47

ON  SLÀVE  TRADE  (EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA).

^lekran  direct  to  Zanzibar.  Zanzibar  is  also
^coming  the  emporium  for  the  sea-borne  trade  of
^adagascar,  the  Mozambique,  the  Comoro
Inlands,  and  the  whole  of  the  East  Coast  of  Africa.
is  now  the  chief  market  in  the  world  for  the
®^Pply  of  ivory,  gum,  copal,  cloves,  and  cowrees,
^pd  has  a  rapidly  increasing  export  trade  in  hides,
seeds,  dyes,  &c.,  whilst  sugar  and  cotton
promise  to  figure  largely  amongst  its  future
Exports.  The  foreign  trade  of  Madagascar  has  increased ­
  with  extraordinary  rapidity  since  the
ports  of  this  island  have  been  opened  to  commerce.
is  impossible  to  foresee  what  may  be
f  extent  in  a  few  years.  As  one  example
q  this  increase,  I  was  informed  by  the  United
►States  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  that  during  the
j^orth-west  monsoon  of  1865,  upwards  of  60
bugalows  and  dhows  proceeded  from
^^ozibar  to  the  western  ports  of  Madagascar,  to
oad  rice  for  Kutch  and  Kattiwar,  in  consequence
cf  the  deficient  harvest  in  those  provinces.  All  fhis
Valuable  trade  is  at  present  lost  to  British  merchants, ­
  because  until  there  is  a  postal  communicawith
  Zanzibar  it  is  impossible  for  them  to
pcmpete  with  the  foreigners,  who  at  present  have
\all  in  their  hands,  and  whose  vessels,  arriving
^^hh  the  latest  state  of  the  markets,  they  are  thus
^^abled  to  regulate  their  purchases  and  sales.
.  early  the  whole  of  the  local  trade  of  Zanzibar  is
D  hands  of  British-Indian  subjects,  viz.,
^nians,  Khojahs,  and  Borahs,  some  of  whom  are
Cry  wealthy.  The  American,  French,  and  Uermerchants
  conduct  nearly  all  their  business
g  ^cugh  these  natives  of  India,  who  would  how-^'"Cr
  much  prefer  trading  with  English  merchants,
®  they  know  that  all  disputes  arising  would  then
c  settled  by  the  British  Consul,  and  according  to
fi  c  same  law  for  botli  parties.  Tlie  way  in  which
G  want  of  postal  communication  operates  to
^Gvent  any  of  the  trade  being  carried  on  by
p^j^.^chants  at  Bombay,  may  be  illustrated  by  the
du  example  of  what  several  times  occurred
residence  at  Zanzibar:  —  A  wealthy
gr-^'efirm  at  Bombay  chartered  a  large  British
^  T  to  proceed  from  Bombay  to  Zanzibar  to  load
^Jiargofor  London;  the  letter  of  advice  to  their
Zanzibar  to  purchase  a  cargo  being  duly
^Jit  by  the  mail  steamer  to  Aden.  There  being
pestai  communication  between  Aden  and  Zanthe
  letter  does  not  reach  the  latter  port  for
months.  In  the  meantime,  the  ship
*‘ives  at  Zanzibar;,  the  agent,  having  no  advice,
eo  cargo  ready  ;  the  foreign  merchants  acting
Pu  agreement  existing  between  them  for  the
pj^^P^se  of  excluding  British  merchants  from  any
p^^^j^T'ation  in  the  trade,  run  up  the  price  of  all
^h  ^  ^^e  market  40  per  cent.,  sharing
'J'l^^^^^er  loss  there  may  be  amongst  each  other,
en  after  waiting  in  vain  for  a  cargo,  comes
6^^  eiRurrage,  and  is  finally  dis^iatched  to  Lonballast,
  entailing  a  heavy  loss  on  the
erers  in  Bombay,  who  give  up  in  conse-^an^q^
  any  intention  of  establishing  a  trade  with
The  expense  of  establishing  a  monthly
chei]^^^^^*^ation  between  Zanzibar  and  the  SeytUaii
  ^  correspondence  with  the  French
Ãen  ^^^^"^ers  running  between  Aden  and  La
of  M  and  which  call  at  Port  Victoria,  Island
would  be  inconsiderable.  The  distance
^(ontT  ^^^z'^ar  and  the  Seychelle  Islands  is
BotP  miles,  almost  due  east  from  Zanzibar,
quç  ^^^soons  are  a  fair  wind,  but  there  are  frecheii
  calms,  and  the  navigation  on  the  Sey-0
  ^^ank  is  tedious  and  dangerous  for

sai  lins

vessels,  owing  to  the  very  strong  currents.  A
small  steamer  would  consequently  be  preferable
to  a  sailing  vessel.  I  think  that  if  a  regular  communication ­
  were  established  with  the  Seychelles,
a  considerable  trade  would  soon  arise  ;  natives  of
India  I’esiding  at  Zanzibar  would  be  attracted  to
those  lovely  and  salubrious  islands,  and  the  expense ­
  of  keeping  up  a  small  vessel  would  be  in
part  or  entirely  covered  by  freight  and  passage.
597.  You  would  look  to  the  increase  of  commercial ­
  Intercourse  as  having  considerable  effect
in  diminishing  the  interest  which  the  natives
have  in  the  slave  trade  ?—I  would  ;  it  is  impossible ­
  to  calculate  what  the  trade  of  that  coast
might  become  in  a  few  years  if  the  slave  trade
were  once  abolished.
598.  In  what  way  does  the  existence  of  the
slave  trade  prevent  the  growth  of  a  legitimate
commercial  trade  ?—The  great  export  of  ablebodied
  labourers  from  the  country,  deters  free
labourers  from  coming  to  settle  at  Zanzibar  or
along  the  coast,  because  they  know  that  as  long
as  the  slave  trade  is  going  on  they  are  not  safe
for  a  day,
599.  Were  any  of  the  6,000  you  emancipated
retaken,  and  sold  again  as  slaves  ?—They  were
not  interfered  with.  When  I  was  at  JMandavie,
the  principal  port  of  Kutch,  where  I  was  staying
for  a  considerable  time  investigating  the  revenue
accounts  of  the  port  for  60  years,  many  of  those
men  came  to  me  evidently  very  proud  of  the
passes  they  had  received  from  me.
600.  Seeing  that  those  6,000  remained  untouched, ­
  why  should  not  free  labourers  be  safe
from  capture  ?—Those  slaves  that  I  emanci])ated
Avere  all  registered  at  the  British  Consulate  ;
they  were  emancipated  legally  according  to  the
law  of  the  land  by  the  Kazi  ;  they  then  brought
their  certificate  of  emancipation  to  me,  and  I
signed  it,  and  affixed  the  seal  of  the  Consulate
to  it;  I  registered  every  particular  regarding
them  in  a  book  kept  at  the  Consulate  ;  most  of
those  men  afterwards  had  their  certificate  of
emancipation  tied  round  their  necks  in  a  silver
box  or  Avore  it  on  their  arms;  and  I  heard  after-Avards,
  from  naval  officers,  of  those  men  being  met
with  in  many  other  ports  in  Mozambique,  and  on
the  coast  of  Madagascar.
601.  Was  anything  done  upon  that  memorandum ­
  which  you  have  read  ?—The  resolution  of
the  Government  of  Bombay  Avas  that  a  copy  of
the  papers  should  be  forwarded  to  the  Secretary
of  State  and  the  Government  of  India,  Avith  a
recommendation  that  tenders  be  invited  for  the
conveyance  of  a  monthly  mail.
602.  Were  tenders  inA  ited  ?—I  left  Bombay
shortly  afterwards,  but  I  believe  nothing  has
been  done.
603.  Ko  tenders  have  been  invited  ?—I  neA^er
heard  of  any.
604.  Do  you  suppose  that  a  line  could  be  established ­
  with  a  moderate  amount  of  subsidy  ?—
I  hav  e  no  doubt  it  could.  Hearing  the  subject
naentioned  on  Monday,  I  Avent  to  one  of  the
directors  of  the  British  India  Steam.  Navigation
Company,  and  he  sent  me  a  memorandum  this
morning,  showing  all  the  lines  Avhich  their  Company ­
  at  present  Avork  Avith  a  subsidy  from  the
Government,  and  he  says,  in  a  note,  that  his
Company  are  very  anxious  indeed  to  tender  for  a
line  from  Aden  to  Zanzibar,  which  would  form  a
continuation  of  the  communication  with  the  Persian ­
  Gulf  and  the  whole  of  the  Avest  coast  of
India  and  Ceylon.
^  ^  605.  Can

Maj.  Gen.
C.  P.  Rigby.

20  July
1871.