T U R 
Pass, so that they now found themselves enclosed on every 
side and without provisions. It was while the Turks were 
in this situation and meditating the means of escape, that 
a large division of the Greeks under Marco Bozzaris appeared 
marching towards them. Such was the effect of this move¬ 
ment, that the Infidels, more panic-struck than ever, deter¬ 
mined to attempt the passage of the river, rather than risk 
a battle. They accordingly plunged into the stream, and 
several hundreds were drowned in crossing, while those who 
did not adopt this perilous mode of saving themselves, were 
under the necessity of surrendering as prisoners to the Sou- 
liote chief. 
Having gained the right bank of the river, the Turkish 
hordes had fresh enemies to contend with at every step, in 
the armed peasantry of Xeromeros, Valtos, and the other 
districts through which their line of retreat lay ; so that, of 
the large force brought into Acarnania only three months 
before, not more than half the number escaped. A local 
junta being formed at Messolunghi, measures were immedi¬ 
ately adopted for carrying the law of Epidaurus into effect 
throughout Acarnania and Etolia. Arrangements were also 
made for re-organizing the military system of the provinces. 
The importance of Messolunghi being now more apparent 
than ever, it was soon placed in state of defence. 
According to the law of Epidaurus, the elections for the 
second period should have been completed by the first of 
January, 1823, but this was impossible, owing to the proximity 
of the seat of war and long continuance of the campaign. 
The members of the government, who had passed some weeks 
at Castries, on the coast opposite Hydra, proceeded to Astros 
early in March, but more than a month elapsed before the 
whole of the deputies and military chiefs had arrived. 
In order to secure the concurrence of all parties, and give 
greater unity to the political system, one of the first proposals 
made by Prince Mavrocordato, on his arrival from Messo¬ 
lunghi, was that of transferring the powers confided to the 
three local juntas of Epirus, Livadia and Peloponnesus, to the 
central government. The meetings commenced on the 10th of 
April, and were held in a garden under the shade of orange 
trees. 
This second Constitutent Assembly of Greece, after having 
introduced those changes and improvements into the consti¬ 
tution rendered necessary by experience, decreed first: that 
the political code of Greece, which was called the Law of Epi¬ 
daurus, be entrusted to the fidelity of the executive govern¬ 
ment ; but that the executive should not enact laws or make 
innovations on the said law of Epidaurus, under any cir¬ 
cumstances whatever. 
The project of a law for the establishment of provincial 
governors and local magistracy, was next submitted to con¬ 
gress, and confirmed. It being impossible to determine on 
a criminal code without farther inquiry and examination, 
the executive was empowered to make selections from the 
code Napoleon, and to organize the tribunals pro tempore. 
The labours of congress closed on the 30lh of April, 
when it was decreed that, unless circumstances rendered it 
necessary, the assemblage of a third National Congress 
should be deferred for two years. 
As the invasion of the Morea and the operations in 
Arcanania had rendered it impossible for the people to culti¬ 
vate their grounds, little could be expected from the ensuing 
harvest; an arrangement was however made, by which the 
national property and forthcoming crops, estimated at twelve 
millions of Turkish piastres by the finance commission, 
were farmed out for about a third of that sum, and this, 
together with a few millions furnished by the zeal of 
patriotic individuals, was all Greece had to enter the field a 
third time against the whole military and naval power of the 
Ottomans. 
Although so inactive during the early part of the summer, 
the enemy was by no means idle afterwards. A fleet, con¬ 
sisting of seventeen frigates and above sixty smaller vessels 
of war, and transports filled with troops, ammunition and 
provisions, was dispatched for the purpose of supplying the 
KEY. 183 
fortresses still held in Negropont, Candia, and the Morea. 
Owing to the impossibility of preparing the Greek ships in 
time, this was effected without opposition at Carystus, Canea, 
Coron, Modon and Patrass, where the Capitan Pacha ar¬ 
rived about the middle of June. 
With respect to the plan of operation projected by the 
enemy on shore, it was infinitely better than that of last 
year; while the forces destined to carry it into effect were 
far superior both as to numbers and leaders. An army of 
twenty-five thousand men having been assembled at Larissa 
early in June, it was formed into two divisions, intended to 
act at separate points: one of these, under Yusuflf, Pacha of 
BercofFeeli, marched towards Thermopili, while the other, 
led on by Mustapha Pacha, proceeded to the pass of Neo- 
patra near Zetouni. The Greeks posted here being too 
weak to attempt making any resistance, withdrew, so that the 
enemy was enabled to advance into Livadia unopposed, and 
encamped at Nevropolis on the 20th of June. Stillunable to 
cope with the Turkish division, the Greeks contented them¬ 
selves with occupying the passes through which this force 
had entered the province. 
In the meanwhile, Yusuff continued to occupy and lay 
waste the whole country round Parnassus and Livadia, mur¬ 
dering all the inhabitants who had not escaped to the moun¬ 
tains or marshes near the lakeCopaes: he also attacked a 
small corps which had thrown up entrenchments on the high 
road between Rachova and Delphi, but was repulsed with 
considerable loss: returning a few days after, the enemy was 
more successful, and having turned the right of the Greeks, 
advanced to both the above named places, to which he set fire 
after plundering whatever had been left by the fugitive pea¬ 
santry. 
Odysseus, who had been wailing at Athens until the con¬ 
tingent dispatched from Tripolizza under Nikitas passed the 
Isthmas of Corinth, set out on the 28th of June: leaving 
orders that all the forces collected in Attica and Bceotia should 
follow, he proceeded to Megara with five hundred men, and 
embarking there, sailed up the gulph and joined Nikitas at 
Dobrena. The two chiefs lost no time in advancing towards 
the enemy, and soon reached the heights in sight of YusufPs 
camp. A system of guerrilla warfare was now commenced, 
and the Turks were so harrassed, that they soon retreated in 
the greatest disorder pursued by the Greeks, who killed num¬ 
bers, and took a large quantity of their baggage. 
The second division, under Mustapha, waited on the plain 
of Thebes for the result of Yusuff’s operations, in order to 
advance towards the gulph of Lepanto, but the retreat of his 
coadjutor having enabled the Greek chiefs to alter their plans, 
Odysseus pushed on to attack this division, which he forced 
to take refuge in Negropont, leaving behind most of its bag¬ 
gage and military stores. The Turks had scarcely reached 
Carystos, when Odysseus appeared before it, and established 
a rigorous blockade. After these successes, which removed 
all apprehension of any new attack on the side of Corinth, 
Nikitas proceeded to Salona to co-operate with the inhabitants 
in the preparations making for the defence of that place, and 
its neighbourhood. 
The management of the war in Acarnania being confided 
to Mustapha, Pacha of Scutari, with Yusuff the Pacha of 
Serres, as his second in command, they found such difficulty 
in organizing a sufficient force, that the whole of June and 
July were passed in preparing a corps of eight thousand men 
at Prevesa. Yusuff had taken up a position at Ponda, a 
village close to the ancient Actium, there to await the Pacha 
of Scutari. The latter was advancing with his own troops, 
and a large contingent furnished by the Pacha of Thessaly. 
Marco Bozzaris was at Katochi between Messolunghi and 
Vonitza, with Joncas of Agrapha. Their utmost force did 
not exceed twelve hundred men, but with these it was de¬ 
cided they should continue closely to watch the motions of 
the enemy. While, however, Mustapha was on his march 
from Agrapha to Vracori, fully expecting to be joined there 
by the troops at Prevesa, the Albanians, who formed the 
flower of Yusuff’s army, no sooner received the allowances 
usually 
