Page 189 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

*3
returns of the customs received on slaves from that very port. Again at I.amoo, at the
other extremity of His Highness' dominions, where the Bhattia Custom-master received
ua with all honour and professed the utmost willingness to give information, he denied that
slaves were exported, save in very small numbers and clandestinely ; though we were
subsequently assured that a day or two previous to our arrival news having come of our
approach several dhows cleared out with cargoes of slaves, mostly Gallas and Abyssinians :
and at both these ports the fact of a large and constant trade in slaves is not only notorious
but is not denied by the central authorities at Zanzibar. It can hardly be said in cases
like this that however free the Bhattia may be from direct slave-dealing, he is not clear of
complicity in the crime by aiding, abetting, and concealing it.
As regards practical remedies for this state of things, I confess I can think of none
save the extirpation of slave-trading as a branch of ordinary and legitimate trade in the
dominions of the Sultan, while it is permitted by His Highness' laws and participated in
by every member of the reigning family, and by their associates and dependents, it seems
to me to be impossible to devise regulations which shall effectually bar our own subjects,
who monopolize the trade of the country, from sharing its profits. All trade in human
beings must be prohibited, and cease to be legal with the aid of our subjects ; controlling
as they do the whole of every kind of trade, the slave-trade may then be effectually
stopped.
But nothing less will, I feel assured, be effectual or will acquit our Government of its
responsibdities in the matter.
It has been proposed to withdraw British protection from British-Indian subjects who
are implicated in the slave-trade, and this ought of course to be done as a part of the
punishment when such implication is proved. But where all are, in a greater or less
degree, indirectly implicated, such a measure would be ineffectual, if partially applied
only in cases of proved complicity, whilst it would be impossible to make it of general
application.
Nor if it could be applied by a general withdrawal of protection would it absolve
our Government from its national liabilities. Our subjects have come to the East African
Coast, and got implicated in this criminal traffic, because they -mere our subjects. Under
no other flag could they have come in such numbers, and so monopolised trade ; we cannot,
if we would, now withdraw our protection, except for proved breach of our laws: and as a
matter of fact, whatever we might say about withdrawal, it would not be possible to avoid
protecting an Indian trader in his lawful calling, if any other power were seriously to
molest him.
But whilst a complete stoppage of the slave-trade is the only effectual remedy, other
subsidiary measures should not be neglected. The strictest notice should be taken of all
cases of direct participation, and fuller effect should be given to the measures commenced
by Colonel Rigby for dissevering all Indians, whether subjects of Her Majesty or of her
allies, from slave-holding.
Whilst I cannot acquit any portion of the Indian community of indirect connection
wjth slave-trade, 1 believe there is no class so anxious to see this question settled, and so
cordially desirous that the slave-trade should be at once and permanently prohibited as the
more respectable Indian houses at Zanzibar. They see clearly tlmt whilst it is an open
question ail other trade must suffer, and the full development of the unrivalled commercial
capabilities of the Coast must be indefinitely postponed.

Extract from Administration Report of the Zanzibar 4gency, 1870.
Zanzibar.—^The British community in Zanzibar consists of natives of India, and born
subjects of Great Britain, together with the Goanese, who, in the absence of an accredited
Portuguese officer, are here treated in ail respects a6 English subjects
No.
Natives of India elf eee ... 3.657
Natives of England • •• aa
Goanese ... ••e tee 3*
Total ... 3.7»o

making a total population under this Agency of 3,710, exclusive of engineers, Indian sepoys,
and Goanese bandsmen in the service of the Sultan. More detailed information regarding
these various bodies is contained inannexures Nos. i, a and 3.

C643FD