The record-union., 1899-03-02
WASSERMAN, KAUFMAN & co.
ARAB SLAVE HUNTERS.
The Story of Raid on a Central
African Village.

Perhaps the simplest method of de-
scribing the raiding system as practfced
by the Arab bands in the forest region
between the Aruimi and the Congo
would be in the form of brief MARIA
tive of events based upon personal OBJ
Servation The caravan whose adven-
lures we are about to follow was under
the command of Osmani, a middle-aged
Arab, who had penetrated the continent
from Zanzibar more than twenty years
before For two weary weeks the
wretched party had Travelled through
an uninhabited portion of the forest,
trudging each day through densely mat
ted underground, beneath the impene-
trable canopy of primeval trees, and
sleeping each night, hungry and weary,
upon the sodden ground in the vitiated
atmosphere of decaying vegetation. One
afternoon, when the party was almost
in a condition of despair, one of the
Manyema followers sustained a deep
flesh wound from a hard wood spear,
which had been artfully concealed in
the bushes beside a well-worn elephant
track as a trap, for the natives of the
forest are we'll skilled in woodcraft
Upon discovering this evidence of mans
halted while scouts were sent to sur
vey the surrounding country. In a
short time it was reported that within
an hours march a large native village
had been sighted Osmani's instructions
were brief Two hours before the dawn
we march upon that village. Tonight
no fires, no noise, Sikia!'
The night air grew gradually colder.
A fierce storm swept over the forest,
and the rain, filtering through the thick
foliage overhead, trickled in continuous
streams upon the naked bodies of the
raiders. 1t was still dark and raining
when the hoarse whisper, 'sTendele!
Tendele upesi'' (March! march quickly
passed from one to another The party
set forth in single file; no word was
spoken, and the only sound that beto-
kened their progress was slight swish
ing Of leaves and the muffled tread of
naked feet upon the spongy ground.
Upon nearing the village clearing each
man buckled his ammunition belt more
tightly around his waist, and wound a
strip of dirty white cotton cloth about
his head to serve as a distinguishing
mark in the coming attack upon the
naked natives. With shrill lilac
YAH" the raiders fired their first vol
ley directly toward the huts where the
natives were sleeping. 'Llah-la-
ihu!" roared the Manyema, as they
crashed through the bushes into the
midst of a multitude of ranic-stricken
savages chasing the black figures
hither and thither. Women and chill
dren shrieked, fowls flew cackling
toward the woods; mems deep voices
shouted incoherently; but the /ud rifle
reports and shouts of the relentless
Manyema drowned all other sounds.
Soon the village became enveloped in a
dense white fog of sulphurous smoke
and mist, in the obscurity of which the
raiders guns flashed forth tongues of
fire.
Gradually the tumult ceased. The
cool morning breeze dspelled the heavy
cloud of mist and smoke. revealing the
victorious raiders staggering through
the devastated village, driving scores of
miserable women and children secured
together in couples by means of LASH
ings around the wrists. Soon the early
morning sun slone in all its radiance.
dts bright beams glinting through the
distant trees in sad contrast to the des-
olation of dead bodies and smouldering
/ huts. BY noon the raiders had estab-
lished themselves in the former home Of