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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63 ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). ained ?—I should have thought not ; supposing there were a delay, I do not know that there ^uld be any great inconvenience in that. I do ^9^ see the inconvenience ; if it is left in charge the Sultan’s officer, he would be responsible, the Sultan would punish him in the event ^is allowing any malpractice. ^,^3. Are there any ports on that coast in -^ich it would be convenient to treat captured aves in that way ?—I should have thought j^ere were several ports where they could be ®|t without much difficulty ; the dhows them- ^^ves do not require an important port, they are “'“like ships of war. .1 ^'4. Are you under the impression that Sultan of Zanzibar and his officers would ® ^villing to be responsible for the ships and ^.^goes ?—The recommendation of the Com- ^ttee was, that an arrangement should be en- - ^ LiAttL 0.11 01 AOlit^V/lllVyiAU LllVl K/\u V ^ted into with the Sultan to do that, and we had doubt whatever that the late Sultan would ^Ve done it; whether the present Sultan would ^^er into such an arrangement, I do not know. ^75. The coast over which these operations 1 extend, would be a length of 4,000 miles, ^^sides the Red Sea?—I have been told that; ® far as regards the export trade, the captures are principally made between Kilwa and Brava, and when they are captured beyond that, they are captured close to Socotra. 876. It has been stated in evidence before the Committee, that it would be necessary to inter cept slave dhows on the coast on which they landed the slaves, as well as the coast from which the slaves were exported ; in that case it would be something like 4,000 miles over which the operations would be extended i—You might say that, but you would not require to blockade every portion of that coast of 4,000 miles. 877. It would have to be left to the naval officer in command of the station to determine whether having regard to the strength of the monsoon and the power of Her Majesty’s ships, it would be advisable to take the dhows into any particular port ?—Yes, many have been captured in the neighbourhood of Zanzibar, and they have been destroyed at once ; where a vessel can readily be taken into a port we think that it should be done. There are circumstances in which it is impossible almost to do that, and then naturally the vessel would have to be destroyed ; it would be of course on the responsibility of the commanding officer. Mr. H. a Rotfiety. 24 July 1871. Sir William Coghlan, called in ; and Examined. (chairman.] What position have you held „ ^ich enables you to give the Committee any in- ^^'^ation with reference to the slave trade ?—I about nine years Political Resident and Com- ç^^^ant at Aden, and during that time I was g^H^yed as agent of the Viceroy of India to ^ Ge the question between the two sons of Syed the Sultan of Zanzibar, and the Sultan of 'f^scat. o ^79. You negotiated that treaty which led to ® payment of that subsidy ?—Yes. . 80. The Indian Government attached con^ importance to the prevention of hostili- that part of the world ?—Yes ; they were ^ding their ships against each other. g| Was your attention drawn to the liberated who were sent to Aden ?—I have myself ®6veral occasions liberated slaves. 82. Under what authority was that ?—I was Coq appointed the Judge of the Admiralty ^^^83. What was done with the slaves liberated ^j^^den ?—If they had been in any large number would have been a difficulty ; I found no lç^*^Glty because the numbers were few. I re- fj^^d the men, and let them take their chance as ^ labourers, and the women I apportioned the respectable families ; that would work on a large scale. 84. Was thfirp auv rli Was there any difficulty in finding em- for the men?—None whatever. In hqy I sent a number of children to Bom- several girls to one of the mission schools considerable expense incurred British Government connected with them? aqy ; I do not remember to have incurred Have you made a report to the Foreign to the Indian Government upon the trade?—Yes; I made a very 0 j j ï'eport upon the subject a long time ago ; it was as far back as the 1st of November 1860. 887. Have you had no further information upon the subject since that time ?—No ; I found that my figures were discredited, and I did not say anything more about it. 888. That report has never been published ? — Not to my knowledge. 889. Subsequent to 1860 you say you have received no fresh information on the subject of slave trade ?—No, I have had nothing to do with the slave trade since. In 1863 I was at Aden, and some representations were made to me by the merchants at that place, but I have made no report since 1860. 890. You have no doubt as to the correctness of what you state in your report?—No; it was prepared under great advantages. I had very able assistance in preparing it. I had also the assistance of General Rigby, who was at that time the consul at Zanzibar, and I had personal access to both the Sultans. I was at Muscat, where I saw Sultan Thowaynee, and discussed the slave question with him. 891. Mr. P, Wytidham.'] You negotiated the settlement of the difficulty between Muscat and Zanzibar ?—Yes. 892. What is your view of the subsidy; do you regard it as an award to the Sovereign of Muscat individually?—No; I regard it as a dynastic arrangement. 893. Do you think we could with propriety withdraw from our position with respect to that subsidy ?—I think not. I think the only oppor tunity we ever had of withdrawing from it was missed. That was when the young man Sultan Salim killed his father ; that would have been a fair opportunity to have freed Zanzibar from the subsidy, because the Sultan represented that it was a hard case that he should pay it to his nephew, a parricide, who had murdered his (the Sultan’s) brother. G 4 894. Supposing Sir fV. Coghlan.

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