Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-23
SLAVES IN THE ORIENT.
THE EXPERIENCE OF AN AMERI-
CAN IN CONSTANTINOPLE.
Slave Dealer in Disgitise-Female
Slaves and Their Prices.

Slaves and Their Prices.
A correspondent of the New York
Times tells how, with an expenditure of
but twenty dollars, he succeeded after
some trouble in visiting the house of one
of the principal female slave dealers of
Constantinoplc, and seeing all there was
to be seen there. lie says:
My middleman was an Armenian rene
gade,i and he agreed to introduce me
under the guise of "Ferenghi haklm
bashi," a Frank doctor in the employ of
the Turkish army. AT the hour appoint
ed met the Armenian, whom l will call
Kevork. | donned the garb provided
for me, including fez, armed my eyes
with green spectacles, put a false beard
on, as well as military sword, and thus
accOut, ed sailed forth into the dark We
got into a closed carriage and drove over
to Stamboul. We gained the Mahmond
Djaddessi, the principal street Of the
town, and passed the tomb of Sultan
Mahmold and the "Burat column" tiat
ancient bronze monument of Greek yalOr
over the Pcrsians of old. Soon after that
l was blindioldcd, and then the carriage
made turn to the right. We were
driven over the most horrible pave
ment, ard / was shaken out of
my seat more than once, but the
bdndage over my eyes was Immediately
readjusted. After the lapse of what
seemed to me long while, but was prob
ably only ten minutes or so, the carriage
stopped. | was taken out of it, and
third person took my left arm, while Ke-
work. linked his into my right one. Thus
we walked for another five minutes, when
my left arm was released and my gu de
knocked at door, which was immedi-
ately opened, and was led up two steps
into hall and UP a worn out staircase of
stone, finally through two rooms. In the
center of the third room the bandage was
removed from my eyes, and | was led to
divan and sat down. The room in
which found myself was oblong in
shape, Of more than average size, and
bare of furniture save divans running
around three sides of it. There were
cushions on them, here and there. There
stool, also, man9al (brass vessel filled
with glowing charcoaD in the center of
the room, and some candelabra furnished
good light. Two small tables, about
eighteen inches in height each, stood
near the divans. There were two win
dows, but close latticework on the inside
prevented view into the street. l had
but barely completed this hasty survey
when courtly old Turk, the owner of tie
house, entered. noticed that he wore
the green strip Of the hadji around his
fez. lie made the IN ;dern salutation of
the Mussulman by touching his breast
and forehead, and began to hurl my
Turkish phrases, acquired the day before
from Mr. Werndel, at his devoted old
head, occasionally assisted by honest Ke-
work.
"Aksham lariniz hair alsounw MAY
your evening be feicitous) | remarked in
eXecrable Osmanl.
He replied the same.
"Alish verish nasi2' QIow is bust
nessD continued.
"Durghun' (dulD he said, whereupon
he clapped his hands; Nubian ap-
peared, and he gave some order. A mo-
ment later narghi.chs were brought in,
lighted, and the tube of one handed to
me, who was, like the rest, reclining in
halfrecumbcnt position on the divan
next to the grand old Turk and his
grander white beard. Turkish coffee, in
delicate little cups, and set in filigree
holders, was also handed around, du.ing
which time and for about five minutes
longer absolute silence reigncd, only
broken by the bubblng of the water in
the narghilehs. Then the old gentleman
remarked "Pashalar okadar almiolar."
(The pashas do not buy 50 many. Again
no word was spoken for short while.
'What is the price of pretty girl" |
next asked.
"Illi yuz Ira" $4,000, he replied.
"Show me pretty girl?' l said.
The old Turk threw questioning
glance at my guide. Then he clapred
his hands again. The brown skinned
attendent who appeared was given an
order, and about ten minutes elapsed,
during which new coff was brought in,
accompanied by dish of sweetmcats, of
which did not paltlke. Then the door
opened and parsonage, gotten up very
much in the same fashion as the Kha-
vasses a negro, pompous and fat, entered
first, followed by half dozen
females clad in loose garments of
Broussa silk, and wearing the
vashmak. The pompous negro was the
kiz-aga'si Qiterally girls Loss, of course
a eunuch, and the females were the 'frst
lot" One by one the girls, obeying their
masters behest, stepped up close to me
and unveiled. There was not pretty
one among them. Tncy were all Nubian
girls, quite young, between II or IA
should say, excepting one Syrian girl of
perhaps Is, who was just tolerable. The
grand old Turk began to dcscant on her
beauty and good points, but cut him
short, saying: "Bou kiz guezel deildir"
This girl is not pretty. The G. 0. T.
said nothing, but clapped his hands again
and made sweeping motion to the kiz-
agassi, as if requesting him to sweep this
Dirt off the face of the earth, or at any
rate out of his and my sight. The kiz-
agassi marched the first lot out again,
just as pompous and silent as at first.
Pretty soon he entered again, follow
ed by seven other girls, dressed and
veiled similarly, but a trifie more ex-
pensivcy. This second slot" was little
better, but not much. They were all
Syrian and Circassian girls, all of them
very young, and rather shy and modest
when encountering the gaze of the strang-
er. repeated my phrase, ''No good, y
and they were also swept out of my sight.
Lastly three girls were brought in, and
one of them was a beauty and no m s.
take. think she must have been about
sixteen, quite fair, even for a Circassian
with light hazel eyes, black eyebrows,
and long, yellow hair. She evidently
showed her face with reluctance. l