Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-06
The East African slave Trade.


General Krkham, an English officer in the
service of the king of Abyssinia, has given TO
the London Telegraph interesting information
concerning the trade in slaves carried on be-
tween the interior of Africa and some portions
Of the Turkish empire. He says;
The Abyssinian envoy estimates the number
of slaves annually carried off from Africa to the
Arab and Turkish markets at $4,000 to 10000.
These unhappy beings are taken away at ayes
ranging from from seven or eight TO sixteen
years, older men and women being found more
more troublesome than valuable 10 tue dealer.
They are brought down from the centre of the
continent and the region of the White Nile to
Kassala, and are hurried on TO the slave market
at Metemmeh, to be resold for shipment to
Jedda. Foreign consus at KnartOum check, so
far as they possibly can, the passage of slaves
down the Nile; while Sir Samuel Bakers ex-
pedltiOn has done much also to increase the
difficulties which beset the transit of slaves
along that route. The ShanketO country and
that of Woolah Gallas are iavOrite grounds for
the neiarious and Infamous practice of the
tratickers in human beings-these provinces
being close to Bogos, through which district,
since the annexation by the khediYe slaves can
be safely passed 10 MassoWah, thence to be
shipped for the Arabian coast ShankeltO is a
district bordering on Abyssinia proper, and is
inhabited by wandering tribe resembling
gypsies, who are regarded as the Bedouins of
Abyssinia Shanketo, according to General
hrham, belongs of right to Ahyssinia; and
about eighteen months ago, Prince kassai had
occasion 10 send down thither one of his gener-
ais with large force, completely to devastate
the country for the murders that were frequent
ly done there on his merchants and priests
there being churches there for the baptism of
the people.
The following is the fashion in which the
slave dealers capture their victims: They 90
into village, taking with them silks, or beads,
or bits OF tin and ornaments. They exchange
these things for slaves or whatever they can yet.
The merchants send the slaves quietly away
without much trouble, and eventually they are
trained as MusSulmans. They are taken through
Bogos to Massowah, and they are sent thence to
Jedda, whence they are sent to Turkey by land.
As for price, il a female be of copper color and
good features, she will bring as much as $40,
or about E28-that is, at the market in Metem-
meh which is a wholesale market The retail
price is according to the state of the market in
the place to which they are first taken. When
sold IN the second market they vary in price.
If a man took a fancy to q female slave, he
would perhaps give 500 more than another
man. The Shankeltos and Gallas are much
sought after Tor their beauty and for their supe-
riOritY to the other tribes. A strong boy will
sell for $50 to 500. The girls fetch more, be.
cause they are wanted for the harem. Traders
will take away girls when they can get them.
When Chief makes war on another he makes
u.
He plumbers the villages and kidnans the Young
er natives and sells them, retaining the older
ones to work as his own slaves. These peoDle
are subject to the Abyssinian king, when he
finds it necessary to chastise them for misdeeds:
but, of course, when his troops leave they are
their own masters again. These things occur
in q part of AbvsSinia which the king claims.
but not among his Christian subjects,
When asked whether he believed that all the
10000 Or $4,000 annual captiyes were taken in
the war and sold by the chiefs who CAPTURED
them to the traders, Gen Kirkham, IN sub.
stance, answered: No You must understand
that after Mr.. Stanley returned from the dis
covery Of Livingstone he brought much to light
concerning the slave trade Of East Africa. DR..
Livingstone had also informed the foreign office
az to the slave trade going on in the interior.
Her maJesty's gunboats kept so close a watch
mat 1t was Impossible TO get slaves down to the
coast direct; so they take them through Bogos
AZ the interview between the sultan and lsmail
Fasha, when the latter was make khediye, an
understanding was, believe, come to respecting
the slave trade. The Mnssulmans OF Turkey
and Egypt must have supply of slaves to do
their worlS-lor the real Turks viii not do any
mental service. These $4,000 Or 10000 slaves