'File 35/85 III A 10 French Flag Question' [‎78v] (167/610)

said, " Don't shoot me, I am Salim/' and then you went away. Some of the
slaves say they know you well. Then the evidence of the Askaris is that they
were sent for, as some slaves were going to be shipped; they, and also a
witness named Athman, hid in the bushes, saw and heard you hail a 14 dug-out,"
and the men in the " dug-out " hailed back ; youthen beckoned to the slaves
to follow you, when they (the Askaris) jumped at and caught the slaves,.
Pointing their rifles at you, you said, " Don't shoot me, I am Salim." Their reason'
for not arresting you was, that they both knew you well, and could catch you
any time, and had plenty of witnesses, and were doubtful whether they had the
right, owing to having heard in the island that you were a Erench protege ;
also, they all have recognized the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. as yours. Nasoro-bin • Ali's evidence, as
to your former character, was, he said, that many people—in fact, every one in
Pemba—knew you as a slave-dealer ; Nahotha Bakari also says he heard you
bargaining as to a number of slaves with Nosoro-bin-Eashid. Therefore, on this
evidence, which you have heard. Sheikh Barhan, Government Kathi, and
myself, have gone into it, and have found you guilty of slave dealing, in that
you have been caught in the act of trying to ship slaves, and none of them
belonging to you ; therefore we sentence you to one year's rigorous im
prisonment.
Now, as regards your being a French protege, you say you were born
in Comoro about forty-five years ago, that you have no property there
and never had, your reason for being a Erench protege is, you say, because
you have dhows carrying the Erench flag, which you say were registered
here, one three years ago, and the other last year; and after leaving
Salim-bin-Ali s service you bought dhows which you got registered here
under the Erench flag, about five or six years ago. Before thaAou were, as
you say. His Highness' subject, except when you were a captain of a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean.
named " Sclamti," which belonged to Salim-bin-Ali, a supposed Erench protege,
as far as you know; and you say that if, when you were captain of the
Selamti," you had left her, you would be His Highness' subject, only having
protection for the time of serving. When arguing the right of your Erench
protection with the Erench Consul here he seemed to base his argument on
the idea that the " Selamti was owned by you; but you yourself say you never
owned it; therefore, he was under a misapprehension ; and as to your being
born in Comoro, that is immaterial, as you were born there forty-five years ago
and never since possessed property there or resided there, and you say yourself
you are a Muscat Arab, but have lived all your life in Pemba, and many
Pemba Arabs say you were born there, as far as they^have heard.
I think from this you will clearly see that you are under a misappre
hension as to your protecting Power, and also that it was a mistake of the Erench
Consul to give you the French flag for your dhows.
And as I have not been satisfied with your explanation or that of the
Erench Consul as to your being a Erench protege, I must send you to prison to
carry out the sentence passed on you,
(Signed) SHEIKH BURHAN.
(Signed) A. E. EAIKES,
IB rig adier-General.
Zanzibar, June 16,1898,
No. 2,
M. Geoff ray to Foreign Office.
8, Prince's Gate, S- W., le 29 Juin 1898.
Mon cher Sir Thomas Sanderson,
Vpici le sens de la communication de mon Gouvernement dont nous avons
parle tout ^ }.'heuro
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