The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-08-21
SMYRNA. MAY Is.

gained by the OreekS IN IhessaIy.
SMYRNA, MAY Is.
Extract cfa pirate letter from, yo,s,g Greek.
"My dear brother--Prepare yourself on
reading this letter to summon to your aid the
strength of yonr character; the blow which
has struck us is so terrible, that all my reason
is required not to succumb under it. This O.
penins alarms you.-Estmate at once the ex-
tent of our misfortunes-we have to weep for
our country, the beautiful Scio, in the power
of our barbarous enemies-we have to deplore
the loss OF our numerous family.
''Of all our relations, my youngest sister
alone escaped-by miracle, owing to the
protection Of generous Frenchman, she has
been restored to my embraces. How can |
speak to you Of our father? Alas this vcner-
able old man now iinplores the Supreme Being
for his country, and for the unfortunate chill
dren who have survived him. The following
are the details of his dreadful assassination -
You know that he and our two brothers, The
odore and Constantine, and your lather-in-law,
were amongst the hostages shut up in the cas-
tie on the 9th inst. they went out with the
archbishop, and it appears that, notwithstand-
ing the promise of the barbarians, they had
been all the time confined in dungeons they
were placed in two lines, and were either
hung or put to death with prolonged torrents.
: Our father and his companions witnessed
with tranquility the preparations for their ex-
ecution, and these martyrs to their fidelity did
not lose their presence of mind for single in
slant. Our sister Henrietta is a slave, and
have not yet succeeded in discovering to what
country of Asia the infamous ravshers have
carried her. Nor have ! yet been able to OBJ
tain the Toast information respecting the fate
OF our dear mother and three other sisters the
destiny of your wife and her family has also
escaped my search. In short, our misforsunes
are so great that can scarcely credit them.
"On the 18th inst. lqutted Scio--saved by
miracle from the dangers Of the most SAN
Culinary catastrophe, of which any one can
form an idea. But dol not feel that Joy which
one might experience on being delivered from
the dreadful perils to which lave been ex-
posed. Hatred and Indignation against our
executoners are the only sentiments which
can henceforth dwell in my heart. Thanks
to the European costume, which ! have adept
ed, the captain of an English vessel agreed to
take me on board but my dreadful situation
interested neither Turks nor Englishmen.-
The captain Of the vessel would not allow me
to embark till had reckoned out to him 800
piastres; and it was not till after he had ex-
amlned them one by one, that received from
him permission to set my foot on board the
vessel, whatever was my danger in remaining
longer on board the cfaloupc have left the
island in ashes. The Turks, after pillaging all
the houses, set them on fire, and joining sword
to fire, to demolsh them more readily, they de-
molished them TO the last stone, in the hope of
finding concealed treasure.
. Throughout the opulent Scio only fftcen
houses are standing, containing our mothers,
our sisters, and our daughters, reduced to the
most dreadful slavery. There the monsters
proane every thing TO crafty their rage and
their passions; and often the virgins whom
they have sullied by their embraces. receive
from themselves the death which they wish
for All the chateaus which rendered our ISL
and the most agreeable in the Mediterranean,
our academy, the library, the superb ediices
OF Saint Anngiroso, Sami Victor, the Apostles,
10 Churches, and upwards of 40 Villages,
have been consumed by the flames.
s The ferocious incendiaries then secured
the mountains and the forests, and they are
now at the Oath village of Mastick. These
tigers, thousand times more cruel than those
Of the forest, have vented their hatred upon
the dead, which they bear to the living. They
opened the tombs, and threw into the streets
the bones of our fathers, and the corpses of
their own victims were dragged by the feet
through the brooks.
Every day, women of the first families in
the island are exposed TO sale in the publiclt
markets; articles of great value, such as tae
sacred vases of the Greek and Catholick
churches, and the habiments of the Priests.
are by these wretches sold at vile price,
Through the Intervention of the Charge DAT
flares of the French Consulate, | have sue
ceeded purchasing thirty-Gve women, whose
names send You, and who are now in safety
at the Consulate.
Since my arrival here, the same scenes
have been renewed every day; there are
sales Of diamonds, rich pclisses, jewelry,
chaices, fine stuffs, in short, all kinds OF yalu.
able articles which are in the streets, and are
given away for nothing. How should it be
otherwise, when ALI the inhabitants of Asia.
rom children of 10 to old men OF 80, embark
every day Tor Scio, from whence they return
aden with our spoils' We can only return