The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-17 00:00:00

THE RISING OF THE GREEKS IN THE

ISLAND OF CANDIA.

We have dates from this island, through Malta,
to the Ist of June, at which time matters threat-
ened a very serious turn ; but consular despatches
are said to have reached Admiral Lord Lyons of
one or two days' later date, announcing that,
through the activity of the Ottoman Government
in responding to the demands for considerable re-
inforcements from various points of Turkey, made
by Yelp Pasha, the insurrection may be looked
upon as entirely suppressed and put down. On
this occasion Vely Pasha, a Cretan by birth, and
enjoying a well-earned popularity, has shown him-
self as discreet as he is known to be brave, and
only the loss of one or two lives has to be de-
plored, although at one time the fate of Scio, at
the commencement of the Greek revolution,
seemed to threaten the Ottoman population.
Three proclamations of the Governor-General
and one of the Metropolitan, although couched
in the most conciliatory tone and spirit, failed i❑
restoring order, and, seeing this, the population
not only of the town of Canea, but likewise of
that of Candia, volunteered to assist the regular
armed force against the insurgents, who seem to
have been led on to the outbreak by one or more
influential Greeks, possibly at the instigation of
emissaries from a Powerful Northern Power, ever
ready to raise questions in the East to give her
a chance of playing out that deep game which has
been over uppermost in the thoughts of her So-
vereigns, even to the hour of their last breath.
On the 29th of May two Greeks, without the
least provocation, attacked an unoffending Moslem
and mortally wounded him, justly incensed at
which the Ottoman population rose en masse, and
proceeding to the palace of the Caimacau Bey
clamorously demanded arms to revenge themselves
upon the Greeks. Badrihan Pasha, however, suc-
ceeded after a while in calming the infuriated
Ottomans, whe can scarcely show themselves be-
yond the protection of the authorities in th© towns,
for the mountain passes are studded with armed
Greeks, who at Nerocuro are said to have mus-
tered so strong as to dictate to the authorities a 10
days' armistice. On the 29th and 30th of May a
regiment of carbineers, another of infantry, with a
body of artillery, bringing mountain ordnance and
ammunition, arrived at Canea in the Kars and
Silietria steamers, from Constantinople, to act
under Ali Pasha against the insurgents, and on the
last-mentioned day 500 Bashi-Bazouks, or irregular
troops, arrived from Salonica in another steamer,
the Umai Tefik, which immediately after landing
them returned for 500 Albanians. The garrison
of Canea already numbered 6,000 regulars and
irregulars, but with the reinforcements on the way
would be brought up to 12,000. A species of
authority has been established by the insurgents
on the mountains, whence emissaries have been
despatched to the plains and rural districts to for-
cibly enlist the peasantry to join the standard of
revolt. A cave or dry well in one of the mountain
passes is said to have been converted into a sub-
terraneous dungeon for the refractory, who, if
caught acting treacherously, are, with any other
Ottomans that may be taken fighting against the
insurgent Greeks, to be branded in the forehead
with the words " Anti-Christo." In the town of
Candia the artillery has been turned and planted
so as to bear upon the town, which has had the
effect of causing some 1,400 out of 1,500 Greeks
and other Christian families, fearing a general mas-
sacre, to flee—some to the mountains and interior,
others have embarked in ships and small craft, with
scarcely means of subsistence and no predetermined
destination. The shops are closed, trade completely
suspended, and universal distress and misery pre-
vail. An Ottoman brig of war is cruising in the
offing, and the Kars, Silistria, Vasilei, Tidjaret,
and Sheri Hair steamers are in the Harbour of
Canea, but only one foreign ship of war is to be
seen, the Solon, French steamer.