110 The Caucasian Mountains and their Inhabitants* 



I wish now to return to a subject which I have several 

 times touched upon, but have not fully explained — Cir- 

 cassian slaver>/. 



Let me at once say, that here I have no picture of woe 

 and despair to present to your imaginations; none of 

 those horrors to portray, which you naturally attach to 

 that odious word. The Russians at first (having then 

 only possession of the sea-board), entertained on this traffic, 

 so-called, pretty much the same opinions as we do, and 

 occasionally captured a sandale or boat-load of Circassian 

 damsels on their way to Stamboul ; but I think they 

 finally lessened their zeal, except only from political 

 motives, when they came to understand better its true 

 character. The arbitrary measures of the invader were, 

 in fact, just such as we suppose 31assachusetts would have 

 adopted under the circumstances ; for that state seems to 

 have taken upon itself to regulate the moral and political 

 status of this small world. 



Some years ago, in this country, quite a number of 

 young women banded together and sailed for California 

 to better their conditions ; it is somewhat surprising that 

 Massachusetts did not have them all arrested, and, having 

 distributed them among themselves as their servants — 

 mere servants to whom they should pay nothing because 

 they were rescued — all of course for the glory of religion — 

 rescued from some great possible gulf; having, I say, 

 taken them as servants, they would consider their captives 

 sufficiently honored, and give thanks accordingly. It 

 would have repeated what Russia has done in the east. 

 I will single out only one instance. On board a boat on 

 the Black sea, my attention was particularly called to a 

 young girl who had been thus taken and given as a 

 serving maid to the wife of a Russian official. I had the 

 opportunity of noticing her one whole day, as, in a Rus- 

 sian steamer, we coasted along under the frowning cliffs of 



