Page 266 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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5. On the 20th of March 1864, Mr. Colquhoun, Her Majesty’s Consul-
General at Cairo, wrote direct to Colonel
Political Proceedings. May 1864, Nos. 156-158-
Mcrewether, the Agent at Aden, that he
had Lord Russell's instructions to request him to use any moans at his command
for procuring the release of Mr. Cameron and his fellow-prisoners from the
captivity in which they had been arbitrarily detained by Theodore, King of
Abyssinia. To this Colonel Mcrewether answered, that it was quite out of his
power to render the assistance asked of him, as there was no Government steam
vessel in the harbour, and no man-of-war on the station. The Hornet had been
at Aden for a short time, but had only recently been recalled to Bombay, and,
so far as he knew, there was no likelihood of its being replaced. The matter was
at once laid before the Supreme Government, and, in accordance with the
suggestion of the Viceroy and Governor General in Council, the responsible
officer on the Bombay Coast was asked to send a man-of-war to the nearest
point on the Abyssinian Coast, so as to
Political Proceedings, July 1864, Nos. 163*4.
give weight by its presence to any letter
which might be addressed to the King. Meanwhile a requisition for help,
based on the rumour of an outrage in the
Political Proceedings. July 1864, Nos. >6i-6:.
Red Sea to a vessel bearing the British
flag, had been made to the Commodore, and he had pleaded more urgent employ­
ment elsewhere as his reason for not complying with the application.
6. On the 13th of May 1S64, the Government of Bombay forwarded, for
No. 15 of that date; also Political Proceedings the consideration of Her Majesty's Gov-
of Government of ind.a, May .85.,, No.. 169-70. eminent, certain suggestions made by the
Political Agents at Zanzibar and Bushire for more effectually stopping the
exportation of slaves from the east coast of Africa. In his Memorandum on
the subject, Colonel Pelly, speaking for the Persian Gulf, remarked that he had
not possessed the means during the past year of seizing slaving craft entering
these waters, but from what he had heard, he entertained little doubt that
numerous slaves had in this, as in all previous years, been imported from Africa.
Judging by the dates, it seems likely that these papers had come under the
notice of the Secretary of State before he wrote his despatch of June 30th, 1864.
No. 5*1 dated >Sih October i£6j,with.nelosuie, But h's arguments had evidently not
from Government of Bombay to Secretary of satisfied the Bombay Government, for,
on the 9th December 1864. it addressed
a circular letter to the Political Agents within its jurisdiction, enquiring whether
they still deemed it needful to retain “a small steamer or other vessel” for
their respective requirements. The Resident at Aden replied that, out of
eighteen months ending with the 14th of September 1864, the total length of stay
of all the vessels of the Royal Navy which had come into the harbour, had not
amounted to three months. During the prevalence of the south-west monsoon,
the rendezvous was far away at Trincomaiee. But even if a ship of the Royal
Navy could be spared for Aden all the year round, of which he saw no prob­
ability, lie would still wish to have some smaller craft at the Resident's uncon­
trolled disposal to take him at all seasons wherever his presence might be needed.
The Resident at Bushire observed that, thpugh the Government had expressly
constituted the holder of his office arbitrator in all differences arising amongst
the Chiefs of the Arab Coast, whether at sea or on land, he was in reality
powerless to perform his functions in the absence of suitable means of locomo­
tion. In the season of the pearl fishing, from April to October, when disputes
were frequent, the ships of the Royal Navy were forbidden by the standing
orders of the Admirality from cruising in the Gulf. The Arabs would not be
slow to take advantage'of the Resident’s inability to roam about at will, and so
the Gulf would in time become as insecure as ever if had been in old days. He
therefore trusted that the Resident might have at his command a vessel to enable
him to discharge his political duties properly. The Agents at Maskat and Zan­
zibar were equally in favour of the measure. Accordingly the Bombay Govern­
ment- forwarded their answers in extetiso to England, and, as an additional proof of
the necessity for granting the concession, called attention to the' hostile attitude
of the VVahabees in Oman at the date of sending its despatch.
7. In May 1865, Mr. Calvert, the Acting Consul at Jedda, represented
through the Bombay Government that
Political Proceedings, June 1865, Nos. 99-101.
many of the ships which carried pilgrims