190 The Armenian Question [!895 



sometimes into private houses, and beat the people they find in them to 

 death with sticks. In some instances the police force admittance at the 

 front door while the Armenian escapes at the back door only to fall 

 into the hands of fellows waiting for him in the street. Thus several 

 hundreds seem to have been killed. The mob is ostensibly headed by 

 Softas, students of the University, but it is probable that these are 

 often police agents in the Softa dress. At any rate it is certain that 

 the police connive. The Armenian churches are full of refugees. 

 Norman has been busy going round to these and to the Patriarch's 

 house, where they also congregate, and told us many tales. 



" Vambery was very communicative. He talked strongly against 

 the Sultan in this business, although he has been a favourite at the 

 palace. He declares that, though superstitious, the Sultan is at heart a 

 free thinker, his religion being with him a matter of policy, and he 

 related several anecdotes bearing on this point. It is the Sultan's 

 brother and heir presumptive, Rashid, 1 who is a true ' fanatic' The 

 Sultan has a deliberate political purpose, to diminish and drive out the 

 Armenians, imitating in this the Emperor of Russia in his treatment 

 of the Poles and the Jews. Vambery is of opinion that Abdul Hamid 

 cannot long retain his throne, and agrees with me as to the desirability 

 of renewing the Constitution of 1876. This was the best chance Turkey 

 ever had of putting herself on a level with other European nations. It 

 is the best chance still. But it can hardly be under the present Sultan. 



" 8th Oct. — With Godfrey Webb, Mrs. Horner, Mrs. Crawshay, and 

 Lord Llandaff (Matthews) to see the Museum and St. Sophia's — 

 and with Norman to see the street door of the Armenian church in 

 Pera. 



" gth Oct. — Left Constantinople for Egypt. 

 12th Oct. — Arrived at Sheykh Obeyd, Elhamdu Vlllah. 



n 



Epitome of the Armenian Question, written by me on board ship on 



my way to Alexandria. 



" 1. The Sultan, to prevent Armenia being given autonomy, on the 

 ground of its possessing a Christian majority in any one province, en- 

 courages the Mohammedans of the Armenian provinces to ill-treat the 

 Christians so as to force them to emigrate. 



" 2. The Christian Armenians, under the direction of a secret Com- 

 mittee organized by Russian Nihilists, and encouraged by English sym- 

 pathy, refuse to pay taxes at Samsun. 



" 3. The Sultan orders their resistance to be crushed at all cost. 



" 4. The Turkish military Governor crushes it with great barbarity. 



" 5. The English Government, under Rosebery, urged by its Liberal 



1 Mohammed Rashid, afterwards Sultan Mohammed V. 



