THE PIRATES OF SEGXA. 339 



miraciilous, how so fair a creature such a master- 

 piece of Heaven's handiwork could have passed her 

 childhood and youth amongst the refuse of humanity 

 assembled on the island, and yet have retained the 

 spotless purity which was apparent in every look and 

 gesture. But however interesting these reflections 

 were to the enamoured Ibrahim, his recent fatigues 

 had been too great for nature not to assert her claims, 

 and the wearied body finished by triumphing over 

 the rebellious restlessness of the excited spirit. The 

 graceful form of Strasolda, and the wild figures of 

 the Uzcoques, swam more and more indistinctly before 

 his closing eyes, until he sank at last into a deep and 

 refreshing slumber. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE JEWELS. 



The tribe of the Uzcoques, or Scochi, derived their 

 name from scoco, a refugee or fugitive, a word bearing 

 reference to their origin. Towards the commencement 

 of the sixteenth century, a band of hardy and warlike 

 men abandoned the provinces of Southern Hungary, 

 Bulgaria, and Servia, and took refuge in Dalmatia from 

 the tyranny and ill-usage of the Turks, who had over- 

 run the first-named provinces. Accompanied by their 

 wives and families, and recruiting their numbers as 



