Page 238 - Gulf Precis (III)_Neat

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CHAPTER VII.
Reception of fugitive slaves on board Her Majesty’s ships of war
and other British vessels.

117. This question has formed the subject of considerable correspondence
in our records, and one of the first
Poli'ical A., January 1874. N01. q3-io7. . . cases was
the action taken by His Majesty’s ship
Magpie. Then there was the case of Hugh Hose. Both these cases were
referred to in the discussion that took place in the third case in which the
May Frere gave protection to a slave, and we proposed to review the correspond­
ence in the two previous cases in connection with the last.
118. On the night of the 31st August 1873, as the May Frere was lying at
anchor near the uninhabited island of Zairkoo, a slave, named Joah, swam off
from one of the 73 pearl-fishing boats lying near aud claimed protection. Major
Grant, the First Assistant Political Resident, happened to be on the vessel, and
gave his opinion that the man, having once been admitted on board, was entitled
to the protection he claimed. On learning this all the pearl boats weighed from
their anchorage in fear as we had discovered there were slaves on board them :
thereupon the Commander of the May Frere weighed to enable the pearl boats
to return to their fishing. In reporting the case Commander Guthrie remarked
that the maritime truce had been so effectual that no ship had been sent specially
to the pearl banks for years—
"but should the Trucial Chiefs fear a breach among themselves, and require the presence
of a ship of war, it would be rather awkward if the cruisers found out that one-third of the
boat's crews were slaves, and if he seized them on account of the head money he would be
entitled to for them, quoting as precedent May Frere carried a slave away from the pearl
banks and he was not given up.”
119. Major Grant stated that his opinion was founded, not on any definite
instruction he had received, but on the precedent established by Colonel Pelly in
the case of three slaves who swam from shore to the Hugh Rose on or about the
15th August 1872, on which occasion Colonel Pelly instructed the commanding
officer not to give up the slaves, although their restoration was demanded by
their masters and the ship was lying in a Persian port: the slaves were taken to
Major Grant at Bahrein, who, under instructions from Colonel Pelly, sent them to
the Commissioner of Police in Bombay.
120. Major Grant suggested that in the present state of the slave-trade
question, it would be satisfactory to have some definite instructions from Govern­
ment as to what class of slaves are entitled to receive protection on board British
ships, as in both the cases mentioned the slaves who received protection seemed
undoubtedly to come under the head of domestic slaves, and if domestic slaves
were allowed to receive protection on board every English ship the owners would
be great losers and the pearl fishing would come to a standstill as nearly all the
divers belonged to that class.
121. Colonel Ross thought Major Grant was right not to surrender the
slave, and told him so, adding that commanders of Government vessels should
be so far as possible dissuaded from receiving domestic slaves on board their
vessels.
122. Colonel Ross referred to the correspondence of 1871, in July of which
year Colonel Pelly sought instructions from the Bombay Government for his
guidance in such cases. On that occasion two slaves had introduced themselves
on board the Magpie when at anchor in the inner roads of Bushire, and Colonel
Pelly received two letters of reclamation, one from the Persian Slave Commis­
sioner and the other from a British protected subject at Bushire. As one slave
appeared to be the property of a Persian subject, and Colonel Pelly considered
. ,.. . , . , . , that under the terms of the document
marginally noted we were precluded by
yV*i#Md ?h March*'?“ XUI °l T'eaty of positive agreement from interfering directly
iuis, .>u.ciuUj/. or indirectly with slaves the property of
Persians found within the territorial waters of Persia, he transferred the slave to