The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-10-06

HUMAN BEINGS BOUGHT AND
SOLD IN MOROCCO.

but Rumor Says Thers Are Even
Now White Women Secretly Held
as Slaves.
Slavery has been almost rooted out
Of Africa, but the Arabs remain slave
traders at heart, and there is more
buying and selling even in this year
of grace than most people imagine.
Many of Moroccos crumbling cities
owe their walls and battlements to
the unremitting labor OF Christian
slaves. There are men still living
and working who can remember the
days when slaves were openly bought
and sold in all MOrocco's coast towns.
Thanks chiefly TO the intercession
of Queen Victoria this traffic was stop
ped in the latter part of the last cen
fury, and today the slave markets OF
Morocco are held either in the grea
capital cities Or at some Of the biz
country fairs. In MdrrakeSh, the Sui
tan's southern capital. you can count
slaves by The hundred and during
the two hours of the daily sale the
transactions include scores of human
beings
/ may also mention a fact that is
perhaps quite unknown in this coun-
try and seems to be a jealousy guard
ed secret i'll Morocco. says S. l.. Ben
susan in the Wide World magazine.
1t is that there are white women
slaves in several parts of the coun-
try: not Circassians, but seemingly
women from western Europe.
When the market is about to be-
gin dozen men file through the en-
trance. They are the auctioneers.
the dilals, who have been occupied
with the representative Of the Gov
eminent giving him list and de-
scription of all who are to be offered
for sale.
This preliminary work done they
are now coming to the serious blsl-
ness of the afternoon. They move in
a line to a point where there is some
shade, and then they turn tci"ard the
east, the sloping sun behind them. The
chief auctioneer now offers up an
opening prayer.
He praises Allah who made the
world and gave the True Faith. He
curses Satan who has sought Vainly
without ceasing. 70 destroy mankind.
He praises the patron saint Of the
city of Marrakesh and calls upon
him to intercede with Allah in or
der that all who buy and sell in the
slave market may have health, pros
perity and length CT days.
Such are his appeals, delivered SLOW
ly, solemnly and with a certain
measure Of dignified gesture; and to
one and al! Of them the dilals on |
either hand and the buyers sitting at !
their ease along the central arcade |
Or by the walls respond with plOuS |
Amen" They hold it is no more |
than seemly thing that business |
should commence with prayer, and |
The fact that the business happens to
be buying and selling slaves does
nothing to obviate the necessity.
Prayers over, the dilals break up
and proceed each to his pen, or pens,
to summon the occupants to range
themselves in line. For few mo-
ments the confusion is indescribable.
The dilals rush hither and thither, ar.
ranging their human chattels in
groups. Then, having placed them
selves at the head of their respective
groups, they promenade slowly around
The market.
We cannot watch them all. so we
elect an average one containing
10Y and a girl brother and sister,
Who have been brought in by cara
an and are facing slave market for
he first time in their lives. Beside
hem are two vigorous men, two able
two young children and a
cry old and veIy black man.
There is no sign of great excite
nent or unrest among the slaves.
)nly the boy and girl who are al
eady grown up seem to feel their
OsitiOn acutely.
The children are obviously uncOn-
erned, and if they take any interest
t all in the proceedings it is asso-
lated with their own bright garments,
hich, by the way, have been lent to
lem by the auctioneers in charge,
| order that they may present a
lore attractive figure. When they
ave been purchased their new own
s must pay for these guady rags or |
,turn them.
AS he goes for the first and second
me in wide circle around the cen {
al arcade our auctioneer prOcllims $
e merits of his wares in genera. {
rms, and then purchaser demands
e price of the two middle aged men, t
no seem to have years of consider i
lie activity before them. The ci.al t
uSec and nreSantS tho fMo SlarnS | l