The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-12-20

many centuries before the Venetians
held sway in Crete and before the
Saracens left their impress, the in
habitants of the island had established
trading station at this point, to judge
from the fragments of cut stone dis
covered in the sea near the shore.
Today Gambia is nearing the 10000
population mark. Its white suburbs
extend far beyond the old fortifica-
tionS. A few years ago an English
engineer was commissioned to reor-
ganize the port. The work is being
pursued with due regard to the his
toric value of the old Notifications.
The southern coast of Crete has few
safe anchorages and most of the trade
is handled by sailing craft and motor
boats. Large ships cannot approach
the wharfs of the small harbors, but
are obliged to remain some distance
offshore. By means of a crane, mer-
chandise is unlOaded into a caique,
which then approaches the beach as
closely as possible. There naked men,
standing in water up to their Shout
ders and with pads on their heads,
seize the various objects and carry
them ashore. AS soon as the ground
swell rises, work must stop.
Often at night, If the sea is rough,
ship will approach the shore, blow
its whistle, and with the aid of meg
aphone a conversation will follow be-
tween vessel and port official. If the
load offered is unimportant, the ship
pursues it's course without stopping.
These villages by the sea are very
isolated; in daylight they are hardly
visible and at night not at all, as no
light marks them. They are as If
thrown into the sea" by the noun
tain, which bars their access to the
interior. They are at the mercy of
heavy southern storms, which all but
deprive them of any outside communi-
cation.
An account of Crete would not be
complete if we did not describe the
means of locomotion to travellers.
There is but one railroad in Crete and
it is three miles long. 1t was built in
recent years for the transportation of
stone from a nearby quarry to the
harbor of Gambia. The locomotives,
christened Minos, Ariadne, and These
us, in honor of NEUROLOGICAL characters
that have played prominent roles in
the legendary history of the island,
are justly admired by the entire pop
ulation.
Many Motor Cars There.
Road construction has promoted the
use Of the automobile, but even where
there are no roads a motor car is fire.
the mule paths, the stones, the brush,
and the fields, one travelling by auto
mobile never knows when or if he
will reach his destination, although
his car carries the inscription in large
letters: Express"
He who leaves Gambia in the au-
tumn for trip across the island sees
spread before him large eXpanses of
yellow and silvery green, with few
lines of austere black; these are the
vineyards mixed in with the olive
trees, while few expresses stand SOL
itary or in line.
This vista continues even after he
begins to climb in order to reach the
desert interior of Crete, for the vine
yards and their attendant olive trees
grow to a great elevation. Though
they space out the farther one gets
from the plain, nevertheless they re-
main equally luxuriant. They creep
into small hOllOws or cluster on the
very steep slopes-sometimes they
give the impression that they are 60
ing to slide off into space-while pref
ty vine arbors shade the streets of
mountain villages.
Raisins play an important part in the
economic life of Crete. In the large
cities and at-the ports one may see
in the rather dark factories the diff
ferent processes the raisins undergo.
In Sitia, in eastern Crete, one may find
upon the wharves immense golden
areas of fruit drying in the sun be-
fore being packed in cases for ship
ment abroad. Fresh grapes are ex.
ported to Greece and to Egypt.
Crete takes an important place
among olive-oil producing countries.
The oil is extracted in primitive
presses by the peasants and on a larg-
er scale in factories. Much of the
table oil is consumed in America.
The tobacco plantations of Crete
have made great strides In recent
years, as direct result Of one of the
most significant events of the eastern
Mediterranean-the exchange Of ma
tionals between Greece and Turkey fol-
lowing the Treaty of Lausanne. Re-
patriation brought to the island many
experienced tobacco growers from
Asia Minor.