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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ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). vii It has been stated to the Committee that for the performance of the addi tional duties which would devolve upon the Consul, should the proposed treaty be carried into effect, some increase in the present small staff would be required, and it was recommended by witnesses that an officer be appointed at Zanzibar to assist the Consul and Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court in all matters connected with the slave trade, with the title of Assistant Political Agent and Vice Consul at Zanzibar, and to act for him in his absence ; that a Consular Officer should aim be appointed at Oar Selam, under the superintendence of Her Majesty’s Consul, to whom he should report upon all matters connected with the slave trade, the number of slaves exported, and whether the Sultan’s engagements with Her Majesty’s Government are strictly observed. This officer would be required to visit, from time to time, the various points on the coast, and to report whether any irregularities exist, or any illegal exports are carried on ; and as it is probable that for some time the slave traders would attempt to continue the exportation of slaves from Kilwa, the distance of which from Zanzibar and Dar Selam would prevent the British authorities at those places from watching and checking such practices, it might be necessary, at first, to station a consular officer at that port also. It was also stated to the Committee that this proposal was concurred in by the Secretary ot State for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of State for India in Council, who recommended that, as the duties of the agency and consulate at Zanzibar were of a twofold character—one part concerning the Indian, and the other the Imperial Government—that the cost of maintenance should be equally divided between the Imperial and Indian Governments. , This proposal was negatived by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and it was stated in evidence that, in consequence of this refusal and of the representation of the Indian Government, Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for India in Council had informed the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that the Foreign Office would no longer be privileged to send any instructions to the Zanzibar agent ; and the whole matter, therefore, w as brought to a dead lock. The principal means used to check the trade have been the employment of some vessels of Her Majesty’s Navy upon the East Indian station as cruisers to watch the East African Coast during the slaving season, which, depending upon the monsoon, is from April to the end of June, and from September to the beginning of November. It was stated in evidence that during the years 1867, 1868, and 1869, there were captured by the squadron 116 dhows, con taining 2,645 slaves ; while, according to the returns uf slaves exported from Zanzibar and Kilwa during those years, dhows carrying 37,000 slaves must have evaded capture, making the captures about 6 6 per cent. only. Ihese figures are sufficient to show the insufficiency of the present squadron to check, much less to stop, the trade; and the reasons assigned are that the existing treaties and the instructions as to domestic slaves render it impossible to seize a dhow south of La moo, and during the south-west monsoon it is very difficult to keep the cruisers sufficiently near the coast to intercept the dhows as they run northward before the wind, while there appears a general concurrence of testimony that the present number of the squadron is insufficient for the work to be performed, and that the efficiency of the squadron would be mate rially increased by an additional supply of steam launches for the arduous boat service on that coast. The traffic in slaves was, on the 31st of May 1871, as reported by the Admiral Commanding in Chief on the station to be, “without doubt, as busy and profitable as ever.” In connection with the failure of the measures hitherto adopted it was given in evidence that much was owing to the want of recorded information, and the necessarily frequent change of commanders, who, moreover, are not supplied with the oflScial reports of those who have preceded them, as well as to the inefficiency and untrustworthiness of the interpreters employed, who not un fre quently are in league with the traders, and mislead the commanders of the squadron. Evidence given before your Committee shows the very great inconveni ence and loss resulting to British residents, and a frequent diversion of trade 420. a 4 into

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