THE PIRATES OF SEGNA. 383 



vised, and which, although in the highest degree rash 

 and hazardous, might still succeed if favoured by 

 circumstances and conducted with skill and decision. 

 This was to seize upon the person of a Venetian of 

 note, in order to exchange him for the Uzcoques then 

 languishing in the dungeons of the republic. 



The Venetians were not yet aware that the 

 much- dreaded voivode Dansowich was among their 

 prisoners. The time chosen by the Uzcoques for 

 their expeditions and surprises was usually the night ; 

 and this, added to the custom of mask-wearing, was 

 the cause that the features of Dansowich were un- 

 known to his captors. Nevertheless the striking 

 countenance and lofty bearing of the chieftain, and 

 of one or two of those Avho were taken prisoners with 

 him, raised suspicions that they were persons of mark 

 suspicions which were not dissipated by their re- 

 iterated denial of being any thing more than common 

 Uzcoques. It was this doubt which saved their 

 lives ; for their captors, instead of hanging them at 

 once at the yard-arm of the galleys, which was the 

 usual manner of disposing of Segnarese prisoners, 

 took them to Venice, and placed them at the disposal 

 of the senate. All subsequent threats and promises 

 proved ineffectual to extort from the pirates an ac- 

 knowledgment of superior rank ; and the Venetian 

 authorities would perhaps have ended in believing the 

 account they gave of themselves, had not the urgent 

 applications made by the Austrian envoy and the 



