acrossasiaminoro00chiluoft

402 ACROSS ASIA MINOR ON FOOT
vention of the British and French Ambassadors at
Constantinople. The story of how at this time an
American missionary,—Dr Christie, a veteran of the
American Civil War, and now Principal of St Paul's
College, Tarsus,—after all telegraph wires had been
cut, rode the hundred and thirty miles from Marash
to Aleppo in twenty-four hours to reach the British
Military Consul there with news of the intended
massacre, and so brought about British and French
intervention, is one of the exciting episodes in Zeitun
history. But many others are related of the same
struggles ; and as for adventures of the Zeitun
brigand bands, there are enough to make a book.
In bearing and manner Zeitunlis well bear out their
history, and are in singular contrast to most of their
race. In pride and dignity and fearlessness many
might have been Albanian mountaineers, whom, indeed,
they somewhat resembled. Had the Armenian
race at large been of the same nature as these Zeitiin
highlanders, had they shown the same unity and high
spirit and disregard of personal gain, there would
never have been an Armenian question in Asia Minor.
Nor, for the matter of that, would there have been a
Greek question at the present day.
Zeitunlis have figured in the present war with
disaster to themselves, so far as is known at present,
and yet with much of their usual courage and enterprise.
It appears that by a combination of force,
negotiation, and promises, the Turks managed to
clear the district of Armenians and deport them in
various directions. One band, however, among them
the Protestant pastor who had been my host, somehow
got down to the Syrian coast, seized and entrenched
a position on the Amanus mountains overlooking the
sea, and held it against all Turkish attacks. In the
true Zeitunli spirit they even resorted to counterattacks
upon the Turkish lines as the best form of
defence. Thus they fought and held out for weeks,
with a flag flyixig on the mountain, a signal-fire in
readiness, and a large board beside it on which was