New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-13
THE GLOOMY CANDIOTES.
AND THEIR NOISY, DIRTY CAPITAL.

Greeks of old, battling through many ScHci"'IohS
for faith and for freedom against then Mahome'"h
oppres.ors Undoubtedly there is good deal 81
truth in this theory especially in the oppression
part, for the Turkish hand has fallen pret'y
heavily upon the Christian Crctnrs. Ire ola
Romans however used TO speak ocnericai!y oil
the living Greeks and ST. Paul once maze some
observation Of the same tenor specifically OF the
pcople OF Crete. And 81, when one comes U" clos'
quarters with thcm and finds what an untrhth-
full factiona and imprac'icablc people they are
yo-day and how ready they are To cut each other
,broats whenever the Turks are not actually en-
gagged in cutting theirs, the glamor OF Cretan
patriotism very largely fades away.
II is lust 50 with this town, the capital city of
,hc island Looking at it from aar on, let us say
from the sea, il is place of beauty. Inc tall
white houses with fresh green shutters. look clean
and homelilc and the domes and miuarets give
or,isti, character 10 the skyline. Then there is
magnificent framework of harbor ana fortress
and green hills. and snow-capped mountains far
bevond Altogether Il is a most enchanting place
before Won land Once landed, however, change
comes DER the spirit OF the dream. The prevail
ing impression is one Of smells, and uncommonly
pungcpt and offensive smells. such general anu
prcmedtated unccanliness as Eere exists is scarcely
onnro>in,atcd TO elsewhere. The streets are rcck-
inc and slippery with filth Of every description.
slimy mud which is never dried. even by the hot
MONDAY sun The reason for this perpetual damp
ness Is found IN the narrowneSs Of the streets and
the height Of the houses, condition which keeps
the roadway in shadow all the time excepting
for an hour or two at noon.
Nor are there charms 10 the eve that compensate
for the offence n tho nostrls. Seen close at
hand, Canca is commonplace and unplctufesquc'
The white houses are dirty and dinsy and mo-
I'll
impressive The ill-paved, narrow and filthy
streets are noisy and crowded, but lack the color
and interest Of thorouehfares in true Oriental
cities Canca, indeed. is scarcely an Oriental city
q, all: certainly not Turkish city. Fully nine
tenths Of the people arc professed Christians, and.
MS a rule they pt ssess the vices Of both civliza-
lions and the virtues of neither. The women are
kent indoors according 10 Turkish fashion, 50
that one seldom secs them on the street or In the
lazars For this much thanks. If the women are
any more talkative than The mcn. The latter
chatter and wrange OF the top OF their voices uhtl
the city sounds like hedlam. In fact, the Only
Quiet people 10 be found are the Turks an" ln'S
are few Here and there one iinds TURKISH shop-
keeper. squattinc in his stall and smoknS Ms
coiled pipe as placidly as If hc were alone III "
wilderness. instead of surrounded by the noi'les'
.hh,o An creation And there are Turkish
soldiers mostly crowded i'll and about the mosques
or lounging about the docks. Just now thcI' are
more Of them than usually OH account OF '''e
disturbed condition Of the island. II Is always
An a disturbed condition, OF course. but TOT sone
months has been worse than usual These soldiers
are MAGNIFICENT fellows physically Probably no
soldiers in the world make finer showing OF
stature and muscle. But they are rasscH ana
shabby in the extreme with elbows Sticking
through their sleeves and toes pecping through
their boots not their fault but that Of the almost
bankrupt Government al home
The people OF Canea as Of all Crcto, are not
nlcasant 10 look upon. Never have seen so
many lowering brows and savage expressions
They never smile. Now and then one laughs IN
a sardonic style. as hideous 20 the car as tle
srarl Of an angry wild beast But OF mlrth
,bere is none. The liCht-hcartedness and merrl-
mept which characterize most Southern peoples
even under oppression, are here unknown Every
one seems perpetaaly IN n bad hnmor ana IN
belIqercnt mood No matter whether they are
,alking Of the weather. or selling cabbaSes or
silk. or complaining of Turkish despousm' they
nrc always the same. grim frcwninr. trucnlent
As rule they are finely formed and powerful
STRAIGHT and broadshouldcrcd. aud no matter
what they are doing or where they are, Their
normal condition is 70 be armed II thc teeth
with knives and pistols. while the walls Oi theii
homes and shops are thickly hung with swords
spesrs and rifles. So TINT the stranger among
them feels rs though he were in an arsenal WNci'
every Iethal weapon needed only look to set
il in deadly action.
IL is easy 10 see WHY breaches Of The peace arc
So frequent among these people. ana why any
outbreak Is certain 20 have ghas'ly results
When they quarrel they quarrel in dead earnest.
Ever blo7y is meant TO kill. Trey seem devoid
NM, Of Ions
inv wien once the easy curb IS ,ipicd from their
psssiors And CONSIDERING how largely the
nominal Christians outnumhcr lie turks IT -
evident that should they once uni% 70 u'i""
IN the Ottoman yoke they could do So IN a d"N.
Hu, they do not unite. They are as lc''N "
quarrel with each other as with the luTk'' anu
are continually divided INTO JaIilhS lac'Iuns 90
90 make Turkish mastery n them an easy ina'''-
The cnvirons Of Canca ale a. delightful as the
CITY j. drte,tablc one can onlr breathe N'rif
aud wall a, ease vheu - has passed through
the city gates and The quaiier Of the snl'ns
outside The fai IS. wan ~ ~ Ih,o"i.nii ~, ,Lc
cancing and ban-inI. Tic mour'ahS - nv
south then come into view, al Inc sea II So
throbbing against tie base OF ~" Guys iOI.l-
cations ard curling upon the yellow sanns pI .ie
low Arab quarter. close ON tht oilcr sue vi Nv
road The houses or the rocky til Two n'l"'
away, are Khalepa. a healthy. breezy WIFE, a.
md The abode OF The European consus. ne
flag, OF the great nations have here fu'tcred IN
lie wind over mouv shTeNd lntrigucs; ana many
ore the refugees who have found shelter anu Pr
Mcslcm soldiers have been lci loose Ike blood
Ionnds upon the land Near khaicpa the corr;
inv breaks into picYrrslnc dclls and dcfilcs. fan
of aspaotels aud ancmOncs in the sprinc-iinc
Tho olives here arnw - a great size. and cS-
peciaIly those round about a certain old Venetian
cast o. which is one Of the most notable objects
IN the ncichborhood. Life IN khalepa Is frccr
for women than in CanPG. One MAY chance IA
The lanes u come upon Christian damscl- IN hlnc
cotton gowns or Noslem women III white from
hcad 10 the knee waiting stif'y in primrose-col
ored boofs There ~ 10 lock 81 bright eyes iii
Crete. aud no costume can pnt ont their llstrc
The Intense sfillnr of noon may we cnl2yed
enarfd old olives 90 Kha lcpa. You look from
The cool leafagc al the dazzling snow raks OF
the Nadnra Nouna against the hot, blue he2Nens.
The nearer ravincs sladowless ~ such a time.
orr green and refreshing 10 the exc. but only 10
The eve The only audible sounds ane the SUB
drcd whistle Of a bird and The low hleat OF n
and A.ih soft and hrlcl. as