Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-30
MISCELLA ANY.
Translated from the French torthe ". Y. Tribune.
The White Slave Trade of the Circassians.
TRRR1zoNp. Thursday. MAY 25. 1854.

Translated from the French forthe " Y. Tribune.
The White Slave Trade of the Circassians.
TREBIzoND, Thursday, May 25, 1854.
A few days ago there arrived at the quarantine
Of Trebizond about two hundred CircaSSans with
live cargo of great variety, but which they found
sorle difficulty i'll dspoSlng OF by reason ofthe pc
cuh airy straits in which purchasers are just now
placed. The traders, who are the steady friends
of Shamyl, the Mohammed Of the Caucasus, and
the bitter and determined enemies of Nicholas;
whom in their 6gurative language they call the
Vulture of the SHOWS, had Tor sale forty packages
of human flesh They were made up Of dozen
children of from four to eight years old, and of
thirty females ranging between fifteen and thirty.
The quarantine doctor requested me TO accom-
pany him on his visit to this strange spectacle
The superintendent of the Lazaretto made the
merchants and their wares stand in line, SO that
we had an opportunity of making 4 thorough eX
animation of the parties The Circasslans were
all very fine men, large, tall and strong. Their
figure was as exquisiely beautiful as that of a
woman; their limbs were plump and muscular !;
their hands and feet were small their complex
ion was swarthy produced by exposure to the
mountain air-hut their cOuntenances, nOtwith-
standing. bore the impress of genleness and man
ly courage their chests were full and rounded.
and their step as proud as that of a monarch upon
the stage. Their costume was very picturesque.
1t consisted of great coat Ornanened with lamb
skin, and which fitted closely; Of trousers cut af
ter the Turkish fashion, aud made of light-coor-
ed cloth of cap of gray felt, with q band of
lambskin, the wool Of which was long and curled.
They wore red slippers without stockings, aud
cloak Of lambskin or felt, with which they
wrapped themselves with the utmost dignity
After having visited the merchants we approach
ed the individuals they had for sale as the
guards would permit u.s. The little Circassians
| and the females were ranged before the doors oi
the cells and from their anxious air seemed to In
| uuire whether we were about to purchase them
| The children were beautiful both in form and IN
cOuntenance Yet the latter did not exhibit thai
| infante grace which is so observable in Europe
ans. They had an expression of gravity, not un
mixed with care, which almost made us regard
them as little men who had already experienced
the trials and difficulties of life. Young as they
were, they seemed us if they had already passed
through the term OF their existence. Their look
was that Of deep reflection, their gait was slow
aud stad, their stare was piercing and inquisitive
their mouth pinched and serious.
All these peculiaritcS filled US with as much
surprise as sorrnw for they forced on us the con
victjon that this anxious air of precociOuS intel
lect sprang from fear Of the future or from regre
at being separated from those mountain scenes a
round which they had SD far passed their youth
They were clad in tattered clothes of no particu
lar cut or color, and Wore no covering on thell
heads or feet. Their food was the same as tha
of their parents. and of the coarsest and least sub
stantial kind. 1t consisted Of nlet cakes and o
spring water, and Notwithstanding this innutr-
tiouS fare they all had blooming cheeks and the
appearance OF health and strength We next pro
ceeded to make close inspection Of the females
They were, with the exception of two young
girls, all considerably advanced in years aud deS
tined to become servants or bath tenders. Thell
faces, which had a faded air. produced undoubt
edly more by fatigue and hardship than by age
bore an expression of profound sadness and t
vague inquetude. Their lDoks seemed to inter
rOgate us as to our intentions respecting them.
One would suppose that they wished to lathom
our characters in order TO foreSee their desti-
ny, and when they saw that our visit was one
merely of curiosity, they cast their eyes upon the
ground and waited until they should be allowed
to withdraw One of these females was exceed
lngly beautiful, She might be fifteen or sixteen
years old the look she gave us was that of a
proud and naughty soul, but in her manner there
was nothing of that penSye agitation which we
| udu III COli Pstlulo Uuu CNtU III the
! little children. Her large, open and lushous eyes
were expressive Of mind that was at once both
bold and calm. She no doubt imagined that her
beauty would be her protection, and that even
her future master could not help but feel lis inilu
ence. IL would indeed he difficult to give any
thing like an adequate description of this woman.
| But have seen portraits which have strong re-
semblance to her; they were, however, the works
of great masters, which then believed to have
been the creations of their fancy and not the rep
| reservations Of any human beings.
A great master does not, however, deal merely
in the fancilul; he delueateS what he sees or what
he recollectS that he has seen. W hat admired
in this young woman was not 50 much her eXquis-
lie propJrtiOns her grace and her charming coun-
tenance, as her noble and queenly attitude. Her
mien was something like that of Cleopatra; had
she a diadem on her head one could have taken
her tor one Ot those queens read of in ancient
history, or had she on an oaken chaplet she might
have been passed fnr priestess among the Dru-
ids. This lovely mountain maid, who had passed
her life amid the SnuwS of the CaucasuS and
whose lot it may be to become one day the wife
of a Sultan, wore sorry garment of coarse. blue
CLOTH which was faded and much stained TWAS
made after the Turkish fashion. open in front, and
exhibited to view an under garment very much
soiled but embroidered with silk of many culors.
This garment showed so well the graceful devel-
opment of the bust that you would have almost
sworn that 1t was pasted to her. 1t is quite clear
that there must be some superior seamstresSes in
the Caucasus. She worea white muslin veil,
cast back, which was stained aud torn. hut So at
tached as to enveIoP her like a vesia when she
pleased
When we had contemplated this specimen Of
beauty, So rare in our country, we proceeded to
inspect the men, who were the fathers or unsles
Of females and children for sale The greater part
of the Circassians speak aud understand the Ian
guage of the Turks, and it was in this language
that the doctor interrogatcd them, aud received
their answers. shall merely give the lransla
ton of my guide
'What is the price Of this child 7" said he to
one of the Circassians.
Three thousand piasters.' replied The sthor.
\ SUN equal to about GOO francs
And what do you ask for the girl - said the