The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-04 00:00:00

GREECE.

ATHENS, OCT. 8.

The French fleet is now at anchor in the Bay of Sala-
mis, and, having been joined two days since by the Jena,
from Toulon, now consists of eleven sail of the line and
one broken-down steamer. Since this fleet has been in
these waters the French Admirals have had no communi-
cations with the coast of Syria, except through the usual
line of Post-office steamers, between the Piraeus, Syra, and
Alexandria. It may be assumed from this fact that the
orders must be very distinct to the French Admirals not to
move except in consequence of orders from France, what-
ever events may take place. The general impression
. here is, that war between France and the other Eu-
ropean Powers will be avoided, not from any disinclina-
tion of the French to come to tlows, but because the
naval force displayed in the Levant by the English is
most: imposing, not to say tremendous, notwithstanding
what has been said to the contrary in some of the English
uewsi (Tess ; besides which English line.of-battle ships
and steam-frigates are still constantly arriving from Eng-
land to juin the fleet on the coasts of Egypt and Syria.
M. and Madame Lagrene arrived here by the Jena, M.
Lagrene returning to his post as Minister Plenipotentiary
to the Court of Greece. Lady Lyons and Mr. Lyons ar-
rived here this morning by the Austrian steamer frem Italy.
Public attention has been again recently attracted to a
most horrible case of torture inflicted here by the Greek
Government on a Turkish /subject named Panajotti, who
under the merb suspicion of having committed a robbery,
has been subjected to the most diabolical tortures for up-
wards of twenty days, and which have only come to light
from the victim's having fortunately escaped from prison,
and taken refuge in the house of the Turkish Minister Ple-
nipotentiary at Athens, who has at once made the strongest
representations to the Greek Government on the subject.
The minute details of the excruciating tortures inflicted by
these fiends, acting under the orders (Oh shame!) of King
Otho, are the subject of universal execration ; but, with-
out attempting to enumerate them, suffice it to say that
the victim was first tied up with cords into the form of a
ball, beaten with buffalo thongs on the body, and bastina-
doed on the feet. At another time he was suspended by
the legs from the roof of his dungeon with his head
downwards in which position he was swung to and fro,
and so
d) ing, when he was cut down suddenly, and, falling
severely beaten that it was thought he was
on his head, nearly fractured his skull, and became in.
nsible. Will it be believed that, after twenty days
of these unparalleled torments, it was discovered,
and admitted, that the victim was innocent ; but
these hell-hounds retained him in prison, fearing that, if
they released him, the recital of his sufferings corroborated
by the state of his lacerated body, would stir up the feel-
trigs of the populace to an uncontrollable pitch, and cause
them to take summary vengeance on the perpetrators
thereof. Unhapp
which
are too true, and arc only a revival or continuation of
similar atrocities Greece lhyiethherheavaeppeaberfos nreo doubt
beenthat the above
perpetrated in
and recorded, although it was attempted at the
time to palliate and even to deny their truth.
It is already generally known that the efforts made by
Mr. Wright and M. Eynard to establish a bank in Greece
have, from one cause or other, always failed of success,
and it would
appear that King Otho is determined
nhis power to
to do everything i prevent capital, and es-
pecially English capital, from being circulated in Greece,
as he has recently refused to sanction the establishment of
a joint-stock bank at Athens and Patras, although most of
the members of the Government, and the influential com-
mercial natives, are most decidedly in favour of it, seeing,
beyond doubt, that such an establishment, offering as it
would undoubted security in all its transactions, would
most materially assist commercial operations, and certainly
effect areduction in the present existing
high rate of interest
on money. What King Otho's object can be inso obsti-
nately setting his face against any proposal, be it what
it may, to improve the social condition of Greece who can
tell ? But that such is the fact the whole course of his
reign amply testifies.