general condition of runaway slaves harboured by the Mission in the Province of Seyyidieh :

Owing to the famine which has lately ravaged the country, large numbers of natives, finding themselves confronted by the pangs of hunger, have been obliged to leave their homes and seek employment in Mombasa and elsewhere. Amongst these were many of the former runaway slaves who had gone to the various stations of the Church Missionary Society and of the United Free Methodist, and ho, in return for the protection offered them by the missionaries, and become Christian proselytes. I have no doubt that many of be latter often remembered the days when, in good times or bad, they were sure of the help and support of their masters, and regretted the false step they had taken in running away and placing themselves in charge of men who, in the days of famine, were unable to give tem the wherewithal to obtain the bare necessaries of life. Many of these persons, therefore, no doubt went back to their former masters, being only too glad to do the little work that was demanded of them return for their food and clothing.

The congregations in the Mission churches, which a year ago Tere filled to overflowing, and which, at the present time, are almost empty, are ample proof of this.

Whilst the Church Missionary Society have done their utmost to relieve the wants of the starving natives in their parishes, the United Free Methodists do not seem to have had the same almost unlimited supply of money at their disposal, and it has been reported to me that sundry persons have died of starvation near Ribe. I can, however, only vouch for one case. This is of a woman who, running away from her master at Takaungu some years ago, settled at Ribe, but who, it would seem, was unknown to the missionary in charge. One day she presented herself to the Rev. Mr. Howe as the latter going to church. Mr. Howe informed me that he told the woman to await his return, but the poor creature affirmed with a dying breath that she was ordered to go away. She went to the Government station at Rabai, and although I provided for her wants, she died two days later, of sheer exhaustion and starvation. On my writing to Mr. Howe that the woman was in extremis, he replied that, "if I cared to send her to Ribe he would have her attended to." Can one, then, wonder when, in such times of privation, persons gladly return to their former masters, and undergo the so-called horrors of a nominal slavery rather than those of actual starvation? I have, &c.,

C.H. Craufurd, Esq.

A. C. HOLLIS, Assistant Collector,

In charge of Mombasa Sub-District.

SIR,

(Inclosure 5.)-Sub-Commissioner Craufurd to Mr. Lloyd.

Mombasa, December 7, 189

I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of extract from a missionary newspaper respecting a case tried yourself when Acting Judge of the District Court of Mombas concerning which the losing parties and their friends in the Methodi Mission did not see their way to appeal against to me.

Lord Salisbury has requested Sir Arthur Hardinge to inquire in the circumstances of this case and forward a full report thereo and this the Commissioner has instructed me to do.

I will therefore be obliged for as full a report from yourself you can give me. I have, &c.,

E. Lloyd, Esq.

SIR,

C. H. CRAUFUR]

(Inclosure 6.)—Mr. Lloyd to Sub-Commissioner Craufurd.

Kikuyu, December 29, 189 I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch the 7th instant, and to forward the following statement, for yo information, concerning the Waswahili from Ribe being return to their master at Mombasa. The facts are as follows: Thr Waswahili, a man and two women, came into my office at Momba with a letter from Mr. Howe, Methodist missionary at Ribe, Mr. Craufurd, reporting that they were being detained in Momba by their master, and would he do what he could for them in t matter. Mr. Craufurd had written across the letter a note, orderi me to inquire into the matter and to report to him. I kne nothing whatever of the people until I saw them coming into t office with the letter. I then inquired carefully into the matter, a found that they all three willingly admitted that they were t lawful slaves of their master, and that they knew it was their duty return to him; this they all admitted without the smallest hesitatio I then for some time questioned them as to whether they had a fault whatever to find in their master's treatment of them, on whi they might claim their freedom, but they failed to find any complai whatever against him, and, further, seemed quite willing to return him. I then reported the matter to Mr. Craufurd, who ordered me tell them that it was their duty to return to their master if they had complaint to make against his behaviour, which I did, and having such complaint to make, they then followed their master without an apparent dislike. They were given every opportunity to bring a action against their master in order to obtain their freedom, b they were unwilling to do so, having no grounds to take su measures. Mr. Howe did not come himself to Mombasa with ther

but afterwards laid a complaint in very strong language against the people returning to their master. Later, when he came down to Mombasa, Mr. Craufurd told him, in my presence, that he hoped that if he (Mr. Howe) thought there had in any way whatsoever been any miscarriage of justice, that he would take a legal action on their behalf; this Mr. Howe declined to do, and I heard nothing further of the matter until a few days ago, when I was informed of the notice in the missionary paper.

Mr. Howe's chief grievance seems to have been that he had hard that two of the people had been sent for from Mombasa, but this I knew nothing about till reported by Mr. Howe later; the rst time I knew anything about them was when they arrived in Ly office with Mr. Craufurd's note. I wish to point out that it was erely an inquiry instituted at Mr. Howe's request, and held by me Mr. Craufurd's orders, with the result that Mr. Craufurd expressed e opinion, through me, that it was the duty of the three slaves to turn to their master. I have, &c.,

H. Craufurd, Esq.

EDWARD LLOYD, Assistant District Officer, Keni.

No. 22.—Sir A. Hardinge to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received

Extract.)

March 18.)

Mombasa, February 6, 1899.

I HAVE the honour to report that numerous applications have een made to me, as well as to the Judicial Officer in the Province ef Tanaland, for restitution of property, chiefly slaves, wrongfully fiscated by the local authorities, or for pecuniary compensation. such wrongful confiscation.

I have replied that, once a slave has been emancipated and declared free, even illegally, or in consequence of false evidence, or der a misapprehension, it would not be possible for me to replace im in a state of slavery; but that I was prepared to consider each ase on its merits, with a view to pecuniary compensation.

In the following three cases I considered the owners entitled compensation :

1. Bwana Kitini, of Patta.-This man is a member of the old Royal family of Patta and Witu, and when Admiral Fremantle tacked Sultan Fumo Bakari, he and all his slaves fled with that Prince to Jongeni. He, however, shortly afterwards escaped back one to Lamu, made his submission to Her Majesty's Government, nd rendered useful services in assisting in the re-establishment order. In consequence, he received from my predecessor, Charles Euan-Smith, a written promise, which he showed me, [1899-1900. XCII.]

T

to the effect that his property should be excepted from the gener confiscation which was to befall that of all the Witu rebels. H property consisted: (1) of slaves; (2) of guns. When Jongeni w taken, the Administrator, not having in his possession the letter Sir Charles Euan-Smith, or, indeed, any knowledge of it, freed t slaves and seized the arms of Bwana Kitini, it having been decide by Her Majesty's Government to proclaim a general emancipatio of slaves at Jongeni and Pumwani as a punishment to the peop of those places for their murders and acts of rebellion. Bwa Kitini repeatedly protested against his slaves being included this prescription; but as the thing had already been done, there wa no means of going back upon it, and Mr. Rogers did not fe himself authorized to pay him their value, or that of the guns whic had been seized. At length he appealed to me, and produce Sir Charles Euan-Smith's letter, pleading that it was very har that a loyal man who had helped Her Majesty's Government shou lose his slaves like any rebel, notwithstanding the Consul-General written guarantee, and I therefore decided that I had no alternativ but to make good my predecessor's promise. I accordingly requeste Mr. MacDougall to value the slaves as fairly as he could, and pa Bwana Kitini their equivalent in rupees. As regards the guns, was impossible to identify them, and he said that if the value the slaves were paid him he would waive this part of his claim.

2. The second case which came before me was that of Oma bin-Mataka, late Chief of Siu, and of his son, Mahomed-bin-Oma These men were, about three years ago, deported by Captain Roge from Siu, with my approval and that of your Lordship, for the u of seditious language; and all Omar Mataka's property was co fiscated, including a considerable number of slaves and sever sacks of corn and rice. It came to my knowledge afterwards th no regular trial had been held, and that, though Omar-bin-Matal was very probably disaffected to an Administration which ha deposed him from power, there was no evidence of any overt a of sedition on his part. The act which was imputed to him by t Wali of Siu was a refusal to collect and bring in certain guns the possession of his family and retainers on the ground" that the had no guns at all, or they would be using them in fighting t Government." But the Wali, on being subjected to a closer examin tion, admitted to me that he had not heard Omar-bin-Mataka u this expression, but had been told by some one else, whom he cou not specify, that some such words had escaped him. All that Om had said to himself was: "I am no longer Chief of Siu; you a in authority collect my people's guns yourself."

It appeared to me that it was not consistent with British ide of justice to inflict so sweeping a penalty as confiscation of goo

fer so trifling an offence and on such inadequate evidence, and I therefore cancelled the order of deportation made against Omar-binMataka and his son, and permitted them to return to Siu. I at the same time pointed out to the Sub-Commissioner at Lamu that, Although a person known to be disaffected might be deported vithout a formal trial from a place where his disaffection was likely to be dangerous, such a serious penalty as confiscation of goods hould only be inflicted after a regular criminal conviction; and I herefore ordered the restoration to Omar-bin-Mataka of his house Siu and of the value, according to a fair valuation, of his confisated slaves. I declined, however, to compensate him for the loss f his rice and grain, which were not seized by the Government, but tolen from his house after he left them by his slaves, as he ought to ave placed a wakeel in charge; or to indemnify him for wrongful banishment, as I held that it was within our rights as an Administraon to remove him from Siu if we had reason to believe him to be affected and dangerous to Government.

3. The third case was that of a bedridden woman named Fatimaint-Fumo, the widow of a poor Bajoon fisherman, whose only means of subsistence was the labour of six slaves, hired out by her to various owners of plantations at Mkunumbi. It appears that the Headman of these slaves, being anxious to retain all the money which they earned, conspired with a local village Headman near Mkunumbi to make a sworn declaration that they had been illegally equired since the prohibition in Witu of the sale of slaves, and on this evidence Mr. Rogers granted them papers of freedom. These two men afterwards publicly stated-and on being examined before Mr. MacDougall admitted-that they had perjured themselves, and that the slaves were really legally owned by their mistress. I therere, on the application of a relative of Fatima-bint-Fumo, who petitioned me for their restoration to her, gave directions that their value in rupees should be paid to her. I also suggested to Mr. MacDougall that the two Headmen should be heavily fined for the perjury, and the proceeds of the fine employed to recoup the Government for the compensation money paid to the plaintiff.

4. A fourth case which came before me was that of a woman named Mwana Esha, of Lamu, who had inherited certain slaves from her deceased father. The brother of the deceased went to her and asked her to divide these slaves, or the produce of their labour, with himself, threatening that unless she did so he would swear that they had been verbally made "muddabir" by their late owner-a threat which, as she refused his proposal, he eventually carried out, the result being that the slaves were declared free by the Lamu Provincial Court. Mwana Esha contended that this emancipation was invalid, as the Mahommedan law and religion required at least