The Slave Trade of Morocco.

Evening Star, Issue 9003, 9 December 1892, Page 3

The Slave Trade of Morocco.

The I following reliable Information re. spootlDg.the activity j&fitbe slave trade in Morocco. U Important and Interesting the ptesent time, when so many atirrina events, are taking nlaoeia that effete empire, says the London «Times.' The gentleman who : famishes me with the following: information js an old traveller in .Morocco, and is personally known to me as one of the besttoformed authorities on the internal polioy of that barbarous oouutry:—"l mast now tell you of the caravan which arrived at Tendouf from Timbuctoo at the end of March last. It brought soaroely any merchandise, hat there were 4,000 slaves, principally young girls and boys. So great- was the influx of slaves at Marakesh (Morocco city>, that instead of holding a market twloe » week, as Is usual, it was held daily from the: 25th of April to the 14th of May, and the prices were comparatively low, ranging from LlO to Ll4 a head. Daring the feast of Ramadan the Raids, who come to Marakesh in- order to present gifts to the Sultan's son,, who is the Khalifa of his father, agreed that the most acceptable present would be some of these young slaves fiom Timbuctoo. There were forty-three Kaids, and each of them gave this yonng man, only eighteen years of ago, three slave girls aud two slave boys—over 200 slaves in all 1 As the Khalifa has a bad reputation for cruelty and other vices, it is not pleasant to think of the fate of these young captives. It ia said that more than 800 slaves were sold at this market in ten days to merohants who had come from Riff, Tafilat, and other distant places to obtain a supply of human chattels, and besides this many were sold privately. I was myself the witness of a sad scene in the market, where three little negresses from eight to ten years old, who had evidently come from a very distant part, as no one there could speak thefr language, were ruthlessly parted from each other and sold to different owners, amidst tears, pitiful ories, and suoh resistance as the poor little creatures could employ. Each had to go off alone among a strange people, not one of whom understood a word she said. I could give you many particulars which would shock you respecting the purchase of male and female slaves simply for the purpose of increasing the stock, as was not at all uncommon during the days of slavery in the Southern States of Araerioa. This is found to bo very profitable, as tho offspring of this connection are carefully reared, and fetch very high prices as presents to men in authority. As you are aware, there are no banks in Morocco. Every one who has money that he wishes to tako cue of buries it in the ground. It is neceesary that no one should know where this treasure lies hidden, Therefore, inoredible as it may seem, old and worn-out Blaves, male and female, are said to be employed to dig a large bole to hide the wealth of their master, and the unfortunate negro may almost be said to dig his own grave, as he never sees the light of another sun. A cap of coffee, tea, or some native drink contains the deadly poison so often administered in Morocco, where, it must be remembered, coroners' inquests are unknown." _____^_____