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You will be able to read and you will see for yourselves that nothing is respected by these demons, neither the age, sex, or weakness of their victims; how they strike the women dead at their feet when they resist; how our missionaries are obliged to suffer the anguish of a thousand deaths, not for themselves (they have already made the sacrifice of their lives), but because, witnesses to the miseries of the black population, it is impossible to help them, not wishing to expose them to some new massacre by an unequal resistance; and not being able to pay a ransom for all the slaves.

In the centre of Africa, the price of slaves does not do anything to discourage these practices. In some places, today, many women can be bought for a goat, a child for a packet of salt.

I am not exaggerating anything, and I can only repeat, moreover, with Livingstone that one cannot exaggerate when it comes to African slavery; I am only repeating what my own missionaries have written to me about, and what the most trustworthy English and French, Protestant and Catholic explorers have already recounted in part. Never, and now I take up my own reflections, never the world has witnessed so many sacrilegious excesses.

But what a sleep they must have! It doesn’t take much to imagine what the prisoners dream about. Among the young negroes we have been able to rescue from this hell on earth, there are who every night for a long time wake up shouting and screaming. They are reliving in agonising nightmares the dreadful scenes which they have witnessed.

I am living, moreover, in the midst of Muslims. Even if they do not look upon me as their Father, I must, in my capacity as Pastor, look upon them and love them as my sons.