The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-05
GLsT THE MOROCCO MARKETS
WITH GIRLS.
Girl of Ten Years Brings "a Larger
Price Than Woman of Twenty
6ve-Young Sultan.

mere from morocco by EnRllSn1nen VINO
have been travelling about the domain
Of the young Sultan. Abdul Azziz. 1t
seems that slave dealers are more ac-
tive among the Moors now than for
many years past, and some attribute
the increase cf the traffic TO the dis
turbances in the SOudan, where the
Anglo-Egyptian troops are now wag-
ing war against the Mahdists.
Nearly all the slaves sold in Morocco
are stolen from the tribes which infest
the Soudan, and of these slaves 80 per
cent are young girls ranging in age
from eight years to % years. The ex-
PLANTATION of this is that the men of the
tribes are always fighting under the
banner of the Mahdi. leaving their
women unprotected against the raids
of the slave dealers.
The latter, from all accounts. are
taking full advantage Of the unfortu-
nate condition of affairs. and, owing to
the abundant supply. slaves are now
selling in the principal cities of Moroc-
co at cheaper prices than
ever before. An unattractive woman
of "a or 25 years can now be bought
for the Moorish equivalent of $95, hut
handsome girl of 8 or 10 years brings
as high as $50.
These women of the SOudan mature
very early and are old at 80. Children
of and 10 are as we'll developed as
the average girl of Is or 16. The
Soudanese woman is quite black and
ungainly in appearance, with all the
familiar characteristics of the African
negro.
- The Slave Markets.
Slavery is officially recognized in
Morocco, and in each Of the large cities
there is a special slave market where
the wares of the dealers are sold at
auction at regular intervals. These
sales are always conducted with great
decorum. but the dealers resort to
many tricks to get big prices for their
unfortunate victims Bulletins are
posted in the markets giving particu-
lars of the next sale, and these are
closely studied in advance by pros
pective buyers.
The slave market at Fee is one of
the most important in the kingdom of
Morocco. 1t is situated in the center
Of the city, being nothing more than
large open square surrounded by kind
of arcade in which the buyers and
spectators sit. On one side of the open
square is a magnificent mosque, a fine
type of Moorish architecture. and
many of the people who come TO the
sale first visit the mosque and send
up a prayer to Allah.
The slave sales invariably take place
in the evening. for the purpose of con-
oealing in the dim light any imperfec-
tons which the unfortunates may pos
sess. During the sale the slaves are
kept together in one of the recesses
of the arcade. They are always sur
rounded by a group of men-prospec-
tive buyers-who look them over as
woman inspects household furniture
at an auction sale.
The average age of the slave girl is
about IA years but the raiders do not
scruple to steal children who would
almost be considered babies in other
countries. The dealers, who in most
cases are prosperous, fine locking men.
watch over their victims carefully I'M
til Their are sold, feeding them ganer-
ously and trying to make them con-
tented so that they will present an
agreeable appearance when placed be
fore the bidders.
The Sale Simple Affair.
The slaves are led out separately by
the dealer, who cries out their many
advantages in Arabic. The usual dress
of the slave is a single garment Of
calico. The dealer marches her around
in the ring of the open space while the
bidders raise one another. When there
is no possibility of getting higher
bid the girl is handed to the purchaser
the money is paid over and the next
slave is brought out, to go through
precisely the same performance. As the
auctions take place every few days
there are not many slaves put up at
one sale. Twelve or IS is the average
number, but in some cases, where an
exceptionally fruitful raid has been
made, the number runs as high as so
or 60.
Abdul Azziz, the young Sultan who
looks 10 years older than he really is,
encourages the slave traffic, but he is
very jealous of the details concerning
it reaching European ears. For this
reason nearly all of the sales take
place in the towns rarely visited by
foreigners but should any Of the lat
ter appear at a sale it is at once post
poned
Most of the cities Of Morocco are well
protected against tourists, for the rea-
son that the whole country is over
run by companies of brigands. To
make a safe journey to the interior
it is necessary to be accompanied by
a formidable caravan, and the average
tourist can not afford the expense.
These brigands are respectors of no one
They would as soon attack the Sui
Man as anv one else DrOvidiner there