Now each dilal has his people sorted out, and the procession begins.  Followed by their bargains the dilals march round and round the market, and I understand why the dust was laid before the procession commenced.

Most of the slaves are absolutely free from emotion of any sort:  they move round as stolidly as the blind-folded horses that work the water-wheels in gardens beyond the town, or the corn mills within its gates.  I think the sensitive ones—­and there are a few—­must come from the household of the unfortunate Sidi Abdeslam, who was reputed to be a good master.  Small wonder if the younger women shrink, and if the black visage seems to take on a tint of ashen grey, when a buyer, whose face is an open defiance of the ten commandments, calls upon the dilal to halt, and, picking one out as though she had been one of a flock of sheep, handles her as a butcher would, examining teeth and muscles, and questioning her and the dilal very closely about past history and present health.  And yet the European observer must beware lest he read into incidents of this kind something that neither buyer nor seller would recognise.  Novelty may create an emotion that facts and custom cannot justify.

[Illustration:  THE SLAVE MARKET]

“Ah, Tsamanni,” says my gossip from the Atlas to the big dilal who led the prayers, and is in special charge of the children for sale, “I will speak to this one,” and Tsamanni pushes a tiny little girl into his arms.  The child kisses the speaker’s hand.  Not at all unkindly the Moor takes his critical survey, and Tsamanni enlarges upon her merits.

“She does not come from the town at all,” he says glibly, “but from Timbuctoo.  It is more difficult than ever to get children from there.  The accursed Nazarenes have taken the town, and the slave market droops.  But this one is desirable:  she understands needlework, she will be a companion for your house, and thirty-five dollars is the last price bid.”

“One more dollar, Tsamanni.  She is not ill-favoured, but she is poor and thin.  Nevertheless say one dollar more,” says the Moor.

“The praise to Allah, who made the world,” says the dilal piously, and hurries round the ring, saying that the price of the child is now thirty-six dollars, and calling upon the buyers to go higher.

I learn that the dilal’s commission is two and a half per cent on the purchase price, and there is a Government tax of five per cent.  Slaves are sold under a warranty, and are returned if they are not properly described by the auctioneer.  Bids must not be advanced by less than a Moorish dollar (about three shillings) at a time, and when a sale is concluded a deposit must be paid at once, and the balance on or shortly after the following day.  Thin slaves will not fetch as much money as fat ones, for corpulence is regarded as the outward and visible sign of health as well as wealth by the Moor.