52
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE
Maj. Gen. you tliink the traffic could be entirely suppressed,
C, P. Higby. supposing the views which you have expressed
here were carried out ?—I think in five years it
20 July might be stopped.
^^71* 669. Did I rightly gather from the early part
of your evidence that you approve of the suggestions
of the Committee which sat at the
Foreign Office?—Yes, generally; I think they
recommend that all slaves should be exjjorted
from Dar Se el am only. Dar Seelam was the
creation of the late Sultan, and I hear that
the present Sultan will not have anything to do
with it, and that it is deserted.
670. Generally, the recommendations of the
Committee meet with your approval?—Yes, I
think nothing could be better than the recommendations
contained in that Report.
Sir Leopold G. Heath, called in ; and Examined.
Sir 671. Chairman.^ You had the command of the
L.G, Heath, squadron on the East African Coast?—Yes, I
commanded it from the middle of 1867 till November
last year.
672. During that time was the slave trade
carried on with considerable activity ? — With
very great activity.
673. What force had you ?—I had, generally
speaking, seven ships, including my own flagship.
During the Abyssinian War I had an addition of
ships for that special purpose, which w^ere withdrawn
immediately afterwards.
674. Your force was seven ships. Including the
flagship ?—Yes.
675. Did they deserve the character that has
been given to some of them by the last witness ?
—I only imperfectly heard the last witness.
676. Were they ships well adapted for the
purpose?—Yes, I think some of them were remarkably
w^ell adapted for the purpose. The
“ Nymphe,” the “ Bullfinch,” and the Teazer”
are, more or less, w ell adapted for that particular
service. Those three vessels are types of three
new classes of vessels ; their accommodation is,
generally speaking, better than that in the old
class, and they carry a larger proportion of coal,
that is to say, they can steam for a longer distance
than the old vessels could. Vessels of the class
of the “ Teazer,” w hich is the smallest of the
three, require modifications in the details of their
fitting, ventilation, and things of that sort.
677. Were your crew healthy?—On the whole,
the squadron was fairly healthy.
678. You did not find any objection to keeping
them on that station, on the ground of health ?—
No ; because by sending them to the north when
the sun was to the south, and to the south when
the sun was to the north, we managed, generally,
to get a certain relaxation, but I think ships
should not be kept longer than three years on
that station.
679. Was the time known at which they Avould
be obliged to leave particular ports ?—It is known
that during the south-west monsoon they must
be somewhere away from the strength of the
monsoon ; in that way, it depends on the seasons.
680. Were all those vessels employed for the
suppression of the slave trade?—No; they were
on the East Indian station for any purposes that
might be required.
681. What number of ships were really employed
for the suppression of the trade ?—During
the slaving season, speaking generally, they were
all employed. I made arrangements for employing
them on other work at the time when they
could not be upon the East Coast.
682. It is during one particular part of the
year that the trade is carried on with any activity
?—i es.
683. The earlier months ?—The earlier months
and the latter months, from April to the end of
June, and September to the beginning of November.
684. W as much trade carried on which you
were not able to prevent ?—The oificial Custom
House returns at Zanzibar state, that on the
average about 20,000 slaves a year are imported
into Zanzibar; besides that, there must be a large
number of slaves exported from the mainland
which do not pass through the custom house at
Zanzibar; Zanzibar cannot want anything like
that number, and therefore you must presume
that the surplus is carried away for export to
foreign countries.
685. What number in the year did you succeed
in capturing ?—For the year ending December
1867, 18 dhows were captured, and 431
slaves were emancipated ; those being the cargoes
of the 18 dhows. During that year, the
squadron were all employed in Annesley Bay in
the expedition against Abyssinia, and the efforts
against the slave trade were comparatively small.
In the year ending December 1868, the total
number of vessels captured was 66 ; the total
tonnage of these dhows was 7,233 ; and the total
number of slaves liberated was 1,097. In the
year 1869 the total number of dhows captured
was 32 ; the total tonnage of those dhows was
3,431 ; and the total number of slaves liberated
was 1,117. During the second year’s cruise my
ships were distributed principally along the coast
of Arabia, from Ras-el-Hadd as far as Makallah,
one being stationed near Socotra, and two down
in the Zanzibar neighbourhood. The vessels
boarded during the spring season were upwards
of 400 dhows ; out of those 400 dhows there were
but 11 slavers, and in those 11 slavers there were
958 slaves. I am exceedingly puzzled to know
how it is that the enormous number of slaves exported
get along the coast without being found
out. I believe that very few dhows could have
passed the squadron during those months ; and
though, comparing the wants of Zanzibar with
the known importations at Zanzibar, there must
have been not many short of 20,000 slaves exported,
yet it appears that there were not above
1,000 slaves on board these 400 dhows. This
rather shows that naval efforts alone will not put
down the trade.
686. As to those 400, were you satisfied that
all except the 11 were perfectly free from any complicity
in the slave trade ?—I think it is morally
certain that scarcely any guilty dhow s escaped
amongst that 400.
687. Sir John Hay.~\ Do I rightly understand
you to say that scarcely any dhows escaped
going north with slaves ?—I cannot understand
how they could have passed us, distributed as we
were.
688. When a dhow is captured, have not the
ships
