The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-19
The Traffic In Circassian Women.

There has been lately an unusually large
number of Circassans going about the streets
of Constantinople. Many Of them, no doubt
belong to the deputation which came to Pc
tition the Porte that their country might be
taken under the suzerainty Of the Sultan
considerable portion, however, Of the Cir
| casfians now in the capital, have quite al O.
ther mission than political one to fulfill
They are here as slave dealers, charged with
the disposal of the numerous parcels Of Cir
cassian girls that have been for some time
pouring into this market. Perccving that
when the Russians shal. have re-occupied
the coast of the Caucasus this traffic in white
slaves will be over, the Circassian dealers
have redoubled their efforts ever since the
commencement of the peace conferences, to
introduce into Turkey the greatest possible
number Of women while the opportunity 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 never
perhaps, at any former period, was white
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 has
in many instances been brought by steam
under the British flag. In former times
good mlddling' CircasSian girl was the't
very cheap at tlO0 but at the present mo
ment the sane description Of goods may be
had for g In fact, the creatures are cat
ing their heads of, and must be disposed of
at any sacrafice, however alarming. Inde-
pendent Of all humane and Christian object
ions 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 low class of pur-
chasers come into the market.
Formerly Circassian slave girl was pref
" sure Of being bought nio good family,
where not only good treatment, but often
rank and fortune awaited her; but at pres
low rates she may be taken by any huck-
ster, who never thought Of keeping a slave
before. Another evil is, that of the tempta-
ton to possess Circassian girl at such low
prices is so great in the minds Of the Turks,
that many who cannot afford to keep sever
al slaves have been sending their slaves to
market in order TO make room sor newly
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 a few OF these
for being sold.
have it on the authority of respectable
slave broker, that at the peesent moment
there have been thrown on the market unu-
sually large numbers of neg, esses in the fam
lily way, some of them even slaves Of pashas
and men of rank. He finds them so unsafe.
able that he has been obliged TO decline to
receive any more. A single observation
will explain the reason of this. which might
appear strange when compared with the val
ue which is attached even to an unborn black
baby in some countries. In Cons,antinople
il is evidenl that there is laLge number of
negresses living and having habitUal inter
course with their Turkish mastcrs-yet il is :
a rare thing to see a mulatto. What be- /
comes Of the progeny of such intercourse
| have no hesitation in saying that it is got
rid Of by infantcide. and that there is hardly .
a family in Stamboul where infantside is not
practiced in such cases as a mere matter Of
necessity, and without the least remorse or
Noraing Test