174
APPENDIX TO REPORT FROM SELECT COMMITTEE
Appendix, No. 8.
No. 46, of 1869.
No. 40, of 1869.
No. 40, of 1869.
of money, his brother Syud Majeed having a few days previously given him 14,000 crowns
for his expenses at Muscat. He had also received money from Syud Thoweynee for the
purpose of fomenting insurrection here. The possession of so much money enabled him to
hire a number of mercenaries, consisting of Soorees and other northern Arabs, and even
natives of India. At first only about 200 men of the El-Harth tribe joined him but the
indecision and procrastination of Syud Majeed in taking measures to suppress the rebellion
induced many others to join Syud ßarghash from day to day, and thus the rebellion became
dangerous. However, several of the more respectable of the El-Harth chiefs took no
part in the rebellion and remained quiet in the town. Amongst these were Mahomed
bin Bashire, Syud bin Salim El-Murghoobee, Hoossain bin Mahomed, and Syud bin
Masaood.
Q. 16.—You also state that the Sowahili would never acknowledge Syud Thoweynee, associating
as they do the foreign slave trade with the Muscat Arabs." Is it to be inte,red from
this that the Muscat Arabs are more addicted to the traffic than those of Zanzibar, and
(hat the Sowahili are opposed to the slave trade ?—The fact that slavery is still carried
on to a great extent between Zanzibar and the coast seems to militate against any such
conclusion.
.4.—When the invasion of the Zanzibar dominions by Syud Thoweynee was expected, the
inhabitants of the Sowahili rose en masse to support Syud Majeed. Many tribes under their
own chiefs came over to Zanzibar; every accessible point on the coast north of Zanzibar
was occupied; and when some of the dhows which had Syud Thoweynee’s ir./ops on board
endeavoured to procure wood and water, they were driven from every point at which they
attempted to land, and at length were obliged, in consequence, to surrender to Syud Majeed's
ships of war. At Zanzibar, the Sowahili population and the natives of the Comoro Isles
were all in arms to support Syud Majeed, and I heard many of them state, as a reas.m for
doing so, that the Muscat Arabs came here to kidnap their children and carry them away as
slaves. The northern Arabs are feared and hated at Zanzibar. No doubt a very extensive
export of slaves does still take place from Zanz bar and the east coa>t to the Persian
Gulf arid the coast of Arabia. I had no idea of the great extent of this traific until I saw
how it was carried on during the last north-east monsoon, nor how impotent the Sultan is to
check it. li he employs Ids troops for the purpose, they are as active as the pirate tribes in
kidnapping children and slaves. 1 estimate that at least 4,000 slaves are >till taken north
every year, and of these, probably, more than half are stolen from the island of Zanzibar and
the villages and plantations "U the coast. This is the cau>e of the animosity the Sowahili
bear to the Muscat and other northern Aiabs.
Q. ]7.—On what ground did Syud Majeed pay Abdallah bin Salem, chief of the El-Harth
the yearly sura of 1,200 crowns, and allow all his goods to pass free through the custom
house ?
A.-—Several of the principal chiefs receive annual sums from the Treasury, and enjoy
immunity from the payment of customs duties on their goods landed at the custom house.
They are as follows; viz. :—
Syud Sooliman bin Ahmed
Abdoolah bin Salem
Hoosein bin Mahomed
Mahomed bin Abdullah Shukshee
Syud Hamood - - -
Nas-sir bin Saeed -
German Crowns.
- 5,000
- 1,200
300
- 1,000
- 2,000
500
Q. 18.—If the report was true that the El-Harth chiefs corresponded with Thoweynee, and
promi-ed him their aid in deposing Majeed, may it not fairly be inferred that they preferred
the former to the latter?
A. The design of the El-Harth tribe was to foment dissensions betwetn the sons of the
late Imam, hoping to obtain power for themselves. They had always been disaffected, and
when the late Imam visited Muscat, he made the weakhinst chief of the tribe, Abdullah
bin Salem, accompany him as a hostage.
Q. 19.—What is the number of the El-Harth, and how do you estimate their influence at
Zanzibar ?
A.—As near as ii is possible to form an opinion, the adult males of the tribe probably
amount to 800. They have no influence beyond their own tribe. The other chief tribe's
which inhabit Zanzibar—namely, El-Shakshi, Masakara, and El-Shastri—are not friendly
to the El-Harth.
Q. 20.—In a clause of his last will, Syud Saeed bequeathed two ships to (he Treasury
of the Mussulmans.” What do you understand thereby ? What treasury is indicated ? ^
A.—1 understand that the two ships referred to are the " Caroline, ” and “ Curlew,"
which have been retained by Syud Thoweynee as his own property. I feel very doubtful as’to
the true imaning of the expression. Ahmed bin Naaman, the late Imam’s confidential
secretary, states that it means ‘‘ Wakf,” or pious foundation.
Q. 21.—Has Majeed been officially recognised by any of the foreign governments ? What
was the substance of Syud Majecd’s letters to the French Government, and what was the
tenor of the reply which he received?
A.—Yes; he has been recognised by all the foreign Governments which have Consuls at
Zanzibar, namely, GI eat Britain, France, the United States, and the Hanseatic Republics
as Sultan of Zanzibar. 1 am nut aware of the tenor of Syud Majeed's letters to the French
Government. A copy of the letter addressed by the Emperor of the French to Syud Majeed
is
