THE SULIOTES.

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PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR.

THE following Translation is from a brief but simple and interesting Narrative of the sufferings and heroic actions of the Suliote People, the original of which was presented by their Chiefs to the Ionian Government, as a testimony of the virtuous conduct and constancy displayed by their nation, under the most trying circumstances.

The Narrator, Captain Christo Perevò, is a Greek, well known as the Author of the History of Suli; he sojourned many years with the Suliotes, and, as appears by the present relation, was an eye-witness of what he describes.

The original Italian has been translated as closely as the different constructions of the two languages would permit, and there are several obscure passages, which seem to require explanatory notes. These could not be furnished by the Translator, who received the manuscript from a friend, with a request that it might (for reasons which do not require to be stated in this place) be got ready for publication without any delay.

The authentic account of the fate of the celebrated Ali Pacha, and the immediate cause which led to his destruction, will be read with great interest, as affording a curious insight into the nature of the war now raging in Greece.

A compendious Relation of the Adventures of the Suliotes, from the year 1820 to the 2nd of September 1822, at which latter period they quitted the Fortress of Kiafa. Written at the Lazzaretto of Argostoli in Cefalonia, the 30th of September, 1822, by Captain Christo Perevò.

HAPPENING to have been at Suli, I think it useful and fitting to note down in a succinct manner the operations of the Suliotes, and also the events which took place relating to them, from the year 1820 to 1822.

When Ali Pacha had become odious in the eyes of the Sultan Mahmout,* and that the latter had begun to take measures for his destruction, the greatest part of the Suliotes, with the inhabitants of other towns in the neighbourhood of Suli, were living in the Island of Corfu, gaining their subsistence by their labour. They dared not enter into the service or submit to the protection of the Pacha, because he had declared with an oath that he should never die contented till he had succeeded in reducing the Suliotes to the same state as the people of Gardica.† When operations against the Pacha were commenced by the Sultan, the latter issued firmans, inviting all those Turks and Greeks, who had incurred the displeasure of the former, and were expatriated on that account to join him, in order to effect the ruin of the Pacha, and to reinstate themselves in the bosom of their country, and in the absolute possession of their property.

The Suliotes, hearing of such an order from their sovereign, and wishing to obtain precise information concerning it, sent four Ambassadors to the Ottoman Vice-Admiral, who

* Mahomet.

+ Destroyed in a cruel manner by fli, in revenge for some insult offered forty years before to his mother.

were favourably received, and obtained from him a confirmation of the Sultan's proclamation, and a renewed invitation to the same purpose, in consequence of which, about 200 men left Corfu, enrolling themselves under the orders, of Ismail Pacha, surnamed Bassobey, to whom they were well known, he being a native of Janina and having been for above twenty years in the service of Ali Pacha.

These 200 Suliotes, continuing in the royal service and behaving with activity and submission, entertained the. firm hope of being able to return to their native home,, according to the promise of the Pacha and the proclamation of the Sultan. Nevertheless, they were deceived in this hope, for the bravest and most faithful Beys and Agas, those who were always nearest to Ismail Pacha, being all Albanians, and feeling envious of the Suliotes, were constantly exciting him not to allow that people to return to their native land,› according to the royal order, saying, that as soon as the Suliotes should take possession of their native country, they would be always against him, as had been found in times past.

The Pacha, both from his own inclination and from the instigations of the Beys, not only refused to the Suliotes permission to recover their own country, but formed also the project of putting them to death, when an opportunity offered without the risk of shedding the blood of his own. troops. He thought the easiest way of effecting his purpose would be to send them back to Corfu, and thus on the shores to put his Ottoman project in execution. In consequence, gave orders to intercept their passage from the heights, and to massacre the whole, dispersed as they would be here end there.

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The Suliotes soon discovered the insidious projects, both of the Pacha and of the Albanian Turks. The peril in which

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they found themselves, and their anxiety to return to their native soil, induced them to form an alliance with their first and implacable enemy Ali Pacha, in which, with no small difficulty, they succeeded.

Having then given five hostages into the hands of Ali Pacha, and taken his grandson Hussein Pacha in exchange, they departed in the night for Suli. The Turco Albanians called Ziulachioti, who then inhabited Suli, evacuated the fortress two days after the arrival of the Greek Suliotes; the commander of the Castle of Kiafa opened the gates, and the Suliotes entered, according to the orders of Ali Pacha. They were afterwards joined by three of Ali Pacha's commanders, the Selictar, Tahir Ambasi, and Ago Muhurdar, having with them a body of nearly seven hundred Albanian Turks. As soon as they had joined the Suliotes, they attacked the enemy in divers parts, driving them from many strong places. After a month, however, the Selictar, the first of the above-mentioned commanders, deserted, taking with him about three hundred Albanian Turks; the other two officers remained with the Suliotes.

In the month of July, 1821, at the time when the town of Arta was besieged, Tahir Ambasi was sent to Messolongio and to the Morea to procure warlike instruments. Being arrived there, and having witnessed the calamities and injuries inflicted by the Greeks upon the Turks, he changed his opinion; and immediately returning to the camp recounted all those events to his countrymen, exciting them at the same time, if they were true Mussulmans, to unite themselves to the royal troops, and to leave the Suliotes; "For," said he, "these also fight for their religion and their liberty, like their countrymen of the Morea and of Romelia."

The sword bearer.

The words of Tahir Ambasi had the most successful effect on the hearts of the Albanian Turks, who had joined the Greek Suliotes; and with one will and common consent they marched to Janina, where, deceiving Ali Pacha, they delivered him alive into the hands of his enemy, who put him to death. The Greek Suliotes, being thus left alone in the camp, returned to defend their country.

After the death of Ali Pacha, the General in Chief of the Sultan's army, Hursit Pacha,* began to recruit fresh troops in order to march against the Peloponnesus. All the Albanian Beys and Agas dissuaded him from such a project, telling him that none of them would march against the Peloponnesus as long as the Suliotes remained alive in their own country; adducing for a reason, that before they could reach the Peloponnesus, the Suliotes would have reduced their wives and families to slavery.

These words of the Albanian Turks had such effect upon the intentions of Hursit Pacha, that without the least delay he moved with twenty thousand men against the Suliotes. The inhabitants of the villages in the neighbourhood of Suli, much alarmed by the multitude and impetuosity of the enemy, and by the prospect of the devastation which must take place on their approach, took refuge in Suli, carrying with them above fifty thousand beasts-sheep, goats, oxen, and beasts of burthen. The people themselves amounted to ten thousand souls.

On the 18th of May, 1822, the Turks approached Suli, making the attack on all sides. The Suliotes, although they were few compared with the multitude of the enemy, opposed them with great valour on every side; but the foe, after a heavy repulse and much loss of blood,

* Called also Chourchid Pacha.