'Précis on slave trade in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, 1873-1905 (With a Retrospect into previous history from 1852) By J A Saldanha BA, LL B' [‎12] (20/126)

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• -7 as common an Investment for
invested in slaves, whose net -nings ^ Zan^^ , Among the borrowers a^e
their master's spare cap.ta as hons^pr^^J^ ^ "'^e and whether the
Eiiropearfand Americ an goods, in part at least. eminent lnd i an houses
almost aU cash souTce of cuf-toms ^ e ^" Ue ^ t pQ S |.s ) 1S \vho 0 are
the^n^an tQ 3 knovTof s ^? 0 ^ n Q^BriUs^offictals
Sns t^become 1 accomplices in all the schemes ^ "d concealment of the slave
rtlnt Tegbnl f^nd th^ariraUers of everyday concern an^bns.ne.^.n eres ^
Indian Agentof the Indian farmer of the Sulta ent ^ ^ he knows and as »
attempt to smnggle him past the Cnstom-
^ ouse • j j * * _ e n f pvprv Custom-house Agent at
These, be it remembered, are the every ay u \ c stom .house Agent is, with few
sell them on their own account, eith t P ^ , Vice- Admiralty show that instances of
" soiled ivory." The records of the Consulate and D articipation in the slave-trade,
British-Indian snbjects committing Zanzibar. Bnt it is not
are not unfrequent. Two such cases occurred during ho tra( ]es at
necest U y to'refer to such asi, - t
^^h:^^s^^^:uve.a as now carried on.
Many o! the Indians, I believe, to be as worthy of confidence ^^^laHuhe;
cial relations as any merchant m Her Majesty^^omnmns^ ^ whose ordinary business
as buyer or seller on the Indian sy > where any clear line of
is slave -dealing, and not to share ^ ^^Jn^he man, who in express terms shares the
distinction in this respect can be drawn betneenth ™ ' es wholesale a cargo of cotton
goods^tob^paid^or^by the'slave-dea^er/when his slaving adventure is terminated and the
^^Astrrs'l could judge, after repeatedly discussing the matter very fully and freely
with the most respectable of the Indian merchants ther^^ ^
not be liable to prosecution under the laws aga.nst are absent no
were rigidly enforced ; where the n ' or ?' e ' e b "®"? s g n be a doubt that a large
Government would initiate a prosecution, b Zanzibar is liable to be dragged
proportion of the rich and influential Indian c ° mmun, ]y , a * fj Z s ^" e .d e ; t nK , whenevel an
into Court to answer a criminal charge of aiding and abetting ^' e d t g J amific ation8 of
accident might give to malicious or venal men a knowledge of the remoter rami
an everyday mercantile transaction.
If the general opinion of well-informed persons may be trusted' ^
traders (Bhattias and Banians) less frequently commit tbe ^® e ^ ves d y { arrangements made
than the Mahomedans (Khojahs, Mehmons, and Bohras), and I heard ° f tb e
by a Bhattia firm for alleviating the sufferings of slaves on ^"if same
great emporium of slave export by a permanent dole of master,
nlace the leading member of a Bhattia firm, acting as His Hig . kept
reoeatedlv assured me that no slaves were exported from his port, nor any acc ° unt F
of ^hem, though, as I told him, 1 had seen at Zanzibar the abstracts of the accounts, and the