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:: 832922498

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-79587

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: 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

Place of publication:: [London]

Publisher:: [The House of Commons]

Year of publication:: 1871

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XXIV, 242 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE IÎCV. H(et7'e, LLD. 25 July 1C71.* tility of tliat country between Lake Nyassa and the sea ?—I have never traversed the country. 998. With regard to the state of things in Zanzibar itself, which is the part of tlie country you are most acquainted with, what is the condi tion of the emancipated slaves who are living at Zanzibar ?—They are exactly in the position of free men anywhere; they get their living by trading and work. 999. Is there any attempt made to re-enslavc them ?—]^ot generally ; they run some risk if they are imprudent and incautious ; sometimes a man will sell himself, but, as a rule, they get their living in one way or other, and no one molests them. 1000. Is their condition very much better as fieed men than it was as slaves?—A.s to eating and drinking I should think not much better. 1001. It is only in having their liberty that they are better off?—Only iu having their liberty. The greatest evil of the state of slavery is the moral degradation. 1002. With regard to the children, you took some interest in the condition of the slaves in Zanzioar, I believe ?—Yes, we had some children handed over to us who had been taken out of a slave dhow. The education of those children was our first work in Zanzibar, seven or eight years ago. We began with five and have now nearly ninety. The first five all came from the borders of Lake iSlyassa, and they were very in telligent, Our difficulty at starting was in regard to the language, and it took some time to get over that. We began with the ordinary instruction which is given in a national school in England, and we found them take it with very great rapidity ; they were much more acute than our English children would be in a rural school, and their moral character was excellent. Since I have come back I hear that they have gone on acquiring more and more knowledge, and the best possible accounts are given of them ; some of them are now 20 years of age. 1003. They have grown up into intelligent men and women, able to take care of themselves and able to earn an honest living?—Yes. Wc have had one or two cases which turned out badly, but, as a rule, we have been very satisfied with the results. 1004. ^ Is there any demoralisation amongst the young female slaves ?—You may say that in Zan zibar morality is unknown, and that, for the most part, the slaves arc not married at all. 1005. With regard to those whom you edu cated, some were girls and some were boys ?— Some were girls and some were boys. 1006. With regard to the girls, do you think 3 on instilled into their minds a proper feeling in that respect ?—I think so. I think they have a strong moral feeling. 1 do not think there is in them any lack of original morality, but, I think, owing to the existence of slavery in Zanzibar, the general state of morality among the natives is ex tremely low, so that if you only look outside your own house you find every kind of evil going on. 1007. You knew the late Sultan of Zanzibar ? —Yes; and the present Sultan of Zanzibar also. 1008. The late Sultan was really anxious to put down the slave trade, was he not ?—Yo, I should think not. I should think the present Sultan much more trustworthy than the last was. Seyyid Majid was an effete voluptuary himself, a man entirely given up to his jileasures and worn out by them, and he was always willing to pa) ; money for tlie sake of putting an end to aH) ' trouble. 1009. Toil think that the present Sultan, properly approached, would be willing to co operate with us in suppressing the slave trade ?'^ I think with regard to the foreign slave trad^ probably he would. 1010. Is it, or not, the case that a great pad of his revenue is derived from the tax on slaves^ —The custom^ duty on slaves forms a materia^ part of the customs duties. j 1011. Would you propose to compensate hii^ for the loss of tliat duty ?—lie does not osteO' sibly receive any duty upon slaves going Arabia, but only upon the slaves carried froa’ place to place within his own dominions. 1012. On the slaves landed in Zanzibar?—Oa the slaves landed in Zanzibar and on those eX' ported from Zanzibar, exported in a dhow suf' posed to be going to one of his own ports. 1013. So that he does not openly encouragé the slave trade ?—^ ot in the least ; he professe* to put it down. Every now and then he burns a dhow, and imprisons the master of the dhoi'> and takes away all the slaves. Seyyid Majid usc^ to divide the slaves so taken amongst his friend?' 1014. Had you any opportunity of forming opinion as to the energy of our naval force wff^' ' regard to the suppression of the slave trade whe^ you were in Zanzibar ?—Yes ; there are exeef' tiens, but, generally speaking, I think the nav)' did all they could, but I do not think they wef^ at all able to do what they might have done? I think large vessels are wholly unfitted for tl><^ Avork of chasing those dhows ; then Avhen a young officer is sent out w ith some seamen in a boah nobody ever knows exactly what is done, and many tales are told among the natives as to w ind is done, Avhich are simply incredible, but there n little doubt that Avhen a boat’s crew- goes aw'a) they follow- their ow n devices l ery much indeed? and, no doubt, they harrass legitimate commercé very much. 1015. Chat is, they take possession of vessel* that are in legitimate trade ?—Yes ; they stof? and search, and detain, and sometimes burnl’ them. 1016. Under the supposition that they ai'ß slave dhoAVs ?—Yes. 1017. Could you suggest any means of inn | proving that state of things for the future ?—Mí j impression is that small vessels of light dran | should be employed, which could follow- tin’ dhows into the shalloAvs, and they ou^ht to very fast sailers, because uoav the dhows alivays outsail our boats ; if you could folio"' them into the shallows with small vessels I ha"^ no doubt a great deal of the trade might stopped. ® 1018. Generally, do you look forward w'id' | hope to the suppression of the slave trade in it' . Avorst form on the East Coast of Africa I thinl^ it may be done if the English Government b minded to do it. 1019. If the English Government is minde^ think no material opposition Avoid" be offered by the natii e princes ?—No. 'I What w ould you suggest th"^ the English GoA erninent should do, supposing the) had a inind to do it ?—It is a question for a nav"' man what means should be taken ; I thiab? probably, the best w ay Avoidd be to Avatch tb^ : Arabi^tt

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