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'Further Papers respecting the Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa and the System Pursued for its Suppression' [‎86v] (40/50)

The record is made up of 1 volume (25 folios). It was created in 29 Oct 1869. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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40
No. 19.
Mr. Briggs to Mr. Otway.—(Received October 6.)
Sir, Admiralty, October 5, 1869.
I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to send you
herewith, for the information of the Earl of Clarendon, copy of a letter from Commodore
Sir L. Heath, dated 16th September, reporting his proceedings on the Eastern Coast of
Africa, and stating that he had paid a visit to the Sultan of Zanzibar.
I am, &c.
(Signed) JOHN HENRY BRIGGS.
Inclosure in No. 19.
Commodore Sir L. Heath, to the Secretary to the Admiralty.
Sir, "Forte" at Aden, September 16, 1869.
I BEG you will inform their Lordships, in continuation of my previous Report that
I sailed from the Seychelles on the 14th, and arrived at Zanzibar on the 23rd August. I left
that port on the 1st September, and after showing the flag at Brava, Magadoxa, and the
intervening towns and villages, and after looking into Ras Mabber and Ali-Besh-Quail, T
anchored under Cape Guardafui on the 10th instant, leaving on the 12th, and reaching
Aden this day.
2. At Zanzibar J paid, with the officers of the " Forte," a state visit to the Sultan,
and at a more private interview I discussed with His Highness the question of the Slave
Trade.
3. His Highness expressed as strongly as last year his wish to work with us, and
appealed to the difficulties he had thrown in the way of the Arab dealers in the spring of
this year, and to the information given by his officers which has resulted in the capture of
a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. by the " Nymphe " as proof of his sincerity.
4. His Highness expressed his satisfaction at the establishment of a Vice-Admiralty
Court at Zanzibar, and his confidence in the justice of its decisions.
5. I was informed by Dr. Kirk, the Acting Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. and Consul, that
correspondence found on board the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. captured by the " Nymphe" implicated a great
number of the grandees of Zanzibar as being concerned in the external Slave Trade; and
although I believe the Sultan to be personally desirous of working with us in putting it
down, yet the influences surrounding him are so strong and his Government is so mild and
weak, that I fear we must not hope for any real help from him unless very strong pressure
is brought to bear by Her Majesty's Government.
I am, &c.
(Signed) L. G. HEATH.
No. 20.
Dr. Kirk to the Earl of Clarendon.—(Received October 11.)
(No. 27.)
, Zanzibar, August 8, 1869.
1 HA Vh the honour to inclose a copy of the proceedings in the Vice-Admiraltv Court
here before me in the case of the officers of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe " versus an Arab
dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. which had been destroyed on suspicion of having been engaged in the Slave Trade
at Keonga, on the African mainland, within the dominions of His Highness the Sultan of
Zanzibar.
In this instance I have been compelled, after a careful consideration of the evidence
and the arguments advanced in both sides to declare in favour of the Arab dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. owner
and to award full compensation to the owner, the master, and crew.
It is with much satisfaction that I have to inform your Lordship that Captain E. S
Meara and the officers of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe'' have expressed their willingness
to settle at once all claims that may be proved before me, and this I hope to succeed in
doing before the return of Her Majesty's ship " Nymphe " in September.
1 have the honour to solicit your Lordship's instructions regarding the settlement of
claims for losses sustained by those interested in the dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. of Ali-bin-Nassur, which was
destroyed by this ship, a Report of the proceedings in which case was forwarded to vour

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Content

This file contains correspondence between British officials regarding their attempts to monitor and prohibit slave traffic on the East Coast of Africa. The correspondence dates from March 1869 to October 1869.

Of particular interest are the following folios:

  • Folio 71 - French Government boat registration papers that had been given to 'Arab Dhows' allowing them to travel under the French flag.
  • Folio 73 - A chart entitled 'Memorandum of Number of Slaves landed and liberated at Aden, and how disposed of'.
  • Folio 74 - A copy of the Slave Trade Jurisdiction (Zanzibar) Bill, May 1869.
  • Folios 89-91 - 'A Memorandum by Mr. Churchill [Henry Adrian Churchill, Britain's Agent in Zanzibar] respecting Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa'.
Extent and format
1 volume (25 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged in rough chronological order, with the earliest correspondence at the beginning of the file and the latest at the end of the file.

Physical characteristics

Condition: contained within a bound volume that contains a number of other files.

Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at f 67, and terminates at f 91, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 5-134; these numbers are written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.

Written in
English and French in Latin script
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'Further Papers respecting the Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa and the System Pursued for its Suppression' [‎86v] (40/50), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B84, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023882731.0x000029> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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