DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9840#0178
128 THE MOHAMMEDANS LIGHT UP A K IRE, [CHAP.
neral name of grottos thus supposed to be places of
security from danger69.
Khusein-bey in vain summoned the Christian fugi-
tives, to come out of their lurking-place : his messenger
was fired on, and fell. He then attempted to force
the entrance of the cave : and, in doing so, lost twenty-
four of his brave Arnauts, who were killed by shots
from the Christians within. On this the Bey sent a
Greek woman into the cavern, with a message, that " if
they would all come forth and give up their arms, they
should not meet with any ill-treatment." The woman
was shot, and her body cast out from the mouth of the
grotto. When the Mohammedan general saw this, he
himself took up a stone, and threw it into the cavern's
entrance. His troops imitated the example he set them,
and thus the only aperture through' which light and
air could pass to the Christians was entirely filled up.
The following morning the Mohammedans saw that a
small opening had been produced in their work, during
the night. They again filled it up, and their labour
was again undone by the Christians the following night.
This attempt of the Turks to close the entrance of the
cave was repeated twice more. At length they saw that
the Christians could still breathe and live: they there-
fore collected wood, oil, chaff, spirit, sulphur, refuse
olives, and all other combustibles on which they could
lay their hands : they filled up the mouth of the cavern
with these materials, instead of the stones and earth
which they had before used; and had no sooner com-
pleted their work, than they set it on fire. Volumes of
smoke immediately rolled along under the spacious vault
of the entrance cavern, in which many of the ill-starred
Christians were assembled : the dense vapour filled the
whole apartment so rapidly that many had not time to
69 See Hesychius and Suidas, in the word. Photius, Lex. p. 178.
ed. Pors. Kprj^cpvyeTa' to. irpd<; tovs ~^6Lpwvai crTeyvd Kal 6yypu>naTa' ol
oe tpacrlv otl KpTjTes—e <p v y o v c i s aitij \ a i a Tivd' odev 6Ke~iva wvo-
H drr 6») a an Kprj^(pvyera.
neral name of grottos thus supposed to be places of
security from danger69.
Khusein-bey in vain summoned the Christian fugi-
tives, to come out of their lurking-place : his messenger
was fired on, and fell. He then attempted to force
the entrance of the cave : and, in doing so, lost twenty-
four of his brave Arnauts, who were killed by shots
from the Christians within. On this the Bey sent a
Greek woman into the cavern, with a message, that " if
they would all come forth and give up their arms, they
should not meet with any ill-treatment." The woman
was shot, and her body cast out from the mouth of the
grotto. When the Mohammedan general saw this, he
himself took up a stone, and threw it into the cavern's
entrance. His troops imitated the example he set them,
and thus the only aperture through' which light and
air could pass to the Christians was entirely filled up.
The following morning the Mohammedans saw that a
small opening had been produced in their work, during
the night. They again filled it up, and their labour
was again undone by the Christians the following night.
This attempt of the Turks to close the entrance of the
cave was repeated twice more. At length they saw that
the Christians could still breathe and live: they there-
fore collected wood, oil, chaff, spirit, sulphur, refuse
olives, and all other combustibles on which they could
lay their hands : they filled up the mouth of the cavern
with these materials, instead of the stones and earth
which they had before used; and had no sooner com-
pleted their work, than they set it on fire. Volumes of
smoke immediately rolled along under the spacious vault
of the entrance cavern, in which many of the ill-starred
Christians were assembled : the dense vapour filled the
whole apartment so rapidly that many had not time to
69 See Hesychius and Suidas, in the word. Photius, Lex. p. 178.
ed. Pors. Kprj^cpvyeTa' to. irpd<; tovs ~^6Lpwvai crTeyvd Kal 6yypu>naTa' ol
oe tpacrlv otl KpTjTes—e <p v y o v c i s aitij \ a i a Tivd' odev 6Ke~iva wvo-
H drr 6») a an Kprj^(pvyera.