 About 6 km northwest of Stone Town in Zanzibar is a small island known by the name of Prison Island or Shanggu Island. Despite what the name implies, not a single person was imprisoned there. This island, however, is rich in history and still stands as a reminder of dark stories from the slave trade in East Africa. When it happens, maybe you wanted to sit down so you could hang up yourself. So then you have to stand still, whether you are tired or you are not. Now, Prison Island is one of the most visited places in Zanzibar and is home to a collection of endangered tortoises that were brought to the island from seychelles. Wow, you got a big mouth buddy! Today, we catch a boat ride from Stone Town through choppy waters to make our way to the island and learn about its history. The island was uninhabited until the 1860s when the first sultan of Zanzibar, Majid bin Said, gave it to two brothers who worked in the slave market and that's where the story of the island started. The island was taken by two brothers. They were Arabs. They were given by their fellow Arabs from Stone Town in there. So what they were doing, they just built the two buildings here and then they cut. They were using these buildings in order to keep slaves. One was for living and this one it was specifically for storing slaves. So they were capturing slaves from different sorts. They were just going to Tanzania mainland, Kenya, Uganda and other near East African countries to catch slaves. And the major worries that these people were using to catch slaves, it was kidnapping. They were just being there and kidnapped people then they were coming with them in here and then they were putting in these rooms. In here, they were just waiting for the agent to come and buy slaves from here. The agent who were buying slaves from Zanzibar were almost the Frenchmen. They were coming in Zanzibar and to this island and buying from here. So they were choosing. All slaves were just taken. They were lined outside in there and then they were just using this and this and this and this. And after they chose, they took them and put them into the boat living with them. The slaves from Zanzibar were mostly taken to Madagascar, Mauritius and Middle East countries. In Madagascar, Mauritius, they were there specifically working in big plantations of sugarcane before the industrial revolution. But those who were taken in Middle East countries, they were working in the houses like housemates. And these were specifically women and kids. So this was about the slave trade in here. In 1890, the island was bought by a British governor. This British governor was called Mr. Matho Leot. He bought this island specifically for mental reasons. One, it was to abolish a slave trade from this island. But the second reason, it was to build a prison. At this idea, he revealed to the government of the Arab in Stone Town and he wanted this island that he said, I want to buy the island in order to build a prison as in Zanzibar. At that time, there was not even a single prison. So then the idea was good. So they gave to him. They say, okay, pay and then take the island. He paid. After he paid, then he came here with his engineer in order to break down this building that were here before, in order to install a new building that could be used as a prison. Unfortunately, oh, they're good luck. When the engineer came in here, they did inspection of these buildings and finally they said, this building is still strong. So there was no need to break it down. So that's why I said, if there is no need to break the building down, then the building will be renovated and make it to be as a prison. Yes, this was done within one year. It was in 1891. In 1891, they did renovate the building. And then after six months, the building was ready waiting for the prisoners. Unfortunately, before keeping the prisoners in here, there was happening eruption of disease in Stone Town. And in Stone Town there, the disease was malaria, yellow fever and cholera. Remember, this was 1881. So the disease came at the same time and it affected lots of people. Number of people was increasing day after day. Like today, you can see COVID, it just spread one after. So actually, at that time, it affected many people. So the government, it was overwhelmed and then it thought what to do in order to control this situation. So then they felt it is better to put people in quarantine. They took the people from Main Island, from Mainland there in Stone Town, and took people to Prison Island in here. At that time, it was called the Prison Island already because there was a prison, but the prison was never used. It was never used to in prison, even a single prison in here. But the name Prison Island is still in here. So they were just brought in here, those people who affected from those disease and treated. Unfortunately, you can imagine the healthy care we have right now and before. We can imagine like 100 and many years there, that many people affected, the government did not have good facilities for caring people. So many people lost their life. They died and died. And those dead bodies, or those dead people who died in this island, they were bound to the Grave Island. That is the reason why that island is called Grave Island. Right now I want to add the history about the Tatars. The Tatars were from Seychelles and they were just brought by the British governor who was living in Seychelles. They were having a friendship between the British governor of Seychelles and the British governor of Zanzibar. So they were four Tatars. They were four Tatars. And luckily, the three of them have died and remain only one. The one remaining right now is 196 years old. The Tatars are very big. They go there to differentiate the male and female. The male are bigger and female are smaller. And the old Tatars in there, they have number on their back to know their age. Once you see 160, don't ask, did the number of the shell know? It's the number of the age. Thank you very much.