piastres and a hundred and fifty charges of ammunition; Hussien Pacha
was given up to them, and they left the Ottoman camp at dead of night.
Morco Botzaris remained with three hundred and twenty men, threw down
the palisades, and then ascending Mount Paktoras with his troops, waited
for dawn in order to announce his defection to the Turkish army. As soon
as the sun appeared he ordered a general salvo of artillery and shouted
his war-cry. A few Turks in charge of an outpost were slain, the rest
fled. A cry of "To arms" was raised, and the standard of the Cross
floated before the camp of the infidels.

Signs and omens of a coming general insurrection appeared on all sides;
there was no lack of prodigies, visions, or popular rumours, and the
Mohammedans became possessed with the idea that the last hour of
their rule in Greece had struck. Ali Pacha favoured the general
demoralisation; and his agents, scattered throughout the land,
fanned the flame of revolt. Ismail Pacha was deprived of his title of
Seraskier, and superseded by Kursheed Pacha. As soon as Ali heard this,
he sent a messenger to Kursheed, hoping to influence him in his favour.
Ismail, distrusting the Skipetars, who formed part of his troops,
demanded hostages from them. The Skipetars were indignant, and Ali,
hearing of their discontent, wrote inviting them to return to him,
and endeavouring to dazzle them by the most brilliant promises. These
overtures were received by the offended troops with enthusiasm, and
Alexis Noutza, Ali's former general, who had forsaken him for Ismail,
but who had secretly returned to his allegiance and acted as a spy on
the Imperial army, was deputed to treat with him. As soon as he arrived,
Ali began to enact a comedy in the intention of rebutting the accusation
of incest with his daughter-in-law Zobeide; for this charge, which,
since Veli himself had revealed the secret of their common shame,
could only be met by vague denials, had never ceased to produce a most