Problem in cross compilation

I want to compile kaffe 1.1?8 for ARM9.

I use the following :

NM=arm-linux-ar STRIP=arm-linux-strip ./configure \
--host=arm-linux --prefix=/eBook_SDK/kaffe \
--libexecdir=/eBook_SDK/kaffe/bin --with-engine=intrp \
--disable-x --disable-debug --disable-xprofiling --disable-xdebugging \
--disable-feedback --disable-profiling --without-stats --disable-gtk-peer \
--with-kaffe-nanox-awt \
--with-nanox-include=/usr/local/src/ebr/microwin/src/include \
--with-nanox-library=/usr/local/src/ebr/microwin/src/lib \
--disable-gcj \
--disable-sound \
--without-alsa \
--without-esd


checking for ESD - version >= 0.2.1... no
*** The esd-config script installed by ESD could not be found
*** If ESD was installed in PREFIX, make sure PREFIX/bin is in
*** your path, or set the ESD_CONFIG environment variable to the
*** full path to esd-config.
Useable version of ESD not found.
Information: Using native math library
checking if malloc debugging is wanted... no
configure: error: Can't find or can't use system zlib.h



* zlib.h is in prefix/include
* I asked without ESD ....

Any idea ?