Slavery as an industrial system

Among several tribes here slavery certainly exists. These are the

• Calabarese651,
• inhabitants of Bonny652,
• Brass people653,
• inhabitants of Benin654,
• Ewe655,
• inhabitants of Dahomey656,
• Geges and Nagos of Porto-Novo657,
• Yorubas658,
• inhabitants of Ashanti659,
• Fanti660,
• Gallinas661,
• Mandingoes662,
• Wolofs663,
• Saracolays or Soninkays664, [156]
• Kagoros665,
• Bambaras666,
• Toucouleurs or Torodos667,
• Jekris668,
• Malinkays669,
• Susu,
• Landuma,
• Limba670.

Among the Ibo or Eboe in the hinterland of the Niger delta criminals are sold abroad as slaves671. Whether they keep slaves themselves does not appear.

Several writers affirm that the Krus keep slaves. Miss Kingsley, however, who seems to be well acquainted with them, speaks of “the Krus being a non-slave-holding tribe”672. So we cannot arrive at a positive conclusion.

“The Bobo” says Tautain “make no slaves; they hold slavery greatly in abhorrence.… It seems that the Bobo are very industrious; as they have no slaves, they probably have to work much harder than the Mandingoes and other neighbouring peoples”673.

Corre informs us that “slavery exists among the Sereres. However, the inhabitants of Fadiouth are said to have had captives during the last few years only, imitating what they saw amongst the Wolof traders, most of whom are subjects of France. Independent persons, such as a woman without a husband or family, may sell themselves to any one who is willing to buy them”674. This case may well be called a doubtful one. [157]

The nations inhabiting these parts, such as the Haussa, Borgu, etc., are perhaps not properly to be called savage tribes, so we shall leave them out of regard here675.

Chaillé Long tells us that among the Chillooks the sheikh of each tribe detains as slaves those who do not possess at least one cow676. No more particulars being given about slavery, we may put this down as a very doubtful case.

The Diour tribes make raids on each other. A large number of slaves are carried off every year by the Arabian slave-traders677. Whether domestic slavery exists or not, we are not told.

Among the Dinka every man has on an average three head of cattle, but there are also poor people, who are the slaves or servants of the rich678. These “slaves or servants” very probably are not slaves. We may not, however, infer that slavery does not exist here; for the notes our informants679 give on their social life are very short.

The Bari are themselves victims of the slave trade680. Whether they keep slaves, we are not told.

Very minute descriptions are given in Stuhlmann’s book of the Latuka681, Alur682 and Lendu683. No mention being made of slavery, we may be sure that it does not exist among them.

Junker speaks of a chief of the Abukaja or Amadi, who made raids and divided the booty, consisting of captured women and girls, with the allied chiefs and his subjects. Such is the [158]custom, says Junker, and therefore the men like to go to war. In another place he speaks of captured women with children and infants, and girls684. Whether these captured persons are kept among the Abukaja or exported, and if the former, whether they are made slaves, we do not know.

The same author speaks of slaves among the Makaraka; but it is not clear, whether they keep these slaves or sell them to the Arabians, who carry on the slave-trade on a large scale in these regions685.

The Niam-Niam in their wars capture many women. Schweinfurth supposes, that they retain the captured women as slaves, but kill the men. Junker also speaks of female slaves. According to him male slaves are sometimes sacrificed; but it is not clear, whether the latter are ordinary slaves or only bought or captured to be sacrificed686. Our information does not admit of any accurate conclusion.

Schweinfurth’s description seems to show, that the Mombuttus have male slaves. Junker speaks only of female slaves687. Burrows says: “Between the chief and the people are a race of freed men, who do not engage in manual labour of any kind. From the term freed men it must not be inferred that the people below them are slaves; they are equally free, but are without the hereditary rank of the so-called freed men, who are generally relations of the chief or in some way connected with him688.” Hence it would appear that slavery does not exist among them. These conflicting statements do not allow us to arrive at a safe conclusion.

The Wagungo proper, says Junker, do hardly any work themselves; they leave it all to their slaves, the Schuli and Tschappu689. These Schuli and Tschappu seem to be subjected tribes rather than slaves; but as further particulars are wanting, we feel unable to decide.

Among the Warundi slavery is unknown690. [159]

The same applies to the Wafiomi691, Wataturu692, and Wambugwe693.

The several describers of the Bongos, who give many details of their social life, make no mention of slavery; hence we may infer that it does not exist among them694.