Some of Dick Sand’s Notes

           Thoughthestormofthedaybeforehadceased,theweatherwasstillveryunsettled.Itwas,besides,theperiodofthe"masika,"thesecondperiodoftherainyseason,underthiszoneoftheAfricanheaven.Thenightsinparticularwouldberainyduringone,two,orthreeweeks,whichcouldonlyincreasethemiseryofthecaravan.

           Itsetoutthatdayincloudyweather,and,afterquittingthebanksoftheCoanza,madeitswayalmostdirectlytotheeast.Fiftysoldiersmarchedatthehead,ahundredoneachofthetwosidesoftheconvoy,therestasarear-guard.Itwouldbedifficultfortheprisonerstoflee,eveniftheyhadnotbeenchained.Women,children,andmenweregoingpell-mell,andtheoverseersurgedthemonwiththewhip.Therewereunfortunatemotherswho,nursingonechild,heldasecondbythehandthatwasfree.Othersdraggedtheselittlebeingsalong,withoutclothing,withoutshoes,onthesharpgrassesofthesoil.

           Thechiefofthecaravan,thatferociousIbnHamis,whohadinterferedinthestrugglebetweenDickSandandhisoverseer,watchedthiswholetroop,goingbackwardsandforwardsfromtheheadtothefootofthelongcolumn.Ifhisagentsandhetroubledthemselvesbutlittleaboutthesufferingsoftheircaptives,theymustreckonmoreseriouslyeitherwiththesoldierswhoclaimedsomeadditionalrations,orwiththe"pagazis"whowantedtohalt.Thencediscussions;oftenevenanexchangeofbrutality.Theslavessufferedmorefromtheoverseers’constantirritation.