"أوراق تتعلق بتجارة الرقيق على الساحل الشرقي لأفريقيا والنظام المتبع لكبحها" [ظ‎‎٤‎٦] (٧٢/٣٢)

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Sultan Majid's protest against certain captures made by Her Majesty's cruizers engaged in
the suppression of the Slave Trade.
I have, &c.
(Signed) HY. A. CHURCHILL.
Inclosure 1 in No. 38.
Mr. Churchill to the Secretary to Government, Bombay.
Sir, Zanzibar, December 12, 1868.
NEWS was received a few days ago of Her Majesty's ship Star " having destroyed
thirty dhows, amongst which was a bungalow belonging to one of Seyd Majid sisters,
which had some days previous to her destruction been arrested by Her Majesty's ship
" Daphne," but was allowed to proceed on her journey for want of proof of her being a
slaver.
His Highness the Sultan has addressed me a letter on the subject of these seizures,
which he seems to consider as arbitrary. I have replied to His Highness; but in the
absence of any positive information with regard to the proceedings of the Star/' my reply
is necessarily evasive.
Were the " Star's " prizes brought before this Vice-Admiralty Court I should have
an opportunity of doing justice to His Highness's demands, in the event of their being
well-founded. This cannot, however, be done if the " Star" proceeds to Aden, where a
defence cannot be insisted in the absence of the defendants. The Sultan is quite right, on
the other hand, in saying that his dhows are fast quitting his protection for that of the
French, whose flag protects the Slave Trade by its inviolability.
1 have the honour herewith to transmit a copy of Seyd Majid's despatch to me on
this subject, together with a copy of my reply.
I have, &c.
(Signed) HY. A. CHURCHILL.
Inclosure 2 in No. 38.
The Sultan of Zanzibar to Mr. Churchill.
(Translation.)
(After compliments.) Zanzibar, Sharban 85 {December 1868).
ON a previous occasion I requested Sheik Suliman bin Ali to mention to you that
some of our subjects' ships had been destroyed by Her Majesty's ships-of-war at the ports
of M'gao without any show or reason for it. I now learn that the same ships-of-war have
burned without causes several vessels belonging to our subjects in the neighbourhood of
Brawa, even while riding at anchor in that harbour, and this solely on suspicion of their
having carried slaves. I say nothing with regard to the dhows engaged in the Slave Trade,
I merely refer to those that are legal traders. By Treaty Her Majesty's ships-of-war may
arrest our vessels and our- subjects' vessels engaged in the Slave Trade beyond the limits
of Keelwa and Lamo, but they have no right to seize and burn our ships on suspicion
only, even were they unprovided with passes, or had they tanks, millet, or negro sailors in
excess on board, for suspicion is not a sufficient reason to justify capture, nor is it
befitting a powerful Government to condemn on mere suspicion. Were such the case,
what nation would exist ?
At no period of time since the first days of our government has it been the custom
with us lo issue passes to our ships navigating within our own territorial waters, stating
therein the number of their crews, the rank, age, distinctive marks, and wages of the same,
and their passengers. Our habit has been to confine the issue of passes to the vessels of
our subjects proceeding to foreign ports; and these were provided with papers stating the
number of their crew, and the ports of clearance and destination only. Such has been the
custom hitherto, and we have never adopted the rule stating the number of passengers on
board, as such a course with us would be impracticable; for if a vessel with ten
passengers, for instance, left Zanzibar for Pamba, and landed them there, and took on
ether passengers to Lamo, who is there at Pamba to note these changes ? Our passes can
only be written at Zanzibar, and our Seal of State cannot be entrusted out of our hands
anywhere. Then with regard to the crews; they, like the passengers, are liable to be
discharged, and others engaged in their stead, anywhere in our dominions, and no note