T U R 
entertained of their sincerity, the foreign consuls, more par¬ 
ticularly those of England, France, and Austria, were called 
upon to guarantee the promises of the Turks: they accord¬ 
ingly went forth, and invited the unfortunate peasantry to 
give up their arms and return. Notwithstanding their long 
experience of Turkish perfidy, the solemn pledge given by 
the consuls at length prevailed, and many thousands, who 
might have successfully resisted until succours arrived, were 
sacrificed ; for no sooner did they descend from the heights, 
and give up their arms, than the infidels, totally unmindful 
of the proffered pardon, put them to death without mercy. 
The number of persons of every age and sex who became 
the victims of this perfidious act, was estimated at seven 
thousand. 
After having devoted ten days to the work of slaughter, it 
was natural to suppose that the monsters who directed this 
frightful tragedy would have been in some degree satiated 
by the blood of so many innocent victims; but it was when 
the excesses had began to diminish on the part of the sol¬ 
diery, that fresh scenes of horror were exhibited on board 
the fleet, and in the citadel. In addition to the women and 
children embarked for the purpose of being conveyed to the 
markets of Constantinople and Smyrna, several hundred of 
the natives were also seized, and among these all the gar¬ 
deners of the island, who were supposed to know where the 
treasures of their employers had been concealed. There were 
no less than five hundred of the persons thus collected hung 
on board the different ships; when these executions com¬ 
menced, they served as a signal to the commandant of the 
citadel, who immediately followed the example, by sus¬ 
pending the whole of the hostages, to the number of 
seventy-six, on gibbets erected for the occasion. With 
respect to the numbers who were either killed or consigned 
to slavery, during the three weeks that followed the arrival 
of the Capitan Pacha, there is no exaggeration in placing 
the former at twenty-five thousand souls. It has been ascer¬ 
tained that above thirty thousand women and children were 
condemned to slavery, while the fate of those who escaped 
was scarcely less calamitous. 
All the most opulent Sciot merchants resident in the 
capital were seized and thrown into prison as hostages on 
the first alarm. Immediately after the arrival of the Capitan 
Pacha in Constantinople, and when the steps he had taken 
were known, the whole of them were impaled alive by a 
mandate from the sultan. 
Of all the errors laid to the charge of the naval chiefs of 
Greece, their delay in coming to the relief of Scio is un¬ 
questionably the best founded, as it is most to be lamented. 
From whatever cause it arose, the fleet did not arrive until 
the last week in May, when the catastrophe was already 
consummated. Tombasi, the Hydriot admiral, who com¬ 
manded, had, however, the satisfaction of saving a great 
number of both sexes, who succeeded in escaping to the 
mountains. 
Having rendezvoused at Ipsara, Tombasi was joined by a 
division from that island, when it was decided that a com¬ 
bined effort should be made against the enemy’s fleet; but 
nothing effectual was accomplished. 
The sailing of the Egyptian squadron from Alexandria for 
the relief of Candia, where the inhabitants had recently 
made a most gallant stand, having obliged Tombasi to pro¬ 
ceed towards that island, the second great naval triumph of 
the Greeks was destined to be achieved under the auspices of 
Miaouli, the most celebrated admiral of Greece. Fertile in 
expedients, and anxious to avenge some portion of the hor¬ 
rors committed at Scio, the modern Themistocles determined 
to adopt a stratagem, which, though extremely hazardous to 
those employed to carry it into effect, yet presented the 
greatest probabilities of success. Perceiving that the Turks 
were now on their guard, and prepared for the mode of 
attack practised by the Greeks, he directed two fire vessels, 
one from Ipsara, and the other a Hydriot, to sail alone; 
and when close to the coast of Asia Minor, they were to 
bear up towards the Turkish fleet, and keep near the shore. 
KEY. 179 
as if they were merchant ships bound to Smyrna. They 
were thus allowed to pass the look-out ships unmolested, 
and sailing boldly into the midst of the fleet, which were 
at anchor in the Scio roads, both their commanders laid a 
Turkish line of battle ship on board. One of the latter con¬ 
trived to disengage herself, but the Ipsariot, under the in¬ 
trepid Canari, took full effect, and he had the glory of 
destroying the Capitan Pacha’s ship, together with the 
monster himself and all his crew. The ship was loaded with 
the spoils of Scio, and it is to be feared that many Greek 
women and children perished in her. This event happening 
at such a time, was attributed to the interposition of a special 
Providence by the people of Greece, for had the Turkish 
fleet been enabled either to co-operate with the Egyptian 
squadron sent against Candia, or with the army which in¬ 
vaded the Morea, it is impossible to calculate what the 
consequences might have been. Fortunately for the Chris¬ 
tians, the infidels were panic-struck, and fled to the Dar¬ 
danelles. 
While the provisional government was occupied in pre¬ 
paring for the approaching campaign at Corinth, an event 
occurred which rendered it necessary to send Colocotroni 
with a force of three thousand men towards Patrass: this 
was the arrival of a division of the Turkish fleet which had 
sailed from the Hellespont before the Capitan Pacha ; it con¬ 
sisted of six large frigates, and above fifty transports and 
smaller vessels, the whole filled with troops, which were 
landed at Patrass in the latter end of February. Colocotroni 
arrived before the wall soon after they had been disem¬ 
barked. 
On perceiving his approach, the Turks quitted their po¬ 
sition, and went in pursuit of the Greeks with nearly the 
whole of their force. Apprehensive that his detachment 
was unequal to cope with such numbers, Colocotroni re¬ 
treated towards the mountains, closely pursued by the enemy; 
and when in a situation where his men could act with ad¬ 
vantage, he suddenly halted, harangued the troops, upon 
which they immediately turned round and advanced towards 
the infidels; the latter, supposing that reinforcements had 
by this time appeared in sight, became panic-struck in their 
turn, and were followed sword-in-hand by the Greeks to the 
very walls of Patrass: the result of this affair was, that five 
hundred of the enemy were slain in less than two hours. 
On seeing the kind of troops he had to contend with, the 
Greek chieftan now took up a position close to the town, 
and established a rigorous blockade. 
Notwithstanding the large force collected before Yanina 
and in other parts of Epirus, the Greeks under Marco Boz- 
zaris and Rango had gained many advantages, and taken 
Arta, after a desperate struggle on the 5th of December. 
This was a highly important point to the patriots; but 
owing to the treason of a chief named Tairabos, it was 
abandoned, the Greek leaders couceiving themselves too 
weak to resist the forces which might be sent against them 
by Chourshid Pacha. The necessity of thus giving up 
the key of Albania was a great misfortune for the Hellenists, 
and could not fail to expose Acarnania to the incursions 
which were made not long after. 
The tyrant of Yanina’s fall had placed such abundant 
resources in men and money at the disposal of Chourshid 
Pacha, that he was enabled to concert a plan of operations, 
which, if carried into execution with an ordinary portion of 
skill, must have led to the total destruction of the Greek 
cause. 
Mavrocordato now made an expedition into Epirus, to 
establish the new system of government in western Greece • 
draw the attention of the Turks from the Morea; relieve the 
brave Souliotes, who were defending themselves in Kaipha 
with their wonted heroism, and carry the war into the heart 
of Albania. The ouly force, however, he could avail him¬ 
self of, was the battalion of Philhellenes and the first re<n- 
ment of the line, neither of which bodies was by any means 
complete. With these, the prince set out from Corinth 
accompanied by General Normann and Kiriakouli, who had 
seven 
