now haunt my mind. I picture myself slowly expiring on a bed of torture, or terminating my days like Swift-a grinning idiot! Would to Heaven the day were arrived in which, rushing, sword in hand, on a body of Turks, and fighting like one weary of existence, I shall meet immediate, painless death,— the object of my wishes!"

CHAPTER XIII.

A Turkish brig runs on a sand-bank-Conduct of Parry-Conduct and trial of Caraiscachi.

Two days after the unfortunate accident, I have described, an event took place, which contributed in no small degree to destroy the illusion under which Lord Byron had laboured in respect to the major of artillery. A Turkish brig, returning to Patras, ran foul of the bank of sand which extends from the mouth of the Phidari several miles out to sea. Remembering the immense booty, which, but a year before, they had made on taking possession of a Turkish ship, which adverse winds and the pilot's ignorance had brought to the same spot, the Mesolonghiots thanked fortune for thus supplying them with a new occasion of satisfying their avidity and cruelty. The whole population embarked in an instant; the smallest monoxylo was at sea; but, on their approaching the vessel, the enemy offered so lively a resistance, that they despaired of succeeding without the assistance of artillery. The spark of enthusiasm had equally fired the young soldier and the elderly primate. Every one wished to have a share in the golden fleece. Mavrocordato ordered the major to proceed in all haste, with three guns, to assist in the attack of the brig; but this could not of course take place without a previous visit to Lord Byron, who still found himself so weak, as to be unable to rise from his sofa; but on Parry's entering

the room, he reassumed his former liveliness, and accosted him in the following manner: "Now's the day and now's the hour;' now for your rockets, your fire-kites, and red-hot shots; now, Parry, for your Grecian fires. Onward, death or victory!'' But in the meantime all the necessary preparations were neglected, and the whole alarm ended in the most absolute disappointment. The Mesolonghiots returned the next day, after a fruitless attempt, and the Turks, after embarking in a boat, during the night, the most precious part of their effects, sailed to Patras, having previously set fire to their ship.

On the first of April, the whole town of Mesolonghi was thrown into the liveliest alarm by the following events. Caraiscachi's nephew had been seriously wounded in a quarrel with some Mesolonghiot boatmen, whom he wished to oblige to convey him, gratis, to Anatolico. Incensed at the affront offered to his nephew, and resolved on obtaining satisfaction, Caraiscachi despatched a hundred and fifty of his soldiers more effectually to solicit it. Finding, that the men, who had inflicted the wound, had absconded, the soldiers apprehended, during the night, two of the Mesolonghi primates, and immediately sent them to their capitano at Anatolico. Thinking that guarantee insufficient, Caraiscachi ordered fifty of his men to take possession of Vasiladi. This they easily did, as the whole garrison of this important point consisted of only half a dozen fishermen and those asleep. Next morning they sent these men to Mesolonghi, to inform the townsmen, that Caraiscachi declared, he would neither give up the island nor the primates, till the men, who had wounded his nephew, were delivered into his hands.

The very same day seven Turkish vessels were seen sailing out of the gulf; and, shortly after, anchoring off Vasiladi; and information arrived, that the garrison of the castle of Roumelia had had a sharp engagement with the Greeks at the pass of Kaki Scala, a little further than Galata. Mavrocordato, who suspected a correspondence between Caraiscachi and the enemy, gave orders for the apprehension of Costa Vulpiotti; a Greek, who, on his arrival from Janina, had instantly repaired to the house of Caraiscachi, and had since, almost daily, had secret conferences with him. Several letters were found on his person, that had been addressed by Mavrocordato and other patriots to Caraiscachi, reproaching him for his treachery and connivance with the enemy. These Vulpiotti was to show to Omer Pasha, as certificates to prove how faithful Caraiscachi had ever been to his engagements with him. It resulted from the interrogation, Vulpiotti underwent, that he had been charged to ask Omer Pasha for a Bouyourtè, appointing him capitano of the province of Agrapha. Caraiscachi engaged, in return, to co-operate with Vernakiotti in the reduction of Western Greece, and to draw over to his party several of the chiefs, that had hitherto most faithfully adhered to the interests of the Greek government.

Although no evidence existed, that he had carried on a similar correspondence with Youssouf Pasha; yet as every thing tended to prove him capable of so doing, Mavrocordato participated in the general apprehensions; and saw, in the movements of the enemy and the taking of Vasiladi, the denouement of a conspiracy against Western Greece. He expected, every moment, to hear, that the Turks had taken possession of the above-mentioned island, and asserted that

the soldiers, which Caraiscachi had sent to Mesolonghi, came with no other intention but to open the gates of the town to the enemy, who fortunately met a sufficient resistance at Kaki Scala. He felt the more alarmed, as he knew not how to act, at one and the same time, against an interior and an exterior enemy. All the disposable troops were in the provinces; the Suliots under the Bozzaris were on their way to Arta; those, that had remained at Anatolico with the Zavellas, had attached themselves to the interests of Caraiscachi. Mavrocordato recollected, also, how much this capitano's resentment against the government had been exasperated by the conduct of the late general assembly towards him; and that, regardless of its decision prohibiting him to command more than one hundred men, upwards of five hundred chosen soldiers were at this moment at Carpenisi, waiting for his orders; while at Anatolico he had enlisted three hundred more.

Lord Byron endeavoured to conceal the indignation, which this treacherous action could not but excite. He urged Mavrocordato not to fear, but instantly to display all possible energy to defeat the designs of the rebel chief. He offered his own personal assistance, that of the artillery brigade, and of the three hundred Suliots on this service, and trusted that the severest martial laws would inflict the punishment due to such crimes. Gun-boats were sent

against Vasiladi in order to dislodge the rebels. Their approach so much intimidated them, that they precipitately abandoned the island; where, even if more resolute, they could not long have defended themselves, as it was totally unprovided with water. The batteries of Mesolonghi were secured by the brigade and inhabitants, and several of their guns were pointed towards the town to prevent Caraiscachi's