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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2 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Hon. C, Vivian^ 10 July 187». the south, including the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Momfia, so that he thus restricted the traffic entirely to his African possessions, and did not allow it to goon any further b et we en Africa and Asia. This treaty was carried into execution by the Act 11 & 12 Viet. c. 78, which contained regulations for the trial of vessels and the boun ties to be paid. The treaty was then communi cated to the Arab chiefs in the Persian Gulf, and they severally engaged in April and May 1847, to prohibit the export of slaves from the coast of Africa and elsewhere on board their vessels, and those of their subjects or dependents, and per mitted the cruisers of the British Government to detain and search their vessels, and to seize and confiscate any found violating this engagement by the exportation of slaves from the coast of Africa and elsewhere, upon any pretext what ever. This treaty also was carried into effect by the Act 12 & 13 Viet. c. 84. The traffic in slaves was thus entirely prohibited between Africa and Asia, and localised to the African coast within the limits of Kihvay and Lamoo, in cluding the islands of Zanzibar, Pembia, and Momfia. On the 6th of May 1850, a declaration was signed by the Imaum of Muscat, granting permission to Her Majesty’s ships of war to enter his creeks, rivers, and harbours, and territorial waters, to seize vessels engaged in the slave trade, and to destroy slave barracoons. This permission was, I believe, confirmed by a letter of the late Sul tan, Seyud Majid (the man who has just died). In October 1863 Synd Majid (the late Sultan) issued orders forbidding the export of slaves from the portofKilwa; and on the 1st of January 1864 he issued two notifications, one entirely pro hibiting any transport of slaves during the season of exportation, viz., from 1st January to 1st May, and the second, prohibiting householders from renting houses to the northern Arabs, who visit Zanzibar for the purpose of kidnapping slaves. Those are all the treaties we have with the Imaum of Muscat. 8. What are the treaties we have with Persia, with respect to the slave trade ?—A firman was issued by the late Shah (and confirmed by the present Shah) to his governors in June 1848, containing positive and strict injunctions to all the slave dealers trading by sea, that the impor tation and exportation of negroes by sea into the Persian Dominions is entirely forbidden, but not by land. “ Not a single individual ” (says the firman) “ will be permitted to bring negroes by sea without being subjected to severe punish ment.” By the Convention of 1851 the Persian Government agreed that the ships oí war of the British Government and of the East India Com pany shall, in order to prevent the chance of negro slaves being imported by sea, be permitted to search Persian merchant vessels, but not government vessels, provided a Persian officer is on board the British cruiser. If slaves are found they may be taken possession of by the British authorities, without causing further damage or undue detention to the captain or crew of the vessel, which must be delivered up to the authorities of the Persian Government, who undertake to punish and fine the owner in a suitable manner. The treaty was to run for 11 years, and it was renewed in 1857. 9. Was it renewed for any definite time in 1857?—For 10 years more; the treaty did not expire till 1862, then it was to expire in 1872, and then only by notice on one side or the other. and no notice has passed. We consulted our minister in Persia whether it was likely that we should gain any good end by denouncing the treaty and proposing a new one ; whether we could get rid of the stipulation that a Persian officer is to be on board our vessels, which has been found to be rather an inconvenient stipulation, but he advised us not to endeavour to procure a modification of the treaty, as we might probably lose it altogether. 10. Has the Sultan of Zanzibar fairly and faithfully carried out those treaties ?—I believe that the Sultan of Zanzibar lias to the best of his ability carried out the treaties, but I do not believe that the Imaum of Muscat has, or that the Arab chiefs in the Persian Gulf have. You will find from the information you will get, that all the damage is done by the Arabs coming down from the north ; they come down with the north-east monsoon to Zanzibar, and whilst they are there, they are a terror to everybody there ; no black man can show his head outside his house, and it is they who do all the damage. They are, for the most part, subjects of the Imaum of Muscat and of the chiefs of the Arab tribes in the Persian Gulf. 11. Muscat and Zanzibar, which formerly constituted one sovereignty, is now divided ; when did the division take place ?—The kingdom was divided in 1856 ; Seyed Saeed left Zanzibar to one son, named Seyed Mejid, and he left Muscat to his other son, named Thowaynee, who did not at all assent to the arrangement, and a quarrel was imminent, but in in 1861 they referred it to the arbitration of the Government of India, and Lord Canning decided, by awarding Muscat to Thowaynee, and Zanzibar to Seyed Mejid, and Seyed Mejid was to pay the Sultan of Muscat 40,000 crowns (or about 8,500 L a year) as a subsidy. 12. Lord F. Covendish.~\ In perpetuity?— I believe so : but Sir John Kaye will give better information upon that than I can ; there has been a question about the terms of the arrangement, buti fancy it is in perpetuity. 13. Chainyian.'] Is there any considerable number of British subjects in Zanzibar?—I think there are 22 English subjects, but there are a great many British Indian subjects; I think there are altogether 3,710 British Indians and British protected subjects. 14. Mr. Km7iaird.'\ Is there a trade springing up in Zanzibar ?—I believe so. 15. Which is capable of almost infinite exten sion ?—Yes, I understood so; I have not been there myself. 16. You understand so from your iuformation ? —Yes ; I think there is a trade springing up which is capable of considerable expansion. 17. Chairma7ï.~\ What is the system pursued by the slave traders on the coast to obtain slaves from the interior ?—The Northern Arabs come down with the monsoon from Muscat on the Persian Gulf in January, February, and March, to Zanzibar, at which point, or on various parts of the coast, slaves have been collected in the meantime by the slave-hunters, and the slave dhows then carry off the slaves (at great risk to themselves, but one or two successful voyages make up for a good many failures), picking them up as they run along the coast. If they see one of our cruisers, they generally run on shore, turn all the slaves out, and escape as best they can.

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