By Warner M. Montgomery

The African Slave Trail

The sign pointed to Sanya Pauli, a former slave village on the Rio Pongo. Soon after lunch in Bakoro, the Slave Trail Expedition team reached a sign that read, “Sanya Pauli.” It directed us off the road and down a small trail toward the river. This trail was how I expected our entire trek to be, but I had not known of the road that had been built from Boffa to Farenya.

It was 11:40 am and 90° F. I applied sunscreen to protect my arms and face from the strong midday sun. My Z–Coil shoes were holding up well. I had purchased them in January from Mark Levy’s Foot Z–Coil store on Rosewood and worn them every morning on my two–mile walk around Shandon to break them in. Mark assured me they would protect my hips, knees, and ankles from the constant pounding along the trail. He was right. I suffered no unusual pain from our 12–hour, 21 mile trek on the slave trail. I still wear them proudly every morning.

This woman is planting manioc and banana sprouts with a short handle hoe (adze) in a field that has been slashed and burned. On the trail to Sanya Pauli, I watched women working the fields. The fields had been burned, and the women were digging in the clay and carbon to plant the next crop of manioc and banana.

Warner wore Z–Coil shoes on the 12–hour, 21–mile trek on the slave trail. In West Africa, it is the women’s responsibility to plant the crops. The men and boys clear the ground and harvest the crops. The women then prepare the product, be it manioc, peanuts, rice, or banana.

We arrived in Sanya Pauli at noon and were greeted by an elder woman. The chief was away and the woman sent a runner to get him. In the meantime, Bah Oure, nursed his bad knee with a nap in a hammock. The rest of us milled around talking with the women and children.

We were met in Sanya Pauli by this elder woman. She sent a runner to get the chief.

(Next week: Sanya Pauli, a unique history)

While we were waiting for the chief, Bah rested his injured knee in a hammock.