The mountain signal. (Mount Vernon, Ky.) 1887-18??, 1889-05-03
AFRICA'S SLAVE TRADE.
How the Nefarious Traffic Is Carried On BY
UnprincipIed Ship-Owners.

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How the Nefarious Traffic Is Carried On BY
UnprincipIed ship-Owners.
The Paris Temps published the other
day letter from Arabia giving some
details in regard to the slave markets
in Hodeida and other towns. 1t is
said that the Turkish Government
closes its eyes to the traffic, and that
consequently slavery fourishes with
little or no obstruction. The few
vessels scattered along the great dis
lance from Zanzibar to Suakim are
utterly inadequate for the purpose of
suppressing the trade. To exercise
an effective surveillance large feet
Of cruisers would be necessary, involv-
ing, of course. an immense expense.
The captains of the slavers are
thoroughly skilled in the methods of
concealing tneir tSeIslandise. For
example, when a war shy is approach
ing the slaves are thrown iff~the bot
tom of the hold, and barrels and
bales and all sorts Of things are placed
over them, with little care for the
danger of their suffocation. In this
way many a SLAYER escapes as a vessel
engaged in an honest business. In the
Red Sea they employ other means to
escape. They deal principally in
children, and when there is danger of
capture they put their captives in
small boats and land them on some
island, where they conceal them as
best they can. One OF the difficulties
in the way of stopping this traffic is
the consent of the slaves-themselves.
In liberty away from tneir own coun-
tries they see nothing but starvation
before them, and the result is that
many liberated slaves eften resell
themselves. Moreover, taey have
dread of Europeans. This Arabs tell
them that the whites eat re BLACKS. e
The proper way to s. press ibe
traffic would be to commeE with tag
slave markets, which 81 ,.'T1>r
the protection, or at leabi the ~,
ance, of the Turkish Eiovernnc'E
Formerly the markets were carried on
openly. now they are operated secretly,
and that is the only difference. The
slavers land their merchandise upon
some deserted portion Of the coast,
and from there it is brought overland
to Hodeida. Every body is informed
of the arrival. The Governor is the
first to get tho news. The slaves are
placed with agents, who sell them
either in the town itself or in the inte-
rior. Of course, the prices vary ac-
cording to the quality of the goods;
but of late years the prices have been
considerably raised on account of the
fees which the merchants are Obliged
to pay to the Turkish officials f.NeverA
theless. good serva AN be pur-
chased for about &C" yha ne
groes from Zanzibar .~ the Soudan
are generally employed as servants.
The women from Djimona and Abyss
sinia are high priced. They are gen.
orally pretty, with tolerably clear
complexious, and features of the Eu-
ropean type. They fill the harems of
Arabia. A handsome Gala about
twelve years old will sell easily for
1920, $3.50 or even 5000. In Hodeida,
where there are two European Con-
suls, this trade is carried on secretly,
but in the interior it goes on openly.
In Loheva, little north of Hodeida,
the slaves are sold at auction, and the
acknowledgements receives 50 for
each slave that is Sold Moreover, he
generally selects one or two for him
self out of each new cargo. This func-
tionary does not even know how to
sign his name, and the Cadi of the
same town deals in Gallas and Sou
danese as the most legitimate business
in the world.
All that the Turkish Government
does against this traffic is to give a
color of satisfaction to the European
powers. Lately Turkish war vessel
seized two slavers with 16O negroes;
but this is after all only a thin vail to
cover the acts which arGgOing on every
day under the shelter of the Ottoman
flag.
About 1000 slaves are annually sold
at Hodeida, and the trade is carried
on at other points on a much larger
scale.
Would you like to retireP" asked
a lady of her guest, a somewhat I'M
sophisticated old gentleman making