ON  SLAVE  TRADE  (EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA).

57

Monday,  24th  July  1871.

MEMBERS  PRESENT:

Sir  Robert  Anstrutliei%
Lord  Frederick  Cavendish.
Mr.  Crum-Ewing.
Viscount  Enfield.
Mr.  Robert  Fowler.
Mr.  Gilpin.
Mr.  Russell  Gurney.

Sir  John  Hay.
Mr.  Kennaway.
Mr.  Kinnaird.
Mr.  Shaw  Lefevre.
Mr.  O’Conor.
Mr.  John  Talbot.
Mr.  Percy  Wyndham.

Eight  Honourarle  RUSSELL  GURNEY,  in  the  Chair.

Sir  Leopold  Heath,  k.c.b.,  called  in  ;  and  further  Examined.

^56.  Mr.  Shcno  Lefevrei\  You  were  for  three
J^ars  yourself  on  the  station?—Yes.
"57.  During  the  whole  of  that  time  had  you
^even  vessels  under  your  command?  —  Yes;  in
early  part  of  the  time  I  had  more,  but  they
''’ere  engaged  in  the  Abyssinian  Expedition.
758.  Were  they  during  the  whole  of  the  year
11:e  Zanzibar  coast  ?—No  ;  they  did  the  gene-^•'^l^duties
  of  the  Indian  station  as  well.
"59.  So  that  during  the  greater  part  of  the
year  they  were  on  the  Indian  coast  ?—They
'''ere  on  the  Indian  coast  during  those  months  of
ll:e  year  when  the  dhows  did  not  run.
760.  During  only  three  months  of  the  year
'ey  were  on  the  African  coast?—I  should  say
''ere  nearly  five  months.
761.  You  found  that  they  were  ineffective  in
D’eventing  the  slave  trade  ?—They  captured  on
^'e  average  1,100  slaves  a  year;"  and  there  is
^eed  reason  for  supposing  that  20,000  slaves  are
^4'orted.
762.  Every  year?—Every  year.
:63.  You  agree  with  that?—I  agree  with
^"*-1  ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  those  20,000  can  all
F''  l'y  sea  to  the  Persian  Gulf  or  that  neighbour-"od
  ;  and  I  say  so,  because,  though  I  have  no
^tistics  to  prove  the  number  of  dhows  on  that
still,  I  can  hardly  fancy  there  would  be
^Ullage  enough  available  for  carrying  those
jOOO  every  year.
^  764.  You  state  that  the  vessels  under  your
^''"'mand,  boarded  no  less  than  400  dhows  in  the
j  of  the  year  ?—They  boarded  a  great  many
Ihan  400  during  the  year,  but  that  was  the
to  I'oarded  in  those  particular  three  months
I  referred  in  my  last  day’s  evidence  ;
^  mentioned  that  particularly,  because  it  was
j  '''er  a  new  disposition  of  the  squadron  which
'va  V'  ^'11  yo"  explain  what  that  disposition
•'—The  disposition  was  attempting  to  block-I'Qp
  ^  'e  ports  of  Arabia  as  had  been  previously
Cof  in  the  reports  of  Colonel  Playfair,
paid  Polly,  and  other  gentlemen,  who  had
attention  to  the  subject  of  the  slave
(1.116.

766.  IVhat  ports  of  Arabia?—My  eastern
vessel  was  oft’  Ras-el-Hadd  ;  the  western  one  was
off  Macullah,  and  there  was  one  between  those
two  ;  one  vessel  was  just  south  of  Cape  Guardafin,
which  is  on  the  African  coast,  and  two  were  left
to  act  as  the  senior  officers  in  command  of  them,
thought  best  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Zanzibar.
My  own  ship,  the  flag-ship,  was  cruising  from
Ras-el-Hadd  up  to  Macullah  ;  there  were  thus
four  stationed  along  the  coast  of  Arabia  ;  one
near  Cape  Guardafin,  and  two  at  Zanzibar.
767.  Sir  IX.  Ansfruther.']  Was  it  with  the  view
of  blockading  the  ports  of  imports  as  well  as  the
ports  of  export  that  you  made  that  disposition  of
the  fleet  ?—It  was  with  a  view  of  blockading  the
ports  of  import  which  had  not  been  previously
attempted  on  so  large  a  scale,  but  I  did  not  think
it  right  to  leave  the  ports  of  export  quite  clear,
or  to  leave  the  consul  at  Zanzibar,  and  the  British ­
  community,  quite  unprotected.
768.  Mr.  Shaio  hefevj'e.']  By  which  ships  were
the  greatest  number  of  captures  made  during  that
disposition  of  the  fleet  ?—By  the  ship,  or  ships,
south  of  Cape  Guardafin.
769.  Not  by  the  vessels  watching  the  Arabian
coast?—There  were  seven  full  slavers  captured
during  that  season  ;  of  these  one  was  in  Zanzibar
harbour  ;  two  were  off  Ras-madraka  ;  one  off
Cape  Fertaka  ;  three  south  of  Socotra,  the  others
had  but  a  small  number  of  slaves  on  board.
770.  Notwithstanding  that  disposition  of  the
fleet,  it  is  probable  that  only  one  dhow  out  of  ten
was  captured,  according  to  the  calculation  which
have  been  male?—I  would  not  say  one  dhow  out
of  ten.  I  would  say  only  one  slave  out  of  20
reported  to  be  exported  was  captured.
771.  You  expressed  the  opinion  in  your  evidence ­
  on  Thursday  that  it  would  be  necessary  to
maintain  ten  vessels  on  the  coast,  with  the  view
of  stopping  the  trade  entirely  ;  what  disposition
of  the  fleet  would  you  make,  supposing  you  had
ten  vessels  ?—I  named  ten  vessels  as  the  very
least  that  should  be  sent  there,  if  an  earnest
effort  would  be  made.  I  look  on  the  naval  proceeding ­
  as  only  auxiliary  to  others.  I  look  upon
them  as  quite  necessary,  but  still  only  auxiliary.
H  I  should

Sir
L.  G.  Heath
K.C.B.
2^  July
1871.*