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90 Bedford Court Mansions,
W. C.
S. S. “Olenca”
7th July, 1901.
Sir,
In continuation of my dispatch No. 72 of the 17th March last forwarding original and copies of “No. 5 The Slave Dealing Proclamation 1901” I have the honour to state that as proposed in paragraph 3 I have held meetings with the representative Chiefs at the following places—Old Calabar, Opobo, Okrika, Bonny, Degema, Brass, Warri, Sapele Benin River, Benin City, and subsequently a large meeting was held at Bonny at which the Chiefs of Opobo, Bonny, Okrika, New Calabar, and Brass attended, which lasted several days. The question of slavery was very fully gone into in all its aspects, and though the Chiefs on many grounds are averse to the change contemplated, they recognize that such changes must come and that in some respects they will be immediately beneficial to the country, though the matter will require most careful and judicious handling to avoid immediate and serious difficulties which night give rise to entire dislocation in the affairs of Government, Trade and Tribal control. The explanation of these matters must necessarily be somewhat lengthy in order to make clear the proposals which I shall put forward for dealing with them.
2. The existing sources from which slaves are at present originally obtained in the territories are:-(a) Natives seized by organized slave raiding and sold in slave markets.
(b) Natives accused of witchcraft or crime forced by local public opinion to proceed and consult the oracles of the Aro Ju Ju hierarchy many of whom are seized and sold by the Ju Ju priests as slaves.
(c) Natives seized in inter-tribal and other wars between towns and rival parties of the same tribe.
(d) Natives, mostly children sold by their parents, guardians, or the Chiefs of a tribe, in trade transactions to liquidate debts or obtain trade goods.
(e) Native children born in a state of slavery. These children are generally regarded as free in the tribe or house in which they are born but are liable to be sold or pawned.
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