309 
the form of an inverted cone. The bishops are dis- 
tinguished by a little violet ribband around the head. 
They are dressed in a stuff of the same colour. Other 
priests are generally dressed in black. 
The Greeks have a profound submission and respect 
for their bishops. To salute them they prostrate them- 
selves before them; they take off their bonnets and re- 
verse them; they scarce dare to speak in their presence. 
It is true that the bishops are as central points, round 
which these servile people rally. It is through them 
thev preserve some sort of existence; so that it behoves 
them to give their bishops a political consequence, which 
is even acknowledged by the Turks, if we may judge 
by the manner in which they treat the bishops, to whom 
they give much deference, and even respect. In their 
houses and servants, the prelates display the luxury of 
princes. They never go out without a numerous reti- 
nue; and when they are to ascend a staircase, they are 
carried. The Greeks pay to the church the tenth, first- 
fruits, casualties, dispensations, and a great many alms. 
The archbishop enjoys the revenues of almost all the 
monasteries of the island, which are very numerous. 
These ecclesiastical princes receive the taxes of the na- 
tion to pay the usual tribute to the Turkish government, 
and this gives room to a kind of monopoly among them. 
The governor has never been able to know the exact 
number of Greeks in the island; they are supposed to 
amount to 32,000 souls. But by the declaration of 
well-informed persons, I am assured that the number 
rises to 100,000. 
The last year government sent a commissary to as- 
certain the exact number of the Greek population, but 
