The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-06-10
4 Turkish Slave Market.

Turkish Slave Market.
A correspondent of the London Star,
writing from Smyrna, describes his visit
to slave market. He says: >
A party of us, under the leadership of
our guide, passing along Frank street,
and then turned. up through the bazars
and the Persian market, and on till we
passed through kind of gateway in
which several Turks were smoking
Here we found moderately sized square
surrounded by number of low build
lngs. A few Turks were lounging about,
and two or three boys as black as ebony.
stood cycling us with considerable curlosi-
ty,. but there was nothing to Indicate the
existence of a slave market-it might
have been market for any other COM
modify. Our guide, however went to
door, in the corner of the square, about
which several people were standing, and
some black boys were engaged in packing
Turkish butter in tubs.
We entered, and then we found our
selves IN the presence of slave-owner
and his slaves. The man-stealer was a
stout, sensuous, lazy looking Turk, about
sixty years of age, sitting wrapped up in
costly Eastern robes with the everlasting
pipe in his mouth. The slaVe consisted
OF five women and two boys Three of.
the women were comparatively young,
ranging from nineteen to twenty four
years old, the other two about thirty,
and the boys about thirteen or fourteen.
Two women were sitting Turkish fashion.
on broad dlvan or platform, and the
boys we're packing butter. All were
as black as ravens We were asked to
sit down, and coffee was immediately
brought to us. One Of the girls was re-
markably good looking. had on good
dress. and with necklace Of beads and
long gilt ear drops. made some preten-
sions to style, and the others were very
passable as negresses from our European
standpoint of beauty. Another Turk
came In and took his place near the pro-
prletor and spoke few words in En-
glish
We asked through our guide what was
the price of the best looking of the girls
The old man told us $500, and ordered
her to stand UP, which she Immediately
did, showing Il fine form and an erect
position. When [ took out my pencil
and paper to note the price, they all
seeme to eXhbitc )nsiderable interest in
our visit. The price of the other two
young women were e250 each, and that
of the two elder who were strongly built,
$500 each, and that of the two boys $3.50
each. Two of the women stood up for
our inspection. Our guide who was
native of Smyrna, told Us that if we pur-
chased any of them, we should receive
papers from the Government, transferr-
ing the property ~ orr possession, and it
was with diff ;ulty that we could make
them understand that the papers would
be OF 10 Value as soon as the slave and
master reached the British domnions.
After giving them a little 'blackShish,"
we left the dirty den with our hatred of
Eastern denominations very much intensi
fed. | confess, as an Englishman | can
feel nothing but shame for our national
friendship for the Turkish Government
and its institutions. We were told that
after the Crimean war slavery disappear
ell, but it is gradually speeding again, and
in country the Government of which is
as corrupt as rottenness can make it, and
whose officers, from the highest to the
lowest, bow blindfolded before the power
of backShish, it is no wonder that slav-
cry SHOULD spread.
Constantinople, April 23.-I purpose
ly kept ny letter open till reached this
city, SO that | might make further inqui-
ries into the subject. L have conversed
with a sc ,tleman long resident in Con
stantinopie and well acquainted with Turk
ish institutions and law He assures me
that large slave trade is carried on,
hat the Circassians sell thier children
for the Turkish market, and scarcely
ship arrives from Trebizond or Egypt
without bringing some, that some of the
Circasslan girls will at times fetch 81 900
but the Africans are very cheap, that if :,
gentleman wants to buy slave lie sends
for slave broker who takes his order for
the kind of article that he requires, and
then goes to the depots where they are
kept. My friend accompanied me yes
terday to the principal streets in Galata,
where the Clrcassians are kept, and show
ed me the establis hments with thickly
trellised windows The African market
is across the Golden Horn in Stamboul
He, however informed me of two modi-
fcations in the system. The first, that
the traffic is only legal among Moslems,
that Franks can neither buy nor sell, and
secondly, that the slave has the option of
refusing to 60 with any buyer. but if the
slave does not object, a legal transfer
ence is made, and the fate of the unfor-
tunate finally scaled. The first modif-
cation does not alter the principle of the
wicked system, and the second cannot be
of much value to a poor, lonely, friend
less vic. i'm, whose body belong to a mer-
cenary, and it may be cruel speculator