'Memorandum by Captain Eastwick' [‎24v] (8/10)

37. Syud Majid has long anticipated that more
stringent measures for the suppression of the slave
trade would be adopted by the British Government,
and he has, I am told, commenced building a town
and residence on the main land, with a view to such
a contingency. Still, we cannot expect him to
agree to the sweeping proposition above stated,
which would be most unpopular with his Chiefs and
people, would take away a great proportion of the
cultivators of his own estates, and would deprive
him of the chief source of his revenue, without an
adequate equivalent.
38. The payment of this equivalent, compared
with the results to the general interests of humanity,
would be an insignificant sum for the Imperial and
Indian revenues to share between them. We might
put it at ten thousand pounds, more or less. The
amount stated to be realized annually by the Sultan
of Zanzibar from the tax on the importation of
slaves is about 40,000 dollars. We might add
10,000 dollars, to make the bargain more palatable,
and, what would doubtless offer a great inducement
to Majid to look upon the arrangement with favour,
we might further undertake to pay the subsidy to
Salim, giving Majid the surplus, and thus relieving
him of a continually recurring obligation, mos
obnoxious to his feelings, and sparing us the ne
cessity of perhaps being compelled to resort to
coercive measures on behalf of a ruler whose con
duct we cannot but regard with abhorrence.
30. It would probably be desirable to fix a date
after which the measure would come into full
operation, and arrangements might also be made
for the gradual reduction and final extinction of the
payment, on certain conditions being realized. We
know that there is a supply of free labour to a con-
sideiable extent in Zanzibar, from the original
inhabitants of the island, from the slaves of British
subjects set free, from immigrants from the African
coast and islands in the vicinity, and from other
countries. This supply would increase with the
demand, and remove any pressure in respect to
want of labour, but it is not requisite to enter into
these details.
40. As a set off to the annual charge for com
pensation, there would be the prospective reduction
ot the African squadron, and the extension of legi
timate trade. It is stated by General Rigby 5 * that
“ a S reat ^crease in the trade of Zanzibar, and in
“ tae £ ro wth of agricultural produce, took place
after the abolition by treaty of the slave trade to
the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and the Red Sea.” When we
put down piracy in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , the Chiefs
principally concerned took to the slave traffic* if
we deprive them of this outlet to their maritime
energies, they will probably turn their attention to
lawful commerce.
41. The policy I have recommended may per-
aps be considered to involve an undue amount of