Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-10

| A regular razza, or slave hunt in the Sahara, |
perhaps The most extraordinary Of all the operation
invented by man " obtain wealth. For some tim
before, there is generally rumor in the city tbs
this event is to take place and great is the excit
ment in the bordering countries until II is know
in which direction the saykee or governor wi
march. This village is now named and now that
but mystery usually prevails I'll within fe,
days of the start. Meanwhile, small parties ar
sent out from time TO time to steal "a family O
two" in order to be exchanged for certain nut
which the sarkee is pleased to like. Then, perhGp
a boy pliers little fruit. Public justice must y,
indicated He is sold in the bazaar, and no
only he, but his father mother and sisters. anC
perhaps tie whole circle Of his relations, the mon
ey being appropriated by the chief.
Gradually howevcr the plan Of the great razzit
is completed A thousand slaves are requir3d-sC
many to be sent to the sheiLh 30 many to be dis
tributed among the inferior traders, and so many
to be kept by the sarkee. If a common man catch
cs ive three belong to him. and two to his feuda
MASTER if lac kidnaps two, each has one for his
share. Thus the whole populace has an interest
in the result Of the expedition; and oil join wit
hope and gee to chase the peaceful villagers Of the
contiguous country, and bring them home desolalc
in chains. Five thousand eayulry and thirty thou
sand bow,ncn assemble On Il plain near the city
the drums of Finder beat; the people shout gau.
dy flags and emblcms stream in the sun : and away
goes the ca,alcodc with as much pomp and pride
as Napocon's logions winding along the heights 10
conquer at Marcngo.
After several days Journey the army reaches a
country where slaves may be caught, and disperses
itself to the several cities and villages Sometimes
the people defend themselves heroically with their
bows and arrows; flying to the SUBMITS of rocks,
and selling their liberty dearly. Often, however,
they arc surprised while they are preparing their
meals. or dancing or celebrating bridal feast
and then the enemy rush in, seize them, chain and
bear then, INTERESTINGLY away. lf the hamlet Ie
girt with stockadcs, garrison Of expert archers
may occasionally drive back the forlorn hope OF
the ,layc-huu,rrs, bat second assault is victor
on. and tic dwellings are left level with the
earth. Tho hut doors are violently broken open
the inside is ransacked the mlk-b0wls and Gala
ashcs arc taken with The bows, arrows, and axes
fad the hut Is next unrooied set on lire, whil'
tue couic, the sheep, and the goats, are swept ou
Meanwhile In Finder the inhabitants await ca
gerly the return Of the hunters. These are sent
cut to different elevations near the city to watch
for the shadow ard the dust of the homcward-
marching army At length, after an absence more
or less prolonged, IA cry is heard, "The sarkec is
coming." All the population ,hrongs out to learn
the truth. II he is not himself within sight, the
fruits of his achievements arc visible A single
horscman PAGES along, showing the way to n mis-
cradle train of ncwly-madc slaves. Here comes
group Of little boys, naked, fearless, playing about
o. though it were holiday; then string OF
mothers dragging themselves along with babes at
their Breasts then girls Of various ages some
scarcely hloomcd out Of childhood, others ripened
TO maturity; then, as Richardson describes in his
notwithstanding Narrative, old mrn bent two
double with the weight of many years, their
trembling chus dropping towards the ground,
" their poor old heads covered with white wool F"
next come aged women, tottcring and helping
along with stavcs and after them stout
youths chained neck and neck together, who are
huddlcd through the gateways, never to pass them
but in bonds
There is joy in Finder. All day long the tri-
umph is prolonged Following this panguard--the
abject trophies of misery, come single cavaliers,
then lines of horsemcn gallopmg over the plain,
then cavalry with drums beating, and then body
Of mounted warriors, with helmets of brass and
padded coats, who marched around tho sarkeo or
sultan. AT length the mass of the hunting army
appears in sight, toling along rolling canopy of
dust, and with it the spoil of the expedition
perhaps three thousand slaves This is the begin
ming of sorrow which is to end perhaps with in
suits and lashcs in plantation of Virginia.
Some Of the captives taken are, after the general
sale, domesticated in Finder, or a neighboring
Bournou city, Almost every householder has one
or two trained who, from the method in which the
irons are fixed on their limbs, cannot walk but,
when they are obliged to 60 about move along
with little jumps. No sight can be conceived
moro painful; but if the people will have slaves it
is necessary to fetter them, because there are so
many towns and retreats near, TO which they could
escape without difficulty, and whence they could
not easily be brought back. They are exceedingly
useful to their owners, who enjoy Incidence and
comfort through their industry; and for this roa-
son it is that when the slayo-huntng army returns,
so much delight fills the population that they salute
the army with the beautiful Arabic word "Alber-
alp" blessing!" In the same spirit the Italian
bandit repeats an invocation to the Virgin while
he cocks his pistol
The slaves cultivate the ground, cook food, sweep
the huts and do all kinds of menial Offices for thor
masters, and WHEN they offend, are punished with
awful severity by them. Yet they are not on the
whole nhumanly treated, and are allowed to enjoy
some of their favorite amusements. On the might
of power" in which the Koran is said 10 have de-
scended from heaven, they are permitted to have
FEAST free dance, and songs and then they for
get for the hour, all thought of suffering, and are
as happy as under their native shades. On certain
days. too, they visit the tombs Of their dead friends
burning incense over them, calling upon THEN
names, and praying to be restored "to them and
to liberty after death" Tehy drees very gaily on
holidays, and derive from such occasions an enjoy
ment which seeme almost 10 compensate for the
osdne5s Of the rest Of the year. Many Of them