42 



JOURNEY THROUGH MAINA, 



Capoudan Pasha, which landed troops upon their coast, and the forces 

 of the Morea, which marched at the same time from Misitra. The 

 number of these two armies, probably exaggerated, was rated by the 

 Maiciiots at 20,000 men. The result of the attack by sea was pointed 

 out to me near Cardamyle ; a heap of whitening bones in a dell near 

 the town, the remains of the Turks, who, after suffering the severest 

 privations, were not so fortunate as the rest in finding a refuge in 

 their fleet. The attack by land was equally disastrous. After a fruit- 

 less attempt to advance, and burning a few inconsiderable villages, 

 their army was obliged to retire, harassed by the fury of the people, 

 while another party of the Mainiots burst into the plain of the 

 Eurotas, drove off whatever they could plunder, and in the flames of 

 Misitra, a considerable Turkish town, expiated the trifling mischief 

 they had sustained at home. 



Such are the stories at least which I heard repeated by their chiefs, 

 and which the common people no less delighted to tell. Though 

 easily united, when threatened by the Turk, yet frequent feuds, and 

 petty warfare, too often arose between their chiefs at home ; these 

 feuds, however, preserved alive the martial spirit of the people, and 

 they were, perhaps, on this account more successful in their resistance 

 than they would have been if their government was more settled, and 

 they had enjoyed a more uninterrupted peace. By sea their warfare 

 was still more inextinguishable. They infested with their row-boats 

 every corner of the Cyclades and Morea, and made a lawful prize of 

 any vessel that was too weak for resistance ; or entered by night into 

 the villages and dwellings near the shore, carrying off whatever they 

 could find. Boats of this sort, called here Trattas, abounded in every 

 creek ; they are long and narrow like canoes ; ten, twenty, and even 

 thirty men, each armed with a rifle and pistols, row them with great 

 celerity, and small masts with Latine sails are also used when the 

 winds are favourable. Every chief had one or more of these, and all 

 exercised piracy as freely, and with the same sentiments, as appeared to 

 have prevailed among the heroes of the Odyssey and early inha- 

 bitants of Greece. 



