مجموعة ٦ / ٨ (١) "سلسلة مطبوعة: ١٩٢٩ إلى ١٩٣٨". [و‎‎٢‎٩‎٢] (١٠٦٢/٥٨٨)

5
(ii) From what I could gather, he is quite satisfied on the bona fide nature
of the information given him by his agent, but the latter seems to be playing a
most dangerous game, as he is known to he in very close touch with both Garad
and Tin ah, two of the best known dealers, and who were the men named by
Sir Sidney Baiton as having airanged for this convoy of 70 to be brought
down.
The information states that the Slaves, all boys and girls, are kept more
or less openly outside Tad jura, and employed as goat-herds until their sale
has been negotiated.
There are two routes for shipment, one at Ambaba near Tadjura, and the
other in the neighbourhood of lias Dumeira, inside the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.
Mr. Lowe, at my request, is trying to ascertain the exact whereabouts of this
last position, which is of considerable interest to the sloops.
He had recently made an excursion to Tadjura in a motor boat, in company
with a member of the Legation staff from Addis Ababa, and came hack with the
impression that the existence of the traffic in slaves was well known to the French
authorities.
(in) A good deal of interesting information had reached Mr. Lowe from one
of the French District Officers on the Abyssinian frontier.
This officer realises how little authority his Government have in the interior,
and is very anxious to import some Senegalese troops, and then by means of
bribery to set the Dankali chiefs quarrelling amongst themselves. Once this
was done, fbe troops could quickly subjugate the tribes one by one. At present,
however, they are all in league with one another, content to share the profits
of the slave and arms traffic, and remain united in the face of the indifferent
opposition of the French native troops at present in the Colony.
M. Chappon-Baissac is reported to have refused to listen to any such sug
gestion.
(iv) From the same source Mr. Lowe leareed that a large trade is now
going on in women from the interior, who are brought down to Djibouti by train,
one at a time, as the wives ” of their companions.
The District Officer has come to know of this, and proposed to institute a
train inspection on the frontier, with verification of papers, which would have
put a stop to the traffic.
This proposal, also, is said to have been rejected by the Governor, and,
further, on one occasion, when the District Officer was about to search a parti
cular train, urgent orders were received that the search was not to take place.
(v) As an illustration of the small control exercised by the French,, it
appears that quite recently the Commissioner at Tadjura obtained permission
•to build himself a house on a plateau in the mountains, where there is a water
fall, and a reasonably pleasant climate. Accordingly he selected a spot for the
Residency, marked it off, and was commencing to have it cleared. Immediately
the work was* commenced, he was approached by two of the Danakil Chiefs,
who explained that they had raised no objection to his looking at the place, but
they could not dream of allowing him to live there. In consequence the residence
in the hills has had to be given up.
(vi) The native informer reports that the notorious Sheik Issa, who is so
often at Perim, is now employed as an intelligence agert only, and lets the
slavers know when the coast Is clear for them. He is said to do this by means
of fires on the shore.
The last report from Aden about this man is that he is now hut a peaceful
trader in camels. As he is known to he wanted by the Italians foi muider, i
seems a pity he cannot be arrested, and handed over to them.
(vii) Major Cheesman was with me, during most of my conversations with
Mr. Lowe, aud was ohviouslv verv surprised to hear of the ramifica 1011 s of the
trade. There is no doubt that Mr. Lowe himself was very astonished at the
information that reached him, and it was this fact that imp]esse ine moie . :ian
anything, as in previous conversations he had been somewia • sctp ica
extent of the traffic.
Pin) One other point is worthy of remark, ^ "ative agent went so
far as to offer to negotiate the saie of two or three o i^se " ' , .
himself, if he could arrange a boat to fetch them away, and went on t P sa) that
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