Slavegirl market report.

“Best brands Circassians, crop of 1850, L200; 1852, L250; 1854, L300.  Best brands Georgian, none in market; second quality, 1851, L180.  Nineteen fair to middling Wallachian girls offered at L130 @ 150, but no takers; sixteen prime A 1 sold in small lots to close out—­terms private.

“Sales of one lot Circassians, prime to good, 1852 to 1854, at L240 @ 242, buyer 30; one forty-niner—­damaged—­at L23, seller ten, no deposit.  Several Georgians, fancy brands, 1852, changed hands to fill orders.  The Georgians now on hand are mostly last year’s crop, which was unusually poor.  The new crop is a little backward, but will be coming in shortly.  As regards its quantity and quality, the accounts are most encouraging.  In this connection we can safely say, also, that the new crop of Circassians is looking extremely well.  His Majesty the Sultan has already sent in large orders for his new harem, which will be finished within a fortnight, and this has naturally strengthened the market and given Circassian stock a strong upward tendency.  Taking advantage of the inflated market, many of our shrewdest operators are selling short.  There are hints of a “corner” on Wallachians.

     “There is nothing new in Nubians.  Slow sale.

     “Eunuchs—­None offering; however, large cargoes are expected from
     Egypt today.”

I think the above would be about the style of the commercial report.  Prices are pretty high now, and holders firm; but, two or three years ago, parents in a starving condition brought their young daughters down here and sold them for even twenty and thirty dollars, when they could do no better, simply to save themselves and the girls from dying of want.  It is sad to think of so distressing a thing as this, and I for one am sincerely glad the prices are up again.

Commercial morals, especially, are bad.  There is no gainsaying that.  Greek, Turkish and Armenian morals consist only in attending church regularly on the appointed Sabbaths, and in breaking the ten commandments all the balance of the week.  It comes natural to them to lie and cheat in the first place, and then they go on and improve on nature until they arrive at perfection.  In recommending his son to a merchant as a valuable salesman, a father does not say he is a nice, moral, upright boy, and goes to Sunday School and is honest, but he says, “This boy is worth his weight in broad pieces of a hundred—­for behold, he will cheat whomsoever hath dealings with him, and from the Euxine to the waters of Marmora there abideth not so gifted a liar!” How is that for a recommendation?  The Missionaries tell me that they hear encomiums like that passed upon people every day.  They say of a person they admire, “Ah, he is a charming swindler, and a most exquisite liar!”