The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-09-01
AN AFRICAN SLAVE MARKET
HUMAN BEINGS BOUGHT AND
SOLD IN MOROCCO.
The Trade in Christian Slaves Almost
Entirely Stopped by Queen Victoria;
but Rumor Says There Are Even
Now White Women Secretly Held


as Slaves.
Slavery has been almost rooted on
OF Africa. but the Arabs remain slave
traders At heart. ana there is more
buyir9 ana selling even in this year
OF grace than most people imagine.
Many of Moroccos crImhling cities
owe heir walls ana battiements tC
the Hnremitting LABOR Of Christian
slaves. There are men still living
ami Wol King who can remember the
and SOLD in all Morocco's coast towns.
Thanks chiefly u 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 ct some Of the biz
country fairs In Marrakeaf, the SUI
! tani southern capital YOU can count
slaves by the hundred; and during
\ the Two hours OF tlc daily sale the
transactions include scores Of human
| beings
! | may also mention fact that is
| perhaps quite unknown in this cOun-
try and seems to be a jealousy guard
| ed secret in 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 4 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 lis and de-
scripticn Of all who are to be offered
for sale.
This preliminary work done they
are now coming to the serious bIsi-
ness of the afternoon They move in
line to point where there is some
shade, and then they turn toward the |
east. the sloping sun behind them. The |
chief auctioneer new 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, 20 destroy mankind.
He praises the patron saint of the
city Of Marrakesh and calls upon
him TO intercede with Allah in or
der that ali who buy and sell in the
slave market may have health, pros
perity and length of days
Such are his appeals, delivered SLOW
ly, soemnly and with Il certain
measure 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 respond with a pious
Amen They hold it is no more
than seemly thing that business
should commence with prayer, and
tie 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,
themselves in line For a few mo-
nents the confusion is indescribable.
The dilals rush hither and thither, ar
'anging their human chsttels in
groups. Then, having placed them
selves at the head of their respective
they promenade slowly around
he market.
We cannot watch them all, so we
elect an average one containing a {
10Y and a girl, brother and sister, i
Who have been brought in by a cara
an and are facing slave market for t
he first time in their lives Beside t
hem are two vigorous men, two able
Two young children and 4
cry old and very black man. !
There is no sign OF great excite +
nent or unrest among the slaves. ;
)nly the boy and girl who are al V
eady grown up seem TO feel their !
Osition acutely. c
The children are obviously uncon- a
erned, and if they take any interest
all in the proceedings it is assO- f
lated with their own bright garments, t
hich, by the way. have been lent to S
lem by the auctioneers in charge, | s
/ order that they may present "
lore attractive figure. When they Ii
ave been purchased their new own C.
S must pay for these guady rags or |;
eturn them. v
AS he goes for The first and second r
me in wide circle around the cen G
al arcade our auctioneer proclaims 81
e merits of his wares in general G,
rms, and then a purchaser demands
e price of the two middle aged men, Il
no seem to have years Of consider it
lie activity before them. The dial II
uses and presents The two slaves | Ia