Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-06-15
Slavery in Egypt.

MIR, GREyILL.E J. CHESTER, in an ar
ticle in the Fortnaghtly entitled "Some
Truths about Egype," combats the preva-
lent ideas as to the progress and develop
ment of that country. In regard to slav-
cry there, he SAYS: $500
'$It is commonly believed in England
that the Khedive is opposed to slavery.
The man has so often said so to the Prince
of Wales and to other noble guests that
the mass of Englishmen have come to be-
lieve him. Nothing, however, can be so
absolutely contrary to the truth. The real
fact is that the Khedive is the largest
slave owner in Egypt. There is not one
of the almost numberless palaces of his
highness and his sons and pashas which
is not full to overlooking OF slaves of
both sexes, and they are TO be found in
private houses throughout the whole
length of the land of Egypt. The Khe-
dive himself continually buys them. Let
it be especially noted that--to put Geor-
gians and other whites, who are supplied
through the Turkish market, out of the
question-African slaves can only be
brought into Egypt by way of Suez or by
the Nile, and that one single word from
the Viceroy could stop the importation of
a single slave into Egypt, or. arrest their
progress at any point on their way to
Cairo. That word, however, has never
been spoken. Slaves are seen daily de-
scending the Nile in open day. [ have
repeatedly seen them myself when ascend
ing and descending the Nile in daha-
beeGh. l have seen slaves chained to-
gether with iron chains; and on one &C
casion slave, heavily loaded with irons,
attempted to end his miseries by throwing
himself into the Nile before my own Nile
boat. Only last year witnessed the sale
of a young female slave by Government
official at Assouan, who made five pounds
by the transaction, and who pulled out
her tongue, showed her teeth, and indica-
ted the good points of the poor little
shrinking creature with all the zest Of an
experienced dealer. This year | travelled
in the train from Suez with an Egyptian
soldier who had with him little Christian
slave-boy whom he had kidnapped from
Abyssinia, while Christian England is
looking on with AFFECT admiration at the
spectacle Of the only Christian country in
Africa being subjugated by her Moham-
medan ally. 1t is true that opeG slave
markets are abolished but | could buy
slave myself tomorrow, if only [ did it
sub rosa for fear of the European Consuls.
In saying thus much, | do not wish it to
be understood that / believe that slaves in
Egypt are, on the whole, ill-neated. On
the contrary, l think that when once
bought they are well used, like other val
liable property, but they are undoubtedly
treated with great cruelty by the slavers
who bring them from the interior; and
relic which was shown me in the British
Consulate at Tarabulus Gharb (Tripoli in
Barbary) shows to what lengths a Turkish
Pasha is capable of going with his chattel.
This relic is anlassive collar Of iron,
spiked like that OF mastiff, and so con-
trived that the wretch upon whose neck
| it was aoeldedg could not move his head
without being impaled. This ornament
was filed off the neck of a slave who had
escaped from the palace of the Pasha."