'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' [‎96] (104/126)

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seized nor confiscated their vessels, but merely liberate the slaves, and aid the
Persian authorities in realising fines that were destined for the treasury of the
Persian Government. The Arab tribes on the Persian Coast are but for the
most part offshoots from the parent stock on the Arabian Coast, and the latter
very naturally exclaimed why confiscate their vessels and cargoes, and not those
paragraph 7 of Captain Felix Jones' des- ^ Our kinsmen Oil the Persian Coast ?
patch to Mr Secretary AndersoH, No. 698 of " Why Were not all Subject to the Same
November 1857. | aws „ ^ same p ena l t i es> p
.39. Captain Felix Jones further conceived that were the " watch and cruize "
Vide paragraph 6 of Captain Felix Jones despatch jfter slaves maintained in the neighbour-
to Mr. secretary Anderson, No. 698 of November hood of Zanzibar in HeU of Oil the frontier
,857 " . . _ districts, that is to say, at the source of
the evil, and not at a distance from its source, not only would our success be far
greater, but we should be saved the chances of many a bitter disagreement with
the local Governors, ot many a collision with the ever varying tempers of a multi
tude of authorities in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . There would, besides this, be less fear
of deception being successfully practised upon us. For the vessel, bearing slaves,
Vide 11. How they are supposed to be dii- having touched at no port Since she left
tributed in different places ? the Eastern Coast of Africa, would contain
Also^ P age6. b.sposal of slaves in one Buglah. her full Com pl ement of human c and
all the unhappy creatures would be released from bondage.
It is necessary to mention the steps adopted by Captain Felix Jones to give
eltect to the orders of Government conveyed in despatch No. 3500 of August
loSS already once adverted to in the course of this report.
40. The instruction to despatch, if possible, a vessel to cruize in search of
slaves, reached at a season when there were numerous obstacles to militate against
its accomplishment.
41. Captain Felix Jones, earnest in his desire to strike a blow at slave traffic,
was most anxious to detach a vessel on slave service, and had, prior to the
Captain Felix Jones' despatch to Mr. sec- recei P t of Government instructions, ad-
r p et r7 \^ rson : N °- 34. dated April 22 , ,856, dressed himself to the late Commodore
roiiticai Uepartment. T7i.U i • * •
, . i-tnersey, drawing his attention to the
rumour in crculat.on that attempts were ahout to be made by boats returning to
the Gulf from Zanzibar to land slaves at Soor or other ports below His Highness
the Imam of Maskat s territories, but the position of affairs at Bahrein, the A1
Ah migration, the constant call for vessels to repair to the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. with mails
of importance torn Her Majesty's IVlinister, His Excellency Mr. Murray, these
all precluded the possibility of sparing a cruizer for slave duties as early as would
vide enclosure 3 to Captain Felix Jones' des- otherwise have been desired. However, on
patch to Mr Secretary Anderson, No. 67 of August the 9th of July 1856, Lieutenant Giles prO-
•7 . ceeded in the corvette Falkland to cruize
•A^.5.-It is worthy Of remark here that this single between Cape Task and Sohar • But
vessel of war was not detached from the Gulf squad- tU d -' lu -^ondr. DUt
ron for slave duties without collision arising between Season Was tOO far advanced, and
ILVaeS; a Weaifut ^ptaiT'S' ™ ** earned every boat he fell in with
Aboothabee and sacking of its bazaars by boats to ^ boarded and examined, he succeeded
wh.ch .ssued furtively from the joasmee ports. but in effecting the release of two slaves.
.^fi 4 ^7 h . e „ ReSi - dent in a lett ? r t0 Mr - Secretary Anderson, No. 44, ,6th May
matted to the notice ^ C r 0mmumcat "'n No. 75 of 3 8th August in same year, sub^
for sUve suDoressinn ivifb H™'^"u W appeared to him to render our Treaty
value— suppress ' on Wlth His Highness the Imam of Maskat of little or no
" In the 3rd article of our treaty an exception is made, which appears to me to invali-
Vide paragraph 5of Captain Felix Jones' des- ^ terms of the 1st and 2nd articles, itt
Anderson" 75 0t Ausust 28,1856,10 Mr - Sec ^ry f h ortto render the whole of non-effect, for it
is within the limits sheltered by our sanction of
where our power to seizp pnH of the f xce P tion ' that trade is most active, and
in the 3rd article all the slav^ il..' -Tt res J tricted - f>om the localities named
the Arab ports trade annually thJre' a^ddissemi^ateThei^T 11 are deriVed ' for ve ^ se]s from
Arabia. We are thus hv nnr « "^semmate their human cargoes over Persia and
the root ofihe evil 4.^ seL^e^sTs^t^el^o : ^ f 0 the axe to
coastline of 420 miles aronnd Zanzibar." ' of south latitude, a sacred