he would spare them partly out of humanity, and partly because he wished to terminate, as soon as possible, the subjection of the Morea. Without disturbing their worthy friends, the English, or asking hostages, they should trust to his word of honour, as their countrymen had done a few days before; and return by land, as they had done, to Anapli. He could not but express his indignation at the foolish proposal, of his paying arrears to men, who had fought against him. If they were not ashamed of making such a demand, he at least thought it below his character to grant it; lest it should be said, that he had obtained Neocastro by money, and not by

arms.

This energetic answer of the pasha produced a most lively sensation on the minds of the soldiers. They immediately construed his refusal to allow them to embark on board English men-of-war, or to give hostages, into a determination to act treacherously towards them. The motives, which chiefly confirmed them in this idea, were the incessant threats of the Moriot Turks, and the exulting expressions of joy with which they hourly hailed the thought, that the day would come when they could appease the yet unrevenged shades of their friends and relatives. The greatest confusion and agitation had reigned in the garrison; and now it became still more boisterous, from the violent disputes, that hourly arose between the capitani.

A few of those, least distinguished by their courage, suddenly adopted Beysade's opinion, and maintained to-day the necessity of resisting to the last as warmly, as they had hitherto endeavoured to prove the impracticability of a prolonged defence. Ibrahim had now become as contemptible, in their sight,

as he had yesterday seemed terrible. It was soon perceived, however, that the charm, which so completely dissipated their fears, and filled their minds with this unwonted security, was rum; that the bombastic expressions, suggested by liquor, were not to be mistaken for the dictates of sterling courage; and that little confidence could be placed on men, whose hearts ebbed and flowed with the fullness or emptiness of the bottle.

Without entering into further details, or relating the difficulties, that were surmounted, before the garrison could be induced to place any reliance on the good faith of the pasha, or the latter be brought down from his high pretensions, it will suffice to say, that it was definitively agreed upon on the 18th, that,

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'1st. On the 21st of May, Ibrahim shall send before Neocastro three European merchant-vessels, freighted at his own expense, to transport the garrison of that fortress to Calamata.

"2dly. Before the Greeks evacuate Neocastro, three officers of Ibrahim shall be admitted into the fortress, to form an inventory of the ammunition, stores, and provisions which it contains.

"3dly. Previous to embarking, the Greeks shall all (with the exception of the superior officers) surrender their arms into the hands of the above-mentioned Turkish officers.

"4thly. A French and an Austrian man-of-war will escort the Greeks to Calamata."

Such was the aversion of Ibrahim to the English, that he would never consent to the proposal, repeatedly made him by the Greeks, of requesting a man-of-war of that nation to escort them. In compliance with the demand of the garrison, the pasha

Y

allowed three individuals*, chosen by them, to proceed to Modon, in order to inspect the merchantvessels, destined for their embarkation, and to communicate with the officers, commanding the men-ofwar, that had offered to escort them. The Austrian captain was Mr. Bandiera, and the Frenchman M. Le Blanc, commander of the Amaranthe. They returned the next day, and assured us, that these two naval officers had pledged their honour in guarantee of the punctual observance of the capitulation; although it would appear, from their subsequent behaviour, that they only expressed their readiness to escort the Greeks to Calamata.

* These individuals were, the eparch of Neocastro, Cavaliere Callegno, and Anastasius, a Greek, who although, according to his statement, an English agent, thought it no breach of neutrality to act, during the siege, as keeper of the powder and distributor of cartridges.

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Author receives an invitation to become Ibrahim's physicianCapitulation of the Greeks-Author's application to Captain Johnstone-Conduct of that officer-Author compelled to enter Ibrahim's service-Applications to the British government in his behalf-Is at length allowed to depart.

ANASTASIUS informed me, that he had had a long interview with Ibrahim Pasha, who, among other things, inquired as to the numbers of killed and wounded in the fortress, and the manner in which the latter were treated. The answer of Anastasius. naturally brought the conversation upon me; and* partly giving way to his national disposition to exaggeration and fondness for the marvellous, and partly dazzled at the brilliant results of modern surgery, and its superiority over the practice of mountebanks and quacks, which he had hitherto only witnessed, the Greek spoke of the English surgeon of the garrison in the most hyperbolical terms.

Ibrahim, who happened then to have dismissed his private surgeon, a Greek named Gabrina, feeling the absolute want of another, requested Anastasius to inform me, that, on the Greeks surrendering the fortress, he would retain me in his service. Struck immediately with the embarrassing situation, in which I was placed by this determination of the pasha, and aware, that if I delayed any longer, my fate was inevitable, I formed the resolution of escaping by night with a Zantiot boat; the men of which remained still

in the fortress, watching a favourable opportunity to depart, unperceived by the Turkish boats, which were constantly cruising before the mouth of the port. To animate them I gave them a written engagement, by which I bound myself to pay the sum of forty dollars on our arrival at Zante. I laid aside my Albanian dress, and, assisted by one of Callergi's men, who proved as bad a tailor, as he had shown himself a gunner, I put together, in the best way I could, a pair of trousers, borrowed a worn-out jacket from a sailor, and exchanged the fézi and turban for a hat. Thus equipped, I presented myself before the capitani, and informed them of the cause of my metamorphosis; and begged them, since they were on the eve of surrendering the fortress, and my services consequently no longer necessary, to allow me to embark during the night, and thus avoid the fate that awaited me, should I attempt to leave it as one of the garrison.

Iatraco, out of partiality to a colleague, pleaded so strongly in my favour, that I received the permission I sued for. The soldiers, however, apprised of my intentions, looking still on the capitulation with a suspicious eye, and judging both by their own conduct and the habitual behaviour of Mussulmen, unable to persuade themselves, that some hidden treachery was not concealed under the appearance of generosity and good faith, clamorously insisted on retaining a man, who, should the negotiations in the sequel be broken, and they obliged to defend themselves to the last, would be of essential use to the garrison. Seeing no alternative, I, of course, was compelled to submit. The boat rowed off during the night, and succeeded in escaping the vigilance of the enemy.