316 MEHEMED ALl'S SLAVE-HUNTS.

phur, and other combustibles before the entrance, and endeavour to drive the irritating fumes into the caves, when the poor wretches are forced to creep out and deliver themselves to their enemies, or perish by suffocation in the smoke. After every means have been resorted to for gaining possession of the living, the unfortunate beings are escorted to the camp, the houses are plundered, and the cattle is driven away, and a detachment of several hundred soldiers then examines the hill in every direction to pillage the hidden grain, in order that the survivors who may have been fortunate enough to save their lives by flight, or by secreting themselves in inaccessible caverns, may not find anything on their return wherewith to maintain their dearly purchased existence.

The experience of many years has made the troops employed in these expeditions gradually wiser; in former times one-third of the number at least, and on some occasions even one half of them lost their lives in these attacks, at present they confine themselves to a simple blockade, and storm merely in extreme cases. Very few hills are, as I before said, provided with sjjrings, when, therefore, all communication is impeded, the poor negroes are forced to surrender, but not before they have suffered the most horrible tortures ; for they never provide themselves with a supply of water for longer than two days, partly from .want of vessels or reservoirs, partly because they