Treaty between Her Majesty and the Sultan of Zanzibar
for the suppression of the slave-trade.
[June 5,
1873]
In the name of the Most High God, Her Majesty the Queen of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Highness the Seyyid
Barghash-bin-Said, Sultan of Zanzibar, being desirous to give more
complete effect to the engagements entered
[Page 431]
into by the Sultan and his predecessors for the
perpetual abolition of the slave-trade, they have appointed as their
representatives to conclude a new treaty for this purpose, which shall
be binding upon themselves, their heirs, and successors, that is to say,
Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland has appointed to that
end John Kirk the agent of the English government
at Zanzibar, and His Highness the Seyyid Barghash, the Sultan of
Zanzibar, has appointed to that end Nasir-bin Said, and the two
aforenamed, after having communicated to each other their respective
full powers, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles:
Article I.
The provisions of the existing treaties having proved ineffectual for
preventing the export of slaves from the territories of the Sultan of
Zanzibar in Africa, Her Majesty the Queen, and His Highness the Sultan,
above named, agree that from this date the export of slaves from the
coast of the mainland of Africa, whether destined for transport from one
part of the Sultan’s dominions to another or for conveyance to foreign
parts, shall entirely cease. And His Highness the Sultan binds himself
to the best of his ability to make an effectual arrangement throughout
his dominions to prevent and abolish the same. And any vessel engaged in
the transport or conveyance of slaves after this date shall be liable to
seizure and condemnation by all such naval or other officers or agents
and such courts as may be authorized for that purpose on the part of Her
Majesty.
Article II.
His Highness the Sultan engages that all public markets in his dominions
for the buying and selling of imported slaves shall be entirely
closed.
Article III.
His Highness the Sultan above named engages to protect to the utmost of
his ability all liberated slaves, and to punish severely any attempt to
molest them or to reduce them again to slavery.
Article IV.
Her Britannic Majesty engages that natives of Indian states under British
protection shall be prohibited from possessing slaves, and from
acquiring any fresh slaves in the mean time* from this date.
Article V.
The present treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be
exchanged at Zanzibar as soon as possible, but in any case in the course
of the 9th of Rabia-el-Akhir, [5th of June, 1873,] of the months of the
date hereof. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have
signed the same, and have affixed their seals to this treaty, made the
5th of June, 1873, corresponding to the 9th of the month Rabia-el-Akhir,
1290.
[
l. s.]
JOHN
KIRK,
Political Agent,
Zanzibar.
The mean in God’s sight,
NASIR BIN-SAID BIN-ABDELLAH.
†
[The following is evidently intended as the Sultan’s ratification of the
treaty:]
We have looked into and considered this treaty, and we agree to it and
accept it, and we confirm everything which it sets forth, in all its
provisions and articles. And we confirm the same on behalf of our heirs
and those who may succeed us, giving our firm bond and covenant and our
faithful word to carry out all that is set forth in the body of this
written document, and to avoid, as much as possible, everything that
contravenes it, and, to the best of our ability, not to transgress its
provisions and conditions. In confirmation of which we hereto affix our
sea and our signature with our own hand this 9th day of Rabia-el-Akhir,
1290, [5th of June, 1873.]
Approved by the poor, the unworthy,
[
l. s.]
BARGHASH-BIN-SAID-BIN-SULTAN.
Written by his own hand.
Translated by George Percy
Badger, June 30,
1873.
