This excitement in the domestic circles of Mogador raises the bile of
the slave-dealers. A fellow of this sort beckoned me to come to him as I
was passing in the street, and thus began: "Christian, if you dare
attempt to go to the south, we shall cut you up into ten thousand little
pieces."
Traveller. - "You will not lay a finger upon me, nor throw a handful of
sand in my face unless it please God."
Slave-dealer. - (Taken aback at this reply, he drew in his horns), "Well,
how much will you give us apiece for our slaves."
_Traveller_. - "I shall give you nothing; you have no right to sell a
man, a brother, like yourself."
_Slave-dealer_. - "It's our religion."
_Traveller_. - "It's not your religion to sell Mussulman; you sell the
children of your own slaves, born in your houses, and who are
Mussulmen?" The slave-dealer, puzzled and angry, was silent a few
minutes, and then said, "Ah, well, all's right, all's from God."
I received a visit from a Hajee under peculiar circumstances. Passing
through Tunis on his return from Mecca last year, his slave, hearing
that all the slaves were liberated in the country, ran away. In vain his
master attempted to catch him. There were no Christians in the country
of the Mecca impostor, who kept _manhunting hounds_. This is the
peculiar glory of Christian lands. Tunis is not so "go a-head" as Yankee
freedom-land. The consequence was the pilgrim left without his slave. He
then, strange to say, applied to me to procure him back his slave.
Thinking this a good opportunity to agitate the authorities here OR the
question, I recommended him to apply to the Governor, who should write
to the Emperor, and also to the Bey of Tunis, and so forth. I had
visitors daily who asked me when I should be ready to purchase the
slaves and liberate them. Arabs from the remotest districts came to me;
and I was told that there is not a town or district of the empire, but
has heard of the English going to liberate all the slaves of Morocco.
I have studiously avoided giving details of the cruelties and hard
bondage of slavery in and around Morocco. On the contrary, I have stated
it to be the opinion of the Europeans and Consuls in Tangier, that
slaves are well treated in this country. Such an opinion ought to weigh
with all. [31] At the same time, in self-defence, as an abolitionist,
and occupied with a mission for the extinction of slavery in this
country, I must partly uplift the veil, however disgusting it may be to
my readers.
