White Slaves

- Busbequius, a nativeoí the Netherlands, whotravelled inTurkey ubout the middle of the lGth century gives the fullowing account of coffies o white slnves! "I stayed about fourteen days at Constantinople to refresh myself and ihen I entered on ray journey back a gain toVienna: butl was enlertained wiih an inauspicious omen,- even a very sat spccticla; for just as I was gone outof th gates qf Constantinople í met whole wag gon loads of boys and girls, which were brought out of Hungary to be sold at Con stantinopJe, no merchandise being more frequenl among the Turks than this.- For, as when we leave Aniwerp with al kinds of goods and merchantable commod ilies importing into the town, so hcre, every now and then, there passedjby us abun dance of poor miserable Christian slaves which were going to be sold in the markets to a perpetual bondage. Thero was no distinction of age; oíd and young were driven in herds, ortroops, or else were tiet in a longchain, as we aro wont to tail horses when we enrry lhem to fairs. When I beheld ibis wofuí sight, I could not forbear weeping and bemoaning the unhappy state of poor Christendom."