'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' [‎103] (111/126)

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the earl'ier^par^of ou^narrative"" 5 '' 6 ^'' 0 " 0f the CaSe at B ^in alluded to in
of Commodore Jenkins, J wa^off the isiand'oTe "j 6 i:iroad P endan t
mg himself in one of her cutters that li u'"' a I ave la . d c f>nceal-
the vessel and there remained secreted until a ren shoie . found his way to
Disbrowe, the Assistant Resident at that t' P rese " tatl( J n reached Lieutenant
,ad haVinS been mi;sed and ^ Z, h X-Z his^'restoration
actually as represemeT.'an^lhiTtVe^ that ^ case was
portation, conceived it to be his dutv as the dnnn f • recent im-
m Bahrein waters when the lad set foit upon her d P edc Tnd wl ^ ^
niters, now an appeal had been made respecting him' to reauest L'"
from Commodore Tenkine: Tfi^ • i , . rec l uest his surrender
Who had fled to his flag"o olitaiil freedom^reverting To^Tol h ^
consentmg on the one hand to restore him to the Assistant Residenfsfa'te'd his
rrL"V he 0 J her - 1 I" Ws own
moment he stood on British ground or on the deckVa Brirish ^7
therefore the African in quesrion must have become free " P 0f ^ and
_ 14. Other observations he offered and brought nrormnpntlv fn ih* « <-* r
Lieutenant Disbrowe who, notwithstanding his willingness to defer genera if "o
the better judgment and greater experience of Commodore Jenkins, could not n
he present instance, however bring himself to the belief that the detention of he
lad would in any way be legal or justifiable. Demand for his surrender there-
fore duly pointed out to him must be persisted in, and this course however
pugnant to his feehngs he adopted without delay. The slave Jrrehvered'
into his hands, and by him to the Bahrein Chief, not, however until as a nre-
cautionary measure, care had been taken to obtain a written pledge under the
Sv Sea J ^ t l5 e la i should be imme-
dore Jenkins, C.B., forming enclosures 1 and 3 to diately re-delivered to British authorities if
nf e Fu en K ,s l espatch ; o Secretary to Government presenty claimed by the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
of Bombay, No. 320 of September 21, 18 =,8. .1 t J- »• wnuLdi i\ebiaenc
f L . 1 ,, , 1 , Indian Government, and further
that he would be treated with kindness and humanity whilst in charge of his
master in Bahrein Island. ^
15. Captain Felix Jones on receipt of a report in detail of the affair express-
H^ S M C0 - nC r i T en ^ e views adopted by his Assistant, and wrote at length to
Her Majesty s Government of Bombay From c. 1668-1858, the East India Company’s administration in the city of Bombay [Mumbai] and western India. From 1858-1947, a subdivision of the British Raj. It was responsible for British relations with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. on the subject. He dwelled more
particularly on the fact of our harbouring runaway slaves in instances like the
present as being opposed both to the spirit and the letter of our treaties
and likely besides to oe construed, that too with a shew of justice into an
arbitrary mode of procedure on our part calculated rather to defeat than to advance
our endeavours to suppress slavery.
16. In due course a reply was received accompanied by an opinion that had
No. 4419 of December 21.1858. from Mr. Score- been recorded by His Britannic Majesty's
1^0^ 0 Capta ' n Fe ' ix J ones i wunendc^ure Advocate General at Bombay on the sub-
. . " . , . ject. The latter document being interest
ing in its details, and giving moreover what appears to be a lucid solution of the
point disputed, we subjoin it verbatim and entire.
17. Mr. Arthur J. Lewis, the learned Advocate, wrote thus :—
rf I have read the correspondence relating to the demand for the surrender of the
African slave who had escaped to, or taken refuge on board^ the Honourable Company's sloop
of war Clive and I am of opinion that the view taken of the subject by the Assistant
to the Resident in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , concurred in by the Resident, is the correct view.
" I have perused the treaty entered into between the British Government and the
Chief of the Island of Bahrein on the 8th of May 1847, an d it is clear that none of the
provisions of that treaty affect the present question. That treaty prohibits the exportation
of slaves from the coast of Africa after the 10th of December 1847, and reserves to British
cruisers the right of detaining and searching vessels suspected of being engaged in the slave