Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 2.djvu/174

 same day the owners wrote to Mr. Escombe in reply to the Principal Under-Secretary’s letter, dated 11th January. (App. S.) Their letter expressed surprise at there being no reference in that communication to the various points brought to the notice of the Government. It contained the following paragraph:


 * The steamers have now been at the outer anchorage for 24 days, at a cost of £150 per diem to us; and this being so, we trust you will see the reasonableness of your giving us a full answer by noon tomorrow. And we think it right to inform you that failing a definite reply giving us an assurance that we shall be paid £150 per diem from Sunday last, and that you are taking steps to suppress the rioters so as to enable us to disembark the steamers, preparations will be at once commenced to steam into the harbour, relying on the protection which, we respectfully submit, Government is bound to give us. (App. W.)

Mr. Escombe wrote as follows in reply, from the Point, at 10.45 a.m., on the 13th:


 * The Port Captain has instructed that the steamers shall be ready to cross the bar inwards at 12 o’clock today. The Government needs no reminder of its responsibility for the maintenance of order. (App. X.)

This was the first assurance that the owners received from the Government with regard to the safety of the passengers, and as will appear hereinafter, after all the resources, including threats of violence to induce the passengers to return to India, had been exhausted.

To turn now to the steamers. On the 9th January, the following signal was put up from the Naderi: “ Quarantine finished. When shall I obtain pratique; please reply,” and the Courland put up a similar signal on the 10th. But the pratique was not granted until after the noon of the 11th January, 1897. On the same day a letter was received by the master of the Courland, dated the 8th January, 1897, and signed “Harry Sparks, Chairman of Committee”, which reads:


 * Neither you nor your passengers may be aware that the feeling in the Colony against the inflow of Asiatics has been running very high lately, and has culminated on the arrival of your ship and the Naderi. Following on that, public meetings have been held in Durban, at which the enclosed resolutions were carried with acclamation. So largely attended were these meetings that all desiring it could not get into the Town Hall. Almost every man in Durban has signed signifying his intention to prevent those on board your ship and the Naderi landing in the Colony, and we are most desirous there should, if possible, be avoided a