■^ The Slave Trade 



'* * It is no doubt a bad trade, but it is very profitable. I 

 hate it, and would get out of it to-morrow if I knew of one 

 in which I could get the same money. . , .' " 



" A slave vessel which has awaited some time in the 

 neighbouring river arrived here. The captain complains bitterly 

 of this detention, observing that if he had been well manned 

 he would not have allowed the trader he dealt with to detain 

 him thus ; for he would have carried off some of the people 

 from a large town near which his vessel lay. I asked him if 

 this was common. 



" * Oh, not at all uncommon,' said he ; 'we do it every day 

 on the Gold Coast. We call it panyaring} If a native there 

 does not pay speedily, you man your boat towards evening, 

 and bid your sailors go to any town, no matter whether your 

 debtor's town or not, and catch as many people as they can. 

 If your debt be large, it may be necessary to " catch " two 

 towns. After this your debtor will soon complete his number of 

 slaves.' 



'* ' But what if he should not } ' 



'* ' Why, then we carry our prisoners away, to be sure.' 



"*But is this proper .f* ' 



" ' Necessity has no law ; besides, panyaring is country law.' 



*' ' Did you ever recover debts in this way "^ ' 



" ' Aye, many a time, and I hope to do so again. I wish 

 we had the same law here that we have on the Gold Coast, 

 or that the old Mulatto-trader was alive. He was a fine fellow 

 for business : he never caused any delay. But the present 

 man is afraid to make a haul of the people : he wants a proper 

 spirit.' 



" ' How do you contrive to guard your slaves with your 

 slender crew } ' 



' From the Portuguese Apanhar, to catch, kidnap, 



"9 



