New-York tribune., 1867-01-04
CANEA.


THE TRAGEDY OF ARKADI-sTUATToN OF THE PLACE
DESPERATE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF TIE CHRIST
nNs-TERRIBIE SLAUGHTER.
From Special Correspondent .......
CANEA, Dee. 3, 1866.
News of the tragedy of Arkadi win have, long ere
this reaches you startled the world into recolections
of Mssolonghi and $780, and may perhaps have
worked something like conviction in the minds OF
European statesmen that the Cretans are in terrible
earnest but to u.s. almost within sound OF the expo-
sion which consummated the affair." and conscious of
the barbarities and despair which give such awful
significance to the Cretan cry of Liberty or Death it
has come with shock like an earthquake
For week after the fight we heard confused and
contradictory rumOrs Of it, of mines and desperate
fighting, we saw the steamer come to bring TO the
Canea hospitals the wounded who no longer found
place at Retims but we could get reliable news
to the nature and result of the conflict. Finally we
got sufficient details to know in its full meaning II
not its full amount of woe, the saddest most teous
episode of this struggle.
Arkadi is a monastery which dates its founda-
tion 500 years ago. the present building having
been built by the Nenetians nearly thre centuries
since and strong that IL was lmpIegnaDle during
the previous wars of Venetian and Turk, ana lufk
aud Christian even through the Greek war OF lnde,
pendence. 1t is situated IN the midst OF beautiful
plain at the foot of the slopes of Mt lda to the VII
lagos in which, some half dozen in number, 1t tIr-
nshed protection in danger and assistance in want.
the extent OF its charities and benetcence.
IL was at times the headquarters OF tile Cretan
Committee and of the volunteers under Coronc0s ana
in accordance with the policy of the day It's destruc-
tiOn was determined on and that of COrOncOs and his
little army, it was hoped, at the same time. Musa,
pha Pasha set out from Retimo, only q lew hours
march from ATkadi, the 18th OF November, ana ar
irving at night entered the monastery unperceived.
There in il only the priests aud the families o1
tine villages IN number 30 souls, OF WhOm 513
were women and children. Some attempted TO es-
cape, but Ending retreat cut Off returned 70 the con
veut. preicuing 10 share the result OF the ght TO
being taken prisoners. The forces Oi the Pasha Meae
about 1900 men, to meet whose attacks the Chris
tians had less than 300 priests and fathers OF the
families mostly. They declined 10 surrender, and
finding that any attempt at escade or surprise was
useless the Pasha sent To RetmO for artillery. which
sent hnn the next day he sent for reenf0rce-
meuts and more glns, 50 that &C the last he ad -
guns and two mortaIs, minus three guns DHsi, ana
1900 men.
The convent having been cut off from eommunlca-
tion with the mountains, news could he sent 10
CorOncos who was absent an expedition, and
there was no hope Of relief from such overwhelming
numbers If he had come. Three days the 200 heroes
fought the battle ol despair tlrlng from WINDOW Alu
loop-hole 80 encrgtcaly and obstlnately that lie
Turks speak of it as like an European battle the like
of which never seen IN C6te. Ihe third day
breach was effected at the great portal ana an
assault made, the ArInaouts and Crctan MussulmaIs
i'm advance. The gate opens with large court,
around which are arranged the cells and rooms OF
the mOnasic establishment, and 10 these the Chris
tians Withdrew when the troops had effected au en-
trance, and kept up the fire from the d9ois and WIN
dOws the enemy. who WAS pushed In IN increasing
masses. AT this time, some participants say that "a
small mine or magazine exploded, killing abont 100
of the troops, who rec0led and left the place III n
panic, but ordered IN again, and the hight IN the
court WAS kept up hours they say from the time
court cH1 was covered with the Turkish dead
and wounded, but the Christians too wusted
away, and finally seeing all 10 be lost, ana
longer resistance impossible. Of the combatants
embraced in farewell, and stabbed each other; the
Heguminos, Gabriel fighting To the last moment,
blew out his own brains when he found that the
tstLg. pn V.fYg nffrNff
20 the great town of the UegunlnOs, where were
most of the women and children, and under which
was the powder magazine, determined to perish to-
grther rather than submit To the blualtlch ard out
RACES Of the Turks, aud fired the magazine, all beng
destroyed with all the troops IN the vicinity. In
distant room were - sick aud wounded men and 6I
women and children who escaped the explosion. One
priest ol neighbOrng convent, who had surrendered
10 the Pasha and received protection from hlln, was
murdered by the Egyptians, mcarate ncnts, who
spare nothing that Is Christian.
The survivors, except six who were shot down IN
cold blood because they had European costumes on,
We're, by mercy without parallel Iu the whole war
made prisoners. and he'd with insults and abuse tO
RctmO, where many of them arrived half dead, the
stronger carrying the children, of whom many were
infants left orphans by ,le dlsaser some only three
After the fighting was all over the Cretan Mussul-
mans with lighted tapers Went amongst the dead to
see If any Christian still breathed. and all WhJ
showed any signs OF life were dispatched without
mercy.
A few Greeks held the stone mill of the Monastery
batter IL down them, destroying everything in t.
The losses OF the troops enormous, the city OF
Retmo is filled with the wounded and the hospitals
have received over 400, of whom most will die the
surgeons say having been injured by the explosion.
Not less than 5000 and some say 400 of the MnsSul
mans have been killed or badly wounded in the affair,
and an unwOnted gloom is the faces of all their
COmpatrots hcre-nO cXultation of victory can be
seen, and they say that Mustapha Pasha ragged IKE
wounded lion when the battle was Over-no one dared
approach him. His brothcr-iu-law Sulcyman, his
flyoritc was mortally wounded and many officers
killed wounded. Thrty-six hours the army was
engaged IN bringing in the wounded and II is said
that the ground around the Convent is stIcwn with
the Turkish dead.
The Cntans take grim satisfaction in the result.
The garrison of Arkadi only suffered what most OF
them are willing tO suffer when il comes 10 the
worst. Tie religious hostility is such that any other
solution than this becomes improbable, and the
Christianity Of Europe is SO like its NiohammedaniSm
that there seems little chance of their falling out
few miserable Cretans who could moi hde the time
of England and France 10 have their thTee-centmy
wrongs rghted.
CAN4DI