Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-11-09
Ar RiCAN SIAVE-HUNTERS.
Inc Arabs Still Desolating the Country
WIZ the Internal Traffic

the Arabs Still Desolating the Country
With the Internal Trafhc
Inc life of the native African is not
ioyillc. 1t is darkened by tragedy
whose terrors are unknown to any
other people under heaven. OF its
mild domestic slavery do not speak,
nor OF Its revolving witchcraft, nor of
its endless quarrels and frequent tribal
wars. These minor evils are lost in
the shadow of great national wrong.
Among these simple and unprotected
tribes, Arabs - unlimited strangers
from another race and nature-pour in
from the North and East with the de-
nDerate purpose OF making this para
disc hell. 1t seems the awful destiny
or this homeless people to spend their
lives in breaking up the homes of
others. Wherever they go in Africa.
the followers of Islam are the destroy
ers of peace, the breakers up of the
patriarchal life, the DISCOVERS of the
family tie. Already they hold the
whole continent under zone reign of
terror. They have effected this in vir-
tue of one thing-they possess fire.
arms. They do it for one object
ivory and slaves, for these two are one
The slaves are needed to buy ivory
with; then more slaves have to be
stolen to carry it. So living man him
self has become the commercial cur
rency of Africa.
1t Is quite Il mistake to imagine that
slave-hunting is a thing of the past.
On the contrary, the Arabs have quite
recently become bolder than ever.
Many at home imagine that the death
knell of slavery was struck with the
events which followed the death of
Livingstone. In the great explorers
time we heard much of slavery; we
were appealed to; the Government
busted itself; something was really
done. But the wall is already forgot
ten, and England hears little now OF
the open sore of the world. But the
tragedy have alluded to is repeated
every year and every month-witness
such recent atrocities as those of the
Upper Congo. of the Kassai and San
karu region described by Wissman,
and of the Welle-Makua district re-
ferred to by Van Gele. 1t was but the
other day that an explorer crossing
from Lake Nyassa to Lake Tanganyika
saw the whole southern end of Tangan-
yika peopled with large and prosper
Gus villages. The next to follow him
found not a solitary human being-noth-
ing but burned homes and bleaching
skeletons. 1t was but yesterday-the
close of 18S7-that the Arabs at the
north end OF Lake Nyassa, after destroy
ing fourteen villages with many OF
their inhabitants, pursued the popula-
ton of one village into patch of tall
dry grass, set it on fire, surrounded it,
and slew with the bullet and the spear
those who crawled out from the more
merciful flames. The Wa-Nkonde tribe.
to which these people belonged, were,
until this event, one of the most pros
porous tribes in East Central Africa.
They occupied country of exceptional
fertility and beauty. Three rivers
which never failed in the severest
drouth, run through their territory.
and their crops We're the richest and
most varied in the country. They pos
sessed herds of cattle and goats; they
tished in the lake with nets; they
wrought iron into many-patterned
spear-heads with exceptional ingenuity
and skill; and that even artistic taste
had begun to develop among them was
evident from the ornamental work upon
their huts, which were themselves
unique in Africa for clever construction
and beauty OF design. This people, in
short, by their own inherent ability and
the natural resources of their country
were on the high road TO civilization
Henry Drunamond.