The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-08-30
STOLEN AFRICANS.
The 1nhurnan Slave Traffic Still
Carried On.
Arabs Engaged in Perpetuating the
Slavery of Their Own Race
How the Natives Are
:. a Captured.

G.. Bronchi. Italian consul general at
Zanzibar, who lately arrived here to
succeed Mr.. Lambertenghi as consul
general for the Italian government, has
had some curious experiences and seen
many strange things during his stay in
Africa. says the San Francisco Exam
liner. He spoke of the African slave
trade as it is now carried on at and
near Zanzibar, told of the proves OF
the Arab slave catchers, and the efforts
Of the dhOws to run the blockade anc
land their human freight. One curious
thing which he recounted was that,
aside from the Arabs, those interested
in the traffic were almost invariably
negroes. They are engaged in perpetu'
ating the slavery of their own race.
1.-The Arab captors." he said, ''are al
almost constant war with bands OF
negroes in the interior, and for every
slave that is captured and sold IL
slavery thirty or forty die. Some o,
them perish IN the attack, Others
through privation while being trans
ferred from the interior to the coast
where they can be shipped, other:
while on TIE dhows.
''They are substantially the same type
Of the full-blooded colorcd people yor
black as it is possible for people to be
'The Arabs who go hunting fol
them penetrate hundreds and hundred!
of miles in the interior. Most of the
captures used to be made in the lake
region, but in late years it has beer
pretty well stopped there. Since the
great powers have taken possession
and apportioned out Zanzibar the Arab!
arc not allowed to pursue their nefari
Gus business. Steps were taken right
away to prevent them. Both England
and Germany, us wcll as Italy, among
which Zanzibar was divided, have men
of-war on the alert for the slavers, bu
for every man-of war that Germany OF
Italy has England has ten to twelve
The task of preventing the slave traffic
therefore, dcvolves almost entirely or
England. She does the best she can
but nevertheless the traffic goes on
not in the degree it did formerly, but
still to a considerable extent.
Several ports are unguarded, anG
into these the elbows sail and wait till
the bands Of slaves are driven in from
the interior, where they have been
caught. A dhOw is from twenty tc
thirty feet long, as rule. though some
are considerably larger. Fifty, sixty, q
hundred or more naked slaves are
crowded into a dhOw. and the black men
in charge, who have bought them from
the Arabs, then make every effort to
run the blockade.
Slavery itself. after the victims are
turned over to their final owner, is not
80 bad. The Shareholders treat them
fairly well, not beating or maltreatino
them as rule. The movements OF
these Arabs and their onsl2ughts are
conducted in Il desultory manner
Bands prey upon SavaGcs wherever
they can be found. Cloves, which arc
produced in immense quantities in Ian
Z:bar and the cultivation Of which is
the main industry, are grown by slaves
''They are kept laboriously at work
from one season to another. The
negroes are not naturally Industrious
They would much rather play and sing
than be kept at work in the forests ant
folds. They make strenuous efforts tt
escape and frequently succeed. If ar
attempt is made to capture them they
will fight to the death.
''What gives the Arab slavers sucl
an advantage over the poor Africans il
their native wilds are the guns which
kh0x II al,
rule, are not so equipped. rhcy hav,
only their clubs and ru;:e Weapons O
other kinds and are unable to cop,
with the most improved European ant
American weapons which tAc Arab
have. Even now the Arabs are uOle t,
secure so many slaves that fifty or on,
hundred dollars will buy one and some
times two slaves"