DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0048
XL
INTRODUCTION.
squadron to follow him to Egypt. Nevertheless he made
sail, not for Alexandria, but for Mytilene, where he
landed a few days afterwards, and thence went to Con-
stantinople. It would seem that the indications of
savage barbarism of character displayed by the Vice-
roy with regard to Crete, had no slight share in deter-
mining the enlightened Osman-pasha, who had been
entirely educated in Europe, and was the most distin-
guished Turk in Egypt, to abandon his master.
It would be difficult to describe the effect produced
on all the inhabitants of the island by these atrocious
murders. Every one, even the most peaceable, felt that
he might have been seized : and this feeling was com-
mon to both Christians and Mohammedans.
It has been observed, that Mustafa and Osman-
Nuredin, in one of their proclamations addressed to the
people at Murnies, told them that chains would be the
lot of those who remained assembled. The Pashas,
therefore, it is plain, never anticipated any such sangui-
nary ferocity on the part of their master. Moreover,
of the thirty-three thrown into prison, ten being selected
quite at random and hanged, the other twenty-three
were released; so that, although this truly Oriental
justice hangs ten persons, yet it lets twenty-three (who
were just as culpable as the others) escape without even
the slightest punishment.
Doubtless, if these measures of the Viceroy's Repre-
sentatives had been anticipated, the Sfakians would
have risen in open revolt, and would have been joined
by all the inhabitants, of both religions, in the country:
but the executions took place simultaneously, and with-
out any one's having expected such a catastrophe.
My reader now knows something of the condition
of Crete at the end of 1833, within two months of the
time when I landed at Khania.
INTRODUCTION.
squadron to follow him to Egypt. Nevertheless he made
sail, not for Alexandria, but for Mytilene, where he
landed a few days afterwards, and thence went to Con-
stantinople. It would seem that the indications of
savage barbarism of character displayed by the Vice-
roy with regard to Crete, had no slight share in deter-
mining the enlightened Osman-pasha, who had been
entirely educated in Europe, and was the most distin-
guished Turk in Egypt, to abandon his master.
It would be difficult to describe the effect produced
on all the inhabitants of the island by these atrocious
murders. Every one, even the most peaceable, felt that
he might have been seized : and this feeling was com-
mon to both Christians and Mohammedans.
It has been observed, that Mustafa and Osman-
Nuredin, in one of their proclamations addressed to the
people at Murnies, told them that chains would be the
lot of those who remained assembled. The Pashas,
therefore, it is plain, never anticipated any such sangui-
nary ferocity on the part of their master. Moreover,
of the thirty-three thrown into prison, ten being selected
quite at random and hanged, the other twenty-three
were released; so that, although this truly Oriental
justice hangs ten persons, yet it lets twenty-three (who
were just as culpable as the others) escape without even
the slightest punishment.
Doubtless, if these measures of the Viceroy's Repre-
sentatives had been anticipated, the Sfakians would
have risen in open revolt, and would have been joined
by all the inhabitants, of both religions, in the country:
but the executions took place simultaneously, and with-
out any one's having expected such a catastrophe.
My reader now knows something of the condition
of Crete at the end of 1833, within two months of the
time when I landed at Khania.