Description of African Slavery, 1738

From Francis Moore. Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa. London: Printed by Edward Gate, 1738, 40-42. Special Collections, Alderman Library, University of Virginia.

The chief Trade of this Country is Gold, Slaves, Elephants Teeth, and Bees-Wax. The Gold is of very good Quality, and finer than the Sterling Gold. They bring it in small Barrs, big in the middle, and turned round into Rings from 10 to 40 s. each. The Merchants who bring this and the other Inland Commodities, are Blacks of the Mundingo Race, and are call'd in Mundingo, Joncoes. They are very unwilling to tell much of the Inland Countries; all that I could gather from them concerning the Gold was, that it is not wash'd out of the Sand, but dug out of Mines in the Mountains, the nearest 20 days journey from Cower. In the Country where the Mines are, they say there are Houses built with Stone, and cover'd with Terrass; and that the short Cutlasses with wooden Handles, and Knives, which they bring down with them, are made there, the Steel of which is very good.

The same Merchants bring down Elephants Teeth, and in some Years Slaves to the Amount of 2000, most of which they say are Prisoners taken in War: They buy them from the different Princes who take them; many of them are Bumbrongs and Petcharies, Nations who each of them have different Languages and are brought from a vast Way inland. Their way of bringing them is, tying them by the Neck with Leather-Thongs, at about a yard distance from each other, 30 or 40 in a String, having generally a Bundle of Corn or an Elephant's Tooth upon each of their Heads. In their Way from the Mountains they travel through very great Woods, where they cannot for some Days get Water, so they carry in Skin-Bags enough to support them for that Time. I cannot be certain of the Number of Merchants who follow this Trade, but there may perhaps be about an Hundred, who go up into the Inland Country with the Goods, which they buy from the White Men, and with them purchasing in various Countries Gold, Slaves, and Elephant Teeth. They use Asses as well as Slaves, in carrying their Goods, but no Camels nor Horses.

Besides the Slaves which the Merchants bring down, there are many bought along the River. These are either taken in War, as the former are, or else Men condmn'd for Crimes, or else People stolen, which is very frequent. The Company's Servants never buy any of the last, if they suspect it, without sending for the Alcade, or chief Man of the Place, and consulting with them about the Matter. Since this Slave-Trade has been us'd, all Punishments are changed into Slavery; there being an advantage on such Condemnations, they strain for Crimes very hard, in order to get the Benefit of selling the Criminal. Not only Murder, Theft and Adultery, are punish'd by selling the criminal for a Slave, but every trifling crime is punished in the same manner.