Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-10
From Shapes Magazine for Julyl
sLAVE-HUNTS IN THE SAHARA.
ny HORACE ST. JOHN.

From tho bondman, trembling under scourgc
in the American plantations, we sometimes turn to
Africa the mother Of bondage who lorges chains
for her own children. OF the iron dug from her
own mountains these fettcrs are made, and the
tribes Of the sons of Tubal Cain beat and shape
them on her own soil. In the solitude Of those
central deserts man keeps the gate open to his
enemy. The sword never found a passage thithcr.
Nothing but gold ever penetrated the Sahara It's
dwellers were never conquered by an Alexand-1 or
a Cesar, but any trucking kdnappor can corrupt
them. 1t is bitter witness to the broken faith of
man with man. to see creatures born under the
pledge Of a common compact and natural law, be.
trnying and degrading one another; but the most
miserable sight in the whole dark range of human
debasemcnt is that Of the beginning of the slaves
sorrow lie is pitiable when he has grown old in
serytude, but still more pitiable when the ankcts
and manacles are new and bright Upon his limbs
when liberty still fingers in his thoughts like the
sweetest taste Of childhood and he is torn from
home, casting a long, wretchcd, hopeless look
behind
Remote in the wilderness Of Central Africa sla-
very brings forth its offspring. There among
beautiful hills and cases. watercd by delicious
springs, with date-groycs shading hamlets which
seem all plcasantness and peace mothers nurse
the young brood which is to pine and toll and per-
sh in the, sugar tobacco grounds of Cuba or the
Western Continent.
Melancholy everywhere, the slave system is most
melancholy in Central Africa For in those dis.
tant countries, defended on all sides by deserts,
and only made accessible hy the cupidity of man,
we perceive the slave in his original home, enjoy
ing that happiness which harmonizes with his ma
tuTe, and is interrupted by the stealth or violence
of the kidnapper.
We may choose city Of the once famous and
mysterious kingdom of Bournou---the city of Tin
der, buried deep in the centre Of Africa il is pic
turesquely situated amid unduations of green hills,
with sprinkles of gigantic knols.
The great trade of the kingdom is in slaves, who
are classed in peculiar manner; the men arc as
sorted into those who have beard, those who have
none, and those who have beard beginning
while the women are valued according to the size
and shape Of their bosoms. The best of them go
to the city of Niae, to be there shipped for Amer
lea. There is an immense traffic in these slaves,
who are exchanged for American goods, which are
TO be found in these markets more abundantly than
those of any other country. The chief slave-hunt-
ers in these kingdoms are. of course, the kings
themselves Some Of them go out once year,
others once a month, and on various pretences,
though many ayow openly the purpose Of their
expedition. Formerly, when the rulers were Mos
lens, and the people dolaters religious cry COW
cred the shame of the kidnapper, hut the whole
population became Mohammedan, and then the
faithful hunted the faithful as sayagely as they
had before hunted the Kaffrs or infdesl Their
common plan is this A chief fomonts quarrel
with some town or village within his territories,
upon some affair of taxation and then to vindicate
his rightu, marches forth and captures all the in
habtante In order tn snioy this privilege he