No. 31.
Mr. Vidal to Mr. Hunter.
[Extract.]
United
States Consulate,
Tripoli of
Barbary, Nov. 6, 1873.
(Rec’d Jan. 27, 1874.)
No. 46.]Sir: In answer to my communication No. 26, in
regard to the negro slave traffic carried on between Tripoli and
Constantinople, via Malta, I had the honor to receive from the
Department dispatch No. 22, by which I was informed that “the
specifications mentioned in the paper are scarcely sufficient to warrant
a definitive opinion upon the subject. You will consequently furnish the
Department with any other facts in regard to it which you may have or
may obtain.” From the moment that dispatch came to my hands I thought it
my duty to endeavor to place the Department in possession of more
satisfactory information relative to that trade. I took measures
accordingly.
* * * * * * *
For that purpose I engaged as one of my household servants, Mejbura, a
negro woman who can speak, besides her own vernacular, the Arabic
language, the Turkish tongue, and the Bernoo idiom. Knowing perfectly
[Page 44]
well that on board the
steamers plying between this place and Malta, it is but with the
greatest difficulty that a man can talk to a Mussulman woman, under the
most favorable circumstances, I judged it better to send Mejbura to
Malta, so that she could, during the voyage, have an opportunity to
inform those among the black passengers who were slaves that on the
moment of their arrival in Malta they could be free if they so
chose.
I decided at the same time that Lueschi, the intelligent and devoted
janissary of the consulate, who can speak good or bad Arabic, English,
French, Greek, Italian, Maltese, and Turkish, and who had already been
in Malta, should accompany that woman to the island, to act as her
protector and interpreter.
* * * * * * *
I sent them off on the 7th of August last by the Ottoman steamer Trabulus
Gharb.
My inclosure No. 1, which is a translation of the statements made under
oath on the 16th of August by Lueschi and Mejbura, immediately after
they were back at this port, will show the Department that they would
have succeeded in their undertaking had it not been for the indifference
exhibited in that case by the Ottoman consul at Malta, as well as the
unwarrantable interference of the brother of the Tunisian consul, who is
in no way an official person, and had no business to meddle with the
case, and more than all the scandalous and very extraordinary partiality
shown by the Malta police in favor of those passengers engaged in the
unlawful traffic.
It will be sufficient to call the Department’s attention to the following
facts mentioned in Lueschi’s paper:
There were fifteen or sixteen black women on board the steamer, eight of
whom were examined before they landed. However, seven hours later, when
the examination was resumed on shore, there were but twelve negroes
present, among whom are to be counted the eight women already examined.
What had become of the four, other ones? They were probably poor
creatures who, having decided to claim their liberty in spite of the
threats and promises of their mistresses, were prudently withheld from
the police’s eyes.
The inn where the examination was resumed is the general resort of
Mussulman people in Malta, and most of the time one is sure to find
there eastern travelers with their servants. Who can know whether the
four negroes who were examined there were the same ones who were on
board the Trabulus Gharb, or servants of other guests, borrowed to play
a part in that criminal farce?
The Department will please notice the strange proceeding of the Malta
police-officer. As long as the negroes would declare that they were not
slaves, he was satisfied with that answer; but the moment one of them
stated that she was a slave and would rather die than go along with her
mistress, he stopped the examination and left the unfortunate being for
seven long hours among her mistresses, instead of rescuing her at once
and taking her ashore. What right had he to prevent that negro from
landing the very minute she wanted to leave?
* * * * * * *
It was my intention to make another trial, with the hope I would have
better luck next time. However, I soon found a solace to my
disappointment in the knowledge that I had so far succeeded in being the
instrument to prevent, at least for a time, the exportation of more
slaves. For the Pasha Governor of this regency, and probably some
gentlemen in the Constantinople foreign office were led to suspect, when
they were
[Page 45]
informed by the
Ottoman consul of what had just occurred in Malta, that Lueschi and
Mejbura were sent by me to the island to act as my emissaries. By his
long connection with the United States consulate, Lueschi is well known
in that island as well as here; and during the examination at the hotel,
those among the Osmanli ladies who were most excited against him
attempted several times to shame him into silence by calling him a
Roomee, (Christian,) an epithet as much insulting to a Mussulman as that
of Jew would be when applied to a Christian witness in one of our
court-houses.
The Ottoman officials were fairly frightened, lest I would succeed, at a
future time, in fastening guilt on them all. Therefore, on the 21st of
October last, when instructions from Constantinople had time to be
received, Sahmi Pasha, governor-general of this regency, issued an
order, herewith inclosed marked No. 2, informing the people and the
consuls that measures were taken to punish severely those who would be
found engaged in the slave-traffic. I consider that document as a very
important one, for it is the official admission from a high Ottoman
functionary that the exportation of slaves from Tripoli was heretofore
carried on in spite of all treaties and imperial decrees, a fact which I
had the honor to denounce to the Department in my dispatch No. 27.
May I be pardoned if I add that, on the other hand, I look also upon
those orders as complimentary to me; for do they not show that by my
personal exertions alone an odious trade which has been prosecuted for
centuries, lately under the very shadow of the British flag, and on
British soil, too, has been checked at last?
* * * * * * *
But the tyrant was killed, at any rate, and the slave-traffic is not in
this regency. I know from experience that in these countries all good
laws, rules, and ordinances enacted by persons in authority are not
intended to be strictly enforced, being promulgated solely because they
read well on paper. The very functionaries whose duty it is to see those
laws enforced are the very first to break them. There is not, for
instance, a high dignitary, let him be general, colonel, cadi, bey,
mufti, moodir, mutassariff, who does not, when he sends his family from
Tripoli to Constantinople, or any other European or Asiatic province of
the empire, improve the opportunity to ship away one or two dozen of
negro slave girls.
* * * * * * *
Wishing to ascertain that the Pasha’s orders were respected, for the
present at least, I sent Lueschi on the 2d instant once more to Malta,
on board the steamer Vilaïet. * * * * * But it was too soon after the
issuing of the orders, and no slaves were that time on board the
Vilaïet. I was informed that two poor Arabs of this place, who were
detected at about that time with slaves in their possession, were sent
to jail for a year. As the people here say in their imaged speech, “the
smallest donkeys are ridden in preference to larger ones.”
* * * * * * *
I must also add a word to what I said in my dispatch No. 27, explaining
how those slaves, once in Malta, will invariably answer that they are
free. There is in Soudan, south of Kanou, a country named El Zendj, whose inhabitants are anthropophagi.
They even file their teeth to make them as sharp as a dog’s, in order to
be better prepared to eat their prisoners. When the negroes of the other
districts are captured by the Fellatahs, to the number of several
thousands at a time, those wretched people imagine that they are to be
eaten like sheep. Gradually
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they
see their error; but their Moslem masters tell them that while
Mussulmans don’t feed on human beings, Christians do. Hence their dread
of being left in Malta. The most wretched slave, when asked, pro forma, by a Maltese policeman, whose whiskers
and manners look ferocious in her estimation, whether she wants to stay
in the island, will answer, terror-stricken, “Sidi Stamboul”—the only
two Arabic words she knows—that is to say, “Stamboul is my lord, my
preference.”
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
46.—Translation.]
Statement by Lueschi
Consulate of the United States of America,
Tripoli of Barbary, August 16, 1873.
I, the undersigned, Mohammed Lueschi, janissary of this consulate of
America, declare, and under my oath affirm, that, on the arrival in
Malta of the Ottoman steamer Trabulus Gharb, (which happened on the
8th instant,) on board of which I was, with other passengers, a
marine police-officer of that island came on board, who, employing
me as interpreter, commenced to examine one by one the black women
who were on the steamer, asking them whether they were free or
slaves, and willing to follow their masters. The first seven ones
thus examined answered that they were not slaves, but were following
their masters of their own accord. The eighth time the question was
repeated, a black woman, who had with her a son of about two years
of age, answered that she was a slave, and that it was her intention
to stay in Malta, in order to be taken back to Tripoli, even should
she be cut to pieces for making that statement. Upon that
declaration the officer suspended his examination, saying that he
was very busy. I immediately made to him the remark that there were
yet seven or eight more black women to examine; and he answered, “Do
not fear anything; I am going away; but not one of them will go
ashore.” And so saying, he ordered the captain to allow all white
people to land, and he himself went away, leaving on board four
policemen. I, too, staid on the vessel, and noticed that the slave
who had made the protest was left with her mistress.
In the course of about half an hour came the order to allow the black
people to land. I went along with the latter, and, when on shore, we
were told that, at about 2½ p.m., the police-adjutant would go to
the hotel to proceed with the examination. In the mean time the
black woman who had declared she was a slave was put by her mistress
in her carriage, with her little son, and other black women, among
whom there was one who, from the first time she heard the statement
made by the aforesaid slave, had not left her alone for a minute,
doing her best to persuade her to take back her declaration. We all
put up at the same inn, where we arrived at about 8 a.m.
At about 2½ o’clock p.m. the police-adjutant repaired to that inn,
followed by four policemen, and having ordered the black women to be
presented to him, twelve only came along; among them I noticed the
one who had declared to be a slave, albeit the rich dress she had
then on was very different from the wretched cotton sheet in which
she was shrouded on board. I and the police people could recognize
this one, as well as the seven other ones who were examined on board
with their faces unveiled, but no one could say for certain whether
the five other ones were the same who were on board, for no one had
yet seen their faces.
Along with those black women there were also white Arabic women and
five Turkish ones, who had come with us to Malta, and in whose
service those black women were. At the examination by the police
officer there was present Mejbura, a free negro woman, who had come
with me to Malta, and who on board had assisted me in examining the
negroes, for she can speak their language. Said Mejbura, during the
examination by the police, was several times shoved back by the
mistresses of the negroes—a fact to which I called the attention of
the police-adjutant, who declared he was disposed to put a stop to
those acts of brutality, but in reality he never did; and the same
inertion was maintained when I suggested to divide the negroes from
their mistresses, so that the former should feel more independeat in
giving their answers, for they were all held by the arm by their
mistresses.
I called the police’s attention to a black woman, an Algerine named
Fatma, who had then adopted the alias of Ejshia; and I informed them
that about two months before that woman had passed by Malta, taking
along to Constantinople a slave whom she passed off as her own
servant, just the same as now she was passing another one for
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her servant, although she
was too poor to be thus traveling with servants. The adjutant said
that truly he remembered to have seen that woman at the time
mentioned by me.
The Ottoman consul residing in Malta was, during that examination, in
the inn, in a room next to the one where we were, with open doors,
so that he could see and hear everything, but he never said a word,
either to the police or to any of the negroes.
Mr. John Baptist Farrugia, a brother of the Tunisian consul at Malta,
who, according to all reports, has important commercial relations
with Sidi Ali El Kerkeni, owner of the steamer Trabulus Gharb, was
also present at the examination, being all the time among those
women. When, by request of the adjutant, I would interrogate a
negro, and she would answer that she was not a slave and was willing
to follow her mistress, said Mr. Farrugia would say nothing; but
every time that, from my own will, I would ask those women to show
their certificates, proving they were free and not slaves, then said
Farrugia would reprove me, saying that such a thing did not concern
me, and that the answer made by the negroes to the adjutant, that
they were free and willing to follow their mistresses, was
sufficient.
I called also the police’s attention to a black sergeant who was
accompanying the wife of his colonel, having with him a negro woman
and a girl, pretending that one was his wife and the other his
daughter, while in reality they were slaves. The sergeant at first
maintained his first statement, but at last he confessed that those
women were nothing to him.
The police, satisfied with the mere statement made by those negroes,
that they were free and willing to follow their mistresses, left the
inn, and thus, on the next day, all those people left for
Constantinople, on board a large English steamer.
It is evident, in my opinion, that if the police had from the first
moment proceeded with their examination, instead of suspending it
for six or seven hours, thus leaving the negroes under the influence
of promises, caresses, fear, and threats, from the part of their
owners, not only that slave would have persisted in her first
statement, but there would have been probably others among her
companions who would have imitated her example, even among those who
had already declared that they were not slaves.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
46—Translation.]
Statement by Mejbura.
Consulate of the United States of America,
Tripoli of Barbary, August 16, 1873.
I, the undersigned Mejbura, a free negro woman, without a husband,
born in Mecca, declare and under my oath affirm that two weeks ago
Lueschi, janissary of this Consulate of America, invited me to
follow him to Malta, in order to see whether there were slaves on
board the Trabulus Gharb. I accepted the proposal, and both of us
took passage on board said steamer.
During the journey I noticed that there were about fifteen black
women, and one by one I let them know that my persuasion was that
they were all slaves. They denied it was so; but I made the remark
that if they were free, they would have in their possession the
certificate of freedom, while I asked them in vain to show me that
document.
One of those women, who was a wet-nurse in the family of the Pasha of
Fezzan, and had along with her her own son of about two years of
age, confessed that she was a slave, and declared that she was
unwilling to follow her masters; but wished to stay in Malta, in
order to be sent back to Tripoli, should she even be cut to pieces
for making such a declaration.
When we arrived in Malta a police-officer came on board, and after
the examination of six or seven of the black women, all of whom
declared that they were free and willing to follow their masters,
came the turn of the aforesaid black nurse, who frankly answered
that she was a slave, and wished to stay in Maltato be sent back to
Tripoli.
Upon that declaration the police-officer, though there were about
seven other women to examine, concluded his inspection and went
away. In the course of about half of an hour all the black people
were landed, by virtue of an order, and we all went to the same inn.
It was then about 8 o’clock p.m. In that inn the nurse’s owners
commenced to frighten her, telling her that should she stay in Malta
the inhabitants would make a Christian of her, and would give her
pork to eat; but, on the other hand, if she consented to go to
Constantinople, they would not let her be deprived of anything, and
from that moment she was free, and no longer a slave. And thus
persuading her, they offered her a rich silk dress, which she put on
with marks of contentment.
In the mean time the other slaves would comfort themselves by
repeating that, if it
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were
written in Heaven that they were to be made free in Malta, they
would be freed; but if it were written that they were to be
liberated in Constantinople, they would be emancipated there; and
also, if it were written that they had to live slaves forever,
nobody could help it.
Toward half-past two o’clock p.m. the man of the police came to the
inn, and began to examine the black women, and this time they all
answered that they were not slaves, but willing to follow their
masters. During that time I was more than once pushed back by the
owners of the slave, as they supposed that my presence might
encourage her to tell the truth.
When the police people had withdrawn, and all was made smooth, the
owners of that slave began to jostle me in a very rough manner,
saying that I had come to Malta expressly to dissuade the black
women from following their masters. On the next day all the people
left for Constantinople on board an English steamer, without the
nurse having ever received the certificate of freedom promised her
by her owners.
(Made her mark.)
MEJBURA
.
Witnesses:
Mohammed
Lueschi.
Ali
Boukboula.
Ali Ben Mohammed.
Mohammed Ishtenz
. (Made his
mark.)
[Inclosure 3 in No.
46.—Translation.]
Sahmi Pasha to
Mr. Vidal.
To the chancery of America, to the
illustrious Sir, Consul of America:
When the treaty between the Powers, prohibiting the sale of slaves,
was concluded on the last day of Rabié-ervel,
of the year 1273,* a firman was decreed, issued by the Seder-Azam, by
order of the Sultan, by virtue of which those sales were henceforth
and forever forbidden, so that those slaves could not be ill-treated
any longer, for they are men as we are. But we were informed that
several persons are still engaged in that trade in villages, towns,
and in this very city, as well as on the sea-coast. In the late
stress of famine there were many such sales of black people, and
these suffered very much; and there were even merchants who were
engaged in those sales.
That trade is forbidden; and those slaves who come to the persons in
authority are manumitted, and great attention is paid to prevent
those sales. There are steamers and merchant-vessels, on board of
which black people are carried away to other lands. Thanks to the
justice and good grace of the Sublime Porte, orders were sent to all
seaports and cities to put an end to those sales,
and any person detected in having slaves in his possession
shall be punished according to law, (canon,) and the slave shall be
taken by force and set at liberty.
An order was given to the governors, as well as to the sheiks-el-beled,† binihachi of the zaptic,‡ portmasters,
and all the officials of the custom-house and the sanitary office to
give, according to law, their utmost attention to all
merchant-vessels in regard to that exportation.
Any one who shall be negligent, or will not obey those orders, shall
be dismissed from office, by the authority of the Mezle-Idaret-el-Ubeia,§ so that those
orders be executed, and all sea-captains leaving this port be
watched.
To that end was written this document,
at
Tripoli of Barbary,
the 28th of
Shaban, 1290 the 8th of Jeshrin-ervel, 1289ǁ.
SAHMI PASHA.
