The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-22
Turkish slave Ira nc.

The great fayorites with the Turks
have always been the Circassian girls.
This preference still exists, and, !
think, with reason. The similarity
between the fine fleur or the Anglo
Saxon type Of beauty and Of the Cir
cassian type is truly remarkable. The
same queenly limbs, the same clear
complexion. the same fair skin, blonde.
wayy hair and blue eyes. The Turks
themselves being dark, they are natu-
rally attracted to the fair ones Of the
opposite sex. Thus since time inn
memorial it has always been blonde
who has reigned as Sultana Fayorite
il the Serial
Thus, TOO, the highest priced Of the
human chattels have been and still are
the Circassian girls. Now, Circassia
itself having completely passed under
Russian rule, i. is mostly from the
CircassiaLs who have settled on Turk
ish territory that the supply is taken.
The province where they are most
thickly congregated is that of Sivas. in
the northern parts of Asia Minor. With
Aziziah for its principal town. 1t is q
very fertile district. with enormous
agricultural and pastoral interests.
especially stock raising.
Formerly the Circassian Beys and
chiefs used to pay regular tribute in
girls TO the successor OF the Callph.
lnat is no longer done. But 1t Is a
common thing to see Circassian chiefs,
who hare fayors 10 ask in Stamboul,
or wish to expedite important matters.
agree to furnish pretty maid IN lieu
of spot cash AS backsheech. Debts,
too. are Frequently cancelled by them
in the same manner. Nor is this last
custom confined to the Circassians
am told it is very often done in all
parts of the empire. There are no
actual statistics available as to the
number of Circassian girls thu, an
nually disposed Of, but it must range in
the thousands. Prices, 100. vary
enormously In general it may be
stated, however, that the prices foI
pretty white slaves have been
universally overstated by European
Writers on the SuUJccl.
From the best authorities | know
that from ESQ to flOO Turkish (S22l
to $44O) is the average price for pref
ty Circassian maiden. "A really beau
titul woman fe,ches her price anywhere
Of course. in London and Paris as vel
as in Stamboul,' was Inc way one Of
my imformants pu. il, land from f2O(
to LOO is thus often enough paid for 8
real beauty. But such prices are rare.
Compare this with he prices paid fol
Syrian girls Qhe second highest in de
mandy aud for Nubian girls, which arr
still much lower, aud one must owl
that Consi antinople is not the best mar
ket for female beauty. The traffic il
Syrian girls is carried on in all tn,
coast towns of Asia Minor. Thcs,
> girls have dark eyes and hair and are
10 speak the truth. lille .'oH color.
i. e. their complexion is abolt as ligh
! brown as thai of au American quadrool
> girl. They have generally good tig
ures while young, bnt age more rapid
: " than their Cilcassian listers.
From E2O to ESQ is considered Al
average price 10 pay for one of them
The Nubian girls, who are mainl
used as domestic slaves, are still
cheaper, for they range in pric
between &c and Ego. Evidence of thi
: trade, all secretly carried on, wi
: come to the notice of any observan
European who stays for some time i
the country, and enough of them came
! as | said, TO the observation of tn
!, commission. Female slaves woul
: now and then come to them for aid
d ob,a;n their liberty. and in all sue
: cases, after going through the usus
formali,ies Of applying for he
emancipation papers. the girl 9
woman was 2 anted it by the Turks
: authorities, due. of course. only to tn
) active inter ference of the British.
Now and then case would Occasio
mole 'laD ordinary difficulties. Thu
i at Adanah, in Northern Syria, a won
q an, the slave OF aa Ottoman function;
!. ~, who had ,nowu herself on the pr
. lection of tie commission and had d
e mandcd her freedom. was at first stu
!, bornly re,u ,e.l il by her master as we
:, as by the Governor of he provenc
ii who was beiag influenced by the owne
A. 1t was only when the threat was m;t
to get the direct intelces,ion of u
British Ambassador at STEAMBOAT tin
re she was given her freedom. The ma
e ter at the time raised a cOmmOtion
III that province. This. then, briefly toll
J was the experience of the commissio
e Things are still about in the same shal
d in Asiatic Turkey.
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