Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-06-21
In THE SLAVE-SHED.

Illustrated article, in the April Centu-
ry, under the above title, we quote
as follows: "These hungry Great.
ures form indeed Il pitiable sight.
After suffering this captivity for a
short time they become mere skele-
tons. All ages of both sexes, are to
be seen mothers with their babes !;
young men and women ; boys and
girls and even babes who cannot
walk, and whose mothers have died
of starvation, or perhaps been killed
andeaten. One seldom sees either
old men or old women they are all
killed in the raids their marketable
value being very small, no trouble is
taken with them.
"Wltnessing groups of these poor,
helpless wretcheS, with their ema-
ciated forms and sunken eyes, their
faces very picture OF sadness, it is
not difficult to perceive the intense
grief that they are lnwardly suffer.
ing F.; but they know too well it is of
no use to appeal for sympathy to
their merciless masters, who have
been accustomed from childhood to
witness acts of cruelty and brutality,
so that tosatiStyt heir unsuitable greed
they will commit themselves, or per-
NIT to be committed, any dtrosity,
however great. Even the pitlable
sight of one of these slave sheds
does not half represent the misery
caused by this traffic-homes broken
mp. mothers separated from their
children, husbands from their wives,
and brothers from sisters. When
last at Masankusu | saw slave wo.
man, who had with her one child,
whose starved little body she was
clutching to her shrunken breast, l
was attracted by her sad face, which
betokened great suffering. | asked
her the cause of it, and she told ne
in low sobbing voice the following
tale:
81 was living with my husband
and three children in an inland vii.
lage, a few miles from here. My
husband was a hunter. Ten days
ago the Lufembe attacked our settle
ment my husband defended HIM
self, but was overpowered and spear
ed to death with several of the 9th
er villagers. l 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 per.
haps kill them for food. My remain.
ing child, you see, is i'll, dying from
starvation they give us nothing to
eat. | expect even this one will be
taken from me to day, as the chief,
fearing lest it should die and be.
come total loss, has offered it for
very small price. AS for myself
said she, they will sell me to one of
the nelghboring tribes, to toll in the
plantations, aud when become old
and unfit for work | shall be killed.
"There were certainly five hun
bred slaves exposed for sale in this
one village alone. Large canoes
were constantly arriving from down
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 people inhabitating the
mouth of the Ubangi buy the Balolo
slaves at Masankusu and the other
markets. They then take them up
the Ubangi River and exchange
them with the natives there for ivory.
These natives buy their slaves solely
tor food. Having purchased slaves
they feed them on ripe bananas, fish,
and oil, and when they get them into
good condition they kill them. Hun
dreds of the Balolo slaves are taken
into the river and disposed fin this
way each month. A great many
other slaves are sold to the large
villages on the Congo, to supply
victims for the Execution ceremonies.
Much life is lost in the capturing
of slaves, and during their captivity
many succumh to starvation. OF
the remainder, numbers are sold to
become victims to cannibalism and
human sacrifice ceremonies. There
are few indeed who are allowed to
live and prosper"