ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 
165 
* Appendix B, reply 
to Query 38. 
t Letter No, 1 of 
1860, paragraph 13. 
the ruler of Muscat(«). lu fact, without that aid I do not perceive how Syud Thoweynee can Appendix, Ko. 8. 
continue long to administer the government of Oman. Hence, as so many grave consider- 
ations are involved in the prompt and regular payment of the stipulated subsidy, I trust 
that the Rio’ht honourable the Governor General (should his Lordship coincide in the view 
here taken of the subject) will attach such sanctions as he may deem expedient to ensure 
the faithful discharge of that obligation by his Highness Syud Majeed. 
50. I shall now proceed to notice briefly several collateral points connected with the 
main subject of this report. And first—Colonel Rigby’s recommendation that some steps 
should be taken to provide for the future succession to the sovereignty of Zanzibar m the 
event of that state being permanently severed from Muscat. He writes thus ‘ I think 
it will be extremely advantageous to the future prosperity of the Zanzibar state, if some 
an-ano-ement as to the future succession can be made in the event of Syud Majeed being 
decla^d its independent chief ; for this prince has no male issue, and I think it not likely 
that he will have any. I think that it might be left to the choice of all the family oí the 
late Imam, or Syud Majeed might nominate one of his brothers to succeed him, subject to 
the ratification of the principal chiefs at Zanzibar. If the members of the Syud s f^^^v 
could be induced always to admit in future the claims of primogeniture, I think it would 
be a very great advantage. At present the subject is always in doubt, and leads to 
quarrels and assassinations in the family.”* I fully concur with Colonel Rigby in believing 
that oreat advantages might reasonably be anticipated if any such arrangement could be 
mad^ In fact, I once entertained some hope of being able to effect it,t but increased 
experience of the peculiar political constitution (if it may be so called) of these petty 
sovereignties, and of the intractable temper and inveterate prejudices of the Arab tribes 
on all matters in any way connected with their inherited rights, to say nothing of their 
cross venality, has induced me, however reluctantly, to abandon the idea as impracticable. 
There would, indeed, be little difficulty in securing the consent of Syud Majeed’s brothers 
at Zanzibar, and of the principal chiefs there, to almost any scheme for providing for the 
succession which might be proposed to them by us ; but no such concurrence would be 
regarded on their part as depriving them of the privilege of acting in direct opposition to 
their most solemn obligations in a matter of this nature, or of bartering whatever influence 
they micht possess in the election of a new sovereign to the highest biddei. Hence, 
unless the British Government undertook to guarantee the arrangement and enforce com 
pliance with its provisions, no pre-organised scheme of the kind is kkely to succeed better 
than the custom which has hitherto prevailed among the tribes of Oman. And as I do 
not conceive that Her Majesty’s Government is disposed to entangle itself with respon 
sibilities of that nature, I judge that it will be far more expedient to Wve such questions 
to be settled by the people without any interference on our part. Failing male issue, 
Svud Majeed’s present idea is, should the sovereignty be awarded to him, to associate one 
of his brothers with himself in the administration, so that, in the event of his death, the 
neonle from having been accustomed to regard that brother as his successor, will be pre- 
^»idtoraRfyhiscHhn ^ the Myenflgn^\ Under p^ndhu' cmcums^nces ofthe 
Government ind people of the Zanzibar territories, his Highness scheme is, m my 
opinion, as good as any other that could be adopted. 
51. Another point which I deem it desirable to notice is Syud Thoweynee s grievance, 
submitted by him to the late Lord Elphinstone, that Syud Majeed had wrongfully assumed 
the guardianship of the younger orphan children of the late Syud Saeed at Zanzibar, and 
had either appropriated, or taken into his hands, the management of their shares their 
father’s inheritance.^ It is undoubtedly true that Syud Majeed has taken on himself the 
office of o-uardian to his younger brothers and sisters who are under age, and has so far 
appropriated their property as to borrow and use it ; nevertheless, he openly acknowledges 
his liability to them to the extent of seven lacs of crowns.% He, moreover, justifies this 
uroceeding on the ground of having been appointed an executor of his father’s will con- 
lointly with Bint Seif and Mahomed bin Salem, and maintains that, as the former has 
cinpp died and the latter retired to Mecca, the entire responsibility of executing his 
father’s will devolves on him. By the only will of the late Syud Saeed, hitherto forth- 
ÄatÄ:; S: 
Bint Seif are dead, and Mahomed bin Salem has declined to act Syud ihoweynee, as the 
eldest brother, demands that the “ property of the orphans shall be given up by Majid 
and deposited with a trustworthy person, in whose custody all parties may feel satisfied 
that it will be safe.lf On the other hand, Syud Majeed avers that, on the death of Khaled, 
his father appointed him a joint executor with Bint Seif and Mahomed bin Salem, and he 
promises to obtain the said will from the latter, and to have it forwarded, through the 
f Letter No. 205 of 
1869, Persian 
Department. 
§ Appendix K, 
paragraph 10. 
II Muscat llepoit, 
Appendix G. 
^ Letter No. 2C5 of 
1859, Persian 
Department. 
(a) Zanzibar. 
The revenue of Zanzibar is estimated at - - - " ■ 
Svud Majeed's outstanding liabilities,independent of seven lacs of crowns borrowed from lus orphan 
brothers (for the greater part of which, however, he holds their shares of the movable and 
immovable property which fell to them by inheritance from their father), at - 
Muscat. 
The revenue of Muscat is estimated at 
Svud Thoweynee's liabilities at - 
0.116. 
X 3 
Crowns. 
206,000 
327,000 
129.600 
81,000