THE SLAVE TRADE 
H9 
eventually perished from hernia induced by this operation. Those who survived 
usually had an extremely comfortable and prosperous after-life in the harem 
of some Turk, Arab or Persian. The mortality amongst the children was 
terrible: the Arab slave-drivers do not appear to have been actuated by motives 
of commercial expediency in endeavouring to land as many live and healthy 
slaves on the coast as possible. They seem on the contrary to have been 
inspired by something more like devilish cruelty at times in the reckless way 
in which they would expose their slaves to suffering and exhaustion, and then 
barbarously kill them. 1 
as they are sure to follow their mothers or friends, or of comely young women who are the temporary 
concubines of the slave-drivers, and who, with the facile nature of the negro, rapidly become attached 
to their brutal husbands—all slaves are usually loaded with this terrible weight. Nevertheless escape 
does sometimes take place. Most slaves must of necessity have their hands free when on the march, 
especially if they are to support the weight of the gori-stick. They then often manage to secrete a knife 
or razor, or some sharp substance with which during the night they will attempt to saw through one 
of the branches of the stick round the neck. They are then able to twist the iron pin round and release 
their necks from the burden. To escape in a strange country is impossible, and the attempt is invariably 
followed by a return to slavery in some shape or form. As a rule when the journey to the coast is half 
done the slaves are sufficiently to be depended upon for docility to be able to travel without the slave- 
stick. 
1 Much of my information about slavery was derived from an interesting man, several years in my 
service, who was originally a native of the east coast of Lake Nyasa, and had been sent as a slave to the 
coast with an Arab caravan when he was about twelve years old. The slaves whom he accompanied 
were captured by a British cruiser. This boy was taken to Zanzibar and set free, was educated at the 
Universities Mission, and became the servant of a succession of Admirals on the East Coast Station, 
ending up with Admiral I lewett; after whose death he passed into my service, and was, until his recent 
death, the principal servant at the Consulate at Mogambique. 
