LETTER X.

Patrass, 2d June, 1821.

IN my last, I stated that Turkish reinforcements had entered the Morea by the Dardanelles of Lepanto. By subsequent accounts we learn that the Kayah Bey, who commanded this detachment, had destroyed Vostizza, and raised the siege of Corinth, by dispersing the insurgents before that place: he thence proceeded to Argos, where the Greeks were again put to flight, and ultimately entered Tripolizza without further opposition.

Reinforcements of Albanian troops arrive here daily by way of Missolongi, and the whole Ottoman force may now consist of three thousand men. Five vessels form their squadron.

My family quitted Patrass on the 12th ultimo, for Zante, at the suggestion of Sir Patrick Ross, who commands there: I also proceeded to that island on the 24th, and remained a week; but a Greek squadron having passed within sight of the island on the 31st, steering towards Patrass, I lost no time in returning to my post, to accomplish which, I was compelled to hire the Malta Packet, then at Zante, as the Government could not at that time abide by their promise of granting me a passage by a vessel of war.

I arrived at Patrass this morning, and found my brother and Mr. Barthold embarked on board a French store-ship, which had arrived there two days previously from Toulon. I learned from my brother that on the appearance of the Greek squadron of eighteen vessels, the five Turkish men-ofwar had precipitately fled from before Missolongi and Patrass, and retired to Lepanto, under protection of the batteries of that fortress. Isouf Pasha made preparations to defend the place; but fearing an attack by land as well as by sea, he sent to the Consuls, who had remained at Patrass, to intimate to them that he could no longer answer for their personal safety, or for that of their property, as, in the event of the Greeks approaching the place, it was his determination to reduce the remainder of the town to ashes, and retire to the fortress. In this critical state of affairs, I judged it expedient to quit Patrass, and directed my brother and Mr. Barthold to avail themselves of Mr. Pouqueville's offer of a passage by the French store-ship, and they sail in her, for Zante, to-morrow morning: I shall accompany them in the Packet, as, I confess, I have no desire to stand a siege and blockade by the Greeks. As yet the town has not been molested by the Greek vessels, which remained in the roadstead only one night: this morning, at day-break, they forced the passage of the Little Dardanelles, defended by the Castles of Roumelia and Morea, from which so ineffectual and weak a fire was kept

up, that only one shot took effect. The Greeks having achieved this bold undertaking, anchored about two miles from Lepanto, and no doubt intend attacking the Turkish vessels which are lying there.

I have been compelled to abandon the greater part of my furniture, and look upon it as lost, there being no one left to protect my house: I endeavoured to save my two horses, but, in the attempt to embark them, the most valuable one was drowned.

NOTE. The Dardanelles of Lepanto are rather more than one mile across, and are defended on each side by a strong fort: one of these mounts, I believe, between sixty and seventy heavy guns; the other about thirty. They are so near each other that the shot of the one can enter the other. Here too, as at Patrass, there was a nominal garrison, the defence being, in case of need, left to the townspeople. Such was the miserable state of their gunnery, that the Greek ships were constantly passing through, and there were not more than two instances of any vessel being struck at all: as for sinking, that was out of the question. I have seen as many as twenty-three ships sail through at once without receiving a single shot. One of the instances alluded to, was the case of an Ionian brig that broke blockade. Here, although it was night, three balls, by some extraordinary chance, struck her, out of seven shot fired.

LETTER XI.

Zante, 24th June, 1821. I ARRIVED here on the 4th instant: my brother, R. L. Green, the Vice Consul, arrived on the 7th, having quitted London as soon as he heard from me of the breaking out of the Revolution: he proceeded to Patrass on the 13th instant: Mr. Barthold had returned there on the 8th.

From my brother I learn that all was quiet at Patrass two days since; there was no Greek land force near the place; their squadron had been reinforced by other vessels, and now consists of twenty-three ships and brigs before Lepanto, which has been attacked by them occasionally, but no damage had been done to the fortress or the Turkish vessels*.

Isouf Pasha received a letter some days since from the inhabitants of Lalla, an unfortified TurcoAlbanian town near Pyrgos, which was brought by two Turks, who travelled by night, whereby they were fortunate enough to escape interception. The Lalliots stated themselves to be closely besieged by a large force of Greeks and Ionians, and being short of provisions, asked succour of Isouf Pasha. They expressed themselves as desirous of destroying their

See Note at the end of this Letter.

town, and retiring to Patrass with their families and property. The Pasha left Patrass on the 21st instant with twelve hundred men, no doubt for the purpose of attempting the relief of Lalla, which is stated here to be closely invested by fifteen hundred Cephaloniots and Zantiots, and four thousand Moreot Greeks. The Ionians are under the command of Count Metaxa of Cephalonia, but there are besides several other Ionian chiefs who have addressed a letter to the Lalliots, summoning them to deliver up their town, engaging in such case to suffer them to depart without molestation, and threatening in case of refusal to put them all to the sword. Isouf Pasha has forwarded this letter to me, with a request to lay it before the Ionian government. Two Ionians have been taken by the Turks in a skirmish with the Greeks, and have been beheaded at Patrass.

Not one Turkish fortress in the Morea has surrendered to the Greeks up to this period: I find there is such a scarcity of provisions at Navarin, Malvasia, Coron, and Modon, that if the Greeks continue to blockade these places closely, some of them must soon surrender.

An official complaint has been made by the Turkish government at Patrass against two Ionian vessels, which have joined the Greek squadron now before Lepanto, and in open day forced the passage in company with them, one of them having the British, and the other the Ionian flag flying.