BEAUTIFUL WOMEN CAPTURED AND ENSLAVED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 420, 22 March 1880, Page 2

BEAUTIFUL WOMEN CAPTURED AND ENSLAVED.

The capture of Turkoman woman by the Persian Governors is one of the great crimesof Pemn rule in the districts east' of the Caspian Sea.' "An order," says Major Butler, of-the British Army, "-is sent to one or more of the Governors of those districts to tho etfect that .no presents have been forwarded to the Shah by • them, and if they do not immediately despatch substantial gifts another Governor will be found to replace them. The distracted Governor, who has already robbed his own people until they, have nothing left to take, wistfully turns his eyesand thoughts to his rich neighbours the Turkomans. Forthwith he organizes an expedition, and sends forth spies to ascer- ' tain at what point are encamped the greatest number of Turkoman women and horses and the smallest , number of men. This being ascertained, he starts at the dead of night, accompanied by his murdering robbers, and swoops down upon his unfortunate victims. Those Turkomans who are able to fight, or likely to give any. further trouble art ruthlesly murdered and the old men, boys wives, daughters,' and sisters are bound hand and'foot and brought backintoPersian territory. Then. commences a scenedisgraceful alike to humanity and morality.- The old women and infants are separated from the young and beautiful (and ■ many of the Turkoman women .are very beautiful) ; every point of the latter Mooked into and discussed by the.' men told off for this purpose, just as the intending purchaser of "a horse trots out the'a'nimal to examine it. Those, possessing the best points are sent my° Shah and other great men at Teheran.- Those with whom some fault or ; other is-found are kept by- the Gover,nor. himself, and distributed among his favoritieshigh and low, his servants being .always gen&rously treated in the distributiou of the'human spoil. The horses and oth« stolen produce are likewise disposed of. But;what becomes of the old women and- little ones? These are locked up '' until some Turkoman relation- can buy their release for twenty or more pounds each; and if this happy arrangement cannot be effected they probably di# of star- d: yation. I could mention many jt«rtlinij\ instances of th# above which have lately tatyn place. There is a regular season'sjt tor these expeditions, commencing about Apn and ending about October. I assert that the Turkoman never give any cause whatever to the Persians for those barbarities, and that all the marauding kidnapping i, on the side of th# PersiamZWhen any Persians fall into thehands of the Turkoman it is during one.of these' robbing expeditions, begun and carried out by the Persians themselves, the' ™T S solely in their own