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:: 832922498

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-79587

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: 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

Place of publication:: [London]

Publisher:: [The House of Commons]

Year of publication:: 1871

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (XXIV, 242 S.)

Collection:: Economics Books

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76 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Rev. E. Steerc, XtL«D« 25 July 1871. 1089. Do you think it practicable for our cruisers to do anything against the foreign slave trade as long as the domestic slave trade is allowed ?— I think by watching the Arabian coast, they could do a great deal. 1090. But you do not think they could do much by cruising off the African coast ?—I heard just now, that the slave dhows had changed their usual course, but hitherto all the slave dhows used to hug the African coast all the way up from Zanzibar, so that if you watched a moderate section of sea on any part of the coast, you could stop the whole trade ; then if you took it north of Lamoo, you could not be baffled by false passes. 1091. We have had two views presented to us of the Arab character ; one, that they are men with whom it is possible to negoitate fairly, and who will abide by treaties; the other, that it is only possible to deal with them with a strong hand ; what is your opinion upon that subject ? —Speaking of the Arabs as the governing body in Zanzibar, I think you can treat with them as you can with any Eastern nation. Syed Bur gh ash is a man who, if he openly pledged him self to anything, would carry it out. 1092. Should you recommend dealing with him on the basis of the remission of the subsidy to the Imaum of Muscat, and so endeavour to induce him to make further engagements against the slave trade, or should you use strong pressure ? —I think the Muscat subsidy is felt to be a great hardship, and that he would be willing to co operate with us if we procured him a remission of it. 1093. Chairman.^ If we were to undertake to pay it for him as long as he complied with our requisitions and demands ?—I should think that if we offered to do that it would be felt as a thing that really did call for honâ fide exertion on his part. 1094. Do you think he would really honestly work in conjunction with us then?-—Yes, I think he would ; as a rule, the M uscat and Zanzibar governments have not been on good terms ; the shipping of slaves to anywhere beyond Ras al H add or in the Persian Gulf is reckoned as an advantage to the Muscat people, and therefore the Zanzibar Government are rather inclined to hinder than to promote it. 1095. Lord F. Cavendish.'] Do you think that the Sultan of Zanzibar could put a stop to the foreign trade if he wished ?—Yes. 1096. In spite of the Northern Arabs ?—Yes, they are no power to a brave man. 1097. We have been told that the Northern Arabs kidnap the Sultan’s own slaves?—Yes. Syed Majid used to pay them a large number of dollars every year to keep quiet. 1098. You think Syed Burgash is not afraid of them ?—I think he would not pay them ; they do not go in such force that they could be formi dable against an energetic opposition. 1099. Mr. O Conor.Do you know how many slaves are required for Zanzibar itself?—No ; 1 know that the mortality is very large indeed, and the reproduction is almost nothing. 1100. Are those slaves easily obtained ?—They used to come from Kilwa in very large numbers. I am told, since the trade from Kilwa has been stopped they are much dearer ; they used to cost from 5 dollars to 20 dollars. 1101. \ou say they are well treated in Zan zibar itself?—Ae a rule; there are all kinds of masters ; some starve their slaves, and some beat them ; but, as a rule, they fare very well. | 1102. If there were a greater difflculty in ob- ; taining them would not the masters treat them ; with greater care ?—I do not think it would : make much difference ; when one sees the utter | recklessness there is in merely taking slaves from I Kilwa to Zanzibar, one has not much reason to i think that any consideration of the value of the : slaves would operate on their minds in their i treatment of them. i 1103. What would be the effect if the slave | trade were suddenly abolished in Zanzibar alto gether ?—I think there would be a disposition to | employ something else besides manual labour. I ! do not think it would 1 ave any^ great immediate ■ effect. I 1104. Would they be able to obtain free la- i bourers to carry on their ordinary work ? A large part of the work is done by free labour ! now. I 1105. One of the witnesses said that if the slave trade were suddenly abolished it would cause a revolution ?—It would be very likely to cause a revolution in this way : that the leading i men would feel that the Sultan was betraying ' them, and, therefore, probably he would lose his flower, because the Sultan has no power as against his great men. 1106. Mr. Kenna%vay.'\ I see Dr. Livingstone, in a letter dated 11th June 1866, speaks'of the j utter powerlessness of the Sultan of Zanzibar to ! withstand the slaving propensities of the pirates j and kidnappers who annually infest his island | and seas ?—I think that that might apply to I Seyyid Majid. I should think it was rather exag- | gerated even in regard to him, but I do not think I it would apply to the present Sultan at all. I | think the Sultan of Zanzibar has the power to ! put a stop to it altogether. , _ HOT. With regard to the depopulation of the j district which has been referred to, I see Dr. ' Livingstone in a letter dated 20th August 1866, says, that the coast .Yrabs come up with plenty of ammunition and calico to the tribe ealled ! Wayao, or Ajawa, and say that they want slaves. j Marauding parties immediately start off to the | Manganja or Wanyassa villages, and, having plenty oí powder and guns, overpower and bring back the chief portion of the inhabitants?— That is not according to anything I have heard. 1108. Have you any reason to believe that that is not the case?—I have never heard any thing to confirm it, and all I have heard has tended to contradict it. 1109. Mr. J. Talhot.'\ With regard to the healthiness of Zanzibar, you think the town itself ' is not unhealthy ?—I think it is not more un healthy than a low-lying tropical town o-enerally ^ will be. 1110. We have been told that the neio-hbour- hood of the town is exceedingly unhealthy ; you do not confirm that ?—There are parts of it which are exceedingly unhealthy ; if you choose your ; locality I do not think it is so. 1111. Was not there a sanitarium established 1 a few miles out of Zanzibar, to which some of ' your missionaries were sent?—No; they were ' sent to the Seychelles; the Seychelles are the 1 natural sanatarium of that part of the world ; \ several Europeans went to Dari Salaam for the sake ^ of their health, and found great benefit ; but in certain stages of the fever any change IS a benefit. 1112. With

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