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

Bibliographic data

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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

85 ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). for certain that slaves from that part of Coast have been imported quite recently into ^dagascar. hß Then, in suggesting that 12 ships should ^o,^.^P^cyed in suppressing the slave trade on the . Uth East Coast of Africa, you did not take t\v^ consideration the slave trade carried on be- ^^cn the Portuguese territory and Madagascar? 5 ^^16. You would contemplate an additional gl^dron for that?—That would require to be t}j^^^‘^tely dealt with ; but I should say I think trade is clearly on the decrease. What number of ships would you think Cssary to perform the service there ?—I should PPose not more than two or three. Two or three, with steam launches, you a ''vould be sufficient to suppress any trade Afp exist between the South East Coast of and Madagascar?—Yes, stationing those Ps on the Madagascar coast. ^ees the importation of free labour into Ck] , rench colony of Reunion add to j our diffi- g^cs at all?—I do not think it does. One tf.^î^ers that it gives a great impetus to the slave oql^c 5 that a certain number of men who are Vç^^^ally brought down as slaves, become con- 1 into free negroes, by some process, find- <1 ffieir way into the French colonies. Have you had any diplomatic diffi- ^cs with the officers of other nations ?— Sg^cr ; our difficulties, I think, might be in c degree removed if encourao-ement was given to legal traders in the Mozambique Channel, to fly English ensigns, and to carry English papers ; at present the great majority of them carry French ¡lapers, and French ensigns, and, of course, there is more or less difficulty in dealing with any vessel carrying French colours ; I believe the Arabs would gladly change their French colours for English if they could. 132L Why do they bear the French National h'lag ?—They obtain French papers from the French Government at Nos Beli, and other settle ments. 1322. Do you think their nationality might easily be converted from French into English ?— I believe the great mass of those flying colours have nothing to say to the French nation. 1323. Mr. Shaw LeftvreJ] By sailing under the French flag, they obtain immunity from search on the part of our cruisers ?—Yes, it has always been said, and no doubt it is true, that the search after the illegal trade does embarrass the legal traders considerably, so that the legal trader pro tects himself by flying the French colours, and the illegal trader, of course, follows suit. 1324. Chairman.'] Do you think we could in duce them to carry English colours instead of French, seeing that they would then be liable to search?—Yes, they would rather have English colours than French. No illegal trader would dare to fly English colours, and there would con sequently be even more immunity from search irom the legal traders flying English colours. A primâfade suspicion attaches to all others. Captain P. Colomb, R.N. 25 July 1871. Mr. Charles Allington, called in; and Examined. ^25. Mr. Kennaway.] AYere you in the vici- Lake Nyassa, in company with Bishop »Sk f5^y~We were living on the banks of the river. Lan you, from your own experience, thg Evidence to the forays made by slavers upon P^^ceful villages in that district?—Yes, I going into a native village near Mollumbala. The slavers were there ^Gfore we got there, and on our approach fli’cd some shots and took to their heels, VIjj Hug away with them some men out of the ol^ M^hen I got to the village there Avas an ^çv^Pief in hiding in the bush, afraid to come village on account of those slavers ; after a little time he came back, and I yillg^^friends Avith him, and we Avalked about the and he told me the loss Avhich had been upon him by the slavers. That is one ^ce in my mind at the present time. Chairman.] Have you any doubt that ^iuie you were in the country there Avere slavers Avho attacked villages Avith the obtaining slaves?—I have not the slightest All the accounts you have received con- you in that vicAV ?—Quite so. oh ' Kinnaird.] You have no doubt that of those raids Avas for the purpose of ®Lves?—Simply for the purpose of getting nothing else. ^30. • Crnm-EwingS] Some of the Avit- nesses have stated that the slave dealers go up Mr. the country and encourage war between two C. AUin^ton. tribes, and then buy the captNes as slaves ; do - you agree Avith that?—It is a common notion . that that is done ; I haA^e no doubt that it is done they want slaves at any price, and if they can get them by exciting Avar between tAVO tribes they, no doubt, adopt that course. 1331. You do not knoAv that of your OAvn knoAvIedge ?—No, I have heard that it is done. 1332. Mr. J. Talbot.] You do not say that it is a common thing for slavers to go and stir up Avar for the purpose of getting slaves ?—It is merely a thing I have heard; I have no knoAv- ledge of it myself. 1333. You have heard that it takes place, but you are not prepared to say that it often takes place?—No, 1 am not. 1334. Chairman.] But from the information you have received you come to the conclusion that it is not an uncommon thing for the slave traders to stir up Avar between tAvo tribes for the purpose of obtaining slaves?—That is a state ment I have heard made more frequently in Eng land than anyAvhero else; but I could not speak to it from my OAvn knowledge. 1335. Is the case you have mentioned the only case of the sort Avhich came under your OAvn ob servation ?—That case is the one strongest in my mind at this moment. I do not think I could tell you any other ; that is a case Avhich I am per fectly ^ clear about. I have no doubt the same thing is going on day after day. •He. L 3 Mr.

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: 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

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation