American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-11-09
The African Slave Trade.

The African Slave Trade.
4 New York Herald correspondent.
writing from Khartoum, on the Soudan.
thus speaks of the African slave trade:
"Of the $4,000 annually forced into sIa-
very their futures may be thus tabulatcd.
$1,000 being boys and 10000 girls =
Go to Lower Egypt. .-......... -.......... g 600
| Are made soldiers finally. --.-.. OoG
Finally become concubines. ........... 8 600
| Nearly all the women.)
| After leaving state of cOncubinage mar
Become cooks and servants. ---......--.--- j, 900
Dle from the climate .l0, 900
| Are made eunuchs. ...-.......-... 500
Finally become educated .-..-.---...-..--- 900
| Obtain competency OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10
Become Christians None
ignorant of a better existence. %, 900
L have thus attempted to show by what
channels the poor slaves are borne out
upon the stormy ocean of life. They are
dispersed over 100000 square miles of
| territory, and their blood finally minoles
| with that of the Turk. the Arab and the
European. Thousands upon thousands
go to Persia, where they are better cared
tor than here, and some of them ultimate
ly reach destruction through the dark in
trigucs of the Eastern courts.
The finest black soldiers are recruited
from the Dinkas, who are strong, hand
some negroes, the finest of the White Nile.
The other races are thickly built and
clumsy, and are never ornamental: the
Abyssinians, for whatever service and of
whatever class, excel all their rival vic
Tins in slavery. They are quiet and sub
dued, and seldom treacherOuS or subOr-
dinate. They prefer slavery, many of
them. to freedom, because they have no
aspirations that are inOrdinate. The girls
are delicate, and not built for severe labor.
They are tender, sentimental beings, who,
in another atmosphere, would adorn the
lOftiest ideal of wOmanhood. Though
born and bred in a country where cDncu
bines are as legitimate and as much hon
ored as wives, they revolt against the ter
rOrS of pOlygamy. They are never happy
where their peace in the affections of their
master is duplicated in another. Slaves
vary in price, according to age, beauty
and accomplishments, and | submit the
following table as nearly exact, the money
here being in dollars:
For negro boys from the White Nile,
eight years of age. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 40
For raw negro girls from the " hite Nile eight
years of age. --...-..-..-.---. 60
For men taught to work, twenty-five years of
age. ....-...... $50
For Abyssinian girl, ten years old -. 60
For Abyssinian girl, twelve years old, ordi-
For Abyssnian girl, fourteen years old beau
For Abyssinian girl, fourteen years old, beau
tiful (whlte) .---...-....-.--. 300
FOR Abyssinfan girls, concubnes, not vir-
gins Observation-Disclosures. $50
Women beyond seventeen not in demand,
but when sold, if concubines, bring 49,. leo
Old slaves, seldom sold, it being point of
honor not to send an aged servitor a,irift 80
For eunuchs, 0rdlnary coal black --------- 30
For eunuchs of the first-class 800
There are slave brokers here who make
regular commissions upon the buying
and selling of slaves; but there are not
great slave marts here as in Olden times.
Every transaction must be done with Sc
crecy. There is great competition for
handsome slave girls, who are used as
wives.
American consul, every missionary, every
Christian and white man for the evils [
have described. A determined, persistent
and thorough agitation of the slave trade
question in Africa, would have killed it
stone dead years ago. 1t could not have
this region its only vigorous European
combatant, and more to him than any
other man will be due the praise of its ut
ter eradication. The consignatories of the
treaties by which Egypt maintains her al
most Imperial independence could require
the Viceroy to maintain the closest sur
VIGILANCE upon the actions of notorious
traders. Sir Samuel Baker is doing nobly.
He is throttling the monster. He hates the
slave trade as Wendell Phillips hated
slavery. He is mighty. too, and he is to-
day the most resolute Pacha of the Turk
lSh Empire. InOugh he mas been over
whelmed by Turkish distin notions, he first
esteems the good opinions of the Anglo
SaxOns, and the world may not be sur
prised to learn, at the conclusion of his
expedition, that he has punished with gen.
erOus allowance all the rascals who have
fattened on their kind. He believes in the
lash, and, wherever necessary, in sum-
mary executions. His name justly de-
serves to be enrolled upon the brightest
page of the benefactOrs Of his country.
Tile more hear of Sir Samuel Baker, the
the more like to write about him in vein
of deserved praise. He is a rough Eng
Iishman who, in order to hasten matters,
knocks down vicious interlOper between
the two pufs of cigar; or, to engender
a healthy spirit of industry, he often APP
PLIES the bastinado on the bare person.
Compared with the feebleness and indie
cision of almost all other African eXplo-
rers his career here has inspired respect
which comes at once from fear and admit
ration. He has written and fought and
diplomatiZed against the slave trade. and
now, TO his eternal honor, he goes to
strangle it as the Governor of one of the
largest sections of territory on the earth.
Lady Baker, with her great Hungarian
heart, is noble companion for the liberia
tor of Africa