SCENES IN BULGARIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 758, 27 October 1876, Page 3

SCENES IN BULGARIA.

The investigation into the atrocities is progressing rapidly. Mr Baring will probably report that hot fewer than sixty villages were burnt and 12,000 people killed. I do not know what view he will take of the insurrection. Many prisoners have been released since we arrived. 'Mr Baring is honestly desirous of obtaining the truth, ■but is always accompanied by a Turkish escort, which frightens the peasantry. Mr Schuyler thinks the reports of the atrocities committed by the Bulgarians utterly unfounded. Ho believes that about 100' Turks were killed, nearly all in actual combat. There is no proof yot of a single Turkish woman or child having been Idled. Except In three villages, the Bulgarians offetod no resistance, in one instance only the Bulgarians attacked the Turks, viz., in a village of mixed inhabitants. Proof has been obtained of atrocities corresponding in the majority of cases witli the details in the Daily News. A school-mistress, a beautiful girl, was arrested for embroidering a flag, and brutally maltreated. She was nick-named-the Queen of the Bulgarians. She hail been released on bail, but was in prison six weeks on bread and Water. The poor girl is now ill and broken-hearted. I have just seen the town of Batok with Mr Schuyler. Mr Baring was there yesterday. Hero is what I saw. On approaching the town on a hill there were some dogs. They ran away, and wo founcj on this spot a number of skulls scattered about, and one ghastly heap of skeletons with clothing. I counted from the saddle a hundred skulls, picked and licked clean, all of women and shildren. Wo entered tlio town. On every side were skulls and skeletons charred runobg the fuin» or lying entire where they

fell in their clothing. There wore skeletons of girls mul women with Tong brown hair hanging to their skulls. Wo approached the church. There these remains were more frequent until the ground was literally covered with skeletons, skulls, and petrifying bodies in clothing. Between the church and school there were heaps. The stench was fearful. Wo entered the churchyard. The sight was more’ dreadful. The whole churchyard for three feet down was festering with dead bodies partly covered—hands, arms, Tegs, and heads projected in ghastly confusion. I saw many little hands, heads, and feet of children of three years of age, and girls with heads covered with beautiful hair. Tho church was still worse. The floor was covered with rotting bodies quite uncovered. I never imagined anything so fearful. There wore 11,000 bodies in the churchyard and church. Wo were obliged to hold tobacco to pur noses. In tho school, a tine building, 200 women and children had been burned alive. All lover the town there were the same scenes. In some places heaps of bodies buried in shallow holes bad been uncovered' by tho dogs. The hanks of the little stream were covered with bodies. Many bodies had been earned to Tartar Bazardjik, a distance of 30 miles. The town had about 9,000 inhabitants. There now remains 1,200, Many who escaped had returned recently, weeping and moaning over their ruined homes. Their sorrowful wailing could be heard half a mile off. Some were digging out, the skeletons, of loved ones A woman Was sitting moaning over three small skulls with hair clinging to them, which she had in her lap.- 'J ho man who did .ill this—Achftifd !, Aga— has been promoted, and is still governor of the district. The newspaper accounts were not xaggerated. They could not bo. No crime ■nvented by Turkish ferocity was loft uncommitted. Seven thousand bodies have been lying here since May 12, rotting in the sun, preyed upon by dogs.