Next another slave rose and said: “Oguizi, I had to walk many months in the forest before I came here. I was sold from tribe to tribe, and I had to follow many of the paths. Sometimes I journeyed by rivers, at other times by land. Once I was given with four other men as payment for canoes. At another time I was sold for some salt—and still another, I was exchanged for a tusk of ivory. It took me five rainy seasons [years] on the way before I came here to belong to King Mombo. I thought all the time I was travelling that I was coming to the country where the sun set. King Mombo took me to see the big water [the sea]. I was much frightened when I saw the big waves strike the land. I made sure they would break the land and engulf me, but what frightened me more was to see the sun disappear under the water. Then it became dark. In my country we had never heard of the sea.”
I asked him where then he thought the rivers were going to; and he replied: “Our people thought they became smaller and smaller as they ran down and that they finally disappeared in the earth.”
Another slave who then rose said: “I was sold on account of witchcraft. The people of my tribe thought I was a sorcerer. I was not, but they sold me, and before I came here, I passed through many tribes. I am so glad I am here, for I am contented. My only fear is that perhaps one of these days King Mombo will sell me. He has been kind to me, for he has given me a nice wife, and I have fine children, and I am happy to know that my children cannot be sold, for the children of us slaves are free. They are called ‘bambais.’ That is the name the free people give us,—and the ‘bambais’ remain under their protection, and have to fight with the men to whom their parents belonged; they belong to his clan and tribe, but if King Mombo dies before we do, his slaves will be divided among his brothers, and if his brothers are dead, among nephews or the nearest of kin.”
He pointed out to me his wife and children, and had them come and sit by me.
“When you are on the way from one tribe to another, don’t you sometimes have chances to escape?” I asked.
“What is the use of trying to escape?” they replied. “Some men, it is true, are foolish enough to try. But when you run away from your tribe or from your master, you have no friends. Every man is against you. When you have a master, he is like your father; he takes your part. A slave that runs away is sure to be captured and be made a slave again. Sometimes, when they think they are to be killed, they run away to save their lives.”
One of the slaves then rose and said: “Oguizi, I do not come from a far country,—only four tribes inland from here,—but I was sold by my parents.”
“What?” said I. “Sold by your parents?”
“It is so, Oguizi. Not only in my tribe, but in many other tribes, parents sell their children.”
“It is so, Oguizi,” all shouted with one voice. “Yo, yo, yo, it is so.”