The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-10-12
Bauditti In Greece.

1t was thoug ht to be service of dan
ger fve.and twenty years ago to coast the
barren shores of the Morea in a sailing
vessel. The Greek pirates were tolerably
certain not to lose the opportunity, when
the ship was becalmed, Of attempting to
land her, and, if they were successful in
the attack, it was no uncommon thing
with them, as soon as the work of plum
der was over to murder all hands on board
and finally to sink the vessel, SO that no
trace might be left of the deed of dark
ness. If in these days, piracy has di-
minished on the coast, br;gandage is still
rampant on the mainland. AT the pres
ent season, when so many Of our country
men are preparing for their autumn trip,
it is but right to give word of warning
to those who may be thinking of q visit to
Greece. ....
While the young King is quietly in
dulging his taste for velocipedes at Corfu,
events are happening in and about his cap
ital which would shame a far less civilized
age than this. If the Greek banditti of the
present day do not massacre their victims,
it is only because a more refined system
of villany has taught them that it is un-
wise to do so.-Should you have the mis-
fortune to be taken, you are too valuable
to be treated otherwise than well, and
provided you are prepared to trough it,"
and to make long marches on foot, you
are tolerably sure of fair entertainment at
the hands Of your captors till the arrival
of your ransom sets you free. 1t is pos
itively unsafe to venture unarmed outside
the town of Athens. If without an es-
cort you venture to make an excursion
even as far as Eleusis, it is at your own
risk that you do so-the British Embassy
will not be responsible for your safety.
The peasants working in the fields are
armed to the teeth, and not vehicle
passes on the road without being prepared
for state of seige. Very recently the
son of coffee-house keeper was carried
off from his fathers door at village in
the neighborhood of Eleusis, and 1000
francs were obtained for his ransom.
This, by the way, is small sum compar-
ed with the $1,000 which is said to have
been obtained for the ransom of one of
our countrymen year or two ago.
Nor is it outside the capital alone that
the banditti ply their trade. A grocer
and two butchers carried off from Athens
have lately been among the number re-
deemed.-The expedients of the brigands
have for while relieved the monotony
of this proverbially dull city. The sages-
femmes have offered them a fair har-
vest. More than one instance has occurred
in which these. worthy people have been
decoyed by disguised brigands calling them
to the assistance of women who did not
require their offices. The consequences
have been disastrous for the sagesfemmes,
for as these women are supposed to have col
lected some money the ransom demanded
for their liberation has been comparative
ly large. A doctor of some eminence in
Athens narrowly escaped captivity only
week or two ago. He was awakened at
night by the visit of some men, in the
dress of ordinary citizens, who entreated
him to accompany them to the house of a
patient whom he was known to be attend
ing. The physician declined to believe
that the lady, whom he had left GONZALES
cent only few hours before, required
his immediate assistance, and positively
refused to leave his bed and enter the
carriage which had been thoughtfully
provided for him. His disturbers were
forced to 60 away without him, and he
discovered the next morning that his pa
tient was still progressing tavorably and
had not sent for him.
If the traveller crosses the Isthmus of
Corinth he will see soldiers crouching at
every few yards, since, if only for the
sake of commerce, this part of the coun-
try must be protected, while his baggage
will be preceded and followed by an arm
ed escort.-The Greek villagers have good
reasons for fearing the vengeance of the
brigands, and will not risk the devastation
of their homes and their lives by giving
information against them. The saddest
feature in the whole history is that one
who is high in authority in the kingdom
is constantly named as conniving in this
shameless system of vilany. The people
do net hesitate to tell you that brigand-
age is not put down because this digni-
tary-will have it so. Fooled in her in
trigues in Gambia, Greece may be said to
have now turned her eyes 10 the Europ-
can provinces of Turkey. Greek schools
are becoming widely spread, but in their
establishment the Turk sees political
rather than an educational propaganda.
Greece, however, may rest assured that
no ambitious designs on the part of the
country which cannot maintain internal
order will meet with conntenances from
the western powers of Europe.-Fron,
he F'hH MAI Gazette.