The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-08-19
Translated from the French for the NY. Trib.
The CircaSsianS and the Sale Of
Beautiful Slave Girls.

IhEbiLpND, lHuiSuHy, May - lpD''
A few uavs ago there arrived at the quar-
autnc Of Trcbizond about two hundred CIR
cassians with live cargo Of great variety,
but which they found some difficulty in dis
posing of 10y reason OF the pecuniary straits
in which purchasers are just now placed.
The traders. who are steady friends of
Shtmyl, the Mahomct ofthc Caucasus and
the bitter and determined enemies OF Nicho-
las, whom, in their iiguratiyc language they
call the vulture Of the SHOWS, lad for 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 - and 30 The quarantine doctor
requested me TO accompany Inn on
his visit TO this strange spectacle
The Superintendent ofthc Lozaretto made
the merchants and their wares stand in n
line so that we had an opportunity Of ma
king thorough examination OF the parties.
The Circassians were all very fine men,
large, tall and strong. Their figure was as
cXquistely beautiful as that Of a woman
their limbs were plump and muscular; their
hands and feet were small their complexion
was swarthy by exposure to the
moun'a n air-but their countcnanccs, not
withstandng, bore the impress Of geutlencss
and manly courage; their chests were full
and rounded, and their step as pround as that
Of monarch upon the stage. Their cos
tune was very picturesque. 1t consisted of
a great coat ornamen,ed with lambskin, and
which fitted closely of trowscrs cut after the
rm kish fashion and maic OF light colorcd
cloth Of cape grey felt with band OF
lambs kin, the wool Of which was long and
-. ali, t,stsl q
stockings, and n cloak of lambskin or of
felt, with which they wrap themselves with
the utmost dignity. After hayng visited the
merchants We approached the individuals
they had for sale as near as the guards would
pc init us. The little Circassians and the ic-
males were ranged before the doors OF the
cells, and from their aXious air seemed TO
inquire whether we were about to purchase
| them. The children were beautiful beth in
form and in countonancc. Yet the latter did
not exhibit that infantilc grace which is so
observable in Europeans. They had an en-
preston of gravity not unmixcd 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 as if they had already passed
through the term of their existence. Their
look was that of deep reflection, their gait
was slow and staid their stare was piercing
and inquisi,ivc, their mouth pinchcd and Sc
rious.
All these pcculiaritics filled us with as
much surprise as sorrow, for they forced on
us the conviction that this anxious air or pre-
cooious intellect sprang from fear Of the iu-
turc or from regret at being separated from
those mountain scenes around which they
had SO far passed their youth They were
clad in tattcrcd clothes of no particular cut
or color, and wore no covering on their heads
or feet. Their food was the same as that OF
their parents, and of the coarscst and least
substantial kind. ltconsistcd ofmillet cakes
and of spring water, and notwithstanding this
innutritious fare they all had blooming
checks and the appearance Of health and
strength. We next proceeded to make a
close inspection of the females. They were,
with the exception of two young girls, al
considerably advanced in years, and destined
to become servants or bath tenders. Then
faces which had faded air, produced nn
doubtedly more by fatigue and hardship thar
by age, bore an expression Of profound sad
IS and Of vague inquietudc. Their looks
seemed to intcrrogate us as to our intentions
respecting them. One would suppose tina
they wished to fathom our character in or
der TO foresee their own destiny, and whcr
they saw our visit was one merely of curiosi
ty, they cast their eyes upon the ground an,
, waited until they should be allowed to with
draw.
Cns of these females was cxcccdingl!
. beautiful. She might be fifteen or sixtceI
years old the look she gave us was that o
q. prou and ht ughty soul, but in her manne
! there was nothn Of that pcnsvc agitation
which we had r, marked in her companion
and even in the little children. Her large
open and lustrous eyes were expressive Of
mind that was at once both bold and calm
She no doubt imagined that her hcaut
n would be her protection, and that even he
future master could not help but feel its inilu
!, cncc. II would indeed be difficult to civ
anything like an adequate description of th
, woman. But I have seen portraits whic
have strong resemblance to her they wer'
however, the works Of great masters "hic