'The Slave Trade of East Africa.' [‎48] (57/108)

48
" Your object should be to enable our Consular and Naval officers
to give full effect to the instructions of Her Majesty's Government for
the ultimate effectual suppression of the Slave Trade along the whole
of the East African, Arabian, and Persian coasts, and of the public
sale of imported slaves within the Dominions of Zanzibar and
Muscat.
In the event of your finding that it will facilitate your negociations
with the Sultan of Zanzibar to relieve His Highness from the obliga
tion to pay to Muscat the subsidy of 40,000 crowns, under the award
approved by Lord Canning in April 1861, you are authorized to give
to the Sultan such assurances as may satisfy him that the payment of
the subsidy will not be enforced against him, provided he consents to
enter into the engagements which you will propose to him for the
more effectual suppression of the East African Slave Traffic ; and, so
long as he faithfully and, to the best of his power, performs all his
Treaty obligations and other engagements with Her Majesty's
Government, it being emphatically impressed upon the Sultan that,
in the event of the slighest infraction of any of the engagements or
stipulations into which he may enter with the British Government, all
obligations on our part to continue the payment of the amount will
absolutely cease, and the conditions which were enjoined by the
Award of 1861 will be reverted to and strictly enforced.
On the other hand, you are empowered, on similar conditions, to
give similar assurances to the Ruler of Muscat that the amount to
which he may be entitled under the aforesaid Award will be regularlv
paid to him from Her Majesty's Treasury, Bombay. 0
"Having carried out these instructions, and fully informed the
Orovernment of Bombay, and Government of India of all that you have
done, you will at once return to England and report to Her
Majesty s G-ovemment the performance of jour Mission.
Y on will be at liberty to select an efficient staff to accompany you
and to give you such assistance as you may require.
The Government of India will also be requested to place at your
disposal any officer of Her Majesty's Indian Service whom you may
find likely to be useful as an interpreter, or in any other capacity in
which his Excellency the Viceroy may consider that he would be
serviceable.
TT ^ ^ our ex P ense s in the performance of this duty will be paid by
Her Majesty's Government. r j
u Iam, &c.
(Signed) " GRANVILLE. ,,
The importance of these letters cannot be over-estimated,
for they not only contain the calm and deliberate declaration
of H.M. Goyernment that the trade should be suppressed, but
they also point to the success of the policy pursued on the