Page 278 - Gulf Precis(VIII)_Neat

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My Lords desire that you will instruct the commanding officers of the severaf cruisers
under your orders to be verv careful iu the preservation of the Foreign Slave-Trade. War­
rants with which they may be furnished, and as it is necessary that all such warrants should
be personally addressed to the officers actually in command of Her Majesty’s cruisers, you
are, whenever the commanding officers of any vessel may be changed, or if the vessels
should be removed from the station under your orders, to cause the warrants to be returned
to me, together with all papers connected therewith.
When boats are detached from ships to cruise in search of slave vessels great caution
is to be exercised, and they are never to be so detached in localities where, from the pre­
vailing winds and weather, they may be exposed to danger or have difficulty in obtaining
supplies. Tt is also to be borne in mind that many of the Arab dhows arc manned with
large crews of desparate men and detached boats should on no account be allowed to
engage in unequal contests with them. Boats’ crews should be armed and ready to resist
attack. Whenever it is practicable a second boat should lie off ready to support the first,
if necessary.
Officers and men are to be prohibited from sleeping on shore in unhealthy places or
from cutting wood or doing any work on shore which the natives can be hired to do at a
reasonable rate.
Article XII.
Her Majesty’s ship 11 London ” is stationed at Zanzibar for service of the East African
Squadron, more particularly in connection with
"London."
the suppression of the slave trade. She is in­
tended to be a floating depflt and the store ship, and a receiving ship for invalids and
prisoners. She is also fitted as a floating factory, with appliances for the repairs of engines.
She is provided with boats (steam and sailing)/ which may be employed within a
reasonable distance of the ship in the suppression of the slave trade, but they should never
be employed on such service singly.
In order to preserve the health of the crew, they may be sent to the Seychelles Island,
when any suitable opportunities occur for their conveyance thither and for their return
within a reasonable period ; and you are at liberty to send any of the ships of the squadion
to visit the Cape of Good Hope for a fortnight or three weeks, when a favourable oppor­
tunity offers, should the crews require change of climate.
It is considered expedient, on sanitary grounds, that the officers and crew of the
11 London ” should be relieved after a period of service at Zanzibar of about eighteen months
or two years, and when the time approaches for their relief attention should be drawn to
the subject, with a view to the necessary arrangement being made.
< The " London ” should be inspected by you once in each year and whenever oppor­
tunities occur, and special reports of her sanitary and general condition should be sent for
Their Lordships’ information.

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