Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/147

Rh with the greatest civility, that the richest of the three must pay a ransom of £700. The prisoners were detained by the brigands about twelve hours, till the money arrived from Smyrna, when they were released without having experienced any maltreatment. What makes the matter worse is that the father of the gentleman who had to pay the ransom, had done his best to persuade the governor of Smyrna to grant a pardon to Janni Katerji, to take him into his service and pay him so much a year, in order to keep the neighbourhood of Smyna clear of brigands, in fact, to make a Turkish Vidocq of him. But the Turks did not enter into the scheme, and so Janni Katerji is still at large.

Yesterday we had an interesting ceremonial here. The Archbishop of Mytilene has just been made a member of the Synod at Constantinople, a step towards the higher digniity of Patriarch. Yesterday he was installed in his now office, and bid farewell to his flock here. The ceremony took place in the principal church of Mytilene, when he was in- vested with his new robes, and very gorgeous they were ; consisting of a tiara covered with jewels, and various robes stiff with gold: at his side hung a square piece of embroidery on which he kneels. The ceremony lasted several hours. First was an immense deal of very nasal and most detestable chanting;—a chorus of pigs and cats could not have been worse. Then came the changing of robes, which was done by a number of priests. Each article was blessed and kissed by the Archbishop before he put it on, and after each of these blessings