The Journal of Negro History, Volume 2, 1917 | Page 6

be beaten, and organized two bands of troops
to execute a raid among the heathen tribes to the east and southwest.
The raiding bands attacked only tribes with whom they were at war, or
who refused to adopt the Mohammedan religion. While the troops were
on the warpath, the caravan leaders visited the city slave market and
made, from day to day, a few purchases. The price paid for an old
Negro was 10,000 to 15,000 cowries, an adult Negro 30,000, a young
Negro woman 50,000 to 60,000, a Negro boy or girl 35,000 to 45,000.

The seller agreed to take back, within three days of the date of the
purchase, any slaves that proved to have objectionable qualities, such
as a disease, bad eyes or teeth, or a habit of snoring in sleep. As a rule
slaves that come below Nupé were not salable for the reason that, being
unaccustomed to eat salt, it was difficult for them to withstand the
regime of the desert. Also, slaves from certain countries south of Kano
were not salable because they were cannibals. The slaves from this
region were recognized by their teeth which were sharpened to a point,
resembling those of a dog. Negroes from other tribes were not
purchased because they were believed to have the power of causing a
man to die of consumption by merely looking at him. The purchase of
Fellatahs, or pregnant Negro women, or Jews was strictly forbidden by
the Sultan. The Fellatahs were not bought because they boasted of
being white people. The Negro women could not be bought because the
child to be born would be the property of the Sultan if its mother were a
heathen, and it would be free if the mother were a Mohammedan. The
Jew Negroes could not be bought because they were jewelers, tailors,
artisans and indispensable negotiators.
The raiding troops, after having been on the campaign for nearly a
month, returned with 2,000 captives, who marched in front of the
column, the men, women, old and young, almost all nude, or half clad
in ragged blue cloth, and the children piled upon the camels. The
women were groaning, and the children crying, while the men, though
seemingly more resigned, bore bloody marks upon their backs made by
the whips. The convoy was marched to the palace, where its arrival was
announced to the Sultan by a band of musicians. The Sultan
complimented the chief, examined the slaves and ordered them to the
slave market; and the next morning the caravan leaders were invited to
come and make their purchases.
After the slave-trading was over, it was necessary to purchase supplies
of corn, millet, dried meat, butter and flour for three months, also to
purchase camels and hide-tents. Daumas's caravan, which set out from
Metlily with only 64 camels and sixteen men, had now increased to 400
slaves and nearly 600 camels.

A caravan from Tuat, which had joined that of Daumas, had augmented
in the same proportions. It had bought 1,500 slaves and its camels had
increased to 2,000. These two caravans waited two days to be joined by
three others which had penetrated farther to the south. It was desirable
that all of the caravans recross the desert together in order better to
resist attacks from the Tuaregs, Tibbus, and other highwaymen of that
region.
The slaves had to be watched very closely, since believing that they
were to be eaten by the white men, they were ready to take any chance
of escaping. The women were tied in twos by the feet, and the men tied
eight or ten together, each with his neck in an iron collar, to which was
attached a short chain which held the hand of each slave at the height of
his chest. At night Daumas fastened to his wrist the chains which
bound all of his slaves together so that the least movement would wake
him.
In a short time the three expected caravans arrived. One had originally
come from Ghedames, one from Ghat and one from Fezzan. The first
had gone as far as Nupé. It brought back 3,000 slaves and 3,500 camels.
The second had gone to Kano and returned with 400 or 500 slaves and
700 or 800 camels. The third returned from Sokoto, and had about the
same number of slaves and camels as the second.
After the proper ceremonies of farewell at the palace of the Sultan, the
camels were loaded, and the children placed upon the baggage. The
Negro men, chained together, were placed in the middle of each
caravan, and the women were grouped eight or ten together, and
guarded by a man with a whip. The signal was given, and the great
combined caravans, consisting in all of about 6,000 slaves and