Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-28
AN AFRICAN SLAVE MARKET.
Trade In Christian Slaves Almost Stop
ped BY tlusen Victoria.

AN tNT hVSStTN oGHN. WCEN6bs
Trade In Christian Slaves Almost Stop
ped BY (lu1en Victoria.
Slavery has been almost rooted
out Of Africa, out the Arabs remain
slave traders at heart, and there Is
more buying and selling even In this
year Of grace than most people imag-
Inc.
Many Of MorocceIs 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 on Morocco's coast towns.
Thanks chiefly to the intercession
of Queen Victoria this traffic Iwas
stopped in the latter part Of the last
century, and today the slave markets
of Morocco held either In the great
capital cities or at some Of the big
country fairs, In Marrakesh. 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 q fact that Is
perhaps quite unknown in this coun-
try and seems to be a jealously
guarded secret i'm Morocco. 1t is that
there ere white women slaves in sew
eral parts of the country; not Cir
cassians, but seemingly women from
western Europe!
When the market is about to begin
a dozen men file through the en-
trance. They are the auctioneers, the
dilals, who have been occupied with
the re representatives. Of the govern
ment, giving him list and descrip-
ton OF all who are to be offered for
sale.
This preliminary work done they
are now coming to She serious busi-
ness OF the afternoon. They move In
a line to point where there is some
shade and then they turn toward 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,
but without ceasing, to destroy man
kind. He praises the patron saint OF
the city Of Marrakesh and calls upon
him to intercede with Allah in order
that all who buy and sell In the slave
market may have health, prosperity
and length of days.
Such are his appeals, delivered slow
ly, solemnly and with certain meas
ure of dignified gesture; and to one
and all of them the dilals on either
hand and the buyers sitting at their
ease along the central arcade or by the
walls responded with pious Amen
They hold 1t is no more than seemly
thing that business should commence
with prayer, and the fact that the bus
iness happens to be buying and selling
SlaVSS uOcS uOtHihB W oDNAoSo ~AS 80
cessity.
Prayers over. the dilals break UP and
proceed each to his pen. or pens, to
summon the occupants to range them
selves in line. For few minutes the
confusion is indescribable. The d.
lals rush hither and thither. arrang-
ing their human chattels in groups.
Then, having placed themselves at the
head ,f their respective groups, they
prone made slowly around the market.
We cannot watch them all, so we Sc
lect all average one containing boy
and girl, brother and sister, who
have been brought in by q caravan and
are facing a slave market for the first
time In their lives. Besides them are
two vigorous men, two able women,
two young children and very old and
very black man.
There is no sign Of great excitement
or unrest among the slaves Only the
boy and girl who are already grown
up seem to feel their position acutely.
The children are obviously uncon-
cerned and II they take any interest
at all in the proceedings 1t is associat-
ed with their own bright garments,
which, by the way, have been lent to
them by the s.uctioneers In charge, In
order that they may present more
attractive figure. When they have been
purchased their new owner must pay
for these gaudy rags or return them.
AS ne goes for the first and second
time in a wide circle around the CEN
tral arcade our auctioneer proclaims