File 869/1904 Pt 2 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa and Aden' [‎93r] (194/540)

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5. As to the cost of upkeep, the attached copy of last year’s Somali
land Protectorate estimates furnishes information. Petty supplies and repairs
may be taken at about Us. 900 to Ps. 1,000. The rations and victuals of two
European employes (El a day for Europeans) and twelve natives may be
estimated at about Rs. 2,500 a year. As to establishment, the following is
maintained in Somaliland:—
R
a.
V
1 Master .
•
4
150
0
0
1 Mate . . .
•
.
80
0
0
1 Interpreter
.
•
50
0
0
1 Serang . . .
•
•
20
0
0
4 Khalasies at SIS
•
•
. 52
0
0
1 Boy
•
•
7
0
0
1 Sergeant, Police
•
•
. 22
0
0
4 Policemen at R16
•
•
. 64
0
0
415 0 0
per mensem—Es. 5,340 per annum. With a view to having a master of
superior standing in the Royal Indian Marine, which I am inclined to consider
a matter of very great importance, I would add another E200 per mensem on
this account, i.e , another Es. 2.400 p^r annum. 1 should be inclined to
estimate Es. 8,0<)0 per annum on account of establishment: and that brings the
total cost of upkeep per dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. to about El,500, which is a more liberal
estimate than that made by Somaliland.
6. As to the cost of a steamer, this of course entirely depends upon the
tvpe of vessel required. A good stout steam tug with the plainest possible
fittings could be probablv had from £6.000 to £7,000. The tug Dolphin,
owned by the Aden Port Trust, cost £5,5.50. The tug Hornet, frequently
used by the Perim Coal Company to convey the mails between Aden and
Perim, cost about £2,750. But both these are small for work in the open sea
and not really safe in rough weather. And they have not sufficient accom
modation for either men or baggage to be really useful,
7. The Commissioner of Somaliland has had a fairly long correspondence
upon the subject of a suitable steamer, and the attached copy of a letter from
the Naval Architect and Inspecting Engineer, Mr. E. J. Reed, dated 14th
March 1905, is instructive on the subject. It may be taken for granted that a
12-knot speed and a fairly shallow draft are essential requirements. Aden
being already provided with a vessel of the Eoyal Indian Marine, the Eevenue
Steamers need not contain the same accommodation for men and cargo as is
apparently necessary for Somaliland. They should be large enough to
accommodate about 50 tons of cargo. Sepoys Term used in English to refer to an Indian infantryman. Carries some derogatory connotations as sometimes used as a means of othering and emphasising race, colour, origins, or rank. and camp enquipage would be
occasionally conveyed. There should be accommodation for two or three
European passengers.
8. It has been suggested that mails should be conveyed. Against this it
may be urged that the present service is fairly regular and that the employ
ment of either steamer or dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. on this service would, to some extent, cause
an interruption to their other duties and also impair the general efficiency
of the protective service, in that the opportunity afforded by any regular
absence on mail service would not improbably be taken to commit offences.
9. On the other hand, the trip between Aden and Perim does dot take
Ion 01 . The distance is only 98 miles which, at 12 knots an hour, makes the
journey one of about 8 hours only.
10. Upon the whole a sum of about £10,000 may, perhaps, be estimated
as the cost of a suitable steamer for the preventive service. But in the light
of Captain Cordeaux’s experience in the matter of the dhows, and taking it
that the steamer should be armed with one or more 3-pounder and perhaps a
maxim ^un as well, it would seem safer to add another thousand pounds or
two to the estimate, which one might therefore put at £12,000.