Page 281 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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of diverse sizes were boarded and examined, though both officers and r
men
suffered considerably from exposure to the great heat, whilst detached in ship’s
boats in pursuit of sails, one seizure only was effected, and consisted of a Buglah
belonging to the port of Maskat taken off Ras-el-Hudd on 24th May with one
female slave on board. Commodore Jenkins rather gloried in the fruit of
his labours being so small, for he considered that it proved the fact of awe having
been struck into the minds of slave-dealers, and shewed that a successful blow-
had been aimed at slave traffic. Opinions, however, vary on this point,
and we possess our doubts as to the conclusiveness of the Commodore's
arguments. We doubt, too, without however intending in any way to detract
one tittle from the activity displayed by Commodore Jenkins and his officers,
whether numbers of slaves did not elude the vigilance of our cruizers either by
transhipment into small craft that kept along the coast out of sight, or, by
being landed to the south of the Commodore’s cruizing ground, and marched
overland to their destination, or, last of all, by being sacrificed to the sordid
feelings of slave-owners and ship captains who, rather than see their vessels
confiscated, consigned the unfortunate creatures to a watery grave. The last
contingency, with due deference to Captain Rigby, who considers Arabs are occa­
sionally guilty of such atrocities, we do not look upon as probable, at least as
observed by the Resident, whilst remarking on Captain Rigby's expressed opinion,
“ the best informed in this tract have never heard of such practices, revolting
Vide No. 66 of 1859, from Resided to Mr. as is the conduct of Oman slave-dealers
Secretary Anderson, March 8, HJ59. in other respects towards their victims.1'
Be this as it may, the non-seizure of slavers within the limits of the jurisdiction
of the Political Resident at Bushire tends to shew more forcibly than ever that
if we desire to uproot slave trade our severest blows must be struck* at the
• Vii. opinion .0 .hi. effect. Opt,in Felix r00t- of thc evil and not its branches.
Jones' despatch to Mr. Secretary Anderson, .No. TllUS and thus Only Can We hope for entire
698 of November 1857. SUCCeSS.
19. In the month of October 185S a most glaring instance of traffic in
slaves took place at Bushire. The case was painful in the extreme, painful
from the openness with which it was carried out, and painful from the barefaced
denial of the fact by the Assistant Persian Slave Commissioner when the occur­
rence was brought home to him, and proved to him beyond a doubt.
20. The details of the affair are as follows :—
31. Three vessels from Shargah, a Joasmee port, passed under the bows of
Her Majesty’s steam frigate Punjaub in Bushire harbour, laden with a cargo
of human beings to the number of about twenty. The slaves were landed and
sold in the Bushire market. The fact was patent to every one. Nay, it was no­
torious that the Custom House officials in Bushire happening to have a dis­
agreement with the Commanders of the slave importing vessels on the subject of
the duty leviable upon the human cargo, disturbances arose which led to the
seizure, corporal punishment and imprisonment of one of the Commanders,
nor was it till the latter had disbursed the sum of fifty-five tomans to Persian
officials that he continued to obtain his release. These heart-rending occur­
rences were reported to the Persian slave authority by the Resident, coupled
with bitter reproaches for such open dereliction of duty on his part in
failing to seize the slaves in accordance with the spirit of his instructions.
The reply of the Assistant Slave Commissioner was astounding. Though
perhaps every child was cognisant of the fact, he was shameless enough to state
that he had made careful inquiry, and ascertained that no slaves had been landed
at Bushire. Disputes, it was true, he said, had arisen between the Custom House
officials and the crews of the Joasmee vessels, but they were on matters distinct
from slaves, and had led to the precipitate departure of the latter. Further
than this he went so far as to upbraid us with neglect in not having caused a
search of the suspected craft to be effected by the naval means at our disposal,
this too notwithstanding that the Resident had already pointed out to him that
he believed it was purely out of deference to him and Persian authorities “ spe­
cially nominated to act in affairs of slaves” that ihe Commander of Her
Majesty’s frigate in Bushire roads, who was fully aware of the presence of the
slaves, had refrained from interference. In the hopes of precluding the recur­
rence of such painful scenes, Captain Felix Jones placed the correspondence that
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