Chap. XVIII. SLAVES FREED. 357 



kept in by an iron rod which was riveted at both ends across 

 the throat. With a saw, luckily in the Bishop's baggage, 

 one by one the men were sawn out into freedom. The 

 women, on being told to take the meal they were carrying 

 and cook breakfast for themselves and the children, seemed 

 to consider the news too good to be true ; but after a little 

 coaxing went at it with alacrity, and made a capital fire 

 by which to boil their pots with the slave sticks and bonds, 

 their old acquaintances through many a sad night and 

 weary da}*. Many were mere children about five years of age 

 and under. One little boy, with the simplicity of childhood, 

 said to our men, " The others tied and starved us, you cut 

 the ropes and tell us to eat ; what sort of people are you ? — 

 Where did you come from?" Two of the women had been 

 shot the day before for attempting to untie the thongs. 

 This, the rest were told, was to prevent them from attempting 

 to escape. One woman had her infant's brains knocked out, 

 because she could not carry her load and it. And a man 

 was despatched with an axe, because he had broken down 

 with fatigue. Self-interest would have set a watch over the 

 whole rather than commit murder; but in this traffic we 

 invariably find self-interest overcome by contempt of human 

 life and by bloodthirstiness. 



The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to 

 bathe in a little stream below the village ; but on his return he 

 warmly approved of what had been done ; he at first had doubts, 

 but now felt that, had he been present, he would have joined 

 us in the good work. Logic is out of place when the question 

 with a true-hearted man is, whether his brother-man is to be 

 saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women and children, were 

 liberated ; and on being told that they were now free, and 

 might go where they j)leased, or remain with us, they all chose 

 to stay ; and the Bishop wisely attached them to his Mission, 



