ung European, chancing to ride on one of Prince Majid's horses by
the estate of Amer, one afternoon, casually obtained a glance at the
sweet face of Amina, which made such an impression on his mind that he
continually dwelt upon it as on a happy dream. Some of this young
European's phrases deserve to be repeated in justice to the Arab lady
whom he so admired. "She was the most beautiful woman my eyes ever
rested upon. I felt a shock of admiration as I caught that one short
view of her face. I felt a keen regret that I could see no more of the
exquisite features of her extraordinary face. If I were a painter, I
know I should be for ever endeavouring to preserve a trace of the divine
beauty of that Arab woman; my brush would ever hover about the eyes in a
vain hope that I could transmit to canvas the marvellously limpid, yet
glowing look of her eyes, or near the finely chiselled lips, tinting
them with the rubiest of colours, or ever trying to imitate the pure
complexion, yet always despairing to approach the perfection, one glance
indelibly fixed on my memory."

Around Amer's large roomy mansion grew a grove of orange and mangoe
trees. The fields of his estate numbered many acres, well-tilled and
planted with cinnamon, cloves, oranges, mangoes, pomegranates, guavas,
and numerous other fruit-trees; they produced also every variety of
vegetable and grain known on the Island of Zanzibar. By dint of labour,
and personal exertion, and superintendence of the proprietor the estate
was considered to be one of the most flourishing on the island. A
sacrifice of a large amount of ready money had so improved and
embellished the mansion, that the oldest inhabitant who remembered
Osman, Amer's father, hardly recognised it as the house of Osman. A
large marble courtyard, in the centre of which stood a handsome fountain
of the same costly stone, was one of the many additions made to the
house by Amer after the demise of his father. Marble troughs outside
the mansion had also been erected for the use of the Moslemised slaves,
that they might wash their feet and hands before attending the prayers
in the mesdjid [Chapel or church] of the mansion, which were rigidly
observed with all the ceremonies usual in Moslem temples.

Amer, the son of Osman, had but one son, called Selim, by his favourite
wife Amina. Not less dear to him was this boy than was his wife. In
the boy's handsome features, large glowing black eyes, and clear
co