were  opened  and  teeth  examined  for  si^^ns  of  disease,  their  limbs
handled,  their  hands  and  nails  looked  over.  These  sales  were  once  of
daily  occurrence,  and  yet  there  was  no  diminution  of  the  slave  supply ;
for  the  forests  and  plains,  the  villages  and  hamlets  and  farm  huts  were
under  the  sharp  eyes  of  Arabs,  Gallas  and  Portuguese,  looking  for  par-
ticularly valuable  specimens  with  which  to  meet  the  demands  of  greed
and  lust.
THE  ABORIGINES.
Across  the  island  from  the  town,  with  everything  that  is  foreign
and  miscellaneous,  live  the  remnant  of  the  original  inhabitants.  They
speak  a  dialect  of  their  own  and  live  by  farming  and  fishing.  On  an
elevated  ridge,  below  which  runs  a  river,  stands  their  ancient  palace,  a
square  and  massive  building.  Passing  through  a  ruined  gateway  of  the
once  fortified  wall  surrounding  the  mansion,-  one  is  oblio-ed  to  climb
over  masses  of  rubbish  before  he  can  reach  the  foot  of  the  staircase
leading  to  a  large  covered  verandah  opening  upon  the  inner  court.
From  the  verandah  he  may  look  across  a  chasm, caused  by  the  falling
in  of  the  floor  of  the  great  reception  room,  at  a  row  of  enormous
mirrors  against  the  far  wall.  If  the  kindly-mannered  old  gentleman  is
still  living,  the  last  male  survivor  of  the  native  royal  family,  he  will
receive  his  visitor  and  take  him  to  the  only  habitable  room  of  the
palace,  with  its  silken  mattresses  and  pillows.
