Captives and Ransom Demands In East Africa
    By Dan Karanja, New Bedford, MA

A few weeks ago, the world was captivated by the news of the hijacking of an America cargo ship by Somali pirates off the coast of East Africa.

After a brief standoff, the captain of the American ship was freed by quick action from a nearby US navy vessel. While the technology and immediate circumstances are very different, hijackings and piracy are nothing new on those waters as we shall see.

The following story is taken from the book Dhow Chasing In Zanzibar Waters published in 1873. It was written by George Lydiard Sullivan, a British Royal Navy sailor posted during the 19th century on anti-slavery patrols along the East African Coast. Most of this patrol work took place along the coastline between Cape Guardafui and Mozambique. This true story has many of the elements found in the hijacking of the American cargo ship. There are captives, ransom demands, a determination by the Navy not to pay a cent in ransom money and lastly a dramatic end to the saga.

The incident took place in November 1850 at present day Mozambique near the Tanzania-Mozambique border. By this time, Captain Sullivan’s ship (called the HMS Castor) had been patrolling the Indian Ocean for a few months. The ship and her crew had just returned to their patrol duties following a brief period of rest and ship repair at Mauritius. It was after landing in a suspected embarkation point for slaves that the following happened.

“The inhabitants of one of these villages, after several times receiving the boats' crews in a friendly manner, proved so treacherous on one occasion, that they seized two of our officers on their landing there, Lieut. Campbell, R.N., and Lieut. Reed, R.N., under the plea that they had not paid for the water taken from the neighborhood; they then lashed them to a tree, and informed them that they would be shot at sunset. The boat's crew at this time was in their boat, laying off, and the midshipman, Mr. Staples, on being apprised of what had taken place, mounted the gun and covered it over with a sail, got the men under arms, but wisely refrained from opening fire, as it would have insured their putting their threat into execution immediately. The natives at last offered to release the officers for a musket and a piece of cloth; this they received, and then made further demands, which were also granted, and then more still; until at last Campbell said he would give nothing more unless cast off from the tree. This the chief eventually ordered to be done; and Campbell managed to draw him away some distance from his men through the interpreter that he would shoot him (holding a pistol to his face which he had concealed in his pocket), if he did not walk with him down to the boat or if any of his men came near to help him. This was effectual, and between Campbell and Reed the chief was marched to the boat singing out to his men, some hundred or two, not to approach him or he would be killed.” 
 

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