as, nevertheless, spared a
repetition of the misery and indignation which the sight in the morning
produced in my mind. I have been told positively that the poor old
creatures brought in with the other captives will not fetch a shilling
a-head in the slave-market. It is, therefore, a refinement of cruelty
not to let them die in their native homes,--to tear them away to a
foreign soil, and subject them to the fatigues of the journey, and the
insults of a rude populace, and ruder and crueller slave-dealers. Many
die on the road during the two or three days' march.

It is exceedingly painful to live in a place like Zinder, where almost
every householder has a chained slave. The poor fellows (men and boys)
cannot walk, from the manner in which the irons are put on, and when
they move about are obliged to do so in little jumps. These slaves are
ironed, that they may not run away. There are many villages and towns, a
few days from Zinder, to which they can escape without difficulty, and
where they are not pursued. It was exceedingly horrifying to hear the
people of Zinder salute the troops of the razzia on their return with
the beautiful Arabic word, _Alberka_, "blessing!" Thus is it that human
beings sometimes ask God for a blessing on transactions which must ever
be stamped with his curse. The Italian bandit also begs the Virgin to
bless his endeavours. It is evident that nothing but the strong arm of
power and conquest will ever root out the curse of slavery from Africa.

The slave whom Haj Beshir sent from Kuka to Zinder, to accompany me to
Kuka, went with the Sarkee, and took one of my servants with him. I did
not know anything about it until they were gone. But this evening, on my
return from seeing the Sarkee, I found a woman and child, a boy and a
young man, tied together, lying not far from my hut, in the enclosure
where we are residing. I was excessively indignant at this conduct of
Haj Beshir's slave, although certainly done in ignorance. These captives
were the fruits of the part he took in the expedition. I have not made
up my mind whether I will go to Kuka with this fellow, for it is not the
first time he has shown something like an insolent behaviour. As to my
servant, I had already discharged him, but the Shereef Kebir persuaded
me to let him go with the boat to Kuka, as he knew how to place it on
the camels better than the other servants. I scolded him well for going
with the razzia, because he himself was on