Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-02

It's Horrors Described by Victim Only
Six Years Old When Captured.


The self-lmposed mission of Cardinal
Lavigerie, which bears the indorse-
ment of his holiness the pope, looks to
the organizing of a crusade of all
Cnrlstlan nations against the African
slave trade, says letter from Brussels
20 the New York Press, and in which
laudaole endeavor he has received
powerful aid from the Belgian Anti
Slavery society. The latter has re-
Gently published the story of a poor
negro boy of 10, named Farra@hit.
whose adventures graphically illustrate
the manner in which the Africans
are enslaved.
Farraghit relates that one dav. while
on visit with his mother and sister
and several members of his tribe to a
KaffOuan village, they were suddenly
surrounded by Touareg slave mer-
chants. who frightened them by
brandishing daggers and sticks. One
negro of his party had the boldness to
shout for help. but he was Immediately
knocked down and killed. Another.
an old man, tried to defend himself by
throwing an arrow that he happened
to have in his possession at his captors,
but it fell harmlessly to the ground
and only enraged the traders. who at
once stabbed him to death. Finally,
after all those who had offered any
resistance had been similarly disposed
of, the merchants took the others into
the territory of the Bambas. There
Arab traders bought those of the
captives that seemed the strongest.
A
who, being able-bodied, was at once
engaged for domestic service and
torn from her children without being
afforded an opportunity to bid them
farewell.
At that time Farraghit was 6 and
his sister was 4 years of age. During
the march across the desert the leaders
rode comfortably on camels, but the
slaves had to follow as best they could
on foot. The Touaregs made only
brief haltS, during which they would
feast off sheep or goat from their
herds. When they had finished the
bones were thrown to their wretched
captives, and the march would then be
resumed. At the end of the second
day Farraghit's sister fell down ex-
hausted by the heat and fatigue. Her
brother remained at her side, while the
caravan kept on its course, the leaders
not having noticed the incident. Their
absence was soon noted, however, and
one of the men returned and beat the
captives to force them to 90 forward.
The girl, however, was helpless and
in great agony. Seeing this, her cap
tor brutality pounded her to death be-
fore her brothers eyes. He then turn
ed his attention to the boy and kept
whipping him until he had driven him
back to the caravan.
After many long, wearisome days
the Touaregs came to the village in
habited by the king of the Bambas.
This monarch bought 100 captives,
fifty of whom he at once burned alive
to appease the evil spirit, as he had
been seriously i'll of fever. Farraghit,
being exchanged for horse, remained
for six months with the king, when he
was sold to some Arabs who had or
ganized another caravan. Under the
guidance of his new masters his pain
full march began again. Their road
across the country was lined with the
withered or putrefying corpses of those
of the slaves who had been killed en-
route. The negroes were divided into
bands of from forty to fifty each, of
all ages, both sexes, and of every tribe
that inhabits central Africa. Several
having tried to escape from their
misery bv flight, each was compelled
to wear about his neck a heavy iron
collar, in which was inserted a smaller
one, and through the latter was passed
a chain, fastening him to his neigh
Dor.
at was melancholy" says Farraghit,
''to see the old and sick. They hung
upon their companions in misery, and
when the band stopped for a moment
to take breath they were suspended
from their collars like so many corp
ses.' "
have not space to follow the poor
slave boy to the end of his adventures.
Suffice it to say that his statements are
fully confirmed by others, who assert
that the road from Bornou to KOuka is
distinctly marked out by the skeletons
of the dead negroes who have succumb-
ed to the tortures and privatiOns that
attend their march. When slave
gives out entirely and the customary
panacea of blows can no longer force
him to further exertion his captors,
rather than stop long enough to undo
the chain and take him out of the line,
simply cut off his head, leaving his
mangled carcass to fall to the ground.
The march is then resumed.
Prjevalsy's Death.