The prison thereon was never used to house prisoners. At one point in time, the island was used by a slave trader from Arab to prison the troublesome slaves he had brought from the mainland and prevent them from fleeing back. Then he shipped them to Arabian purchasers or for auction in Zanzibar slave trade market. The slaves were dumped on this island. The old prison still remains standing, providing shelter for some of the giant tortoises, imported from the Seychelles in the late 19th century.