a milch ewe, as a resource against future illness. We frequently rode out to the gardens near the town, and Mr. Eitchie became again tolerably well, though I observed, with much regret, that his late and frequent disorders appeared to have very materially depressed his spirits, insomuch, that he almost constantly remained secluded in his own apartment, silent, unoccupied, and averse to every kind of society. A t the end of this month, a large Raffle of Arabs, Tripolines, and Tibboo, arrived from Bornou, bringing with them 1400 slaves of both sexes and of all ages, the greater part being females. Several smaller parties had preceded them, many of whom also brought slaves. We rode out to meet the great kaffle, and to see them enter the town—it was indeed a piteous spectacle! These poor oppressed beings were, many of them, so exhausted as to be scarcely able to walk; their legs and feet were much swelled, and by their enormous size, formed a striking contrast with their emaciated bodies. They were all borne down with loads of fire-wood; and even poor little children, worn to skeletons by fatigue and hardships, were obliged to bear their burthen, while many of their inhuman masters rode on camels, with the dreaded whip suspended from their wrists, with which they, from time to time, enforced obedience from these wretched captives. Care was taken, however, that the hair of the females should be arranged in nice order, and that their bodies should be well oiled, whilst the males were closely shaven, to give them a good appearance on entering the town. Their dresses were simply the usual cotton wrappers, and even these, in many instances, were so torn, as scarcely to cover them. We observed one girl (of what country I know not) who had her back and shoulders burned in little sprigs, in a very curious manner, so as to resemble figured silk; it had a very pretty appearance, and must have been done when she was quite an infant. Some of the women carried little children on their backs, some of whom were so small; that they must have been born on the road. The Tibboo, who bring the slaves from Bornou, are of the tribes on the road ; and some are from Fezzan. They never trade to Soudan, on account of the distance; but prefer exchanging their slaves for horses, which they seE to great advantage in the interior: for though there are horses in Bornou, they are not much esteemed; but those of Tripoli are greatly valued. The Tibboo ride on saddles, resembling in some respects our English ones; but they are smaller, and have a high peak in front: their stirrups resemble ours, but they do not put the whole foot in them, only the four small toes, the great one remaining o u t; their shoes are all contrived for this purpose, by having a separate division for a great toe, and are made in the same manner as childrens’ mittens. Their bridles are also in our style, being much lighter than those of the Arabs. They are more careful of their horses than of their families, sparing no expense to fatten them; this is done by cramming them with large balls of meal or dough, »which are considered highly nourishing. A fine horse will, in the Negro country, sell for 10 or 15 Negresses; each of which, at the Barbary ports, is worth from 80 to 150 dollars. All the traders speak of slaves as farmers do of cattle. Those recently brought from the interior were fattening, in order that they might be able to go on to Tripoli, Benghazi, or E g yp t: thus a distance of 1600 or 1800 miles is to be traversed, from the time these poor creatures are taken from their homes, before they can be settled; whilst in the Interior they may, perhaps, be doomed to pass through the hands of eight or ten masters, who treat them well or ill, according to their pleasure. These devoted victims fondly hoping that each new purchaser may be the last, find perhaps that they have again to commence a journey equally long and dreary R
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