The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-12-09
SLAVES IN THE EAST.
Terrible scenes In = ConstnufInopIs Mar
kes Place.


kes Place.
Correspondence Of the Manchester Ezaminer.I
The headquarters Of the white slave
trade in COnstantinopIe are In tho
BOstandchi quarter, which comprises q
number Of small, narrow streets between
Pera, Galata and TOphane. The trade
Is conducted almost exclusively by q
tribe Of Circassians known as Tessirdchis.
Families generally work together One
brother, for example, stops at home and
minds the shop, while the other goes
abroad and purchases and forwards the
raw material of the commerce. NegOtia-
tiOEs with purchasers are conducted
through theintermediary Of Arab brokers,
who call regularly on their patrons to
inquire If they are wanting any thing in
black eunuchs OF white girls. The
rendezvous Of these gentry is a coffee
house In the BOstandchi quarter, the
entry to which is strictly forbidden to all
save followers Of the prophet. A white
boy In good health, from eight to four
teen years old, costs from $3.50 to 800;
if he has any requirements, such, for IN
stance, as a knowledge Of cookery or
other Homework, he VIII command twice
as much. A girl under ten years old
may be had for 800, while a maiden be-
tween twelve and sixteen, especially if
she can read and write and strUm a little
on the HttaT, Is worth S., 500 A female
slave Of exceptional beauty, young, white
and a virgin-the style most In vogue are
blondes and black eyes-brings from
S4, 400 to $4,000. For choice specimen,
with a smattering Of French, and able to
play a few airs on the piano, q rich
amateur has been known to pay as much
as So, 200. But, as may be supposed,
the demand for articles Of this description
has greatly fallen of since the halcyOn
time Of perpetual loans and prOfuse ex-
penditure. Black slaves, who are
brought principally from Africa, are
either sold direct by the importers to the
prOprietOrs Of harems OF to dealers, two
Of whom have extensive marts IN STAN
bOUL. These two generally keep on hand
one hundred TO one hundred and twenty
slaves each. There are also depots IN
Scutari and in several villages on the
Bosphorus. A strong black slave sells
for about $50; a black maiden, S67 to
S75; a full eunuch, S315 to 800, and
half eunueh, S135 to S225. Not the
least interesting part Of the account
from which I quote Is the writer's
description Of his visit to a slave dealers
den In the neighbOrhOOd Of Scutari, the
exact locality Of which he was sworn not
to reveal His companion was an Arab
broker, whom he had to baGksheesh
heavily for his services. He assumed the
character and presented himself in the
garb Of a Hungarian renegade officer I'D
the Turkish army, the ostensible object
Of his visit being the purchase Of a
halaiks or house slave. The slave-dealers
warehouse was a large wooden building;
the slave-dealer himself, a dignifed
Turk of the old school, bearded turbaned
and loftly polite. Pipes and coffee were
Of course produced, and, after a due IN
terchange of complimentary phrases,
business began The dealers head man,
Hassam, a gigantic Nubian, was sum
mOned, and told to bring forth a number
of slaves for the inspection Of the broker
and his friend. Thirty negro women Of
various ages and Q number Of boys were
then led into the room. These the
broker, who had really a commission to
buy two or three slaves, looked carefully
over, made them open their mouths,
plnChed their RIBS, tired their wind and
examined their "POints as a horse
dealer examines the points Of an animal
which is offered to him for sale. In the
end two women and one boy we're
selected as suitable for their purpose.
Then began long and almost ntermin-
able wrangle The dealer asked $500.
The broker laughed him to scOTn and
offered $780, WhereUpOn the Turk
waxed scOrnfully indignant, but In con-
sideration Of the rank Of his guests offered
to come down to 1920. Then more coffee
and fresh pipes were ordered and, after
tremendous palaver and an immense
consumption Of tobacco, the lot was
Knocked down for $50. The purchase,
it was agreed, should be sent for and the
dealers little bill settled on the following
day.