Alexander Charles Fraser

“ A great calamity was threatening the Jewish population of Rhodes. One of those violent outbreaks of superstitious hatred to which they are exposed in semi-civilised countries, was at that moment culminating. The event is historical, so that some who read may remember the fact, or remember to have heard the tradition. Alas! such is human nature, that since that time there may have been other similar scenes enacted. There will always, I fear, be the liability to them so long as the antagonistic characteristics of Greek Christians and Jews are brought into contact under oriental rule. ”

“ And beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the town there stretches a most smiling country.
We were to make our excursion into this beautiful interior in the usual fashion, on donkeys. Quite a cavalcade we formed, and full of fun we were. Little Bessie had been accustomed to ride a donkey at home. Mrs. Quillet was not the woman to be afraid of a few bumps; and as for the skipper and myself, we were of course warranted to ride anything. Our route lay in a great measure along the sea-shore, so that there were no great difficulties of road to try us. ”

“ But it was a dangerous and instantly threatening anarchy.
“Captain Quillet,” I said, assuming as firm a countenance as I could, though I heartily confess that I was in a fright. “Captain Quillet, I appeal to you for protection for the men in that boat who are in my service. If any of them is hurt, I will take care that you answer for it before the proper tribunal.”
“Young man,” was the captain’s rejoinder, “you are committing yourself to more than you bargain for. That man Daniel is a black-hearted rascal. He deserves to be hung at the yard-arm.” ”

“ Murder and kidnapping are not uncommon counts in their indictments. But they do not stop at mere murder. They charge them with positive cannibalism—cannibalism as a direct consequence of their religion, and as an act of high obedience to their Doctors. The allegation is that at Passover time they will always, if possible, kidnap a Christian child, and sacrificing him, mingle his blood with their Passover cakes. It is in vain that one may urge the manifest folly of such an accusation, since the Jews are not permitted to eat the blood of any animal whatsoever. ”

“ I arranged for transit to the mainland on the morning of the next day but one, and determined meanwhile to enjoy myself with all possible assiduity.
They who have visited Rhodes—a more numerous company now than in the days of which I write—will understand how perfectly delighted we all were with the spot. The very climate affords a pleasing contrast with that of every other place in the neighbourhood. A perpetual breeze fans the air, and keeps down the temperature to a bearable point ”

“ If the liability to infection, or contagion, were anything like so great as it is assumed to be, the evil would prevail far more extensively than it does. With all precaution, there will always remain a certain number of non-isolated cases; and I have never been able to make out that peculiar penalties have fallen on the households where they have been secreted. Besides, in some parts of this very empire, lepers may be seen as roadside beggars, guarded from contact with passers-by only by the natural horror which their condition inspires. ”

“ The little girl had visibly improved in health, and the voyage had been one of much enjoyment, without drawback.
“So I hope,” said Quillet, when he had finished giving me this account, “that you will enjoy yourself. We’ve been jolly so far, and if things don’t end as they’ve begun, why I shall call you the Jonah that has spoilt our luck.” ”

“ To this little Bessie was pointed, and from it bidden to fetch what she wanted.
She told me afterwards that they had been so good to her. The women, especially, stood around and watched her with smiles. She would have kissed them if they would have let her; but they religiously kept their distance. One man was found with sufficient broken English at command to make her understand that she must keep quiet, and no harm would happen to her, and that by-and-by her friends would come and fetch her. ”

“ At Daniel’s entreaty I had ordered the boat’s head to be put off from shore. It would have been conniving at murder to allow them to venture among the madmen we there saw. I therefore determined to venture to claim Quillet’s hospitality for the two Israelites, till better times haply should arrive. We neared the vessel, and my intention was, after having committed the two Jews to safe guardianship, to go myself among the people and see whether I could be of any use. As I was tolerably cool, and everybody else appeared to be taken frantic, it seemed likely that I might be able to do some good. ”

“ It was evident in the manifestations of their experience that the luxury of benevolence never loses its virtue. It must bring happiness under all human circumstances. Joy beamed forth from the eyes of all present. But time pressed. There was no real safety for us anywhere on shore, and our vessel must therefore be regained at once. ”

“ Still the patients are men and women who have had their portion, more or less, of interest in the doings of the great family of man. They have had their season of health, and must be able to find some consolation in the recollection of how it has been with them once upon a time. Moreover, they are every one marked out for seclusion by disease, actually incapacitated for active life before they are withdrawn from it. ”

“ One fine summer’s day—it rises before me now as though it were yesterday!—I had scarcely arrived at the office before I was summoned into Mr. Robson’s room. I felt sure that something uncommon must be in the wind to have brought our senior partner to the City so early. I knew indeed that things had not been going smoothly in the Levant. ”

“ This charge in its matured state amounted to this: that the Jews having been long deprived of the necessary means of celebrating their Passover orgies, had been anxiously watching opportunities. Any attempt on the well-known and settled inhabitants would have been fraught with danger, as well they knew to their cost. Here in the nick of time—i.e., just as the festival was approaching, had arrived a little Christian child, without kith or kin on the spot. No one bound by ties of consanguinity to take upon himself the office of her avenger would be found in the island in a few days. ”

“ Others we heard whose little voices were loud, probably in supplication to be lifted up also, that they might see the passers-by.
It seems indeed that the active symptoms of this disease do not always interfere with the personal appearance. Sometimes the morbid manifestations are for years under cover of the clothes; so that you may have the Siren’s head joined on to the body of death. Frequently cases will occur in which health is enjoyed up to the age of eighteen or twenty. In the instance of young women, I am told that they frequently are of attractive appearance up to that time of life. ”

“ Whether it be that at this season there is an especial quickening of zeal among the orthodox, which zeal is supposed to find its legitimate expression in persecuting the Jews, I cannot say—but it is likely enough. They who have witnessed the working of the feuds at Easter between Latins and Orthodox, may conceive what would be the likely virulence, on any decent pretext, against such a defenceless set of religious foes as the Jews.
Christians in the East are generally ready to charge crimes on the Jews. ”

“ But the leper village of Rhodes is not a therapeutic establishment. It is not a friendly asylum opening its gates to receive those whom all other mortals shun, save the devoted members of religious orders especially dedicated to this service. ”

“ Somebody must intervene personally; and on the spot, bring individuals face to face, and make authoritative inquisition. That somebody was to be your humble servant.
“You are young,” said Mr. Robson, “but you possess our confidence. You are fully acquainted with Litti’s representations, and, with the help of a dragoman on the spot, will be able to communicate with all parties concerned. We shall send you with full powers to act on our behalf, and have every confidence that it is for our best interest so to do.” ”

“ Quillet—the sister-in-law, be it remembered, not wife, of the skipper. A lady-like, agreeable person she was, as one would desire to meet among hats and feathers, let alone coasting schooners. Along with her was her little girl, Bessie, a sweet little angel of about six years old. ”

“ What degree of consanguinity is held to justify forcible incarceration?”
“Only that of child to parent,” replied Mr. ——, “at least, so I believe. But you must understand that regulations of this sort would scarcely be of practical application, since all the known lepers are shut up, and of course, with scarcely an exception, their children are born within the infected precincts.”
“Whence,” I observed, “it is to be concluded the disease generally shows itself early in life.”
“Just so. Where the taint is hereditary, the development is seldom deferred beyond the eighteenth year. ”

“ The women of Daniel’s household knew only too well what terrible consequences to themselves and their people might be involved in just this sort of accident. So as I have said they were too eager to vow and protest that they knew nothing about the little Frank damsel.
Some unlucky individual at last gave utterance to the foul suspicion that it was (another?) case of kidnapping for superstitious purposes, and in a moment the idea blazed from one end of the island to the other. ”

“ Children do not take long to contract friendships, and experience proves that with them even the want of a common language is no insuperable stumbling-block. They had together ransacked their stores of toys, and had been allowed, under inspection, to play on the beach. ”

“ I dare say, if the truth were known, they go on much in their old style. Well, our people felt themselves in a fix. Many a time had they accommodated themselves to circumstances, and taken for granted what they could not understand. But this was a question seriously affecting the trustworthiness of their agents. ”

“ Signor Litti (so was our agent named) was an Italian who had dwelt so long in the East, that he was able to deal with all likely requirements of this kind. He could converse and write in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, or Dutch. ”

“ But as all the world knows, things were not so ordered fifty years ago, when travelling, pur et simple, was the luxury of the few, and, so far as commercial purposes were concerned, the demand for individuals as agents abroad was very limited. ”