First British Warship To Deal With Slavers

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18901, 31 December 1935, Page 7

First British Warship To Deal With Slavers

THE question of slavery is much discussed at the moment in view of the Itnlo-Abyssinian conflict, and although there is admitted improvement in Abyssinia, the evi! still exists. Under the circumstances, the book, ■ just published, "General Iti'gby, Zanzibar and the Slave Trade," edited by his daughter, Mrs Charles K. B. Jlusscll, is of exceptional interest, for Rigby, who was a contemporary with Livingstone, toiled against and fought unceasingly the scourge of slavery. Although some distance from Abyssinia. the slavery menace was universal in all parts of Africa. "Jiighy's first contact with the honors of the slave trade was in 1851) on the Island of Bassadore, in the Persian (lull'," writes Mrs Russell. "One day a slave rushed into his lent, threw himself down and clasped his knees, claiming his protection. Both his arms were quite raw to the bone, the flesh having been cut away by his bonds. A few days -afterwards the chief of the tribe to which he had belonged as a slave sent one of his chief officers to demand that he should be given up. He had reckoned without his host. "Rigby, in a fury of indignation, snatched up it rhinoceros-hide whip which, acquired as a curio, happened to be lying at band, gave him a severe thrashing, and told him to go to his master, and

tell him he would get the same treatment if lie were impertinent enough to come near hi in. No one claimed the man after that, and he became a .seaman on the next. British ship that came in." "In April, ism, he wrote to Admiral Walker to report the arrival of the Lyra, and a request he had made to Commander Oldfield to remain for the protection of British and foreign residents until the piratical Arabs from the Persian (!ulf had departed. "He explained that during the north-west monsoon prevailing in January, l-Vhruury and March, thousands of these Arabs were in the habit ill' cumin;; in Zanzibar lo kidnap children and procure slaves, committing minders and outrages of all kinds wilh impunity because the soldiers of Ihe Sultan wore afraid to interfere with them. . . . •VI uighl Ihey embarked slaves, a. single dhow often hiking from 100 to I HO. Until the Lyra aiiivi-d, the Inwn had I n completely :H their mercy, "t'oiiiinaiiiler Oldfield look energetic measures,captured many of the slave dhows, and s.o broke the pintles' spirits Hull it was possible lo order I hem oil'. They were allowed three days to reembark on condition Ihey look* jio slaves and submitted their craft to search by the Lyra's boat-crews after they had left the harbor.

"This was the first time this traffic, carried on in open violation of the treaties, and engaged in by nil'the chief Arabs in Zanzibar, including the nearest relatives of the .Sultan, had ever been interfered with by a British warship. Rigby now suggested tlint it would soon be entirely slopped, if a cruiser were always present during the first three months of the year. "In tribute to the Lyra and her commander, lit; wrote: — "•The exertions of Commander Oldfield to check n traffic Of such magnitude, and one which is niiicd 'and abetted by every Arab here, have been must arduous. This is the most unhealthy season of the year here, with the rain falling in torrents every night, and a stilling,' close atmosphere dining the day; nevertheless, the boats of H.M.S. Lyra have been away night and day, and have been engaged with almost overwhelming numbers of these piratical Arabs, and have inspired them with such fear that it has almost entirely checked ihe export of slaves for the remainder of this season. " 'TIu v exertions of Commander -Oldiield have been so.eherglie and so successful that his vessel has been the terror of all the. traffickers in slaves, so much so r that the Lyra is spoken of everywhere as "El Shectou" (the Devil).' , , ."