80
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFOIIE SELECT COMMITTEE
Kear Adm.
C.F. Hillyar,
C.B.
25 July
1871.
Major Gen.
C. F. Righy.
large number; the supply never exceeded the
demand.
1187. Sir J. //ny.] Had you any difficulties
y/ith the French admiral or the officers of foreign
nations in carrying on your duties there ?—
Never, quite the reverse.
1188. Was the French admiral supposed tobe
engaged in the same service ; it has been said that
he was rather supporting the slave trade than
suppressing it ; did you find that to be the case?
—No; from the intercourse I had with both the
French admiral and the officers, they were evidently
bent on carrying out the suppression of
the slave trade. I never met with anything approaching
to misunderstanding.
1189. MlX. Crum-Eioiay.l Does it ever happen
that the dhows show tight ?—They are a very
plucky set indeed ; they will fight where there is
the slightest prospect of success. In one engage
ment with the “ Highflyer’s ” boats, they very
nearly succeeded in running over the pinnace ;
and if it had not been for the dash of one of the
officers, who cut the halyards and lowered the
sails, it might have fared very badly with tb<-attacking
party.
1190. Do not you think that a much smalhj
class of vessels than corvettes of 1,000 tons wotiq
answer the same purpose as the larger ones, aO*^
cost much less ?—A smaller vessel would not haf^
the advantage of being able to send away boa^'
cruising ; small gun-boats would only be able F
do the duty^ themselves, without the assistance 0'
their boats.
1191. Sir J. Hay.'] Had your squadron smok^'
less fuel when you were there ?—Whenever
could get it.
1192. Did it make much difference whethd
y ou had it or had it not, in betraydng the positiö*^
of the ships ?—I should say it would make a ved.
material difference. It was always the object ^
the cruisers to have coal that would not sho^
smoke. I recollect, in one instance, in tk*-’
“ Centaur,” on the West Coast, chasing our o'V'^'
smoke, which had banked with the land brec^'
before daylight.
Major General CTieistophek Palmee Pigby, called in; and further Examined.
1193. Chairman.] You told us that you were
four years in Zanzibar ?—Yes.
1194. During that time did you have any
complaints made to you respecting the conduct
of any of the seamen ?—None at all from any^
native of the country . On one or two occasions
complaints, which were proved to be quite
frivolous, were made by French shopkeepers
there, but there never was one complaint from a
native of the country ; on the contrary, there
was always the most friendly feeling towards the
squadron, both in the Island of Zanzibar and on
the coast. The natives showed it on many occasions.
I remember one of the boats of the ‘‘ Gorgon”
rvas wrecked on the coast, and two of the crew,
natives of the West Coast, were captured and sold
into slavery for three bullocks a piece, and one
of the native chiefs went and paid the’ ransom
for them out of his own pocket, and took eveiy
care of them till the “ Gorgon ” came on the coast
again, when he returned them. On another occasion
the Gorgon’s ” boats were at Mombaza,
and a large number of northern piratical Arabs
assembled to attack them, and the natives of the
place, Africans and native inhabitants, assembled
in such numbers to take the part of the boats’
crew, that the piratical Arabs withdrew without
attacking them.
1195. You were, from all ymu saw, perfectly
satisfied with the conduct of the seamen on
shore?—Yes; under the most trying circumstances
the officers and men always behaved in
an admirable manner. The officers had unusual
hardships to undergo.
1196. Did you ever hear any reports of officers
going on shore with their boats and capturing
slaves ?—Never.
1197. Mr. Kennaicaj.] Have you any reason
to think that the statements made by Dr. Livingstone
at various times about the horrors of the
slave trade, and the depopulation of the country
owing to it, are exaggerated?—Not at all; I
have read Dr. Livingstone’s letters and works
with great interest, and, as far as my knowledge
and experience go, I quite agree with all he has
stated.
1198. As to the devastation of the country ?—
Yes ; I do not think he lias exaggerated it in
least.
1199. Chairman.] Or as to the cause of
depopulation ?—No.
1200. Mr. Kennaway.] Have you ever coöj.
sidered the propriety of establishing depots
liberated slaves at the Seychelles ; do you thio^
that would be a suitable place ?—I sent sevei’*^
large captures of slaves from Zanzibar to tk^
Seychelles, and I afteiwvards visited the Seyche^'
les myself, and found all the emancipated slav^i
thriving and in good condition ; the climate
the food, and everything, seemed to suit the''*
admirably.
1201. Was there room for a larger number
At that time the inhabitants of the Seychelle'-were
very anxious indeed to have a supply
emancipated slave labour. I went there in tkf
“ Gorgon ”, which took there about 80 emaflC^'
pated slaves, and a])plication were immediately
made for 800 ; ten times the number we
brought.
1202. Are you aware whether the same (1^
maud for the labour of emancipated slaves
tinues there ?—I have no recent information
but I have no doubt the Seychelles could absot^
a very considerable number of free slaves ;
in every respect it is the best place to send th^’jj
to ; the children could be protected there,
could be educated and brought up as Christiai^"|
which would be almost impossible on any
of the mainland of the East Coast of Africa. _ '
1203. Mr. Crum-Eicitiy.] In what cultivati^\
or manufacture is labour required there ?—Tk'j )
Seychelles consist of 37 islands, which are w'0*’|< »
derfully fertile; they can grow every variety,
tropical produce in the greatest abundance,
eluding tobacco, coffee, sugar, and spices of
kinds. The cloves are double the size they are
Zanzibar. The Seychelles have been very
neglected ; they have been a dependency of
Mauritius, and the Mauritius grudges ev^^
shilling spent on them. On my first visit to d’,,
Seychelles I came from Bombay, and I ha^ j.
good many Indian servants with me, and tk^-j
called the islands Paradise ; they said they
no idea that there was such a spot in the w orW'
1204. '
