The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-03
A SLAVE MARKET.
Pitifui Scene at the Slave Sale on the
ZaHbesi

ZaIflDSSi.
journal des Missions Evangellques OF Paris.
On the Upper Zambesi River lives thu
powerful King Lewaniks, the head of the
great Barotse tribe which Livingstone was
the first to describe. Dir. Coil,ard. French
Protestant missionary. who has long lived
at Lealuyi. the chief town of the King, has
written a description of a recent slave sale
which is interesting, because the Arab slave
dealers have never penetrated there, and the
incident illustrates the fact shat without
the Initiative OF the Arabs the natives them
selves often infiict the most poignant suffer
ing upon the victims of their slave raids.
Mr.. Coillard writes to the journal:
I'm April last Lewanika sent an army of
5000 men to punish the Balubale tribe, whose
incessant attacks upon their neighbors
compromised the public security. | wit
messed the return OF this victorious army to
Leaiuyi. The prisoners OF war, all Balu-
bale women and children, were put into
camp near my house. They had probably
never seen a white man.
For four days Lewanika was busy from
morning to night distributing the booty. 1t
was impossible to LOOK upon the spectacle
unmoyed. i had never before witnessed
the scenes in a slave market Picture to
yourself thousands of the Barotse seated in
a great circle around the King and his
chiefs. In the center were huddled about
hundred of the unfortunate prisoners at
time. Not man was among them. Not q
man had been taken prisoner. but all who
fell into tie hands of the yictors had been
killed. Neither were there any old women
in the groups of prisoners. All were young
women IN great numbers and a multitude of
children OF both sexes. from l to u years of
age. Many of the women carried their
infants.
ain groups of six or seven they we're
taken from the crowd and made to advance
to the King and his chiefs, who subjected
them to minute inspection, while thousands
OF eyes were riveted upon them in shame
less Gupidity. The women, greatly ema-
Grated, for they had very small food sup
| plies for weeks, were greatly frightened,
| ana stood trem bling, with bowed heads.
| The Barotse wear considerab BILE clothing
| but these women were naked, and the fact
provoked obscene remarks and the laughter
of the multitude. Then there was a con-
| sultation under the royal pavilion and one
| of the chiefs advanced to carry out the
| pleasure OF the King.
Nursing children were so fortunate as to
be left. for time at least, at the breasts of
their mothers. All the children, however,
who could walk were distributed right and
left, like so many animals. They were
no more 20 have father or mother in this
world
"a child of three years was with difficulty
torn from the arms Of its young mother. 1t
cried and struggled, and finally. sQurming
ont OF the hands OF the man who held II,
ran Eaek into the crowd, crying for its
mother, who had been already led away.
Put it to seeep! Kill it," yelled the
laughing Barotse to the child's new master.
''ihe'nan, however, had no intention of
destroying piece of property that would
some day be valuable. He recovered the
child and carried it away.
Let go of that chidv was the order
given to~anOther young woman. The child
was apparently her first born. Forgetfdl of
her situation she clasped il tighter in her
arms. Her eyes flashed and a torrent Of
words poured from her lips. Tears
streamed down her cheeks. She begged
that her child be left with her. She said
she had rather die than be separated
from il.
'They were about TO take the child vio-
lenty from the woman, when Lewanika
commanded that it be left with her. The
man to whom the child had been assigned
took both mother and son. These things |
saw IN the half hour that / was present |
could not remain II witness such scenes.
which continued for DAYS"