They were taken to a small shop
in the city, and, after some delay, were conducted to a room upstairs,
where they waited a quarter of an hour. Twenty-two men and eleven
women and children were then brought in for inspection. They declared
themselves suitable for a variety of occupations, in-door and out, and
all appeared to look anxiously at their possible purchaser, with a
view to ascertain what they had to hope for in the future. One couple
in particular, a brother and sister, about fourteen and fifteen years
old respectively, were most anxious not to be separated, but to be
sold together; and the tiny children seemed quite frightened at being
spoken to or touched by the white men. Eight men and five women having
been specially selected as fit subjects for further consideration, the
visit terminated.
The daily Brazilian papers are full of advertisements of slaves for
sale, and descriptions of men, pigs, children, cows, pianos, women,
houses, &c., to be disposed of, are inserted in the most
indiscriminate manner. In one short half-column of the 'Jornal do
Commercio,' published within the last day or two, the following
announcements, amongst many similar ones, appear side by side:--
VENDE-SE uma escrava, de 22 annos,
boa figura, lava, engomma e cose bem;
informa-se na rua de S.
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