Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-12
The Massacres In Syria.
TCorrespondence of the London Times

BEYROUr, Aug. Son Saturday afternoon,
about o'clock, the first caravan Of Christians
who had escaped from the massacres in Damas.
Gus arrived in Beyrout; and a more heart.
rending sight-one which made men weep like
women, filing them at the same time with an
almost irresistible craving for reyense-Tas
probably never beheld. They had left Da-
mascus on Thursday at noon-a column com.
posed chiefly OF women and children, and va
riously estimated at from 2,00g to Acc souls;
tor the Turkish antiquities had provided cattle
Tor the conveyance Of $500 persons, bdt many
travels: on foot or on beasts Of burden of their
own or friends. Parched with thirst not half
fed, unwashed, with clothes unchanged for
nearly month, choked with dust, and covered
with flies, they fed hither, under heavens
glowing like brass, from the city, which, If 1t
be the most ancient, will heneefosth be the
most infamous Ia the world. They were wid.
ows and orphans, whose husbands, fathers and
brethren had all been slain before their eyes,
with every indignity and cruelty the most haf-
barous fanaticism could devise, and whose most
eomely msidens had been sold to crafty the
brutal lust Of filthy Arabs. Nearly all were
afflicted with ophthalmia; FIVE women had died
on the journey, and one was taken in labor.
Babes might be seen striving to suck food from
breasts that were dried up. Young children
were 40 dirty, so disfgured by sores, on which
tues settled continually, as to be loathsome to
doorways and sank down exhausted, needless
OF the crowd that pressed upon them, looking
like 50 many bundles of dirty rags; and inca.
paeie ct reaching ont their hands to take the
water tor which they famished, or of crawling
to the shelter provided for them by the author,
lties at Beyrout in three khans .....
The streets leading from the Damascus road
were thronged with mules, shambling horses,
and asses, all huddled together, and rendering
the condition of the fugitives ali the more pain,
ful. The muleteers rained down blows right
and left upon the cattle, and from the state
nents made of their brutality on the Journey,
1t required no great effort to believe that they
would have beaten the "infdel dogs" commit
ted to their keeping even more Justify, while
IL was difficult to say how far the curses and
execrations which filled the air was confined to
the anima mals-how far they were intended to
apply to those Of whom Moslem vengeance had
been defrauded. In the lulls between the
cursings arose the piteous cries of babes, and
here and there the wailings Of women-Chris-
han Rachels weeping for their children, and
refusing to be comforted because they are
not But, generally speaking, the grief was
too deep-seated, too hopeless for lamentation.
Those who had wept the loss of their nearest
and dearest relatives, had 10 tears left for their
own sufferings, and although they had fed
from the city Of death, they exhibited an apa-
thy and Indifference which appeared to indi-
cate that all which rendered fife valuable had
been snatched from them, leaving them to pur-
sue their melancholy and dreary pilgrimage
ever accompanied by the memory Of the horri-
bic scenes they had witnessed. The living
msy be pardoned in this case for envying the
peace and oblivion of the tomb, bloody as may
have been the path to it.
Beneath the scorching sun of Syria, after
twelve hours journey during the hottest part
OF the day, and amid the bustling confusion of
the streets, the fugitives sremained-many with
child at the breast, and two others strapped
in front upon the msle-until they could be
got one by one into the khan Now and then
might be seen groups of young children sus-
pended in what looked very much like orange
chests slung across horse. These were all
that remained of family. They have no pro-
tection-no refuge save in public charity. At
last ee fugitives were got into the khan, which
may be described as a square courtyard, sur
rounded on all sides by a two-storied struc-
ture, portion of the upper floor being carried
on arcades running round the courtyard By
this means single line of chambers is obtained
on the ground floor, and double line on the
upper one. Between the two lines of chambers
IN this last runs passage, into which the doors
and windows open. The chambers are about
eight feet square and ten feet high, with a
number of inmates generally averaging ten.
The few things saved from pilIage-a carpet,
Cofclltl, ISdtncE water r-DOttle, and
Chile, with, perhaps, a few articles of clothing,
are spread out, and for the first time for weeks
the fugitives sleep in complete security and
with sense Of safety. But their destitution
is complete. Nothing but bread have they
tlsted since they fed for safety to the castle of
Damascus, now month ago, and even bread
they did not always get sufficient to appease
their hunger.
The fugitives are lodged in the three khans
situated in the most crowded parts of Beyrout,
which have visited, and in a Greek convent.
One Of the khans, about sixty feet square. is
beside the hotel where am staying. The
windows of my room overlook it, and I have
only to lift my eyes from this letter to behold
the misery, destitution, and physical sufferings
of upwards of four hundred human beings.
Through the open windows come the cries of
children blinded by ophthalmia, teased by
flies, mosquitoes and verrnin, and almost mad.
dened by sunstroke. There come also, occa-
sioually, when food is served out, the angry
and menscing expostulations of Turkish Of
hcials. trsst tho noise has no other cause or
accompaniment.
n