XVI

PEOCEEDINGS  or  TUE  SELECT  COMMITTEE

‘^^21.  The  Government  have  proposed  to  enter  into  a  new  treaty  with  the  Sultan  of
Zanzibar  to  the  following  effect  :—
‘‘  ^  1.  To  limit  the  shipment  of  slaves  from  the  mainland  to  one  point  only  on  the
‘  African  coast,  namely,  Dar  Selam,  and  to  prohibit  entirely  their  export  from  any  other
‘  places.
‘‘  ^  2.  To  make  Zanzibar  the  only  port  for  the  reception  of  slaves  shipped  from  Dar
‘  Selam,  but  with  liberty  to  transport  from  thence  to  Pemba  and  Mombaza  only  :  imports
‘of  slaves  to  any  other  place,  or  which  have  not  come  through  Zanzibar,  should  be
‘  declared  illegal,  and  liable  to  seizure.
“  ‘  3.  That  the  number  of  slaves  exported  from  Dar  Selam  to  Zanzibar,  and  thence  to
‘  Pemba  and  Mombaza,  shall  be  strictly  limited  to  the  actual  requirements  of  the  inha-‘
  bit  ants  of  those  places,  to  be  annually  settled  by  mutual  consent  between  the  Sultan
‘  and  the  British  agent,  such  number  to  be  gradually  decreased  so  as  to  cease  altogether
‘  within  a  certain  time.  °
“  ‘  4.  That  every  vessel  engaged  in  the  transport  of  slaves  shall  be  liable  to  eapture,  unless
‘  she  is  provided  with  a  proper  pass  from  the  Sultan,  which  shall  be  valid  only  for  one
‘  voyage,  and  with  distinctive  marks  on  her  hull  and  sails;  a  heavy  penalty  being  attached
‘  to  any  piracy  of  these  passes  or  marks.
“  ‘  5.  That  the  public  slave  markets  at  Zanzibar  shall  be  closed.
“  ‘  6.  That  the  Sultan  shall  engage  from  the  date  of  the  treaty  to  punish  severely  any
‘  of  his  subjects  who  may  be  proved  to  be  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  the  slave
‘  trade,  and  especially  any  attempt  to  molest  or  interfere  with  a  liberated  slave.
“‘7.  That  the  Kutchees,  and  other  natives  of  Indian  states  under  British  protection,
‘  shall  be  forbidden,  after  a  date  to  be  fixed  by  the  Government  of  India,  to  possess
‘  slaves,  and  that  in  the  meantime  they  shall  be  prevented  from  acquiring  any  fresh
‘  slaves.  .
‘‘  ‘  Lastly.  The  treaty  shall  contain  a  stipulation  providing  for  the  eventual  entire  pro-‘
  hibition  of  the  export  of  slaves  from  the  mainland.  ’
“  The  Government  have  sent  out  instructions  to  press  this  proposed  treaty  upon  the
present  Sultan  ;  but  pending  the  inquiry  of  this  Committee  nothing  more  has  been  done.
“  22.  It  has  been  stated  to  the  Committee  that  for  the  performance  of  the  additional
duties  which  would  devovle  upon  the  Consul,  should  the  proposed  treaty  be  carried  into
effect,  some  increase  in  the  present  small  staff  would  be  required,  and  it  was  recommended ­
  by  witnesses  that  an  officer  be  appointed  at  Zanzibar  to  assist  the  Consul
and  Judge  of  the  Vice  Admiralty  Court  in  all  matters  connected  with  the  slave  trade,
with  the  title  of  Assistant  Political  Agent  and  Vice  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  and  to  act  for
him  in  his  absence  ;  that  a  Consular  Officer  should  also  be  appointed  at  Dar  Selam,  under
the  superintendence  of  Her  Majesty's  Consul,  to  whom  he  should  report  upon  all  matters
connected  with  the  slave  trade,  the  number  of  slaves  exported,  and  whether  the  Sultan’s
engagements  with  Her  Majesty’s  Government  are  strictly  observed.  This  officer  would
be  required  to  visit,  from  time  to  time,  the  various  points  on  the  coast,  and  to  report
whether  any  irregularities  exist,  or  any  illegal  exports  are  carried  on  ;  and  as  it  is  probable
that  for  some  time  the  slave  traders  would  attempt  to  continue  the  exportation  of  slaves
from  Kilwa,  the  distance  of  which  from  Zanzibar  and  Dar  Selam  would  prevent  the
British  authorities  at  those  places  from  watching  and  checking  such  practices,  it  might  be
necessary,  at  first,  to  station  a  Consular  Officer  at  that  port  also.
“  23.  It  was  also  stated  to  the  Committee  that  this  proposal  was  concurred  in  by  the
Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Secretary  of  State  for  India  in  Council,
who  recommended  that,  as  the  duties  of  the  agency  and  consulate  at  Zanzibar  were  of
a  twofold  character—one  part  concerning  the  Indian,  and  the  other  the  Imperial  Government—that ­
  the  cost  of  maintenance  should  be  equally  divided  between  the  Imperial  and
Indian  Governments.
“  24.  This  proposal  was  negatived  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Treasury,  and
it  was  stated  in  evidence  that,  in  consequence  of  this  refusal  and  of  the  representation  of
the  Indian  Government,  Her  Majesty’s  Secretary  of  State  for  India  in  Council  had  informed ­
  the  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  that  the  Foreign  Office  would  no
longer  be  privileged  to  send  any  instructions  to  the  Zanzibar  agent  ;  and  the  whole
matter,  therefore,  was  brought  to  a  dead-lock,  and  the  traffic  in  slaves  was  on  the  31st
of  May  1871,  as  reported  by  the  Admiral  commanding  in  chief  on  the  station  to  be,
“without  doubt,  as  busy  and  profitable  as  ever.”
“  25.  The  principal  means  used  to  check  the  trade  have  been  the  employment  of  some
vessels  of  Her  Majesty’s  Navy  upon  the  East  Indian  station  as  cruisers  to  watch  the
East  African  coast  during  the  slaving  season,  which,  depending  upon  the  monsoon,  is
from  April  to  the  end  of  June,  and  from  September  to  the  beginning  of  November.  It
was  stated  in  evidence  that  during  the  years  1867,  1868,  1869,  there  were  captured  by
the  squadron  116  dhows,  containing  2,645  slaves;  while,  according  to  the  returns  of
slaves