The Herds Of Cattle, Still Within Their Kraal Or
"Zareeba," Are Easily Disposed Of, And Are Driven Off With Great
Rejoicing, As The Prize Of Victory.
The women and children are then
fastened together, and the former secured in an instrument called a
sheba, made
Of a forked pole, the neck of the prisoner fitting into the
fork, and secured by a cross-piece lashed behind, while the wrists,
brought together in advance of the body, are tied to the pole. The
children are then fastened by their necks with a rope attached to the
women, and thus form a living chain, in which order they are marched to
the head-quarters in company with the captured herds.
This is the commencement of business. Should there be ivory in any of
the huts not destroyed by the fire, it is appropriated. A general
plunder takes place. The trader's party dig up the floors of the huts to
search for iron hoes, which are generally thus concealed, as the
greatest treasure of the negroes; the granaries are overturned and
wantonly destroyed, and the hands are cut off the bodies of the slain,
the more easily to detach the copper or iron bracelets that are usually
worn. With this booty the TRADERS return to their negro ally. They have
thrashed and discomfited his enemy, which delights him; they present him
with thirty or forty head of cattle, which intoxicates him with joy, and
a present of a pretty little captive girl of about fourteen completes
his happiness.
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