SLAVE MARRIAGE IN ZANZIBAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 81, 6 April 1871, Page 4

SLAVE MARRIAGE IN ZANZIBAR.

C From Chamber's Journal. ) I was seated at an upper window in French Charlie's hotel, in the town of Zanzibar, one day, when my attention was attracted by a strange noise in the street below. A tall black Arab came shouting along the street, carrying something like a pot ; and as he appeared in a very excited condition, and cast many wild glances behind him, I judged he had gone suddenly mad, and escaped^ from the bosom of his family with a curry for dinner. But when opposite the 'tjotel, he clapped down his instrument (which I now perceived to be a kettledrum) in ■ front of him, and belabored it with such .force, accompanied with such ringing shouts\as spoke volumes for the strength of his heart and lungs. I had hardly recovered from, my surprise, when further shouting in the drummer's rear caused me to lift up my eyes, just as he hastily snatched up his drum and fled along the street as if pursued by a mad dog ; while other revellers, to the number of twenty or thirty, came leaping and prancing after him, like so many drunken dervishes. They were armed with, swords, and shields, and spears. They run swiftly on for a few paces j then, suddenly stopping, engaged in a real, which seemed compounded of Highland fling, Irish jig, and Indian war-dance, with a few choice shouts and pirouettes, that only a Zanzibar savage could give. This was continued at intervals along the line of march, for I now perceived I was gazing on a procession in honour of something or somebody. After these fanatics came a covey of decidedly old covies. They were all dressed alike — namely, in a long queershaped frogged surtout, buttoned up to the chin, and covering a white cotton night shirt, which protruded at least six inches j and each one bore aloft a gaudily colored umbrella. These they waved on high as they stopped to execute a very solemn jig. The business like way in which those stiff old guys hobbled and wheeled, and leaped and frisked, was highly entertaining, and an incident that followed did not tend to put a more serious face on the matter ; for ■who should come round the corner just then, but a man-o'-war's sailor — drunk, of course, it being his day on shore ! He was in their midst at once. " Hurroo !" he he cried j "By the powers of St. Patrick, go it, me boys. You and I, old cockodamas.;" and seizing one of the old gentlemen by both .hands, he burst into the tune of " Lannigan's Ban/ and commenced such a caper qb considerably astonished all

who beheld At. Round and round span the ill-ass rted couple, the sailor of course being the moving power, tumbling |three or four who got in the way, and ' at the last bar of the* tune finishing with such a flourish, that his head not being over steady, Jack rolled on the ground, and " Jill came tumbling after." Jack's life would have instantly been sacrificed, for two or three sturdy spearmen rushed> upon him as soon as he fell, had not a rich Arab, who happened to be passing, interposed and saved him. On getting up, this kindly Arab led him off, telling him something, the only words of which I could catch being "honor 5 ' and "Sultan." "Pepper „ and wounds ! " cried the now disconsolate sailor. "D'ye tell me so ? Is it the Sultan ? Holy Moses ! what'll become of me at all ?" Then hauling out a flask of rum : " Would bis highness, thiuk you ? Might I make so bold ?" Bat he was bundled offj and the procession continued, as if nothing had occurred to mar its triumphal progress. So the fogies passed .; and after them came a large chair, borne aloft by four fat perspiring slaves. The chair was beautifully gilded, and entjrely screened from the vulgar gaze by scarlet cloth and white gauze ; but looking at it navrovvly — I fear impertinently — I perceived a small white hand clasping a corner of the curtain, as if to form a l little peep-bolp, and peer out wjth feminine-curiosity at the world. I could stand it no more, so I rung for the hotelkeeper. "In the name of Mohammed, Charlie, what does all this mean ? " "It is not mooch, sar, " he replied ; "his highness, the Sultan" — and at the great name, the eyes, palms, and shoulders of French Charlie were turned skywards — "his highness is going to take unto heemself one oder leetle vornan to be one vife. She now go home. " He told me, moreover, that the "leetle vomau" — who judging from her hand, could not be older than twelve or fourteen— had not, since she had been set apart — years sgo — been allowed to leave her own room unveiled. He would have told me much more, but my attention was fixed on the strange procession. After the chair, there canjie dancing along the street one hundred jjof the prettiest and most interesting slave girls I had ever seen. They were in two rciws, one at each side of the street, facing each other, aud danced along in a species qf angelic crab-walking, to the music of their own sweet voices. Each girl had two gilded bullocks' horns, which, all in time, they knocked together as they sang, now above their heads, and now below their knees ; and upon the whole, the performance was gracful enough to have pleased a Spanish grandee. " Slaves can't all be unhappy, " thought I, for there was a smile on every lip, and every cheek was dimpled. After the dancing girls came another lunatic drummer, then another batch of spear swayers, then more umbrella-bearing fogies, then other two covered chairs, but no more little white hands. Lastly came a company of rough, brave-looking Arab soldiers, with guns as long as decent-sized fishing-rods ; and so the procession passed on, aud disappeared.