Page 194 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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9. In the majority of cases the advances arc repaid in goods, and sometimes in money
It is well known that the Arab merchants employ these advances as well in obtaining ivory
and other merchandize as slaves. But when, alter having received the necessary advance
at Zanzibar, an Arab leaves for the interior, he is no longer under the control of Bic lender
and as in his eyes one investment is as legitimate as the other, it would be useless for the
lender to stipulate his abstaining from obtaining slaves. No Arab would feel bound by
such a condition, and if any did enter into it there would be no guarantee that he would
'aitlifully obsorve it. Under the circumstances, the effect of holding British subjects, who
advance goods and money to Arab merchants, guilty of participating in the slave-trade
would undoubtedly be to drive the legitimate trade of the East Coast of Africa exclusively
into the hands of Americans, Germans and others, over whom we have no control ; we
should lose the trade and gain nothing.
io Among the goods supplied to Arab merchants are muskets and powder, which are
undoubtedly used for capturing slaves in the interior, as well as is the defence of the
merchants' persons and property. It must, however, be borne in mind that no one who has
a rag to lose, much less a merchant with valuable goods such as are much coveted by
savages, can venture into the interior of Africa without means of defence. Moreover, there
is an unlimited demand for these articles among the Negroes themselves, who often accept
them in preference to other goods in exchange for ivory.
11. But the share of the Banians in the trade of muskets and powder is that of middlemen.
The principals are the European and American merchants at Zanzibar, who order from their
respective countries the kind of articles required, and sell them to the Banians, who retail
them along with prints from Manchester, beads from France, mericance and dyed cloth from
America, etc., yet little is said of these merchants in connection with the slave-trade, while
the Banians are constantly held up as criminal for their share in what is a legitimate branch
of trade.
12. It is not my object to defend the Banians. I know that they do not regard slavery
as a moral crime. Possibly there are a few among them who evade the law. But Ido
think it hard lor them to be persistently accused, without enquiry, of serious crimes in
general when they declare themselves to be innocent. They have no opportunity of
defending themselves, even if they know when and by whom they are accused. 1 will
cite a few instances to show how necessary it is to thoroughly investigate the whole subject.
Dr. Livingstone has published it to the world that the men with whom supplies
were sent to him (in 1S70 or 1871) from Zanzibar were slaves of Banians, and that
their masters were to receive all, and themselves nota cent, of their wages. Nor 1 have
satisfied myself that in this matter the Doctor was misinformed. In one of his published
letters he says :—“ I had no idea before how blood-thirsty men can be when they can pour
out the blood of fellow-men in safety. And all this carnage is going on in Manjnema at
the very time I write. It is the Banians, our protected Indian subjects, that indirectly do it
all 1" But on enquiry I fiud that from the regions west of the Tanganika, whence the
Dootor wrote, if any slaves come to the East Coast. In another letter Dr. Livingstone
says “ It is not to be overlooked that most of other trade, as well as slaving, is carried
on by Banians.
13. As to “ most other trade” I have already stated what share of the trade of Zanzi­
bar is in the hands of European and American merchants. If letters do not reach the Doctor,
it is the Banians who intercept and distroy them. But from what we have read of the
interior of Africa the wonder is that any Ittters reach him at all. Philanthropy is not
incompatible with justice, and it is the duty of the British Government to order a searching
enquiry into the whole subject, and punish severely those who may be found guilty, instead
of allowing the whole Indian community at Zanzibar to be execrated and reviled by the
world at the principal agents in the work of courage and kindnapping of Negro races-
14. His Highness the Rao of Kutch has requested the Government of Bombay to
order enquiries to be made to ascertain which, if any, of his subjects at Zanzibar are rea j
guilty of that share in the slave-trade which Doctor Livingstone has imputed to them.
He is naturally anxious that the name of his country should not be mixed up, as it has o
late been, with this horrible crime. It is due to him that his request should be 6rant.c *
It has been stated by one witness before the Committee of the House of Commons
domestic slavery prevails in Kutch; and a Bombay paper has informed the public
Kutch is a centre of the slave-trade. I beg to state that both these statements are si p /
untrue.
15. 1 beg to offer the following suggestions for the purpose of detecting and punis g
the crime of slavery and slave-trade among the British protected subjects among
Highness'the Sultan's dominions:—
/j/.—An enquiry into (a) suspected cases of holding slaves, and (£) business
transactions with Arab merchants.
the result of the above
and,—A resume of the law of slavery, with rules such as nd distributed
enquiry might suggest, to be printed in English and Guzeratbi, a
at Zanzibar and on the Coast.