Slavery The Gabon coast, like that of Cameroon, played only a minor role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade compared with the Niger Delta, the Loango coast or the coast of Angola. The export of slaves only became significant in the last 3rd of the 18th century. At the start, the kingdom was a purchaser rather than seller of slaves, which they bought with ivory. Other than slave imports, the kingdom of Orungu also imported iron. By the 1760s, the Orungu were trading in slaves through which the agamwinboni was able to grow rich via taxation on the Nazareth River and San Mexias River. Still, the trade in Orungu territory paled in comparison with its southern neighbor. In 1788, Cape Lopez and the Gabon estuary were exporting around 5,000 slaves per year in contrast to the 13,500 per year exported from Loango's coast.Gray, page 31 At the beginning of the 19th century, the Fernan Vaz Lagoon south of Cape Lopez supplied large numbers of slaves to the Orungu Kingdom.Gray, page 32 By the mid 19th century, most prominent coastal groups such as the Mpongwe were not selling their own people  . The Orungu, however, often sold debtors, sorcerers, adulterers and cheats to the Portuguese slavers.Meyer, page 28 In 1853, the Orungu monarchy under King Ombango-Rogombe agreed to abandon the slave trade . In fact, they simply moved the  trade upriver and tried to continue the trade secretly. The trade lasted until the 1870s as illicit slavers sent people from further up the river to Portuguese buyers on the coast.
Slavery The Gabon coast, like that of Cameroon, played only a minor role in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade compared with the Niger Delta, the Loango coast or the coast of Angola. The export of slaves only became significant in the last 3rd of the 18th century. At the start, the kingdom was a purchaser rather than seller of slaves, which they bought with ivory. Other than slave imports, the kingdom of Orungu also imported iron. By the 1760s, the Orungu were trading in slaves through which the agamwinboni was able to grow rich via taxation on the Nazareth River and San Mexias River. Still, the trade in Orungu territory paled in comparison with its southern neighbor. In 1788, Cape Lopez and the Gabon estuary were exporting around 5,000 slaves per year in contrast to the 13,500 per year exported from Loango's coast.Gray, page 31 At the beginning of the 19th century, the Fernan Vaz Lagoon south of Cape Lopez supplied large numbers of slaves to the Orungu Kingdom.Gray, page 32 By the mid 19th century, most prominent coastal groups such as the Mpongwe were not selling their own people , but would raid their neibours instead . The Orungu, however, often sold debtors, sorcerers, adulterers and cheats to the Portuguese slavers.Meyer, page 28 In 1853, the Orungu monarchy under Chief Ombango-Rogombe agreed to abandon the slave trade ; the old slave barracoons (or barracks) near what is now Libreville had already been given to American missionaries. They set up a school and church settlement, which they named Baraka. The Chief then simply moved the slave trade upriver and tried to continue the trade secretly. The trade lasted until the 1870s as illicit slavers sent people from further up the river to Portuguese buyers on the coast.
A
, but would raid their neibours instead
R
King
Chief
R
. In fact, they
; the old slave barracoons (or barracks) near what is now Libreville had already been given to American missionaries. They set up a school and church settlement, which they named Baraka. The Chief then
A
slave