West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-02-24
SLAVES ON THE RED SEA.
GREAT BoLpNEsS or SLAVE STEAL
Frs FROM souDAN.

Slave Dhows Captured by British Vessels.
A Seven Weeks Drive from Khartoum
to the Coast The Traffic Secretly
Fostered.
A few weeks ago il was announced In the
house Of commons that the slave trade had
been reopened on large scale on the north
east coast Of Africa Sir ]. Ferguson, the
under secretary Of state for foreign affairs.
said that both the English and French govern
ments had taken energetic steps to suppress
the evil Since that time British vessels In
the Red sea have captured four slave dhows
and the Egyptian government has fitted them
up as cruisers for the suppression OF the In
famous trade. The slavers were never so
bold before. They take their human cargoes
to Jeddah, which is the port Of Mecca on the
Red sea, and they boldly incur the greatest
risks. Less than three weeks ago the launch
of q British man Of war was attacked by
SLAYER, and six Englishmen were wounded in
the fight. The dhow was, however, sunk,
and forty-three slaves were rescued
The slave dealers are Soudanese, the fol-
lowers Of the new Mahdi All restriction
upon slave stealing in the Soudan being now
old source of supply in southern Darfur and
the Bahr Ell Ghazal region Slaves are being
driven by thousands 10 Khartoum. If the
dealers can only smuggle their victims over
TO Jeddah and Mecca their profits are enor-
nous. Young women and big boys who can
be driven to the coast at total cost Of not
over SOS apiece sell readily in the larger Ara
bians towns for from five to ten times that
amount.
GREAT RIsKs-ENoRMoUs PROFITS.
The temptation 10 run great risks in order
to pocket these great profits is enormous,
particularly as the Soudanese are in desper
ate need Of trade goods, and the slavers have
only to return home with cloth and other de-
sirable commodities to reap another large
harvest The slave trade is now stimulated
not only by the great profits Of the business,
but also by the fact that all trade is contra
band. The merchants run Just as great risks
IL they are caught with ostrich feathers or
ivory, on which the profit is much less than
on slaves. They are therefore combining
themselves TO slaves.
The sufferings OF the poor captives are terri
bic. It takes about seven weeks TO drive
them from Khartoum to the coast. One
DdItl llhO AcAb MAJ OOuLh wv oSAOh6
reached the coast only 200 in number. The
bones Of the other hundred strew the route
from Berber to the sea- 1t Is said that about
5000 slaves have been smuggled across the
Red Sea to Jeddah since jan l. 1t is re-
markable that the semi barbarians of the
Soudan are able to carry on so large trade
in these. Every dhow whose hold is packed
with black merchandise crosses the busy
highway followed by most Of the vessels ply
ing between Europe and the Orient.
The slaves are taken to some little harbor
or anchorage north or south of Souakin,
which is the only point where British vessels
are stationed. They are quickly packed into
dhows ich slip over to Jeddah in the night
time The people Of Jeddah and Mecca are
slave dealers themselves and thorough SYM
pathiSers with the Soudanese. and the traffic
is secretly fostered by the Turkish authori-
ties in those towns. 1t has just been discov-
cred that many of these new slaves have been
introduced into Egypt by pilgrim bands re-
turning home, who pretend that the captives
are legitimate parts of their caravan. Many
OF these slaves have been liberated by the
authorities.-NewY York Sun.