П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

In Camp on the Banks of the Coanza

           

           Thecaravan,campedunderthegiganticsycamore,didnotcountlessthaneighthundredpersons,sayfivehundredslavesofbothsexes,twohundredsoldiers,porters,marauders,guards,drivers,agents,orchiefs.

           ThesechiefswereofArabandPortugeseorigin.Itwouldbedifficulttoimaginethecrueltiesthattheseinhumanbeingsinflictedontheircaptives.Theystruckthemwithoutrelaxation,andthosewhofellexhausted,notfittobesold,werefinishedwithgunshotsortheknife.Thustheyholdthembyterror.Buttheresultofthissystemis,thatonthearrivalofthecaravan,fiftyoutofahundredslavesaremissingfromthetrader’slist.Afewmayhaveescaped,butthebonesofthosewhodiedfromtorturemarkoutthelongroutesfromtheinteriortothecoast.

           ItissupposedthattheagentsofEuropeanorigin,Portugueseforthemostpart,areonlyrascalswhomtheircountryhasrejected,convicts,escapedprisoners,oldslave-driverswhomtheauthoritieshavebeenunabletohanginaword,therefuseofhumanity.SuchwasNegoro,suchwasHarris,nowintheserviceofoneofthegreatestcontractorsofCentralAfrica,Jose-AntonioAlvez,wellknownbythetradersoftheprovince,aboutwhomLieutenantCameronhasgivensomecuriousinformation.

           Thesoldierswhoescortthecaptivesaregenerallynativesinthepayofthetraders.Butthelatterhavenotthemonopolyofthoseraidswhichprocuretheslavesforthem.Thenegrokingsalsomakeatrociouswarswitheachother,andwiththesameobject.

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