214 
Seven Years in Central Africa. 
[May, 
hands and shoulders free. The raiding parties kill off all small 
children found among their captives. The body of a fine little 
boy was picked up only a few days ago beside the Arab camp. 
The owner had doubtless taken him the round of all Hkely 
purchasers, probably including me among the number, and then 
thrust a spear through him as a useless burden on his hands. 
Another little boy, whom I refused to take last year, was de- 
liberately starved and thrown out to the wolves. 
A young man named Cilombo had charge of a field close by 
my cottage. Being interested in meetings held at my place, he 
moved his hut from the far to the near side of the field. His wife 
was a slave woman, and had a little child to whom I had taken 
quite a fancy ; and in passing their hut on my way to the villages 
I used often to take the child in my arms and spend a few 
minutes in playing with it. During my absence on one occasion 
the mistress of Cilombo's wife carried out a threat she had made 
long before, and sold her with her child. The husband was 
powerless to interfere on behalf of either. One of a company of 
traders bought the woman, and started at once for Bihe. Another 
man, however, hearing that this woman had been sold, wished to 
exchange for her a younger slave, who was perhaps of more value 
though less muscular, as he wanted an able-bodied woman to 
cultivate his fields. The Bihe trader was willing to make the 
exchange, but reminded the man that he had brought nothing for 
the child. The latter at once said he did not want the child ; but 
as it was so young, he thought it ought to be included with the 
mother in his bargain. The men were unable to come to terms ; 
so, to prevent more ado, the child was taken from the mother's 
arms, its head was dashed against a tree, and it was thrown into 
the river. Thus the difficulty was got over, and the women were 
exchanged ! The poor mother's grief at the loss of her child 
may be imagined. Had I known the peril that this little one 
was in I certainly should have secured it in some way or other. 
But to know where and when I ought to draw the line baffles me. 
I cannot allow myself to be involved in slave-buying ; that is clear. 
What are the points of difference between buying and redeeming? 
If it is lawful to buy, it must be equally lawful to sell. One can 
redeem a grown-up person and let him go, but this cannot be 
done with a child whose parents are enslaved ; the owner of the 
