Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-01

indeed truly pitiable sight. After suf-
fering this captivity for Short time tbey
become mere skeletons All ages. of both
sexes. are to be seen; mothers with their
babes; young men and women: bows
and girls: and even babies who cannot vet
walk, and whose mothers have died of star
Walton, or perhaps been killed by the Luz
fembee. 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.
witnessing groups of these poor. help
less wretches. with their emaciated forms
and sunken eyes, their faces very picture
of sadness, it is not difficult to perceive the
intense grief that they are inwardly suffer-
ing: but they know too we'll it is of no use
to appeal Tor sympathy to their mercilesS
masters, why have been accustomed from
childhood to witness acts of cruelty
and brutality, so that to satisfy their in
Sauable greed they will commit themselves
or permit to be committed, any atrocity,
however great. Even the pitiable sight of
one OF these slave-sheds does not half
represent the misery caused by this traffic
homes broken up. mothers separated
from their babies. husbands from wives.
and brothers from sisters. When last at
Masankusu | saw slave woman who had
with her one child, whose starved little
body she was clutching to her shrunken
breast. | was attracted by her sad face,
which betokened great suffering. l asked
her the cause of it, and she told me in a
low, sobblng voice the following tale:
$ 1 was living with my husband and
three children in an inland village, a few
miles from here. Ny husband was hunt
er. Ten days ago the Lufembee attacked
our settlement; my husband defended him
self, but was overpowered and 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
tor food. My remaining child, you see, is
Ill, dying from starvation; they give us
nothing to eat. I expect even this one
Will be taken from me to-day, as the chief.
fearing lest it should die and become a
total loss, has offered it for a very small
price. AS for myself, said she, they will
sell me to one of the neighboring tribes.
to toll in the plantations, and when |
become old and unfit for work | shall be
killed
There were certainly five hundred
slaves exposed for sale in this one village
alone. Large canoes were constantly ar
irving from down the river, with mer-
chandise of all kinds with which they pur-
chased these slaves. A large trade is car
ried on between the Ubangi and Lulungu
rivers. The people inhabiting the mouth
of the Ubangi buy the Balolo slaves at
Mansankusu 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 for food. Having purchased slaves
they feed them on ripe bananas, fish, and
oil, and when they get them into good
condition they kill them. Hundreds 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, to supply
victims for the execution ceremonies.
much life is lost in the capturing of
slaves, and during their captivity many
succumb to starvation Of the remainder,
numbers are sold to become victims to
cannibbalism:: and human sacrifice cere-
monies: There are indeed few wha are
allowed to live and prosper"