The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-01 00:00:00

DUTCH MAIL.

ALEXANDRIA, APRIL 6.—On the 21st of last month a
dreadful affair took place at Darnietta, which has no
parallel, except in the times of the most cruel persecu •
tions of the Christians. I add a detailed account which
will certainly be read in Europe with horror and indig-
nation. This melancholy event has excited indignation
among the Europeans bring in Egypt, and anxiety and
terror among the Levantines and Christians. It is a
fresh proof of the progress of civilisation in this country.
Let it not be imagined that the inhabitants of Damietta
alone are animated by this fanatic hatred of the Chris-
tians ; the entire population of the country participates
in this feeling, and is kept in check only by the fear of
punishment. The European Governments, which have
made so many sacrifices for the abolition of slavery,
which have concluded so many treaties among them-
selves, should think of the Christians living in the East,
in the Turkish dominions, and secure them from the
oppression and despotism of the Mussuimen. How easy
would it be if they acted in common to take all Chris-
tians, including the Rajas, under their protection. The
Rajas should pay the ordinary taxes, but not be subject
to the most cruel treatment by the barbarous and fanatic
Turks because they are Christians.
andli e declared
would that
severely
punishexpected
the
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from
authhoi
The English Consul-General, and French and Aus-
trian vice-c.msuls, had made representations to the vice-
roy,
authorities
justiceti
eso
.
that
Damietta. His Highness, on the first intelligence of the
shocking affair, which be received from the French
consul, sent Achmet Pasha to Damietta to investigate
the affair, but without waiting for his report, sentenced
Ali Bey, the governor of that town to five years' im-
prisonment in the Castle of Abouker, and to a fine of
5,000 piastres (500 florins), to be paid immediately, for
the benefit of the victims, and for the confiscation of his
property, from which an immunity for them is to be
taken : the guilty shieks and ulemas are banished to
Tantah, which is in fact no punishment at all. It is ex-
pected that Mehemet Ali will set out from Crako this
we,k for Lower Egypt, and then come to this city.
DAMIETTA, MARCH 21.—1 take up my pen under the
painful impression made by the melancholy scenes
which have passed before my eyes, because I consider it
my duty as a Christian to paint to you in a few words
the disgraceful scenes I have witnessed.
The Mussulman population of Damietta is the most
fanatical and intolerant in all Egypt. Four or five
times as numerous as all the Christians of different
nations together, they see with the bitterest ill-will the
flags of Europe flying on their walls, and commerce, pro-
sperity, and wealth concentrated in the houses of the
men who are appointed by Christian sovereigns to be
their representatives in this town. The wretches do not
inc:eed venture directly to attack the persons or the
property of our agents, because they are under the pro-
tection of our flags, but they wreak their vengeance on
the innocent defenceless Rajas for all the evil that they
would willingly but dare not do to us, and favoured by
the innate hatred of the highest authority in the coun-
try to everything that bears the name of Christian, they
lose no opportunity to make them feel the power of' the
majority. Since I have resided in this city I have fre-
quently witnessed the ill-will of the Governor of
Damietta towards all who do not profess the religion of
Mehemet. In August last year, a schismatic Greek,
named Zucharia, under the protection of Eng-
land, died. He was a man highly respected
as well for his character as his extensive
commercial connexion. On account of the great
distance of the burying-ground, and the oppressive
heat, the relations of the deceased thought it their duty
to have the funeral procession accompanied by eight
water-carriers. As soon as the Governor was in-
formed of this, he sent for these men, reproached them in
language the most insulting towards the Christians, for
having carried water at the funeral of an infidel, and
concluded by ordering them to be bastinadoed (100 blows
to each, and to their leader 200). As the Divan is in
the centre of the Christian market, all those horrors
were perpetrated under the windows of the Consular
agents, as it were in defiance of the flag of England.
Very lately, two miserable men of baecbaracter, an
American and a captain, renounced their faith; these op-
portunities are eagerly laid hold of by the inhabitants of
the town and the Turkish authorities, to give vent to
their hatred of the Christians. The latter completed his
apostacy hardly a fortnight ago. He was of Manjurah,
and in order to excite attention had endeavoured to in-
gratiate himself with his new associates, and for
other reasons to gain the favour of the Minister of War,
who was then at Manjurah, where he still is. But as
Achmet Pacha did not show any inclination to favour
his views, he came to Damietta, surrounded by an ap-
plauding
multitude ; he has solemnly abjured his faith,
and the mob paraded the whole day about the Christian
quarters. It is hardly necessary to observe that such
scenes never pass without a smaller or larger number of
Christians being insulted and beaten ; even our Con-
sular agents, with their families, are obliged, on each
occasion, to remain quietly at home, if they would not ex-
pose themselves to insult. I could mention many similar
facts, but I hasten to relate the unhappy affair which is
the immediate object of my writing.
For some time past the hatred of the Governor to the
Consular agents manifested itself by continually increas-
ing exertions. Every day he brought forward new
and groundless dernanis and pretensions with re-
gard to the preteges, and even subjects of the
several consulates. I believe that several reports have
been made on the subject. Our agents opposed in some
measure by the Vis inertia, but this only increased the
anger of the Bey, and the ill will of the people and of the
Sheiks increased in the same manner. Now came the
anniversary of the Prophet's birth -day; this day in their
eyes required a victim, and according to custom they
sought for one, not among those whom they most hated,
but among those who like the ass in the fable have no
protection except their innocence and helplessness. A
poor Captain, above 60 years old, with a white beard,
worked in an establishment for peeling rice; he got into
a quarrel with an ass driver employed in the same es-
tablishment. After a short altercation the latter went to
the Governor and accused the other of having ridiculed
religion and the Prophet. Without further ceremony
he was immediately seized by Rawasser and brought be-
fore the Mehkeinch. This so called court of justice,
the President of which is Ali Cofasia, the
Great Shiek of Damietta, heard the evidence
of the ass-driver, and of another fellow who had joined
him, and caused the unfortunate Captain to receive in the
first instance 500 blows with date staves, which were
bought with his own money—so it is said the law re-
quires. The poor fellow, so mangled, and loaded with
chains, was conveyed to the dungeon. Yesterday, the
birth- day of the Prophet, all the shieks repaired soon
after sun-rise to the governor in the divan. The dis-
cussions were then carried on with closed doors, and a
re port was spread that the question was put whether the
prisoner should not be burnt alive. But fear of exciting
too much the anger of the Viceroy deterred the as-
sembly from carrying this proposal into effect ; they,
therefore, resolved that the poor prisoner should receive
another thousand blows with the staves, should be
gagged, and with two dogs bound fast at the sides, be
placed on a buffalo, with his face to the tail, and so be car-
ried through the whole town. A frightful scene ensued.
After he received 1,000 blows on his back and soles of
his feet he was placed as above stated on the animal's
back. But this was not enough; they tied a wooden
cross to his back, and on his breast a tablet, on which
was inscribed the sentence, surrounded with threats
against the Christians. After covering his face and his
whole body with the most disgusting filth, the vile pro-
cession, consisting of several thousands of the refuse of
the population, proceeded directly across the quarter of
the Christians, then by the Bazaars through the chief
streets of the town, amidst the incessant savage cries of
the mob. I will not attempt to describe the torments
of the unhappy sufferer during the six hours that he
was so carried about the town. I have not the courage
to do so. I only observe that the furious multitude only
vied in .treating him in the most cruel and contemptuous
manner. Though a shawl was bound round his neck,
the two ends of which were held by man, one on each
side of the buffalo, he fell off four or five times
like a dead body. At the harbour, about a hundred
steps from the divan of the Governor, a man
who was employed in caulking a boat dipped his
brush into the boiling pitch, with which he daubed his
back, the mob loudly applauding. The houses of the
consular agents were attacked with showers of stones as
the procession passed by • the windows of the Sardinian
and American vice-consuls were broken ; the shop of
Mr. Panajotti, an lonian under English protection, suf-
fered great injury ; and, in the course of the day, above
twenty persons were more or less ill treated. But enough,
and more than enough of the melancholy picture, to show
to what a pitch the shameless fury of these wretches is
raised, and how, by the connivaNce of the authorities, it
has reached the highest paroxysm.—Augsburg Gazette,
April 24.
THE HAGUE, APRIL 27.—1 n the sitting of the Second
Chamber of the States-General yesterday, the project of
law relative to the collection of the direct taxes was
agreed to, after some discussion, by a majority of 41
to 12.
THE HAGUE, APRIL 28.—The Second Chamber of the
States-General, in its sitting to-day, agreed to the project
of law respecting the Mint, by a majority of 36 to 18.
Tice debates on the law on expropriation for the public
benefit was fixed for Wednesday next.
It is said that their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
Duchess will make a journey, during the summer, to Hol-
land, Prussia, and Austrit'.
AMSTERDAM, APRIL 27.—We regret to learn that a
slight indisposition of her Majesty the Queen has caused
the intended visit of the Court to be deferred for a fort-
night. We are happy, however, to add, that her Ma-
jesty's indisposition is not so serious as to prevent his
Majesty from coming here for a couple of days.

[ADVERTISEMENTI—A WONDERFUL CASE OF AN
ATTESTED CURE OF DROPSY BY lIOLLOWAY'S PILLS
AND OINTMENT.—Copy of a letter from Mr. Thomas
Taylor, chemist:—" Stockton, April 17, 1845.—Sir,—
Mrs. Clough, the wife of :qr. Juhn Clough, of Acklam,
a respectable farmer, had been suffering from dropsy for
five years, and had the best medical advice without re-
ceiving any benefit. - She had heard of your pills and
ointment, and used them with surprising benefit, that
she has now left off taking them, being so well, but pre-
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Thomas Taylor." Sold at Professor Holloway's Estab-
lishment, 244, Strand (where advice may be had gratis)
and by almost all fespectable vendors of medicine
throughout the civilised world.
It appears from official returns made to the Rail-
way Department of the Board of Trade, on the subject
of the various accidents that occurred on the several
railways of the kingdom, that, during the year 1844, 84
individuals were killed by such accidents. • In addition,
in the same year, there were 102 who were more or less
injured upon the different lines. Returns have also been
I made to the same authorities, showing the number of
accidents during the 61.4 quarter of the presentl year,
ending-the Ekes -ult. -- It thence appears that tbere have
been, during that period, 22 persons ti),leci 6 ?l+away
lia4dento, besides I/ injuries thereby.
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