n VJ V' At 'H r ^ u 6 . r t TRIPOLI, TUNIS, ALGERIA AND MOROCCO. REPORT TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE ^ritisf) ttiib /oreign fliituSCaoeri) Socictg, ^ BY HENRY GURNEY, F.R.G.S., AND CHARLES H. ALLEN, F.R.G.S., Secretary to the Society. XonDon: BRITISH AND FOREIGN ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY, 55, New Broad Street, E.C. 1892. Zbc Biittsb aub jforetgn Bnti**Slaver^ Society. H.R.H. The PRINCE of WALES. PRESIDENT. VICE-PRESIDENT. ARTHUR PEASE, Esq. EDMUND STURGE, Esq. TREASURER. JOSEPH ALLEN, Esq. COMM ARTHUR ALBRIGHT, Esq. J. G. ALEXANDER, Esq., LL.B. WILLIAM ALLEN, Esq. W. WILBERFORCE BAYNES, Esq. G. BINYON, Esq. J. BEVAN BRAITHWAITE, Esq. Sir T. FOWELL BUXTON, Bart. SYDNEY BUXTON, Esq., M.P. JAMES CLARK, Esq. J. V.CRAWFORD, Esq., late Consul in Cuba. Dr. R. N. CUST, F.R.G.S. R. W. FELKIN, Esq., M.D., F.R.G.S. Sir FREDERIC GOLDSMID, K.C.S.I. HENRY GURNEY, Esq. D. HACK, Esq. EDWARD HARRISON, Esq. JAMES HENDERSON, Esq. ITTEE. CALEB R. KEMP, Esq. JAMES LONG, Esq., M.A. ALFRED E. PEASE, Esq., M.P. ARNOLD PYE-SMITH, Esq. FRANCIS RECKITT, Esq. J. FYFE STEWART, Esq. Rev. R. WARDLAW THOMPSON. Dr. E. UNDERHILL. Rev. HORACE WALLER, F.R.G.S. W. H. WARTON, Esq. Rev. j. O. WHITEHOUSE. FREDERICK WHEELER, Esq. Rev. j. H. WILSON D.D. W. H. WYLDE, Esq., C.M.G. (late of the Foreign Office Slave-Trade Departmenf). Rev. j. C. YARBOROUGH, Chislehurst. CORRESPONDING MEMBERS. G. T. ABRINES, Esq., Tangier, Morocco. FRANK ALLEN, Esq., Alexandria. FRED. ARNOT, Esq., S.W. Africa. B. R. BALFOUR, Esq., Drogheda. Hon. H. A. BOVELL, LL.B., Barbadoes. Commander V. L. CAMERON, R.N., C.B. Rev. H. CLARK, Jamaica. Dr. DUTRIEUX BEY, Paris. Prof. H. DRUMMOND, F.R.S.E., Glasgow. EMIN PASHA, Equatorial Africa. Wm. galea, Esq., British Vice-Consul, Sousse, Tunis. WILLIAM HARVEY, Esq., Leeds. ROBERT DRUMMOND HAY, Esq., H.B.M. Consul-General, Tunis. H. H. JOHNSTON, C.B., H.B.M. Consul- General Mozambique, and Commissioner Nyassaland. Senor a. R. JURADO, London. His Eminence CARDINAL LAVIGERIE. DR.F.L.de GUZMAN LOBO,Rio de Janeiro. The Venerable Archdeacon MAPLES. NOEL TEMPLE MOORE, Esq., C.M.G., H.B.M. Consul-General, Tripoli. WILLIAM MORGAN, Esq., Birmingham. G. MOYNIER, Esq., Geneva. Senhor JOAQUIM NABUCO, late Member of the Brazilian Parliament. J. A. PAYNE, Esq., Lagos, W. Africa. Senhor A. REBOUCAS, Lisbon. Dr. GERHARD ROHLFS, Weimar. Dr. A. M. ROSS, Toronto. Rev. A. V. SCHELTEMA, Amsterdam. Dr. G. SCHWEINFURTH, Cairo. Rev. LAWRENCE SCOTT, late of Nyassa. Don LUIS SORELA, Spain. JOSEPH THOMSON, Esq., Dumfries. M. LE Comte D'URSEL, Brussels. Rev. E. VANORDEN, Rio Grande do Sul. M. COURTOIS DE VICOSE, Toulouse. J. G. WHITTIER, Esq.,“ U.S.A. Rev. j. williams, Nyassa. LEONARD K. WILSON, Esq., Brussels. A. B. WYLDE, Esq., Suakin. SECRETARY. CHARLES H. ALLEN, F.R.G.S. Assistant Secretary : J. EASTOE TEALL. Financial and Travelling Agent: FREDK. C. BANKS. JSanfierB: Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton & Co., 54, Lombard Street. Offices: 55. NEW BROAD STREET, LONDON, E.C. TRIPOLI, TUNIS, ALGERIA, AND MOROCCO. Report of Messrs. Henry Gurney and Charles H. Allen to the Committee of the Britieb anb foreign Hnti^Slaver^ Societi^^ London, 3^^/ February^ 1892, Gentlemen, In accordance with the instructions issued bv the j Committee, at their meeting in December last, we left London by the P. & O, Steamer Carthage on the 17th of that month, and arrived at Malta on Christmas-Day. Thence we proceeded by steamer to Tripoli, and afterwards by coasting steamer to Tunis, calling on the way at several little-frequented African ports, where we had interviews with English Vice-Consuls, and others, from whom we obtained some valuable information respecting Slavery in Tunis. From Tunis we proceeded by steamer to Algiers, calling at a number of other ports ; and as there is no Slavery in Algeria, we only remained one day at the chief city, proceeding by rail to Oran, where we immediately took steamer for Tangier. At Oran we received a telegram ordering us home in time for the Committee meeting, February 5th, owing to the illness of the venerable Vice-President of the Society, Mr. Edmund Sttirge, who would be unable to be present. We were able to conform to this summons, and vet devote a week to our work in Morocco, where, through the kindly aid of Sir Charles Euan-Smith, Her Majesty’s Minister- Plenipotentiary at Tangier, we obtained an amount of valuable information, which, without such assistance, could hardly have been gathered in so short a time. 4 Following the precedent of former similar deputations, we have divided the information we have been able to obtain into separate headings, which will perhaps make it more suitable for the Anti-Slavery Reporter. We have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, HENRY GURNEY, CHAS. H. ALLEN. TRIPOLI. At Tripoli we were received with great kindness by Her Majesty’s Consul- General, Mr. Noel Moore, a gentleman whose long experience in the East, and perfect knowledge of Turkish and Arabic, enables him to deal personally with all Slaves who apply to him for freedom. As a matter of fact, however, such applications are now seldom necessary, because the present Turkish Governor of the Province of Tripoli proper, Ahmed Ressim Pasha, is an extremely liberal-minded man, who has not only put a stop to the arrival of Slave caravans, but has proclaimed that he will issue papers of freedom to any Slave applying to him. Mr. Consul Moore took us to see the Governor, who received us in the most gracious manner, offering us coffee and cigarettes, and conversing freely in French respecting the object of our mission. His Excellency informed us that there was no Slave-trade in his Province, and when we suggested that we had heard that a considerable traffic was still carried on between Tripoli and Constantinople, he stated that he was aware of this traffic, but it was not from his Province of Tripoli. On the opposite side of the Gulf the towns of Bengazi and Derna, which are out of his jurisdiction, being under another Governor, he admitted were still implicated in the Slave-trade, and this was confirmed by Her Majesty’s Consul. It fortunately happened that a negro had that morning applied to the Governor for manumission papers, and His Excellency sent for the man, and presented him to us, together with his papers of freedom, signed and sealed by the Governor. He was also good enough to give us a blank copy of his manu¬ mission papers, to which, at our request, he affixed his official seal. See page 8. It may be remembered that since the meeting of the Brussels Conference the Sultan of Turkey has given orders that Houses of Refuge for both men and women Slaves should be erected at Tripoli, Bengazi, Derna, Hodei- dah, and Jeddah, as well as at one of the principal ports in Syria. Plis Excellency was anxious to inform us that he had complied with the Sultan’s order by hiring a large house in Tripoli for the reception of 5 freed women Slaves, after the manner adopted by the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society at their Slave Home in Cairo. We asked His Excellency to allow us to visit this Home, but he stated that, owing to the fanaticism of the people, it would scarcely be expedient for Christians to be seen entering the house. Mr. Consul Moore subsequently took us a walk through the city, and conducted us past the Slave Home, so that we were able to see that it was a substantial roomy building. Before leaving Tripoli we were able to make an arrangement, through the kind assistance of Mr. Consul Moore, for a visit to be paid to Bengazi and Derna by a qualified agent, so soon as the navigation opened, as no steamers run to those ports during the winter season. This arrangement will be laid before the Committee at its next meeting for confirmation ; should it approve the steps taken, and, as the cost will be small, it can mainly be defrayed from the special fund provided for the expenses of our mission. Our visit to Tripoli has afforded us much satisfaction, as we have reason to believe that Tripoli itself and the western portion of the province is now free from implication in the Slave-trade, unless it be the smuggling of small bodies across the frontier ; but, on the other hand, we regret to find that a considerable Slave-trade is carried on in the eastern portion of this part of the Turkish dominions, and we trust that the attention of our Government will be again called to this flagrant breach of the treaty engagements of Turkey and their own Firmans, as given below. A notice of the visit of your Deputation appeared in The Times of 14th January, 1892, under date, Tripoli, December 31st, 1891. Jfirmans, voitb respect to ITinpolt* 1848, April and September. Vizirial letters to Pasha of Tripoli prohibited public functionaries from holding Slaves. 1850, November 13. A Vizirial letter prohibited embarkation of Slaves on board of Government vessels. 1855, March 18. A Vizirial letter to the Pasha of Tripoli, ordered the cessation of the Slave-trade between Africa and Candia. 1857. A Firman, addressed to the Pasha of Egypt, the Governors- General of Tripoli and Bagdad, forbade all importation of Slaves from Western Tripoli after eight weeks in interior of Africa, six weeks in Mediterranean, and three months in the Persian Gulf. All Slaves arriving after those dates were to be liberated. Slaves arriving before the date of the Firman were not to be sold. This Firman did not apply to the Hedjaz ; but it was sent to the authorities of twenty-three Turkish possessions in the Archipelago and Mediterranean. 6 1858. Vizirial letters to the Pasha of Tripoli and Kaimakam of Bengazi ordered the suppression of the Slave-trade at Bengazi. 1858, November 17. A letter to the Pasha of Tripoli West ordered the enforcement of the Firman of January, 1857- 1859, October. Letters to the Governor-General of Tripoli and the Pasha of Salonica ordered an enquiry in all cases of negroes leaving Tripoli West, for the purpose of ascertaining if they were free or not. All Slaves arriving to be set free. 1869, June 3. Governor of Tripoli instructed to prevent traffic in negro Slaves. CTbc flDebiterranean Slave^^ITrabe* Correspondence relating to Breach of Firmans. M. Catalani to the Marquis of Salisbury. (Received July 4). London, June 25, 1889. My Lord,— In pursuance of instructions received from his Excellency, Signor Crispi, I have the honour to transmit to your Excellency, copy of a report from His Majesty’s Consul-General in Tripoli, respecting the Slave- trade on the Barbary coast. His Majesty’s Consul states that the places where the Slaves are collected are Ogila and Gialo, and that the ports of embarkation for the coast of Asia Minor are those between Derna and Solum. T. CATALANI. Signor Grande to Signor Crispi. Tripoli, June 8, 1889. The English gun-boat Captain Neville, 115 men and four guns, put in here from Malta, Goletta, and Sfax, and left yesterday for Havas, Bengazi and Derna. The recent presence of such English ships in Barbary ports is due to the black Slave-trade. It is, however, difficult to carry on that trade along those shores, as they are under almost constant supervision. At present the only places where these poor wretches can be collected are Ogila and Gialo, and the places where they are embarked for the coasts of Asia Minor are those from Derna to Solum. That is the region where a cruiser should be stationed, L(?., between Alexandria and the Cirennica, in order to catch the small sailing-boats which leave those solitary shores for Asia Minor. GRANDE. 7 Report by Consul Cameron. Bengazi, May ii, 1889. The Slave-trade in this district is due to Slaves having been brought up by caravans from Wada'i and Darfour to Ojila, whence they are spread over this province as domestic Slaves, and a minority are shipped on the coast for other parts of Turkey. At Ojila the Turks have a colonel, a civil tax-gatherer, and some fifty police, for the collection of the tax on palm trees. This small force appears to be quite unable to check the Slave traflBc in that oasis. Practically, every Bedouin who owns a camel or a piece of land owns one or more Slaves. The same is true of the town Arabs. Nearly every house has its male or female Slaves. Owing to neglect and ill-treatment, more than 100 domestic Slaves appeal annually to this consulate. The consulate shelters the refugees in a Slave Home, and obtains their freedom from the Governor. During the past quarter thirty-six Slaves have thus been freed. H^omes for jfrecb Slavee, Constantinople, Feb. 8, 1891. “ The project recommended some time ago by the British Embassy, and recently approved by the Council of Ministers, of establishing homes for enfranchised negro Slaves, has just been sanctioned in principle by the Sultan. Although the traffic in black Slaves is not yet entirely abolished, the Imperial Government is anxious for its suppression throughout the Empire, and the need for such institutions as those contemplated becomes apparent when it is stated that the majority of enfranchised negroes become re-enslaved even after receiving their certificates of manumission, and contrary to the Con¬ vention respecting the Slave-trade. “ It is proposed to establish the homes in the districts of Bengazi, Tripoli, Jeddah, and Hodeida, as well as in Constantinople, and, in future, the freed Slaves will be sheltered in these asylums, and, in conformity with special regulations already in force, will be cared for at the cost of the State. Pro¬ vision will also be made for the children of negroes received at the homes. The boys will be admitted to the primary professional schools or to the military bands, while the girls will be assisted to obtain situations as domestic servants. In sanctioning these measures, the Sultan, taking into considera¬ tion the fact that the offspring of negro parents cannot become acclimatised in temperate regions, and seldom survive, has ordered that enfranchised Slaves who are married shall be sent to homes which are to be built as required on the State lands at Smyrna.” 8 ^ripolK Fac-simile of Liberation Paper. ^ Wi Jr t/i The above is fac-simile of a Manumission Paper handed to us by the Governor of Tripoli {see page 4), with the official seal specially attached at our request. Any of our friends who understand Turkish will be able to read the contents of the document which has gladdened the heart of many a poor Slave in Tripoli, and which is constantly being used at the present time. Henry Gurney—Charles H. Allen. 9 TUNISIA. As already noticed, we landed at several ports between Tripoli and Tunis, at some of which the steamer remained several hours. These included Sfax, Mahidia, Monastir, Gabes, and Sousse or Susa, ports little frequented by Europeans, but all of them garrisoned by French troops. Here we saw many natives, who are engaged, more or less, in bringing Esparto grass to the ports for shipment to France and England for paper-making. We had interviews with different Vice-Consuls, and from one of these, Mr. William Galea, of Sousse, we obtained valuable information as to the cessation of the Slave- trade under French protection. Of this we shall speak further in describing our work in the City of Tunis. We appointed Mr. William Galea Corresponding Member of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, subject to the confirmation of the Committee. CITY OF TUNIS .—At this port we remained nearly a week, awaiting a steamer to carry us on our way to Morocco. The English Consul-General at Tunis, Mr. Robert Drummond Hay, is not unknown to the Society we had the honour to represent, for not only is he son of Sir John Drummond Hay, late Minister in Morocco, but he was British Consul at Mogador from 1875 to 1879, during which time he was favourably known to the Society by his outspoken and truthful despatches respecting the Slave-trade. Mr. Consul-General Drummond Hay received your Deputation with great cordiality, and personally presented them to M. Regnault, then Acting Resident-General for France. This gentleman expressed the greatest willingness to show the Deputation how the question of Slavery now stands in Tunisia, where he assured us the Slave-trade no longer exists, and this was confirmed by Her Majesty’s Consul. Our introduction by M. Regnault to M. Roy, Secretary-General of the Tunisian Government, and his native colleague, Mahomed Hassan, who has had a large experience in Egypt, and speaks French with great fluency, enabled us to inspect the books and papers relating to the liberation of Slaves. These papers, and the information received from the above-named gentleman, show that in the matter of dealing with Slavery in Mohammedan countries, the French are able to give us a few hints that we might well be content to follow. For instance, in the matter of Registration, which General Gordon continually urged our Government to adopt in Egypt. The French in Tunis have not only carried out this plan but have added to it the handing to every Slave papers of manumission, which he or she is bound to carry always about the person in order that they may be produced whenever asked for. Should a Slave be challenged by any official and unable to produce the papers of freedom, the master of such Slave would be brought before the Court and severely punished, unless he could prove that it was not through any fault of his. Even the difficulties presented by the hareem system, which we have always been told are insurmountable, have been overcome in Tunisia, 10 where the impenetrable veil which covers the women’s apartments has been lifted for the purposes of justice. A band of ladies, and of negro women, have formed a Society for procuring information as to hareem Slaves, and to them Slave women who have to make complaints of ill-treatment, or who wish to be set free, can always apply, and cases are reported of any women Slaves known to be without their papers of freedom. During the sitting of the Brussels Conference, the Bey of Tunis issued a Decree in May, 1890, confirming the former Decree of 1846, and adding im¬ portant clauses thereto, and in April, 1891, a circular was issued to the Caids (or Governors) of the Province respecting the carrying out of the Decree above alluded to. By the courtesy of the British Consul-General, we were able to obtain copies of the official Tunisian journal of those dates, translations of which we append hereto. Decrees, (^From the Journal Officiel, Tunisicn, of 2gth May, i 8 go.) Decree of 9 Chaoual, 1307, or 28 May, 1890. Praise be to God ! We, Ali Pacha Bey, Possessor of the Kingdom of Tunis : In view of the Decree of Our glorious predecessor, SiDi Ahmed Bey, of 25 Moharrem, 1262 (23 January, 1846), declaring that for the highest considera¬ tions of religion, humanity, and policy. Slavery shall no longer be recognised throughout the Regency : Considering that, since then, special orders of our predecessors have suppressed the Slave markets, have decreed that all those who had come into the Regency as Slaves should be set at liberty, and that the Caids should, under the severest penalties, report to the Government any act of Slavery of which they might have cognizance: In view, specially, of the Circular of our Prime Minister, dated 5 Redeb, 1304, (29 June, 1887), addressed to the Caids by our order, and renewing these prescriptions : Considering that We esteem it an honour to associate ourselves with the noble ideas which inspired the Decree of 23 January, 1846, and that it cannot fail to be beneficial to unite in one only the several regulations now existing which prohibit and punish Slavery in our States, We have decreed as follows :— Article /. Slavery does not exist, and is prohibited throughout the Regency. Every human being, without distinction of nationality or colour, is free, and has the right to appeal to the laws and to the magistrates, if he considers himself wronged. Article IL Within three months from the promulgation of this Decree, all persons in our States who have negroes or negresses in domestic service, must, if they have not already done so, furnish each of them with a notarial deed, countersigned by the Cadi, or, failing him, by the Caid or his repre¬ sentative, at the master’s cost, certifying that the manservant or maidservant is free. II Article III. Infractions of the foregoing Article will be punished by the French or the Native Courts, according to the nationality of the culprit, by a fine of from 200 to 2,000 piastres. Article IV. Any person convicted of having bought, sold, or detained as a Slave any human being, shall be condemned to imprisonment for from three months to three years. Article V. Article 463 of the French Penal Code will be applied to the offences and infractions mentioned in this Decree. Article 58 of the same Code will be applied in case of a second offence. Seen for promulgation, and to be put in force, Tunis, 29 May, 1890. (Signed) J. MASSICAULT, Minister Plenipotentiary and Resident-General of the French Republic. (From the Journal Officiel Tunisien, of 23 April, i8gi.) The Prime Minister’s Circular to the Caids (Governors) of the Regency. By my Circular, published in the Journal Officiel of 9 Kada, 1307 (26 June, 1890), I gave you instructions for carrying out the Decree of His Highness the Bey, dated 9 Chaoual 1307, proscribing Slavery in the Regency. Article II. of that Decree ordains that all persons who have negroes and negresses in domestic service must furnish each of them with a notarial document certifying that they are free. I have been informed that some persons, having negroes and negresses in their service, have executed the notarial deed required by the Decree of 9 Chaoual 1307, but have not handed it to the interested parties. In order to point out more clearly the intentions of the Decree of 9 Chaoual 1307, and to insure its execution, I have, by order of my august master, decided as follows :— Tbe notarial documents prescribed by Article II. of that Decree, as soon as they are drawn up, are to be handed to the servants in whose names they are made out, to be kept by them and shown to the authorities when required. The notaries who draw up these certificates of freedom must attest, by a marginal note on the registry of these documents, that the certificates have been duly delivered to the parties interested, so that, should the original be lost by the servant, it can be proved that it was given to him. I beg you will pay strict attention to the carrying out of these instructions, the receipt of which you will take care to acknowledge. Tunis, 23 April, 1891. {Signed) MOHAMED EL AZIR BOU ATTOUR. {From the Journal Officiel Tunisien, of 2()th May, 1890.) Prime Minister’s Circular to the Magistrates of the Chraa in Tunis. By my Circular published in the Official Journal of the Regency, of the 9th Kada, 1307 (26 June, 1890), I have given you instructions for the execution of the Decree of His Highness the Bey, dated 9th Chaoual, 1307, proscribing Slavery in the Regency. Article II. of that Decree ordains that all persons who have negroes and negresses in domestic service must furnish each of them with a notarial document certifying that they are free. 12 I have been informed that some persons, having negroes and negresses in their service, have executed the notarial deed required by the Decree of 9 Chaoual, 1307, but have not handed it to the interested parties. In order to point out more clearly the intentions of the Decree of 9 Chaoual, 1307, and to ensure its execution, theCaids (Governors) have been requested to assure themselves personally that the certificates of freedom have been delivered to the servants in whose names they have been made out, as soon as drawn up, and to intimate to these servants that they must exhibit their certificates to the authorities of the Regency whenever they are required to do so. It has been also decided that the transmission of these documents to the servants should be officially authenticated by a formal declaration on their part. This declara¬ tion must be received gratis by the notaries who draw up the certificates, and recorded by them on the margin of the minute of the certificate which they keep. I have addressed a Circular on this subject to the Caids (Governors) and the Cadis (Judges) of the Regency, and have given them the requisite instructions. I particularly request you will communicate the contents of this letter to the notaries of Tunis, and see that they adhere to these decisions. Tunis, 23 April, 1891. {Signed) MOHAMED EL AZIZ BOU ATTOUR. {From the Journal Officiel Tufiisien, of 2^th May, 1890.) Circular of the Prime Minister to the Cadis (Judges) of the Regency, By my Circular published in the Official Journal of the Regency, of the 9th Kada 1307 (26 June, 1890), I have given you instructions for the execution of the Decree Oi His Highness the Bey, dated 9th Chaoual, 1307, proscribing Slavery in the Regency. Article II. of that Decree ordains that all persons who have negroes and negresses in domestic service must furnish each of them with a notarial document certifying that they are free. I have been informed that some persons, having negroes and negresses in their service, have executed the notarial deed required by the Decree of 9 Chaoual, 1307, but have not handed it to the interested parties. In order to point out more clearly the intentions of the Decree of 9 Chaoual, 1307, and to ensure its execution, the Caids (Governors) have been requested to assure themselves personally that the certificates of freedom have been delivered to the servants in whose names they have been made out, as soon as drawn up, and to intimate to these servants that they must exhibit their certificates to the authorities of the Regency whenever they are required to do so. It has also been decided that the transmission of these documents to the servant should be officially authenticated by a formal declaration on their part. This declara¬ tion must be received gratis by the notaries who draw up the certificates, and recorded by them on the margin of the minute of the certificate which they keep. I beg you to give the necessary instructions to the notaries within your juris¬ diction to carry out this decision, and I request you to watch over its faithful observance. Please to acknowledge receipt of this Circular. Tunis, 23 April, 1891. {Signed) MOHAMED EL AZIZ BOU ATTOUR. Mr. Consul-General R. Drummond Hay consented to accept the position of Corresponding Member of the Anti-Slavery Society, which we offered him in the name of the Committee. A detailed notice ofottr visit to Tunis appeared in ^^The Times ” ofibth Janitary. 13 MOROCCO. On our way to Tangier, as described above, we called upon Cardinal Lavigerie at his residence, in Algiers, and were grieved to find that His Eminence was too ill to receive visitors. In fact, from what we heard from our own Consul and from Pere Livinhac, late of Uganda, whom we had the pleasure of seeing, we have reason to fear that His Eminence is very seriously unwell. We had a very pleasant interview, in Algiers, with Sir Lambert Play¬ fair, K.C.M.G., British Consul-General for Algeria, who assured us that there were no Slaves in that province, which speaks well for the action of the French Government in that colony. As our presence was not required in Algiers, we only remained one night, leaving the next day for Morocco. In that country, as previously stated, our time was limited, and, moreover, the weather was extremely unfavourable, being very wet and cold, during most of our stay. The whole country had been excited by a threatened attack of the tribes upon Tangier, but this danger was averted by the presence of five warships, which we found at anchor in the bay, and by the consent of the Sultan to remove the obnoxious Governor. Colonel Sir Charles Euan-Smith, Her Majesty’s Minister Plenipotentiary in Morocco, showed us much hospitality, and gave us valuable information respecting the present condition of Morocco, and the difficulties that lay in the way of rescuing that crumbling empire from the state of anarchy into which it has fallen. His Excellency also promised that the question of the Slave-trade should engage his earnest attention. We received much valuable assistance from Mr. Lutaif, a devoted young Syrian, whose knowledge of Arabic we found extremely helpful. This young man is at present engaged in a benevolent mission to the poorer Moors, in Tangier, under the auspices of our friend. Miss Charlotte Hanbury, who has made frequent journeys to Morocco, and is deeply interested in the welfare of the people. With Mr. Lutaif’s ready assistance, and also that of young Mr. Carleton, we were able to hold conversations with various notable persons, especially Sid Torres, Minister for Foreign Affairs, also with the recently appointed Governor of Tangier, and one of the prisoners in the Kasbah, whose capture and incarceration greatly tended to produce the insurrection of the tribes. We also had the pleasure of an interview with Mr. Mackintosh, Agent for the British and Foreign Bible Society, and an old resident in Tangier, who gave us much valuable information. We reprint from The Times of February 4th and February 12th, 1892, a sketch of the present condition of Morocco, and a summary of our work during our stay in that country, which was written for that journal by a member of your Deputation. In the present unsettled state of the country, it may be better not to enlarge further 14 upon the difficulties which exist in finding a modus operandi for the solution of one of the most knotty questions of the time. Tangier, January 25/^, 1892. Insurrection of the Tribes. The insurrection of the tribes in the vicinity of this town having been quietly suppressed by the wise consent of the Sultan to appoint another Governor, or Basha, and to dismiss the one who had become obnoxious to the people, as stated in my telegram to The Times on Tuesday last, it may be well to review the state of things which has produced this ebullition of feeling, and to say a few words on the present condition of the Empire of Morocco. What has lately occurred here and has produced so much unfounded alarm in the capitals of Europe is only one of a series of events, which, with more or less intensit)' of feeling, take place every few months in some portion of this country. The discontent of the people is usually produced by the exactions of the Governor, or other constituted authority. This official receives no pay from his Government, but, on the contrary, he pays to the Sultan a very large sum—amounting, it is said, in the case of the Governor of Tangier, just dismissed, to $50,000 10,000). The natural result of this vicious state of things is that the Governor considers it his business, not to administer justice, but to recoup himself for the great outlay he has incurred, and to amass a fortune beyond the sum paid. The process is perfectly understood here, and is called “ squeezing ”—even the very poor not being spared. It is unnecessary to describe how this is carried on, excepting that real claims are doubled or trebled, and false ones are constantly made, the non-payment of which subjects the unfortunate debtor to incar¬ ceration in the abominable prisons of this country, and, in the more remote districts, to flogging and other torture, very often resulting in death. In many cases, where the Governor is of humane and judicious temperament, these exactions are not made too oppressive or continuous, and the people submit to what they know cannot be avoided ; but it often happens that the ruler of the town or province is—like many men at home—in too great haste to become rich, and the patience of the people at length becomes exhausted. Then arise insurrections against the constituted authority, and the refusal to be squeezed any more. The usual mode of dealing with such insurrections is for the Sultan to march a large army into the disaffected districts, and to lay waste the country with fire and sword—indeed, it is said that a great part of his Majesty’s time is taken up by this kind of work. When such events take place in the interior, Europe looks on with comparative indifference, and the people are harried at the will of their Sovereign. It became, however, a very different matter when the Governor of Tangier produced, by his exactions and cruelty, a rising of the tribes. These tribes are mostly warlike mountaineers, and are not men to be created with indifference. Moreover, in Tangier there exists no garrison worthy of the 15 name, nor police or other force, and it would be impossible for the Sultan, at this season of the year, to despatch a large arm}^ to the threatened town, so that the Kabyles, if left to themselves, would have had an easy victory. But Tangier is not a merely Moorish city. European interests are there predominant, whilst residents and visitors from almost all countries are to be found within its walls. The Spanish colony alone numbers six or seven thousand persons, many of them of the very lowest class, and almost all obnoxious to the Moors. Had a rising taken place in the city, in response to an attack by the tribes, it is considered probable that most of the Spaniards would have been slaughtered, for Spain has no power to protect her subjects here. Fortunately, however, there never existed any actual danger to life, for Colonel Sir Charles Euan-Smith, her Britannic Majesty’s Minister in Morocco, promptly realizing the situation, arranged for the ironclad, Thunderer^ then lying at Gibraltar, to cross over and anchor under the walls of Tangier. Her presence at once allayed the fears of the European inhabitants, and also convinced the chiefs of the hostile tribes, who are reasonable and intelligent men, that a force was now present against which it would be useless for them to contend. The representatives of the other Powers quickly followed the example of the British Minister, so that, at the present moment, we have five of these formidable monsters lying in Tangier Bay. The Sultan, in his capital at Fez, also took the hint and sent an order for the deposition of the Governor, whose successor has since arrived and is now installed peaceably in the Kasbah, or capitol, where I have had an interview with him. What will be the fate of the unfortunate official who has raised this storm it would not be safe to predict ; but he certainly appears to have no sympathizers in this place. The Future of Morocco. It may be well here to say a few words about the condition of this great empire, the capabilities of which are so vast, but so entirely ignored. Here we have a country, within four or five days steam of London, and not more than nine or ten miles from Europe, with an area not much less than that of Spain, and a soil of marvellous fertility, which produces almost nothing for the use of the civilised world, and why ? Simply because there is no law nor justice in the country, nor are there any roads or means of communica¬ tion, so that everything has to be carried by beasts of burden or by men, and trade has thus been reduced to a whilst the export of wheat is either prohibited or rendered impossible by exorbitant duties. And yet Morocco could grow sufficient grain to feed half Europe. The Morocco question has long been imminent, and cannot probably remain much longer in its present unsettled condition. Europe cannot afford to have her peace perpetually threatened by a barbarous neighbour, who obstinately resists every attempt to introduce the civilising influences of commerce and the amelioration of her benighted and barbarous people. The i6 anomaly presented by this country is extraordinary. Here, within three hours of Gibraltar, we see the representatives of nearly every country in Europe ; but they are all cooped up within the walls of Tangier, or just outside them. Behind them lies a vast and fertile empire, from which they are almost entirely cut off. An occasional visit to the Court is the only intercourse kept up between the fanatical ruler of this empire and the repre¬ sentatives of the civilised Powers, every one of whom is only received by this potentate on foot, whilst he himself sits on horseback, as a sign of superior position. Nor is it too much to say that in Tangier itself the foreign representatives have, for the past forty years, been more closely engaged in seeing that no one Power gained any undue advantage, than in striving for the development of the country, and the improvement of its poor down-trodden inhabitants. No one must get a footing in Morocco, is the watchword that appears to have animated the whole diplomatic body. It is not my duty to make any forecast as to the future of this long- neglected, but very valuable portion of North Africa, though it may not be amiss to state a few of the evils which at present remain virtually unchecked. Among these may be mentioned the indefensible system of the indiscriminate protection to natives granted by European Ministers. Although something may be said in favour of a very restricted form of protection, without which business could scarcely be carried on in a country without any form of law, its abuse has long become a crying evil. Every man who receives protection under a foreign flag is virtually no longer a subject of the Sultan. He does not contribute one cent towards the necessary taxes of the realm, nor can he be made liable to serve as a soldier. Moreover, every protected native has the power—and very often wields it—of making false claims upon unprotected natives, who, at his instigation, may be thrown into prison, whence they do not emerge until they have paid the uttermost farthing to their unjust creditor. It is a notorious fact that the issue of protection papers has been scandalously abused, officials of various kinds having received—according to current report—large sums of money from wealthy natives who desire to make their property secure by coming under the ffag of some foreign Power. Whether this goes on at the present moment it is unnecessary to inquire ; but it is a fact that the Sultan complains of his subjects being taken away from him by the indiscriminate use of protection papers, and he uses this as an argument against any concessions for the extension of commerce ; because, every merchant being entitled, by the present system, to have two protected agents at every port with which he does business, an increase of trade means an increase of protected natives. What is the remedy for this ? With the absence, as at present, of all law, commerce could not be carried on without some safeguards, and these must be found in the establishment of some Court or mixed tribunal in which justice could be obtained, both by foreigners and natives, and which should supersede the cruel despotism which now causes a constant reign of terror. 17 The Slave-Trade. Last, but not least, a few words must be said about Slavery and the Slave-trade. I have lately paid a visit to Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria. In the first of these provinces, under Turkish rule, the Slave-trade undoubtedly exists, but in a covert and underhand form. In Tunis, under the French sphere of influence, the trade has been extinguished, as I reported in a former letter to The Times^ and Slavery itself only exists in a very modified form. In Algeria, I am assured by Sir Lambert Playfair, there are absolutely no Slaves at all. Here in Morocco, despite the long-continued efforts of British Ministers, the Slave-trade is carried on with unblushing effrontery, almost within sight of Europe ; and, although Sir John Drummond Hay put a stop to the open sale of Slaves in all the coasts towns. Slave markets exist in Fez, Morocco city, and other places in the interior, and large caravans arrive at stated intervals from Timbuctoo and the far Soudan. Indeed, I have just heard from Sir John Drummond Hay that he believes the order against the public sale of Slaves in the seaports is now at times infringed ; but this will soon be set right by the determined opposition of Sir Charles Euan-Smith. The late Sir William Kirby Green, at the time of his lamented death, was working very bard for the suppression of the Slave-trade, and had obtained from the Sultan a verbal promise that all open Slave markets should be closed throughout his dominions. The premature death of the late Minister unfortunately prevented the ratification of the Sultan’s promise ; but I trust that Sir Charles Euan-Smith will make this a primary object when he presents his credentials to the Sultan. The difficulty of dealing with his Shereefian Majesty, owing to the great distance that intervenes between his Court and the diplomatic body in Tangier, is well shown by the following instance, which has been brought to my notice by an undoubted authority :—A claim having been made through one of the foreign representatives, which was proved to be just, although the amount was greatly reduced by the Minister presenting it, the Sultan admitted its justice and forwarded a letter to the Minister, stating that he had given orders to the Kaid to pay the sum claimed. At the same time, however, His Majesty forwarded another letter to the Kaid, instructing him not to pay it, and, it not being sufficiently important for a display of force by ironclads in the bay, the poor debtor remains to the present time without his money. This is but one sample out of many showing the impossibility of obtaining justice in this country. Tangier, Jamiai'y The Prison and its Inmates. In my last letter I gave a short sketch of the insurrection of the tribes, which has lately caused so much unfounded alarm in the capitals of Europe. Yesterday, I had an interview with the leader, in whose person is centred the chief interest of the movement, so far as the tribes are concerned. His i8 history is a sad one, but it is so characteristic of the Shereefian rule that it may be worth reproducing here. The origin of the outbreak in the Anjera country, lying in the hilly district between Tangier and Tetuan, dates back probably to the summer of last year. The sturdy tribes refused to be any longer ground down by the Basha of Tangier, and elected as a sort of sub-Governor, a very popular man of their own country, named Wuld-il- Hamman, under whom they lived in peace and quietness, pending their appeal to the Sultan. The latter sent them a new Basha, named Idris, and, at first, he and the sub-Governor appeared to be on friendly terms, the Basha inviting Hamman to various hospitable entertainments. But the toils had been spread, and the unwary victim walked into them, for one day a band of soldiers, sent by the now deposed Basha of Tangier, surrounded the house whilst the feasting was going on, put down all attempts at resistance, carried off the unlucky sub-Governor, and threw him into the abominable dungeons of the Tangier prison. There it was that I saw him, and heard this story from his own lips, the truth of which has been confirmed by an old and trustworthy British resident. The poor man has been three months in prison, and with difficulty he dragged his heavy ankle irons to the lozenge¬ shaped window to pour out the story of his woes. He begged me to ask Sir Charles Euan-Smith to intercede in his behalf, but this is unnecessary, as Sir Charles has a knowledge of the whole sad history, and may be trusted to do all that is proper under the circumstances. The poor man refrained from telling us, what we heard from other quarters, that a deputa¬ tion from his tribe went to the prison, and asked his leave to take him out by force, but this he would not allow. It is probable that the tribal difficulty will not be satisfactorily settled in Tangier so long as Wuld-il-Hamman is allowed to languish in those dreadful dungeons. The prison of Tangier is in the same evil condition as when I last saw it, excepting that Sir Charles has insisted upon its being whitewashed and cleansed, and water given to the prisoners. By the kindness of a friend, I was able to give a substantial meal to the eighty miserable men and boys now incarcerated there, and, in most cases, in irons ; and I am glad to find that this practical form of sympathy is not infrequently seen in Tangier. There is a drastic form of dealing with inebriates pursued by the Moors which might perhaps be useful, in a modified form, at home with some of our drunken wife-beaters. In the smaller town prison I saw a Moor, who was what is called ‘‘ mad drunk,” and, for the time being, as dangerous as a wild beast. This man was chained to the wall by a collar round his neck, and, consequently, quite unable to do any harm. He himself treated it rather as a joke, because he would be certainly set at liberty next day when he was sober. Strong drinks are not allowed by the Mohammedan religion ; but, unfortunately, the low grog shops, so largely introduced by Spaniards into Morocco, are working untold evils with the poorer class of Moors. The Foreign Minister, Sid Torres, told me that this disgraceful traffic is largely on the increase, and 19 the Spanish Government, when remonstrated with, say that by treaty they are at liberty to carry on this trade. Unchangeable Morocco. What strikes one in Morocco is its immobility. As it was hundreds of years ago, so it is now, except the slight coating of varnish laid on by European civilization, and even this, if left alone, quickly rubs off. You land from Gibraltar and at once step back into the middle ages, and almost even into Biblical times. From time to time during the past eight or nine years I have visited various parts of Morocco, and have seldom seen any marked improvement in the state of its people. Tangier itself is scarcely changed, except that more European houses have been built on the beautiful suburb called the Mountain, and in the town itself there is the large new building of the Electric Telegraph Company, and also a few more hotels and stores. The Moors themselves and their narrow, tortuous, muddy streets present the same hopeless, unchangeable aspect. The Electric Cable. To the late Sir William Kirby Green we are indebted for the electric cable that now connects Tangier with Europe, and the history of the laying of this cable is amusingly characteristic of Moorish stolidity. Having obtained a concession for the cable. Sir William was determined to have the work commenced, but the Sultan was just as determined it should not be laid. He first tried the plan so successful with his own officers, and offered the British Minister a large sum of money if he would undertake to have the cable cut when laid and not allow it to be replaced. He was no doubt astonished when the bribe was contemptuously refused, and then His Majesty tried the plan of taking no notice of Sir William’s letters requesting permission to commence the work. After sending several respectful com¬ munications and receiving no reply, the British Minister gave notice to the Sultan that on a certain day the work of laying the cable would commence, and accordingly this was done. Of course it was very soon cut, but this was a last expiring effort of obstruction, for a duplicate shore end is now sunk deep in the sand, and the Moors, as usual, submit to the inevitable. At Tangier, however, electric communication ceases, and behind that outlying port lies a vast region dark as night. No Roads in Morocco. No road exists in all Morocco on which a carriage or a wagon could runs and the people, or rather their rulers, will have it so. How little this is understood at home was amusingly shown by the ignorance of a well-to-do middle-aged English country gentleman who landed with me at Tangier in one of the open boats you are obliged to use in all weathers, and in which we were all getting soaked to the skin. He casually remarked “ I shall take a cab up to the Continental,” quite unaware that this good hotel stands in 20 a narrow alley up which you must wade ankle-deep in slush and mud. When the Sultan sent a small army the other day to depose the Basha of Tangier, his ragged regiment had to ride through mud and morass, and after their forced march from Fez both men and horses were in miserable plight, for the rains have been very heavy during the past three weeks. Dead horses strewed the way, and I saw several lying upon the Marshan that had only arrived to die. This is a usual episode whenever the troops move in Morocco, for the worst horses are always selected for the march, in order that when they die upon the road they may be replaced by fresh and better animals, at the cost of the peasants, as no money is paid for anything required by the Sultan’s army. No wonder that when he travels his Shereefian Highness is always surrounded by a chosen bodyguard of 3,000 men. When Sir W. Kirby Green had successfully laid the electric cable, the Spaniards, wishing to show that they also could do something for Morocco, got up a company to light Tangier by electricity ; and hence you have the strange anomaly of the Soko, or large open market, with its sea of ankle-deep black mud, lighted throughout the whole length of its rough paved causeway by the electric light. Extremes meet in this place ; but, of course, the company cannot pay, as there are no rates or other municipal blessings in Tangier, and the Moors are not likely to pay voluntarily for what they do not want. Since my last visit the British Legation has been moved to a fine new house, built under the supervision of the late Minister, though he did not live to inhabit it. The approach to this building is at present over an extremely rough and muddy track just outside the Soko, and it seems a little hard on Sir Charles Euan- Smith that he should be obliged to construct a new road at his own expense. The matter of roads is a most important one, and might well form an object on which the representatives of the Powers should put aside their national jealousies and urge upon the Sultan the absolute necessity of constructing highways from the coast to the three capitals at which his Majesty alternately resides. Wages are low in Morocco, the people are miserably poor, and the money squandered in military expeditions would be far better employed in opening up the country. But to carry this out successfully some steps must be taken to secure law and order, and to guarantee to the cultivator of the soil the profit of his toil. As things are at present, no one cares to grow more than he requires for his own use, as he knows that any accumulation of wealth, either in money or in kind, will sooner or later be taken from him, and he would think himself only too lucky if he escaped imprisonment and torture. Surely the time is approaching when the Morocco question must be properly taken up by the Powers interested. It cannot remain indefinitely in its present chaotic condition, for every year of the present cruel mis- government renders it more and more dangerous to the peace of Europe. No English Minister can do much towards opening up the country to trade and civilisation in face of the jealousies of rivals, eager to be the first to rush in, unless he is backed by the public opinion of England. This ought to be 21 led by the various Chambers of Commerce, whose business it is to look for fresh markets in the vast fields still unopened to our ever-increasing demands. Of all these fields there is none so rich or so near our own shores as the great empire of Morocco, still almost as hermetically sealed as was Japan itself less than a century ago. Zhc in fiDorocco- As the shortness of our stay prevented our visiting the Southern parts of Morocco, we are glad to be able to supplement the above information on the condition of Morocco by a sketch of the present state of the Slave-trade in that country, which we have received from our friend, Mr. Donald MacKenzie, who has lately passed through districts of the empire. Mr. MacKenzie writes, under date 14th November, 1891, from Cape Juby, as follows :— “ I have now great pleasure in laying before you some particulars regarding the Slave-trade, which I collected on my way here, via Morocco. “ Generally speaking, the Slave-trade in Morocco is as active as ever. It is carried on more privately in the port towns, from fear of attracting the attention of the Anti-Slavery Society, but, in the interior. Slaves are exposed in the public markets. The supply is drawn from the Soudan, by various routes, each caravan bringing about 300 Slaves. It is heartrending to see mothers and children separated, perhaps never to meet again in this world. A short time ago, the Moorish Raids gave the Sultan and his son a present of 200 male and female Slaves, to celebrate the event of the marriage of the heir to the Moorish throne. The great markets for the disposal of Slaves are in Morocco city, Fez, Tetuan, and Rabat. During the two fairs which are held every year, in ‘ Side Ahmed Amusa,’ in Sus, about 1,200 boys and girls are sold. “Girls, from ten to thirteen years of age, fetch about _^i6 to ;^24 each, and the Slave merchants find the females more profitable from ten to twenty years of age. “I pointed out to you before that a considerable amount of Slave traffic is carried on between Senegal and Morocco by Moorish merchants, and I have just seen a further confirmation of this on my way to the Canaries from Mogador, by a French steamer. A Moorish merchant, bound for Senegal, was among the passengers. He informed me himself that his object was the purchase of Slaves, especially females, for the rich Moors of Morocco. He proposed, on arriving in Teneriffe, to take passage in a French steamer for Senegal, and, when he had purchased a suitable lot of Slaves, he would return in the same way, and the Slaves would pass off as his family. The captains can hardly interfere in the matter. The German steamers that touch on the Moorish coast carry many Moors for Senegal, for the same purpose. Surely the French Government ought to interfere to prevent the export of Slaves from Senegal for Morocco. I have heard, since my arrival here, that a large number of Arabs are engaged in conducting the Slave-trade between the interior and Senegal, in order to supply the demand from without. I trust your Society will do all that is possible to put an end to the Slave-trade in Morocco, by sea and land. Certainly, France can prevent the export of Slaves from Senegal. And, I think, in time, many of the interior merchants will find that legitimate trade with this port will prove more profitable in the end.” The statement made by Mr. MacKenzie respecting the open Slave markets in Morocco, was fully confirmed to us by Lady Kirby Green, who now resides in Tangier, and who visited the capital with her husband, the late Sir William Kirby Green, at that time British Minister in Morocco. Her ladyship gave us a vivid description of the scenes she had witnessed in the Slave market, where she had seen women and girls sold like animals, with no regard to their natural feelings or to the requirements of modesty. The question arises how is this disgraceful traffic in human beings to be put down. All the representatives of the foreign Powers admit that it is a scandal to Europe, and yet nothing is done. One reason why the Sultan takes so little notice of representations on the subject from the Ministers accredited to his Court, is, as he complains —and not without some reason, because these very Ministers rob him of his lawful subjects, by issuing to them papers of protection, by which they are made independent of him. A substitute for protection must be found, because law and order are necessary for both foreigner and native, as without these there can be no expansion of legitimate trade. On a former occasion, in presenting a report of a visit to Morocco, a Depu¬ tation from this Society urged upon the Committee that every available influence should be employed to secure the establish¬ ment—at all the seaport towns in Morocco, and at the capitals 23 of the interior—of mixed Consular Courts, to secure the administration of justice, and the cessation of the present system of unlimited despotism, which now places the life and property of every Moor not under the protection of a foreign flag, at the mercy of any cruel Governor, Caid, or other official, who happens, for the time being, to have purchased the power from the Court of ruling over any particular district. By the opening up of Morocco, with its untold wealth in agriculture, minerals, fruits, etc., to the trade of the world, England would be the first country to find fresh markets for her manufactures, and fresh fields for the immigration of many of her unemployed, whilst the making of roads and the laying of electric telegraphs would bring the now dark and hidden towns of the interior into communication wnth the outer world. We would suggest to the Committee of this Society, that an appeal to the principal Chambers of Commerce in England be drawn up and forwarded to the President or Chairman of each Chamber, with a view to interest those bodies in the work of spreading information as to the present condition of Morocco, and showing the great field that now lies open for cultivation at our very doors. The hands of the British Minister in that country would thereby be strengthened, and he would be able to urge upon the Sultan, with more emphasis than has ever yet been done, the imperative necessity of abolishing the Slave-trade, and closing the disgraceful pens for human cattle that now exist in every town in which there is no resident European Consul, to prevent, by his presence, so great a scandal to humanity. HENRY GURNEY, CHARLES H. ALLEN. postsciiptum. Whilst the foregoing was in the Press, we received a letter, under date 15th February, from a gentleman whose acquaintance we made in Tripoli. This letter entirely confirms what we have stated respecting the Slave-trade from Bengazi and Derna. The writer says that he had just met a traveller, who had arrived from those ports in a Turkish steamer, and he gave him the following information : “About 80 or 00 black boys and girls reach Derna weekly from Wadai in Western Soudan, some of whom are sold privately at from £2, to ^9 per head, whilst others are conveyed as passengers to the Island of Crete.” From what we have heard, we believe that others go to Candia and Constantinople. 24 Continent. Printed by Abraham Kingdon & Newnham, 12, Finsbury Street, Moorgate, E.C