£81 
appeared to me to be composed of the same species of 
rock as the island of Sapienza. The island of Cerigo, 
which commands the entrance to the Archipelago, ap- 
pears to be well cultivated; it contains several villages. 
It was then occupied by the Russians. 
There arose a little wind about night fall, but the 
captain fearing the neighbouring land, steered out to 
sea, got completely drunk, and went to bed. 
The next day he wished to enter the Archipelago, 
but we were too far off. We approached it slowly by 
the aid of slight breezes and calms, but the day closing 
before we could arrive, the captain practised the ma- 
noeuvre of the preceding night, and repeated it during 
five days, which would not have occurred, and we should 
have entered the second day, if he had chosen to lay to, 
one night. 
We thought ourselves menaced by a pirate during 
one of these days; they prepared the arms, but the pi- 
rate retired, respecting perhaps the size of our vessel, 
and the great number of men on board. The labyrinth 
of the islands of the Archipelago favours the depreda- 
tions of these wretches, who with small vessels without 
artillery, and equipage, but well armed, attack much 
larger ships. The captain and his mate had exercised 
this noble profession during several years. When the 
pirates make a prize they generally drown their priso- 
ners, that their secret may not be known; they afterwards 
conduct the ship into some desolate port, of which there 
are so many in that sea, and enjoy their spoil in tran- 
quillity; a proof that the Turkish government is not the 
fittest to eradicate this evil. 
vol. i. .n n 
