"أوراق تتعلق بتجارة الرقيق على الساحل الشرقي لأفريقيا والنظام المتبع لكبحها" [ظ‎‎٦‎٣] (٧٢/٦٦)

Dr. Kirk to the Earl of Clarendon.—(Received July 1 .)
(No. 19.)
My Lord, Zanzibar, May 21, 1868.
I HAVE the honour to forward, inclosed, the evidence of the captain and supercargo
of a dhow that was destroyed in the Mozambique Channel by Her Majesty's ship " Petrel,"
but of which we have received, as yet, no official information.
This evidence was taken before me at the express desire of His Highness the Sultan.
I did not think it well to thwart him in this, although I am of opinion that what is here
stated only confirms the suspicions on which the officers of Her Majesty's ship " Petrel"
seem to have acted.
I have further to inform your Lordship that due notice was given at the time when
the crew of this dhow came back to Zanzibar in the steam-ship " Tynemouth " that any
appeal or statement must be made in time to be sent in the " Tynemouth " to the Cape of
Good Hope, where, in all probability, this case would be tried before the Vice-Admiralty
Court; but that His Highness and those concerned neglected this opportunity, although
that vessel remained at Zanzibar for nearly a month.
I have warned those interested that by this wilful neglect of the proper steps for their
self-defence, they have, in my opinion, forfeited all right to be again heard.
I have the honour to point out to your Lordship that what chiefly annoys His Highness
and causes him to persist in representing this case to your Lordship, is the fact that none
of those men who are now shown by me to have been slaves, were suspected of having
been such by Her Majesty's ship " Petrel," as all, even including the female slave, were
sent back to Zanzibar into slavery, and in charge of the agent of their owner. His
Highness asserts, therefore, that it could not be on the ground of having a slave crew,
that this dhow was destroyed, but for some other reason to him unknown; and His
Highness desires that he may be informed what the grounds were on which the vessel of
his subject has been burned, and if condemned in the Vice-Admiralty Court at the Cape,
the reason why.
As to the Sultan's protest otherwise, I have already expressed my opinion that the
present evidence shows this dhow was engaged in a very questionable voyage, and that,
had the owners wished, they might have made their statement in time to appear before the
Court at the Cape.
I have, &c.
(Signed) JOHN KIRK.
No. 74.
Dr. Kirk to the Earl of Clarendon.—(Received July 1.)
(No. 20.) V y '
My Lord, Zanzibar, May 22, 1869.
I HAVE the honour to inclose for your Lordship's perusal, and transmission to the
proper authorities, the proceedings in the Vice-Admiralty Court held here on the 14th of
April, in the case of Captain E. S. Meara and the officers of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe"
versus an Arab dhow, owned by A.li bin Nassur, Governor of Membas, which was
destroyed in Kiswara harbour by ship " Nymphe" on the supposition that she was enffasfed
m the illicit Slave Trade.
As the decision has in this case been against Her Majesty's ship, and as there will be
a claim founded thereon for compensation by those who have lost through the destruction
of this dhow, I have given notice to all concerned to lay their claims before me for scrutiny
and verification ; but, unfortunately, as is usual in such cases, the people of the dhow have
been sent on shore where the vessel was destroyed, and of them only one has as yet come
to Zanzibar.
The dhow which was burned was of course a total loss, but the goods were all
transhipped and sold at Zanzibar to the amount of 2,096 rupees, which, however, does not
represent the total value, as there was a heavy loss on many articles.
It is impossible for me as yet to estimate the whole of the claims, as the owners have
not returned, and part of the cargo, amounting I am told to one-half, was landed at
Uuiloa. 1 his it will be my duty minutely to investigate, but in the meantime I transmit
the proceedings before the Court on which the case must rest.
I. shall briefly repeat, for the information of your Lordship, the chief circumstances
attending the capture of this dhow.
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