New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-29


M hat h Looked With longing eye 1t Ne wine,
Francois offered him . slasa He had previously
declined, Ike good Aussulmaa, but this time he
aid, III you will rot report it Il Khania," and
MaIswed The beverage with great satisisction.
The most genial and frAtemA spirit pervsaed the
party. and there Wa every evidence of the trath Of
What I lad heard-thst tie Christian. and TURKS
Of Crete, in the virasea hve together in the most
amieable manner. 1t s not always easy to distin-
eu.h them, outwardly Many Of the Turks have
Christian names, and even have their children b.p-
txea BY the Christian priests There is none Of
that bitterness Of feeling between them which ex-
ists in other psrts Of the Ottoman Empire In the
course of the evening, the priest ssked me: did
your BrilAncies come to Crete in your own steam
or, or did you hire one of the Austrians I" Tho
Governor gave us his own bed and retired to lodge
IN friends house.
He was very anxious that should take his por-
trait and could do no less than comply, in the
morning. The Likeness was admitted by all the vii
layers to be very good, but he was greatly dissp-
pointed because did not represent bis light blue
undercoat which was covered BY another Of .
near me, and very kindly suggested what colors
should use. Some drawings of sesports which he
bad made were pasted on the walls and, thinking
that he might have some little talent that way, l
explained to him that his houses should be made
with upright lines, or they would appear to be
tumbling down; but no, he knew better the houses
were right. He knew al about drawing, and no
body could teach him anything.
We walked up to the cave in the rain, accom-
panied by three or four of the villagers Noswith-
standing the entrance is in full view from the valley
they lost their way in climbing the mountain. The
srotto of Meidoni is said to be almost equal in
extent and beauty, to that Of Antparos. 1t wss
dedicated of old to the Tallean Hermes, in an in
scripton which is said stu 10 exist, near the en-
trance, although looked in vain for it. In modern
times, it has obtained melancholy notoriety from
the fate Of the inhabitants Of Melidoni, who took
refuge 10 1t during the rebellion against the Turks
In 1892, when Hussein Bey marched upon the vii
laQe, the inhabitants, to the number Of three hun
dred, took refuge in the cave taking with them
their vauables, and provisions sufficient for six
months. The entrance is % narrow aud steep that
they were perfectly secured against an attack, and
the Turks, in their first attempt lost twenty I'VE
men. Finding that they refused submission on
any terms, Hussein Bey ordered quantity Of csu-
bustibles to be brought to the entrance and set %
fire. The smoke, rolling into the cavern in i'm
mense volumes, drove the miserable fugitives into
the remeter chambers, where they fingered little
while longer but were al eventually suffooated
The Turks waited some days, but still did not dare
TO enter, and Greek captive was finally sent down.
on the promise Of bis life being spared. The Turks
then descended and plundered the bodies. week
aferward, three natives Of the village stole into the
cavern to see what had become Of their friends and
relatives It is said that they were 90 overcome BY
the terrible spectacle, that two of them died within
few days. Years afterward, when the last vest
iges Of the insurection had been suppressed, the
Archbishop of Crete blessed the cavern, making it
eonsecrated ground, and the bones of the victims
were gathered together and partially covered up,
in the outer chamber.
After crawling under the low arch Of the en-
trance, We found ourselves at the top Of avery
steep and slippery plane, about fifty yards in depth
The descent was matter requiring precaution e.
pecially az the vaulted roof kept its level nd our
wax tpers were more and more feeble in the yawn-
ing gloom. At last, we reached level floor, and
found ourselves in vast eliptical hail. about eighty
feet in hight and propped in the center BY an enor-
nous stalacttic pillar. On all sides, the salactes
hung like futed curtains from the very roof, here
in broad .heeted masses, there dropping into single
sharp folds, but all on a scale of Titanic grandeur
As our eyes became accustomed to the gloom, the
roof expanded into lofier arches, and through the
Gothic portals opening on our left cleaned spec
trally the pillars of deeper halls. Rounded bases
of staasmite arose on all sides, some almost within
reach of the giant iccles which grew downward to
meet them, while few others had already touched,
and resembled water-spout, the column of which
is about to part in the middle Under these grand
and silent arches, under the black banners of eter
nal Night, lay beaped the Wondering skulls and
bones of the poor Christians. They could not have
had more appropriate sepulchre.
Following our guides, we entered a smaller haE
superbly hung with drapeV of cleaning aiabaster,
and then, crawling along low passage and down
an almost perpendicular descent OF about fifteen
feet found ourselves In the great hall Of the cavern,
which is $50 feet long and about 100 feet high The
rock is almost entirely hidden under the immense
masses of stalsctite, which here take the widest
and most startling forms. Indeed, as 'pecl nen
of staactitic formation, the cavern surpssses any
thing which have ever seen. The floor Of the lass
hall is composed of large masses Of rock which have
fallen from above and descends rapidly to the
further end where there are three small chambers
Here the last of the victims perished reached even
there by the sitting fumes Of sulphur and resin kn