The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-07-28

GIRLS IN A SLAVE MART.
A Scene In Morocco, Whore Pretty Girls are
Bought

Duuhut.
Morocco, May 2i.-By the Mohammedan
law no man is permitted to have more than
four wives; but there is no limit but that of
the purse to the number of female slaves
who may he added to his establishment.
The sultan's ladies may be numbered by
hundreds, if they do not indeed reach the
four figures; and in proportion to his posi-
ton and wealth the well-to-do Moor in like
manner has large or small harem estab.
lishment. The sultan has the privilege of
comforting the honor of entertaining his
harem upon whom he will, and any girls in
the provinces who are more than ordina-
rily pretty are sent up to the court for his
inspection or sent to him as q compliment
tary present. Men in high positions, as
the vIzier, are alFs often presented with
ladies, and, being frequently very wealthy,
complete their establishment by private
| contract, paying, perhaps, 600 for girl
they may admire.
The ordinary well.to-do Moor, of whom
there are Il large number of the merchant
class, have to content themselves by buy
ing in the open market ana, consequently,
the slave market lisa highly patronized in.
stitution. The court in which this is u.s.
ually held on three days in every week,
opens out a labyrinth of small, narrow
streets, which form the bazaar or general
market OF the city, a place in which the
higher class OF Moors would not on other
occasions deign to be seen. As the after
noon wears on, however, they may be seen
ambling down on their gayly caparisoned
mules with slave walking behind them
to the entrance OF the court, where they
dismount and recline in picturesque groups
around the Enclosure. About tli" same
time arrive by twos and threes those who
are to be sold being placed by the Sd csmen
in some small recesses or stalls optD.ng on
to the court,
There were about fifty or sixty persons
for sale OF both sexes and all ages, most of
them black us jet, and from their features
evidently natives of the Soudan, some of
whom were 20 be sold only in lots, with one
or two children. These were the drudges
for house and field work, the price of whom
! is always moderate and strictly common
surate to the amount of work they are like
y to be able to perform.
But besides these were two female figures
who evidently excited no small amount of
interest in the gray bearded old Moors, who
| formed no small proportion of the pur-
chascrs. One of them was closely.veiled
Moorish girl, whose features were revealed
only to inquiring customers, but who from
passing glance did not appear to be re.
msrkable for her beauty; the other was q
really pretty girl from the province of Sus,
whose rose-coiored caitan and green silk
head-dress contrasted pleasantly with her
olive complexion and long, black lashes.
They we're all neatly and tidily dressed,
bearing no signs of ill-treatment or scant
nOurishment and were treat ed with all com
sideration both by statesmen and purchas-
ers, though the examination made by the
latter of the teeth, arms, etc, of those they
bid for, was very repulsive to those unac-
customcd to such sights.-[London Stan
darl