merit, added what enhances them most, modesty and simplicity of manners. His countrymen ranked him among their most gallant sailors; and the garrison found him to be, on all occasions, an active, disinterested, courageous patriot. He had, a few days before, owing to counter orders, landed on the point of the island three brass eighteen-pounders, which he embarked at Anapli, with orders to convey them to Patras, the siege of which during the last six months had so much been spoken of, and which the active Conduriotti was, at his departure from Anapli, firmly determined on undertaking.

On Tsamado's requesting the soldiers of the garrison to assist him in the erection of a battery, on which to place these cannons, they replied, "this is no business of ours; for we are soldiers; not porters nor diggers." The love of his country operating on his mind above all other considerations, he began the work with his own hands, and thus animating the crew by his example, they set to the work, and terminated it in a few days. He informed us, that the only troops on the island were a hundred men, under the orders of Anagnostaia, who, instead of fulfilling the task, which had been given him by government, had 'in consequence of a quarrel between him and the capitani of the garrison, departed from Neocastro, and retired to one of the numerous caverns, that exist among the rocks of Sphacteria. There he lived in the midst of a plenty, which the fortress was very far from sharing; but to satisfy his revenge, he neglected bringing in the objects, necessary to its defence and maintenance; little considering the fatal consequences, such proceedings might entail upon his country*.

* I can truly assert, from almost daily inspection, that when I entered Neocastro, the whole of the provisions consisted in bis

Next morning (April the 22d), we proceeded with Mavrocordato to Neocastro. He presented me to the chiefs, by whom I was heartily welcomed. As there were numerous, wounded and sick, I entered instantly into the performance of my professional duties. The greater part had received their wounds on the 20th, when, profiting by Ibrahim's absence, who on that day attacked the Greek camp at Fourgi, the garrison made a sortie, with the intention of taking the enemy's battery on Mount Saint Nichola, and nail its cannons. Suspecting the design of the Greeks, the Arabs had taken every necessary precaution to thwart it; and, in fact, on their appearance, received them with so much firmness and vigour, that, after mounting up only one half of the ascent, they precipitately retired.

A French Philhellene, a youth of nineteen, named Garelle, displayed, on this occasion, a courage which I feel a pleasure in recording. Ensign in the artillery brigade of Callergi, he placed himself (as is customary in Greek and Turkish armies) at the head of the soldiers who volunteered to make the sortie; and with the colours in one hand, and the sword in the other, undauntedly led the way. Disdaining to imitate the cowardly example of the rest, he rushed alone up the hill, and planted the Greek flag on the Turkish battery. Having thus given noble proofs of his valour, he received a wound in the head, and another in the face; when he began to consult his own safety, and was fortunate enough to re-enter the fortress with no further injury.

The Greeks had, on this occasion, fifteen killed on

cuit and flour for six weeks;-eighteen barrels of a pickled fish, called lacerda; fifteen of spoiled anchovies; olives and oil in abundance; and forty chests of vermicelli, accidentally left behind by a Genoese merchant.

the spot, and upwards of thirty wounded. Since the beginning of the siege, not more than sixty men had been wounded. The inclined position of the fortress, but above all, want of skill in the Turkish artillerists, were the chief causes of the trifling injury, hitherto suffered by the besieged. The bombs had indeed so much destroyed the houses of the town, that, with the exception of five or six, they were all levelled with the ground. The church being bombproof was therefore destined for the reception of the wounded.

The result of Mavrocordato's inquiries served to afford a complete and undeniable proof of the negligence of government, and to show how destitute of the means of resistance the fortress was, with the fate of which the most vital interests of Greece were intimately linked; since it defended not only the finest harbour of the Morea; but that, which, in every respect, suited the purposes of the enemy. Nine months before Ibrahim's arrival, informed positively of his intentions, could not the members of the executive dedicate a small portion of the loan to the wants of Neocastro? Or did the spirit of private revenge and cupidity so powerfully possess their minds, as not to allow them even to reflect on the necessities of their country, and the consequences of their improvidence? Could they not perceive, that as long as the Turks remained without a port in the Morea, their fleet never could undertake any thing of permanent consequence? Winter would always force them to retreat; and in the fine season, obliged to remain constantly at sea, they and their transports would always be exposed to be molested by the Greeks, and would have a thousand difficulties to surmount in order to land or embark troops, provisions, and materials of war, &c. But once in possession of Neocastro, the efforts

of the Greek navy would be almost entirely paralyzed; the sultan's vessels, and those of Mehmet Ali, might anchor in safety in its spacious bay, braving the winds and fireships; while Ibrahim might leisurely have prepared every enterprise, he determined upon.

A long list of the principal articles, indispensable to the besieged, was drawn out by Mavrocordato, and forwarded by him to the agent of the Greek government at Zante; but none of them were received by the garrison. Feeling, that a single moment was not to be lost to remedy the existing evils, lest Ibrahim should profit by the inadvertence of the Greeks, Mavrocordato left Neocastro on the very same day he had arrived; and hastened to rejoin Conduriotti, who had, at last, come down to Scala. He urgently represented to him the necessity of using every possible diligence and exertion, to thwart the designs of the enemy, before the return of his fleet from Candia; and to this the following objects were to be effected: viz. ordering a thousand men to occupy the island of Sphacteria; supplying them and the garrison of Old Navarino with ammunition and provisions for three months; constructing proper batteries on its point and opposite the few parts, where landing might be attempted; and supplying the imperious wants of the fortress.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Description of Neocastro-Character of Stactouri-Conduct of Phoca-Battle of Neocastro-Turkish method of firingTurkish fleet arrive off Modon-Battle-Distress of several Greeks in a cavern.

NEOCASTRO Consists of two parts, the Kalè, or the fortifications and walls defending the town and harbour, and the Itchkalè, or the citadel. It is indispensable, in order to make the reader understand the manner in which the siege of this place was carried on, to dedicate a few lines to a description of its principal features. At each angle of the lowest wall of the town-fortifications exist batteries, composed of two stories. The outermost battery, which fronts the mouth of the harbour, mounts sixteen cannons. The eight below are thirty-six pounders; those above are twelve and eighteen pounders. Beysadè Torjachi was intrusted with the defence of the lowermost story; and Tatraco with that of the uppermost. The innermost battery, which is exactly similar to the one described, was now completely walled. It had been built only to act against ships, that have once cleared the first battery, and penetrated into the port. A weak wall, about a hundred and eighty yards in length, connects these two large batteries. A semicircular tower mounted with four six-pounders exists in its middle. A long wall, four hundred yards in length, runs up from each of these sea batteries, and, connecting them with the citadel, form the precincts of the town, which formerly consisted of upwards of three hundred houses. These walls, little more than six feet in thickness, are unprotected by