It Was More Difficult
To Cut The Men Adrift, As Each Had His Neck In The Fork Of A Stout
Stick, Six Or Seven Feet Long, And Was Kept In By An Iron Rod Which
Was Riveted At Both Ends Across The Throat.
With a saw, luckily in
the Bishop's baggage, one by one the men were sawn out into freedom.
The
Women, on being told to take the meal they were carrying and cook
breakfast for themselves and the children, seemed to consider the
news too good to be true; but after a little coaxing went at it with
alacrity, and made a capital fire by which to boil their pots with
the slave sticks and bonds, their old acquaintances through many a
sad night and weary day. Many were mere children about five years of
age and under. One little boy, with the simplicity of childhood,
said to our men, "The others tied and starved us, you cut the ropes
and tell us to eat; what sort of people are you? - Where did you come
from?" Two of the women had been shot the day before for attempting
to untie the thongs. This, the rest were told, was to prevent them
from attempting to escape. One woman had her infant's brains knocked
out, because she could not carry her load and it. And a man was
dispatched with an axe, because he had broken down with fatigue.
Self-interest would have set a watch over the whole rather than
commit murder; but in this traffic we invariably find self-interest
overcome by contempt of human life and by bloodthirstiness.
The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to bathe in a
little stream below the village; but on his return he warmly approved
of what had been done; he at first had doubts, but now felt that, had
he been present, he would have joined us in the good work. Logic is
out of place when the question with a true-hearted man is, whether
his brother man is to be saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women
and children, were liberated; and on being told that they were now
free, and might go where they pleased, or remain with us, they all
chose to stay; and the Bishop wisely attached them to his Mission, to
be educated as members of a Christian family. In this way a great
difficulty in the commencement of a Mission was overcome. Years are
usually required before confidence is so far instilled into the
natives' mind as to induce them, young or old, to submit to the
guidance of strangers professing to be actuated by motives the
reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcating customs strange and
unknown to them and their fathers.
We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated party, the
men cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As we had begun, it was
of no use to do things by halves, so eight others were freed in a
hamlet on our path; but a party of traders, with nearly a hundred
slaves, fled from Soche's on hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk
and four Makololo followed them with great energy, but they made
clear off to Tette. Six more captives were liberated at Mongazi's,
and two slave-traders detained for the night, to prevent them from
carrying information to a large party still in front. Of their own
accord they volunteered the information that the Governor's servants
had charge of the next party; but we did not choose to be led by
them, though they offered to guide us to his Excellency's own agents.
Two of the Bishop's black men from the Cape, having once been slaves,
were now zealous emancipators, and volunteered to guard the prisoners
during the night. So anxious were our heroes to keep them safe, that
instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch and watch, both
kept watch together, till towards four o'clock in the morning, when
sleep stole gently over them both; and the wakeful prisoners, seizing
the opportunity, escaped: one of the guards, perceiving the loss,
rushed out of the hut, shouting, "They are gone, the prisoners are
off, and they have taken my rifle with them, and the women too!
Fire! everybody fire!" The rifle and the women, however, were all
safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad to escape alone.
Fifty more slaves were freed next day in another village; and, the
whole party being stark-naked, cloth enough was left to clothe them,
better probably than they had ever been clothed before. The head of
this gang, whom we knew as the agent of one of the principal
merchants of Tette, said that they had the license of the Governor
for all they did. This we were fully aware of without his stating
it. It is quite impossible for any enterprise to be undertaken there
without the Governor's knowledge and connivance.
The portion of the highlands which the Bishop wished to look at
before deciding on a settlement belonged to Chiwawa, or Chibaba, the
most manly and generous Manganja chief we had met with on our
previous journey. On reaching Nsambo's, near Mount Chiradzuru, we
heard that Chibaba was dead, and that Chigunda was chief instead.
Chigunda, apparently of his own accord, though possibly he may have
learnt that the Bishop intended to settle somewhere in the country,
asked him to come and live with him at Magomero, adding that there
was room enough for both. This hearty and spontaneous invitation had
considerable influence on the Bishop's mind, and seemed to decide the
question. A place nearer the Shire would have been chosen had he
expected his supplies to come up that river; but the Portuguese,
claiming the river Shire, though never occupying even its mouth, had
closed it, as well as the Zambesi.
Our hopes were turned to the Rovuma, as a free highway into Lake
Nyassa and the vast interior. A steamer was already ordered for the
Lake, and the Bishop, seeing the advantageous nature of the highlands
which stretch an immense way to the north, was more anxious to be
near the Lake and the Rovuma, than the Shire.
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