When A Negro Has, By Means Like These, Once Fallen Into The Hands Of
His Enemies, He Is Either Retained
As the slave of his conqueror, or
bartered into a distant kingdom; for an African, when he has once
subdued
His enemy, will seldom give him an opportunity of lifting up
his hand against him at a future period. A conqueror commonly
disposes of his captives according to the rank which they held in
their native kingdom. Such of the domestic slaves as appear to be
of a mild disposition, and particularly the young women, are
retained as his own slaves. Others that display marks of discontent
are disposed of in a distant country; and such of the freemen or
slaves as have taken an active part in the war are either sold to
the slatees or put to death. War, therefore, is certainly the most
general and most productive source of slavery, and the desolations
of war often (but not always) produce the second cause of slavery,
FAMINE; in which case a freeman becomes a slave to avoid a greater
calamity.
Perhaps, by a philosophic and reflecting mind, death itself would
scarcely be considered as a greater calamity than slavery; but the
poor negro, when fainting with hunger, thinks like Esau of old,
"Behold, I am at the point to die, and what profit shall this
birthright do to me?" There are many instances of freemen
voluntarily surrendering up their liberty to save their lives.
During a great scarcity, which lasted for three years, in the
countries of the Gambia, great numbers of people became slaves in
this manner. Dr. Laidley assured me that at that time many freemen
came and begged, with great earnestness, TO BE PUT UPON HIS SLAVE-
CHAIN, to save them from perishing of hunger. Large families are
very often exposed to absolute want; and as the parents have almost
unlimited authority over their children, it frequently happens, in
all parts of Africa, that some of the latter are sold to purchase
provisions for the rest of the family. When I was at Jarra, Daman
Jumma pointed out to me three young slaves whom he had purchased in
this manner. I have already related another instance which I saw at
Wonda; and I was informed that in Fooladoo, at that time, it was a
very common practice.
The third cause of slavery is INSOLVENCY. Of all the offences (if
insolvency may be so called) to which the laws of Africa have
affixed the punishment of slavery, this is the most common. A negro
trader commonly contracts debts on some mercantile speculation,
either from his neighbours, to purchase such articles as will sell
to advantage in a distant market, or from the European traders on
the coast - payment to be made in a given time. In both cases the
situation of the adventurer is exactly the same. If he succeeds, he
may secure an independency: if he is unsuccessful, his person and
services are at the disposal of another; for in Africa, not only the
effects of the insolvent, but even the insolvent himself, is sold to
satisfy the lawful demands of his creditors. {9}
The fourth cause above enumerated is, THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES ON
WHICH THE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY AFFIX SLAVERY AS A PUNISHMENT. In
Africa the only offences of this class are murder, adultery, and
witchcraft, and I am happy to say that they did not appear to me to
be common. In cases of murder, I was informed that the nearest
relation of the deceased had it in his power, after conviction,
either to kill the offender with his own hand or sell him into
slavery. When adultery occurs, it is generally left to the option
of the person injured either to sell the culprit or accept such a
ransom for him as he may think equivalent to the injury he has
sustained. By witchcraft is meant pretended magic, by which the
lives or healths of persons are affected; in other words, it is the
administering of poison. No trial for this offence, however, came
under my observation while I was in Africa, and I therefore suppose
that the crime and its punishment occur but very seldom.
When a freeman has become a slave by any one of the causes before
mentioned, he generally continues so for life, and his children (if
they are born of an enslaved mother) are brought up in the same
state of servitude. There are, however, a few instances of slaves
obtaining their freedom, and sometimes even with the consent of
their masters, as by performing some singular piece of service, or
by going to battle and bringing home two slaves as a ransom; but the
common way of regaining freedom is by escape, and when slaves have
once set their minds on running away they often succeed. Some of
them will wait for years before an opportunity presents itself, and
during that period show no signs of discontent. In general, it may
be remarked that slaves who come from a hilly country and have been
much accustomed to hunting and travel, are more apt to attempt to
make their escape than such as are born in a flat country and have
been employed in cultivating the land.
Such are the general outlines of that system of slavery which
prevails in Africa, and it is evident, from its nature and extent,
that it is a system of no modern date. It probably had its origin
in the remote ages of antiquity, before the Mohammedans explored a
path across the desert. How far it is maintained and supported by
the slave traffic which for two hundred years the nations of Europe
have carried on with the natives of the coast, it is neither within
my province nor in my power to explain. If my sentiments should be
required concerning the effect which a discontinuance of that
commerce would produce on the manners of the natives, I should have
no hesitation in observing that, in the present unenlightened state
of their minds, my opinion is, the effect would neither be so
extensive nor beneficial as many wise and worthy persons fondly
expect.
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