Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/106

78 the priest attached to the baptismal certificate should be legalized by the Archbishop; but that would only prevent the forgery of the signature. As for the fraud itself, it would be regarded by the Greeks not only as justifiable, but as a commendable exploit; for to deprive the Porte of a subject is in their eyes only robbing the common enemy.

It is probable, that the most vigilant and upright Consuls in the Levant are now and then induced by such stratagems to give passports to persons having no right to them: but how it is with those Consular agents scattered over the Levant, to whom our Govern- ment gives the official seal and title with no other emolument than they can derive from fees? Is it at all likely that their virtue can resist the constant offer of bribes? Mr. Werry's predecessor at Mytilene was one of these unpaid Consular agents, an Ionian by birth.

He was naturally anxious to release as many of the Hellenic race as possible from the thraldom of Turkish oppression, and with this view he created at Mytilene about 200 pseudo-Ionians. Local tradition still records how this venerable old man used to sit in the public cafe after dinner, with his Consular seal all ready in his pocket. After a certain number of glasses of rakee had been imbibed, a passport was always to be had for a reasonable consideration.

Our small society has been enlivened by the visit of a French gentleman, M. L——, who resides at Maltepe, on the opposite coast, the ancient promontory of Cane, where he has bought a large estate for the cultivation of olives. He lives there with a large retinue of native servants, but cut off