Schweinfurth’s description seems to show, that the Mombuttus have male slaves. Junker speaks only of female slaves[687]. 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 him[688].” 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 Tschappu[689]. 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 unknown[690]. [[159]]
The same applies to the Wafiomi[691], Wataturu[692], and Wambugwe[693].
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 them[694].
5. Appendix. African Islands.
The Boobies of Fernando-Po, according to Compiègne, have numerous slaves. Hutchinson states, that in their wars they spare neither age nor sex[695]. So the slaves are probably purchased foreigners.
Sibree, describing the Sakalavas of Madagascar, speaks of a kind of temple, which slaves may not enter, for should they do so they would become free[696]. According to Hildebrandt the occupations of the Sakalavas are not multifarious. The men tend the cattle and now and then sell a beast, and sometimes help the women in the little plantations. In the rice district of North Sakalavaland, where rice is cultivated for export, more labour is wanted on the fields; therefore in this district many slaves are kept[697]. It is not clear, whether our informant means to say, that in the other districts of Sakalavaland there are no slaves; at any rate we may conclude, that among the Northern Sakalavas slavery exists.
Slavery also exists among the inhabitants of the small islands of Nossi-Bé and Mayotte, many of whom belong to the Sakalavas[698].
The other tribes of Madagascar have found a place in § 8 (Malay Archipelago).