85 
ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 
for certain that slaves from that part of 
Coast have been imported quite recently into 
^dagascar. 
hß Then, in suggesting that 12 ships should 
^o,^.^P^cyed in suppressing the slave trade on the 
. Uth East Coast of Africa, you did not take 
t\v^ consideration the slave trade carried on be- 
^^cn the Portuguese territory and Madagascar? 
5 ^^16. You would contemplate an additional 
gl^dron for that?—That would require to be 
t}j^^^‘^tely dealt with ; but I should say I think 
trade is clearly on the decrease. 
What number of ships would you think 
Cssary to perform the service there ?—I should 
PPose not more than two or three. 
Two or three, with steam launches, you 
a ''vould be sufficient to suppress any trade 
Afp exist between the South East Coast of 
and Madagascar?—Yes, stationing those 
Ps on the Madagascar coast. 
^ees the importation of free labour into 
Ck] , rench colony of Reunion add to j our diffi- 
g^cs at all?—I do not think it does. One 
tf.^î^ers that it gives a great impetus to the slave 
oql^c 5 that a certain number of men who are 
Vç^^^ally brought down as slaves, become con- 
1 into free negroes, by some process, find- 
<1 ffieir way into the French colonies. 
Have you had any diplomatic diffi- 
^cs with the officers of other nations ?— 
Sg^cr ; our difficulties, I think, might be in 
c degree removed if encourao-ement was 
given to legal traders in the Mozambique 
Channel, to fly English ensigns, and to carry 
English papers ; at present the great majority of 
them carry French ¡lapers, and French ensigns, 
and, of course, there is more or less difficulty in 
dealing with any vessel carrying French colours ; 
I believe the Arabs would gladly change their 
French colours for English if they could. 
132L Why do they bear the French National 
h'lag ?—They obtain French papers from the 
French Government at Nos Beli, and other settle 
ments. 
1322. Do you think their nationality might 
easily be converted from French into English ?— 
I believe the great mass of those flying colours 
have nothing to say to the French nation. 
1323. Mr. Shaw LeftvreJ] By sailing under the 
French flag, they obtain immunity from search 
on the part of our cruisers ?—Yes, it has always 
been said, and no doubt it is true, that the search 
after the illegal trade does embarrass the legal 
traders considerably, so that the legal trader pro 
tects himself by flying the French colours, and 
the illegal trader, of course, follows suit. 
1324. Chairman.'] Do you think we could in 
duce them to carry English colours instead of 
French, seeing that they would then be liable to 
search?—Yes, they would rather have English 
colours than French. No illegal trader would 
dare to fly English colours, and there would con 
sequently be even more immunity from search 
irom the legal traders flying English colours. A 
primâfade suspicion attaches to all others. 
Captain 
P. Colomb, 
R.N. 
25 July 
1871. 
Mr. Charles Allington, called in; and Examined. 
^25. Mr. Kennaway.] AYere you in the vici- 
Lake Nyassa, in company with Bishop 
»Sk f5^y~We were living on the banks of the 
river. 
Lan you, from your own experience, 
thg Evidence to the forays made by slavers upon 
P^^ceful villages in that district?—Yes, I 
going into a native village near 
Mollumbala. The slavers were there 
^Gfore we got there, and on our approach 
fli’cd some shots and took to their heels, 
VIjj Hug away with them some men out of the 
ol^ M^hen I got to the village there Avas an 
^çv^Pief in hiding in the bush, afraid to come 
village on account of those slavers ; 
after a little time he came back, and I 
yillg^^friends Avith him, and we Avalked about the 
and he told me the loss Avhich had been 
upon him by the slavers. That is one 
^ce in my mind at the present time. 
Chairman.] Have you any doubt that 
^iuie you were in the country there Avere 
slavers Avho attacked villages Avith the 
obtaining slaves?—I have not the slightest 
All the accounts you have received con- 
you in that vicAV ?—Quite so. 
oh ' Kinnaird.] You have no doubt that 
of those raids Avas for the purpose of 
®Lves?—Simply for the purpose of getting 
nothing else. 
^30. • 
Crnm-EwingS] Some of the Avit- 
nesses have stated that the slave dealers go up Mr. 
the country and encourage war between two C. AUin^ton. 
tribes, and then buy the captNes as slaves ; do - 
you agree Avith that?—It is a common notion . 
that that is done ; I haA^e no doubt that it is done 
they want slaves at any price, and if they can 
get them by exciting Avar between tAVO tribes 
they, no doubt, adopt that course. 
1331. You do not knoAv that of your OAvn 
knoAvIedge ?—No, I have heard that it is done. 
1332. Mr. J. Talbot.] You do not say that it 
is a common thing for slavers to go and stir up 
Avar for the purpose of getting slaves ?—It is 
merely a thing I have heard; I have no knoAv- 
ledge of it myself. 
1333. You have heard that it takes place, but 
you are not prepared to say that it often takes 
place?—No, 1 am not. 
1334. Chairman.] But from the information 
you have received you come to the conclusion 
that it is not an uncommon thing for the slave 
traders to stir up Avar between tAvo tribes for the 
purpose of obtaining slaves?—That is a state 
ment I have heard made more frequently in Eng 
land than anyAvhero else; but I could not speak 
to it from my OAvn knowledge. 
1335. Is the case you have mentioned the only 
case of the sort Avhich came under your OAvn ob 
servation ?—That case is the one strongest in my 
mind at this moment. I do not think I could tell 
you any other ; that is a case Avhich I am per 
fectly ^ clear about. I have no doubt the same 
thing is going on day after day. 
•He. 
L 3 
Mr.