The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-05-15
Al Yisit to a Slave NIarket.


Telegraph recently visited the slave
market at Zanzibar, of which he
writes II is in corner of the
poorest quarter Of the town, princi-
pally inhabited by negroes. At the
time of my visits IL p. M.--said
to be the busiest in the market, there
were about 75 slaves for sale. The
slaves exposed were all Africans, both
the new importations and those
whom their masters, for their faults
or owing to pecuniary pressure, had
sent to the market. The two class
es could DO easily distinguished
The latter were in good condition,
and fairly clad, two or threo had
even silver ornaments, which how
ever, ] was informed, where to be
removed the moment their wearers
were sold. They were all females.
aud with three or four exceptions,
young. A few of these were made
to stand in row for the inspection
of intending buyers others sat in
the verrndas of the huts, talking to
each other in subdued voice II
point insisted upon by their masters
and very much against their own in
Charlottesville those in the row
stood mute, like soldiers after the
word attention" The new slaves
squatted in siugle file, describing
something like n semi-circle, few
being deposited in the middle. I'm.
like the other class, these were of
both sexes, young and old. some
mere children. and all of them near
ly skeletons, with emaciated figures
and attenuated faces, hardley less
repulsive than skulls dug up from
the grave. Their appearance excited
pity and loathing. Conspicuous
among this squatting group were
two who were manacled and fastened
together by a thick chain. l was
told that they wero so treated in
consequence of their attempts to
run away. They were young men,
strongly built, but the savage was
plainly written in their faces, and if
| had been told that they were can
nibals it would have been hard to
disbelieve it. | pretended to he
looking out for q cook and o boy
Three girls were pointed out to mo
from among those sent to the
market by their masters and thus |
entered upon the business of bona
fide purchaser While I was ques-
tioniny the man in charge Of them
as to the knowledge of each in cook
ing, l observed the way in which
other intending purchasers examin-
ed the rest of the batch. They
looked into their mouths, felt their
hands and shoulders and limbs, as
you world n horse. The girl wore n
resigned look, aud seemed to submit
to the degradation as criminal does
to degra ling punishment. They ap-
pear to have been born in Zanzibar,
md having lived in Arab families. had
certainly not lost, Judging rom their
dcmeanor, the natural modesty Of their
sex. Two of them were regularly
pu; up by auction, aud every bidder
had right to examine them. While
oil this was going on, tho poor girls
had their heads cast down or turned
from tho crowd before them. Not
having iou nd cook who knew the
dishes l M entioned, / turned to the
newly-imp,rted batch OF negroes.
There were few purchasers for these,
and the whole lot presented such u
rcpulsve appearance, thatit was i'm
possible for mo to remain long upon
them.
Th is is all not very different from
what was rec entity transpiring i'll our
own country.