Beliani, Mavromichale, and Andrea Zaione, from the Peleponesus, joined us with a thousand men. A great number of Missolonghites, who were in the Peloponesus, returned to Missolonghi, in consequence of the arrival of the Greek vessels. But what was their surprise when they saw their houses levelled to the ground; whilst those who were fortunate enough to have saved their houses, found them open, and their property stolen. They applied to Mavrocordato, representing the situation in which they were placed, destitute both of home and property. He replied " Had you remained in your houses, to defend your country, or left sufficient funds to maintain an efficient army, you would have preserved your property: you abandoned them I therefore thought it expedient to fortify them, and thus convert them into means of defence to prevent your country falling into the hands of the enemy. If my soldiers have taken your provisions, and seized your effects, this is but a scanty reward for the toils they have endured; and if they have gained any thing by your desertion, you ought to be glad that it fell into the hands of your countrymen rather than of your enemies. You had much better have staid in the Peloponesus, than have returned to your country as base and cowardly as when you left her."

The Albaniaus several times approached the walls by day, without arms, to talk to us. They told us that the sorties made by the Asiatics, under the command of Reschid Pacha, were only for the purpose of trying what chance they had of success. Not a night had passed since the renewal of hostilities in which they did not attack us on some point; they were, however, always. repulsed with loss. The enemy had more than two thousand horses, but without any other provender than what they found in the fields into which they were turned loose. They often came under the walls, where the grass was long, and we amused ourselves in shooting them; but as some hundreds of them died, the contagion with which they infected the air was eventually very injurious to us. We had, however, on the whole, reason to be satisfied, as the enemy were unable to recover the time they had lost. We lived, indeed, a life of toil, being obliged to remain every night upon the walls, exposed to an incessant rain; but we cheerfully submitted to a fatigue which has been productive of good consequences. Poor General Normann, the companion of our misfortunes, died at Missolonghi in extreme distress, and almost in a state of nakedness. He had been deeply affected by the loss of so many brave men at the battle of Peta. Many of the Greeks said it was his own fault, since he had foreseen what the result would be, as his letter to Mavrocordato proved. He had been utterly destitute; no one would give him any money; he was no longer respected by the Greeks; and had fallen even in the estimation of Mavrocordato, in consequence of the mistake he was said to have committed. These miseries and mortifications brought him to the grave. In his last moments, he was continually calling upon his beloved wife. When he died, all the Greeks who were present began to weep, and some women of Missolonghi brought him a shirt, a coat, and other articles of dress. The only persons to whom the Greeks ever offered their assistance, were those who could no longer profit by it. I often mentioned to Mavrocordato the general's situation. He replied, that he was sorry for him,

but could not relieve him. Such is the reward he received, and yet he was an officer of rank. Officers or other men disposed to go to Greece, may infer from this instance the treatment they have to expect, and the recompence which awaits them. I shall never forget the day on which the general was carried to church to be buried. He was attended by us Europeans, and by a great number of Greeks of both sexes, who did nothing but weep. They now made great lamentation over the deceased. All spoke in praise of his good qualities, of the services he had rendered to their country, and of the assistance he had brought to Greece. I could not help observing to some of the Missolonghites-" Why do you weep for him now that he is dead, and in a much better condition than yourselves, being released from his sufferings? You should have sympathised with him during his illness, and have procured him what he wanted, instead of deserting him." To this some of them replied, "How do you know that he is released from his sufferings? If we had not lighted up candles, and offered up our prayers for him, and if the bishop had not pronounced a benediction over him, he would now be in hell." To this I made no reply, but turned away from persons whom I thought unworthy of farther notice. I have reason to reproach Mavrocordato with the death of General Normann. Being ill after the battle of Peta, the general solicited a sum of money to enable him to go to the Ionian Islands for the recovery of his health. This was refused by Mavrocordato, who replied that he had none, which was probably true, but all his suite, consisting of Greeks, had abundance of money; the proportion of their expenditure, as compared with what they charged their country with, was about as two to ten. As for us three Europeans, we had very humble fare, and only nominal pay. How often have I heard the general say-" I am ill, and have not the means to go away; I must die among these ungrateful men!"

The continual rains were greatly in our favour. A destructive sickness broke out in the enemy's army; the horses died for want of food; the mud was knee deep, and the barracks and tents gave way, from the quantity of water. Reschid, seeing that the bad weather precluded all hope of success at present, and that his men were daily perishing, took up his quarters in the villages of Galata and Brocori, in the expectation of a change of weather, and for the purpose of restoring the health of his troops. It has been already said, that we had placed a thirty-six pounder upon a church. It was directed against the small church in which Omer-Vrioni resided. One of our balls went directly through the wall on one side, and fell near the pachà, who was smoking. He quitted his pipe with unusual alacrity, and retired to the distance of a mile, as he had no inclination to try the effect of a second shot.

There was a fisherman of Missolonghi, who spoke the Turkish language very well. He carried fish every day to the pachàs. On his return to Missolonghi, he faithfully related all that he had heard. He one day told us that the enemy were tired of the wretched life they led; that the Albanians threatened to revolt, and accused the pachà of having suffered the favourable moment to escape; that the pachà had received letters from the Porte, urging him to act with decision,

and make an attack. Omer-Vrioni had a conference with Reschid Pachà, in which they laid aside all their jealousies, and agreed on an immediate attack. Omer-Vrioni offered a reward of five hundred Turkish piastres to be immediately distributed among the men who would volunteer to lead the assault. Eight hundred soon presented themselves for this enterprise. The night fixed upon for the attack was the 5th or 6th January (O. S.) because, as it was the time of the Christmas festival, the pachàs thought that all the Greeks would be at church, acccording to their established custom. We knew all this plan eight days before. Mavrocordato sent letters to the Annatolite captains, who had taken refuge in the mountains, urging them to return to their duty, and not to follow the example of Gogo and Vernakiotis. He exhorted them to prove their attachment to their country by instantly marching with one accord against the enemy, whom they might surprise in his rear, whilst we attacked him in front. The Crevariots were to second this plan. Mavrocordato ordered on shore one hundred and fifty seamen from the Greek vessels, to augment our number, and added twelve pieces of cannon, that we might be well protected on all sides. The appointed night was anxiously expected, as that in which we were to reap the reward of all our toils. The duty assigned to us Europeans was to take care that the sentinels were awake. Our nights were spent in going the rounds with Mavrocordato, to rouse the Greeks who were asleep. A thousand times have I seen Mavrocordato cudgelling the Greeks, whom he had no sooner awaked, than they turned themselves round, and fell asleep again. Our only fear indeed was, that we should be surprised in some point where the sentinels were not on guard. In fact, on the expected night, Mavrocordato ordered all to be at their posts. It was four hours after midnight; nothing was heard, not even the firing of the enemy's cannon, as was usual on other nights: we knew not what to think, when, suddenly, we heard horrible cries, and all the enemy's batteries opened a brisk fire. We ran to the part whence the cries proceeded. Eight hundred Albanians had, unperceived, approached the fosse, which a brave standard-bearer had leaped. He had twice climbed the walls, upon which he had placed his standard, and having effected an entrance, killed two sentinels who were asleep. If the Albanians had remained silent, and the enemy's batteries had not fired so soon, the Turks would have taken Missolonghi. Behind were a thousand men, to support the eight hundred who were scaling the walls, and these were followed by the main army. The Greeks thought that the attack would not take place that night, as the morning was fast approaching. Our whole force advanced to the point of attack. The standard-bearer was mortally wounded. The Albanians, who were to mount the walls, were slightly armed with sabres and pistols. Each man carried a fascine to throw into the fosse, to fill it up, as, from the heavy rains, it was very full of water.

The combatants fought man to man; but as the assailants laboured under many disadvantages, and the continuance of the rain prevented their obtaining a firm footing, they were compelled, at the expiration of half an hour's unavailing efforts, to relinquish the attempt. As we drove them back into the fosse, we commenced a destructive fire, which killed a great number of them, while they were endeavouring to pass

to the other side. The troops by whom they were supported were prevented firing upon us, lest they should kill their own companions in the fosse on the contrary, our fire had its full effect upon both, whilst we lost not a single man from the incessant fire of their batteries. The enemy left in this attack six hundred men on the field of battle, and two hundred wounded. We had only two men killed, whose death may be attributed to their own neglect of duty. The standard-bearer not being dead, Mavrocordato ordered his wounds to be dressed. This brave young fellow would have probably recovered, had he not been assassinated by night in his bed, by two Missolonghites; from what motive I know not. The enemy returned to their camp without firing a single shot. The Greeks descended from the walls to strip the dead, among whom there was not one without money.

Fifteen days passed, and no movement was discernible on the part of the enemy. The morning of the 20th, Marco Bozarris, reconnoitring with his glass as usual, could discover nothing, not even the smoke arising from their fires. Surprised, and scarcely knowing how to believe that they could have thus retreated without any further hostilities, he despatched eight Suliotes to ascertain the fact. After an hour's absence, they returned with the joyful news that the enemy had decamped, leaving all their provisions.

No sooner had the Greeks received this intelligence, than they opened the gates, threw themselves over the walls, and rushed into the enemy's camp, where they found a great many barrels of powder wet with sea water, cases of cartridges, biscuits, and a great number of bales of rice, which, in case they should be poisoned, they threw into the sea. The Greeks, knowing that it is the custom of the Turks to bury what they wish to conceal, searched the earth with their ramrods. Feeling resistance, they began to dig, and found ten pieces of cannon, with their carriages, which, it was subsequently ascertained, had been left there by the enemy, in the hope of soon returning with a reinforcement. The Turks were impressed with a notion that we should attack their centre, and, influenced by this groundless fear, fled as if they had been really pursued. The whole plain of Misso longhi was covered with bodies of men and horses which had been left to the birds of prey. This was intended to show their contempt for the Turks; though the only persons, in fact, injured, were themselves, by the production of a most terrible epidemy. Mavrocordato wisely gave orders for the immediate pursuit of the intimidated enemy, under the persuasion that he should take the pachàs, and put the rest of the army to the sword. The enemy knowing they were pursued, with much difficulty reached Bracori, with almost all their troops in a state of sickness, and horses that could scarcely stand on their feet; some of which having been, for this reason, abandoned by the enemy, were found by us on the way. Omer-Vrioni, knowing that the river Achelous was impassable, from the heavy rains, gave himself up for lost, his troops being incapable of fighting. The error of Mavrocordato, at so critical a moment, was unpardonable. We arrived with fifteen hundred men at the village of Carafola, two miles distant from Bracori, where it was known the enemy had been compelled to stop, with worn out troops, a scarcity of provisions, and horses that, from weakness, were unfit for service; and it was well known that the

Turks are no sooner unsuccessful than they are good for nothing. I think that these reasons combined, should have induced Mavrocordato to compel the Turks either to pass the river or to surrender. Neither the Greeks nor the Turks improved the first victory, to secure a second. Mayrocordato remained almost a month in this position, looking at the enemy without firing a shot. Omer-Vrioni, who was in continual apprehension of an attack, at length passed the river with the loss of fifty men; and a great number of horses were shot and carried away by the current. The physician of Omer-Vrioni, a Greek, who was tired of staying with the Turks, and afraid of being drowned, pretended at the moment of passing the river, that he had forgotten some medicines intended for the use of the pachà, and that he had left them in the house in which he had lodged at Bracori. He then took one of the pacha's best horses, but instead of going to Bracori, came to our camp. He told us that the pachàs had had no doubt but that they would be attacked, and that their destruction would have been total. Mavrocordato was sensible of his error; he, however, urged as a reason, which was in some respects satisfactory, that the officers had opposed him, thinking the enemy stronger than he really was. Thus it has ever been, and will continue to be. No government can maintain its authority, that has not power to enforce obedience.

Captain Macri, although he had abandoned his post, was nevertheless appointed commandant of Missolonghi, after the departure of Mavrocordato in pursuit of the enemy. It is necessary to inform the reader, that Captain Macri, under the Turkish government, was a butcher at Patras, which will account for the talents by which he was distinguished. A Turkish vessel was coming from Patras, with one hundred and forty Albanians, who, after some years' service, had amassed a sufficient fortune, and obtained permission to return home. The pilot, not sufficiently acquainted with the depth of the water, run the vessel a-ground, and a breeze springing up, drove her farther ashore, so that it was found impossible to get her off. Some fishermen went immediately to Missolonghi, and gave information of the state of the vessel loaded with Albanians. The Missolonghites, in great numbers, repaired to the ship in boats, in which they had mounted cannon, and were going to fire, when the Albanians, seeing that there was no other alternative, proposed, by signal, to surrender on terms. Captain Macri ordered two of the Albanian chiefs to come on shore, on parole, to make terms. He promised to spare all their lives, and to send them home, on condition that they gave up all their effects. To this the Albanians, seeing no other means of escape, consented. They were then landed, disarmed, and conducted to Missolonghi. There were twelve superior officers, and two beys. The latter were lodged in a house, and the others in a church. Information was sent to Mavrocordato, for the purpose of receiving the requisite orders. Captain Macri knowing that they were very rich, and that they would produce him a fine booty, would not wait for the instructions of Mavrocordato, who, he was certain, would apply their riches to the benefit of the country. He, therefore, thought it more advisable to seize them himself, and to put to death all the Albanians, that no one might know the extent of their property. The next day, he ordered the 20

DEC. 1826.