CHAPTER XIX.
A visit to some Greeks—The Turkish administration—The impalement story—The law is equally bad for Turks and Christians—Peculiarity about the Armenians and Greeks in Yuzgat—The outskirts of the town—An immense crowd—Women clad in long white sheets—Throwing the djerrid—The game—We rode better in our time—A marriage procession—Women riding donkeys—The head of the Mohammedan religion at Yuzgat—The respective merits of the Turkish and Christian faith—Allah is very kind to all true believers—What is the good of insuring?—An Armenian church—A raised platform enclosed by trellis work—The occupants of the gallery—The women will stare at the men—Ladies distract the attention of the congregation—The Pole's house—A cheap servant.
I called upon a Greek who had paid me a visit on the day of my arrival. Several of his compatriots were with him. They at once commenced conversing about what they suffered under the Turkish administration.
"We are very badly treated," said one.
"Very badly indeed," said another.
"Are the Christians here ever tortured?" I inquired.
"No."
"Have you ever heard of any of them being impaled?"
The company began to laugh.
"No such things go on in Turkey," said my host; "but the law is bad, that is what we mean. Just before you arrived, we were talking about a Turk who had borrowed some money from one of our countrymen and had given a gun as security for the debt. The Turk died, and the Christian, not being paid what he was owed, sold the gun to a friend. Ten years afterwards a son of the deceased Turk came and claimed the weapon, which he said was his father's property, and consequently his own. There were no papers or witnesses to prove that the gun had been pledged, and the Cadi decided for the Mohammedan."