New-York tribune., 1903-08-08
M4CEDONI4.
II Sprightly Book of TraOeI.
THB TALE OF A TOUR IN MACEDONIA. BY
g. Z. Abbott With Illustrations. Svo, PIP. o4S-
Iongmans. Green & Co.


into Macedonia 10 study its folklore. The re-
suit Of his work in that direction is soon to be
published by the University of Cambridge. His
travelling experiences and his observations on
the people and customs Of the country are
recorded in the amusing pages under review.
Clear vision, a sense of humor. and an uncom-
monty vivid style combine in a narrative for
which the reader may be sincerely grateful.
1t appears that there is magnificent scenery
in Macedonia but tourist excursions will not
be found there for many a long day to come
IT is a land where brigands are too pervasive
for comfort; where the crawling trains OF
the few railways stop at stations miles away
from the towns they belong to; where the con-
ditions Of government exasperating TO
lover Of justice. Mr.. Abbott is not bindly
prejudiced: he tells us that the Turk is ex-
tremely honest in his private transactions. and
careful in the handling OF truth-that he is
"too strong to do a mean thing. too unimagina-
tive TO invent the thing that is not" But the
government officials are class apart, ruthless
anc corrupt to the last degree. The Imperial
tax gatherers can claim tax when they ike,
and in some cases as often as they like A
respite, if obtained at all. has to be dearly
bought.
Arrears are not objected to. rule, but the
peasant who does not pay at once has TO pay
more than once in the long run. He is often
natly refused receipt for what he has aIreaoy
paid, or he is given false receipt; IN eitnet ,e
case he finds himself shamefully cheated, yet
helpless. An appeal to the law would ohly
mean additional fleeing. In a country Where
every wheel of the judicial machinery has to be
nberally CREASED before it be made to move,
a lawsuit is a luxury beyond the reach OF the
peasants purse.
and are often sweled to such dimensions by
the extortions of the local officials, that the
peasant sometimes finds it more profitable TO
destroy his property Orchards are thus 1re-
quentIy cut down and crops uprooted, because
the dues are cut OF all proporu9n 10 me tne TaIue I
OF the produce. Even taxes which nave been
formally abolished by the government are stllI
collected by the tax gatherers by mistake.
On the whole, the Macedonian is perhaps the
most heavily taxed of any peasant in the world,
always excepting his fellow subjects Apart
from land tax and tithe, he pays tax for ex-
emption from the military service, which, as
Christian, he is not allowed to enter. He pays
a tax for education, which he never receives
bridges, which are never built In short, he
pays a tax on everything he buys. on every
thing he sells, on everythoing he imports, on
everything he exports, everything he car
ries, everything he weighs. on everything he
possesses, and on many things which he does
not possess.
The gathering OF the taxes is the occasion Of
outrages and expressions OF the most CALLING
sort and there is no redress Nor is there
much prospect Of a more cheerful future. The
last Greek campaign, failure that it was, has,
according TO Mr.. Abbott, greatly strengthened
the hold of Turkey upon her Christian popula-
ton. Before that the Turk had a despondent
belief that the time was drawing near for him
10 get out of Europe. The defeat of the Greeks
has left him joyfully assured Of his power and
busy in improving his military organization.
The reforms in the Christian provinces which
the foreign governments have insisted upon are
merely farcical
The Christian under all circumstances must
maintain attitude OF abject humility in the
presence Of a Mahometan. The latter's habitual
mode of address toward a Christian is of
contempt An illustration of the pliability
which the Christian learns to use is seen in the
authors description Of an incident of railway
journey in which he had for fellow travellers
Turkish captain of cavalry and a well-to-do
Christian merchant. The military man said
to the merchant: q" I suppose you've heard the
news about Crete. 1t is to be given back to
us Yes. most illustrious general answered
the merchant meekly. have indeed heard it,
and rejoiced exceedingly thereat. Heaven grant
# may be so!'"
Soon after the officer got out at a station.
Thereupon the merchant, turning to me, asked:
DID you hear what the unbaptzed swine had
Yes. my friend" I replied But I also heard
you agree with him most cordially. Is it true
Crete?"
NO! I never heard anything of the kind. and.
what's more, I don't believe he did, either But
what would you? He is a Turk"
This slavish fear of the Turk is a humiliation
which is bitterly realized by the Christians but
they realize keenIy that they are helpless.
The astonishing thing is that there is any man.
illness or patriotism left in a people so crushed
into servility.
There is in Macedonia never ending strug-
gle between the Slav and the Greek elements
The balance of intellect is certainly on the Hell
lenic side. As an instance of the Macedonian
Greeks thirst for knowledge Mr.. Abbott men
tions two poor students in Series who able
to provide for the expense of a lamp were ac-
customed to study by moonlight whenever it
was bright enough for that purpose. In the
towns Of Central Macedonia Greek is commonly
spoken, while in the country the Sav language
is oftenest heard But language" says the
author. 'is an unerring guide to the ex-
plorer of nationalities. as there are large num-
bers of Bulgarian speaking peasants who yet
regard themselves as Greeks by descent ex-
planning that their speech is due to their con-
tact with their Bulgarian neghbors: They
would not learn our language, so we had TO
learn theirs" 4" The peasant of the South is
admittedly Greek the others are Greek Bull
garian or Servian according as sentiment or
perchance interest, or the state of the political
barometer may prompt" It is difficult, indeed,
TO find a distinct nationality in the Macedonian
SlaV If they are caught young by the Bull
garian propaganda, and reared in its schools,
they are imhued with the idea that they are
Bulgarians. If the Serv:ans are first in the
Held. they become Servians! The race is to the
swift and to the rich" The oppressed peasant
whether Bulgarian Servian, works with pa
tient suien persistence, and necessarily lives in
the most frugal fashion eating little meat
bread. onions and fruit are the chief of his diet
Macedonian wives are purchased from their