He Likewise Brought
With Him A Young Girl Whom He Had Married At Kancaba, As His Fourth Wife,
And Had Given Her Parents Three Prime Slaves For Her.
She was kindly
received at the door of the baloon by Karfa's other wives, who conducted
their new acquaintance and co-partner into one of the best huts, which
they had caused to be sweat and white-washed, on purpose to receive
her.[24]
[24] The Negroes white wash their huts with a mixture of bone ashes
and water, to which is commonly added a little gum.
My clothes were by this time become so very ragged, that I was almost
ashamed to appear out of doors; but Karfa, on the day after his arrival,
generously presented me with such a garment and trowsers as are commonly
worn in the country.
The slaves which Karfa had brought with him were all of them prisoners of
war; they had been taken by the Bambarran army in the kingdoms of Wassela
and Kaarta, and carried to Sego, where some of them had remained three
years in irons. From Sego they were sent, in company with a number of
other captives, up the Niger in two large canoes, and offered for sale at
Yamina, Bammakoo, and Kancaba; at which places the greater number of the
captives were bartered for gold-dust, and the remainder sent forward to
Kankakee.
Eleven of them confessed to me that they had been slaves from their
infancy; but the other two refused to give any account of their former
condition. They were all very inquisitive; but they viewed me at first
with looks of horror, and repeatedly asked if my countrymen were
cannibals. They were very desirous to know what became of the slaves
after they had crossed the salt water. I told them, that they were
employed in cultivating the land; but they would not believe me; and one
of them putting his hand upon the ground, said with great simplicity,
"Have you really got such ground as this to set your feet upon?" A deeply
rooted idea that the Whites purchase Negroes for the purpose of devouring
them, or of selling them to others, that they may be devoured hereafter,
naturally makes the slaves contemplate a journey towards the Coast with
great terror; insomuch that the Slatees are forced to keep them
constantly in irons, and watch them very closely to prevent their escape.
They are commonly secured, by putting the right leg of one, and the left
of another, into the same pair of fetters. By supporting the fetters with
a string, they can walk, though very slowly. Every four slaves are
likewise fastened together by the necks, with a strong rope of twisted
thongs; and in the night an additional pair of fetters is put on their
hands, and sometimes a light iron chain passed round their necks.
Such of them as evince marks of discontent are secured in a different
manner. A thick billet of wood is cut about three feet long, and a smooth
notch being made upon one side of it, the ankle of the slave is bolted to
the smooth part by means of a strong iron staple, one prong of which
passes on each side of the ankle.
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