Little Falls transcript., 1886-11-19
I THE !. ! J o,'MI''AlAkS. } /

u SuE1Oua ana s1nlereSG1nX5 People
Who Dwell In Eastern Roumelia.
The Paris Temps gives an interest
mg DESCRIPTION of the Pomaks, or Mus
',ilman inha abitants Of the territories Of
Rouftchos and Kirdjali, IN Eastern
Ronmelja, which reverted to Turkey in
accordance with the arran cement come
q on the 1stof February last between
the sublime porte and the Bulgarian
government. The territories Of Rouft-
chos and Krdjali are both Of them in
the south Of Roumelia; the former be-
ing in the upper valleys of the Rhodope
mountain, while the latter, which lies
more to the east, and is by far the
more important of the two, is situated
between the river Arda, which forms
the southern boundary of Rour1elia,
tho Ulu-Dere, and the mountains of
Hissardjk-Dagh, which are part of the
Rodope chain The district of Rouft-
ehos contains "a villages, with a popu-
lation of about twelve thousand, the
principal of them being Dele Xiii, Bala-
ban, Hirsova, and Nostankeuy. The
district Of Kirdjali comprises 1888 villa
ges. with about twenty-five thousand
inhabitants. the principal of which are
Kirdjali, Karamanti, Mersiler, Karagu-
enchler, and Hassanbabalar: There is,
however, a dispute as to whether twen-
ty-four Of these villages should belong
TO Turkey or Bulgaria, and they are in
the meanwhile held by the latter. The
Inhabitants of these two districts are
al Mussulman Pomaks; these Pomaks
being descendants of the Bulgarians,
who, like the Servian Begs, the Alban-
ian Arnauts, and Greek Vanalades,
embraced the Mohammedan faith at
the same time of the Ottoman conquest
Or soon after in order to retain posses
sion of their lands. These Pomaks,
though living in nearly savage
state, are for the most part of
very peaceable disposition. Confined
to their mountains, they live mainly by
agriculture and by the manufacture of
charcoal from the forests which cover
The sides of the mountains. The Po-
maks furnish the best arabadjis, or wag-
orners, and the transport of goods be-
tween Macedonia and Roumelia is en-
tirely in their hands. The Pomaks of
kirdjali are much better off than those of
Rouftchos, as their territory is extraor-
dinarily fertile, and, being irrigated by
various streams, the valleys and noun
tains slopes produce an endless variety
Of fruits. Grapes grow in abundance,
and these are dried as raisins, for the
Pomaks do not drink wine. Peaches,
apricots. pears, apples, and nuts are
very plentiful, and the quality of the
tobacco grown in this district is very
good. The Pomaks have preserved
some very curious religious practices
and superstit!ons, and, though they be-
long to the Mohammedan faith, they
look upon the Bulgarian priests as ma
gicians possessing great power. When
i'll they always 60 to them for advice,
and do not hesitate to recite the prayers
to the Virgin which the priests instruct
them to offer: When there is a severe
drought they take maiden from one
of the villages, cover her with palms,
and pour water over her, chanting in
Bulgarian appeals to the clemency of
the divinities in whom their ancestors
believed--the companions in arms of
Asparuk, krouna, and Boris. The Rouft-
chos Pomaks have never paid any tax
es either to the Ottoman or to the Bull
garian authorities; and if tax-collect-
Or ever applied to them for payment
they politely requested him to return to
the place whence he came, while in the
event of his refusing they shot him.
Two collectors and posse of Roume-
lian gendarmes were killed in this way;
SO that will perhaps explain the readi-
ness of the Bulgarians to make over
these districts to Turkey after the Servo
Bulgarian war last winter.