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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80 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFOIIE SELECT COMMITTEE Kear Adm. C.F. Hillyar, C.B. 25 July 1871. Major Gen. C. F. Righy. large number; the supply never exceeded the demand. 1187. Sir J. //ny.] Had you any difficulties y/ith the French admiral or the officers of foreign nations in carrying on your duties there ?— Never, quite the reverse. 1188. Was the French admiral supposed tobe engaged in the same service ; it has been said that he was rather supporting the slave trade than suppressing it ; did you find that to be the case? —No; from the intercourse I had with both the French admiral and the officers, they were evi dently bent on carrying out the suppression of the slave trade. I never met with anything ap proaching to misunderstanding. 1189. MlX. Crum-Eioiay.l Does it ever happen that the dhows show tight ?—They are a very plucky set indeed ; they will fight where there is the slightest prospect of success. In one engage ment with the “ Highflyer’s ” boats, they very nearly succeeded in running over the pinnace ; and if it had not been for the dash of one of the officers, who cut the halyards and lowered the sails, it might have fared very badly with tb<- attacking party. 1190. Do not you think that a much smalhj class of vessels than corvettes of 1,000 tons wotiq answer the same purpose as the larger ones, aO*^ cost much less ?—A smaller vessel would not haf^ the advantage of being able to send away boa^' cruising ; small gun-boats would only be able F do the duty^ themselves, without the assistance 0' their boats. 1191. Sir J. Hay.'] Had your squadron smok^' less fuel when you were there ?—Whenever could get it. 1192. Did it make much difference whethd y ou had it or had it not, in betraydng the positiö*^ of the ships ?—I should say it would make a ved. material difference. It was always the object ^ the cruisers to have coal that would not sho^ smoke. I recollect, in one instance, in tk*-’ “ Centaur,” on the West Coast, chasing our o'V'^' smoke, which had banked with the land brec^' before daylight. Major General CTieistophek Palmee Pigby, called in; and further Examined. 1193. Chairman.] You told us that you were four years in Zanzibar ?—Yes. 1194. During that time did you have any complaints made to you respecting the conduct of any of the seamen ?—None at all from any^ native of the country . On one or two occasions complaints, which were proved to be quite frivolous, were made by French shopkeepers there, but there never was one complaint from a native of the country ; on the contrary, there was always the most friendly feeling towards the squadron, both in the Island of Zanzibar and on the coast. The natives showed it on many occa sions. I remember one of the boats of the ‘‘ Gorgon” rvas wrecked on the coast, and two of the crew, natives of the West Coast, were captured and sold into slavery for three bullocks a piece, and one of the native chiefs went and paid the’ ransom for them out of his own pocket, and took eveiy care of them till the “ Gorgon ” came on the coast again, when he returned them. On another oc casion the Gorgon’s ” boats were at Mombaza, and a large number of northern piratical Arabs assembled to attack them, and the natives of the place, Africans and native inhabitants, assembled in such numbers to take the part of the boats’ crew, that the piratical Arabs withdrew without attacking them. 1195. You were, from all ymu saw, perfectly satisfied with the conduct of the seamen on shore?—Yes; under the most trying circum stances the officers and men always behaved in an admirable manner. The officers had unusual hardships to undergo. 1196. Did you ever hear any reports of officers going on shore with their boats and capturing slaves ?—Never. 1197. Mr. Kennaicaj.] Have you any reason to think that the statements made by Dr. Living stone at various times about the horrors of the slave trade, and the depopulation of the country owing to it, are exaggerated?—Not at all; I have read Dr. Livingstone’s letters and works with great interest, and, as far as my knowledge and experience go, I quite agree with all he has stated. 1198. As to the devastation of the country ?— Yes ; I do not think he lias exaggerated it in least. 1199. Chairman.] Or as to the cause of depopulation ?—No. 1200. Mr. Kennaway.] Have you ever coöj. sidered the propriety of establishing depots liberated slaves at the Seychelles ; do you thio^ that would be a suitable place ?—I sent sevei’*^ large captures of slaves from Zanzibar to tk^ Seychelles, and I afteiwvards visited the Seyche^' les myself, and found all the emancipated slav^i thriving and in good condition ; the climate the food, and everything, seemed to suit the''* admirably. 1201. Was there room for a larger number At that time the inhabitants of the Seychelle'- were very anxious indeed to have a supply emancipated slave labour. I went there in tkf “ Gorgon ”, which took there about 80 emaflC^' pated slaves, and a])plication were immediately made for 800 ; ten times the number we brought. 1202. Are you aware whether the same (1^ maud for the labour of emancipated slaves tinues there ?—I have no recent information but I have no doubt the Seychelles could absot^ a very considerable number of free slaves ; in every respect it is the best place to send th^’jj to ; the children could be protected there, could be educated and brought up as Christiai^"| which would be almost impossible on any of the mainland of the East Coast of Africa. _ ' 1203. Mr. Crum-Eicitiy.] In what cultivati^\ or manufacture is labour required there ?—Tk'j ) Seychelles consist of 37 islands, which are w'0*’|< » derfully fertile; they can grow every variety, tropical produce in the greatest abundance, eluding tobacco, coffee, sugar, and spices of kinds. The cloves are double the size they are Zanzibar. The Seychelles have been very neglected ; they have been a dependency of Mauritius, and the Mauritius grudges ev^^ shilling spent on them. On my first visit to d’,, Seychelles I came from Bombay, and I ha^ j. good many Indian servants with me, and tk^-j called the islands Paradise ; they said they no idea that there was such a spot in the w orW' 1204. '

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