In the old part of the city there is a small square with indifferent wooden buildings and galleries all around this is called the slave market and I should say was well supplied - but almost entirely by black women who are purchasad to wait on the turkish ladies -

When I was there today there were a number of ladies purchasing and some few men - the negresses are generally a poor weakly set and apparently little adapted for work - I understand they are the property of the ladies alone and well treated - but in this market there are rooms with latticed windows where merchandise of a very different kind are kept - Circassian women to be sold as wives to the turks - they are called slaves - but have the privilege of selecting a purchaser - on looking in at the doors of these little rooms - the man in charge several times desired us to go away & the women themselves generally retired back - refusing to be stared at by our christian eyes - however only a few of them were pretty and two or three already past the prime of life - they generally are pale faced like the turkish ladies - once they are veiled in the same way -

Looking in at our door when there were five or six - the keeper called out quite abruptly to go away - I asked the guide why, as we had paid money to go in - the only answer was that it was a harem - or as I supposed were to be disproved of altogether - only one young girl that appeared sociable - but she was somewhat marked by the small pox - am told these women have been sold to francs by getting the consent of the girl and offering a good price to the keeper - but then they can leave you when they like - the price is 200 to 1500 dollars the blacks are 50 to 100 Dollars - the term slave is improperly applied to the Circassian women -

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