The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-12-28
THE POMAkS.
a Curious and Interesting People Whs
Dwell i'm Eastern Roumelia-

a Curious and Interesting People WIS
Dwell i'm Eastern Roumelis-
] The Paris Temps gives an interesting
description of the Pomaks. or Mussul-
man inhabitants of the territories of
Rouftcbos and Kirdjali, in Eastern Rou-
melia. which reverted 10 Turkey in &C
cordsnce with the arrangement come
TO between the Sublime Porte and the
Bulgarian Government. The territOr-
les of Rouftchos and Kirdjali are both
Of them in the south of Roumelis: the
former being in the upper valleys of
! the Rhodope mountains. while the lat
! ter. which lies more TO the east and is
/ by far the most important of the two, is
situated between the river Arda, which
, forms the southern boundary of Rou-
melis. the Ulu-Dere and the mountains
of Hissardj k-Dagh, which are part of
the Rhodope chain. The district of
Rouftchos contains siXty-four villages,
with population of about twelve thou
sand, the principal of them being Dele
Xiii, Balaban, Hirsova and Nostankeuy.
The district of Kirdiali comprises ond
hundred and eighty eight villages. with
about twenty-five thousand inhabitants,
the principal of which are Kirdjali.
Karamanti, Mersiler, Karaguenchler
and Hassanbabalar. There is, how
ever, a dispute as TO whether twenty
four of these villages should belong 10
Turkey or Bulgaria, and they are in
the meanwhile held by the latter. The
inhabitants OF these two districts are all
Mussulman Pomaks, these Pomaks be-
ing descendants of the Bulgarians, who,
like the ServiaD Bcgs. the Albanian
Arnauts and Greek Vanalades, EN-
braced the Mohammedan faith at the
time of the Ottoman conquest, or soon
sfler, in order 10 retain possession of
their lands. These POmahs, though
living in nearly a savage state, are
for the most part of very peace
able disposition. Confined TO their
mountains, they live mainly by agri-
culture and by the manufacture of
charcoal from the forests which cover
the sides of the mountains. The Po-
msks furnish the best arabadjis, or
wagonerS, and the transport of goods
between Macedonia and Roumelia is
entirely in their hands. The Pomaks
of Kirdjali are much better off than
those of Rouftchos, as their territory
is extraordinarily fertile, and. being
irrigated by various streams, the val
legs and mountain slopes produce an
endless variety of fruits. Grapes grow
in abundance, and these are dried IS
raisins, for the Pomaks do not drink
wine. Peaches, spricots, 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 re-
ligious practices and superstitions,
and. though they belong to the Mo-
hsmmedan faith, they looa upon the
Bulgarian priests as magcians pos
sessing great power. When i'll they
always 90 10 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 over with
palms, and pour water over her, chant
ing in Bulgarian appeals TO the elem
ency Of the diyInitieS in whom their
ancestors believed-the companions in
arms of Asparuk, Kroum and Boris.
The Rouftchos Pomaks have never
paid any taxes either to the Ottoman
or to the Bulgarian authorities; and If
a tax-collector ever applied to them
for payment they politely requested
him to return 10 the place whence he
came, while in the event of his refus-
ing they shot him. Two collectors
and posse OF ROumelian gendaImes
were killed IN this way; so that will
perhaps explain the readiness of the
Bulgarians TO make over these districts
TO Turkey after the Seryo-Bulgariap
war last winter. London Iiottth.