968' 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



they are considered as members of 

 the family, and allowed an inter- 

 course with the (Horraht) free- 

 born women of the household. 

 Being in the daily habit of hearing 

 the Arabic language spoken, they 

 soon acquire a partial knowledge 

 of it, and the JVIohammedan reli- 

 gion, teaching the unity of God, 

 they readily reject Paganism, and 

 embrace Mohammedanism; their 

 Mooselmin masters then instil into 

 their vacant minds, ready to re- 

 ceive the first impressions, the fun- 

 damental principles of the Moosel- 

 min doctrine; the more intelligent 

 learn to read and write, and after- 

 wards acquire a partial knowledge 

 of the Koran ; and such as can 

 read and understand one chapter, 

 from that time procure their eman- 

 cipation from slaverj', and the 

 master exults in having converted 

 an infidel, and in fuil faith, expects 

 fiivour from heaven for the action, 

 and for having liberated a slave. 

 When these people do not turn 

 their minds to reading, and learn- 

 ing the principles of Mohammedan- 

 ism, they generally obtain their 

 freedom after eight or ten years 

 servitude; lor the more conscien- 

 tious Mooselmin consider them as 

 servants, and purchase them for 

 about the same sum that they 

 would pay in wages to a servant 

 during the above period, at the ex- 

 piration of which term, by giving 

 them their liberty^ they, according 

 to their religious opinions, acquire 

 a blessing from God, for having 

 done an act, which a Mooselman 

 considers more meritorious in the 

 sight of Heaven, than the sacrifice 

 of a goat, or even of a camel. 

 This liberation is entirely voluntary 

 on the part of the owner ; and I 



have known some slaves so attached 

 to their masters from good treat- 

 ment, that when they have been 

 offered their liberty, they have ac- 

 tually refused it, preferring to con- 

 tinue in servitude. It should not, 

 however, be supposed, that the 

 Arabs and Moors are always in- 

 clined thus to liberate these de- 

 graded people; on the contrary, 

 some of them, particularly the 

 latter, are obdurate, and make an 

 infamous traffic of them, by pur- 

 chasing, and afterwards intermar- 

 rying them, for the purposes of 

 propagation and of sale, when tiiey 

 are placed in the public market- 

 place, and there turned about, and 

 examined in order to ascertain their 

 value." 



The above extract, relating to 

 the ruin of the French trade, and 

 projects for the present, on the 

 coast of Barbary, gives rise to two 

 reflections: — ]. It is consolatory 

 to think that there are vast and 

 rich portions of the globe to which 

 the tj'ranny exercised over tlie 

 continent of Europe cannot be 

 extended, while a great power, 

 hostile to the tj'rant, is mistress of 

 the seas — 2. That the balance, 

 that is, the freedom or political in- 

 dependency of continental Europe 

 being lost. Great Britain should 

 aim, by all means, at forming a new- 

 political balance, on a great scale, 

 the balance of the world, by cul- 

 tivating a commercial alliance 

 with Asia, Africa, North America, 

 and, if possible, and what seems 

 mighty easy. South America. And 

 we are taught, or rather reminded, 

 b)' Mr. Jackson, how much our 

 commercial and political connec- 

 tion with the Barbary powers 

 would be promoted by acquiring a 



thorough 



