before Anatolico, the whole of his efforts had succeeded only in destroying a few miserable houses, began seriously to reflect on his position, and to apprehend the dangers, that were now daily gathering round his army. The wintry rains, which in these regions last uninterruptedly for three months, had already begun. In a few days the Achelous, the Evenus, and indeed every river and pass would become impracticable; laying aside the possibility of wintering in the marshy neighbourhood of the besieged town, where the troops could receive no provisions either for themselves or horses. Remote from his own pashalick, he could not rely on the assistance of Omer Pasha, his secret enemy; nor would the Greek bands leave the passage free for his convoys.

;

Discontent already prevailed among the Albanians; their complaints became hourly louder and louder and their chiefs felt compelled to represent to him, that a timely retreat only could save the army from ruin; and that if he delayed any longer, he would expose the troops to suffer the same losses as Omer Pasha had the year before. On the 30th of November, the whole army, therefore, was in march; and as soon as intelligence of this event reached Omer Pasha, he was unable to refrain the joy it occasioned him, but appeared frantic with delight.

CHAPTER V.

Effects of the victories obtained-The nation divided into two parties-Colocotrone's letter-The author introduced to Dr. Lucca Vaya-Manner of living among the Greeks-Account of Ali Pasha, &c.-Voutier's Memoirs.

GREAT as might be the satisfaction of every friend of Greece on contemplating a succession of events so fortunate for her rising liberties, we could not forbear being alarmed, on observing the evil effects, such a sudden and unexpected prosperity produced on the public mind. Instead of humbly adoring the hand, which, by blinding her enemy, had extricated the nation out of so many perils, the presumptuous Greek attributed all these wonders to his own valour and foresight. Intoxicated with vanity, he looked on himself as invincible. Instead of profiting by past errors, or being induced, by the recollection of the perils, to which his supineness exposed him, to prepare against future attacks; his thoughts were absorbed by the enjoyments and pleasures of the day, and in the pursuit of his own private interests. So strongly were even the chiefs under the influence of this delirium, that no consideration could bring them to a proper sense of their position. It was a fruitless task to enumerate the prodigious resources of their enemy; to allude to the obstinacy of his character, to show them that the day of danger was not over; that the only basis of a nation's strength was a wellregulated administration, supported by the union of the citizens; and that improvident security in the midst of perils was like the sudden calm, which, in

some violent distempers, is the surest harbinger of death. To these and, in fact, to every other remonstrance they turned a deaf ear, and only replied to the Europeans, that the sole obstacle to the prosperity of Greece was want of money. With a Greek, advice is always listened to in proportion as it is supported by dollars.

But in truth the interior state of the nation was, at this moment, highly alarming. Government was merely nominal; and a corrupted anarchy existed. The legislative body, at variance with the executive, was without authority, or residence. After wandering, like a band of strolling players, to Salamis, Corinth, Epidaurus, Valtetzi, Astros, and Argos, the senators had just been compelled to fly to Cranidi, at the approach of the soldiers of the Moriot Capitani; who in actual possession of every fortress, every town, and every branch of revenue, had sworn the abolition of the provisional constitution.

The whole nation was divided into two parties; both actuated by the same selfish principles; viz. the division of the enemy's property and the appropriation of the revenues, arising from their produce. The chiefs and inhabitants of Peloponnesus, who had laid the first hand on the Turkish properties, claimed them as their own; and, deaf to every remonstrance, they refused to share them with any one; while those, whose lots had been less fortunate, maintained, that, since every Greek had contributed equally to the destruction of their oppressors, the rights of each to a share of the spoils were equal; in one word, that all conquered property belonged to the nation, and should be consecrated to the maintenance of the army, navy, and indispensable wants of government.

Not only the capitani of Peloponnesus, but Odys

seus, also, who lorded over the whole of Eastern Greece, had declared themselves leaders of the more powerful factions. Regardless of perjury, they aimed at the overthrow of the constitution, and proposed establishing among themselves a confederacy, the basis of which was not only mutual assistance against the enemy, but against every one, who should pretend to the command of a country, which, they said, belonged to them, by right of conquest, birth, and election. Fearing that the capitani of Western Greece might offer their assistance, they warned them against interfering in the affairs of Peloponnesus, which did not concern them; and they promised, in return, not to interfere in theirs. Their sentiments, however, may be best learned from the following letter from the most powerful chief in the Morea, Coloco

trone:

"Brave Roumeliot Capitani,

"In order to assert the rights and defend the interests of our country, Peloponnesus, we have taken up arms against the tyranny of a few individuals. Being patriots, we are unwilling to create a civil war. If you are Greeks and patriots, you must not interfere with the affairs of Peloponnesus; but remain neutral. If you have any claims, you claims, you will, in due time, receive every satisfaction. Should you, however, meddle with the affairs of Peloponnesus, look to the consequences; we shall be no longer responsible.

"THEODORE COLOCOTRONE."

The Moriots were the most anxious to establish a separation between their country and the rest of Greece; because, in their narrow view of things, they esteemed the assistance of the fleet and of the Rou

meliots superfluous for the defence of the peninsula. They desired, therefore, not to be troubled by claims for pecuniary assistance from any other quarter. They asserted, that the spoils of the Turks of Continental Greece were amply sufficient to carry on the war in that country; that the revenues of the islands of the Archipelago were sufficient to defray the expenses of the fleet; and with some justice they contended, that it was very unfair, that those, who were so loud in requiring sacrifices from others, should be allowed to hoard up the immense treasures, of which several had possessed themselves after the insurrection.

The other party, which consisted of the majority of the inhabitants of Western Greece, owed their chief support to the islanders. Having no reason to be dissatisfied with the Turkish government, whose authority over them consisted merely in receiving annually the capitation-tax, they lived completely independent, governed by their own magistrates, and engaged in a lucrative commerce; yet they nobly sacrificed their interests to join their countrymen, and assist them in throwing off the yoke. After having been the principal instruments in the liberation of Peloponnesus, in the annihilation of the enemy's attempts, in the reduction of Anapli, Navarino, Monemvasia, &c. they had assuredly some well-founded claims to share the revenues, necessary to defray the expenses of the fleet. Willing, as they had ever shown themselves, to expose their ships and lives in the defence of their country, the barren rocks, they inhabited, afforded no means of subsistence to the sailor. He could, in fact, no more exist without the pecuniary assistance of his peninsular brethren, than the latter could remain quiet possessors of their country without the presence of a vigilant navy.