Zanzibar

A nineteenth-century travel account of Zanzibar, written by the explorer Richard Francis Burton and published in 1872. The excerpt follows a walking party led by a local headman from the coast into the lands beyond, crossing sandy streambeds and plains of blue earth dotted with small maize and cassava fields. Along the way, the author records the local plant life, including the copal tree, which he describes with close botanical detail, and the plants and animals that inhabit the scrubland.

The passage also explains the names and qualities of copal and other gums sold in trade, comparing those from East Africa with varieties from Mexico, New Zealand and the West African coast. The text reflects the observational style of its era, with notes on local names, measured distances and practical details of the journey.