UEAUTIFUL WOMEN CAPTURED AND ENSLAVED.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 134, 24 April 1880, Page 2

UEAUTIFUL WOMEN CAPTURED AND ENSLAVED.

1 ii■• capture, oi lurkuman women by (bo I'ersiati (rovevuurs is :mo of the great crimes of Persian liule in the districts oa.t of the Caspian Sea. '-An order," says Major liutler, of the British Army, " is sent to one or more of the Ciovernors of (hose districts to theefl'ent that no presents have been forwarded to the Shah by them ofhile, and if they do not imniediatel'v despatch substantial gifts another liovernor will bo I'oiuid to ropiHo.o ihom. The distracted liovcrnm, who has already robbed his own people until they have nothing loft to take, wistfully turns bis the Turkomans. Forthwith he organizes

iisn.Mli.in at uhai point mi- encamped the greatest number of Turkoman women and hones and Lit:- smallest number of 111::: J 1 "- Ix-n-g ascertained lit starts sit the dead of night, accompanied by his murdering robbers ami swoops down 'upon his unfortunate victims. Those Turkomans who arc able lo Ugh;., 0 r likely to give any 'future trouble, arc ruthlessly murdered, ami the old iiu.mi, Hip buys, the wives, daughters, and sisters are'bound hand and foot and brought back into Persian territory. Then commences a scene disgraceful alike to humanity and morality. The old women and infants are separated from the young and beautiful (and many of the Turk..man women are very beautiful) ; cverv point of the latter is looked into and discussed by the m.'ii told oil'for this purpose, just as the intending purchaser of a horse trots out tile animal to examine him. Those possessing tho best'.points are sent oil' to the .Shah and other great men at Teheran. Those with whom some fault or other is found are kept by the Governor himself, and distributed among his favorites, hi.rh and low, his servants being always generously treated in tho distribution of the human spoil. The horses and other ilolen produce are likewise disposed of. Hut what becomes of tho old women'and the little ones? These are locked up until some Turkoman relation can buy their release for twenty or twenly-fivo pounds each ; and if this happy arrangement cannot be effected they probably die of starvation. I could mention many startling instances of the above which have taken plaec. There is a regular sens in for tlieso expeditions, commencing about April and ending about October. I assort thai llio Turkomans never give any cause whaluvor to the Persians'for these barbarities, ami that all tho marauding and kidnapping is on the part of the Persians. WheutinyPersiaiisfalhuto the hnud of the Turkoman it is during one of these robbing expeditions, begun and iiu'ii.d out by the Persians themselves, tho Turkomans lighting solely in their own defence. I know large' towns in K'horassau, in every house of which is a Turkoman female slave, taken in tho manner above described wholl yet young from a loving husband or a devoted and broken-hearted mother."