'The Slave Trade of East Africa.' [‎41] (50/108)

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station as cruisers to watch the East African coast during the slaving
season, which, depending upon the monsoon, is from April to the end
of June, and from September to the beginning of November. It was
stated in evidence that during the years 1867, 1868, and 1869, there
were captured by the squadron 116 dho^vs, containing 2,645 slaves;
while, according to the returns of slaves exported from Zanzibar and
Kilwa during those years, dhows carrying 37,000 slaves must have
evaded capture, making the captures about 6*6 per cent. only.
" These figures are sufficient to show the insufficiency of the present
squadron to check, much less to stop, the trade; and the reasons
assigned are, that the existing treaties, and the instructions as to
domestic slaves, render it impossible to seize a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. south of Lamoo ;
and during a south-west monsoon it is very difficult to keep the
cruisers sufficiently near the coast to intercept the dhows as they run
northward before the wind, while there appears a general concurrence
of testimony that the present number of the squadron is insufficient
for the work to be performed, and that the efficiency of the squadron
would be materially increased by an additional supply of steam
launches for the arduous boat service on that coast. The traffic
in slaves was, on the 31st of May, 1871, as reported by the Admiral
Commanding in Chief on the station, to be, ' without doubt, as busy
and profitable as ever.' ....
"Your Committee, having heard the evidence, are strongly of opinion
that all legitimate means should be used to put an end altogether to
the East African slave trade.
u They believe that any attempt to supply slaves for domestic use in
Zanzibar will always be a pretext and cloak for a foreign trade, while
the loss of life, and the injury caused to maintain even the limited
supply of slaves required for this purpose, must of necessity be so
great as to forbid this country continuing to recognize any such traffic
in slaves.
" It has been stated by some of the witnesses that should the Sultan
consent to relinquish the slave trade, a revolution would follow, and
that a sudden stoppage of the importation of slaves into Zanzibar
would seriously affect the industrial position of the island; but, on
the other hand, a witness of great experience has given it in evidence
that the Zanzibar Arabs are fully aware that the trade will be stopped,
and are beginning to understand that more profit can be made by
retaining the labourers to cultivate their own country, than by selling
them away as slaves, while the abolition of the trade would encourage
free labourers from all parts to reside at Zanzibar, so ensuring a
larger and better supply of labourers than exists at present.
u It appears from the evidence that the parties from whom serious
opposition may be expected are the northern Arabs, but the presence
of an English naval force at Zanzibar would afford sufficient
protection.
"Your Committee therefore recommend that it be notified to the
Sultan of Zanzibar, that the existing treaty provisions having been