The New York herald., 1872-10-16
HER ROMANTIC STORY.
BAKER PACII-A, ),
The Glorious Work Of the Liberia.
tor of Central Africa.
SLAVE FREIGHT ON THE NILE.
Sir Samuel Baker.Suppressing the
Accused Traffic.
KHARTouh, ON THE SourAN, |


July 25, 1872.
1t 10 but natural that the United States govern
ment should instruct its agents to inquire into the
existence and character of the slave trade in
Africa. And as I hear it Is doing SO send you
some facts OF the main features OF the terrible traf
nc In this quarter. While the government reports
are coming In this may have some interest.
HOW THE GAME BEGINS.
In the month Of August the traders begin to pre-
pare for their departure In November. They have
no great sums OF money on hand so they borrow
h, paying from to IL per cent month, or 90 to
~ per cent per annum. All the salaried clerks
who get above f40 month are enabled to lend IN
this manner, and In years time they find they
have snug profit. The traders most OF whom are
mild, inoncnsive appearing men. with their river
boats, ascend In regular squadron before the
north wind. Every expedition means war, and,
lccording to its magnitude, Is provided with 100
70 1000 armed men. The soldiers en-
ployed consist Of the miserable Dongolowie, who
carry double -barrelled shotguns and knives, and
are ehiehy noted for their huge appetites and love
u marissa (beer). Each large dealer has his own
territory, and he resents promptly any attempt OF
smother trader to trespass thereon. For instance,
Agate the most famous OF all African slave traders,
knew, and his men frequently visited the Victoria
NyanzA long before Speke ever dreamed OF it.
when asked why he did not report the crcum-
stance onlciaily, he demands, very simply, "What
sOrf' Neither Agate nor any OF the other traders
are aware Of the tons Of manuscript which have
been wasted upon 'The Sources Of the Nile," and
u they did know 1t would boot nothing. Agate's
station is now near the Nyanza, and he keeps up
heavy force there, indeed he does at all his sta
ti0ns. When the expedition is ready it moves slowly
up to the NeaM-Neam country, for instance, and
one tribe s hostile 10 another, he Joins with the
strongest and~takes his pay in slaves. Active spies
ore kept in liberal pay to inform him Of the number
and quality Of the young children; and when the
chief believes he can steal 100 he settles down to
work, for that figure means s., 600. He makes a
landing with his human hounds, after having re-
connoitred the POSITIONS generally in the night
time. At<lawn he moves forward on the village,
and the alarm is spread among the negroes, who
herd together behind their aboriginal breastpIates
and fire clouds Of poisoned arrows. The trader
OPENS WITH MUsKETRY,
md then begins general massacre Of men, wcnen
and children The settlement, surrounded by in
nammable grass, is given to the 1ames and the en-
entire habitaton is laid in ashes. Probably out OF
the wreck OF 1000 charred and slaughtered people
his reserves have caught the 100 coveted women
and children, who are flying from death in wild
despair. Iaey are yoked together by a long pole
and marched OF from their homes forever One
third Of them may have the smallpox, and then
with his infected cargo he proceeds to his nearest
stataop. Thence the negroes are clandestinely
sent across the desert TO Kordofan,
whence they are dispersed over Lower
Egypt ana other markets. 1t not unfrequently
9hapl Vens that the negroes succeed in killing their
Sadve rsariesin these combats. But the blacks are
not b. fave. They generally nv after loss Of several
killed, except with the Neam-Neams, who always
!. fight Nth a bravery commensurate with their re-
nOwn V cannsbals.
ruu on, lrssTus OF THE NORTHERN AFRICAN s-Avr
area Cnlhappy, the most difficult portions of
tncl history Of shis atr0ci0us traflc. Yet, frem
IMAM sources Ithink L may be safe In saying that
the 4 unual export of slaves from the country lying
betwe en- the RED Sea and the Great Desert ts rs 600
o yeaa I, distributed as ows:-Ffom Abyssinie,
carried 10 Jara or Gallabat 10000; issuing BY Other
routes Abyssinnia, s,ooo By the Blue Nile, 5000;
BY thea vhtfe Nile, T,OOo
TO ObtA,fn these 1000 slaves and sell them In
marketn,ore than hfteen thousand are annually
hteS, and often the mortality reaches The terrible
nRureA o. $4,000. II ia . fair es.mate TO say that
10000 ahnireu are stolen from their parents every
wear By PERSONS who have the names and repaLa-
tioHs oAheingN civilized and educated. I cannot
Atop herd The horrible Ggures must march on
The sbpSxion Of these 5oo 600 causes feaftburnings
At hoxleA and great mental suffering in Africa is
xhe most potent cause Of death doubt not have
Vaixly arrived ~ oo,OVV ihnnmah WroHks. Neeu we
hcaan aS forwags and inquire to what extent these
sNepes snresd eSntagion, as to siow far they are
anAnsheaNhy element In the country, AMI 100000
lives are aAnually. expended either In the lowest
slavery or she darkest death9 II ] extend the
bounds OF inguiry to the northern and western
coaste and wherever the canvasscd eneaks c&rry
on theE cargoes In defiance of law-if1 tnclude all
Africa-5n0re than one million souls VIII be CON-
prsed in the number annually carried aWa#, killed
or made broken-hearted by tse slave trade
THE CURSE UPON AFRICA.
a half century has witnessed the ensavement OF
spo,i2tion Of more than fifty million Africans, and
,eave ie 10 other pens to describe what residue OF
the commerce remained TO America aiter Its hn-
manity outlawed the trafiic. The activity OF the
.es,era their nprder0ue policy OF aesaultnG and