The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-01-11
THE CRETAN REVOLUTION.


of Gambia, at the mouth of the Egean
sea, the Turks, who have with difficult
ty held its people in subjection during
the past two centuries, know full well.
Gambia, or Crete, is long, narrow and
irregularly shaped island, with great
backbone of rugged limestone noun
tains running through the centre of it,
honey-combed with cavernsand throw
ing off spu that descend, in some pla-
ces, precipitously to the sea, and, in
others, shelter fertile valleysand plains
where the olive and the orange grow
side by side, and corn and cotton -four
ish beneath the shadow of the palm.
! Although but little known at the pres
ent day, its traditions date back to the
Age of Fable. Long before HOMER
sang the siege of Troy, Crete is said to
have contained a hundred fourishing
cities. In the middle of the seven
teentII century its population number
ed million of souls. In 1921 it had
dwindled down to two hundred and
sixty thousand; but in 1850, when the
last census was taken, it amounted to
but little over one hundred and fifty
eight thousand, of whom one hundred
and twenty-six thousand were Greeks
and the remainder Mohammedans.
| The Cretan mountaineers are hardy,
| turbulent race. They liverudely upon
the produce Of their fiocks and herds,
plough their scanty patches Of soil with
oxen yOked after the ancient manner,
and hunt the chamois among the prec-
ipices of Mount Psiloriti. Their wo-
men ply the spindle and the distaff,
and weave in primitive looms the
coarse fabrics of cotton, or of wool,
which are worn by the members Of the
| household.
In the northwestern part of the Is
land, in the mountainous district of
Arkadioti, the CretanS who have risen
in insurrection against the Turks, have
recently immortalized themselves by
an act of heroism worthy of their an
cient lineage, and rivaling the self-de-
vOtion of Leonidas and his little band
of Spartans in thepass of Thermopyle.
On one Of the slopes of the Arkadioti
range, and within sight of Mount Psil-
oriti-the ancient da-snow-crowned
and rising to a height of more than
seven thousand feet above the level of
the sea, stand now the ruins of what
was, but few weeks ago, the Greek
Monastery of Arkadion, a massive
structure built Of limestone quarried
from the adjacent hills, and like the
old Greek monasteries of Syria and
| Asia Minor, at once a fortress and a
place of refuge. When Masstapha Pa
cha, at the head of twelve thousand
men, marched from Retimo across the
great plain at the fOOt'Of the Arkadio-
ii mountains, one hundred and ninety
seven Cretan insurgents, with their
families, consisting Of three hundred
and forty-three women and children,
retreated to the monastery, where they
! determined to defend themselves to
the last extremity. The most trust
worthy account that has yet reached
us states that "the battle lasted two
days and nights" during which the
walls of the monastery were incessant-
ly cannonaded. After more than a
| thousand cannon shots were fired, a
practicable breach was made, and the
Turks, infuriated by the losses they
had already suffered, rushed to the
assault. They succeeded in gaining
the court yard Of the monastery, but
could proceed no further. In this con-
fined place the Cretans held their as
sailants at bay, and, gathering strength
from the religious eXhortations of the
monks, and animated by their exam
pie, they fought for six hours with the
desperation of men who had staked ev-
erything on maintaining their posi-
ton. 1t was of no avail. Many of
their comrades had already fallen !;
many others were grievously wounded !;
when the survivors, finding they were
in danger Of being goverpowered by the
sheer force of numbers, sprang mine
and blew themselves up, together with
their enemies. "Two hundred Turks
"were killed outright, and among
"them great many officers. The
"number of their wounded was enor-
"mous. From official reports more
ethan two thousand wounded had
"been taken to Canea and Souda-the
"hospitals at Retimo not being able to
contain them. Mustapha Pacha re-
''traced his steps to Retimo, bringing
"with him the remainder of his army,
together with sixty women and chill
"dren and few monks. These were
"the only inmates of the monastery
''that escaped the horrors of the eX-
plosion."
1t was a victory gained by the devo-
ted Cretans even in death. The Turk
ish force under Mustapha Pacha has
been pronounced no longer in condi-
tion to resume active hostilities; $50
''the order has been given to another
"division of the army, at Heraclium,
''to march into the province of Missa-
sra, where the insurgents were gather
"ed in great strength"
| d. rnlo r,n+ nf hnrr,irr,, tho Crn-