1767. A.D. Servia, and Bosnia, the Sclavonians of every tribe, the inhabitants of the Acroceraunian mountains, and the Chimariots, who boast to be the descendants of the ancient Myrmidons,* espoused, with one consent, the cause of liberty; and the line of the Adriatic coast was aroused from its northern almost to its southern extremity. The Porte, who had originally regarded Stephano as an unsupported fanatic, became now sensible of the necessity of checking his proceedings, and orders were issued for the Pachas of Albania to march against him. The Chimariots, on the first appearance of hostility, laid down their arms, and retired to their native fastnesses, whilst the territory of the Montenegrins was inundated on every side by hosts of Albanians. After a protracted and sanguinary campaign, the forces of the insurgents were completely broken, their villages were burned, and the heads of the bravest of their leaders were sent to decorate the court of the Seraglio. phano, escaping by a miracle from his pursuers, fled from cavern to cavern amongst the desolated mountains, and succeeded in concealing himself till the arrival of a Russian vessel, Ste * The Chimariots are amongst the most warlike inhabitants of Greece. Like the Montenegrins, their profession is war, and from their passion for military service, they have obtained from the Italians the title of the Grecian Swiss. 1767. which professed to come to the succour of the A.D. Montenegrins. He was arrested by the commander, on the charge of assuming the title of Peter III.; but was almost immediately set at liberty, and received from Orloff a commission in the service of the Empress.* Such was the situation of affairs in Greece, when, in the month of October 1768, the Porte was induced, by the intrigues of the French cabinet,† to declare war against Russia, on the grounds of her undue interference in the affairs of Poland. One of the first measures of the Divan was, the disarming of the Christian population, in the accomplishing which, the grossest atrocities were practised against the unfortunate Greeks; and, at the same juncture, the representations of Orloff, and the influence of Catharine, wrung from the cabinet of St. Petersburgh an unwilling consent to the fittingout an expedition for the Mediterranean.‡ During the two preceding years, Pappas Oglou had been actively employed in stirring up the Mainotes, and other inhabitants of the Morea. With the former, his success had not been flattering. He landed in 1766, at Porto Rulhiere, v. iii. pp. 305. 359. + Life of Catharine II. v. i. p. 422; v. ii. P. 4. ↑ Rabbe, p. 132. 138. Rulhiere, v. iii. p. 330. Life of Catharine II. v. ii. p. 28. Oct. 1768. 1768. A.D. Vitylo, a small town, to the north-west of Cape Matapan, which was the residence of two of the most distinguished leaders of the modern Spartans, Mauromichali, and his brother Joanni,* on whom he made his first essay. They met his proposals with caution; they represented to him, that the strength of the Mainotes was solely defensive, and that their numbers were too small to render them formidable as assailants; they frankly assured him, that however their countrymen might be unanimous in warding off any attack which threatened their common liberty, that they were too widely separated by conflicting interests, to unite heartily in a doubtful cause. They pointed out, at the same time, the real weakness and timidity of the Greeks, their ignorance of arms and warfare, and their constitutional terror of a Turkish force; and urged the necessity of the Russians coming prepared to do every thing themselves, since no reliance could be placed in the patriotism or promises of the Moreots. At the same time, they informed him of their readiness to co-operate in any reasonable undertaking for the deliverance of the country, which should * This family, whose name is Jatrani, claim kindred with the Medicis of Florence, but on no other grounds, I should think, than the similarity of their names, laτpos and Medicus. 1768. be proposed to them by properly accredited A.D. agents. Pappas Oglou, who had the double game to play of engaging the Czarina heartily in the project, by laying before her the enthusiasm and promises of the Greeks, and of exciting the mind of the latter by displaying the resources and readiness of Russia, was not sparing of assurances and encouragement; he exerted his influence to the utmost, but finding he could obtain no farther engagement from Mauromichali, he dispatched a pompous account of his success to Orloff, and removed to another point of the Morea.* At the extremity of the Gulf of Coron, in one of the richest districts of Messenia, there is a town called Calamata, which, though the chief of the canton of the same name, is of slight importance, and contains merely a few inhabitants, who are supported by the culture and manufacture of silk. At the time of which I speak, it was the residence of a Cogia bachi, named Benaki, who enjoyed singular consideration and influence amongst the Turks. His wealth was remarkable, and on the pretext of repelling the incursions of the neighbouring banditti, he had been permitted by the Pacha of the Morea to erect a fortress at • Villemain, p. 212. 1768. A.D. Calamata, in which he was living when Pappas Oglou appeared to solicit his assistance. Benaki was then far advanced in years; his figure was noble and commanding, he possessed a mind at once frank and penetrating, and, contrary to the general practice of his class, his power with the Pacha was exerted solely for the interest and advantage of his countrymen. The Russian emissary perceived at once, however, that the foible of the Greek proestos was ambition; and, improving the discovery, he dwelt with increased extravagance on the vastness of the preparations and power of Catharine, pointed out the absolute certainty of success, and flattered the hopes of Benaki, that under the auspices of the Empress, he might expect to become the ruler of the Morea, in the event of its emancipation from the Ottomans. Persuaded by his wishes rather than his judgment, Benaki received with eager confidence every bold assertion of the Thessalian, and met every offer of the wily agent with assurances of proportionate assistance from the Moreots. Thus, mutually deceiving each other, Pappas Oglou made the most extravagant promises on the part of his mistress; and Benaki, to hasten the preparations of the Russians, held out equally exaggerated hopes of the co-operation and forces of the Greeks. The deceit ac |