Central Africa-prefers to live in well-defined towns or in considerable numbers together, rather than in huts scattered singly over the country. The native likes a noise and plenty of attractions; these can be had where there are numbers living together. Hence his liking to live in a town, and his preference of Zanzibar as being the most attractive place.

Of those freed during the past year 411 males and 371 females, or 69 per cent., elected to live in Zanzibar town, and 169 males and 175 females, or 31 per cent., chose to go into the country. Generally it is the aged male and female slaves, who, having spent all their life so far in the plantations, doing garden and similar work, prefer to return to it again rather than to make a fresh start in a new mode of life.

Of the 344 freed slaves who have returned to a country life, 146 males and 142 females will take up garden work. The others engage in pottery, mat making, petty dealings, and other callings. Of the 782 freed slaves who choose to live in Zanzibar town, a small proportion are artisans, or have some certain professions as masons, carpenters, tailors, fishermen, &c. These, if they are willing, can do fairly well. The greater part of those who choose to live in town. are “vibarua,” viz., they let themselves out on daily wages doing ordinary labourer's work. Both men and women participate in this. The remainder are house servants, water-women, grass collectors and sellers, and petty dealers. A few who had been acquired by the Universities' Mission were also freed and returned to the Mission.

Regarding the state of the slaves after being freed, everything depends upon themselves. If they wish for employment, there is generally employment to be found, and one and all can earn a living wage; but amongst a number there is always some who object to work. These will suffer for their lack of energy, or else they will be a source of trouble to the Government and community through their endeavours to live by their wits.

On the whole, I think the working of the Decree for the abolition of the status of slavery has not made any particular difference to the general state of things in Zanzibar town, though without doubt the loss of slave labour affects considerably the state and produce of the agricultural part of the island.

Attached to this Report will be found a monthly and quarterly Statement of the number of slaves freed; also similar Statements of the amount of compensation paid. (See Appendix I.)

Appendix II gives a list, male and female, from the six principal tribes which have supplied slaves, together with the place of residence each one has elected to take.

Appendix III gives a list of the names of the tribes, and the

owner fully for the advantages which the worker receives from him. All other work done by the worker should be reckoned outside his primary agreement, and be paid for in money or in kind, according to circumstances. On a large estate, where there are clove and cocoa-nut trees, the collecting of the cocoa-nuts should be paid for by daily wages, and the gathering of cloves by a certain number of pice per pishi, gathered according to present custom.

"A clause in the agreement should state that it is the duty of the owner to look after the welfare of the worker, especially in times of sickness, it being much to his advantage that he should keep his workers in as healthy a state as possible.

"It will be found advisable, probably, to put all workers on the same basis, namely, each one would get a fair equivalent for his work. The system of slave days and free days would be dropped, and slaves, freed slaves, and freemen would all be equally looked upon as simply workers or labourers.

"It seems to me that if the owners would act in a moderately liberal way on these lines towards their present resident slaves, there ought not to be much difficulty in retaining them on the estates, or even in getting others to take up work on the estates on similar conditions.

"There still remains one point to be touched upon-that is, the vague idea the native mind has of any kind of agreement they may make. No engagement of any kind with a native will be of any use unless it is supported by the power of the law. They have still to learn that a word given is a bond to them, and that they cannot break it with impunity. The agreements made between owners and workers must be very definite as regards the mutual duties and obligations of each to the other. Agreements for time and nature of work must be plainly stated, and then both owner and worker must fully understand that they are bound by their mutual agree ment, and that neither one nor the other can break it (without offending against the law to which both are equally responsible)."

The simplest verbal contract I have seen carried out in a large plantation in Zanzibar, and which worked well, was as follows:

The labourers on the plantation worked day and day about for the owner of the plantation and themselves in cleaning and cultivating the plantation, and when he (the owner of the plantation) required their services on their days he paid them according to the work agreed upon or by the day, and when harvesting his cloves he paid a fixed rate for such collection, such as 3 to 4 pice per pishi collected. In this manner the labourers paid in work a fair equiva lent for their houses, holdings, and care during sickness, and by harvesting the cloves they received a very fair sum of money during the year.

If such can be carried out, the question of compensation will be almost entirely done away with, and plantation labour will become organized and more satisfactory. With local contracts in force, we may then estimate the number of labourers we fall short of in the islands. To supplement these I suggest asking Her Majesty's Government to allow us to draw upon the mainland Protectorates from the Wadigo, Wadruma, Wanyika, Wagiriama, Wakamba, and Wa Teita, from Mombasa, and, if necessary, to make arrangements with the Uganda Protectorate for a supply of labour through Mr. James Martin. Also that having known these tribes. intimately in the past, and Mr. Alexander having known them within the past few years, when the time comes and supplementary labour is needed, we may be allowed personally to proceed to the East Coast Protectorate to make our own arrangements with the tribes and Protectorate officials. This is little to ask of the Protectorates in return for the many thousands of porters and soldiers we have supplied the Imperial Company and Her Majesty's Government with for the last twelve years.

As regards supplementary labour from British East Africa, I would suggest the contract to be for a period of three years. At the end of three years another contract to be entered into, if agreeable to the labourer, or he may work as a free agent for another two years in the islands.

With labour from British East Africa, the preliminary cost of introduction will be small. The annual average wage in Zanzibar is about 81. yearly, or 6d. per diem. For daily labour, from 3d. to 8d. per diem.

In order that these contracts and labour in all its details be properly supervised, two labour bureaus should be established, one here and one in Pemba, under the Commissioners for Slavery, assisted by native Magistrates, to settle all cases of crime. For breaches of contract a labour law will require to be framed.

I would ask that the above contracts and labour law (of which I have merely given a sketch) might be framed by Her Majesty's Agent and Consul-General, in order that there may be no adverse criticism by those who have always said that Zanzibar officials are in sympathy with slavery, and might look on this as another system of slavery.

As regards the formation of labour bureaus there is another scheme by which these offices might be worked, namely, by merchants in Zanzibar, or a company to be raised for the purpose of undertaking the business. The Commissioners would then act as Government supervisors and Magistrates. It seems to me that there is here a possible field for enterprise.

The nearest approach to this scheme in Zanzibar is the working

of Hamalis at the Custom-house, who are engaged by European merchants whenever required. Personally, I would prefer this alternative plan, as it seems to me to be more a matter for private enterprise than for a Government. If such a scheme was undertaken by one of the Zanzibar firms, or a company, the labourer instead of contracting with the owner of the plantation would be drafted in gangs by the merchant to wherever they were required, and the merchant would alone be responsible for their wages and upkeep, he making his own terms for their employment. It is possible that the Government would be of great assistance to the company by taking over labourers for public works when not required on the plantations.

The Government in such a case would give the merchant or company every assistance in locating them on shambas or on a town site.

I have not gone into details regarding the mode of life, rationing, and settlement of labourers, or the care to be taken of them in illness, as these are matters which can be easily settled when the scheme becomes a fact.

Mr. Farler and Mr. Burtt have not yet replied to my request for their views, but when they do so, and if they make any suggestions other than those mentioned above, and which are practicable, I will write a Supplementary Memorandum embodying them.

Zanzibar, January 19, 1901.

LLOYD WM. MATHEWS.

No. 12.-Mr. Cave to the Marquess of Lansdowne.-(Received

(Telegraphic.)

March 16.)

YOUR telegram of the 15th instant.

Zanzibar, March 16, 1901.

I estimate number of slaves at present in Zanzibar and Pemba at approximately 50,000.

No. 13.-The Marquess of Lansdowne to Mr. Cave.

(Telegraphic.) Foreign Office, March 27, 1901. THE effect of the anti-slavery legislation since 1897, and especially that of the instructions given to you on the 10th November, 1897, is stated to have been to augment the number of prostitutes and vagrants drawn from the slave classes in Pemba and Zanzibar.

Is this statement supported by your information, and if it is, can you corroborate it by any statistics?

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. Farler.

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