New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-18

temple devoted to Cybee, the impression produced
upon his mind by those simple words will never be
effaced. Indeed, he will wish that his knowledge
were less and that he could wholly abandon himself
to the poetica influence of tradition.
| But the gods of Homer seem to have forsaken this
enchanting island. Less than sixty years ago it was
the of of the most tragic events in history
Longing for independence, the noble Scotes had
joined their Greek brethren in the revolution which,
as they hoped, was to deliver them from
the yoke of the Turks. Mahmoud H. de-
nonnced :" fire. sword and slavery" against
the rebels. On April IL, 1922. twenty-nine Turk
ish men of war, nnder the orders of kara-Ali,
opened fire against the dcfencoless City of Sco The
Turks landed plundered and burned whatever they
could plundcr and burn, and slaughtered whom
they could lay their hands upon, with the ex-
ception Of young women. for whom they reserved a
destiny than death. 1t has been calculated
that 30 600 people pershed in the OF the
other 80, 900 inhabitants two-thirds saved them
selves by migrating other parts of the world the
remaining thrd-the poorest--by repairing To tho
mountains and returning only to their villages when
Europe interfcrcd with Turkish destruction. But n
greater calamity has befallen the Honeric
island OF tho forty-fye villages and towns nothing
remains bnt heaps of broken marble, slate and plas
ter of the ~ 900 inhabitants one-fifth at least
The writer visited the city of Sco ten years
since. II looked then like an earthly paradise Its
pcturcsqneness was extraordinary even for
Greek city. 1t the best built city In the Fast
The white marble houses erected by the Gcnoese and
the Vcnefians, when Genoa and Venice controlled
by turns the trade of the East, models Of ee-
gance and comfort. The eycs coull not rest upon
moro charming landscape than that formed by the
mixture of old and new, OF nature and art, of gar
dens and forcsts of barren rocks and verlant val
lcys Of streanrtg and rejecting the pure lu-
mnous sky. Will, the glowing colors of the Greek
attlrr everywhere cnlivcncd the natural beauty Of
the natives. The vineyards of Sco, celebrated by
Virgil. Horace. Strabo and Pliny formed at that
time the wealth Of the island. The wine Of Arvisa
was the fayoritc drink Of Cesar. iIortcrsus had
10000 casks Of It in his cellar and his heir thought
more Of thi- PORTION Of the Inheritance than of all
the rect together. Even 'h'~, vineyards are now,
perhaps. ir'lrlhly destroyed. Sclo. NollssO,
litvos w.r, als, famous throughout the East for
th'r factories of six and for thrir rmJroldrrcS IN
silver and -od The = lof' women u-,6 10 perform
tins labor in rours singing and chatting heiprr the
glt'> nf their gardens tAr ,opTs of their hou~ss.
And an attractive sht it was to ~ any pretty
faces together. with s'Hir- always ready on their
lIls to greet the traveller He AZ h'slt gcd
los trorg of th'm anxious 20 sc.l their goods. II
WasurNt to impossible T. c>,ape from their grasp
without lrayng good d,al IT uonoy in exchange
for q few pieces of rWhrn.d"r'd slk: but th"y *
trtrtrd II tfor The travellers pur~' with @uch be-
WIuhiEg grtc" that BE- could never rrsTct his weak
nc>s.
Thc most iiuqortan; industry in the island was
thr culture Of tlr ina-tl'- gum trees. The island
dcfiyrs It- naIrc from syrian word which means
rIa>ilc gum. hr S'iotcs supplied almost the whole
last with this aromatic prodr't. wtirh Oriental
women are f1nd Of chewing notwithstanding the
fact that n greatly imprs the beauty of their trcth
Twenty Villages all situated IN ih" southern part of
the island. Wcr" occupied IN thls branch OF agrl,u
trr". ihr uasti'-g3m ir"s. or lcnilscs. scattered
over the r'glcn wen th" property of the sultan The
vlag' n had the privilege of cn.tlyating them and
gathering the gum by paying the Porte yearly
trhut, ~ 80 600 iouni- If the drug $1,000 IN
pady money. The most important part of the work
i. the clcanng of thu soil all around the trees.
that the gin. m falling npon the ground. may not
h.rn,c ,lir.v The most precious gIn is that which
J., collected boforr II falls from the tree Ii Is
purc clear and transparent T. Ia Lee called tears
The rihnte to the Sultan must be made of this qua
liy II L. only iu years Of bad CROPS when $1,000
pounds cannot hc collected that the S'lO's are per
mIticd to wlh" uP the balInc" ~lth IN" inferior
quality. Ill~ -IlnrH 0crur~ however. the rrOriuc-
tiru Averaging generally about 500 900 pounds. An
Aga L. s.ut from Cuustlu'iuoplr Ia oversee
fi., gath, ring of th" crops. Ihr peasants oi the
island caunoi -"ll TIE ia1s'lr-gi'a to anyone els tie
pas. then, about 10 ccut~ pound aud then ~c!ls ii
for about t"lo' that aiaount. llc has power not
only to s'iIr all tl, gum Which has not been sur
rendered into his hand. but AIS" to punish the
prasaLts who have rutlraN Ord =" s'nugglc II.
whole NIllag. may 10" lined II the rniput r'maln-
against tho possibility of theft The es,i,s ni the
no one l. allowed {" - ont for fear that he i.ay
prey upon the field uf his n,ichhor S'utincls
occupy all the mountain p1S>rs that lead tO the
VALLEYS where tie trees grow. and they have power
to lar, h anyone ha attempts 10 pass thrfr. The
harvest j. generally mad" III October and tak"s .
mos tli GA -" li "i rnbrr ct every year th-
A starts Dp tour 10 collect the tihUtr tor hi-
master. lie l. boy tuIns received by the peasants
NJ. 4 tyriut. Drums and hf"s accompany hnn and
tl, ur~aut- ,~,ort him gIuWplIntlN Ia the s.tsi-.
wl, IT, . great i.1~i takes place IL IL to De- feared
that thc-t. happy f,t'~ arr now over Mauy of the
lovely valleys ar converted into terrible >oiliulrs
where for years and years nothing viii gov h"youd
ti, yellow hfuum, the tu'llul follower ot earth
qutkr- and volcanic cruptionS.
The curiosity which most amazed the writer dur
Ing E. visit n the island Of lol"r was the innrnse
number If binds nf pa>-ag" that ailghf"d there
Wn,.l,ocls were to bc s,.n in tock& Iarridg'S |
ven, bred thrr,. ~ people her. breed chickens IL
fL morning. they w"r sci free frOE their cOops. AZ
tilt the, wrr. calrd back by the srill whistle If
th,lr n.r. - we'll educated were they to this |
snuud that although they might bc six seven |
members even going astrav, would invariably s"par
ate from all the others ana return 10 lts home as
suou ~ the whistle " ~ heard
AID FOR THE SUFFERERS or SCIO.
The treasurer of the Sco Committee acknowledges |
the receipt of the following additional subscrip-
tons.
los Iarocquc.. ...... 500 Recknase Co... 90 |
i,s,, EDG' To- '"'''i'S'' so j. " T.. Gcncva.. 10 |
Orlrirhs ACo ..... 80 francisco LadO.- 10 |
{ Char. II. klHih, rly.. - tash-.....- .-..' 10 |
Henderson Nro- go - X twynnn SiAen..' |
Mrs e. u. .Grorllulrs. - Cash. |
\ II. Porter, Niagara -
fiil-