would be an equitable arrangement in the case of the freed slaves also.

It would be necessary, of course, to protect and watch over the freed slaves, for in very many instances, doubtless their former masters would endeavour, by terrorizing over them, to reduce them to a state of practical slavery, in which their condition would be well nigh as bad as before their liberation.

There is little doubt that after a while the freed slaves, finding that they must remain in the island, and failing to obtain other work, would settle down to agricultural labour especially when it became clear to them they they would receive fair remuneration for their toil. Moreover, the mainland blacks, and especially those along the coast, would probably be willing enough to come and work in Pemba if they were assured that there was no danger of their being enslaved.

Seychelles offers an encouraging example in connection with this question of abolishing slavery, for it has passed successfully through a crisis analogous to that which may be expected to occur in Pemba if the slaves in that island are liberated. The population of Seychelles, apart from the European element, is composed of freed slaves and of their descendants, yet no difficulty is now experienced in getting those people to work as agricultural labourers.

During a visit which I recently paid to Seychelles I had the opportunity of visiting the chief plantations in the archipelago. I observed for myself how thoroughly and well the general work of cultivation is carried out. The planters told me that the negro labourers are in every way satisfactory, and that they are quite competent under supervision, to look after crops such as vanilla, coffee, and cacao, which require especial care, and to prepare the different products for the market. The labourers receive, on an average, 10 rupees per month each for six days' work per week.

The superiority of the free labour in Seychelles as compared with the slave labour in Pemba is very striking. I should say that the Seychelles negro is fully three times more efficient, from an agricultural point of view, than is the Pemba negro under existing conditions, and the chief reason of the difference is undoubtedly that the former is a free man, who receives adequate remuneration for his work, whereas the latter is a slave, who receives no remuneration of any kind for his enforced labour, and whose only stimulus is fear of the stick.

In the event of its being decided by Her Majesty's Government to abolish slavery in Pemba, I would recommend that the owners be paid fair compensation, not only for their slaves liberated, but also for the further loss which they would incur in consequence of their being deprived of the free labour upon which they have

hitherto depended. The latter item of compensation might take the form of a sum of money equivalent to the wages for (say) three or five years of as many free men as there are slaves set free. I have already explained the financial position of the Arabs and the embarrassments by which they are beset; the loss of their slaves, without compensation, would mean absolute ruin to them.

It is doubtless true that the majority of the slaves now in Pemba are held in contravention of the Treaty concluded in 1873 between Her Majesty and Seyyid Barghash, but it must be remembered that no serious attempts were made to enforce its provisions against slave-dealing, and that it remained practically a dead letter so far as Pemba was concerned; furthermore, it is probable that many of the present slave-owners in the island have never even heard of that Treaty. An exception, as regards compensation, might justly be made in the case of slaves acquired since 1890, when Great Britain became the Protecting Power, but those constitute a very small proportion of the total servile population.

It would be necessary, of course, carefully to scrutinize and to verify the statements of the various owners as to the number of slaves respectively held by them should it be decided to award compensation.

It would be undesirable, I consider, to include concubines in whatever scheme of liberation may be decided upon. I have explained the position occupied by those women, and I am confident that the Arabs would strenuously oppose and bitterly resent any

interference with the inmates of their harems.

I do not anticipate that there will be any serious difficulty in carrying out the provisions of a Decree for the abolition of slavery.

It is to be expected, of course, that the attitude of the Arabs will be one of hostility to any such measure; but if compensation be awarded them, and if they know that assistance will be extended to them on the lines which I have indicated in the course of this Report, they are not likely to offer any serious opposition to the freeing of their slaves. I do not think that, in auy case, they are likely to push their opposition to the length of an armed resist

ance.

Doubtless, their position at first will be a trying one; they are certain to experience much difficulty, for a time at least, in procuring labour for the cultivation of their plantations, and this will be the case more especially for those amongst them who have been harsh task-masters in the past. However, the labour difficulty will right itself eventually, and the money paid to the slave-owners as compensation will enable them to tide over the worst of the crisis.

The Arabs have had a good innings in times gone by; in future they will have to pay for labour as other planters elsewhere do, and

they must learn to adapt themselves as best they can to their altered

circumstances.

Pemba, May 30, 1896.

ORDINANCE of the Government of Trinidad, with regard to

Immigration.

[No. 13.]

(L.S.) ARTHUR Gordon.

[June 13, 1870.]

WHEREAS it is expedient that the Ordinances with regard to immigration should be amended and consolidated in one Ordinance : Be it enacted by his Excellency the Governor of Trinidad, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council, as follows:

Repeal of Ordinances.

1. The several Ordinances mentioned in the Schedule (A) to this Ordinance shall be, and the same are, hereby repealed, save and except so far as regards any appointment made under the said Ordinances or either of the same, and save also and except so far as regards all existing engagements to labour and the payment of any duties now due and owing to Her Majesty, and all fines and penalties incurred under the said Ordinances or either of the same, all which engagements to labour may be enforced, and all such duties, fines and penalties shall and may be sued for and recovered under this Ordinance.

Interpretation.

2. Throughout this Ordinance the following words and expressions shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them, if not inconsistent with the context or subject matter, that is to say :—

(a.) Words importing one number or one gender shall mean respectively both numbers and both genders;

(b.) The expression "Her Majesty" shall mean Her Majesty, her heirs and successors;

(c.) The expression "Agent-General of Immigrants" shall include any Sub-Agent or Inspector of Immigrants appointed or to be appointed by the Governor ;

(d.) The expression "Emigration Agent" shall include any person appointed or to be appointed by the Governor to act as Emigration Agent or Sub-Agents;

(e.) The word "immigrant" shall mean all immigrants (not

being liberated Africans) already introduced, or who may hereafter be introduced into this Colony at the expense of this Colony, or of the Imperial Government, or for whose introduction, although the same may be under private contract, the Colony may hereafter pay bounty;

(f) The expression "Indian immigrant" shall mean immigrant who shall have been introduced from the British possessions in the East Indies;

(g.) The words "female immigrants" shall include all female immigrants introduced since the 1st day of May, 1865, or who may be hereafter introduced into this Colony at the expense of this Colony, or of the Imperial Government, or for whose introduction, although the same may be under private contract, the Colony may pay bounty;

(h.) The word "indenture" shall include all contracts of service declared to be valid by this Ordinance;

(i) The expression "indentured immigrant" shall mean any immigrant now under indenture or who may hereafter be indentured under this Ordinance, and who shall not have completed his industrial residence, or who, having completed his industrial residence, shall have been indentured for a further term of industrial residence; (.) The word "employer" shall mean the proprietor or manager, or other person having the direction of or the chief authority upon any plantation or farm on which any immigrant shall be employed; (k.) The word "month" shall mean calendar month;

(7.) The word "vessel" shall include all schooners, droghers, flats, punts, scows, boats, canoes, corials, rafts or other craft;

(m.) The word "prison" shall include any lock-up house, prison, cell, or other duly authorized place of detention;

(n.) The word "keeper" shall mean the keeper or other officer having the charge of any such prison.

PART II.-General Register of Immigrants and their Inspection and Treatment on Arrival.

3. All entries heretofore made in the general register of immigrants shall be valid, and all engagements to labour, assignments to labour, assignments of services and certificates heretofore made and granted, and all matters and things done heretofore under or by virtue of any or either of the said Ordinances, shall be and continue in force in the same manner as if this Ordinance had not been passed.

4. The Agent-General of Immigrants shall continue to keep the general register of immigrants, and shall insert therein the names of all immigrants arriving in the Colony, and shall number each of

such immigrants by a particular number, commencing from the last number already borne on such register, and proceeding by regular numerical progression, and shall distinguish therein under different heads the number, name, age, sex, and country of every such immigrant, and the time when, and the place from which, and the vessel in which such immigrant shall have arrived, and the cost of the passage of such immigrant, and whether such immigrant is or is not entitled to a return passage, and the name of the employer or other person at whose expense such labourer shall have been introduced, and of the employer to whom he may be indentured on his arrival, and of the amount of moneys, if any, which may have been advanced to such immigrant previous to his arrival in the Colony.

5. The Governor may from time to time by Proclamation name the ports or places from which immigration on bounty into this Colony shall be permitted, and the rates of bounty payable on the immigrants, and the conditions under which such immigration may be carried on.

6. All immigrants brought into this Colony under the authority of this Ordinance shall be inspected at such place and by such medical practitioner as the Governor may from time to time appoint, and such medical practitioner shall set aside all such of the immigrants as, from their age or state of health, shail appear to him to be unfit to be indentured, and the immigrants so set aside. shall be sent to the Colonial Hospital or otherwise provided for until they shall be fit to be indentured, or can be sent back to their own country; and the expense of maintaining and treating such immigrants at the Colonial Hospital, or otherwise providing for the same, and the charge of the medical practitioner for his inspection of such immigrants (such charge to be allowed by the Governor), shall be borne by and paid from the funds applicable to immigration.

7. If any immigrants shall not on their arrival be immediately provided with employment, the Agent-General of Immigrants shall provide them with food and lodging until the means of earning their own subsistence can be procured for them, and shall in the meantime employ them in such manner as the Governor may from time to time direct, and the cost of such food and lodging shall be borne by and paid from the funds applicable to immigration.

8. If any labourer arriving in this Colony from Madeira, the Azores, the Canaries, or the Cape de Verd Islands, or from any part of Europe, or of the West Indies, or of the United States, or of the British Provinces of North America, or from any port or place from which immigration on bounty shail have been permitted by such Proclamation as aforesaid, shall, before his arrival, have contracted