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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



ishment was dreadful in the extreme. 

 And, as might be supposed, their disap- 

 pointment at the result of the Treaty of 

 Adrianople, in 1829, which failed to unite 

 them with the mother country, was very 

 keen indeed. 



"victory for thl cross" 



These acts of ferocity, however, did 

 not remain unavenged. While the Mos- 

 lems were ravaging Chios, the islanders 

 of Psara and Hydra were planning an 

 attempt on the Turkish fleet, which was 

 lying in the outer harbor of Kastro, just 

 off the Genoese citadel. The authors of 

 this bold stroke were Constantine Canaris 

 and George Pepines. They arranged two 

 brigs as fire-ships and manned them with 

 a chosen band of desperate men. 



The lights hanging at the masts of the 

 Turkish vessels were so dim that the 

 Chians were enabled completely to sur- 

 prise the unsuspecting crew at midnight. 

 The brig commanded by Canaris imme- 

 diately grappled with the Captain Pasha's 

 flagship and set it on fire. Pepine was 

 equally successful, and another battleship 

 went up in flames. With shouts of "Vic- 

 tory to the Cross," the old-time war cry 

 of Byzantium, the islanders escaped in a 

 launch which they had in tow, without 

 the loss of a single man. Practically the 

 whole of the Captain Pasha's fleet was 

 destroyed, and 2,300 lives were lost. 

 Only a very few survived. 



There is an old Greek monastery about 

 an hour's drive to the south of Kastro, 

 which stands as a gruesome monument 

 of this period. Its walls and alcoves are 

 packed with the skeletons of the Chians 

 who were massacred in this neighbor- 

 hood. It is claimed that the bones of 

 5,000 people have been collected and thus 

 placed on exhibition. The cellar of the 

 monastery also is filled to overflowing. 



In view of such events, it is but nat- 

 ural that a deep feeling of hatred and 

 fear should have possessed the hearts of 

 the Chians and should have kept alive the 

 desire to be joined to Greece, an ambition 

 not realized until 191 3. 



One of the chief products of Chios is 

 gum mastic, which is grown on the south- 

 ern part of the island. It is used as a 

 gum, and also distilled as a liquid, which 



is used throughout the Levant as an ap- 

 petizer immediately before meals. When 

 mixed with water this liquid assumes a 

 pale milky color, and is an intoxicant if 

 used in immoderate quantities. 



Speaking of mastic reminds me of an 

 incident which happened to the late Mr. 

 Price Collier and me when we were be- 

 ing escorted through a big spirit factory 

 in Stockholm. While various things 

 were being explained the manager placed 

 before us something which seemed 

 strangely familiar to me, and great was 

 my surprise when I learned that mastic 

 not only was fabricated in Stockholm, 

 but was also shipped in large quantities 

 to the Levant in competition with the 

 natural product of Chios. 



Many pleasant drives may be taken 

 from Kastro, along the coast and into the 

 interior of the island. There are nu- 

 merous olive groves, although not nearly 

 so many as on the sister island of Myti- 

 lene.* The roads are not good, and the 

 means of conveyance are rather uncom- 

 fortable, especially if carriages are used. 

 In this respect Chios could emulate the 

 splendid roads on the island of Mitylene, 

 which are considered to be the best any- 

 where in the Levant. 



A LAND OF WINDMILLS 



One feature of the scenery of Chios is 

 the picturesque old windmills which 

 crown the ridges and slopes along the 

 coast. The wheels are of very large di- 

 mensions and are fitted with sails, which 

 supply the motive power for grinding 

 corn. The landscape in many places is 

 barren, especially the hilltops, but the 

 valleys are usually fertile. 



Owing to the possible visitation of 

 earthquakes, the houses are rarely more 

 than two stories high, and when scattered 

 along the country-side are usually sur- 

 rounded by olive or pepper trees, which 

 add much to the beauty and charm of 

 the country. 



From Chios I sailed to the interesting 

 harbor of Teos, on the mainland. A naval 

 engagement once took place here be- 

 tween the fleets of Antiochus the Great 



* For a description of the island of Mytilene 

 see National Geographic Magazine, Decem- 

 ber number, ioo8, Vol. XIX. 



