CHAP. XIII. Particulars of the sacking and burning of Fairy. The moment that day-light appeared, we hastened to the caravanserai for horses: and here we learned, that out of one hundred horses, formerly kept there for posting, only sixteen remained. Two hundred and thirty persons were killed at the taking of the town, before the rebels set fire to it: they entered during the night, exactly as they visited us at the booth; only in greater number, and with cannon; nobody knowing whence they came. Ninety houses were entirely burnt to the ground, besides the mosque, khan, &c.; and others were so completely destroyed, that of a large town nothing now remained but its ruins, in the midst of which stood the caravanserai and the coffee-booth. The rebellious mountaineers are said to perform their incursions from the most distant places, with surprising rapidity. They poured into Fairy, on the night of its capture, like a torrent, after firing a few rounds of artillery. The inhabitants having nothing to defend the town but their small arms, it was soon in flames. A dreadful scene of blood and tumult then ensued to the noise of the conflagration were added the howling and shouts of the rebels, and the shrieks of the poor inhabitants. No one of the fugitives had yet ventured to return to the scene of so much horror: but the Tartar couriers passed through the place; and, as there was no other road, we had been constrained to do the same; not expecting, however, to meet with so much peril as we had encountered during this fearful night. The fact was, that the Pashas throughout all Thrace and Macedonia were then in a state of warfare; either among themselves, or with the Turkish government and there was no road entirely free from the danger CHAP. XIII. disaster. danger either of the insurgents, or of those bands of plunderers, who, profiting by the distracted state of the country, poured down from the mountains upon the plains. When those robbers meditate an attack, the expedition they use is such, that they overwhelm the inhabitants before any intelligence is received of their approach; and the blow being altogether unexpected, is always successful. The Cause of the alleged cause of the disorders at Fairy was said to be nothing more than a dispute between the Agha and his Tchohodar; when the latter having fled from his master, returned with a band of insurgents, and set fire to the town; plundering it of every thing that could be carried off, and murdering the inhabitants'. The flames were seen as far off as Kishan, distant eight hours from Fairy, in the road to Constantinople. The Agha escaped, and took refuge in Mary. We observed a few vestiges of antiquity in Fairy, particularly the large marble capital of a Doric column; also an antient fountain: but the state of the place allowed us neither the leisure nor the inclination to look for works of art. We had the greatest difficulty in getting horses; a strong opposition being made to our hiring those at the caravanserai. Difficulty of town. quitting the (1) Τόφρα δ ̓ ἄρ ̓ οἰχόμενοι ΚΙΚΟΝΕΣ ΚΙΚΟΝΕΣΣΙ γεγώνουν, Οι σφισι γείτονες ἦσαν ἅμα πλέονες καὶ ἀρείους, Ἤπειρον ναίοντες, ΕΠΙΣΤΑΜΕΝΟΙ ΜΕΝ ̓ΑΦ' ἹΠΠΩΝ Odyss. lib, ix. 47. CHAP. XIII. caravanserai. At last, however, what with entreaties, bribes, kicks, and cuffs, here a piastre, and there a blow, first persuasions, and then menaces, we at last bade adieu to Fairy; hoping never to set our feet again within the territory of the CICONES'. (1) Οι θάνον ἐν πεδίῳ ΚΙΚΟΝΩΝ ὑπὸ δηλώθεντες. Odyss. lib. ix. 66, CHAP. XIV. FROM THE TERRITORY OF THE CICONES, TO CONSTANTINOPLE. River Hebrus-Plain of Doriscus-nos-River Tearus-Antient allusion to the Tobacco plant-Wash gold of the Hebrus-Territory of the Apsynthi-Achooria-Kishan-State of the Country-Medals -Grecian origin of English Pantomine-Caduceus of Hermes explained - Mode of practising Physic in Turkey — RamadanBulgar Kieu-Malgara-Develi-Winter of the ArchipelagoPrayers of the Moslems-National character of the Turks-Yenijick -Rhodosto-Bisanthe-Prospect of the Propontis-Antient and modern history of Rhodosto-Inhospitable appearance of ThraceThracian and Trojan Barrows-Eski Eregli-Situation of Perinthus -Heracléa VOL. IV. 3 N -Heracléa- Inscription-Macrontichos-Curious anecdote of a Swallow-Selymbria-Roman marks of distance-Crevátis-Búyúk Tchekmadji-Kûtchûk Tchekmadji-Arrival at ConstantinopleBehaviour of the populace-Soros of Atracian Marble-Péra. CHAP. XIV REJOICING in our escape from Fairy, we made good speed across the plain, and reached the banks of the Maritza river in three quarters of an hour, which is counted an hour's distance from the town. This river is the HEBRUS of Scylax' and Herodotus'. We found it to be much swoln, broad, and muddy'. Our passage over it was effected by means of a rope ferry with a barge. As soon as we landed upon the eastern side, we received the fallacious congratulations of the ferrymen; upon having escaped the territory of the rebels; but this was only true as far as it related to those who burned River (1) In the original text of Scylar, the reading is, wотaμòs Aovρíσкos, 'Adßapos, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τεῖχος, Αἶνος πόλις καὶ λιμνὴν, τείχη Αἴνων ἐν τῇ Θράκη; but Vossius says, "Dorisci fluminis mentio apud neminem, quod sciam, est. Puto itaque sic scribendum hunc locum: Ποταμὸς Ἕβρος, καὶ ἐπ ̓ αὐτοῦ Δορίσκος τείχος.” Scylac. Caryandens. Peripl. p. 65. ed. Gronovii, L. Bat. 1697. (2) Vide Herodotum, lib. iv. c. 90. p. 251; et lib. vii. c. 59. p. 402. ed. Gronovii, L. Bat. 1716. (3) The following passage occurs in Leunclavius, respecting the Maritza: "Sed Prætor, paullo post, hæc de Maritza subjicit: Alii sedes constituebant versus inferiores partes, et eum fluvium quem lingua vulgaris, ut antea dictum est, Maritzam vocat. Reapse quidem is HEBRUs est, qui versus ÆNUM oppidum excurrens, ibidem in. Ægæum se pelagus effundit. Sed quia cum hoc et alii se conjungunt amines, ac majorem efficiunt: iccirco nomen etiam apud accolas mutat. Flumina verò quæ Prætor ab HEBRO sive Maritza recipi commemorat, alia non est necesse recenseri, quod Turcicis nostris illustrandis non serviant." He mentions, however, two; the Harda and the Tunsa; which, he says, Chalcondyles often calls Tænarus; perhaps the TEARUS of Herodotus. Vide Chalcondylem, Hist. de Reb. Turcic. p. 413. Paris, 1650. |