CONGO SLAVE TRAFFIC.

North Otago Times, 25 June 1913, Page 3

CONGO SLAVE TRAFFIC.

MISSiONER'S'EXPERIENCE, g HORRORS OP THE TRADE 0 WEAM'H OP THE COUNTRY. a ' ' ! \ ■ ' |i.| "—■* !,| :<! ! i [SJ& a borne ut! the horrors' o f"M>c'slavi 0 trade in the Congo Free State «n •, I'Jatctl to a' Cliristchurcli reporter bj a fr J. A. tljr'Ke, ■ cu Gnwvianjf r . Mission, which operates in a big, to p litory in Central Afrloa, Mr Clarke ;. «' a ß for 15 years in the mission flehl :i named, • _ . i ■ 1 "In the southern portion o! the o State where I travelled," • Baid (lie missioner, "we'have. scon ( very little iwlesd of the atrocities i which were perpetrated to such an i alarming extent in the Low Coni go. Nevertheless, ta have been ' brought into touch with a good deal ■ of the slave traffic, which, unfortu. • I'a'tely is still being can fed on by ■ tti'3 ■L'ifinbiirtilif, a clnsa) o( tav-typMl ; M.TU'u tra;|(is,. to supply Ms everincreasing! &inand of the Portuguese ' on the toN coast. In goinj along the, slave highway .'h my join nay into tliel •interior,, I came into touch with, many largij al nVB c n rav a iia.' . Hundreds of these ui.Lcrtunate interior people were being driven akiig ffxrcilirsjly, Jiy the tjave 'dealer.', vhj had purchased the victims from various native chiefs, who in turn ha/1 captured then, by .-aiding lessjr . tribe's. Thcaa slaves .were leaded up with rubber ~ni jvoiy, which had been nought with- bartered goods, and which was being transport! to tlia coast, '•'All the fjave highway," continued Mr Cl/irke, "were 'to be te:n [h skeletons ct hudr-de o! lh;£« slaves who,, overcome by exhaustion anl maltreatment, were left to die. One slave dra!« told me they were f. rtunate li they arrived at the coatt with 50 per csnt ol the original number; fe tight o! these grim skeletons proved his ' words. Cn the tanks of largo rivers crossed by slue parties were to lie seen hundrtds 0 t shackles, wliich to that point iii the journey h.ul encircled ths limbs of the captives. These rivers, wiiiah sworn M uriMi alligators, were .crossed in, canoes. Once over, the slave's could not recross. Tho boats fcclong to tha traders, ai.d to attempt to swim atrois would is t 0 pjrish miseia.ly.. iHeneE the knocking oil of the fetters; there was no chance of the slaves retreating'. "Tfcc! slaws,'' iihe mtafener went oiv, "are borght by thePortuguesj traders at various ports along the weet coast to he shipped to the cocoa-growiing islands, Fry's gave up Itheir plantation when they found o'.it what wis going on, Cadfollowed. Nothing is being ildne lo put n stop to tlu traffic It is for the Portuguese Govern meat to take the matter up.. Sinai the Republic was formed, a commission was sent out to inquire in'o the affair, Tt coiilil in stopped quite easily. The British officials in Rlio:le"i.i could , soon ci>l it by brca.' r up Hie icuavniis. TM-Por-.-tugueee o'llcials, towevcr, toleratanil enfournge tbe traffic, a n-:l that is wha' l'e:fa it alive.' The southern portion of tha Ocnfo Frw State, Mr Clarke added, was an excwdii/jly ■ wealthy countryHundreds of claims werj ueg{sd o ut along ti -treat copier vein. Tin w fl s also fonril in abundance. A branch of t l '.} fnprt to Cr'ro ratlwnyi omw topped this mining region, n ni Mia Government hop I lo push the branch right through to a ro'nt'on. the Congo River, where cnwarl it wouVI b; invisible. A Fycdicata nl?o Wni layiflT down n priv n te railway fro™ th', coast ft lcroe ths slave liifluvay to the copper f>'d. That railway would oopn un thousands bl mk3 oi ri'h agricultural country, and wc-l'l ]rolsably fce It I '.} nvevtu o' wittw? n stop to tbj ttrrible eln'e traffic.