JOHN KIRK , Political Agent, Zanzibar to The mean in God’s sight, NASIR BIN-SAID BIN-ABDELLAH . No seal is appended to this signature. The defect is made good by the seal and signature of the Sultan to the ratifications following. G. P. B, June 5, 1873

Treaty between Her Majesty and the Sultan of Zanzibar for the suppression of the slave-trade.

In the name of the Most High God, Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Highness the Seyyid Barghash-bin-Said, Sultan of Zanzibar, being desirous to give more complete effect to the engagements entered into by the Sultan and his predecessors for the perpetual abolition of the slave-trade, they have appointed as their representatives to conclude a new treaty for this purpose, which shall be binding upon themselves, their heirs, and successors, that is to say, Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland has appointed to that end John Kirk the agent of the English government at Zanzibar, and His Highness the Seyyid Barghash, the Sultan of Zanzibar, has appointed to that end Nasir-bin Said, and the two aforenamed, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles:

Article I.

The provisions of the existing treaties having proved ineffectual for preventing the export of slaves from the territories of the Sultan of Zanzibar in Africa, Her Majesty the Queen, and His Highness the Sultan, above named, agree that from this date the export of slaves from the coast of the mainland of Africa, whether destined for transport from one part of the Sultan’s dominions to another or for conveyance to foreign parts, shall entirely cease. And His Highness the Sultan binds himself to the best of his ability to make an effectual arrangement throughout his dominions to prevent and abolish the same. And any vessel engaged in the transport or conveyance of slaves after this date shall be liable to seizure and condemnation by all such naval or other officers or agents and such courts as may be authorized for that purpose on the part of Her Majesty.

Article II.

His Highness the Sultan engages that all public markets in his dominions for the buying and selling of imported slaves shall be entirely closed.

Article III.

His Highness the Sultan above named engages to protect to the utmost of his ability all liberated slaves, and to punish severely any attempt to molest them or to reduce them again to slavery.

Article IV.

Her Britannic Majesty engages that natives of Indian states under British protection shall be prohibited from possessing slaves, and from acquiring any fresh slaves in the mean time from this date.

Article V.

The present treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Zanzibar as soon as possible, but in any case in the course of the 9th of Rabia-el-Akhir, [5th of June, 1873,] of the months of the date hereof. In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed their seals to this treaty, made the 5th of June, 1873, corresponding to the 9th of the month Rabia-el-Akhir, 1290.