The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-12-29
BEAUTY SOLD BY AUCTION.
Cirtassian Girls at 42O0 Turkish, and GeOrgf
ans at Rl2O-Black Girls at 338.

A correspondent Of the Paris Gaulois
describes Il recent Visit to a slave sale
at ConsJantinople. Notwiths tanding
the nominal abolition OF the slave trade
in Turkey, through the efforts of the civ
ilized European Governments, it still
continues in a furLive way. AS long
as the harem exists the trade will exist.
This sale was in house. All the WIN
doWs facing the street were closed. The
correspondent accompanied an ESyp-
tian friend and his valet in a carriage to
the mosque of The Sultan Mahomet, at
which point they turned into narrow
and complicated streets, which finally
became impossible. They alighJed be-
fore a pile of mud which could be
crossed only on loot. Reaching the
house they were introduced into the Sc
lamlik, or chamber reserved ior male
visitors. Here they found the slave
dealer standing, a short pipe in hand.
He was little old Tripolitan, Gassirgl
Messoud-Aga by name. He has tol-
lowed the business for forty years. Al
ter the customary salutations, pipes and
coffee were offered and taken with the
silence usual to Orientals before any
business transaction.
An ebony young eunuch soon entered
ond whispered in Messoud'5 ear. The
latter made sign of acouiescence, and,
turning to the guests, said: "Bouyou.
roun" (permit me). The guests rose ana
followed him into a room OF lne harem.
A long divan, about q ioot ana d nan
high and four ieet wide, surrounded
three sides OF the chamber. An eXcaVa.
tion in the wall held the cushions ana
coverings used at night. The floor was
covered with mats and loose pieces OF
carpet, Upon the dlvan were seated,
side by side, two white girls from Cir
cassia. in tile dress of their country.
Opposite were lhree other women, one
of whom was white, from Georgia, ana
the others black.
| AN arose as the visitors entered. One
| of the Circassians seemed scarcely four
teen, She had bright chestnut hair
| long. dark eyelashes, which shaded eyes
| of LIQUID blue; light, well-rounded
| form and regular features, overcast
| with melancholy. She was beauty OF
| the tirst-Ylass. Her companion, aged
4 eighteen, was slightly less beautiful
but was performer on the kemendJa or
Turkish violin. In addition she was
recommended as good COOK, k,seanlstress
and washer. Her brown hair fell to hel
knees. She looked at the visitors coolly
| and fixed her eyes ON the Egyptian Will
an expression that seemeo 10 ask hliA u
pui chase her.
At a sign rom Messoud one of the
hack girls disrobed the Circassians
mis- was not Il complicated process S
as their dress was simply a tunlc, a pair
Of trousers and chemi5 sc. Tue younger
seemed distressed; the other, simply
fixed her eyes upon the floor. Messoud,
nassing his hands over them, called at
teution to their good points, and made
them show their regular, pearly teeth
He dwelt also upon the strict decorun
of their antecedents.
After an examination Of the Georgian
ana glance at the black girls, the partl
returned to che selamlik to close thu
bargain. The youngest Circassian wa:
ouoIed at 200 pounds Turkish, the eldes
at 1870, the Georgian at 100 The Egypta,
found them too high priced, and tool
one of the black girls for SO pounds. HI
simply wanted u house servant. Tit
sale being completed, the party wer
again served with pipes and coffee, ant
lett the house.
Ihe preliminaries to this were con
Quoted with great caution. The valet .
the Egyptian was sent the day before t
announce his masters desire, and Mes
soud Immediately came to the latter t
assure himself that all was right by
personal inspection OF his eustJmei
AS mere visitor to the harem wotli
have been eyed aSkance, the correspond
ent was introduced as Tanir Bey, Sy
rian gentleman, who wished to take
cham Defmaid home with him.