'Papers Respecting the Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa and the System Pursued for its Suppression' [‎61r] (61/72)

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Dr. Kirk to the Earl of Clarendon.—{Received May 28.)
(No. 14.)
My Lord, Zanzibar, April 22, 1869.
I HAVE the honour to inclose a copy of my despatch No. 35, of the 22nd April,
addressed to the Secretary to Government, Bombay, relative to the Slave Trade, and
outrage by slavers on a boat's crew of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe," for which the
Sultan of Muscat is answerable.
T have, &c.
(Signed) JOHN KIRK.
Inclosure in No. 63.
Dr. Kirk to the Chief Secretary to Government, Bombay.
Sir, Zanzibar, April 22, 1869.
OWING to the absence of Her Majesty's cruizers at the time when the southerly
monsbon first set in, many slaves had been taken north, previous to the arrival of Her •
Majesty's ship "Nymphe" at Zanzibar.
In consequence of the capture of slaves made on the morning of the 11th instant, which
I have had the honour to report, and the strenuous exertions of Seyd Majid, the export of
slaves was arrested; but it was known that many hundreds were secreted both in town and
country, ready for shipment to Arabia, on the departure of Her Majesty's ship "Nymphe. 5 '
Captain Meara has accordingly sailed, ostensibly for Seychelles, having on board a
general mail and passengers; but before proceeding thither, he will return to the African
coast, and lay in wait for slave dhows to the north of Pemba.
As had been anticipated, on the night subsequent to the ''Nymphe's" departure,
when no danger was looked for by the Arabs, slaves were openly embarked ; and 1 have
much pleasure in bringing to the knowledge of his Excellency the Governor in Council,
that one dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. , containing 50* slaves, was seized in harbour by Seyd Majid's soldiers.
This is a step which, I confess, I did not expect His Highness would have taken, in
the absence of an English man-of-war, as these Northern Arabs are a turbulent race, ready
to resist our own sailors when their slave-trading is meddled with.
It will be seen by his Excellency, from what has taken place this season, that the
Northern Slave Trade is far from being suppressed, and that the means now adopted are
quite insufficient to check it effectually. Every year, Arabs of Oman, subjects of the
Sultan of Muscat, come to Zanzibar, with a few dates, cloths, and other trifling articles,
which they exchange for slaves.
During the three months of their stay in Zanzibar, they are a constant menace to the
Sultan, and should Seyd Majid attempt severe measures to stop their slavery, they would
set his power openly at defiance.
The position of His Highness is, in this respect, one of peculiar embarrassment.
Anxious to keep the good opinion of the English at a time when he has much to ask of
us, he still hankers after a good name among the people of Oman, whom he looks on, and
with justice, as a race superior to their descendants,—the Arabs of Zanzibar.
I do not myself believe that His Highness contemplates an expedition to Muscat, for
the purpose of re-establishing his family on the Throne; but I have thought proper to
make it plainly understood that no such adventure could be tolerated by the Indian Govern
ment ; and it is the interest of Zanzibar to have as few relations as possible with Eastern
Arabia.
As the late outrage on the boats of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe," in which one
seaman was killed, and two officers severely wounded, is clearly proved to have been the
work of the Beni boo Hassan, a powerful Omanee tribe, of Ras el Hadd, subjects of
Muscat, I would respectfully suggest that the Sultan of Muscat be held responsible for
this act of his subjects, and called upon to bring this tribe to punishment by fine or
otherwise.
I have, &c.
(Signed) JOHN KIRK.
* It has since been ascertained that all these were stolen, not a single one bought. This dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. also belonged
to Muscat Arabs.