Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-28
Tine Slave Trade i'm Turkey.

(Constantinople Correspondence London ReWs.J
 The other day girl about twelve years
 old was publicly sold in the court yard of a
 mosque situated in the heart of Galata, and
 through which hundreds of people hourly
 passed. A short while back 8 wretched girl
 escaped from the harem in which she was
 confined and carried her scarifed and bleed
 ing shoulders to the nearest police station.
 where it was clearly proved that she had been
 stolen by Circassian during the refugee
 panic and traded away for @ few pounds to
 an exceptionally brutal mistress, and the au-
 thorities at Salonica quite recently rescued
 four young negresses from caique, just on
 the point of landing them. These unhappy
 beings, who were lying in the bottom of the
 boat, declared that they belonged to a party of ten, that after a years captivity at port of the Nile had been bought by the dealers on board coasting schooner and crammed half naked into a small stihing cabin, in which they had to be packed so close togeth 1 CT that ttney were hair pied on top-or each other. After enduring the horrors of that passage they were smugged at night into the caiques They could give no information re- iative to their six companions in misery, who are doubtless, therefore, by now in hopeless bondage. When I at Damascus some three years back was led by native into several of the slave dens. but always found them empty. On inquiry it turned out that Midhat Pasha had sternly put down the ba- zaar traffic. But what was the result ? The slaves were distributed among private houses, chiefly of Christian Syriaus. There they passed for servants, but were in reality as freely exposed to the genuine purchaser as those who in ancient days had to suffer the bitter shame of the publicsmarket At Alep~ DO could not completely satisfy myself on the subject, but have excellent reason for be- lieving that like system was pursued there. In the capital itself the trade has of late en- countered no further checks than such as the yfyv NF Pk HGovn having to great extent shut off the sources ot supply-and the general poverty of the Turks afford. The merchants, however, manage to find victims, and provided your money is ready, you can easily gratlfy your tastes as to color, age beauty, &c. An Eng fish lady of my acquaintance was taken by a black driver, who had learned that she was curious in the matter, to place at Stamboul, into which she walked without the slightest difficulty, cabby, with his smattering of French, acting as interpreter through grat- | ing in the door. When she entered the | salesroom-a large, barely furnished and ! very light apartment-the mistress of the es- | tablishment conducted her to a divan, and slaves instantly fetched sweets and coffee. No l astonishment was betrayed at the intrusion l of Glaour woman on such a scene Anum- | Der of white girls, of ages varying from ! twelve to eighteen, were then led up to her | one after the other, each in her turn standing l motionless before the sofa till signed to yield | her position to her next fellow. They are | described for the most part as coarse, clumsy, ! and heavy, with cowed, sullen faces and mud | dy, yellow complexions. Their dress con sisted of gauge cap and loose frock, with short sleeves ard reaching to the ankles, which was fastened down the front with ! strings Declaring that her husband desired ! to present an oda6k to 6 pasha, the visitor ! asked to see some prettier maidens, but was 1 told there were none on hand, though selec- tion would shortly arrive, when she certainly ! could be suited. Two Turkish women were during this time choosing slaves. No sort oi | consideration was paid to the feeling sof the 1 poor girls. Under examination they untio | their single garment, according to the re l quirement of the purchaser, or threw 1t of 1 entirely if so wished. Their teeth were look l ed at and hair let down, their persons punch | ed and pushed about. The buyers, wanting
 sound, useful articles, tested their strength
 and searched for blemishes in the same un l concerned manner is done at a horse fair
 No doubt they did not mean to be cruel, bu,
 objected to getting worthless slaves, anc ! probably did not waste a thought on tht | pain their unceremonious proceedings mus have inflicted. As for ths girls, their atti
 tude was invariably that of absolute, uncom
 plaining submission. They stood with down
 cast eyes and dropping limbs, simply doing l what theyiwerelordered, and never losingf or
 moment their look of stupid, hopeless indif
 ference It was their fate to be enslaved
 weeping and struggling would have been il
 vain, and they had apparently grown s'
 hardened to the chain that my friend did no
 detect tear, a sigh, or even blush.