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.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 94 of 167
Words from 25261 to 25522
of 45368
