I remained in the hospital two weeks before I was
able to return to my house. Upon my recovery,
Captain Charles Campbell of H.M.S. “ Philomel ” kindly
offered to take me for a six days’ cruise on his vessel
to recover my strength. Upon my return from the
cruise, which did my health a deal of good, I found
stationed in front of my house at Zanzibar two of
the Zanzibar police force. Having dismissed them,
I entered the house, and found George and my followers
in a state of excitement and much relieved at my
return.
It appeared that the day I embarked on the “ Philomel
” — in fact, less than an hour after I left the shore
— about fifteen of the deserters from my caravan,
armed with clubs, entered my house and attacked
George. He was roughly handled, but made good
his defence. He had been attacked while sitting at
a desk writing, and during the struggle his endeavour
was to reach a pistol hanging upon the wall. This
he finally secured, whereupon his assailants fled. The
object of this attack I never could learn, but I think
it was undoubtedly actuated by a desire to seize the
person of either George or myself. Such an attack
upon an European, as far as I could learn, had not
occurred in Zanzibar for more than twenty years;
and it struck me as strangely coincident with the
hostile attitude of the authorities at Zanzibar.
Through the United States Consul, complaint was
made against these men, but few steps were taken
for their arrest, and only a few of them, although
all their names were handed in, and they were all
well known to the authorities, were shut up in the
barracks of the Zanzibar troops. Even these few
were released after a few days’ confinement without
further punishment.
My house was situated just off the main street of
Zanzibar. The attack had been made upon it in
broad noonday. The men, in order to reach my
house, must have passed through the main street of
Zanzibar bearing clubs in their hands. The main
street was plentifully supplied with police, but they
had made no effort to stop the progress of the
negroes, though it is customary never to permit natives
to walk thus armed through the streets of Zanzibar.
The Soudanese who deserted from me were taken
into the service of the Sultan; Mohamadi, the headman
who deserted from me at Seran, and who had
stolen the ivory, was rewarded for this meritorious conduct
by being placed in an office of trust in the
Zanzibar jail. Lieutenant von Hohnel upon reaching
Zanzibar had made a specific complaint against
this man, but was unable to procure his punishment
in any way.
I waited in Zanzibar several weeks, hoping that
some means would be arrived at for the settlement
of the difficulty, but no steps were taken by the
authorities of Zanzibar to bring suit in the Consular
Court. Knowing that if I should leave Zanzibar without
making strenuous attempts to settle the matter,
my course of action would be misrepresented, I offered
to submit the 'question at issue to arbitration.
This suggestion was agreed to by the authorities at
Zanzibar. It was determined that I should appoint
an arbitrator, that the government of Zanzibar should