slaves might not possibly make them unmanageably idle and lazy has happily been dispelled by the experience of the past two years. It has been demonstrated, in connection with the gathering of the clove crops, that the freed slaves, as well as those who have not applied for their freedom, are quite willing to work when they receive adequate remuneration for their labour, and that they will do as good a day's work, under those conditions, as could be desired.

The abolition of the legal status of slavery appears to be exerting a beneficial influence already with regard to the birth-rate amongst the servile population, which formally was abnormally and suspiciously low. The insufficient diet of the women, and the hard labour which they had to perform, were doubtless factors which accounted, in part, for the paucity of children amongst a people who are very prolific by nature; but there are good grounds for believing that the practice of inducing abortion and of infanticide prevailed very largely amongst them, and that to such causes were to be mainly attributed the fewness of the children.

It would seem that the slave women were impelled to such unnatural practices by the harsh attitude of the Arab masters. A mother received no consideration in virtue of her condition, either before or after the birth of her child, but was forced to perform her daily toil as usual. Then, again, the women knew that they would possess no rights of any kind over the children whom they might bear. The custom imposed by the Arabs, in that connection, was as follows: If the father and the mother were both slaves of one master, the children borne by the women were the property of the parents' owner, by whom they could be taken away at any time, and sold or otherwise disposed of as he might decide. If the father and the mother belonged to different owners, the male children became the property of the father's master, and the female children became the property of the mother's owner. All of which was obviously calculated to discourage amongst the slave women the instinct for maternity.

It was natural to assume that with the removal of such disabilities the birth-rate amongst the servile population would increase; and such, indeed, appears to be the case. Upon certain shambas where the freed slaves have settled down contentedly, and with their minds assured as to their future-notably upon the Zanzibar Government shamba at Tundana-the most casual observer cannot fail to remark the goodly number of babies and of little children to be seen about the native huts. Indeed, Mr. Lister informs me that at Tundana, where he has made it a practice to give every mother, upon the birth of a child, a small bounty out of his own purse, to help her to procure certain small comforts, and, possibly, "pour encourager les

autres," the claims thus made upon him begin to recur with quite alarming frequency.

In a word, then, I would say that the abolition of the legal status of slavery in Pemba has proved beneficial from all points of view; it has proved an inestimable boon to the slaves; it has been the cause of awakening new energy in the Arabs; while it certainly has not affected adversely, as had been feared, the material prosperity of the island.

Pemba, March 31, 1900.

D. R. O'SULLIVAN-BEARE.

Table (A).-RETURN of Principal Articles of Import into Pemba during the Year 1899.

The total number of slaves freed during the year ending the 31st December, 1900, equals 1,126.

APPENDIX II.

SHOWING the tribes which provided the greater number of slaves for Zanzibar, and the preference shown by these for a town or country life after obtaining freedom.

These 6 tribes provided 73 per cent. (885) of the total number (1,126) of

slaves freed during 12 months ending the 31st December, 1900.

Of these 885 slaves, 69 per cent. (618) elected to live in town, and 31 per cent. (267) choose to remain in the country.

SIR,

No. 5.- The Marquess of Salisbury to Sir A. Hardinge.

Foreign Office, May 16, 1900. I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 26th March last, reporting the arrest of Seyyid Kinda on a charge of slave-dealing, and I have to request you to express to His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar the satisfaction of Her Majesty's Government at the attitude which he has taken up in the matter.

Sir A. Hardinge.

I am, &c.,

SALISBURY.

SIR,

No. 6.- Admiralty to Foreign Office.—(Received July 2.)

Admiralty, June 29, 1900.

I AM Commanded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit, for the information of the Secretary of State, extracts from a letter dated the 1st instant, from the Senior Naval Officer at Zanzibar, relative to the condition of the Slave Trade there and at Pemba.

Sir T. Sanderson.

I am, &c.,

EVAN MACGREGOR.

(Extract.)

(Inclosure.)-Commander Tunnard to Admiralty.

Barrosa, at Zanzibar, June 1, 1900,

WITH regard to Slave Trade: Dhows sailing from Zanzibar for Muscat generally leave Zanzibar during the month of April, as soon as the south-west monsoon breaks, in order to avoid the heavy sea in the northern portion of the Indian Ocean later on.

There are at present only three Muscat dhows in Zanzibar; the majority having sailed for the north about a month ago, and it is supposed that about nine of them succeeded in taking away from ten to fifteen slaves each from the island. I have a boat cruising at the southern end of the island to stop any canoes bringing slaves from the mainland, but it is rather late in the season for this traffic. I am also informed that small numbers of slaves have been taken from Pemba and the coast ports during the early part of the south

west monsoon.

Pemba Island is now strongly policed by the Sultan's askaris, which has greatly checked the export of slaves from there. I propose to visit it shortly.

Everything is quiet on the coast.

APPENDIX IV.

ORIGIN (Birthplace) of Slaves freed, and their Occupation.

Of the 1,126 slaves freed, 77 per cent. (867) were born on the African mainland, and 23 per cent. (259) were born on the Zanzibar Island.

26 per cent. of the slaves freed (288) are plantation workers, and 74 per cent. (838) are engaged in other occupations.

Many of those engaged on other work were working on plantations before they were freed.

(Inclosure 3.)-Slavery Report for 1900, by Mr. Furler.

DURING the past year there has been a great diminution in the number of slaves applying to the Slavery Courts for their freedom.

In some measure this is owing to the fact that a large proportion of the slaves who were not comfortable with their masters have by this time applied for and obtained their freedom, for many of the other slaves still living with their owners do not desire just at present to change their condition.

The result of this has been that in the year just ended the average number of slaves applying to the Courts for their freedom per month has been about forty, in comparison with 200 per month applying in 1899.

I was absent on leave from February until October, and during that time Mr. Lister, Superintendent of Public Works in Pemba, ably carried on my work.

On my resuming work in November, I found a large number of