Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-02
THE IRELAND OF TURKEY.
Interesting Facts About the Island
of Crete.

From the Pail Mall Gazette
Crete stands to the Turk as an Irish estate to
nonresident landlord While rents-that is
to say. taxes-ars paid. the porte does not
trouble further with its Cretan tenants; when
taxes are in arrears the screw is put on without
measure and withou. remorse and when the
resistance is obstinate, or the people, as the
Sphakiotes, more than usually bold and defiant
the pachas make merit of necessity and RE-
nit the payment due until such time as they
feel themselves in a position to enforce it. OF
the two hundred thousand inhabitants of the
island not more than quarter are Mussul-
mans; but half at least Of these are of Greek
descent. So that in all matters at issue between
the governor and the subject population these
'Mussumans" are as hostile the Christian
rayahs or the Sphakiote shepherds themselves
1t Is in the fortresses Of Canea and Gambia
that the Turkish power is concentrated OF
the 5000 Inhabitants Of Canea 5000 are Mos
lens, and in Gambia the proportion of the Mos
lem to the Christian population is even higher.
Within the walls OF these ancient stronghods
are CHARTERED the regiments OF fierce Arnaouts
and Anatolians, who are from time to time dis
patched to crush resistance in the interior and
back up the tax-gathering expeditions which
sally out when the need for cash at Constanti-
nople is urgent and imperious. 1t was on the
occasion of ore of these desolatng raids that
the writer had occasion to visit q property in
the interior Of the island, near a village of
some two hundred houses. The mountain
paths on all sides were guarded by zaptiehs,
and a force OF Arnaouts were encamped by the
spring that rushed from the rock near the Gen.
ter of the village. The women were running
to and fro, rending their clothes and throwing
dust upon their heads, and before the house OF
the head man forced sales of cattle, goats i'm
PIGMENTS and clothes were proceeding, at
which the main bidders were Jews who had
followed he
villainous Hebrews were thoroughly in their
element, buying at a fourth of their value the
very iares and penates Of the hamlet
who is withil, Arnaout2" abdul Agha eff
fendl and his kiateeps," answered tn Albanian,
land the mukhtars Of the village Also" he
added, with grin. I'VE caught them. effendi.
rs they were making off to the hills!' These
mukhtars are the chief men of the village who
are bound to present" dsfaulters to the Wallis
officers.
The agha, q tall and handsome Turk but
with most sinister expression, received his
visitor politely, and after the usual compli-
ments signed to his attendants to 90 on with
the process OF revenue collecting by the time
honored methods Of the east. 'Open your
books again." said the agha, land read out the
names of the defaultsrs."
The clerks obeyed, and one after another the
trembling rayahs were brought in by the
zH RRhs nsh. So. Wit, Ii. hoo. ,suo.., 49,.
that his thick black beard was almost level with
his forehead, and with eyes averted from the
offender scowled fiXedly at the wall. why do
you not pay your debts to the sultan2" was the
first question: Mos. Of the peasants declared
they had paid already, but had been refused
receipt .'All lies" said the agha; now, will
YOU pay at once?" MAY it please your excel
lency-" Beast and infdel!" the agha would
break in, '',oia you not pay?" and rising from
his seat would seize his whip and thrash the
defaulter himself or nod to the zaptiehs to do
SO. The torture inflicted by these men was
even worse, for the poor wretches were flung
| to the ground, their feet twisted in loop fas-
| tened to q pole, and then beaten upon the bare
soles with the steel cleaningrods Of their per-
! secutors' rifles until they promised to pay
Those in custody outside were SO unnerved by
the shrisks and cries OF the sufferers withintha
most of them paid the arrears said to be due,
though not without protest. But presently q
man OF better class was brought in, a Greek
| farmer, we'll dressed and respectable looking.
Your name?" Nicholas, your servant"
| ''Only Nicholas?" Nicholas SON of Constap
tine" Now, Ismail Efendi, look and see
how much his arrears come to-" -Four hun
dred and fifty piastres for general taxes, $50
and 10 in lieu OF work due for the govern
ment." Now, what do you say? Will you pay
| this minuteT my effendi, my agha, have
paid all this money twice; 500 piastres paid
last Christmas to that collector there, and then
ne refused me receipt" Go the collector):
Did l not pay your" "Not para" "Do you
not believe in God?"
(Agha to cOllector): "Can you tell me if this
| man has any property" "Oh, yes, my az la
and efendi, he Is very RICH" what can we
sell today IL you command il I can sell
| many things"
Il will pay" said the Greek, without sale"
and with streaming eyes he told down the
| money and was thrust from the room. Pres
emily he returned aud begged for receipt.
| Don't you believe us?' cried the agha Don't
you trust me? Put him in Jail and teach him
not to mistrust the sultap's officer" Aud the
poor man was locked up ale day and the next
| night, without food, until released at the Wis
| TORS intercession The agha was much sur
heart. 1t is the way OF the land" he said. 1T
has been So and SO it will be. They are well
enough on and a beating now and then does
| them no harm" But IL these are the sentiments
OF the Turk they are no longer shared by the
Cretam and the present rebellion Ia their
L uractical nrofeat