76
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE
Rev.
E. Steerc,
XtL«D«
25 July
1871.
1089. Do you think it practicable for our
cruisers to do anything against the foreign slave
trade as long as the domestic slave trade is
allowed ?— I think by watching the Arabian
coast, they could do a great deal.
1090. But you do not think they could do
much by cruising off the African coast ?—I heard
just now, that the slave dhows had changed their
usual course, but hitherto all the slave dhows
used to hug the African coast all the way up
from Zanzibar, so that if you watched a moderate
section of sea on any part of the coast, you
could stop the whole trade ; then if you took it
north of Lamoo, you could not be baffled by false
passes.
1091. We have had two views presented to us
of the Arab character ; one, that they are men
with whom it is possible to negoitate fairly, and
who will abide by treaties; the other, that it is
only possible to deal with them with a strong
hand ; what is your opinion upon that subject ?
—Speaking of the Arabs as the governing body
in Zanzibar, I think you can treat with them as
you can with any Eastern nation. Syed Burgh
ash is a man who, if he openly pledged himself
to anything, would carry it out.
1092. Should you recommend dealing with him
on the basis of the remission of the subsidy to the
Imaum of Muscat, and so endeavour to induce
him to make further engagements against the
slave trade, or should you use strong pressure ?
—I think the Muscat subsidy is felt to be a great
hardship, and that he would be willing to cooperate
with us if we procured him a remission
of it.
1093. Chairman.^ If we were to undertake to
pay it for him as long as he complied with our
requisitions and demands ?—I should think that
if we offered to do that it would be felt as a thing
that really did call for honâ fide exertion on his
part.
1094. Do you think he would really honestly
work in conjunction with us then?-—Yes, I think
he would ; as a rule, the M uscat and Zanzibar
governments have not been on good terms ; the
shipping of slaves to anywhere beyond Ras al
H add or in the Persian Gulf is reckoned as an
advantage to the Muscat people, and therefore
the Zanzibar Government are rather inclined to
hinder than to promote it.
1095. Lord F. Cavendish.'] Do you think that
the Sultan of Zanzibar could put a stop to the
foreign trade if he wished ?—Yes.
1096. In spite of the Northern Arabs ?—Yes,
they are no power to a brave man.
1097. We have been told that the Northern
Arabs kidnap the Sultan’s own slaves?—Yes.
Syed Majid used to pay them a large number of
dollars every year to keep quiet.
1098. You think Syed Burgash is not afraid
of them ?—I think he would not pay them ; they
do not go in such force that they could be formidable
against an energetic opposition.
1099. Mr. O Conor.Do you know how many
slaves are required for Zanzibar itself?—No ; 1
know that the mortality is very large indeed, and
the reproduction is almost nothing.
1100. Are those slaves easily obtained ?—They
used to come from Kilwa in very large numbers.
I am told, since the trade from Kilwa has been
stopped they are much dearer ; they used to cost
from 5 dollars to 20 dollars.
1101. \ou say they are well treated in Zanzibar
itself?—Ae a rule; there are all kinds of
masters ; some starve their slaves, and some beat
them ; but, as a rule, they fare very well. |
1102. If there were a greater difflculty in ob- ;
taining them would not the masters treat them ;
with greater care ?—I do not think it would :
make much difference ; when one sees the utter |
recklessness there is in merely taking slaves from I
Kilwa to Zanzibar, one has not much reason to i
think that any consideration of the value of the :
slaves would operate on their minds in their i
treatment of them. i
1103. What would be the effect if the slave |
trade were suddenly abolished in Zanzibar altogether
?—I think there would be a disposition to |
employ something else besides manual labour. I !
do not think it would 1 ave any^ great immediate ■
effect. I
1104. Would they be able to obtain free la- i
bourers to carry on their ordinary work ? A
large part of the work is done by free labour !
now. I
1105. One of the witnesses said that if the
slave trade were suddenly abolished it would
cause a revolution ?—It would be very likely to
cause a revolution in this way : that the leading i
men would feel that the Sultan was betraying '
them, and, therefore, probably he would lose his
flower, because the Sultan has no power as
against his great men.
1106. Mr. Kenna%vay.'\ I see Dr. Livingstone,
in a letter dated 11th June 1866, speaks'of the j
utter powerlessness of the Sultan of Zanzibar to !
withstand the slaving propensities of the pirates j
and kidnappers who annually infest his island |
and seas ?—I think that that might apply to I
Seyyid Majid. I should think it was rather exag- |
gerated even in regard to him, but I do not think I
it would apply to the present Sultan at all. I |
think the Sultan of Zanzibar has the power to !
put a stop to it altogether. ,
_ HOT. With regard to the depopulation of the j
district which has been referred to, I see Dr. '
Livingstone in a letter dated 20th August 1866,
says, that the coast .Yrabs come up with plenty
of ammunition and calico to the tribe ealled !
Wayao, or Ajawa, and say that they want slaves. j
Marauding parties immediately start off to the |
Manganja or Wanyassa villages, and, having
plenty oí powder and guns, overpower and bring
back the chief portion of the inhabitants?—
That is not according to anything I have heard.
1108. Have you any reason to believe that
that is not the case?—I have never heard anything
to confirm it, and all I have heard has
tended to contradict it.
1109. Mr. J. Talhot.'\ With regard to the
healthiness of Zanzibar, you think the town itself '
is not unhealthy ?—I think it is not more unhealthy
than a low-lying tropical town o-enerally ^
will be.
1110. We have been told that the neio-hbourhood
of the town is exceedingly unhealthy ; you
do not confirm that ?—There are parts of it which
are exceedingly unhealthy ; if you choose your ;
locality I do not think it is so.
1111. Was not there a sanitarium established 1
a few miles out of Zanzibar, to which some of '
your missionaries were sent?—No; they were '
sent to the Seychelles; the Seychelles are the 1
natural sanatarium of that part of the world ; \
several Europeans went to Dari Salaam for the
sake ^ of their health, and found great benefit ;
but in certain stages of the fever any change
IS a benefit.
1112. With
