THE SLAVE TRADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2593, 23 February 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE SLAVE TRADE.

iRIVING- HKRDS OF KIVK THOU SAND NATIVES.

A communication of quite recent date from tlie Rev. Pere Lourde.l, one of the Roman Catholic missionaries of Uganda, gives a very vivid picture of how the slave traffic is carried on in Central Africa. The Arab slavers, the Pcrc states, reside for a part of the year at the Court of Mwanga, to pnrchaee the slaves which the king causes to bo hunted and captured either in his own territory or those of liia neighbours. He often sends out on these slave raids armies of several thousand men. At too frequent intervals tho missionaries, to their grief, see these victorious armies returning, driving before them troops of .slaves, often .SOOO or 4000 .■it :i .single time. The King selects those ho wants to keep for himself or to distribute among his groat chiefs, and sends the rest to the great Moslem slave dealers, who sweep them all off, cither to sell them on the coast to the dealers who supply the Arabian market or to dispose of them in Upper Egypt. It is a profitable business which enriches the Aral) slavers and at the same time procures for King Mwanga all that, he requires for extending his territory, confirming his power, and multiplying his slaves and his victims — namely, arms raid powder. These Arabs are, of course, feared and detested by the natives among whom they live, but at the same time their power over the weak Mwanga is immense. They constantly instil into him suspicions as to the projects of Europeans and missionaries, and that with only too much success. When Mr Gordon, the successor of Mr Mackay in the English mission, arrived he brought a present for Bishop Barker, and a letter stating that he had not come to avenge the death of Bishop Hannington, but to instruct his people. Mwanga was extremely irritated, and told Mr Gordon that he would be regarded as a prisoner and a hostage in case of the reported design of the Europeans. If the English attacked Uganda or assailed Mwanga's "merchandise" on the coast, Mr Gordon would be killed. He sent a letter to Bishop Parker, demanding guns and powder as evidence of his pood will ; inside the letter he put some ashes as a declaration of war. Turning to his people he cried, in a voice trembling with rage, " Do you see how this white insults me to my face I Hoot him ; insult him !" And all the Court hurled the greatest insults in the face of poor Mr Gordon. The great danger at Uganda aud in Central Africa is not from the reported intentions of the whites, but from the actual doings of the Arabs. Accompanied by all that is worst on tho coast, they are at present flocking toward Victoria Nyanza, and especially towards Uganda. Peve Lourdel thinks there is room for believing that these Arabs have really come great design for conquest. What is certain i< that they do everything in their power to render the whites hsi tori and have them driven from the continent. Tlie flr.lt thing, according to Father Lourdol, which Europeans will have to do who nerioinly intend the establishment of otiliinius in AFrio-i, will bo to make a clean .sweep (if the Arab and coast elements. A few more years of this traffic and travelling in Africa will become impossible for white men, unless iicoompaniod bv a well disciplined army. In the month o"f April, ISS3, the? were without any news of Stanley in Uganda. "Is he living or is he dead !" asks Pero Lourdel, and he asks in vain for an answer. What is certain, he states, is that at the moment of Stanley's departure from the Congo, they in Uganda heard of his inarch and his projects. Mwangn was in such a state of terror that he thought tho end of his reign hud arrived. They wore all in fear of being- massacred tho moment Stanley set font in Uganda. But for a year there has been not another word as to Stanley's doings.

THE SLAVE-HUNTING GROUNDS OF THE CONGO. Itiaa well-known and admitted fact thattlie Congo district—at least the upper reaches of it—affords a prolific ground for the slave hunter, but it is expected by the promoters of the new railway that when the line is opened a more decisive blow can be struck at this nefarious trade than is possible under the existing circumstances. It is, therefore, with great hopes that the King of the Belgians and the Congo Free State regwl the completion of the line. The- prospecting has terminated and tho Free State are now in possession of the information which is to guide them in the construction of the railway, It is to be from Matadi, in the neighbourhood of Eonia, on the lower Coniro, up to about Stanley Tool. The greatest difficulties will be met within a short distance from tho starting point. Here the mountain at the foot of Matadi will be skirted, the ascent being to the extent of about 1200 feet, at which altitude the River Mpozo will bo crossed. Another great bridge over the Inkissi River will be necessary, after which the difficulties will he trifling It has been said that the Free State have so far not put clown slave dealiug to any extent, but as it is shown that this inhuman trafficking takes place from the mouth of the Aruwhimi aud above it, it is at once manifest that the handful of white men in the service of the Free State in that particular quarter would bs totally inadequate to cope with tho slave hunters. Capt. Coquilkat, of tho Free State, is roported to have recently had a trying time. He was at Bangal with only four white men. The natives, for some reason, threatened him. Tho gallant captain had a couplo of Krupp guns, and with these ho kept iu check several thousand natives. Had the natives come on they would luivo soon swallowed up the small but gallant band of five whites, whose pluck and bold front were the sole reasons of their success in soaring tho natives. The allegation that cannibalism is practiced on certain parts of the Groat Congo is shown by an incident related by an expedition bolonß-iu-r to tho Congo Free State. Whilst travelling in the interior two Zanzibaris wore mßsod from tho camp, and their whereabouts could not be gleaned. On the return of tho expedition, however, through one of tho villages which they had passed on the outward journey they learned that one of the Zanzibaris wan there and alive, tho other having been killed and oaten by tho villager?. The poor fellow who was rescued alive was being fattened up, and was daily expecting to meet a similar fate to that of his late comrade. All theae evils, however, it is hoped, will be removed by tho contemplated railway. The routo to be adopted by tho projected line ia on the south bank of the Congo, and will not approach so near the great river as the present caravan route.