Gallant Work of British Tars

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 102, 19 February 1891, Page 4

Gallant Work of British Tars

The recall of the cruisers from the tjoastzof Perubo, says a Zanzibar despatch* presented a graud, opportunity to slave dealers, and at least "one dhow r owner determined to take ad~vantage of the suspension of supervision by lauding a number of slaves at, Petubo. In spite of the recent edict of the Sultan, 1 Zauzibar was "chosen as the port of shipment, and •the slaves weie kidnapped or bought on the mainland in the vicinity of , Bagamoyo, and shipped over to -Zanzibar • singly and in couples in -fishing canoes, thereby escaping observation. For several daj's the blaves continued to anive there until a '.sufficient „ number had been collected to load a dhow, aud the night of" the" "1 7th October was chosen for 'th«» 'emlmikßtion? Meanwhile Captain -M*4uay of H.IU.S. Cossack received certain' information which caused him -'to watcli this; particular duovs, aud ibis" "cautious . and -jud.ciousj iuvesti--gatie^s resulted in" finding out the -time' "of shipment ami intended departure. ' On the evening ol the 1 7rh he "despatched boats to watch all the --channels by which a dhow could leave '-therhavbor, the steam lauucTi, under the "command of Lieutenant Gievilie, -having ihe .supervision ot the English - Pass;" jynich would be the one vi >sfc likely To' bet aken by the bUve dhow. Tthe commauUer of tho Cossack had 'beenT informed that the crew of the "'dhow were' aimed and intended resistance if 'challenged, and he warned -the~oth'cers of the" several boats to be -on their guard a^diuht surprise. Until 10 pm. Lieutenant Greville -moored tlie launch alongside -the Eastern Telegraph storeship -Indus, where' he was quite concealed from obbervatioii by the dhow, which vessel he It ml watched by a native iu_ter,preteiv .At the hour stated he re-'-ceived information that -the -dhow had *sailed, audLhe- immediately proceeded -to the English Pass, but after re•mainiug .there f&ome time, aud seeing :jio eignss of tini dhow, he came to the -conclusion that she had attempted -one of; the other channels, and. was -returning to the haibour when he ob--Berved a dhow, with sail~do\vn, pul--liug along the edge- of the t( wn reef, -aud having >uo doubt x that' she was the object, of the search, . he proceeded towards her. Thereupon the dhow -hoisted, her sail 'and tried to escape, "taking no notice of the hail to " down -sail," nor of a Btill more peiemptory - request to " heave to" in the shape of .*a- round shot -fired across her "bow. ..Lieutenant Greville, being now ful)y satisfied of ,thTe character ofLthe vessel, chase in earnest, and when - aoine/fifty yards off .he; by the aid' of <-binoeulurs, .observed the dhow's poop •CKo.wjded , withj L Arabs, all. of whom pointing rifles towards -the -launch, the crew of which were im'auediately ordered to open ( fire. Three M)i\f yur rifles were fired at the same aiio'men't', and immediately aiterwards ia number of people were thrown ■-overboard' from the ' dhow and a . : nuuiber of others jumped after them. 'vWhe'u the launch ranged alongside fieveral'slaves were found-struggling in 'the water. These were picked up -and placed in the launch, and the dhow, boarded. There was no sign of • the'-crew/'who swam on shore while the crew of the launch were engaged dir'pieking up the slave 3 who were Tthrowu into the water by the Arabs •before they themselves jumped overboard. Themakoda of the dhow alone remained on board to receive his visitors, he having received a;ballin bis chest from the first aud only volley ; and he ""expired before the prize was towed alogbide' the Cossack. That -the captain of, the dhow was bhot was, to be iegretted, but it is certainly a Jqssar n evil , than -that Lieutenant Greville should have shared the fate of Lieuteuaut Co tper, who lost his lifOj..through - withholding his fire when hoarding an armed dhow. On board the diiow_were found thirty four male^iiid , ten female blaves. , The male slaves were, with a few ox--ceptioiib, boys ;< from eight to twelve jvuia of .ige, ami this in most forlun.ate, as alaves,freed when chiidron are educated muil instructed in some means of earning a livelihood at the !ims;:>» BtaiiojH. The following d.iy.apiize couit was hold undti Liio presidency Ili.uor Judge Crackuall j aud the dhuw was condeiuiied. It was proved !• that she had uu papais of n.ifiijuijiii'y and carried no flag, and wji- fly d -uth^i lavoi pmp and simple. The' i>]^\f"i w'i?t« all h^ed 'and the children wc:o sxilei wsurts« <~ont t<» the in s iuu s*ti:.ons at Mombassa.— Duuedin Si'.-ir.