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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32 Minutes of evidence taken before select committee Mr. ZT. >1» paid for the maintenance of liberated slaves at Churchill, Aden and Bombay?—No, I think not. 430. Have you any observation to make on 17 July the present system pursued by Her Majesty’s 1871/ cruisers employed in suppressing the slave trade now ?—TV e made certain recommendations in the Committee, but very few have been carried out. 431. Have you any suggestions to oiler for its amendment beyond those recommendations made in the Report of the Foreign Office Committee ? —No, I think not. 432. Mr. Crum-'Eioing.'\ Under whose domi nions are those tribes among whom the slaves are captured ?—They have chiefs of their own ; they are under no particular dominion ; some of them are very important tribes in their way, but others are small. 433. Chmrman.~\ You have said that the trade with Zanzibar has been gradually increasing ; is it true that communication with Zanzibar is very irregular and uncertain ?—Very much so ; I have been six or seven months without receiving a letter from any part of the world. It is only when our cruisers come in that direction, and receive orders to touch at the Seychelles, that we get letters from Europe. 434. Would greater facilities for communica tion tend to develope trade in general, and assist to check the slave trade ? — Considerably ; so much so, that several houses have taken into consideration whether they would not sacrifice a certain amount at the commencement, and put on a line of steamers ; they have applied to Govern ment to kiKiw whether they could obtain a sub sidy, but they did not receive a very favourable answei-, I believe. 435. Do you consider the appointment of vice consuls along the East Coast a necessary element in any scheme for the suppression of the slave trade ?—Yes. 436. At what places would you appoint them? —One at Kilwa, to see that no slaves were ex- j)orted ; another at Dar Selam, to have super vision over the slaves that were sent through there ; another in the north, at Mombasa, or at Lamoo (they are close to each other), to see that the northern Arabs did not come and take the slaves away. 437. Do you think It probable that if vessels under the Arab flag were entirely prevented from carrying on the slave trade, and if Zanzibar were entirely closed to it, slave traders would adopt the French flag, or a slave trade spring up from the coast of Mozambique ?—No ; I think an understanding might be come to with the French Government to prevent that; at pre sent, certainly, the number of dhows navigating under the French flag is increasing, but I do not know that such a trade in slaves is carried on under the French flag. I do not think that any of our cruisers have ever detected slaves beino- carried under the French flag. ° 438. Have you in any way changed your opinion as to the expediency of the proposals suggested by the Foreign Office Committee, of which you were a member ?—No. 439. You are of the same opinion as when you signed that Report ?—Quite. 440. Mr. Kennaimy^ Could we, in your opinion, enforce the proposals of the Foreio-n Office Committee, that all dhows engaged in the legitimate traffic of domestic slaves should bear a distinguishing mark on their hulls ?—I think the Sultan would have no difficulty in effecting that.^ We could not enforce anything on hlin^ but if it were proposed, and the Sultan were in clined to make any such arrangement with us, he would have no difficulty in carrying it out. ® 441. With regard to the ships that come down from the north, would it be practicable to unship their rudders and only return them when they could prove they had got a legitimate cargo on board?—That plan has been adopted at Zanzibar by the customs ; that is to say, as soon as a dhow comes in, to prevent her from going away or changing her ground, they unship the rudder and take it into the custom house, and she is totally at the mercy of the custom house officer. I think the same plan should be adopted every where, and all northern Arabs should be, with out exception, disarmed on their arrival in the Sultan’s dominions. 442. Sir J. Hay.l With regard to the recom mendation of Admiral Cockburn as to bavina stationary guard-ship at Zanzibar, do you think that would be a good plan?—I think the best jolan would be to have a ship that could cruise, but I understand he jiroposes a stationary ship in addition to a cruising ship ; this w ould entail an additional expense. 443. Have you anything to add to your evi dence?—No. Sir Bartle FRERE, G.C.S.I., K.C.B., called in ; and Examined. Sir B. Frerc, 444. Chairman.\ I believe you are a Mem- G.C.S.I., her oí the Indian Council ?—Yes. K.c.B, ^ 445. Has your attention been turned to the sub- ject which the Committee is now investigating, and in what manner and to what extent ?— My attention has been a great deal directed to the subject of the East African slave trade. Since the year 1838 I have been on terms of more or less Intimacy with Colonel Hamerton, General Rigby, and Colonel Playfair, who have held office on that coast ; and I have been also intimate with Dr. Livingstone, and I have taken very great interest in the depots at which liber ated slaves are taken care of in India, and at Aden. 446. Have you read, and if you have read, how far do you agree with the previous evidence given before this Committee ?—I agree very gentirally with Mr. Vivian In his evidence. There are a few points in which, I think, addi tions might advantageously be made to what he has stated on the subject. I think he has rather under-estimated the extent to which the French flag is made a cover for aiding a modified kind of slavery, or something which amounts almost to slavery ; not at all with the consent or con nivance of the French officials, but wherever those who use it are out of their sight. The system which is known as the system of engages IS vmy apt to lapse, when it is not carefully watched, into something very like a system of slavery. ^ Then I should like to add a few words to what is said by Mr. Vivian on the way in which the slave trade appears to have grown up. I know

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