Washington sentinel., 1898-08-06

snail appear before my judges. Ono,
more shall offer the proof Once NOR,
France will witness the fight of bragga
docios from the light"
THE SLAVE TRADE oNTHE OMAN COAST
The Times Of India, commenting on
the seizure of slave dhow, which was
recently taken into Muscnt by H.M,S.
Sphinx, says
The incident affords an opportunity
Tor reviewing the condition of the slave
trade as carried on upon the coasts of
Omar at the present day. For msnv
years past slaves have been conveyed IN
large NUMBERS from Zanzibar, and other
ports on the East African coast, in order
to supply the demands in the whole of
the Oman and its sneighboring countries,
and also to supply the large number of
divers who are required to carry on the
pearl hsheries Of the Persian Gulf This
latter WORK is particularly arduous, and
requires the very highest physical quail
ties OF endurance if the unfortunate diver
wishes TO survive many seasons, In
spite of the suitability OF the climate and
water to the divers physical needs, very
lew OF these unfortunate slaves long
survive the prolonged exertions which
they are compelled by their Arab mas
ters to undertake. The weaker men
soon die. and large annual number of
recruits is necessary for this cause alone.
With the institution OF domestic slav-
cry Great Britain made no attempt to
deal, as 1t is so intimately associated
with the religious and domestic life of
the Arabs, that any attempt to interfere
with the system would undoubtedly
arouse the most determined hostility.
and would be resisted to the bitter end.
The method adopted to suppress the
slave trade consisted of an undertaking
obtained from the Sultan of Muscat-in
return for material benefits accorded to
him-by which he promised to abolish
slave markets in his domnions. Treaties
were also ..a2ed with the chiefs Of the
Pirate Coasts. simultaneously with
these arrangements, efforts were made
by an energetic patrol Of the coasts by
men-oi- war at the ports of arrival and
departure, to make the trade so difficult
and unsafe that it could not be carried
on proftably. and so would eventually
be practically suppressed. This result
mas not, however, been reached. and
slavery is at the present time carried on
perfectly openly on the whole OF the
coast in question.
The jealousy Of the French is unhap.
PLY due mainly to the tact that the
French Government would not endorse
the action OF its plenipotentiaries at the
Brussels Conference, and also to the
unfortunate fact that the French flag
has, IN the spirit OF jealousy and with a
desire to undermine British influence
among the Arabs, been granted in an
indiscriminate manner to the owners
and ca 'tains of Arab craft. AS the
French men-Of-war do little or no
effective cruising IN these waters, the
Arao-quick to take advantage OF any
thing likely 10 suit his purpose--has on
many occasions used the French flag
merely to enable him to run cargoes of
slaves in safety trusting that the we'll
known objection of the French to allow
any dhow carrying their flag to be
searched, or even boarded, would suffice
to protect them from an too inquisitive
British cruiser.
10 such pitch has this trade attained
that it is a fact which can hardly be
disputed that from I, 500 to 2,ooo slaves
annually are landed at Sur alone. This
place is practically the Headquarters Of
the slave trade, and large proportion
OF the dhows owned at Sur have man.
aged to acquire the right to fly the
French flag. We assert without tear of
contradiction that many of these slaves
are Carried under the protection
OF the French flag. Sur, while
the largest place Of import, is by
no means the only one, as it IS well
known that slaves are landed at manv
other ports on the coast. Generally
large dhows only are run to Sur, and
the slaves are then distributed IN smaller
vessels along the coast The slaves who
are despatched to the pearl fisheries and
to supply the numerous towns on the
Pirate Coast are sent by caravans from
Sur to their destination, as il is a much
shorter journey by land than by sea.
That this trade should be carried on
openly-as it is-and that any feelings
ofiealousy and petty chickering's between
two. great Powers should enable the
Arab slave dealer to pursue his imam.
Gus calling with impunity, is a disgrace
to European civilization, and the public
OF both countries--did they know the
iacts-would with one accord call upon
their respective Governments to come
to some understanding by means OF
which this state of affairs should be
ended, and the Arab SLAYER, in this as in
other parts OF the world, cleared once
for all from the surface OF the seas.
THR WAR.