"The Indian infidels and the people of China burn their dead. Others
bury them, but without burying living men or women along with the
corpse.
"But I was informed in the Soudan, by persons upon whose word full
reliance may be placed, that among certain infidels in these countries,
on the death of the king, a vault is constructed in which the corpse is
laid, and along with it a certain number of his courtiers and servants;
as also thirty persons, sons and daughters of the most distinguished men
of the country. The fore-arms of these persons are first broken, as also
their legs, below the knees, and drinking vessels are deposited with
them in the tomb.
"I was informed by a person, one of the chief men of the Masuffahs, who
dwelt in the country of Koobar, in the Soudan, and who was a favourite
with the sultan, that on the death of the latter the people wished to
bury my informant's son in the tomb along with those of their own
children who had been chosen for the same purpose. He added: 'I
remonstrated, saying, "How can ye do this? The lad is not of your faith,
neither is he one of your children." Finally, I ransomed him,' he
continued, 'with a heavy payment.'". . . .
This is an interesting fact, that so long ago as the year 1346 such a
practice was known to exist in Central Africa.
When the funeral rites of Kamrasi were over, Kabba Rega ascended the
throne, and succeeded to all his father's wives, with the exception of
his own mother. This is the invariable custom in Unyoro.
The throne is composed partly of copper and of wood. It is an
exceedingly small and ancient piece of furniture, and has been handed
down for many generations and is considered to be a cojoor, or talisman.
There is also an ancient drum, which is regarded with reverence as
something uncanny, and the two articles are always jealously guarded by
special soldiers, and are seldom used.
Should the throne be lost or stolen, the authority of the king would
disappear, together with the talisman, and disorder would reign
throughout the country until the precious object should be restored.
CHAPTER XIX.
RESTORATION OF THE LIBERATED SLAVES.
The work had now fairly commenced, and Kabba Rega and his chiefs were
assured of a grand reform. Already the slave-hunters had been punished:
the vakeel, Suleiman, was secured in the stocks, and the slaves that had
been kidnapped had been restored to their homes in Unyoro. I now
determined to insist upon the restoration of all the Unyoro slaves that
had been carried away from this country, and were captives in the
zareebas of Fatiko, Fabbo, Faloro, and Farragenia. From the descriptions
of Kabba Rega and his chiefs, I considered that these prisoners amounted
to about a thousand persons - women and children.
Umbogo, the interpreter, declared that Abou Saood's companies would
attack the government troops, should I insist upon the liberation of the
slaves. He had lived with these slave-hunters, and he had frequently
heard them declare, that, "should the Pacha ever arrive in this country,
and insist upon the suppression of slavery, they would shoot him rather
than lose their slaves." I treated this idea as an absurdity.
At the same time that Kabba Rega and his people were eager for the
restoration of the numerous women and children that had been stolen from
Unyoro, they were themselves great slave-dealers.
M'tese, the powerful King of Uganda, on the southern frontier of Unyoro,
was in the habit of purchasing ivory in that country for the merchants
of Zanzibar.
These purchases were made by an exchange of slaves, brass-coil
bracelets, and long cotton shirts; which were either of British or
Indian manufacture, that had arrived via Zanzibar.
M'tese, with his usual sagacity, did not permit the merchants of that
country to enter Uganda in force, but he received from them both slaves
and merchandise, which he sent into the surrounding countries for the
purchase of ivory. He thus monopolized the trade, and kept the price at
a minimum.
In Unyoro there was an established value for a healthy young girl. Such
a person was equal to a single elephant's tusk of the first class, or to
a new shirt. Thus a girl could be purchased for a shirt, and she might
be subsequently exchanged for a large elephant's tusk.
In the country of Uganda, where the natives are exceedingly clever as
tailors and furriers, needles are in great demand. A handsome girl may
be purchased for thirteen English needles! Thus for slave-traders there
existed an excellent opening for a profitable business. A girl might be
bought for thirteen needles in Uganda, to be exchanged in Unyoro for an
elephant's tusk that would be worth twenty or thirty pounds in England.
Abou Saood's brigands had been far too lawless even for this innocent
traffic, and in default of the merchandise necessary for such profitable
exchanges, they had found it more convenient to kidnap young girls,
which saved much trouble in bargaining for needles and shirts.
In every African tribe that I have visited, I found slavery a natural
institution of the country. I had at length discovered that it was bad
policy to commence a dissertation against the slave trade generally;
this attacked local interests, therefore it was more diplomatic to speak
against the capture of women and children that belonged to my hearers,
but to avoid a discussion upon the moral aspect of the slave trade.
The negro idea of the eighth commandment is: "Thou shalt not steal - from
ME;" but he takes a liberal view of the subject when the property
belongs to another.
