inconvenient to maintain their prisoners, would compel them to labour; at
first, perhaps, only for their own support, but afterwards to support
their masters. Be this as it may, it is a known fact, that prisoners of
war in Africa are the slaves of the conquerors; and when the weak or
unsuccessful warrior begs for mercy beneath the uplifted spear of his
opponent, he gives up at the same time his claim to liberty; and
purchases his life at the expense of his freedom.

In a country, divided into a thousand petty states, mostly independent
and jealous of each other; where every freeman is accustomed to arms, and
fond of military achievements; where the youth who has practised the bow
and spear from his infancy, longs for nothing so much as an opportunity
to display his valour, it is natural to imagine that wars frequently
originate from very frivolous provocation. When one nation is more
powerful than another, a pretext is seldom wanting for commencing
hostilities. Thus the war between Kajaaga and Kasson was occasioned by
the detention of a fugitive slave; that between Bambarra and Kaarta by
the loss of a few cattle. Other cases of the same nature perpetually
occur, in which the folly or mad ambition of their princes, and the zeal
of their religious enthusiasts, give full employment to the scythe of
desolation.

The wars of Africa are of two kinds, which are distinguished by different
appellations; that species which bears the greatest resemblance to our
European contests is denominated _killi_, a word signifying "to call
out," because such wars are openly avowed, and previously declared. Wars
of this description in Africa commonly terminate, however, in the course
of a single campaign. A battle is fought; the vanquished seldom think of
rallying again; the whole inhabitants become panic-struck, and the
conquerors have only to bind the slaves, and carry off their plunder and