Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-01-22
WOMEN MARKETIN TURKEY.

An English Traveller in Turkey gives the
following account of the sale and purchase
of females.
But market whcre-horrid idea !-wo-
man are sold like beasts. God forbid that l
should defend it At the same time, the pre-
" creatures seem so content, that cannot
pity them. Perhaps lshould follow the ex-
ample Of most writers, who, whenever they
touch by chance on such subject, give vent
to deal of sentmcntalism and vapouring
about weeping innocence, and dishevelled
locks, and torn garments, and beaten breasts.
Such exists only in imagination, and l belive
that many who describe the slave markets,
| in such moving terms, never saw one. DC
casionally, will not deny, heart iending
scenes occur, in the case of captives of war,
or victims of revolt, wrenched suddenly from
all that is dear but these are rare occurren-
| cos.
| The Circassians and Georgians who form
the trade supply, are only victims of custom,
willing victims being brought up by their
mcrccnary parents for the merchants. If
born Mahammedan, they remain so ; if born
Christian, they are educated in no faith, in
order that they may conform, when purchas-
ed, to the Mussulman faith, and therefore
they suffer no sacrifice on that score. They
live secluded life, harshly treated by their
relations, never seeing a strangers face, and
therefore form no ties of friendship or love
preserve no pleasing recollcctions Of homo
+ to make them regret their county,
Their destination is constantly before thei
, eyes, painted in glowing colors; and so ta
from drcading il, they look for the momen
of going to Anapa, or Poti, whence they arc
!. shipped for STEAMBOAT, with as much eagernes
as IA paror-boardcr of French or Ithai
convent for her emancipation. In the mar
, ket they are lodged in separate apartments
carefully secluded, where, in the hours o
| buslncss--bctwcen nine and twelve--the,
' may be visited by aspirants for possessln,
, such delicate ware. lneed not draw vel
p over what follows. Dccorum prevails. TIL,
4 woud-be purchaser may fix his eyes on TIN
lady's face, and his hand may receive evi
Il dence of her burst. The waltz allows near
!. ly as much liberty before hundreds Of eyes
= OF course the merchant gives his warranty
a on which, and the preceding data, the bargai
l. is closed. The common price of tolerabl
;. looking maid is about fl00. Some fclc
k hundreds, the value depending as much o
" accomplishments as on beauty; but such ar
e generally singled out by the kslar Aga. 1
Il coarscr article, from Nubia and Abyssinii
Il: is exposed publicly on platforms, bencat
C verandahs, before the white china. A NOR
r, white toothcd, plump checked, merry eye
d set seldom witnessed, with smile and
N gibc for every one, and often an audibl
ir "Buy me-" They are sold easily, and witt
c out trouble. Ladies are the usual purchaser
,e for domcslies. A slight inspection suffice
S. The girl gets up off the ground, gathers hi
to panions adieuand trips gay, bare footed an
ID bare headed, after her new mistress, wi
re Immediately dresses her a la Turque, an
,c hides her ebony withwhite wells. The priC
of one is about ZIG.