Page 272 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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seized nor confiscated their vessels, but merely liberate the slaves, and aid the
Persian authorities in realising fines that were destined for the treasury of the
.
Persian Government. The Arab tribes on the Persian Coast are but for the
most part offshoots from the parent stock on the Arabian Coast, and the latter
very naturally exclaimed why confiscate their vessels and cargoes.'and not those
Vide paragraph 7 of Captain Felix Jones' des­ of our kinsmen on the Persian Coast ?
patch to Mr Secretary Andersoa, No. 69S of " Why were not all subject to the
November 1857. same
laws ” and the same penalties. ?
.39. Captain Felix Jones further conceived that were the " watch and cruize ”
Vidt paragraph6 of Captain Felix jone* despatch after slaves maintained in the neigbbour-
to Mr. 'secretary Anderson, No. 698 of Noveauer hood of Zanzibar in lieu of on the frontier
,857’ . districts, that is to say, at the source of
the evil, and not at a distance from its source, not only would our success be far
greater, but we should be saved the chances of many a bitter disagreement with
the local Governors, of many a collision with the ever varying tempers of a multi­
tude of authorities in the Persian Gulf. There would, besides this, be less fear
of deception being successfully practised upon us. For the vessel, bearing slaves,
Wife page It. How they are supposed to be dij- having touched at no port since she left
tributed in different places ? the Eastern Coast of Africa, would contain
Also vidt page 6. Disposal of slaves in one Buglah. |ier fuil Complement of human Cargo, and
all the unhappy creatures would be released from bondage.
It is necessary to mention the steps adopted by Captain Felix Jones to give
effect to the orders of Government conveyed in despatch No. 3500 of August
■1855 already once adverted to in the course of this report.
40. The instruction to despatch, if possible, a vessel to cruize in search of
slaves, reached at a season when there were numerous obstacles to militate against
its accomplishment.
41. Captain Felix Jones, earnest in his desire to strike a blow at slave traffic,
was most anxious to detach a vessel on slave service, and had, prior to the
vidt CaptainFeii, Jonci1 despi.ch ,o M, receipt of Government instructions ad-
retary Anderson. No. 34, daied April 22, 1856, dressed himself tO the late Commodore
Political Department. Ethersey, drawing his attention to the
rumour in circulation that attempts were about to be made by boats returning to
the Gulf from Zanzibar to land slaves at Soor or other ports below His Highness
the Imam of Maskat’s territories, but the position of affairs at Bahrein, the Al
Ali migration, the constant call for vessels to Tepair to the Presidency with mails
of importance from Her Majesty’s Minister, His Excellency Mr. Murray, these
all precluded the possibility of sparing a cruizer for slave duties as early as would
r otherwise have been desired. However, on
patch to Mr Secretary Anderson, No. 67 of August the 9th of July 1856, Lieutenant (jlles prO-
,Ss6, ceeded in the corvette Falkland to cruize
• TV.fl.—It is worthy of remark here that this single between Cape Jask and Sohar.* But
vessd of war was not detached from the Gulf squad- the season was tOO far advanced, and
ron for slate duties without collision arising between . , , , , 1, *
the tribes, and much destruction resulting ■ from though he Caused every boat lie tell m Wlin
srts to be boarded and examined'he ,ucceeded
which issued furtively from the Joasmee ports. but in effecting the release of two slaves.
42. The Resident in a letter to Mr. Secretary Anderson, No. 44* 26th May
1856, and again in a communication No. 75 of 28th August in same year, sub­
mitted to the notice of Government what appeared to him to render our Treaty
for slave suppression with His Highness the Imam of Maskat of little or no
value—
“ In the 3rd article of our treaty an exception is made, which appears to me to invali­
date the terms of the 1st and 2nd articles, m
Vide paragraph sof Captain Felix Jones' des­ short to render the whole of non-effect, for 1
patch No. 75 ol August 28,1856, to Mr. Sectetary
Anderson. is within the limits sheltered by our sanction 0
the exception, that the trade is most active, ana
where our power to seize and confiscate vessels are restricted. From the localities name
in the 3rd article all the slaves imported into Yemen and Oman are derived, for vessels from
the Arab ports trade annually there, and disseminate their human cargoes over Persia an
Arabia. \Ve are thus by our own concession to the exception unable to lay the axe o
the root of the evil, vis., to seize vessels between i° 57' and 90 2 of south latitude, a sacre
coast line of 420 miles around Zanzibar."