Die Reichsbank 1876 bis 1910

Report from the Select Committee on Slave Trade (East Coast of Africa); together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1029903190

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-70312

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Die Reichsbank 1876 bis 1910

Place of publication:: Berlin

Publisher:: Kommissionsverlag von Gustav Fischer

Year of publication:: 1912

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (VIII, 251 Seiten)

Digitisation:: 2018

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: II. Umsätze und Status

Collection:: Economics Books

ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 83 1256. Were they vessels engaged in trade?— Yes, in legal trade. 1257. Could you distinguish in those cases ■""hether the one slave on board was a domestic ^lave or a slave for sale ?—Yes. 1258. Would not the presumption he in such ^ case as that, that the slave was a domestic slave?—Yes ; the first presumption is undoubt edly that the slave is a domestic slave ; it is only On close examination that you come to a different Conclusion. 1259. Were the dhows in those cases carrying large cargo ? —A small cargo. 1260. What was the kind of evidence tending to show that they were slaves for sale rather than domestic slaves ?—I used generally to in timate to the captain before the examination began, that if one slave was found to be not a domestic slave, his vessel would be legally Condemned, to which he always agreed. I used to have the captain on board first, and if from his replies, or from different circumstances, I had any suspicion, I used to send immediately tor all the rest of the crew, and separate them from one another at once, and then, on examining them separately, I generally came at the history of the whole transaction. In the case of two of those single slaves, they had been both stolen at Zanzibar^ and the masters of the dhows admitted the fact, and acknowledged that they were pro perly captured. 1261. Sir J. Buy.l In those cases, had there been any other slaves killed, do you think, who had been part of the cargo before?—I should think not. 1262. Mr. Shaic Ze/erm] Were any of the crew domestic slaves ?—Yes, every dhow carries domestic slaves as part of the crew. 1263. Chairman.'] Did you take any of the crew to the place where the dhow was con demned ? — N one. 1264. Mr. Kinnaird.] What became of the Crew when you destroyed the dhow ?—VYe gave them their choice whether they would be landed, or whether they should be transferred to some other vessel, and they generally chose to take a passage in some vessel going to their own place. 1265. Mr. Shaw Lefevre.] Did the domestic slaves in such cases leave their masters?—No. 1266. Mr. Kinnaird.] What class of people are these captains of dhows ; are they superior men ? No, quite the reverse ; in the small dhows they are the ordinary low class Arab. 1267. Have they any knowledge of navigation ? --None ; they follow the land the whole way up from Zanzibar. 1268. You state that on arriving at the station you had no Blue Books placed in your hand, was that the case with the squadron generally ?— Yes. 1269. Mr. Shaw Lefevre.] Looking to the in efficiency of the interpreters, do not you think there is considerable danger in condemning a Vessel for having one slave on board?—No, I do riot think there is if it is carefully done. 1270. Looking to the little reliance which can he placed on the interpreters, do not you think that injustice maybe done in many cases?—I think it is very probable in a small minority of ^^ses. 1271. Particularly looking at the fact that all the crew are domestic slaves as a rule?—Yes; hut a violent disease requires a violent remedy. 1272. Mr. Kinnaird.] Was any request made 0.116. to the commandant of the squadron there to furnish Captain to the captains of the vessels information as to P. Colomb, what had been done before their arrival at the r.x. station ?—I do not know that any official request was made to him ^5 July 1273. You found it a very great drawback that 187^* you had no information, and that you had to buy your experience from day to day ?—An imm nse drawback. Every officer 011 the East Indian station was ordered to make a report every six months on the slave trade as to what he had been doing, and those reports were sent home ; but I am not aware of their having been communicated to succeeding officers of the squadron. 1274. Was there any commendation for, or special notice taken of, aciiviiy on ihe part of any of the officers coiumanding ihe cruisers?— My own experience is that it was a little die other way. 1275. You thought that no encouragement was given you?—I speak, of course, of what happened to myself ; I had one or two letters from the Foreign Office which were not com mendatory, but the reverse. 1276. So that there was rather discouragement than encouragement, in putting down the slave trade ?—So far as my own experience goes. 1277. Practically you believe that our officers, generally speaking, do exercise a very wise dis cretion, and it is your impression that there has been no unnecessary act of cruelty on their part, or any unnecessary destruction of dhows?—None whatever, so far as I could judge, while I was on the station. I thought there was quite as much discretion used as could be ; that when mistakes were made they were mistakes of ignorance, and nothing else, and that there was no want of zeal or want of proper care. 1278. Did you ever trace the fate of those slaves which you landed at Aden?—I never traced the fate of individuals, but hearsay evi dence goes to show that slaves landed at Aden really find their way into Arabia as slaves : at Aden there is no means of disposing of them. They are sent from time to time to Bombay, but the feeling in India was very strong against that step being taken. 1279. Do I rightly gather that your impres sion is, that there is an utter want of system in the whole arrangements for putting down the slave trade, owing to our not giving pro¡ier in structions to the squadron ?—I will not go so far as to say that there is an utter want of system ; but I think the system might be improved. 1280. Have you any suggestions to make to the Committee with respect to those slaves that are landed at Aden, and which find their way back and are recaptured ?—I have always thought that the worst thing that could happen to a slave was to be captured by one of Her Majesty’s ships; because there is no opening for him after that. He spends a happy time on board the ship ; but his after career is quite a doubtful one. 1281. Mr. Shaw Lefevre.] That would be an argument in favour of stopping the trade at the ports of embarkation, rather than at the ports of debarkation?—Yes, possibly. 1282. Having undergone the hardships of the 40 days’ voyage, you think they are better off by remaining uncaptured ?—Yes, 1283. You think that their lot as liberated slaves is rather worse than their lot as slaves in Arabia?—I think so. 1284. Mr. Kinnaird.] Suppose by treaty you L 2 ■ secured

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