There is a woolly-headed sultan who draws a guaranteed, fixed income and has nothing better to do than regale himself and a harem with western alleged amusement.

There are police, and lights, and municipal regulations.

In fact, Zanzibar has come on miserable times from certain points of view.

But there remains the fun of listening to all the rumors borne by sea.

"Play on the flute in Zanzibar and Africa as far as the lakes will dance!" the Arabs say, and the gentry who once drove slaves or traded ivory refuse to believe that the day of lawlessness is gone forever.