384 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Capitano of Fiume, for the release of the Uzcoques, 

 given their suspicions new strength. The object of 

 the Venetians was, if they could ascertain that there 

 was a chief among the prisoners, to obtain from him, 

 by torture or otherwise, confessions which might en- 

 able them to prove to the archduke the encourage- 

 ment afforded by his counsellors to the piracies of 

 the Segnarese. They accordingly delayed, by every 

 possible pretext, giving an answer to the archducal 

 ambassador, doing their utmost meanwhile to find 

 out the real quality of the prisoners. This Strasolda 

 was most anxious they should not discover ; and her 

 anxiety was scarcely less to prevent the captivity of 

 their leader from, becoming known among the pirates 

 themselves. His (laughter's entreaties, and his OAvn 

 better nature, had frequently caused Dansowich to 

 check his followers in the atrocities they were too 

 apt to commit. In consequence of this interference, 

 Strasolda suspected her father to be more feared than 

 liked by Jurissa Caiduch and some others of the 

 inferior woivodes or officers ; and she apprehended 

 that, if she confided her plan to them, they would be 

 more likely to thwart than to aid her in it. The 

 crews of the two boats which had been engaged in 

 the skirmish with the Venetian galleys when Dan- 

 sowich was captured, and the men composing the 

 garrison of the castle on the evening of that fatal 

 occurrence, were therefore all whose assistance she 

 could reckon upon. Some of these were her rel- 



