1823,] 
yet taken prisoner. The amount of 
able seamen was about 20,000; but, not 
haying armed above sixty or seventy 
vessels, and. only on short expeditions, 
they did not make use of a quarter of 
them. The Greck Confederation had 
no regular navy, and the ships it sent 
against the enemy were mere merchant- 
men of from 250 to 350 tons, fitted ont 
and often commanded by the owners, 
on the faith of their losses being mzde 
good by the government. 
' Corinth, fated to yield afterwards to 
the torrent of a hostile invasion, opened 
its gates to the Greeks at the moment 
when ithe, constitutisn was promnul- 
gated, A plot was preparing by some 
peasants of Samos and Scio. This 
fatal aggression, far from being autho- 
rized by the government, was only sub- 
sequently even known to it; and the 
tardy succour which it sent, could not 
prevent the unparalleled disasters of a 
flourishing population. Humanity shud- 
ders at.the horrors of which Scio was 
the theatre in the face of the powers of 
Christendom. 
Meanwhile the great assemblages and 
the preparations of the enemy in Epirus, 
announced that he was about to strike 
some decisive blow. Chourschid Pasha, 
genera!-in chief, owed the favour which 
he enjoyed near the ‘sultan to the 
destruction of Ali, as he had owed that 
success to the treachery of the Alba- 
nians, who opened the gates of Iannina 
to him... He had spared nothing to 
gain them ; and, after this first success, 
he squandered treasures and promises in 
order to lead them en masse against 
Suli,* His plan was to get possession 
of the fortress of Kiapha, and then, freed 
from all anxiety about his rear, to bend 
his course through Acarnania against 
the Morea, ‘I he president of the exc- 
cutive power passed from Corinth into 
ABtolia, with. the contingent of the 
‘Morea. The Suliotes had already, re- 
pelled, in the month of May, the first 
shock of a number of barbarians at least 
four times greater than theirs, com- 
manded - by. Omer Ms ad Pasha of 
Tannina, and Chourschid. 
These two) generals, perhaps the 
“* It is chiefly by promises and pillage, 
and by the enthusiasm of religious faniati- 
cism, that recruiting is carried on among 
the Turks, Hence those undisciplined 
hordes, those bands, of, volunteers, fit. to 
-Yavage a country badly defended, but 
ready wo disperse on the slightest re- 
sistance. 
¥ 
Greek Insurrection. 
469 
bravest and most skilful in Turkey, 
being placed between these two fires, 
were forced to separate and to take 
different routes. But, soon afterwards, 
the Albanians, encouraged by the accu- 
mulation. of fresh reinforcements, block= 
aded Suli. Unexpected obstacies and 
difficulties having split their operations, 
the Suliotes, after along and obstinate 
defence, found themselves foreed, by the 
want of provisions, to capitulate. Hav 
ing marched out with the honours of 
war, under the mediation of the Eng- 
lish, they were transported to the 
Jonian islands, in order to cross over 
from thence into the Morea. The fero- 
cious attacks of a numerous and. long- 
prepared enemy were repulsed during 
several successive days with an incredi-: 
bic loss. Assauited and surrounded on 
all sides, the rocks cf Suli, which had 
always.afforded a refuge to honour and 
liberty, appeared to he its impregnable 
bulwark. 
The evacuation of Suli, and the infa- 
mous conduct of two traitors, Gogo and 
Varnakioti, necessarily protruded the 
theatre of war into Aitolia and Acarna- 
nia; there, on the banks of the Achclous, 
and before Anatolicon, a handful. of 
heroes, commanded by Marco Botzari, 
by Zonka, and by other chiefs, disputed 
the approach to Missolonghi with an 
enemy 8,000 men strong. Fceling the 
full importance of this place, after fruit- 
less offers and threats, the enemy, reu- 
dered furious by failures, resolved to get 
possession of it by assault onthe morn- 
ing of the 25th of December. Fhe 
combat was fierce atid bloody, and 
Jasted four hours, Never were a more 
obstinate attack and defence beheld: 
never did our heroes cover themselves 
with greater glory. ‘The fate of Greece 
almost hung on their efforts. © These in- 
trepid citizens all swore, between the 
hands of our excellent president, to 
perish amidst the ruins of Missolonghi, 
sooner than yield. ‘The enemy, ‘after 
losing 500 men, and ‘nearly twice as 
many wounded, was obliged to retreat. 
Soon afterwards, having Jearnt the 
debarkation iccomplished at XKeromero 
by 1500 of our troops under the conduct 
of General Mayvromichali, and fearing to 
be attacked on the flanks, he fled sud- 
denly on the morning of the 31st’ of 
December, leaving i in ‘the power of the 
‘Grecks thirteen picces of cannon, three 
mortars, two howitzers, twelve stand- 
ards, a great number of prisoners, with 
stores, the whole matéricl of aw Asiatic 
camp. Several corps instantly set out 
in 
