The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-07-12

rhs Suffering and Ifardships OF Captive
slaves In the Congo basin.


From r. s. Glayo's article in the
ce,,fury under the above title we quote
A. follows: These hungry creatures
form indeed truly pitiable sight.
After suffering this captivity for short
time they become mere skeletons. All
ares. Of both sexes. are to be seen:
mothers and their babes; young men
and women; boys and girls; and even
babes who cannot yet walk. and whose
mothers have died OF starvation. orper-
haps been killed by the Lufembe. One
seldom sees either old men or old
women; they ARE killed in the raids:
their marketable value being very
small. no trouble is taken with them.
witnessing groups Of these poor,
helpless wretchcs with their cmaclated
forms and sunken eyes. their faces a
very picture OF sadness. 1t Is not dill
cult TO perceive the Intense grief that
they are inwar,lly suffering; but they
know too well II Is OF no use 10 appeal
for sympathy TO their merciless masters.
who have been accustomed from child
hood to witness acts Of cruelty and
brutality. SO that to satisfy their insatl-
BILE greed they will commit themselves.
or permit TO be committed. any atrocity.
however great. Even the pitiable
sight of one of these slaye-sheds does
not half represent the misery caused by
this traffic-homcs broken up. mothers
separated from their babies, husbands
from wives, and brothers from sisters.
When last at Masankusu i saw n slave
woman who had with her one child.
whose starved little body she was
cutching 10 her shrunken breast.
was attracted by her sad face. which
betokenei great suffering. asked her
the cause of IL. and she told me In a
low. sobbing voice the following tale:
IL was living with my husband and
three children In an inland village. y
few miles from here. My husband was
hunter. Ten days ago the Lufembe
attacked our settlement; my husband
defended himself but was oyerpowered
aud speared TO death with several Of
the other villagers. | was brought
here with my three children. two of
whom have already been purchased by
the traders. shall never see them
any more. Perhaps they will kill them
on the death of some chief or perhaps
Kill them for food. My remaining
child. you see. is i'll. dying from starya-
ton; they give us nothing TO eat.
expect even this one will be taken
from me to-day. ms the chief. fearing
lest il should die and become total
loss. has offered II for very small
price. As for myself said she. they
will sell me TO one of the neighboring
tribes. 10 toll In the plantations. and
when become old and unit for work
shall be killed
There were certainly five hundred
slaves exposed for sale In this one vii.
lage alone. Large canoes were con.
stantly arriving from down the river.
with merchandise OF all kinds with
which they purchased these slaves. A
large trade Is carried on between the
Ubangi and Lulungu rivers. The peo-
Pile inhabiting the mouth OF the Ubangi
buy the Balolo slaves nj Masankusu
and the other markets. They then
take them up the Ubangi River aud ex.
change them with the natives there for
ivory. These natives buy their slaves
solely for food. Hnving purchased
slaves they feed them OH ripe bananas.
fish. and oil. and when they get into
good condition they kill them. Hun
dred OF the Balolo slaves are taken into
the river and disposed OF in this way
each month. A great many other
slaves are sold to the large villages on
the Congo, 10 supply victims for the
execution ceremonies.
Much life is lost in the capturing OF
slaves and during their captivity many
succumb 10 starvation. OF the re-
mainder. numbers are sold 10 become
victims To cannibalism and human
sacrifice ceremonies. They are few in
deed who are allowed 10 live and
prosper.