П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

The Slave Trade

           

           ItwasintothiscountrythatDickSandhadbeendrawn,morethanonehundredmilesfromthecoast,withawomanexhaustedbyfatigueandgrief,adyingchild,andsomecompanionsofAfricandescent,theprey,aseverythingindicated,totherapacityofslavemerchants.

           Yes,itwasAfrica,andnotthatAmericawhereneitherthenatives,northedeer,northeclimateareveryformidable.Itwasnotthatfavorableregion,situatedbetweentheCordillerasandthecoast,wherestragglingvillagesabound,andwheremissionsarehospitablyopenedtoalltravelers.

           Theywerefaraway,thoseprovincesofPeruandBolivia,wherethetempestwouldhavesurelycarriedthe"Pilgrim,"ifacriminalhandhadnotchangeditscourse,wheretheshipwreckedoneswouldhavefoundsomanyfacilitiesforreturningtotheircountry.

           ItwastheterribleAngola,noteventhatpartofthecoastinspectedbythePortugueseauthorities,buttheinteriorofthecolony,whichiscrossedbycaravansofslavesunderthewhipofthedriver.

           WhatdidDickSandknowofthiscountrywheretreasonhadthrownhim?Verylittle;whatthemissionariesofthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturieshadsaidofit;whatthePortuguesemerchants,whofrequentedtheroadfromSt.PauldeLoandatotheZaïre,bywayofSanSalvador,knewofit;whatDr.Livingstonehadwrittenaboutit,afterhisjourneyof1853,andthatwouldhavebeensufficienttooverwhelmasoullessstrongthanhis.

           Truly,thesituationwasterrible.

           

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