Coll 34/3 'Slavery and Slave Trade: Red Sea and Arabia: Attitude of Ibn Saud' [‎220v] (449/886)

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(19) I fear in the light of past experience, that it would be useless to expect
from local French and Italian authorities their whole-hearted and active support for
any co-ordinated effort to suppress slavery; it might, however, serve to stimulate
local individual effort if an agreement were made to exchange regularly information
T’po'nrdin 0, numbers of dhows searched and other specific action taken, and if a
procedure were evolved for doing so both locally and by the Governments.
In putting forward suggestions with regard to the naval patrol, I spt w
47.
without technical knowledge, and there may be technical or service objections which
escape me I am also for the most part unaware to what extent the present proposals
may have’already been considered. I do not in any case wish to imply that their
adoption would put a stop to the slave trade m the Ked Sea altogether. I do think,
however that they would go a long way towards increasing the effectiveness of the
patrol at a reasonable cost. I think, too, that any additional measures taken would
have a large moral effect in discouraging slave-running, and that due consideration
should be given to this fact in estimating the cost. , „ .
48. The second means to which I have alluded, whereby the demand for slaves
is met, is bv the opportunities offered by the pilgrimage
49. Mr. Bullard, in his note on slavery, has quoted examples of the ways in
which voung people and others are brought or come to the Ilej az on pilgrimage and
are sold into slavery. The position, except so far as security on the road is concerned,
is much the same now as then, although a tightening up of the control of the Malay
and Javanese pilgrimage makes it more difficult in some respects to import slaves
from those parts, and, so far as Africans are concerned, some pressure which it has
been found possible to bring to bear on the Sudanese and Takruni sheikhs has also
had good results. I am informed that a small number of young girls from Malay,
Java and the Far East, mostly of Chinese origin, are brought on pilgrimage annually
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under the guise of wives, children or servants of pilgrims and are sold in the Hejaz.
It is, however, again impossible to estimate numbers or entirely to stop the practice.
A strict control in Malaya and Java, including a searching police investigation of
the circumstances in which pilgrims are proposing to undertake the pilgrimage, is,
I think, the most effective method of keeping this traffic down.
50. The number of Africans who are sold into slavery while on pilgrimage is
equally impossible to calculate, but I am inclined to think that these cases also are
not numerous. Were it otherwise, the fact would have come to the knowledge of
this Legation. As it is, only one or two cases have been reported in the last two or
three years. The trouble is, however, that very little control can be exercised at
present over the African pilgrimage, which is in the hands of the local sheikhs, and
that these sheikhs, both in Jedda and elsewhere in the Hejaz, as Mr. Bullard has
pointed out, take an active part in the slave trade when they can and share in the
profits. Appointed by the local Government, they are, taken all round, an
unprincipled and rapacious band of rogues who grovel to authority and, to protect
themselves against summary dismissal, are commonly believed to assist the junior
executive officials of the Hejaz Government financially and to work hand in hand
with them to the detriment of the pilgrims’ interests. The African pilgrims are
entirely at their mercy, and, as stated, there are a number of ways in which the
pilgrims are hoodwinked and sold into slavery.
51. From time to time reports of these sales are received from West Africans
resident in this country. The particulars given are always vague and detection is
practically impossible. In many, if not in most cases, the informant has an axe to
obtain definite proof of guilt or even good evidence.
52. I am convinced myself that the plight of these African pilgrims has in
only one respect been really improved during the Saudian regime as a result Qi
action taken by the Hejaz authorities, namely, in the protection now T afforded against
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grind or wishes to get an enemy into trouble. In no case has it been possible to
brigandage and kidnapping along the road. These practices have now
the pilgrims can proceed on their way in complete security.
53. As things are at present I see no means of effectually stopping these sales
altogether, but an elaborate system of control of the West African pilgrimage on
the lines suggested last year would greatly help towards doing so. The application
of such a scheme, in addition to introducing a closer passport control and certain
other safeguards, such as the canalising of the whole of the African pilgrimage
through Jedda, would also enable this Legation to exercise a stricter control over the
Takruni sheikhs than is possible at present.