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VII. 



ON THE STATE OF CIVILISATION AND ON 



POLITICS. 



i. — The Zeribas in the Province of Eol in 1881. 



(From a Letter to Professor G. Sclnceinfurtli.) 



DANAGLA MISRULE — STATISTICS — PARASITICAL STRANGERS — SLAVE MUR- 

 DER BY THE DANAGLA — ROBBERY, PLUNDERING, AND THE SLAVE- 

 TRADE — STATISTICS OF THE SLAVES IN AYAK — THE SHAMEFUL CONDI- 

 TION OF RUMBEK — ISLAM MAKES NO PROSELYTES. 



Travelling- straight across the northerly part of the Nyambara 

 country, we arrived at Biti, which is situated some two hours' 

 march from Amadi, and here we shall have to remain for a few 

 days. Since this part of the country was taken out of the 

 hands of the Khartum trading companies, it has yielded abso- 

 lutely nothing to the Government, except the ivory obtained 

 from Monbuttu. The abundant imports of corn of various 

 kinds, honey, wax, sesame oil, and fat of the Butyrospermum, 

 have been shamefully squandered and wasted, the rearing of 

 cattle has been put an end to, and the people have been first 

 plundered and then sold in troops as slaves. They have been 

 driven from Monbuttu to this place like beasts for slaughter. 

 What I used to see in Bor and Lado when I was a novice in the 

 service, and when there were no restrictions on the slave-trade, 

 was mere child's-play compared with what goes on at these 

 zeribas, inhabited and controlled exclusively by Danagla ; for 

 here slave-raiding is quite openly and systematically carried on. 



