The Greek Manuscripts in the Old Seraglio at Constantinople

many of the visitors. The mob, meanwhile, headed by Ulemas Muslim scholars of religious law. and Softas Students of theology., rushed to the offices of the Shourai Ummet and the Tanin, the two organs of the Committee, and threw everything—papers, furniture, presses, and type—out of the windows. They then behaved in the same fashion at the office of the Committee of Union and Progress. Among the papers they found, it is said that there were many of an extremely compromising nature, dealing, for instance, with the removal of Hassan Fehmi and other opponents of the Committee. By this time, accidents from the falling bullets were becoming frequent. On the bridge, as I returned, a man within two feet of me fell like a log: a bullet had come down just behind his right ear and out again by the lower jaw. He was taken in a cab to the hospital, and I do not know whether he recovered or not. It was estimated that in the course of the three days more than two million rounds were fired; perhaps fifteen people were purposely murdered; and about thirty were accidentally killed and over five hundred wounded.

After Wednesday, the exciting events were merely sporadic. The whole of Thursday morning I was examining my manuscripts in the Library of the Seraglio, and all seemed to be quiet. On my return to Pera that afternoon, I was the witness of an exciting and tragic adventure that took place in front of Tokatlian’s restaurant.

Two soldiers began to quarrel—I could not see why—and one of them attempted to wrest the other’s revolver from him. The second attempted to level his rifle at his opponent and fired. The ball missed its aim and struck in the head a young Greek who was passing, killing him instantly. The aggressor then ran for his life, while the first soldier prudently retired down a side alley. At that moment a patrol, also soldiers, came around the corner of the street and pursued the fleeing man at full gallop. I could not see the end, but they caught him at the next corner and put an end to him at once with bayonets and revolvers. The body lay in the gutter for two or three hours; it was finally removed to the courtyard of a neighboring