New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-08-18
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Damascus, July 10, $50 A. MA few minutes
after i closed my letter Of yesterday an npr0ar
commenced in the street opposite my house. the
Moslems-men, women and boys-beaan To ASSEM-
bic, crying out that all should 20 to The Christian
quarter to plunder burn, aud massacre and threat
ening not TO leave a house OF Christian. ! went
to the street and spoke to OF them. hoping it
would come to nothing. 1t grew rapidly worse.
Every one was calling to others not TO come with
out arms, and the women were violently exciting
the men. There was some fear expressed OF the
soldiers but most declared that the soldiers would
not interfere with them. ] now found it prudent
to take the advice OF some of my n,.ighh0re and
keep inside my house. The street passed my house
Is about the shortest road from the shugloor aud
the MeedaD, the two worst districts in the CITY.
Soon after went into my house the rufhaHs began
to return FROM the Christian quarter with burdens
Of plumber, while the number running toward it
were increasing, and threats, imprecaLfoHs, and
yells were numerous and loud.
Every sort and SIZE OF thing was carried past my
housewares and goats, gold and old iron nQtls,
Sins and cotton, chests large and small, tables,
chairs, books and every inaglnab Bile article. There
was q regular stream vi these piunderers past my
door TIL alter sunset-nearly hye hours. After
wards they came fewer, but they never ceased all
nignt, anu WIN sae dawn they again increased.
they set them en fire. During the night, though
there was clear moonlight, the flames And sntnIe
presented sight as grand il was awful Bur.
ing the first half of the night the flames presented
an unbroken arc of a circle, as viewed from nav
roof, of more than 10 deg, extending from little
north of Bah Shurky to the extreme north point IF
the Christian quarter. Towards morning the arc
became shorter, partly because it had been stead
lily approaching me, and the Christian quarter az
it comes this way grows narrower, and perhaps,
because the line of tire was not sweeping all the
houses on the north border of the quarter.
Towards morning the flames also became lower,
less violent, most parts OF the line, and fewer
houses were in flames at once. Still the fire 10
raging feartully. There has been an Increasing
tumult Of OF the fire, of breaking open
houses, ETC., all mingled up together. nave no
means OF guessing the amount Of murder com
mtted. Last night comparatively few appear To
have been killed, bur there is said have been
more hatchery this morning. cannot GO out Of
my door without being in the midst Of these heIlish
rnfians thirsting and crying for blood and plumber.
II of the native Christians in my house were to
go out believe he could not reach the corner of
the street alive. So my means of information
beyond swhat l see and hear Of the flames, and
tumult and plumber, are very limited. We over
near a good deal Of their talk in the street, and
some OF the talk OF our Mosiem neighboFs on the
roofs.
/ believe it would not have needed great effort
on the part of the Government to prevent this but
not the slightest effort has yet been made. There
were soldiers in the Christian quarter and neigh.
borhood, others were sent in the evening with four
guns, and more this morning, but they have not at
all interfefed with the rutfaHs. Yet Inaiosify of
these miscreants are actually women, boys and
girls Iweuld affirm that there are not in all more
than a few hundred men--say 50O-m0sty The
lowest OF the low, and mserably armed. Notone
in twenty has gun. very large number have
only sticks, the rest swords, pistols daggers or
axes. Opposite my door is a stopping place for
then and we can oyerhear their talk, and can
affirm that from the first and all through, they have
had the greatest dread OF the interference of the
soldiers and constantly ask one another when thew
meet whether the soldiers in such and such ii-
reetion stopping the murderers or opposing
Them and this although seventeen hours, the Fsoi.
diers have been perfectly passive. / believe
firmly that lU0, or at the most 200 soldiers or
armed. reSQlQte soldiers. could mt
down the instruction at the worst moment OF
course, it would have been easier to do so within
the first hour or two.
This meager account does not give anything ike
an adequate conception Of this most horrible and
disgraceful affair. That, words could hardly do
Horses, d0nkeys and mules are employed to carry
plumber, and some of the soldiers help themselves
TO q share. There were several thousands of poor
| widows, orphans and other plundered aud ruined
| refugees here, depending on the charity of the
Christians for food, shelter and clothes. They are
now burnt ont again, amid the horrors OF last night
/ and those who We're providing bread for them are
| now as helpless and miserable themselves.
| NooN.-The plundering still continues. but the
| number engaged in it st ems greatly reduced nee
morning, end most of the articles now are of little
value. No effort has yet been made TO stop this
reign Of terror and destruction, easy it wouln
| seem to be; and Christian, at least a man. would
| probably be in greater danger among the rufans
now than at any former period. The houses are
still burning though apparently not nearly so much
as through the night.
We have made deep hole over the street from
which we and hear without being seen ;
for If seen should probably very soon he dis
posed of. The fntlahs from the Meedan aid the
Arabs. gipsies, etc, among Them know nothing Of
me- and rush past, thinking only OF the Christian
quarter. Ii my neighbors do not betray me, l may
to be trusted We not in human hands, hut Ia
the hands OF One infinitely wise and good as well
as infinitely powerful, and without his permission
nothing will beta US.