Political No. 134 of 1874, Forwarding for Information a Copy of Correspondence Regarding the Murder of Mr Heale at Brava in April 1874 [‎219R] (9/12)

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Enclosure No. 1.
No. 68, dated Zanzibar, 3rd June 1874.
Prom—Her Majesty's Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul-General at Zanzibar,
To Secretary to the-Government of India, Foreign Department.
I have the honor to report that on the 19th May Her Majesty s Shvp Briton
arrived here after cruizing to the northward, and brought the sad intelligence
that Mr. Arthur Heale, an Englishman by birth, and the resident Agent at
Brava of the Hamburg House of Messrs. Hamsing & Co., had been murdered
by a couple of Somalis about the 10th of April last. I enclose a copy of Captain
Brine’s letter to my address, which contains all the details that, up to the
present, I have been able to learn concerning this occurrence.
2. I lost no time in writing to His Highness the Sultan pointing out that
this was the third Englishman who had been killed within the last few months,
and plainly stating that if he were unable to protect Englishmen residing m
his territories, Her Majesty’s Government might have to employ force in doing
so. Stringent orders have been sent to the Governor of Brava to use his best
endeavours to secure and punish the murderers, hut, so far as I can learn, the
force at his disposal is scarcely sufficient to guard the town, and could not he
"employed in any distant operations. Until however the Sultan receives a
report from the Governor, he will feel somewhat at a loss how to act, as it is
possible that troops will have to be sent from Zanzibar to assist in punishing
the murderers’ village, which I understand is at a considerable distance outside
Brava.
3. lam persuaded that no blame attaches to the Governor and people
of Brava, where Air. Heale, from a residence of several years, was well known
and generally respected.
The character of the Somalis is notorious; they are a vindictive and treacher
ous race, and no European has yet been able to travel safely in their country.
'Whether Mr. Heale was murdered simply to gratify their innate bloodthirsti
ness or whether to revenge a fancied slight which they had received at the
hands of the people of Brava, is unknown, but there can be no doubt that the
opportunity of killing an European with apparent impunity must have presented
irresistible temptations to them. There are no grounds for supposing that
the murder was connected in the slightest degree with our measures for the
suppression of the slave trade.
I. Should a favorable opportunity present itself for personally visiting
Brava, I shall avail myself of it, but, with only two vessels of war upon the
station, I fear there is little chance of one offering. The northern slave trade
appears to be temporarily at an end, and the Mozambique Channel is looked
upon as better cruizing ground.
5. I shall not fail to impress upon His Highness the Sultan the necessity
for striking such a blow at these Somalis as they will not easily forget, but he
possesses no authority whatever outside the walls of Brava, and I doubt if the
largest force he could collect would be able to move far beyond them. Until
further advices reach me therefore, I regret that I am able to do little more than
record the bare fact of the assassination which, I feel assured, is destitute of any
political significance.
6. It is unfortunate that at this time of year Brava is almost inaccessible
to boats, and hence the greatest difficulty exists in maintaining any communi
cation with the place.
Dated H. M.'s S. Briton, Zanzibar, 20th May 1874.
From—Captain and Senior Officer, East Coast, Africa,
To—Her Majesty's Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul-General at Zanzibar.
Upon my arrival at Brava on the 23rd April an Arab, named Ahmed
bin Abdoollah, came on board and informed me that Mr. Arthur Heale, an