ON  SLAVE  TRADE  (EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA).

vii

It  has  been  stated  to  the  Committee  that  for  the  performance  of  the  additional ­
  duties  which  would  devolve  upon  the  Consul,  should  the  proposed  treaty
be  carried  into  effect,  some  increase  in  the  present  small  staff  would  be  required,
and  it  was  recommended  by  witnesses  that  an  officer  be  appointed  at  Zanzibar
to  assist  the  Consul  and  Judge  of  the  Vice  Admiralty  Court  in  all  matters
connected  with  the  slave  trade,  with  the  title  of  Assistant  Political  Agent  and
Vice  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  and  to  act  for  him  in  his  absence  ;  that  a  Consular
Officer  should  aim  be  appointed  at  Oar  Selam,  under  the  superintendence  of
Her  Majesty’s  Consul,  to  whom  he  should  report  upon  all  matters  connected
with  the  slave  trade,  the  number  of  slaves  exported,  and  whether  the  Sultan’s
engagements  with  Her  Majesty’s  Government  are  strictly  observed.  This  officer
would  be  required  to  visit,  from  time  to  time,  the  various  points  on  the  coast,
and  to  report  whether  any  irregularities  exist,  or  any  illegal  exports  are  carried
on  ;  and  as  it  is  probable  that  for  some  time  the  slave  traders  would  attempt  to
continue  the  exportation  of  slaves  from  Kilwa,  the  distance  of  which  from
Zanzibar  and  Dar  Selam  would  prevent  the  British  authorities  at  those  places
from  watching  and  checking  such  practices,  it  might  be  necessary,  at  first,  to
station  a  consular  officer  at  that  port  also.
It  was  also  stated  to  the  Committee  that  this  proposal  was  concurred  in
by  the  Secretary  ot  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Secretary  of  State  for  India
in  Council,  who  recommended  that,  as  the  duties  of  the  agency  and  consulate
at  Zanzibar  were  of  a  twofold  character—one  part  concerning  the  Indian,  and
the  other  the  Imperial  Government—that  the  cost  of  maintenance  should  be
equally  divided  between  the  Imperial  and  Indian  Governments.  ,
This  proposal  was  negatived  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Treasury,
and  it  was  stated  in  evidence  that,  in  consequence  of  this  refusal  and  of  the
representation  of  the  Indian  Government,  Her  Majesty’s  Secretary  of  State  for
India  in  Council  had  informed  the  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  that
the  Foreign  Office  would  no  longer  be  privileged  to  send  any  instructions  to
the  Zanzibar  agent  ;  and  the  whole  matter,  therefore,  w  as  brought  to  a  deadlock. ­


The  principal  means  used  to  check  the  trade  have  been  the  employment
of  some  vessels  of  Her  Majesty’s  Navy  upon  the  East  Indian  station  as  cruisers
to  watch  the  East  African  Coast  during  the  slaving  season,  which,  depending
upon  the  monsoon,  is  from  April  to  the  end  of  June,  and  from  September  to
the  beginning  of  November.  It  was  stated  in  evidence  that  during  the  years
1867,  1868,  and  1869,  there  were  captured  by  the  squadron  116  dhows,  containing ­
  2,645  slaves  ;  while,  according  to  the  returns  uf  slaves  exported  from
Zanzibar  and  Kilwa  during  those  years,  dhows  carrying  37,000  slaves  must  have
evaded  capture,  making  the  captures  about  6  6  per  cent.  only.

Ihese  figures  are  sufficient  to  show  the  insufficiency  of  the  present  squadron
to  check,  much  less  to  stop,  the  trade;  and  the  reasons  assigned  are  that  the
existing  treaties  and  the  instructions  as  to  domestic  slaves  render  it  impossible  to
seize  a  dhow  south  of  La  moo,  and  during  the  south-west  monsoon  it  is  very
difficult  to  keep  the  cruisers  sufficiently  near  the  coast  to  intercept  the  dhows  as
they  run  northward  before  the  wind,  while  there  appears  a  general  concurrence
of  testimony  that  the  present  number  of  the  squadron  is  insufficient  for  the
work  to  be  performed,  and  that  the  efficiency  of  the  squadron  would  be  materially ­
  increased  by  an  additional  supply  of  steam  launches  for  the  arduous  boat
service  on  that  coast.  The  traffic  in  slaves  was,  on  the  31st  of  May  1871,  as
reported  by  the  Admiral  Commanding  in  Chief  on  the  station  to  be,  “without
doubt,  as  busy  and  profitable  as  ever.”

In  connection  with  the  failure  of  the  measures  hitherto  adopted  it  was
given  in  evidence  that  much  was  owing  to  the  want  of  recorded  information,  and
the  necessarily  frequent  change  of  commanders,  who,  moreover,  are  not  supplied
with  the  oflScial  reports  of  those  who  have  preceded  them,  as  well  as  to  the
inefficiency  and  untrustworthiness  of  the  interpreters  employed,  who  not  un  frequently ­
  are  in  league  with  the  traders,  and  mislead  the  commanders  of  the
squadron.

Evidence  given  before  your  Committee  shows  the  very  great  inconvenience ­
  and  loss  resulting  to  British  residents,  and  a  frequent  diversion  of  trade
420.  a  4  into