan in
religion, and Arabian in
morals." But as a centre of
trade, it occupies a very
important position, being
regularly visited by several
lines of ocean steamers, and is
the focus of all the exploring
and civilizing influences which
have penetrated into the eastern
section of equatorial Africa. |
The
total joint population was
estimated in 1887 at about
100,000. |
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