Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-03-06
From the Crescent and the Cross.
The Siave-Markets at Alexandria.

went to visit the slavemarkets, one of which is
held without the city, in the courtyard of deserted
mosque. / was received by midi Joking Nubian,
DrUws, and DernJuse, o. cloak of white and brown
striped halr-cloth, strapped round his Ions. lie
and la ID down his pipe as entered, and led me in ST.
ence to inspect his stock found about thirty girls
scattered in groups about an inner court The gate
was open, hut there seemed no thought of escape
Where could they go, poor things 1.-The world was
NOT their friend or the worlds law" Some of them
grinding millet between two stones; sJme were
kneading the flour into bread; some chatting
the sunshine; some sleeping in the shade One or
looked sad and lonely enough, until their gloomy
counenanccs were lighted up with hope-the hope of
being bought Their faces were, for the most part,
wofully blank; not with the darkness of pleasure,
but of intelligence; and many awfuy ami
NAL expression.
i Yet there were several figures of exquisite SYM
metry among them. which, had they been indeed the
bronze statues they resembed would have attracted
the admiration Of thousands, and would have been
valued at twenty times the price that set upon
these immortal beings. Their proprietor showed them
off a householder does has CATTLE examining the
teetL removing their body-clothes, and exhibiting
their PAGES. He asked only from twenty-five thirty
pounds sterling for the best and comeliest of them.
The Abyssinians the most priced of the African
slaves from their superior genileness and intelli-
gence; those of the Gala country the most
/. merous and hardy. The former have well-shaped
shining smooth black tresSes. The latter have low
foreheads, crisp hair, sooy compilations, thick lips,
|, and projecting jaws.
1t is like The change from night to morning to pass
from these dingy crowds to the white slaves from
Georgia and Crcassa. 1t is not without cons. der
able difficulty that admission obtained into this de-
, parment of the human bazaars, as its commodities
only purchased by wealthy and powerful Mosems
and when purchased destined form part of the
i female aristocracy at Cairo.
THESE fetch from one two, three, even five hum
bred pounds, and, being much more valuable than
the Africans, are much IRE carefully tended They
recned upon carpets, richly but lightly clad. Some
were smoking; some chatting merrily together;
sitting in dreamy languor. All their attitudes were
5 very graceful, as seems necessarily the when
welformed women are left to themselves, and group
ed upon floor.
They were, for the most part exqusitely fair but
II was disappointed in their beauty. The sunny hair
0 and heavenblue eyes, that in England produce such
an angel-lke and intellectual effect, seemed to me
here mere flax and beads and left them to the tur-
baned Turk" without sigh-except. perhaps, very
little for those far away in mine own land, whose
1 image they served however family, to recall.
t The Condit, on Of Women i'm Mahom.
med am Countries.
e Born and brought up In the harem women never
d seem to pine at its Imprisonment; like cage-born
birds, they sing among their bars and discover in
their avares thousand little pleasures invisible to
-
ladies' knowing not the thoughts of others, they
j sociate the more with their own; and who can tell
what wild and beautiful regions of Imagination their
minds may wander through, unimprisoned, if undi-
rected by education To them, in their calm secu-
sion the srifes of the battling world softened
s and almost hushed they only hear the far of
muir of es stormy sea- and, if their human lot dooms
them to their cares, they transient those Of
" childhood
n Once as passing through the secluded suburb:
of Cairo, / found myself near one of the principa
It harems paused by the dull, dark wall, over which
the palmtree waved and the scent Of flowers and thu
bubblng of fountains sole and there listened tC
"a the sweet laughter of the Odalisques within. Thi
il broken by snatches of untaught song to which
the merry band joined chorus, and kept time
by clapping hands, on which their jewelled bracelets
ne tinkled- 1t music of most merry mirth, and
as pictured to myself the gay group within, won
J. dered whether they deserved that pity Of their Euro
Ne pean sisters which they SO little appreciate An Eng
h sh lady, visiting Odaisque, inquired what plea
sure her profusion Of ornaments could afford, as NJ
person except her husband to behold them
l. Sand for whom" replied the fair barbarian, cd
&c you sdorn yourselfi is il for other men"