HE PERSUADES THE SULIOTS TO BANISH FOTO TZAVELLA.

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revenge, cut off the heads of all the Suliot hostages which he had taken at Delvino, except two, the brother of Tzavella, and the son of Draco, hoping, by this reservation, to bring the characters of these chieftains into suspicion amongst their countrymen. In this however he failed. They called together the people, and after a most animated harangue, in which they declared that they considered these dear relatives as victims sacrificed upon the altar of their country, they persuaded the Suliots to arm and follow them against the foe, where, by a terrible slaughter, they took ample revenge for the innocent blood which had been shed. Whilst Ali was preparing a blow of retaliation for this disgrace, he suddenly received orders from the Porte to lead his contingent to the army of the grand vizir, which lay before Adrianople, against the rebel Paswan Oglou. These orders he did not think fit to disobey. During his absence the Suliots laid in stores of provisions and arms, and by the advice of Samuel, greatly enlarged the strong fort of Agia Paraskevi, upon the hill of Kunghi.

Ali, at his return, began his usual arts of negotiation, endeavouring to impose upon the Suliots with a false and treacherous proposal of peace, under condition of their allowing him to build and garrison one tower in their district, and banishing from their territories the brave Foto Tzayella, as the chief impediment in the way of tranquillity.

His ambassadors on this occasion were Kitzo Botzari and Cuzzonica, who, by dint of threats and promises, hopes and fears, prevailed upon the republic to request the secession of their bravest captain from those mountains of which his valour was the noblest ornament.

Foto, like an ancient Roman in the early times of the republic, addressed the assembly on this occasion in a speech full of dignity, as well as of compassion for his deluded countrymen; he exhorted them to beware of their inveterate enemy's insidious designs, but disdained. to plead in behalf of himself. After the council had broken up, he proceeded to his dwelling, and taking a torch in his hand, he set fire

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FOTO GOES TO IOANNINA, AND IS IMPRISONED THERE.

to the roof, and waited till it was burnt to the ground; declaring, that no enemy of Suli should ever cross the threshold of the Tzavellas: he then buried his sword, and taking an affectionate leave of his friends and family, bid adieu to the mountains which his valour had so long defended, and left his countrymen much in the same state as the silly sheep who were persuaded by the wolves to dismiss their guardians. The vizir now set every engine to work that might bring Foto into his power, and the reader will be able to form some idea of the artifice and cunning of this man when he learns that success attended his endeavours. Tzavella however did not proceed to Ioannina before he had made the offer of returning to his country, upon condition that certain traitors, whom he named, were banished: this being negatived, he went to the desired conference upon the most solemn protestations of Ali's good faith he soon however found upon what a frail foundation he had built his hopes, for when he refused to enter into the tyrant's views of enslaving his country, he was thrown, in spite of faith and promises, into prison.

May 12th, 1803.-About this time the Suliots, having received some supplies, made their last attempt against their besiegers. The most important post occupied by the Albanians was that of Villa, where they had built a large square fortress with a strong tower at each angle, and a lofty central one in the area, which served as the principal magazine for the vizir's army. This fortress it was determined to attack, and 200 picked men set out upon the expedition in a very dark and windy night. Having made their approaches unperceived by the enemy, one of them, named Metococcales, took a spade and pick-axe, with which he worked patiently and perseveringly until he had excavated a large hole under the foundation of a corner tower. In this be deposited a barrel of gunpowder, lighted a slow fusee, and returned to his companions who had concealed themselves behind a rock. They then set up a tremendous shout which brought the garrison quickly to the suspected place of attack, where they had scarcely arrived before

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an explosion took place which buried them beneath the ruins of the angle. The Suliots then rushed like a torrent through the breach and gained possession of the great central tower; this they emptied of all its stores, which they delivered to their women and children, who arrived in great numbers, and the whole time till the dawn of day was occupied in their removal. That part of the garrison which escaped the effects of the explosion had retreated into the three remaining angular towers which they strongly barricadoed. In the morning they were summoned to surrender, and required in token of submission to cast down their arms at the foot of each tower. This the Albanians pretended to do, but when the Suliots came to pick them up, they were fired upon by a reserve and great numbers killed. This want of faith so enraged them that they sent for a large reinforcement of their countrymen, upon whose arrival they applied a vast heap of pitch and other combustibles to the entrances of the towers and burned alive or suffocated these perfidious enemies.

This however was the last action of any consequence that they performed and the evil star of Suli now began to predominate. The vizir in the fury of his indignation sent forth proclamations calling upon every Mahometan throughout his dominions and amongst his allies, in the name of their great prophet, to avenge this slaughter upon the heads of the Suliots. Having by these means collected a large army, he placed it under the command of his son Vely, who encamped in the neighbourhood of Glyky. Besides these, 5000 troops were stationed under two distinguished captains named Mezzo Bonno and Agho Mordari, at Villa; 4500 at Zabruco under Hassan Zapari and Ibrahim Demi; 3000 at Syritziana under Bekir Giogadorus, and 4000 at Tzecurati under Usuff Agà surnamed 'The Arab.'

Even against this overwhelming force the Suliots did not despair, but engaged bravely in conflict both day and night, and by the most daring stratagems and surprises reduced their enemies to such a pitch of despair that they began to consider them as invincible and to desert

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KIAFFA TAKEN-FOTO RETURNS TO SULI.

in considerable numbers. At last however Kitzio Botzari by large bribes and larger promises prevailed upon Cuzzonica and one Pylio Gusi to betray their native mountains. Just before this time the vizir had liberated Foto Tzavella upon condition of sending his wife and children to Ioannina as hostages and settling himself with the rest of his family, either at Parga or one of the Ionian islands. In the month of September, 1803, this gallant chieftain came to Suli for the last time assembling the council of the republic in Kiaffa he gave them all the information possible respecting the state of affairs, exhorted them to defend their liberties unto death, and advised them to send away all useless hands under plea of his relationship and the security of his conduct. The Suliots followed his advice, and Foto led these unhappy exiles to Parga, from whence they embarked for Corfu. In the mean time Cuzzonica and Gusi having had several conferences with Vely Pasha at Glyky, and engaged the whole fara of the Zervas to act as their base accomplices, led a body of 200 Albanians through some secret passes of the mountains and concealed them in the houses of the conspirators. Next day Vely made a general attack and the Suliots while they were engaged in the defiles were assaulted in the rear and dispersed; great numbers were killed and the rest either retreated into Kako-Suli or shut themselves up with Samuel in the tower of Kunghi, whilst Kiaffa itself fell into the hands of the enemy. News of this unfortunate event reaching the ears of Foto Tzavella he was unable to restrain his ardour, and although his dearest pledges were in the power of the tyrant, he resolutely abandoned them to their fate, and departing for Suli passed unperceived through the enemy's guards by night and threw himself into the fort of Kunghi with the caloyer. From that place he headed a desperate sally against a large body of troops under the immediate conduct of Ali himself, who came to attack Kako-Suli over the mountains of Dervitziana, and put them so completely to the rout, that the vizir retired to Ioannina and left the whole conduct of the war to his son. poor Suliots were at last so worn down by war and famine, and so

The

KAKO-SULI SURRENDERS—TREACHERY OF THE ALBANIANS.

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strictly blockaded on every side by their inveterate enemies that they were reduced to the necessity of accepting terms of capitulation, which were proposed and ratified on the 12th of December 1803: yet even in this their distressed situation the terror of the Suliot name was so great that the whole population was permitted quietly to emigrate and settle wherever they might please.

And now follow the most bloody and perfidious scenes in the catastrophe of this tragic history. Men, women, and children being gathered together, they were separated into two bodies, the largest of which under the conduct of Tzavella and Dimo Draco bent their steps towards Parga, whilst the other marched in the direction of Prevesa with the intention of embarking for Santa Maura. Both were attacked on their road by the troops of the perfidious tyrant. The first mentioned corps having formed a hollow square, and placed their wives, children, and cattle in the midst, gallantly fought their way through the enemy and effected their retreat. The other party were not equally fortunate. Being overtaken by their pursuers at the monastery of Zalongo, they entrenched themselves in its court and prepared for a stout defence: so many troops however were brought against them that the gates of the monastery were soon forced and an indiscriminate slaughter commenced; those that could escape took the road to Arta, but à party of about 100 women and children, being cut off from the rest, fled towards a steep precipice at a little distance from the convent: there the innocent babes were thrown over the rocks by their despairing mothers, whilst the women themselves, preferring death to the dishonour that awaited them, joined hand in hand, and raising their minds to the highest pitch of enthusiasm by songs in honour of their lost country, they whirled round and round in a species of frantic dance like ancient Thyades, till they approached the very edge of the cliff; then with a loud shout of defiance, and as it were by a preconcerted signal, one and all threw themselves headlong down.

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