'Slave-dealing and Slave-holding by Kutchees in Zanzibar' [‎111r] (10/63)

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2. Having heard that Kanoo Munjee had been much engaged in slave dealing,
and that he had been imprisoned by the late Lieutenant-Colonel Hamerton for
slave transactions, I have frequently warned him of the heavy penalties he would
incur if he ever again engaged in the purchase or sale of slaves.
3. A few days ago I visited a plantation belonging to Kanoo Munjee, situated
about six miles from the town of Zanzibar, and having now acquired the African
language spoken by the slaves here (the Kisnaheli), I entered into conversation
with several Africans I met, and discovered that they were slaves of Kanoo
Munjee, two of them having been purchased by him only two months ago from an
Arab, who had just brought them to Zanzibar, and seven slaves, viz., three
females, three males, and one young boy, having been brought to Zanzibar from
the coast of Africa by Kanoo Munjee about eight months ago ; and others had
been purchased in their own country in the interior of Africa by an agent for the
purpose by Kanoo Munjee.
4. On my return home, I caused Kanoo Munjee to be arrested, and the slaves
found in his possession brought to the British Consulate. I discovered that he
had 69 slaves, of whom 38 were females and 31 males, many of both sexes are
young children, recently brought from their own country.
5. I have procured every slave the legal certificate of emancipation, from the
Cazee, sealed and countersigned by myself; I have also made Kanoo Munjee pay
a sum of ten dollars to each slave for his present support, and he has also assigned,
for a period of ten years, in proper legal form, two small plantations, each of
about 600 dollars value, for the support of the young children who are not old
enough to gain their own living.
6. Thus, in addition to the loss of the price of the 69 slaves, Kanoo Munjee has
had to pay a considerable sum for their support, and as fees to the Cazee for their
certificates of freedom, and I have, besides, confined him in the fort, and informed
him that be will be sent out of the Zanzibar dominions by the first buggalow Large trading vessel.
leaving for India.
7. ^s I find that, in spite of all warnings and threats. Banians and other natives
of India residing here persist in buying and selling slaves, I have issued a notice,
copy of which is annexed, warning all British subjects that if any slaves are found
in their possession after the expiration of one month, they will be proceeded
against as the law directs; I have also sent a copy of this notice to the Banians at
Keelwa, which is the chief slave mart on the east coast of Africa.
8. There is abundant free labour procurable at Zanzibar j the European and
American merchants generally have several hundred labourers in their employ,
cleaning gum copal, cowries, curing hides, &c., and hundreds of Arabs from the
coast of Hadramant come here, who work as porters, loading and unloading
ships, &c.
9. I find that in the year 1843 His Highness the late Imaum, at the request of
the Right Hon. the Governor General of India,, issued a proclamation, warning all
his subjects against selling slaves to any native of India, and also forbidding them
to buy slaves from any native of India, and at my request His Highness the Sultan
Syed Majid has issued a similar proclamation, and also given strict orders to all
the slave brokers never to sell a slave to any native of India, nor receive a slave
for sale from them. His Highness has also included in this prohibition all persons
of whatever country except his own subjects^
10. I believe that when the purchase of slaves is confined to the subjects of the
Zanzibar dominions the demand for them will be much diminished, and that the
slave dealers will find it more profitable to bring articles of commerce from the
interior. Nearly all the slaves imported into Zanzibar belong to the great African
tribes of M'Nyassa, Miyaw, and Magindo, whose country is situated to the south
west, near the great Lake Nyassa; they are all brought to the port of Keelwa,
for shipment. No slaves are brought from the coast north of Zanzibar, as the
tribes which inhabit the interior, being chiefly Massai, Gallas, and Somalis, are
too warlike and fierce to be hunted.
11. During the last few years the cultivation of sesamun and rice on the
opposite coast has much increased, and these articles are now exported from
Mombass and Samoo to the amount of about two lacs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. annually. Ther