I sent some people from my crew today to Lisbon to gather some people, for Lisbon has the most people out of all our colonies, so we decided to bring them here. We promised them good land if they came here, and a house to live in, so they agreed to come. My crew arrived in Zanzibar in about two months or so with many people – plus their luggage and children - and we had enough houses for them all, plus some left over. Later on, white people from other places came to our colony, too. They seemed trustworthy enough so I put them in the extra houses. All of the houses now contained people, so we ordered a large group of natives to build more.
Everyone is settled into their homes. A few men from my crew built a large shelter for the natives to live in; nothing special, for we didn’t want to work – that was the most work we’d done in months, and we weren’t planning on doing any more! It’s very crowded in the native’s shelter, but it is better for them than sleeping outside in the wilderness. They work so hard everyday. I’m happy they do, but I know they’re not doing it because they like us. They’re doing it to survive.
The natives just recently put up more houses, which I’m glad they did, because more people came and wanted to reside here in Zanzibar. We’ve got quite a number of shops up and many more are sure to be built. There are a lot of houses constructed with people living in them – Zanzibar is full of people!
People are also happy to buy the natives as slaves. When people buy a native, in something called a slave trade, that native belongs to them as a slave. They can order them to work around the house or outside, or for anything else they need done. They not only get work done for us now, but for people living here, too.
I never really thought about it until now, but this must be a big change for the natives. When I arrived to the island at first, they had little huts to live in. Now, they all live in one big shelter. I bet they’re not used to this – the housing for our colonists and all of their people living together, that is. The slave trade is a drastic change for them as well. I know if I were them, I’d be confused if I was being sold to people. The natives were always a free people….they have no freedom at all anymore.
It is a price that had to be paid to build this great colony! Zanzibar is increasing in population and wealth. It has been worth it!
Francisco de Almeida
Posted in Francisco de Almeida
