"أوراق أخرى تتعلق بتجارة الرقيق على الساحل الشرقي من أفريقيا والنظام المتبع لكبحها" [و‎‎٧‎٢] (٥٠/١١)

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uelconque, mais
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rticulier,
hly 21, 1869.
laid before the
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ent at Zanzibar,
f Court in that
cruizers on the
ie.
mt of Mombas,
nst the captors,
sel against Her
3 Lords of the
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If, as sometimes
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jrs on the East
d Clarendon is
wners or other
ir vessel will be
) place them, as
ic East Coast of
th the view to
I
Their Lordships will, no doubt, concur with Lord Clarendon in opinion that this state
of things is unsatisfactory, and should not be allowed to continue ; and with the view to
consider, whether it is not possible to provide a remedy, his Lordship would propose that
the Reports which have been received from the East Coast of Africa, and the instructions
under which the Commanders of Her Majesty's cruizers are acting, should be referred
for the consideration of a Commission composed of three or four competent persons
whose knowledge of the state of things on the East Coast may enable them to suggest
a remedy.
^ Lord Clarendon would consider the present moment an opportune one for dealing
with this matter, inasmuch as his Lordship hopes shortly to be able to make certain
proposals to the Sultan of Zanzibar for the more effectual abolition of the traffic in slaves
from his dominions, and he would wish to assure the Sultan that legitimate traders will
not be interfered with; and, moreover, Mr. Churchill, Her Majesty's Consul and Political
Agent at Zanzibar, is now in England on leave of absence, and his intimate knowledge of
the state of things on the coast could not fail to be most valuable.
If their Lordships should concur in this proposal. Lord Clarendon would suggest that
Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Rothery, the Registrar of the High Court of Admiralty, and Legal
Adviser of the Treasury on Slave Trade matters, should be members of the Commission,
and should meet any officer whom their Lordships might think fit to select, who, from
having recently served on the East Coast, may be enabled to bring his experience to bear
upon the subject.
I am, &c.
(Signed) ARTHUR OTWAY.
s
No. 6.
The Secretary to the Admiralty to Mr. Otway.—(Received July 26.)
Sir". Admiralty, July 24, 1869.
I HAVE received and laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your
letter of 21st instant, with copies of despatches from the Acting British Consul and Political
Agent at Zanzibar, relative to the proceedings in the Vice-Admiralty Court in that island,
in the cases of two dhows captured and destroyed by Her Majesty's cruizers on the East
Coast of Africa; in one of which cases, that of a vessel belonging to the Governor of
Nombas, destroyed by Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe,'' judgment had been given against
the captors.
2. My Lords desire me to request that you will inform the Earl of Clarendon that
they concur in the proposal to appoint a Commission to inquire into the system pursued
by Her Majesty's cruizers in dealing with vessels suspected of being engaged in Slave
Trade on the East Coast of Africa, and to consider the Reports which have been receivedi
and the instructions under which the Commanding Officers of Her Majesty's cruizers are
acting.
3. Their Lordships have selected Captain Henry Fairfax, R.N., who served for three
years on the coast in Her Majesty's ship " Ariel," to act as a member of the proposed
Commission; and they have forwarded a copy of your letter and its inclosures to Commodore
Sir Leopold Heath, desiring him to furnish specific information and explanation on the
points raised therein.
T am, &c.
(Signed) VERNON LUSHINGTON.
P.S.—It is requested that intimation may be made of the time when Captain Fairfax
will be required to attend at the Foreign Office.