The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
FRENCH CONGO SLAVERY.
THERE IN PLENTY OF BoND-
MEN ~ That mo T~ERRI7ORy

Almost All the Free Nauvc. Own Slaves
French Missionaries Buy Pcop,. rror,
the Hnterior TO "Convert'' Them Nht,.
Womnn Tells what She Has Seen.
Slavery Is not entirely a thing Of the past ir
the French Congo. White men do not Eecn
slaves, but domestic slavery exists ali through
that territory. Nearly every free native has
slaves, and often slaves invest their little nil in
slaves. They are truly servants of servants.
Often when q slave is asked. "Who Is your COM
panionr' he replies. "Oh, he be my niger.
master. | done buy him" There arc slaves
and half slaves. Tho slaves are bought from
other tribes for salt and cloth, and prisoners Of
war are sold MS slaves.
Twenty to forty native dollars will buy n slavA
boy. Inc girls are n little higher In price. The
price is about So to SIS In American money.
Nearly always the slaves purchased are chill.
dren, because they will bo more ohcdient to
their master when they grow up. one novel
way exists among our people OF procuring
slaves In the interior. They so there to trade
with salt. Salt is the most precious article in
the market some days distant from the coast.
To attract attention, the salt merchants leave
their baskets or mnttcts OF salt by the roadside
and apparently 10 away, but In reality hide
themselves near by. Tho natives cannot resist
the temptation very long, and soon some one
sneaks up to take just n little blt." II the
owner catches the thief, he makes him pay .
slave or carries him along with him as n slave.
slavery is the punishment for theft among the
Lulumbus, Bcacca. and others in the interior.
Sometimes n small offence makes n slave Of
the offender. For instance. when the people go
into the bush to dry meat they often return
with new slaves. Each one erects his own dry
ing rack and keeps the fire going under 1t.
Should any one pass this place aud make re-
marks about tho smell or look of the meat, ho
insults the owner and becomes Ills slave. One
of our former mission boys suffered this penalty
for his raslness, and, though he was only Is
years old. he became the slave OF the insulted
person. He will be his slave until the man dies,
and then he may return to his people. His
people might redeem him for the usual amounts
paid for q slave.
II any one cannot pay his debts. he Is obliged
to 20 to his creditors town and stay there until
he pays or until the creditor dies. He remains o
half slave until this time and works for his mas
ter just like other slaves. The only privilege he
enjoys is that he is allowed to have his family
with him. surely a nice way to pay debts.
Slaves are generally treated well. just like the
children Of the family, in fact, and often they
intermnrry with their masters relatives. There
are exceptions to this rule. however. Some
masters punish a small misdemeanOr severely,
even with death. | remember one instance. 4
slave claimed to be his masters brother. and for
this, which is considered the greatest insult. his
master ordered the other slaves to KIN him Uo
sent four slaves, the offender among them, into
the bush to carry rubber. Two of them were
poor fellow out OF the way, and they did So. N"s
Tho fourth man. not knowing about the game,
ran away. and In his fright told everything to
other people. The facts soon came to the ears
of the Government and they imprisoned the
master and the two murderers, for three years,
besides allowing all of the mans other slaves TO
leave him. The younger ones were put into the
Catholic mission by the official. but the older
them went away. The others carried on their
masters business and remained with his family
explanation OF it:
somewhere, and II he goes to any chefs town
he will be his slave. 1t is impossible for him to
mark on his body. a small cut about
the head or arms. will betray him. So he does
not gain much s,t BY running away; When slaves
come half slaves. and II they marry free persons
the next generation will be free.
slaves DO the work OF their masters, and are
sent by them TO work for white people. When
l went to the French Congo l found that the
slaves worked and the masters drew the wages.
the slaves hardly getting sufficient to dress
themselves. We soon changed this by refusing
70 give more to the master than the proportion
the slave wished him to have. Often we would
save the wages for months until the slave bad
enough to buy a wife. One Of our best workmen
had been saving up his money until he had
nearly enough TO get married. His master kept
fused to give more than a dollar or two. So tho
people, who needed money resorted, to
poison; Al first only a slight dose was admins
tered, but when the slave remained firm In his
they killed him with a stronger dose.
So they got the money after all.
The French Government does not allow white
people to redeem slaves, but the Catholic mis-
sion not only redeems them. but carries on Q
slave trade through European merchants. II
the slaves were collected around the white set.
Elements and placed in the Catholic mission
that would be doing good to the slaves and
would lessen the number of persons in bondage;
but to send into the interior and buy children
never were slaves before is n different
The white merchants make on every
slave 50 or more. the Catholics paying from SIS
to $50 10 the traders for u slave. | have known
he Bishop of Loango to order twenty girls from
purchase of a slave recorded on the books of q
but the entry is made as rubber and
the gain goes Into the agents pocket. | presume
The firms in Europe who employ these agents do
know about IL, but still some of them were
slave traders in former years.
Some white agents deal in slaves in another
way. \ black man owes them something-per-
laps a good deal. He cannot pay. but gives q
slave to the white man. The white man sells
the slave to his cook or other employee, or
may judge about the equity of this transaction.
The officials know about these practices as
as do. but they are silent on the subject.
n the first case they dare not interfere because
French Congo. II an official were honest
'nough to complain of their doings they
would soon accuse him OF some offence and
get him removed. And the officials pay no
to cases of the second sort. because this
of slave dealing by white men is carried on
lar more secretly. AS far as domestic slavery
the Government does nothing to Interfere.
Any one who would help the slaves needs money
enough to redeem them and settle them in towns
)y themselves, and to nut means of subsistence
n their reach. This alone will put q stop TO
slavery.