The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-11-18
4 " Nth the passing of Tripoli
4 from the control of Turkey
8w the pernicious institution of
w slave trading along the
~orfhar>, - A fr;oo

w slave trading along tn
: northern coast of Africa will
receive a severe-it is hoped a fatal
blow. Tripoli is the chief Mediterran
can gateway to the Sahara. Hel
trade in the past has been largely IL
negroes brought across the burning
sands, with other Sudan produce, fol
the Turkish markets The dealer in
human flesh has looked upon Tripol
as his natural clearing house for the
spells of the man hunt. The sultan
the pashas and the other jealous hus.
bands of from four to four hundred
wives in Constantinople have long re-
garded Tripoli as the unfailing source
of supply of eunuchs and other slaves
SO essential to the peace and happi
ness of their harems. When this last
gateway leading from the northern
coast Of Africa to the slave markets of
| Turkey is forever closed as a result
of the present war between Italy and
the Ottoman empire what will become
/ OF the infamous slave raiders so long
engrossed in the rise and fall in the
price of human beings?
| From time immemorial slaves, suf-
fering inconceivable torrents. have
been brought across the Sahara from
the Sudan
"You will find an occasional! Arab"
writes Charles Wellington Furlong, in
his recent volume, entitled "TripoIi:
The Gateway to the Sahara" who
will tell you of route known only to
the senussi. that large fraternity of
Moslems located in Tripoli. who make
PROSECUTING wars and expeditions from
Wadai to their capital.
along this route it is said that
never fewer than fifteen caravans
cross the desert every year. which
bring about 10000 slaves alive to tell
the tale. and they estimate that 10000
victims fall on the march. Once on
the secret route you cannot fail to
f1nd your way, for it is lined with hui
man bones"
Listen to story told by slave
who escaped from his prosecutors and
related to MI. Furlong the details of
his maddening experience:
Il was among those captured and
taken to Lilahni. The journey was
hard: some of the slaves attempted to
escape and were dubbed to death,
was then IA years old and valuable.
We passed many caravans. Some of !
the slaves were bound with thongs
or under heavy Jokes. One method
was to fasten from ten to twenty
slaves together. one behind another.
by showing their heads through holes
cut every few feet in long wooden
yoke Sometimes one of these human
strings thus fastened together would
make futile attempts oescape. pain.
fully Jogging in step through the bush
or forest until soon run down by their
merciless pursuers."
Horrible Scenes in the Desert.
Now and then as they staggered nv
one saw man or woman, too weak
and exhausted to walk. hanging limp
by his neck. his feet dragging along
the ground. his dead weight adding to
the insufferabe tortures of the others
hitched to the same yoke AT such
times" writes Mr.. Furlong, unless
near market. the sick are dispatched
by their drivers. who, not wishing the
trouble Of unshackling a wretch re-
sort to the simple expedient of de-
capitation. thus releasing soul and
body at one cruel stroke"
The slave traders started to taka
heir human prey across the great sol.
tary place in the fifth month of tbe
Try season. They stopped one night
with group of travellers. The slave
who is telling the story wore a tribal
mark II the chief of the other travel.
RS with whom the slave traders
:amped had caught glimpse of this
mark his party would. have DESTROYED
he slave caravan, The master of the
'arava2 knew this. hence the slave
vas gagged and done up tightly in one
i the camel loads
Here, jolted and bumped against
he other camels." continued the au-
hor, unable to move and nearly sui.
ocated. the slave was confined during
days march, and when taken out
lore dead than alive his limp body
yas thrown over donkey" I
For months they marched north I
yer the sand and rocky lands of the
esert Now and again slave paid
ls last tribute to the sands and added
Is bones to the many others bleach
lg in the sun beside the caravan
'ails And then one night the slave c
nd one other companion escaped
~ @even days and nights they tray. |