The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-08-15 00:00:00

THE INSURRECTION IN CRETE.

The following account of the Insurrection ill Crete, from
the Special Correspondent of the Daily Nina, written from
the Province of Sphakia, under date July 20th, which,
whilst it may interest our readers, will induce the hope that
the long wished-for time " when men shall learn the art of
war no more'' may hasten on :

Back again in: Crete, I see the unhappy island still
struggling for freedom, with the traces of this two
years' war spread far and wide. There are still almost 1
daily combats amongst the burnt villages and neglected
fields, whilst the blockade is run, as of yore, at regu-
lar intervals. The Enssis has just made another trip
to the western part of Crete, the district at present
most sorely pressed by the Turks, and has landed
supplies at St. Burnell, ths port of Omalo. I was
glad to find that since my arrival last year in the
Arkadi there has been much more method introduced
into the reception of supplies when once they are die-
enabarketL Some of the local chiefs form a guard to
watch the beach and see that nothing is taken out of
turn. Other captains urge forward their sinewy fol-
lowers to place .the i.'sacks and boxes in convenient
heaps, whilst everything is done with the energy of
people working on their own account interrible earnest
To lose a cargo might be to lose the cause which has
cost so much to Crete.

But I must speak f the scene on board ship during
our approach to the Cretan coast. There was a crowd
of returning Islawlers, who had been over to see their
families in Greece, gathered under the weather
bulwarks with sack on shoulder and rifle in hand.
They looked well up to their intended campaign, a
shade more haggard and toil-worn than the men of last
year, but with greater confidence and coolness of
manlier. The youngest had become inured to danger
in the constant struggles of the war, and as to blockade-
running, they seemed to view it as calmly as most
travellers regard a trip from Dover to Calais. There
was indeed a smack of the "accelerated tidal service"
about this swift, crowded little steamer, with half the
passengers wet through by the spray which flew over
her deck. Then, too, there WM a heap of deck
baggage, and the captain vigilantly stationed on the
bridge. I must admit, however, that the French
officials at Calais would be startled if we sent over a
ship-load of such stern sun-burned faces as were to
be seen on board the Enacts, whilst the same officials
might object to waistbands stuck full of knives
and pistols as part of the "tidal service." Knives
and pistols! What did these matter when we had
a quick and pleasant voyage? No Turks were visible
either along the western or southern coast. On we
skimmed over the blue waves tipped with foam. How
fine was the view of Crete as we rounded Cape Krio.
How dark and mysterious the shadows of the moum

talus as we drew in towards Sphakia at sun-down.
Every eye was straining into the gloom to discover a
lurking cruiser, but all was clear, and the captain
ordered full speed ahead to reach the shore as soon as
possible. Now there was a faint Slash to the westward,
as of a light on some vessel's deck! It was the Turk
at last. But he would pass outside us if we were quick
enough, and the Enema held on her course. She
crossed the bows of the advancing cruiser, and in the
dark they failed to see us, though we could see them
well enough. A few snore turns of our paddle-wheels,
we were close to the murmuring surf in the beach.
Banish that "tidal service' comparison from your
thoughts when you consider our landing in Sphakia.
Passengers did anything but walk ashore, and no one
was responsible for baggage. The anchor was let go,
the boats were lowered. Now one group, now
another, scrambled into them, with sacks and rifles,
biscuits, ammunition, and clothing. It were long to
tell, but was sadly short to enact, that unlucky
dropping of some of our baggage into the sea. Alas
for the boots and pantaloons which never rose again !
Alas for the sack of rice and the bag of much coveted
sugar! We were fortunate not to lose more things,
since it was a rough night and no lanterns could be used
with that Turk in the offing. Fortunate were we to lose
so Little, and I especially rejoiced that the medical
stores which I had in charge for the Cretan wounded
came safely to land. You must fancy our hearty
welcome by the PaLlikars, who began to rush shore-
ward when they heard that a landing had been made.
You must fancy the chiefs keeping order, as before
described, and M. Steculis doing the work of five
men in getting the American relief, of food and
clothing, heaped snugly together. I wished that Dr.
Howe, that veteran Philhellene could have seen
with what energy his gifts were cared for.
We slept upon the shore near a ruined monastery,
where marks on tree trunks and stray pieces of iron
shells told of occasional salutes from 'Turkish block-
aders. It was a beautiful day-dawn, anti as the sun-
light streamed over the lofty summits which shut in
the valley of St. Burnell, the site of our bivouac
became doubly charming. There was the blue sea,
still tipped with foam, on one side, and there rose the
precipitous mountains on the other. We had a cool
breeze blowing up the valley, and splendid drinking
water in the little river at our feet. All this was very
pleasant, but it could not be enjoyed in peace. Crete
was in a fierce and bloody war, and we were presently
reminded of the fact. A vessel, which was not the
Enotht had drawn near the coast. Perhaps she sus-
, petted something of 'last night's disembarkation.
There were people sufficient in sight to attract her
notice. At any rate, the Turkish captain resolved to
salute us in passing. Crack! whiz ! There came a round
shot plump among us. Another and another followed,
and we saw our position to be a false one, strategically
viewed, for we could make no reply to these heavy
visitors. We accordingly gathered up our baggage,
medical stores, &c., in fear of a hostile descent, and
placed them in concealment, taking cover ourselves
behind the ruined monastery. A few more shots were
fired, and just as a reserve of Cretans ran breathless
down the valley to defend its entrance, the Turkish
cruiser glided quietly away. lam glad to say that no
one was hurt by the salute, but if they had continued
their mumonade at intervals during the forenoon the
Turks must have greatly hindered our working parties,
which had to move along the open beach.
It was worth a good deal of discomfort to be fairly
at work relieving these poor islanders. The news of
our arrival soon spread, and many came down to our
little camp among the rocks to ask advice. Our first
patient was a lad from the front, wounded under his
right eye. Then came an older man with his hand
wrapped in a blood-stained rag of a handkerchief.
Cases like these could walk stoutly over the mountains,
so were able to help themselves. But we heard of
many who could not move, and lay here and there
suffering greatly.
Would that our landing had brought an infinitely
greater power of relief to bear upon the Cretan case,
for indeed it is a hard one. Among the sea-side
rocks where M. Waldanga dispensed advice and
medicine, with our chests and sacks piled up in a
shady corner, we received patients of various kinds.
Thin, hungry-looking children, who shivered with
fever and ague„ were brought to 118 by mothers equally
starved and sickly, who could just drag themselves
along. We saw that a boat load of quinine would not
satisfy all comers, and had to be very careful in dis-
tribution. You may wonder that the little expedition
should remain thus encamped on the shore after our
experience of Turkish saluting. But until the ammu-
nition and provisions for the "front" had been first
dispatched, and some of the mules had returned, there
was no chance of obtaining transport for our stores.
The supreme necessities of the moment in Sphakia—
as always during the Cretan war—were bread and
gunpowder, to keep the patriots alive and to hold the
Turks at bay. Then came such comparative luxuries
as medicine and surgical instruments. The people
' were full of thanks in their rough way for our thought
of them in the voyage which we had made. Scores of
, strong hands grasped ours with friendly greeting and
it seemed as though we were back again in the bright,
troubled, bustling days of last year's campaign.