224

VIEWS REGARDING HIS SUCCESSOR.

daily yielding before the attacks of an incurable disease: so that before these memoirs meet the public eye, there is an equal chance, whether he be seated on a throne, or the tenant of a tomb.

Such is the present state of Ali Pasha, his sons, his subjects, and his government: probably by this time he finds, or if he lives much longer he will find, that the elevated station to which his talents aided by his crimes have raised him, is unable to secure for him so much happiness as falls to the lot of an humble and contented peasant upon his wild mountains; for if injustice is ever visited with punishment, or crimes made their own ministers of vengeance in this world, it is when the infirmities of age creep slowly on a tyrant, when activity and bustle are no longer suited to his strength, and his habitual restlessness cannot be appeased; when a sense of approaching death excites a certain indescribable fear of retribution, and conscience holds a mirror to his view wherein every action is reflected which was instigated by the selfish and malevolent passions.

Visit to Mr. Pouqueville-His Opinion respecting Parga-Visit to Mouchtar Pasha-Adventure of a Robber-Accident at Signore Nicolo's House-Superstitions of Mustafà-Old Tatar sets out on his Pilgrimage to Mecca-Spring at Ioannina-Appearance of Hawks and Storks-Excursion to the North of Albania-Zitza-Fall of the Kalamas or Thyamis-Tzarovina-Vizir's Powder-Mills-Delvinaki Misery of its Inhabitants-Inscription upon a Church-Violent Conduct of Mustafa-Valley of Deropuli-Reflections thereon-Palaia-Epis copi-Snuff Manufactory-Libochobo-Remains of Adrianopolis-Appearance of Argyro-Castro-Albanian Soldiers-Captain GiankoCries of Women for the Dead-Description of Argyro-Castro-Inspec tion of the Fortress-Visit to Salee Bey the Vizir's youngest Son-The unfortunate Demetrio Anastasi-Statistical Paper sent by the Bishop of Argyro-Castro-Mistake of the Author respecting the Bearer.

MARCH 5th. This morning we received an invitation to dinner with Mons. Pouqueville, at which time we learned all the particulars

226

VISIT TO MOUCHTAR PASHA.

of Ali's attack and massacre at Ajà, as well as his defeat by the valiant and patriotic Parghiotes. Our conversation to-day turned chiefly upon this event, and the consequences that might be expected to ensue from it. It is not very consoling now to reflect upon the sentiments of the French consul upon this subject. He seemed fully aware that Parga would eventually change French for British protection, but he exulted in the prospect of its fate, and paid those compliments to our national faith which are particularly gratifying from the acknowledgment of a generous enemy. I recollect the almost enthusiastic fondness which he expressed for the character of the Parghiotes, with which his frequent residence amongst them had made him well acquainted; a character which we invariably found acknowledged by all who had similar opportunities of observing it, and which our own sojourn upon their rock tended strongly to confirm. And for whom did British authorities think proper to expatriate this interesting people, and to rivet the fetters of Greece!

Next day we called upon Mouchtar Pasha at his serai. He received us with civility, and confirmed the intelligence of the capture of Ajà, though he studiously concealed the defeat before Parga. The mention of these events turned the conversation to his own exploits at the attack of Prevesa, where he headed the charge of Albanian cavalry, and drove in the out-posts. Like the generality of these warriors he boasted much of his own valour, and expressed a contemptuous opinion of the French which they little deserved: had they possessed a single troop of cavalry, probably Mouchtar would not have lived to tell the tale; nor would Prevesa have fallen so easy a prey, had the French troops been properly supported. As we sat smoking our pipes in social converse, a secretary of the pasha's came to inform him that a desperate leader of banditti, who had long infested the forests of Acarnania, had voluntarily surrendered himself, and desired to make the adoration (gorxuvńσis) upon condition of receiving pardon and employment. In this ceremony the criminal prostrates himself before

ACCIDENT AT SIGNORE NICOLO'S HOUSE.

227

the chief and kisses the hem of his garment, after which his life is safe whatever may have been the crimes he has committed. Mouchtar admitted the man to this expiatory rite, but in so doing he incurred the displeasure of his father, whose vengeance was implacable against this individual, who had committed the most atrocious excesses and long eluded all attempts to take him. To give up the pleasure of revenge is not compatible with Ali's nature; whilst, on the other hand, to violate the customs of his country and destroy all confidence between himself and his old companions the kleftes was thought adverse to good policy. In this dilemma therefore he released the man, and gave him safe conduct to the haunts of his associates, determining to wait patiently until chance or a diligent police should again bring the culprit into his grasp.

Having left Mouchtar we paid a visit to young Mahmet Pasha, with whose conversation, as at all other times, we were highly interested, and then returned home to be witnesses of a catastrophe which had nearly laid all Ioannina in ashes. On this day we had invited a party of natives to dinner, and Antonietti, that he might do honour to us and give satisfaction to our guests by his skill in cookery, had lighted a fire to which the vizir's kitchen itself could scarcely have afforded a parallel: but the houses in this country are not built to stand fire; indeed, so seldom is a Grecian hearth illuminated by any thing like a blaze, that the architect takes no precaution to secure the beam ends of the upper story which may jut into the chimney. Such was the case in the present instance; a large dry beam coming into contact with Antonietti's flame, took fire, and the smoke soon ascended through the roof: luckily this was formed of pantiles instead of thatch, or the next messenger dispatched to the vizir might have told him half his Troy was burnt:' for as more than one half the house, in all instances, is constructed of wood, whilst the modern invention of a water-engine has not yet found its way to Ioannina, and moreover, as a high wind finely calculated to spread a con

228

SUPERSTITIONS OF MUSTAFA.

flagration was then blowing, Antonietti very narrowly escaped gaining a niche in the Temple of Fame by the side of Erostratus. On our arrival we found every body and every thing in confusion; but Signore Nicolo alarmed not less for his head than for his house, mounted the roof with uncommon agility, and acted the part of fireman: tearing off some dozens of the tiles, and exposing the enemy to view, he cooled his courage by the application of successive buckets of water, which we handed up to him, and Ioannina was saved: but the dinner was spoiled; and our guests were taught to sympathise with the Horatian party in their misfortune at Beneventum.

Ubi sedulus hospes,

Pæne arsit macros dum turdos versat in igne.

This however was not the only misfortune we experienced: the French consul, having understood that we gave an entertainment, kindly sent some sausages to garnish a turkey: these having been saved from the wreck, were amongst the articles dressed for dinner, none of the party recollecting that pork was a principal ingredient in their composition: but Mustafà was too good a Mussulman to forget it, and no sooner did his olfactory nerves give him notice that this infernal viand was to compose a part of our feast, than he consigned us all over to perdition, and with every mark of horror and disgust pictured in his countenance, packed up his goods and retreated to his little den within the castron. At the expiration of two days, when he thought the house was tolerably purified, he re-appeared, but refused to break bread with us until Demetrio had washed every dish and platter in his presence, and we assured him that no more of this abomination should come under our roof. Mr. Parker indeed contrived to persuade him that he had not partaken of the sausages, and by that means gained a step over me in his affections which I was never able to recover: as for Antonietti, who cooked the trash, he looked upon him with infinitely greater abhorrence than if he had