Slavery in the Soudan.

Hastings Standard, Issue 29, 30 May 1896, Page 4

Slavery in the Soudan.

Sla\es are medium of exchange in Hausaland, the W estern Soudan, as appears from Mr C. H. Robinson's account of his travels in that country : " Slaves form to a great extent the currency of the country, where larger amounts are involved than can be conveniently paid in cowries. When, for instance, a native is about to travel for any considerable distance, he will usually take with him slaves proportionate in number to the length of his proposed journey. After travelling perhaps a hundred miles, he will atop and sell one of his slaves, and with the proceeds will travel another

hundred miles, when he will sell a second. He will probably so arrange that by the time he gets home again he will have sold all the slaves which he took with him on setting out, with the exception of his personal attendants." Mr Kobinson stayed three months at the hiiherto unknown town of Kano, which is 750 miles distant from Lakoja on the Niger. Kano is a walled city, 15 miles round with 100,000 inhabitants. There are supposed to be 15,000,000 people in Hansaland, a vast region between the mouth of ihe Niger and Lake Chad. To give civilisation a start, Mr Robinson suggests the introduction in wholesale quantities of the Maria Theresa dollar, which at present passes as good money, and the construction of a railway.