CONFESSION OF A GREEK PIRATE. 293 witness the attack on the castle of Coron. On the next day he returned, and told the crew, that as the castle would not be attacked for five or six days, there was no occasion to remain; we therefore went to Armiro. After the six days the Greeks attacked the castle, when we proceeded to Coron near the castle, to see if it had been captured. On our arrival, we perceived that the Greeks had lost the battle; so we left and returned to Armiro. Two days after, the weather being fine, we set sail from Armiro, bound to Coron, to bring back the General of the Greek troops, Captain Costantino Mavromicali, the governor of Calamata, and the troops that had been embarked in the Mistico. The Mistico returned with them to Armiro, which is the port of Calamata. Another brother of Captain Costantino, Captain Antonachi, wrote a letter from Coron to his brother, and sent it to him at Armiro; in consequence of which letter Captain Costantino called me and the captain of the Mistico, and shewing us the letter, desired us to proceed immediately to Coron, as a vessel with provisions had arrived there to succour the Turks in the castle. 294 CONFESSION OF A GREEK PIRATE. "We accordingly, on the same evening, set sail for Coron, where we came to anchor, close to Vunaria. On the next morning Capt. Panajotti immediately went on shore to speak to Captain Antonachi, who was in camp there. At twelve o'clock he returned on board, and told the whole of the crew that the order was, should a vessel be captured near the castle, she and her cargo would be condemned, be her flag what it might. After this Captain Panajotti brought upon deck an image of the Virgin Mary; and calling all the crew, desired them to take an oath, that they would willingly consent to kill the crew of that vessel, of whatever nation she might be-English, Imperial, French, or any other; and further, that they would kill the crew, sink the vessel, and take from her whatever they might find on board. The whole of the crew then took the oath, I was the last one, I took the oath because I could not help it. The captain further said to the crew, 'you know our conditions are these: that four shares of the prize will belong to the four captains on shore;' namely, Captain Costantino Mavromicali, governor of Calamata; Captain Giovanni Mavromicali, his brother, generally called Cazzi; CONFESSION OF A GREEK PIRATE. 295 Captain Kristair, whose son intended to marry the daughter of Captain Cazzi, brother of Petro Bey; and the fourth, Mr. Giacomo Cornelio, a native of Zante, residing at Calamata, and one of the first nobles of Zante. To which four persons were likewise to be paid four thousand piastres for expences of the Mistico already incurred, which were first to be deducted from the whole proceeds; and the remaining proceeds of the prize, either money or any thing else, were to be divided; namely, one half to the four persons before named, who were the sole owners of the Mistico, and the other half to the crew; but out of this latter half, the owners were to be paid the four shares before stated. At this time, when Captain Panajotti was explaining the business to the crew, I remained silent, sitting upon a gun, reflecting seriously, and much displeased. The captain, secing me in this humour, said to me, 'what is the matter with you; what are you thinking about?' I replied, I am sure that vessel is an English one; we shall displease the English, and should we fall in with an English frigate, she will sink us.' The captain answered, addressing himself to all the crew: 'If the 296 CONFESSION Of a greek piRATE. English have a good fleet, we have our mountains, which are much stronger than their men of war.' After this, the captain took me down into the cabin, and shewed me a letter signed by the four persons before mentioned; which letter stated, 'Don't fear any thing; do what you can, and you shall be defended by us, all in our power.' "After this we set sail, and went near to the vessel anchored by the castle of Coron, and fired two guns at her. At the same time the castle fired a gun at the Mistico, and the vessel moved nearer to the shore, and under the protection of the castle; so we quitted the place, and steered towards Cape Gallo, where we perceived three vessels sailing eastward. The captain said we had better go and visit them. And we pursued them for three hours, but could not come up with them; part of the crew said we had better abandon the chase, and return to Coron, as the vessel there might set sail. We accordingly returned, and during the remainder of that and the following day we cruised about. "On the evening of the latter day, three hours after sun-set, we fell in with the Maltese CONFESSION OF A GREEK PIRATE 297 vessel, named La Speranza; I think that was her name, commanded by Captain Francisco Gristi. We hailed her: Captain Mari, a Cephaloniote, hailed her with a speaking-trumpet, and desired the captain to come on board in his boat, and bring his papers with him. The vessel then let a boat down, into which the Maltese captain, a Greek passenger, and two seamen, four in all, embarked. I should have stated, that when the captain of the Mistico ordered the Maltese brig to be hailed, I asked him for what reason he ordered the captain to come on board? Captain Panajotti replied, he wanted to see if there were any Turks on board, or papers for Constantinople. I replied, you must consider, that the vessel and her master are Maltese, and belonging to my own country, and if you attempt to molest her, from friends that we now are, we shall become enemies.' Captain Panajotti answered, the English took from me a million, at Piscardo, and I will take from them much more; if you speak any more, I'll serve you the same as I intend to do the Maltese.' Saying this, he knocked me down; my head struck on the nail of a gun, and made |