The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-13
Tke Cresan R.x.,.

lt'-Ine latest information indicato.
ment 1nthe heroic determination Of a. 60
tans 20 throw Oft the Turkish yoke. ,o,.o.
Il from the, New York Tribune's corresnondaN. t'e.
at Canea gRes the following account sf a,Ia;rs
in the island to Jan. g.: ''-'
Even those who knew the obstinacv of tho
| Cretan character, and remembered all the res
olute struggles for liberty through which for
| tune has Knocked them, had not expected so
| enduring and uncompromising resistance as
the islanders have made. Since the 18th of
August a series of expeditions as formidable
as the Ottoman Empire could put aioat or
ashore, have hammered away, one alter the
other, at the different stroDgholdS-6OO 900
troops against a population, all told, of 25O,-
ooO; disciplined and wellequipped troops,
MItn neet to bring supplies and blockade
I've lsiand, hospitals and walled cities to re-
sn., sue ~, against people who have nothing OF
n on s,iose things which make equipment, no Ie-
soulIes 10 IaiI back upon after their present
onppos ,ai aie exhausted, bad arms and no Or
ganlzation, mastering al no Time more tbon
4,OVo or 0,OOO men, aud rarely more than 400.
charged with their wives and cb;ldron onI
seeing these die slowly under the cold and
hunger OF this terrible position. M bo,,o IN
diplomacy, little in humanity, but much in
liberty, and always keeping that faith which.
in the Greek mind, becomes superstition. II i,
true, but still faith, and looks to the God
OF Christianity as well as they can compre-
hend him; in BRIEF 10000 men, with every
modern advantage of warlike resource, against
barely $4,000 men capable OF carrying arms,
and often destitute even of these, beginning
the avdr aoath fre charges each for tie force
of0,OOO men IN the field and so penned into an
island that the above sentence would make =
better blockade for them than that which ex-
lists; how there could be a resistance of even
one month must ever be inc0mprehensible,
and yet to-day the troops are diminished by
half without having gained point they can
keep If they should meet a reverse with their
main force tomorrow. 1t is as if in the be-
ginning OF your war million and half of
disciplined men with English muskets and
rifed artillery had been launched against the
South, and accomplished nothing. / mean in
military sense, because it is not to be forgot
ten that Slavery was behind the insuIrecton
in one case, and Liberty in the other and that
is what accounts for the milk in the cocoanut.
Alter the affair OF Arkadi, the turkish ar
my temporarily crippled and unable to under
take any new movements, fell back on Reti-
mo to recruit, and after fortnight's DELAY
was reorganized ioT new expedition against |
Sellnos, the most obstinate and rebellious of
all the districts, as its people are the most
war-like. The army lett here with about
1900 regulars and 5000 or 5000 bashi-ba-
zouks. AT Allklama, a town at the foot of the
north slope OF the White Mountains, 10 or II
miles from here, they met the first resistance,
skirmish with an advance guard of Greeks.
and from there to the first stronghold, Lakus,
they were nearly week making their way,
though it is but three hours walk The Gre
tians held the defiies leading to Omalo.
great plateau in the White Mountains, where
were their depots. At Karis, a little village
near Lakus, the Turks were badly repulsed,
but little division being ordered up from the
central districts to flank their positions, the
insurgents tell back on the defiles themselves,
and finding the passage to Omalo impractica-
bic, the Pasha moved aleng by the right to
gain the passages to Selinos, which are ex
cessively difficult if well defended. The Gre
tans had about 5000 men on the ground, with
reserves OF nearly as much more, who might
come or go as their families demanded
These would have been sufficient to hold the
passes against $4,000 men, but they had three
heads, the three Greek volunteer officers COM
manding the divisions of Hellenes, and direct
| ing all the military operations, having united
| to ofer the strongest possible resistance. But
with dissensions and jealouses no plan was
| possible, and Mustapha, moving suddenly at
ter three days of rains which delllged every-
| thing and killed his own me1 by hundreds,
| took the pass of Phorauka by sur
four or five hours and considerable
loss, pushed column through, and effected
| the passage oil his whole army without furthS
| opposition, the Christians retiring to the
| mountains of SphaSia, the southern portion
| OF the White mountains, and leaving Seiinos
to the discretion OF the troops. That this dis
| cretlon was devastation and utter ruin. we
| needeu no assurance, but the destruction there
Is said to have surpassed that in any other
| province. The Pasha once in Selinos, the
| christians closed in on the roads by which he
had entered, and cut off all land communica-
tion with the rest of the island, so that he is
obliged to send for ships to get back to Canea
or eject Junction with the rest OF his forces
east OF Sphakia. The Spnakian mountains
occupy the Southern half of the western por-
| tion OF the isani, coming down to the African
sea with plunge so bold that DO passage is
afforded along the seaside, and the passes
| through the mountains are SO difficult that
| no force could pass in the face of re-
sistance iE the least formidable. The Pasha
| spent great deal of money among the Spa
kiot chiefs, and hoped at this critical moment
that they woul make their submission and
permit him to outrage the Hellenes
| who were IN their valleys. But they
all declared against submission, or even neu-
trality, and fired on the boats he sent round
to receive their adhesion. The whole Spha-
klot population took up arms and the Pasha
was obliged to abandon any idea of opera
tions based on their neutrality. He therefore
attempted to embark his troops to get them
round to the ApokOrOna where there were six
or eight battaiions tthe battalion full is 1000,
and organize general attack on Sphakia from
the east. But at this moment sprung up a
gale from the westward which has continued
until yesterday with excessive violence, and
even now is blowing too hald to permit en-
barkat. on OF troops on a coast without harbors
50 there he stay communication by land with
his capital and base OF supplies impossible; by
sea difficult, for boat can scarcely land on
that coast with westwardy or southerly
wind, meanwhile trying the passes in the
mountains, but always repulsed. To get into
Selinos from Phorouka was down hill-it