The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-20
THE suLrAN,s AARsm.
Clrcas.lan neauties aud whore they Are
Fonnd--The Fair Queen who Captured
Abdul Aglx

A great deal has been written about
the beauty of Circasslan women, and a
good deal that Is exaggerated. The
women. according 10 the Turkish Idea.
are ms fair as the houris of Moham-
med's paradise. What are called Cir
cassiun beauties are found not far from
Batoum, in the towns aud neighbor-
hoods of Akhaltzig. Ozergetti and
Loogdidi. They are also To be found
Ia the north OF the Caucasus, about
Anapa. and the small villages extend
ing from that town TO Lochi on the
coast. They are mostly poor peasnnt
girls. They have lovely eyes. but
without much expression. Up to the
age OF IA they have attractive features.
but after that age they gradually begin
10 grow coarse ia appearance. The
hair IL sometimes fair, something's dark,
and always abundant. They marry at
about the age of l3 or IA. and age so
rapidly afterward that at 20 they look
like women of 40.
IL was from the neighborhood OF
Loogdidi that the sullans of Turkey,
In the days of their empire procured
girls sor their haren. The poor Cir
! cassian parents readily disposed of
their offspring for few piastres, a
horse. or a gun. and the girls were
borne away 10 be sold at an enormous
~ advanced price in Stamboul.
Here II was that Sultaneh was found,
the fair Circassian who exercised such
II baleful influence over Abdul Aziz.
and led him to that neglect OF his In
terests which ultimately cost him his
throne aud his Lille. Sultaneh was the
daughter of peasant in humble cir
eumstances living near 0zergetti.
Even when only 10 years Of age she
was noted for beauty and her lovely.
/ luslrous eyes. She was picked up at
] IL bv slave dealer from the Turkish
I capital. who paid for her the unusually
| high ,rice OF 100 piastres. He took
her 10 Constantinople aud put her on
/ exhibition after the fashion still preva-
lent In that city. although no longer
countenanced hy law.
The dealer does not go into open
market. aud he does not call In the
public. Like "A dealer in high-elass
1 paintings or statuary. he has his line
/ of customers. aud extends TO them a
| special invitation. They come and
| view the human ehattel aud the high
est bidder carries of the prize. These
sales are going on all the time in Con-
stantinople. aud the government winks
1 ut them. white TO western ears profess
/ ing a horror of slavery.
! Diraz Pacha. at that time governor
/ of Karpoot, In Asia Minor, was on a
| visit 10 Constaniinople, on a summons
from the sultan. TO explain some dis
erepancies in the revenue returns from
his province. the discrepancies being
that Diraz was waxing rich and the re-
turns in the way Of revenue 10 the Inn
perial Treasury were getting poor.
Such condition of affairs was all-suf-
ficient for the sultan TO take action ON,
| without any abtruse examination OF
\ accounts aud details. The Turkish
ruler had no objection TO Diraz Pacha
robbing somebody. but il must not be
the sultan. Consequently Diraz was
in disgrace aud apprehensive of some
thing worse. when he had the good
fortune to be invited TO see a young
/ Circassian slave. Her rare beauty
impressed Diraz. as il impressed every
body else. He bid an extravagant
price aud won the girl. That same
I afternoon she was on the way TO the
sultans palace as gift from the de-
| linauent governor of karpoot. Diraz
Paeha went back to his post with a
clean bill of health.
From the first the fair Circassinn
fascinated Abdul Aziz. and from an
artless child of the mountains she be-
| came as active AN intriguer rs any in
mate of the harem. Powerful officers
feared her influence, and former favor
ties learned to hate her She used her
! power not always discrcelly. aud il
| was obvious that il weakened the sui.
tau in the opinion of his subjects; foI
/ the Turk is eminentlV Jealous as vel
as contemptuous of feminine interGer
ence in state affairs The overthrow
of Abdul Aziz and his untimely death
are matters of history. and il is we'll
known in Stamboul that a woman was
chiefly responsible. Sultaneh disap-
/ peared about the time that the unhap-
py sultan perished. Her fate is mat
ter of conjecture.