"أوراق تتعلق بتجارة الرقيق على الساحل الشرقي لأفريقيا والنظام المتبع لكبحها" [ظ‎‎٣‎٥] (٧٢/١٠)

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sin in the sight of Government, for, by our law, such an one shall not inherit his father.
But if the English Government insist on our paying the subsidy, we will do so to them,
but not to Salim, our brother's murderer. Let the British Government then, if it so please,
brinff on us shame by paying this money to Salim. We have ordered our Agent m
Bombay to pay the said subsidy to the Governor of Bombay at any time he may
demand it.
l\th Jemadi-ul-awul, 1284.
This is from your friend Majid bin Saeed.
It is true. , ,. ...
(Signed) MAJID BIN SAEED, with his own hand.
Inclosure 5 in No. 6.
The Sultan of Zanzibar to the Governor-General of India.
(Translation.) 11 Jemadee-ul-awul, 1284 (September 11, 1867).
BY the blessing of God I am well. May your Excellency continue to enjoy good
health Your Excellency's letter of the 22nd May reached me on the 4th Jemadee-ul-
awul. In that letter your Excellency writes to say that it is incumbent upon me to pay
40,000 kursh, as decided by Lord Canning. 1 beg now to observe that, had Lord
Canning been able to know that Saulem would kill his father Thoweynee, and succeed to
the guddee of Muscat in the place of his father, his Lordship would have never recorded
SUCh ^acknowledge that I am under the orders of the British Government, but 1 shall
not pay even one kursh, not to speak of 40,000 kursh, to one who has slam his father;
for if I pay him this sum, I shall perpetrate a deed which will be held ignominious in the
eyes of the people of Arabia, and other places. I am also not justified by the laws ot
God to pay this money to him (Saulem), for, according to the Mahometan law, he, as he
has killed his father, cannot succeed him. But if the British Government considers it
incumbent upon me to pay 40,000 kursh, I shall pay this sum to that Government, not to
Saulem, who has slain my brother. If the British Government wishes to expose me to
shame, it is in its power to pay the said sum to Saulem. I have directed my v akeel at
Bombay to pay the above sum to the Governor of Bombay when it may be demanded from
Inclosure 6 in No. 6.
The Governor- General of India to the Sultan of Zanzibar.
Khureeta.
Fort William, December 24, 1867.
I HAVE received the letters addressed to me by your Highness on the 10th and 11th
of September last, and am glad to hear of your Highness' welfare, and I trust that such
good health will continue. ., , ,, 0( ^ .. ,
I regret to learn that the payment of the yearly subsidy by the State of Zanzibar to
the Muscat State, to which your Highness was pledged by the decision of Lord Canning,
should have proved distasteful to you; but I cannot modify the terms of the engagement
by which vour Highness consented, in behalf of yourself and your successors, to pay a
yearly subsidy of 40,000 crowns to Syud Thoweynee, and his successors, on the throne ot
Your Highness refers to circumstances alleged in connection with the death of Syud
Thoweynee. My friend, this question does not affect your pghness' engagement to pay
the vearly subsidy to the Muscat State. Syud Saulem was placed on the throne of Muscat
not "by the British Government, but by the Arab Chiefs, soldiers, and people, and the
leading men of Muscat have exonerated him from the guilt imputed tohnn. ,
Syud Saulem is now the Imaum of Muscat; he is theretore entitled to al the rights
and privileges appertaining to that principality, and as such he has a just claim to the
stipulated payment from Zanzibar. j. j ^ 4-^
Mv friend, I am satisfied that a sense of honour alone has led you to demur to the
discharge of this obligation; but it is an obligation which your Highness is bound by your
own engagement to fulfil ; and your Highness' honour will in no way be tarnished by the
fulfilment of your engagement, but remain bright and resplendent as of yore.