Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-08-28
Horrible Traffic in Circassian Women.

lCorrespondence OF the London Post.
There has been lately an unusual large
number Of Circassians going about the streets
of COnstantinople. Many of them no doubt
belonged to the deputation which came to
petition the Porto that their country might be
taken under the suzerainty of the Sultan
A considerable portion, however, of the
Circassians now in the capitol have quite
another mission than political one TO fulfil.
They are here as slave dealers, charged with
the disposal Of the numerous parcels of Cir
cassian girls that have been for some time
past pouring into this market. Perceiving
that when the Russians shall have re-occu-
pied the coast Of Caucasus this traffic in
white slaves will be over, the Circassian
dealers have redoubled their efforts ever
since the commencement of the peace con-
ferences, to introduce into Turkey the great
est possible number of women while the op-
portunity of doing SO lasted.
They have been so successful, notwith-
standing the prohibition Of the trade by the
Porte, and the presence of so many Of Her
Majesty's ships in the Black Sea, that new
er, perhaps, at any former period, was white
human flesh SO cheap as it is at this moment.
There is an absolute glut in the market, and
dealers are obliged to throw away their
goods, owing to the extent Of the supply,
which in many instances has been brought
by steam under the British flag. In former
times, a "good middling' CircassiaH girl
was thought cheap at floo, but at the pre-
sent moment the same descriptions o: goods
may be had for s5! In fact, the creatures
are eating their heads off, and must be dis
posed of at any sacrifice, however alarming.
independently of all political, humane and
Christian objections TO this abominable state
of things, there are several practical ones
which have even forced themselves on the
attention of the Turks. With low prices, a
lower class Of purchasers come into the
market.
Formerly q Circassian slave girl was
pretty sure of being brought into a good
family, where not only good treatment, bu.
often rank and fortune awaited her; but at
the present low rates she may be taken by
any huckster who never thought of keeping
slave before. Another evil is that the
temptation to possess a Circassian girl al
low prices is so great in the minds Of the
Turks that many who cannot afford to keeI
several slaves have been sending their blacks
10 market, in order to make room for a new.
ly purchased white girl. The consequence
is that numbers of black women, after being
as many as eight or ten years in the same
hands, have lately been consigned to the
broker for disposal. Not few of those
wretched creatures are in state quite unfit
for being sold.
have it on the authority Of restpecta-
BILE slave-broker that at the present moment
there have been thrown on the market un.
usually large number of negresses in the
family way, some of them even slave, o
pachas and men Of rank. He finds them 81
unsaeable that he has been obliged 10 de.
cline receiving any more. A single obser
walton will explain the reason Of this, which
might appear strange when compared witt
the value that is attached even to an unborn
black baby in some slave countries. Ii
Constantinople it is evident that there is
very large number of negresses living, AM
having habitual intercourse with their mas
ters-yet it is rare thing to see muiatto
What becomes of the progency of such in
tercourse? / have no hesitation in sayin
that it is got rid of by infunticide, and tina
there is hardly family in Stamboul wher
infanticide is not practiced in such cases a
a mere matter OF course, and without tn
least remorse or dread.