ON SLAVE TRADE (EAST COAST OF AFRICA). 
201 
(Secret Department.—No. 6 of 1861.) 
Appendix, No. 
From Reverend George Percy 13adger, in charge Muscat-Zanzlbar Commission, to 
A. K- Forbes, Esq., Acting- Secretary to Government, Bombay. 
Miiscat-Zanzibar Commission, Aden, 
1 June 1861. 
I HAVE the honour to report, for the information of the Honourable the Governor in 
Council, that I reached Muscat from Bombay on the 11th ultimo. 
2. His Highness Syud Thoweynee being absent at one of his country seats at the time, 
his Vizier immediately proceeded thither to inform him of my arrival. On the return of 
his Hio'hness to Muscat early the following morning, I paid him a complimentary visit, 
accompanied by Commander Cruttenden and several officers of Her Majesty’s steamer 
“ Zenobia,” when I formally introduced Lieutenant Pengelley to his Highness as the 
newly-appointed British Agent at Muscat. 
3. Mr. Rassam had previously delivered to Syud Thoweynee the official letters of which 
I was the bearer, and I was gratified to perceive from his general demeanour on the 
occasion that he appeared highly pleased with their contents. At the termination of our 
visit, his Highness intimated to me that he had ordered all his vessels in the harbour to 
diiss ships in honour of the occasion : and a salute of 101 guns was fired to celebrate 
the auspicious termination of the long-pending dispute between himself and his brother 
Syud Majeed. 
4. At several subsequent interviews, his Highness frequently reiterated how deeply he 
felt indebted to the generositv of the British Government for all the trouble and ex 
pense which the settlement of'this question had involved, and how highly he appreciated 
the impartiality of the final arbitrement. In reply to his inquiry how and when the 
awarded arrears of 80,000 crowns, and the yearly subsidy of 40,000 crowns, wouM be 
paid, I advised his Highness to come to a friendly understanding with his Highness Syud 
Majeed on the subject, and to appoint an Agent at Zanzibar to receive the money ; uiging 
him at the same time, in consideration of the embarrassed state of his brother’s finances, 
to exercise the greatest forbearance toward him In exacting payment. His Highness 
then asked whether the British Agent at Zanzibar was empowered to insist upon the 
terms of the arbitration being fulfilled by Syud Majeed. To this, I replied that the 
Supreme Government of India had directed the officers who should be charged with com- 
municatino- the decision of the Right Honourable the Governor General to his Highness 
and to hi? Highness’s brother, to impress upon them both that they were expected to 
abide faithfully by his Excellency’s award ; and that, although the Government was not 
bound to enforce the conditions of the arbitration by either party, I nevertheless enter 
tained no doubt that the influence of the British Agent at Zanzibar would be used, 
in a friendly manner, to see that the award was duly carried out. Subject to this 
qualification, 1 saw no objection to his Highness’ proposition, that the person whom he 
mio-ht authorise to receive the money from Syud Majeed should be recommended to 
Colonel Rigby’s good offices, through the British Agent at Muscat, and I accordingly 
requested Lieutenant Pengelley to communicate with Colonel Rigby in that sense as 
soon as his Highness should inform him that he had appointed a deputy to treat with 
Syud Majeed on the subject at Zanzibar. 
5. Syud Thoweynee further inquired of me whether any arrangement had been made 
by the Government of India for the future succession to the Zanzibar sovereignty. 
Beino- aware of the general impression prevailing in these parts that Syud Majeed will not 
live tono-, and that it is by no means improbable that the chiefs and people of Zanzibar 
(many cj' whom are becoming notoriously disaffected towards him) might, in case of his 
death, elect Syud Thoweynee as his successor ; and suspecting, moreover, that Syud 
Thoweynee himself was not without some hope of the kind, I deemed it desirable to caution 
his Highness against fostering anticipations which might never be realised, and the enter 
tainment of winch might eventually expose him to the suspicion of attempting to infringe 
on the authority of the Zanzibar sovereignty. At the same lime, however, I did not 
hesitate to inform his Highness that the Right Honourable the Governor General in 
Council had purposely abstained from offering any opinion on the rule of the succession 
in Zanzibar, his Excellency having judged that to do so he must have travelled beyond 
the bounds of the question submitted to his arbitration. His Highness then put the case 
directly, whether, in the event of Syud Majeed’s death, and the people of Zanzibar elect 
ing- him in his stead, the British Government would oppose his succession ? Not feeling 
authorised to give a decisive answer to this query, I replied in general terms (premising 
that I expressed my personal opinion merely) that I did not believe the British Govern 
ment would interfere in such a case against the unanimous wishes of the people; at the 
same time I did not fail to impress upon his Highness that he would best secure the 
favourable sympathy of the British Government, now and hereafter, by restricting his 
0 110 *^ * Cc aspirations