File 869/1904 Pt 2 'Arms Traffic: - Red Sea, Africa and Aden' [‎110v] (229/540)

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,,,11 En | e 8 involves considerations regarding jorisdiction whiclj Government have
doubtless considered. There would seem to he some d.fficulty about an Aden Magistrate
the master or owner of an Italian dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. accused of carrying arms between Mokalla
and Bundar Cassim. But granted the necessary co-operation such a case could perhaps be
“sposed of by an Italian Court if one is ever established on the Somali Coast.
Similar remarks apply to Rule 10.
25 No further remarks seem called for on the present proposals. Executive orders are
necessary regarding the arrest and custody of vessels and offenders within the territorial
waters of the Protectorate. And when the Regulation has been passed, and the Arms Act
or other provisions for the guidance of officers have also been applied, it will remain to
specify the prescribed ports and to then take such further action as may be deemed
necessary to secure the co-operation of the Coast tribes of the Protectorate.
26 In discussing the matter before proceeding on leave, General DeBrath observed
that if the Arms Act were applied to the Protectorate it should be to the coast on y as
distinct from the interior. And he added that it was desirable that the rules eventually
applied should be as simple as possible so as to be readily understood by the Chiefs
concerned. He also concurred as to the desirability of extending the draft Regulation
beyond the limits of the Gulf of Aden as indicated in paragraph 24 (1) of this note.
27 As to the question of the omission of the provision requiring a bond to be
executed before the grant of a Port Clearance he agreed that this omission would tend to
the benefit of the general trade of the port. But he remarked that as under existing
arrangements Miiiourteyn dhows were not allowed to leave Aden before they had furnished
a bond to the Italian Consul to call at Bandar Cassim before proceeding elsewhere on the
Coast of Italian Somaliland, it would be necessary to secure his co-operation m this as well
as in other matters affecting the illicit traffic which it is desired to suppress.
SOMALILAND PROTECTORATE,
Customs Notification.
Whereas it has been found necessary, with a view of checking the illicit traffic of
fire-arms, to exercise greater control and supervision over all native craft trading with the
Ports of this Protectorate.
Notice is hereby given that all native craft proceeding from any Port or place in the
Gulf of Aden and hound for any Port or place in the Somaliland Protectorate east of
Berber a shall first touch at one of the three Customs Ports of Berbera, Karam or Hais,
and shall not leave that Port until they have obtained from the Customs Authorities
written permission to proceed to their destination direct.
The Master or owner of any vessel that touches at any Port or place in the Protector
ate east of Berbera without the written permission of Customs Authorities^ at one of the
three Ports of Berbera, Karam or Hais shall be deemed to have done so in contravention
of Article 24 of the “ Somaliland Customs Regulations, 1902 ”, and shall be liable to the
penalties therein prescribed, that is to say, forfeiture of the vessel and her cargo,
together with a fine not exceeding Rs. 1,000, and imprisonment of either kind, which may
extend to two months.
Berbera, September 30^, 1902.
(Signed) H. E. S. Cordeaux.
Letter dated the 26th March 1907.
Rrom—H. E. S. Cordeaux, Commissioner for the Somaliland Protectorate ;
To Captain F. DeB. Hancock, Acting First Assistant Resident, Aden.
The Registration of Vessels Regulations were introduced with the object of enabling
us to exercise a greater control over native craft, as required by the Brussels Act.
Of course, in compelling vessels to register, we are making ourselves virtually
responsible for their conduct—a responsibility which, if accepted indiscriminately and without
due precautions, might lead us into difficulties.
It is for this reason that compulsory registration is enforced only in the case of local
dhows, i. e., dhows engaged in the coasting trade, and whose owners are domiciled in one
of the ports of our administration, i. e., Zaila, Bulbar, or Berbera. We do not enforce
registration in the case of dhows belonging to other ports of the Protectorate, e. g.,
Hais, Karam, Las Khorae, and other flag ports for the reason that we have not sufficient
hold over them, and cannot, therefore, accept responsibility for their good behaviour.
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