Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 826610137

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-78190

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Reitzenstein, Eduard

Title:: Ueber einige Verwaltungseinrichtungen und das Tarifwesen auf den Eisenbahnen Englands

Place of publication:: Berlin

Publisher:: Vahlen

Year of publication:: 1876

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (V, 212 S)

Collection:: Economics Books

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Appendix, No 7. Slave trade at Zan zibar and its African dependencies. 114 APPENDIX TO KEPOET FKOM SELECT COMMITTEE rative impunity, are frequently dropped by Mussulmans of those parts in all discussions regarding the abolition of the slave trade. Submitting this remark as an additional argu ment in support of the energetic measures recommended for the suppression of the traffic in the Portuguese settlements, I pass on to consider the slave trade as it now prevails at Zan zibar and its African dependencies. 15. The African dominions of his late Highness Syud Saeed extend from Mukdeesha, on the north, to Cape Delgado on the south, at which latter point they are conterminous with the Portuguese territories. According to Article I. of the existing Treaty, made with the late Imam in October 1845, “ His Highness the Sultan of Muscat engages to prohibit, under the severest penalties, the importation of slaves from any part of Africa into his “ possessions in Asia, and to use his utmost influence with all the chiefs of Arabia, the Red “ Sea, and the Persian Gulf, in like manner to prevent the introduction of slaves from Africa “ hito their respective territories.” But by the tenor of Article III. the prohibition con tained in the first Article is virtually considerably modified. Thereby His Hichness the “ Sultan of Muscat grants to the ships of Her Majesty’s Navy, as well as to those of the “ East India Company, permission to seize and confiscate any vessels the property of his “ Highness or of his subjects carrying on slave trade, excepting only such as are engaged in the transport of slaves from one port to another of his own dominions in Africa, “ between the port ol Lamoo to the north and its dependencies, the northern limit of which “ is the north point of Kanghoo Island, in 1° 57" south latitude, and the port of Kilwa to the south and its dependencies, the southern limit of which is the Longa Muñara or “ Pagoda Point, in 9® 2" south latitude, including the Islands of Zanzibar" Pemba and “ Monfea.” 16. In spite of the provisions of this Treaty, which restrict the trade to the transport of slaves within certain limits, and forbid all export beyond them, Dr. Krapf writes, that in 1853 he saw 20 Arab ships at Mukdeesha engaged in smuggling slaves to Arabia. Colonel Rigby also, as late as March last, reports that large numbers of boats and huttelas belong ing to the piratical tribes of Oman and the Persian Gulf are in the habit of visiting Zanzibar and the East Coast of Africa for the purpose of purchasing or kidnapping slaves; and he estimates that 4,000 are yearly carried away and landed at diffeient places on the shores of Arabia and the Persian Gulf. These boats are represented as carrying an armed crew, who land on any part of the coast and seize indiscriminately the domestic or other slaves belong ing to ihe inhabitants. Even Zanzibar itself is subject to these forays. During the peiiod of their annual visits, extending from November to March, Colonel Rigby describes Z in- zibar as resembling “ a city with a hostile army encamped in its neighbourhood. Every person who is able to do so sends his children and young slaves into the interior of the island for security. People are afraid to stir out of their houses after daik, and reports “ are daily made of children and slaves kidnapped ; and in the suburbs of the town they ‘‘ even enter the houses, and take the children away by force.” So much with regard to the export of slaves to the northward, through the agency of the Arabs. 17. But in addition to the foregoing, there is reason to believe that a considerable trade in slaves has been carried on clandestinely for some time past by square-rigtyed vessels under foreign colours, both at Zanzibar and within its African dependencies. In 1857 the brig “ Venus,” hoisting the Spanish flag, arrived at Zanzibar, and from thence proceeded to Lamoo, where she embarked from 500 to 800 slaves for Havannali. The principal agent employed in this transaction was a Spaniard named Buenaventura Mass, who a year later was engaged in securing another cargo of slaves for exportation. Documentary proofs of this fact have already been submitted lo Government by Colonel Rigby, and it would appear from the evidence adduced on the occasion that out of 424 slaves obtained at Kilwa, no less than 225 died from exposure and other sufferings on their way to Lamoo, to which place they were sent to be resold, owing to the non-arrival of the vessel expected to embark them. It appears that these slaves had been destined for La Reunion, since in one of his letters to the Arab agent employed by him in collecting them at Kilwa, Mr. Mass savs, “ Of the 600 slaves to be purchased 60 must be females; for the Government of Bourbon “ insist that 10 of every 100 shall be females, or they will not accept them.” 18. Again, in February 1858 Colonel Rigby reports that the French ship Pallas” suc ceeded in embaí king 600 slaves from Zanzibar. The slaves were conveyed secretly in boats to the south parts of the island, and there received on board the « Pailas.” Two hundred of these slaves were supplied to Mass by an Arab named Suleiman bin Abdallah, and the remainder, he has reason to suspect, were provided conjointly by a brother of Sultan Majeed and by his Vizier, Syud Suleiman bin Hamed. ’ 19. Further, as late as July last, another vessel named the Formosa Estrella ” from Ilavannah, under Spanish colours, anchored off the eastern side of Zanzibar and on beino- visited by the commander of one of his Highness’s ships of war, who bad proceeded thither in the French war steamer La Somme,” he reported that the ship was cornpletely equipped asa slaver, having on board, besides provisions, a supply of irons, chains, tin plates, &c. There can be no doubt ihal the object of this vessel was to secure a cargo of slavesVroni Zanzibar; for a Spaniard from Cuba had lately joined Mr. Mass on the island, and a large number of slaves were being purchased for them by different Arab agents, both at Zanzibar and at Kilwa, many of whom were subsequently emancipated by his Highness Syud Majeed, on the representation made to him by Colonel Rigby of their destination. Colonel Rigby attributes the ultimate escape of this vessel to the extraordinary conduct of the French consul

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