English steam-ships have hitherto carefully attended to the communication I addressed to the agents with regard to the transport of slaves for delivery for sale. They still carry slave servants accompanying their masters, but I apprehend that their passage tickets are taken as for servants. The agents, however, complain, with some show of reason, of the course adopted by the French and German steam-ship companies, who are apparently the gainers by the prohibition extended to them. The last vessel of the Bremen line brought 47 slaves "á entregar." I am not fully cognizant of the law of France upon this point, but I apprehend that the German law is similar to that of England, and I assure myself that should your Lordship think proper to call the attention of those Governments to the question, the carrying of slaves will equally be put an end to by them. The Earl of Derby. I have, &c., GEORGE BUCKLEY MATHEW. No. 6. Mr. Mathew to the Earl of Derby.-(Rec. November 30.) MY LORD, Rio de Janeiro, November 8, 1876. In my despatch of the 6th ultimo I alluded to the complaint of some agents of Steam-ship Companies that German and French vessels were permitted to carry slaves on the coast of Brazil. I have since been informed by my colleagues the Chargés d'Affaires of France and Germany that a stop had been put to this custom. M. Turnaux Compaces, the Chargé d'Affaires of France, indeed spoke to me first on the subject, upon which he evinced a warm interest. I have, &c., The Earl of Derby. GEORGE BUCKLEY MATHEW. EGYPT. No. 12.-Major-General Stanton to the Earl of Derby.-(Received Mr LORD, February 27.) Cairo, February 17, 1876. I HAVE had the honour of receiving your Lordship's despatch of the 1st instant, transmitting for my information the copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Bengazi,* reporting upon * Page 412. the Slave Trade carried on from Wadai through Jalo to the northern ports of Barbary, and calling for any information which I may be able to furnish which would show whether any slaves are introduced into Egypt by the western frontiers of this country, and the extent to which this Traffic is carried on. It is out of my power to offer your Lordship any positive information on this head, but I have reason to believe that since the annexation of Darfur to Egypt the numbers of slaves introduced into this country by the western frontier have been reduced most sensibly, though there is reason to suppose that notwithstanding the orders, and the precautions taken by the Egyptian Government, small numbers are still imported by way of Siwah, as reported in Mr. Henderson's despatch. The geographical position of Siwah and the nature of the desert routes from that oasis to the Nile are much in favour of the slavedealers, as they render efficient surveillance extremely difficult, but I have no reason to believe any large slave-caravans now reach this country from any part of the Libyan desert. I will endeavour to procure for your Lordship more accurate information on this subject; but without special agents to watch the caravan-routes it is almost impossible for me to form any reliable estimate of the extent to which this Traffic is carried on. The Earl of Derby. I have, &c., EDWD. STANTON. SIR, No. 13.-Sir J. Pauncefote to Mr. Cookson. Foreign Office, July 12, 1876. I AM directed by the Earl of Derby to transmit to you the accompanying copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Jeddah respecting the introduction of cargoes of slaves into that port in open daylight by buggalows under Turkish cloours. There is every reason to believe that these slaves come from the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea, and I am accordingly to instruct you to address a strong remonstrance to the Egyptian Government upon this subject, and to point out to them that their authorities have openly violated their instructions in permitting the export of slaves from Egyptian territory. I am, &c., Chas. A. Cookson, Esq. JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE. No. 14. Mr. Cookson to the Earl of Derby.-(Received August 1.) * Page 423. Consul at Jeddah respecting the introduction of slaves into that port, and instructing me, as there is reason to believe that these slaves come from the Egyptian coast, to address a strong remonstrance to the Egyptian Government on the subject. In obedience to your Lordship's instructions I have addressed to Chérif Pasha the letter of which a copy is inclosed. I may be allowed to explain that the particulars in my letter as to the supposed road taken by the slave-dealers are derived partly from private information and partly from a letter published in the "Anti-Slavery Reporter" of 1st instant (Volume 20, No. 4, page 82). I have, &c., The Earl of Derby. CHAS. A. COOKSON. (Inclosure.)-Mr. Cookson to Chérif Pasha. M. LE MINISTRE, Alexandria, July 22, 1876. I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that I have received instructions from Her Majesty's Government to address to the Egyptian Government a strong remonstrance against an alleged violation of their instructions by the local authorities on the coast of the Red Sea in having permitted the export of slaves from Egyptian territory. It appears from the report made by Her Majesty's Consul at Jeddah to Lord Derby that buggalows under Turkish colours openly enter the port of Jeddah in broad daylight and land cargoes of slaves; and there is every reason to believe from information received from several quarters that these cargoes of slaves having been brought from the western frontiers of Abyssinia up the Nile, a little above or below Khartoum, are thence driven across the country to some point on the coast between Suakim and Massowah, and there embarked, apparently with the connivance of Egyptian officials. I doubt not that your Excellency will duly appreciate the gravity of these facts, and how much such conduct is calculated to neutralize the efforts which His Highness is making in other quarters to suppress the Slave Trade; and that immediate steps will in consequence be taken to exact from all naval and military authorities of the Egyptian Government in those parts the strictest vigilance in the execution of their orders, as well as to bring to justice any who may be convicted of violation of their duty in this respect. Chérif Pasha. I have, &c., CHAS. A. COOKSON. No. 18.-Mr. Vivian to the Earl of Derby.-(Received November 20.) MY LORD, Cairo, November 10, 1876. 1 HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that on the 8th instant I received information through Her Majesty's Vice-Consul here, that slaves had recently been brought to several depôts in Cairo, which were indicated to me, for the purpose of traffic. I immediately conveyed this information to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who obtained the Khedive's order to have the places which I had indicated searched by the police, the slaves liberated, and the persons in charge of them duly punished. I have not yet heard the result of these steps. The Earl of Derby. I have, &c., C. VIVIAN, No. 19.-Mr. Vivian to the Earl of Derby.-(Received November 20.) MY LORD, Cairo, November 12, 1876. WITH reference to my despatch of the 10th instant, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that the search made by the police at the places I had indicated to Chérif Pasha and at other houses resulted in the discovery of about 40 slaves, supposed to be intended for sale, who, with the persons in charge of them, are now in the hands of the police, awaiting a regular inquiry. I have, &c., The Earl of Derby. C. VIVIAN. No. 20.-Mr. Vivian to the Earl of Derby.—(Received November 26.) MY LORD, Cairo, November 17, 1876. I HAVE the honour to transmit to your Lordship a copy of a note which, in obedience to the instructions conveyed in your Lordship's despatch of the 31st ultimo, I have addressed to Chérif Pasha upon the subject of the Traffic in Slaves from the port of Zeyla. I have, &c., The Earl of Derby. (Inclosure.)—Mr. Vivian to Chérif Pasha. C. VIVIAN. M. LE MINISTRE, Cairo, November 16, 1876. IN obedience to orders from my Government, I am compelled to ask your Excellency to call the serious attention of the Khedive to the existence of a considerable Traffic in Slaves between the port of Zeyla and ports on the east coast of the Red Sea. It is alleged that this clandestine traffic is carried on not altogether without the knowledge of the local authorities, and that two months ago a cargo of 300 slaves was at Zeyla awaiting shipment to Hodeida, Jeddah, and Suez. Her Majesty's Government have desired me, in bringing these facts to the knowledge of the Khedive, to express their great regret and disappointment at learning that the Traffic in Slaves should still continue to this extent at a port brought under Egyptian control, and their hope that prompt measures will be taken to put an end to it. Chérif Pasha. I have, &c., C. VIVIAN. No. 22.-Mr. Vivian to the Earl of Derby.-(Rec. December 9.) MY LORD, Cairo, November 30, 1876. WITH reference to your Lordship's despatch of the 31st ultimo, and to my reply of the 17th instant, I have the honour to report that, in consequence of my representations based upon Vice-Consul Wylde's reports of the active prosecution of the Slave Trade from the Egyptian ports in the Red Sea, the Khedive has determined to send an officer at once to organize a special service of surveillance over the coasts and ports to which his attention has been directed. He has selected Captain McKillop for this duty. Captain McKillop says with much truth that it is highly improbable that the local authorities will allow this Traffic to go on from their ports whilst he is on the coast, and he anticipates little success from his mission unless he is allowed to seize slavers at sea. It is due to the Khedive to say that he repudiates all knowledge of the existence of this Traffic to such an extent, and is disposed to think it is much exaggerated; and he is anxious to show his readiness to keep his engagements for the suppression of the Slave Trade. I have, &c., The Earl of Derby. C. VIVIAN. No. 23. Mr. Vivian to the Earl of Derby.-(Rec. December 16.) (Extract.) Cairo, December 8, 1876. I REGRET to say that from various quarters reports reach me of the existence of Slave Trade on a large scale within Egyptian territory, especially in the remote parts that are more removed from the eyes of foreigners. Along the whole Egyptian line of coast on the Red Sea, and in the equatorial provinces, which the Viceroy professes to be opening to civilization, accounts concur in establishing as a fact that an organized system of slave-trading and slave-hunting is being carried on, with the knowledge and even with the connivance of the local authorities, notwithstanding the promises and alleged orders of the Khedive to the contrary. From Zeyla and all the Red Sea ports the export of slaves under the eyes of the Egyptian authorities amounts, according to the calculation of Mr. Wylde, Her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Jeddah, to 30,000 annually; and the existence of Slave Trade on a large scale at Zeyla, and the connivance thereat of the Emir Abou Bekr, are corroborated by M. Arnoux, and by reports that the Foreign Office have received from Aden. |