80 
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFOIIE SELECT COMMITTEE 
Kear Adm. 
C.F. Hillyar, 
C.B. 
25 July 
1871. 
Major Gen. 
C. F. Righy. 
large number; the supply never exceeded the 
demand. 
1187. Sir J. //ny.] Had you any difficulties 
y/ith the French admiral or the officers of foreign 
nations in carrying on your duties there ?— 
Never, quite the reverse. 
1188. Was the French admiral supposed tobe 
engaged in the same service ; it has been said that 
he was rather supporting the slave trade than 
suppressing it ; did you find that to be the case? 
—No; from the intercourse I had with both the 
French admiral and the officers, they were evi 
dently bent on carrying out the suppression of 
the slave trade. I never met with anything ap 
proaching to misunderstanding. 
1189. MlX. Crum-Eioiay.l Does it ever happen 
that the dhows show tight ?—They are a very 
plucky set indeed ; they will fight where there is 
the slightest prospect of success. In one engage 
ment with the “ Highflyer’s ” boats, they very 
nearly succeeded in running over the pinnace ; 
and if it had not been for the dash of one of the 
officers, who cut the halyards and lowered the 
sails, it might have fared very badly with tb<- 
attacking party. 
1190. Do not you think that a much smalhj 
class of vessels than corvettes of 1,000 tons wotiq 
answer the same purpose as the larger ones, aO*^ 
cost much less ?—A smaller vessel would not haf^ 
the advantage of being able to send away boa^' 
cruising ; small gun-boats would only be able F 
do the duty^ themselves, without the assistance 0' 
their boats. 
1191. Sir J. Hay.'] Had your squadron smok^' 
less fuel when you were there ?—Whenever 
could get it. 
1192. Did it make much difference whethd 
y ou had it or had it not, in betraydng the positiö*^ 
of the ships ?—I should say it would make a ved. 
material difference. It was always the object ^ 
the cruisers to have coal that would not sho^ 
smoke. I recollect, in one instance, in tk*-’ 
“ Centaur,” on the West Coast, chasing our o'V'^' 
smoke, which had banked with the land brec^' 
before daylight. 
Major General CTieistophek Palmee Pigby, called in; and further Examined. 
1193. Chairman.] You told us that you were 
four years in Zanzibar ?—Yes. 
1194. During that time did you have any 
complaints made to you respecting the conduct 
of any of the seamen ?—None at all from any^ 
native of the country . On one or two occasions 
complaints, which were proved to be quite 
frivolous, were made by French shopkeepers 
there, but there never was one complaint from a 
native of the country ; on the contrary, there 
was always the most friendly feeling towards the 
squadron, both in the Island of Zanzibar and on 
the coast. The natives showed it on many occa 
sions. I remember one of the boats of the ‘‘ Gorgon” 
rvas wrecked on the coast, and two of the crew, 
natives of the West Coast, were captured and sold 
into slavery for three bullocks a piece, and one 
of the native chiefs went and paid the’ ransom 
for them out of his own pocket, and took eveiy 
care of them till the “ Gorgon ” came on the coast 
again, when he returned them. On another oc 
casion the Gorgon’s ” boats were at Mombaza, 
and a large number of northern piratical Arabs 
assembled to attack them, and the natives of the 
place, Africans and native inhabitants, assembled 
in such numbers to take the part of the boats’ 
crew, that the piratical Arabs withdrew without 
attacking them. 
1195. You were, from all ymu saw, perfectly 
satisfied with the conduct of the seamen on 
shore?—Yes; under the most trying circum 
stances the officers and men always behaved in 
an admirable manner. The officers had unusual 
hardships to undergo. 
1196. Did you ever hear any reports of officers 
going on shore with their boats and capturing 
slaves ?—Never. 
1197. Mr. Kennaicaj.] Have you any reason 
to think that the statements made by Dr. Living 
stone at various times about the horrors of the 
slave trade, and the depopulation of the country 
owing to it, are exaggerated?—Not at all; I 
have read Dr. Livingstone’s letters and works 
with great interest, and, as far as my knowledge 
and experience go, I quite agree with all he has 
stated. 
1198. As to the devastation of the country ?— 
Yes ; I do not think he lias exaggerated it in 
least. 
1199. Chairman.] Or as to the cause of 
depopulation ?—No. 
1200. Mr. Kennaway.] Have you ever coöj. 
sidered the propriety of establishing depots 
liberated slaves at the Seychelles ; do you thio^ 
that would be a suitable place ?—I sent sevei’*^ 
large captures of slaves from Zanzibar to tk^ 
Seychelles, and I afteiwvards visited the Seyche^' 
les myself, and found all the emancipated slav^i 
thriving and in good condition ; the climate 
the food, and everything, seemed to suit the''* 
admirably. 
1201. Was there room for a larger number 
At that time the inhabitants of the Seychelle'- 
were very anxious indeed to have a supply 
emancipated slave labour. I went there in tkf 
“ Gorgon ”, which took there about 80 emaflC^' 
pated slaves, and a])plication were immediately 
made for 800 ; ten times the number we 
brought. 
1202. Are you aware whether the same (1^ 
maud for the labour of emancipated slaves 
tinues there ?—I have no recent information 
but I have no doubt the Seychelles could absot^ 
a very considerable number of free slaves ; 
in every respect it is the best place to send th^’jj 
to ; the children could be protected there, 
could be educated and brought up as Christiai^"| 
which would be almost impossible on any 
of the mainland of the East Coast of Africa. _ ' 
1203. Mr. Crum-Eicitiy.] In what cultivati^\ 
or manufacture is labour required there ?—Tk'j ) 
Seychelles consist of 37 islands, which are w'0*’|< » 
derfully fertile; they can grow every variety, 
tropical produce in the greatest abundance, 
eluding tobacco, coffee, sugar, and spices of 
kinds. The cloves are double the size they are 
Zanzibar. The Seychelles have been very 
neglected ; they have been a dependency of 
Mauritius, and the Mauritius grudges ev^^ 
shilling spent on them. On my first visit to d’,, 
Seychelles I came from Bombay, and I ha^ j. 
good many Indian servants with me, and tk^-j 
called the islands Paradise ; they said they 
no idea that there was such a spot in the w orW' 
1204. '