The “Minnetonka” stood to sea to avoid any British cruiser which might be hovering off the coast. Fear not, “Minnetonka,” the Mozambique Channel is clear of British cruisers, and the senior naval officer has reported that “he has reason to believe no slaver has been fitted on the east coast, or taken away slaves round the Cape of Good Hope for the last three years.”[7] There is one man upon your track who judges for himself, and does not take slave-dealers’ reports; but he has not yet entered the Mozambique Channel; he is at Natal, and has only just heard of your movements. You may perhaps obtain your cargo of slaves, and add to the large list of unreported slavers which have been carrying large cargoes from the Mozambique to Cuba and America for a quarter of a century.
The “Zambesi” stood away for the Bazarutto Islands, remained there three days, relanded the men who had belonged to the “Ocean Queen,” and returned to Inhambane. It would not answer that the Englishmen should witness what was about to be enacted at Inhambane, and therefore they were left at the Bazarutto Islands.
On the return of Leotti to Inhambane, he endeavoured to obtain possession of the government of that place, but Major Olliveira was too strong for him, and he did not succeed. His object in attempting this rebellious act was to obtain the profit which he would derive from supplying the “Minnetonka” with a cargo of slaves.
At the appointed time the “Minnetonka” called at Inhambane, but as they had only at that time 200 slaves to supply her with, she proceeded to the northward, and soon afterwards ran into the anchorage at Ibo. Here she found seven of the French Free Labour Emigration vessels waiting anxiously for their cargoes. The price of slaves at Ibo, for the supply of the French Free Labour Emigration when the “Minnetonka” went into Ibo, was 40 dollars per head. The Governor of Ibo supplied the captain of the “Minnetonka” with 1200 slaves at 70 dollars per head. These slaves had been obtained for the French Free Labour Emigration ships, but were supplied to the “Minnetonka” because the captain of that vessel gave a higher price than the captains of the French slavers. And from that fact alone the destination of these 1200 souls was changed from Réunion to Cuba—from the tri-colour of France to that of Spain.
The captains of the French slavers waited on the Governor of Ibo, and remonstrated with him on the injustice of re-selling the slaves obtained for them to the Spanish slaver under American colours, but obtained no redress.
Subsequently a Spanish barque called the “Venus” arrived at Ibo, and also a Spanish brig, both vessels requiring slaves for Cuba. The Governor of Ibo was going to supply them; but the captains of the French slavers waited upon the Portuguese Governor, and would not permit him to supply those vessels. They also informed the captains of the Spanish slavers that if they did not immediately proceed to sea they would set their vessels on fire.
The brig went to Inhambane, and obtained the slaves which had been collected for the “Minnetonka.” She was afterwards chased by H.M.S. “Geyser,” which vessel lost sight of her in a heavy squall, and gave up the chase. The brig, one hour after the chase had been given up by the “Geyser,” lost her fore-topmast, and would of course have been an easy and certain prize had the “Geyser” continued the chase a little longer.
The barque “Venus” ran into the anchorage at Zanzibar under Spanish colours, and anchored between H.M.S.V. “Hermes” and a French ship-of-war lying there. She obtained a clearance to ship a cargo of hides at Lamu, a town belonging to the Imâm of Muskat, in 2° south latitude, and from that place went away with a cargo of 800 slaves. The young Imâm of Muskat sent for the Governor of Lamu to give an explanation of this affair, with which he appeared satisfied, for he returned him to his Governorship at Lamu in one of his ships of war.
On my calling the attention of the Governor-general of Mozambique to the slave-trade as carried on at Ibo, he stated that he could not interfere by superseding the Governor of Ibo, because, although subordinate to himself, he was appointed by the King. The fact was that the Governor of Ibo kept his accounts properly; that is to say, he gave the Governor-general of Mozambique six dollars for every slave who left Ibo, and therefore he would not supersede him as he had done Leotti.
On the arrival of the new Governor-general, the Governor of Ibo was immediately superseded, on my calling attention to my dispatches addressed to his Excellency’s predecessor relative to slaving there. On the other hand, the Governor of Ibo sent down, in an open boat, by a relation of the Governor-general who kept him in office, only a few nights before the new Governor-general arrived, 12,000 dollars, as his superior’s share of head-money. So that we may believe that there is even honour among slave-dealers.