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APPENDIX.

Reports on Slave Trade in the Persian Gulf, 1852—1859.

Report on the Slave Trade in the Persian Gulf extending from January 1,185a, lo
June 30,1858.

Slavery has at all times occupied much of the attention of the Residents in
the Persian Gulf, and much, through their efforts, supported as these have been
by the Government of Bombay and Her Majesty’s Mission at Tehran, has been
effected towards the attainment of our object, its abolition. Unfortunately,
however, it was in the power of the Government to spare vessels, either sufficient
in number, or of the class that is needed, to uproot the inhuman traffic.
2. We purpose compiling a history of the slave trade in these tracts from
the commencement of 1852 to the close of June 1858, and with a view to render
our narrative more clear, we shall, after making a few preliminary remarks,
divide our subject into three distinct parts, vis, :—
Part /.—The suggestions offered to Government by Captain Kemball,
when Resident, for the better suppression of slavery, and the plans
adopted by Government consequent on the above suggestions.
Part II.—The recommendations of Captain Felix Jones, successor to
Captain Kemball, on slave trade and slave suppression generally,
together with result of his recommendations.
Part 111.—The fruit of our labours to put down slavery.
3. Prior to the 1st of January 1852, we possessed but two conventions for the
repression of slave trade in the Persian Gulf—the one with a number of indepen­
dent Arab Chiefs on Arab Coast, the other with His Highness the Imam of
Maskat. These, too, limited our powers of search and seizure to the sea. In
the case of the Imam, moreover, as pointed out by Captain Felix Jones on his
arrival as Resident, and will be seen in the sequel was rectified by that officer,
the terms of the convention were so defectively worded as to render its value
merely nominal. With Persian and Turkish vessels we had no right to interfere.
These could import or export slaves at their pleasure. Though crowded with
human beings destined for the market, we could not lay our hands upon them.
The year 1852 may therefore be hailed as an era in the history of slave trade
in these parts. For, towards the close of the year 1851, an agreement was
concluded by Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran with the Persian Government,
authorising the seizure and temporary detention by British cruizers of Persian
vessels engaged in the slave trade, and on the 1st of January 1852 this agree­
ment came into force. In 1847 the Sublime Porte issued firmans, empowering
British ships of war to search vessels carrying the Turkish flag that were sus­
pected of being concerned in the iniquitous traffic. Here, then, looking upon
the territories of the Maritime Arab Chiefs as independent States, we possess­
ed agreements with each of the four powers, whose subjects resided on the
borders of these seas, and whose vessels notoriously carried on the slave trade.
Granted the agreements, as existing at the commencement of 1852, conceded
to us but very limited powers, and were highly unequal in their pressure. Still
they were, one and all, a step in the right direction, and thanks to the support
of the Government and Her Majesty’s Minister at Tehran, coupled with the
exertions of the Residents in the Gulf, still further advances were made towards
the attainment of abolition of slavery, and were an organised system set on foot,
and pertinaciously adhered to every season for a few years.
Part I.
4. We proceed now to the consideration of Part I.
We find the following statistics of the prosecution of the slave trade as
existing in these regions during the year 1852
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