Arms having failed, Ali, as usual, took refuge in plots and treachery,
but this time, instead of corrupting his enemies with gold, he sought to
weaken them by division.




CHAPTER VII

The French commander Nicole, surnamed the "Pilgrim," on account of a
journey he had once made to Mecca, had spent six months at Janina with
a brigade of artillery which General Marmont, then commanding in the
Illyrian provinces, had for a time placed at Ali's disposal. The old
officer had acquired the esteem and friendship of the pacha, whose
leisure he had often amused by stories of his campaigns and various
adventures, and although it was now long since they had met, he still
had the reputation of being Ali's friend. Ali prepared his plans
accordingly. He wrote a letter to Colonel Nicole, apparently in
continuation of a regular correspondence between them, in which he
thanked the colonel for his continued affection, and besought him by
various powerful motives to surrender Parga, of which he promised him
the governorship during the rest of his life. He took good care to
complete his treason by allowing the letter to fall into the hands of
the chief ecclesiastics of Parga, who fell head-foremost into the trap.
Seeing that the tone of the letter was in perfect accordance with the
former friendly relations between their French governor and the pacha,
they were convinced of the former's treachery. But the result was not
as Ali had hoped: the Parganiotes resumed their former negotiations
with the English, preferring to place their freedom in the hands of
a Christian nation rather than to fall under the rule of a Mohammedan