Dhow Chasing in Zanzibar Waters - The Search For Mecca

276 DHOW-CHASING.
The late Lord Clarendon in a letter to tlie
Britisli Consul at Zanzibar, dated June 16tli,
1870, says, " It is also my desire to promote
the supply of free labour in Zanzibar by landing
most of the liberated slaves there, and placing
them under the jurisdiction of the Sultan, after
they have been registered at the British Consulate
; under the understanding, however, that his
Highness will undertake to afford them sufficient
protection against the slave-dealers, and will
prevent their again becoming slaves."
Now, in
the first place, his Highness is unable to prevent
depot for free labour at Zanzibar, providing a regular supply
of natives to work in Reunion and elsewhere, would
directly lead to the very same operations in the interior of
Africa, against which the late Earl of Clarendon, as Foreign
Secretary, remonstrated so strongly some years ago. The
system of the ' libres engages ' led to most of the bad consequences
of the slave-trade in the interior of Africa itself.
An Arab chief on being told that it was not slavery but ft-ee
labour, replied to this effect :
" 'AH same ting to me. Old time you call it slavery ; now
you call it free labour ; I go catch men, sell; you give the
money; all right.' And it sure would be a strange result
of British interference for supplying the slave-trade that the
plantations should be worked by labourers procured by us
from the hold of slave-ships, and then placed beyond the
reach of our protection."