It proved to be
a slave-caravan, entirely composed of young girls. The Gadamsee
merchants who owned them recognised me, and shook me by the hand. Our
old black woman was soon surrounded by a troop of the poor slave-girls;
and when she related to them how she was returning free to her country
under the protection of the English, and wished them all the same
happiness, they fell round her weeping and kissing her feet. One poor
naked girl had slung at her back a child, with a strange look of
intelligence. I was about to give her a piece of money, but could not;
for, the tears bursting to my eyes, I was obliged to turn away. The
sight of these fragments of families stolen away to become drudges or
victims of brutal passion in a foreign land, invariably produced this
effect upon me. This caravan consisted of some thirty girls and twenty
camel-loads of elephants' teeth. They had been seventy days on their way
from Ghat, including, however, thirty-four days of rest. Most of these
poor wretches had performed journeys on their way to bondage which would
invest me with imperishable renown as a traveller could I accomplish
them.
The caravan was soon lost to view as it wound along the track by which
we had come. This day was exceedingly hot, whereas the previous days had
reminded us of a cool summer in England. The nights have hitherto been
clear, and the zodiacal light is always brilliant.
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