Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 ... / by Mungo Park ; With an appendix, containing geographical illustrations of Africa. By Major Rennell.

  • Park, Mungo, 1771-1806
Date:
1799
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 ... / by Mungo Park ; With an appendix, containing geographical illustrations of Africa. By Major Rennell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tained. On their arrival at the Coast, if no immediate opportu- nity offers of selling them to advantage, they are distributed among the neighbouring villages, until a slave ship arrives, or until they can be sold to black traders, who sometimes purchase on speculation. In the meanwhile, the poor wretches are kept constantly fettered, two and two of them being chained together, and employed in the labours of the field : and I am sorry to add, are very scantily fed, as well as harshly treated. The price of a slave varies according to the number of purchasers from Europe, and the arrival of caravans from the interior; but in general I reckon, that a young and healthy male, from 16 to 25 years of age, may be estimated on the spot from £18. to £20. sterling. The Negro slave merchants, as I have observed in the former Chapter ; are called Slatees; who, besides slaves, and the mer- chandize which they bring for sale to the whites, supply the inhabitants of the maritime districts with native iron, sweet smelling gums and frankincense, and a commodity called Shea- toulou, which, literally translated, signifies tree-butter. This commodity is extracted, by means of boiling water, from the kernel of a nut, as will be more particularly described hereafter: it has the consistence and appearance of butter; and is in truth an admirable substitute for it. It forms an important article in the food of the natives, and serves also for every domestic pur- pose in which oil would otherwise be used. The demand for it is therefore very great. In payment of these articles, the maritime states supply the interior countries with salt, a scarce and valuable commodity.