The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-16
THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE.
Sir Bartle Frere'S Address to the Indian
and European Community Of Bombay.
Extent OF the Traffic on the East Coast Of Africa
The Originators and Inheritors Of the
Enormity-Thirty Thousand Human
Beings Exported" Every Year
The Bhattias, Banians and
Johanna Jobbers.

The Bhattias, Banians and
Johanna Jobbers.
BY mail nom the East Indies we have the follow
ing interesting report OF the progress OF the effort
which Ia being made for the suppression OF the
slave trading interests among the native and Eu-
ropean communities OF British India with statistics
Of the present condition OF the slave trafc on the
East coast OF Africa The exhibit is contained In
speech delivered by
SIR BARrLE PRERE ON THE SLAVE TRADE.
From the Bombay Gazette, April 2sl
Yesterday evening q conrersa zione, at which sir
Bartle Frere, Colonel Pey and the chief European
and native gentlemen were present. was held near
his city, in the bungalow, at Grgaum. OF the Hon.
Mr.. Munguldass Nathoobhoy. The compound was
decorated to certain extent, and in q corner we
noticed transparency, which was doubtless in.
tended to represent the hero OF the hour. The
drawing room was completely filed with people,
His Excenency took chair at one end of the
room, and the principal visitors were accommo.
dated near him In position convenient for hearing
Among the native gentlemen present were Kur.
sondass Nensee, Narronjee Damodhur, Jeyram
Sewjee, Ebramjee Sewjee. Gopan Novice, Raywa
veerjee Damodhur, Tarrya Topun, Jairazbhoy Peer
bhoy, Currimbhoy soorjee, Luckmidass Khmjee,
Dwarkadass Vussenjee, Khutao Mukhoond, Ma
thooradass Khetsey, Noodle Thackersee, DC. 1t is
probable that Mr.. Munguldass purposely invited
the principal members OF the Bhattia, Khoja and
Bania community, as 1t is people belonging to
to these classes who are chiefly interested in the
slave trade.
Shortly before six His Exccllency Sir Bartle
Frcre rose and said Mr. Munguldass Nathoobhoy
and gentlemen-l have been asked to say few
words on the present OCCASION ana / very gladly
avail myself OF the opportunity believe w;s
sent with this expedition mainly because | was
for many years connected with Bombay. In telling
you anything about what we have been doing dur
Ing the last few months, OF course You
cannot expect me to enter into particulars about
government or even into particulars about the
negotiations which the expedition have carried out
AN this viii be made public in due time, and trust
1t will be found to be satisfactory. shall merely
mention few of the matters which struck me
most as having connection with the interests OF
place, was not prepared to find the whole coast of
Africa entirely occupied, 80 far as trade is con-
wished to get Information on the former state Of
commercial affairs on the East coast, as compared
with the present, you could not do better than
read some OF the accounts OF what the old POrtu-
guese found when they went there. They tell MS that
they found the whole OF the trade and the greater
part Of the administration OF the country in the
hands OF Moors although from the description OF
their numbers and the way in which they managed
their own commercial afrairs and the affairs OF the
states into which the country was divided, they
appear TO be precisely what we all know as the
great Mahommedan trading classes OF this country
These Portuguese describe all the different classes
which we now flnd on the East coast, and it NAV
be as much news to you as II was to me that of all
the trading classes there the principal part OF the
trade in the hands OF three or four OF the castles
which now see represented before me. First OF
all IN influence, II not In numbers there large
community OF Bhatttas, and next q few Banians
and L0hannas, who may be SAID TO represent
the Hindoo trading classes OF this great city.
spicuous by their total Observation-Disclosures,
ior instance Chntryas Bengalee Baboos, the
shetiias OF Madras and Marwarees found
most numerous in the tradc-Khojas Borahs and
Memons-but OF these the most numerous were the
Khojas. II was surprise to me that from almost
opposite Socotra down nearly to the Cape Colony,
and along the MADAGASCAR coast, the whole trade
seemed, within the last forty fifty years. to have
passed into the hands OF natives OF India. You win
reconect that the Portuguese almost entirely extin
guished the Indian trade on the East coast where
Indians had almost ceased to be represented ex-
ceptinQ by few who went from Kurrachee Mand-
vie, and some OF the Kattywar ports. Yet now,
and as have said for the last half century, the
natives OF India have monOpOlized the East
African trade to such an extent that do not
think 1t would be possible now to distribute or
collect cargo upon the African coast, excepting
through the agency OF some OF your countrymen
found that wherever went, not only In the larger
ports but also In the smaller villages where there
were only one or two ships, the shipper almost
certain to be an Indian These merchants might
have been Khojas or Borals. and there used TO
find them exactly as you might see them in shops
in some OF the outlying villages on the Guzcrat
frontier wnere they SIT dispensing their wares
have mixed among these merchants, and so far
as did 30 !! found that they all talked either
q novelty. KNEW that there was large and in
creasing commerce, but l repeat that to me the
extent to which India had monopollzed the East
African trailic was quite novelty: found that
concurrent with this growth OF Indian interests
the African coast this slave trade grew up which
was the immediate object OF my mission-a slave
trade which Is now so extensively carried on that
thirty or more thousand Of human beings are. j
at rsi that this great rad must Decessay be an
old evil but we were told that IL was an evil which
had always existed, and no doubt small trade did
exist there some time ago. The reason may be
this Before Indian merchants went back to the
East African coast to resume trade which they
Mogul Empire began to decay, great piratical
Held mad sprung up, and the seas used to be swept
& s sur sy
chiefly Arabs. These pirates were sufficient to
prevent the slave trade being carried on in its
no ship filed with slaves could make any resistance
against well armed pirate 1t happened that two
things occurred within the last fifty years. There
had been general resumption Of the old trade by
Indian merchants, and accompanying 1t there had
been general growth OF the slave trade. do not
wish You to suppose that these two things
we're connected in the way Of cause and ercct,
because must say of Indian merchants that
as to their direct connection with the slave
trade, ! have found very little to their preju.
dice, and, indeed, all the great merchants are ire
from connection with the slave trade, although, by
the possession OF capital which might be exchanged
for human beings, they may have had an indirect
connection. That was the state OF things as we
found II, and upon the subject OF the slave trade
need not say more than what you know already.
You are aware OF the feeling the subject in Eng
land, and ! believe in India generally that this
trade must be stopped. have no doubt " will be
stopped very speedily, because things at both ends
OF Africa have changed greatly OF late. All the
civilized countries In the world, who used TO
be customers Tor slaves, have now given the
practice up. In another three years there will
be u legal end put by government to the
trade used to be general. 1nen the government OF
Madagascar Is favorable, and l may say that
this struck me as one OF the most favorable symp-
toms OF Improvement In that country The gov.
eminent OF Madagascar Is composed entirely OF
natives, and yet they have set their faces against
slavery, and declared mat 1t shall not exist In
their country At one OF the ports IN Madagascar
we found an Arab nacoda In prison for year for
carrying on the slave trade The King OF the Jo-
hannas told us that his island should not be place
for harboring slaves, and that all people brought