ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 
75 
^kemgelves, and that, therefore, it is inexpedient 
that account to export them ?—I think the 
dumber of slaves that have come into Zanzibar 
to within the last few years has been so large, 
|Kat any considerable want of labour has not 
oeen felt; but during the time I was in Zan 
zibar, the price of labour was constantly rising, 
^ûd I have been told since I came away that it 
bas increased very much. There has been an 
^%mense quantity of building going on in Zan 
zibar. The town was computed, some 10 years 
%o, to have 100,000 inhabitants in it, and every 
thing that goes into and out of that ])art of Africa 
goes through it, so that the trade is enormous, 
^nd the number of men wanted for every kind 
occupation is very great. 
1068. Mr. Crum-Ewing.^ T olio wing up the 
Suggestion with regard to the establishment of 
^ice-consuls along the coast, do you think that 
^Uother good plan would be to purchase the 
Sovereignty of Zanzibar ; do you suppose that the 
Sultan would be disposed to sell the sovereignty ? 
—No, I think not. I think it is possible that the 
the late Seyyid Majid might have been so dis 
posed, but Í am certain that Syed Burghash would 
Uever entertain the idea for a moment. 
1069. You do not think the cruisers do much 
good on the coast at present ?—They certainly 
oheck the slave trade to a certain extent. 
1070. You do not think they do as much good 
they might do?—PSo; it does not appear to 
Uie that the navy has ever seriously given its 
Uiind to the suppression of the trade as a great 
object. I mean to include the authorities at 
home as well as the officers on the station. 
1071. You mentioned that the young officers 
follow their own devices when they are sent out 
With the boats ; do you mean that they amuse 
themselves ?—I hey go on shore, and they cer 
tainly leave behind them the impression of having 
insulted the natives. They were accused in one 
Case of carrying off slaves from the plantations, and 
bringing them down as having been taken out of 
^ dhow ; such things as these one does not believe 
at all ; but I have very little doubt that when they 
iand they sometimes get intoxicated, and that they 
then behave in a very rough and irregular way. 
1072. Sir R. Anstruther.'] Do you state that 
cu hearsay or do you state it from your own 
knowledge ?—I state it as what I was told by the 
Natives ; I do not state it as being within my own 
knowledge. 
1073. Is it a statement in which you place 
»ny confidence yourself ?—Yes, I thoroughly 
believe it. 
1074. Sir J. Hay.'] That does not apply to 
the officers ?—Not to the officers generally. 
1075. Mr. Crum-Ewing.] But to some of the 
young men ?—Midshipmen or young lieutenants ; 
the whole thing is sometimes treated as a lark, 
h believe that wrong and irregular things are 
^oue, partly because I know that leave to go 
cn shore in Zanzibar at one time was forbidden 
cn account of what men had done when on 
®hore on leave. 
1076. You lived in the town of Zanzibar?— 
4es. 
1077. Are there many factories in the island? 
■^No. 
1078. Is not there a sugar factory ?—There 
^us a large sugar establishment projected by 
Captain Fraser, who had a very fine plantation 
^nd very fine machinery, but up to the time 
f left they had produced a very small quantity 
0.116. 
of sugar, if any at all ; then in the town itself 
there was a cocoa-nut oil factory with a steam 
mill, also started by Captain Fraser. 
1079. That was a more profitable concern 
than the other, was it not?—Yes, much more 
profitable, I think ; I think it had every element 
of success about it, and the natives were found 
quite equal to working the machinery. 
1080. A great many people were employed in 
those factories, I believe ?■—Yes, he employed a 
very large number. 
1081. hat was the status of those persons ? 
— They were hired, I think ; you cannot always 
tell in Zanzibar whether the labourers that you 
see in any particular employment are slaves or 
free men, because it is common for a man to pay 
his master two dollars a month, and to shift for 
himself, hiring himself out for whatever employ 
ment he can get ; there are men every day sitting 
in the market to let themselves as labourers, a large 
number being free, and a large number being 
slaves ; but the workmen on the sugar planta 
tion were almost all slaves newly arrived, and 
there was a considerable question as to the ])ro- 
priety of their being so employed. 
1082. Did not some orders go out from this 
country to manumit them ?—I know that a great 
deal was done and said about them ; what exact 
orders went out, I do not know ; I know it was 
said, that Captain Fraser being in want of labour 
met some natives in the town, with whom he 
made a contract for labour, and paid them in 
advance, whereupon they went to the slave 
market, and bought slaves, which slaves were ‘ 
sent out to the plantation ; I do not myself 
vouch for the accuracy of that statement. 
1083. It is some time since you left Zanzibar ? 
—Two and a half, or three years ; I have had 
letters lately from Bishop Tozer, and also from 
Dr. Christie, a physician, practising in Zanzibar, 
in which they say, that they are very anxious 
that some provision should be made for sick 
slaves and children after they are liberated, and 
landed in the town ; they think that something 
more than a certificate of freedom should be 
given to them. The certificate is a good security 
if the person is well known, but it is no security 
for a stranger. 
1084. Have not liberated slaves been taken 
to the Mauritius ?—Yes, a large number have 
been taken to the Mauritius ; I know nothing of 
that myself, but it was commonly reported that 
they would not have any more there, that they 
could not employ them ; they get much better 
labourers from India ; an untaught savage is use 
less for years. 
1085. Lord F. Cavendish.] What security 
could you give to a freed slave besides his cer 
tificate ?—His certificate is a very good security 
if he is a known person. 
1086. These freed slaves not being known 
persons, what security would you suggest in 
their case ?—They might be protected if a kind 
of barracks or home were established where they 
could be lodged for a time, so that they might 
come under the eyes of the people belonging to 
the consulate, and be recognised. 
1087. M ould you recommend their being 
placed under the protection of the British Go 
vernment?—Yes; they should certainly be under 
the protection of the British Government. 
1088. You think precautions might be taken 
to' provide for the safety of freed slaves in Zan 
zibar ?—Yes ; certainly. 
K 2 
Rev. 
E. Steere, 
LL.D. 
2.5 July 
1871. 
1089. Do