2l6 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT chap. 



These medicine-men also make charms — phrases 

 from the Koran, scribbled on bits of paper, which are 

 then wrapped carefully in many folds of cloth. A great 

 traveller will often possess fifteen or twenty of these 

 charms, some of which he will wear around his neck, 

 while others are attached to the trigger-guard of his 

 gun. , 



The groups of slaves furnished by their several mas- 

 ters for a trading journey have no common interest but 

 that of mutual protection. Each master receives the 

 profits made by his group of slaves, and these are 

 entirely independent of those made by the others. The 

 slaves taking part in these expeditions are very poorly 

 paid, and are never paid by the month. They are given 

 a round sum for the journey, one-third in advance, and 

 the remaining two-thirds after their return. As the 

 chance of their getting anything upon their return de- 

 pends upon the success with which the expedition is 

 attended, occasions upon which they receive the two- 

 thirds are rare ; for it is seldom that the masters of 

 these men will admit having made any profit out of 

 their trading operations. 



While at the coast, and under the eyes of his master, 

 the life of a slave is not one of luxurious ease ; but upon 

 the road, as he is furnished with a considerable quantity 

 of trading-goods, he generally loses sight of the interest 

 of his master, and lives as well as the country through 

 which he is passing can afford. 



The caravan which I met at Daitcho had travelled in 

 a most leisurely manner, and had exhausted more than 

 half of their tradinsf-goods before reachinor Daitcho. 

 At Daitcho they expended the remainder in purchas- 



