П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

In Camp on the Banks of the Coanza

           ThosewhohavenotseenthosegianttreesofCentralAfrica,canformnoideaofthem.Theirbranchesformaforest,andonecouldbelostinit.Fartheron,greatbanyans,ofthekindwhoseseedsdonotchangeintofruits,completedtheoutlineofthisvastlandscape.

           Itwasunderthesycamore’sshelter,hidden,asinamysteriousasylum,thatawholecaravantheonewhosearrivalHarrishadannouncedtoNegorohadjusthalted.Thisnumerousprocessionofnatives,snatchedfromtheirvillagesbythetraderAlvez’sagents,weregoingtotheKazoundemarket.Thencetheslaves,asneeded,wouldbesenteithertothebarracksofthewestcoast,ortoN’yangwe,towardthegreatlakeregion,tobedistributedeitherinupperEgypt,orinthefactoriesofZanzibar.

           Assoonastheyarrivedatthecamp,DickSandandhiscompanionshadbeentreatedasslaves.OldTom,hissonAustin,Acteon,poorNan,negroesbybirth,thoughtheydidnotbelongtotheAfricanrace,weretreatedlikecaptivenatives.Aftertheyweredisarmed,inspiteofthestrongestresistance,theywereheldbythethroat,twobytwo,bymeansofapolesixorsevenfeetlong,forkedateachend,andclosedbyanironrod.Bythismeanstheywereforcedtomarchinline,onebehindtheother,unabletogetawayeithertotherightortotheleft.Asanoverprecaution,aheavychainwasattachedtotheirwaists.Theyhadtheirarmsfree,tocarryburdens,theirfeetfreetomarch,buttheycouldnotusethemtoflee.Thustheyweregoingtotravelhundredsofmilesunderanoverseer’slash.

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