The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-18 00:00:00

RALE 011-GI.RLS IN INNA.

The Indian Dail?, Arms publishes the following transla-
tion of an extraordinary letter which has appeared in the
Shame Prokash, one of the leading native papers. The
letter is dated May 25, and the writer signs " Unmar-
ried :"

" For a long time I have been roving about from coun-
try to country ; and in these wanderings how many
wonderful matters have I met in various localities I But
what I have eyed in ;the bazaar of Manickgunge, situate
within the Burdwan Zillah, far exceeds the others in
singularity. There divers commodities are brought for
sale from various parts of the surrounding country.
Desirous of viewing the beauty of the bazaar, I
was facing the narrow path between the rows of booths.
Then, taking much trouble to wade through the crowd, I
reached the place of sale, and in naked reality perceived a
cluster of girls from 2 to 13 years of age brought there for
Bale. I found some brokers walking to and fro and sum-
moning the customers. To obtain the girls everyone at
first supplicated them. If they can settle a bargain, they
generally get 10 per cent. as their commission, and over
and above that at times some offerings. Having seen
some customers cluster round a girl of 13, I went to the
spot. I found all of them lost in silence and amaze-
ment. After hearing the boastful, high-toned words of
the seller, struck with the exquisite beauty of the girl, I
at once took it into my head to ask about the price, when
an old man of 70 whispered an offer of Rs. 750 to the
broker, and off I ran instantly. Then I inquired the price
of a handsome girl of about 7 years of age. But her
master was sitting coolly by fixing ber price at 450, and
the broker said that many had bidden 350, but still he
had not consented. Finding here also no chance for me,
I came to ask the price of another girl of a similat.
nature. Her owner, a female, demanded a prise which
might terminate in a bargain, but she produced a list of
appendages which I found it impossible to make arrange-
ments for. Then I went over to the spot where the
blind, the lame, and the deformed girls were selling, but
found that even they were not without customers. I
turned my eye towards little infantlike girls, and per-
ceived that some Were *evidently newborn babes, and
some were nut weaned. What stock I had could suffice
only to buy for me a girl of such a nature. But I could
not dare to take one, lest she expired from illness,
Sir, I also saw the exchange of daughters in another
part of that bazaar. Those who were concerned in it did
not take much trouble, for a bargain was soon struck, but
by that some party or other must be the loser. Mr.
Editor, you are in the habit of dwelling on all questions,
from spiritualism up to politics ; but if by your mighty
pen you can turn the attention of the Government officials
to this matter, then many Brahmin families may be saved
from perdition. When they have given permission to sell
girls, if they but fix a price on them by classifying them
according to their age and beauty, that would be of
service some day to unfortunate individuals like me. It
is observable that while the rates have been fixed
of carriages and palankeens, can there be any harm,
if the population of the country is increased, when
the prices have been settled of these girls for sale in the
bazaar ?"