90 



CANDIA, OR CRETE. 



which 

 north, 



winds up his report with the following sketch 

 of the present situation of the island : 

 Hussein Avni Pacha, governor-general and com- 

 i.._;T,_/.iiinf of thft imperial troops, is charged 



llll tliV* *_-V**V* , _ . j "UI-v-* "TIlTH 



ninnths of effective assistance have initiated mm. JJur- 

 ing this^atter period I have had occasion to appreciate 

 Sf remarkable military qualities and essentially pol- 

 itic temperament, which enable me to recommend 

 him as a man equal to every emergency, and whose 

 talent and character guarantee success against all fu- 

 ture eventualities. , ,, 



A sub-government, composed in equal number of 

 Mussulmans and Christians, chosen amongst the 

 most intelligent and experienced functionaries, ex- 

 tends its ramifications over all the districts of the 

 island without exception. Its express mission is to 

 satisfy all the moral and material wants of the popu- 

 lations, the sole point reserved being the mainte- 

 nance in their integrity of the fundamental laws oi the 

 empire and the sovereign rights of your Majesty. 

 Its line of conduct is traced by regulations carelully 

 elaborated and clothed with your Majesty's sanction. 



The populations themselves participate in public 

 affairs in as full a measure as is practised in countries 

 the most advanced in civilization. They have the 

 right of controlling taxation by means of representa- 

 tives. These representatives are returned by univer- 

 sal suffrage in each community ; they form special 

 councils in each district ; and meeting together con- 

 stitute the General Council which discusses the in- 

 terests of the whole island. Elected judges decide 

 private litigations, punish crimes and offences, and 

 protect the honor and the property of the citizens. 

 The action and responsibility of the Government in 

 judicial matters do not go beyond the execution of the 

 sentences. The Government is justified in stating 

 that the political and administrative system applied 

 to the island of Crete is that of self-government in 

 the most democratic acceptation of the word. With- 

 out doubt, if public feeling were on a corresponding 

 level with the new rights, the populations would re- 

 turn to your Majesty, in gratitude and devotion, the 

 inexpressible advantages which you have designed to 

 concede to them. 



In August, an English correspondent, who 

 was in intimate relation with the chiefs of the 

 revolution, stated that in Mylopotamo, Amari, 

 and St. Basili, the insurgents were absolutely 

 masters of the situation ; in Sphakia they held 

 all but the village of Sphakia, Castel Franco, 

 and Amalo; in the far west they were still 

 pretty strong ; and in the east (Lassithe) they 

 were stronger than in 1867. In November, 

 the correspondent of a New York paper re- 

 ported the strength of the insurgents, saying : 

 " The insurgents number between 10,000 and 

 12,000 now in arms, and are divided as fol- 

 lows: At Psariforado, Capa Taniana, and Ca- 

 lousleneeves, there are 3,400. On the south- 

 ern coast there are 3,000 men. In the west- 

 ern provinces, there are 2,500 men. In the 

 north, and in close proximity to the Turks, 

 there are now 2,000 men. While the Cretans 

 occupy the whole interior, and are likely to, 

 from all I can hear or see, the Turks content 

 themselves by occupying the fortresses and 

 walled towns of Canea, Rthymo, Candia or 

 Heracleum, Spinalonghi, Eavapatra, Castle of 



about 50,000 men, including the navy, em- 

 ployed in actual war in Crete. 



" The Provisional Government over Crete is 

 at Amari, where the major part of the insur- 

 gents is at present. The members of it are 

 seven in number, to whom the four committees 

 immediately controlling the twenty-four prov- 

 inces of Crete make their reports. At Amari 

 are the general hospitals for the sick and 

 wounded, under the charge of Mr. Hilary Skin- 

 ner, the ex-correspondent of the Daily News 

 of London. Also the principal depots from 

 whence the insurgent army is supplied with 

 arms." 



Throughout the year the Cretan insurgents 

 received reinforcements from Greece. A tele- 

 gram from Constantinople, dated January 12, 

 1869, says : 



According to the last official news received, all the 

 volunteers remaining in Crete, including Petropou- 

 lake's son and several Cretan leaders who had sur- 

 rendered, will leave the island on board a French 

 vessel, in order to return to Greece. The insurrec- 

 tion is considered at an end. 



The dispatches received in December from 

 the chiefs of the insurrection showed, on the 

 other hand, a determination to continue the 

 struggle and an unshaken confidence in ulti- 

 mate success. Thus the provisional govern- 

 ment, in a dispatch, dated December 12th, 

 states : 



The insurrection is still in the same condition, and 

 although, on account of the severity of the season, 

 the engagements with the enemy are less frequent 

 than before, they still from time to time occur at dif- 

 ferent points of the island, which shows the steadfast 

 decision of the Cretans to support their indepen- 

 dence, and the utter falsity of the rumors of the 

 Turkish agents. We hear with great gratitude of 

 the endeavors made in New York in iavor of the 

 Cretans. COSTAEOS BELOUDAKIS, 



A. NANOUSSELIS, 

 A. BOUBOULAKIS, 

 N. P. SCOULOUDIS. 



The Secretary, J. Z ABOUT AKIS. 



The Cretan Committee's Bulletin, published 

 at Athens, says in its issue of December 16th : 



" Several severe battles between the Cretans 

 and Turks have taken place, resulting in a loss 

 of life of several hundred men to the Turks, 

 the Turkish commander-in-chief of Mylopo- 

 tamos being among the killed. The disaster 

 which overtook several hundred Greek volun- 

 teers who were beheaded, their remains being 

 mutilated and insulted by the Turks, and the 

 complicity of the French consul in Crete with 

 the Moslem, were ineffective in dampening the 

 ardor of the Cretan warriors who continue to 

 sustain the war of independence, depending 

 for their supplies upon the pro visions sent from 

 various Greek ports, so that even the blockade 

 of the Syra steamers proved unavailing against 

 the inflexible resolution of the Cretan people 

 to continue the struggle." 



