VOL. VIII. THE SEASON FOR REMEMBRANCE. BY MAJOR CALDER CAMPBELL. Nor on the boisterous MAIN, Do thou plight faithfulness of love to me ;- Than is the truthless sea,-no book on which to swear! 14 Where music echoes loud, and round thee dance Where business or delight engross the time, Yet, pause-Another spot, Another season, is there, when my heart When in the HOUSE of GOD hymned prayers impart To earthly thoughts a purity all holy, Then think of ine with faith, firm, sweet, yet lowly! DELAVAL O'DORNEY: AN AUTOBIO- | hand! The commander of our consort had GRAPHY.* received his own orders, so there was little to to lower down the boat, and then standing delay our attack; we hove too for a moment for a while close in-shore to avoid the light, we at length loosed the top-gallant sails, and, with the sea-breeze freshening up astern, bore rapidly down upon a large three-decker, the flag-ship of the capitan pacha, distinguish. ed by the lanterns on her poop. Onward, onward, we bore-still no alarm:-the Turks in their fancied security, giving loose to their brutal passions, now only thought of gratify. ing them at the expense of their miserable captives, and, seeing no need of caution, had that night posted no look-out men or watchers. PARTING company with the squadron, we made the land, and, following up the orders of the admiral, everything seemed to favour our enterprise-we escaped the notice of the enemy-the night settled in unusually dark, and, without meeting any obstruction, we entered the Bay of Scio. Never, to the eye of vengeance, was there presented a more gratifying or promising sight! In a moment, as we rounded a headland, instead of the thick darkness of the night a blaze of light burst upon our startled vision. The Turkish fleet was illuminated from stem to stern; from the truck of the huge line of battle-ship to her lower deck, there was one stream of light; "the moment of vengeance is come; bright "Now, sons of the Greeks!" cried Canaris; the concentrated rays of a thousand lamps though their lights be, they themselves shall glittered on the surrounding waters, dazzling furnish a bonfire to-night, brighter and redder, by their brilliancy the sight of the infidels, to tell of the triumph of vengeance and the and shrouding our approach in deeper gloom. cross! Let us only be firm, and make sure work It was some high festival, and the sounds of of it. Forward! and project the grapnel! Now, savage revelry came floating across the wa- silence, my mates!" said he, steering the ters, waking the silence of those now desolate fire-ship right for the bow of the infidel. We shores, the scenes of the late terrific drama. were not more than three cables' length from To our ears such sounds were like the voices the enemy; the deep hum, mingled with rude of demons exulting over their work of car-music, and shouting of her immense crew, nage; but the hour of vengeance was at were heard as distinctly as if we were on * Continued from p. 41. board. "'Tis time we see to ourselves-into the boat, men-into the boat, signor," whis We gazed at each other in silence, stunned by the awful catastrophe, we ourselves had prepared and anticipated it. Canaris only spoke. "Tis well," said he, that even dying, the infidels had a foretaste of that hell to which their bloody deeds so well entitled them." 66 pered Canaris, and lashing the helm to wind- vengeance !" Hark, hark! to that new ward, and taking the match, he applied it to cry of horror: the fire is approaching the the port-fire, which communicated with the magazine. See! the desperate Mussulmans combustibles in the hold, and followed us into throw themselves overboard and perish in the boat, when we pulled with all our strength the waves-and then one loud explosion in-shore, to get out of the reach of danger; shaking earth and sea like an earthquake, we then calmly lay upon our oars, waiting to and the huge line of battle ship is torn asunwitness the event. A bright flame now flicker- der, and hurled, with all it contains, in blazed up from the fore part of the fire-ship, ing masses to the lurid skies. Down, down which kept steadily nearing the infidel, and they come-human remains and burning then burst into a red lurid blaze. With timbers hissing in the agitated waters, and breathless anxiety we now watched her pro- all around is wrapt in darkness: the stillgress. A moment more, and she had fasten-ness of death succeeds-there is nothing to ed herself in the bows of the enemy, and we tell of the past convulsion, but a slight heavfelt that his destruction and our vengeance ing of the sea. were certain. The mast of the fire-ship had fallen just as she came in contact with the infidel, and for some time she lay unheeded under their bows, a burning and destructive wreck. The bowsprit of the Turk was now in flames, and in a moment the contagious element had caught the rigging and shrouds, which glittered in the air like fiery serpents. We pulled out of the bay at sunrise, perThe besotted wretches now seemed awakened ceived the Greek squadron close in-shore, from their apathy, but only to fancy that the and got safely on board. I had not long joinfire was accidental, and proceeded from their ed, when, as the morning broke, we observown vessel, and to rouse to make futile efforts ed, and made the signal to chase, a large to extinguish it. Soon, however, they per- sloop of war, which was running along the ceived the real cause, and the imminence of land under a heavy press of canvass. We their danger, and their cry of alarm came had no doubt she was of the fleet dispersed like music to the ears of the vindictive Greeks. in the night, and as we were the best sailor Terror and confusion were at their height in the squadron, outstripping the rest, we -there was no escape. On the eve of sail-alone seemed to gain upon her. A sterning, all the Turkish boats were hoisted in. There was no time to get them out; two small quarter boats were lowered down, but sank alongside from the crowd of eager wretches that sprang into them. Now rose from her crowded decks the wild cry of despair, and calls upon Allah and the prophet, mingled with desperate ravings and blasphemy. See! they cut their cables, and vainly try to extricate themselves from their destructive enemy, but fast are her deadly embraces. The whole of the fore part of their vessel is on fire, and they are driven back in one dense multitude towards the stern-now glows with fervent heat her triple tier of artillery, and the loud roar of the shotted guns peals forth at intervals, carry. ing destruction into the hulls of the rest of the fleet, which, seized with consternation, are running out to sea. chase is proverbially a long one, and so it proved, for it was late in the afternoon before we were within gunshot of the enemy. The rest of our little squadron were then hull down to windward, and we off the island of Mytilene. "Bravo!" said old Miaulis, rubbing his hands with delight, "we shall have to attack them single-handed-all the glory shall be ours." He gave the word to clear for action, and two nine-pounders on the forecastle were brought to bear upon the Turk. He did not seem, however, to relish these distant hostilities, or the ignominy of retreating; but seeing that he was fully equal to us, and that there was no prospect of his being overpowered by the other vessels of the Greeks coming up, as the breeze was dying away, and they far astern, he gallantly hauled to the wind, clewed up his courses, and hoisting at the same time his blood-red ensign, calmly awaited our approach. Every object in that huge burning mass was to us as visible as if it had been noonday. Ha! who is that hoary wretch, rushing wildly from side to side in the poop, Miaulis now briefly but emphatically adtearing his beard, and waving his arms con- dressed his men; they were mostly islanders, vulsively above his head? 'Tis the savage natives of Hydra and Ipsara, good seamen desolator of Scio! It is the capitan pacha! and brave fellows, and they answered him See! see! how he stands on the break of with cheers. It was evident, however, from the poop, and calls in desperation on his bar- the equality of force, and the gallant bearbarous crew to save him! He calls in ing of the Turk, that the action would be vain !-he, whose word an hour ago had obstinate and bloody. We still kept bearbeen as imperious as fate, is now as unheed-ing steadily down, the guns were cast loose, ed as any of the wretched mass that throng the boarding pikes were arranged, and the around him. The Greeks gloated upon this terrific sight. "Ay," said Canaris, in a deeply suppressed voice; "ay, country men-this indeed is men stood silently at their quarters, while old Miaulis, firm and collected, kept pacing slowly the quarter-deck, the captain, an old follower, and a lieutenant, standing by to tion, had blown themselves up sooner than thee appear, this thy noble devotion in the surrender a practice which, however des- cause of an oppressed and fallen people perate, is by no means uncommon in their would still be a proud and sufficient vindi naval history, and thus, for the second time, cation of thy memory! was the faithful Nicolo the preserver of my life. All Greece was on tiptoe, waiting with While I continued cruising in the Archi-anxiety the arrival of her illustrious friend. pelago, the campaign was vigorously con- After many disappointments, it was at length ducted on the continent. Mavrocordato announced that Lord Byron was on the sea, himself, with other chiefs, carried the war bound for Missolonghi, and on one of the latinto Western Greece; Colocotroni closely ter days of December he landed amidst the besieged Patras, and though Corinth, which firing of cannon, and better, the joyful the Greeks had neglected properly to garri- cheers of the people he came to serve. He son or supply with provisions, was again was conducted by the president and the Occupied by the Turks, the God of battles principal chiefs to the house prepared for willed that they should only enter it to fall him, and all Greece at length felt secure and into the hands of the patriots. But one of happy at having one leader on whose disinthe most important successes which attend-terested attachment she could rely. ed the arms of the patriots was the occupa- Next day, the different military chiefs, totion of Napoli de Romania after a long in-gether with the foreign Philhellenes, and vestment, which had reduced the wretched more particularly the English, were presentgarrison to the last extremity of famine; ed to his lordship. We found him frank and the palamida, or citadel, was surprised, with little or no resistance. I but waited to witness the intrepid Canaris destroy another Turkish line of battle-ship, with which the Capitan Pacha endeavoured to relieve Napoli, and then proceeded to join Mavrocordato in Western Greece. I was in time to share in the gallant and successful defence of Missolonghi, a defence which will ever shed the brightest lustre on the name of Mavrocordato. Here I had the good fortune to become acquainted with the renowned Marco Bozzaris-a hero, indeed, and one who, though rude and illiterate, was worthy of the best days of Greece; and when, too soon after this, he met a glorious death in his daring night attack on the Turkish army at Carparissa, all Hellas mourned the splendid victory which had cost them so precious a life; his last orders to his small but devoted band, "If you lose sight of me during the combat, come and seek me in the pacha's tent," are worthy to be remembered with the heroic sentiments of Leonidas. affable, with no appearance of that prejudice Saw more than marks the common herd of men." His hair, which, it is said, was once very glossy and black, was now prematurely tinged with grey; his features too were at variance with his person, and betrayed in the sunken cheek and wan complexion, and an expression of despondency and suffering, that the seeds of that fatal illness were already sown, which was so soon to deprive the world of his genius, and his native land of the cherished hope of one day receiving into her service the aid of a mind enlightened by deep study and long travel, and tested in that best though severest school-the school of adversity and trial. He acted with the greatest vigour in his new character of a warlike leader, and was wisely organising his brigade of Suliotes in the spring, when I received a packet from Signor Vostizza, containing letters, and one in particular from my uncle, which obliged me, however reluctantly, to set out from Greece, on my return home ward, immediately. I had some time before made known to him, and asked his forgiveness for not having sooner acquainted him with my having joined the Greeks. The old man, after deprecating so hazardous an enterprise, continued his letter thus: Such were some of the most striking events of the year 1823 in Greece; but it was yet to be distinguished by one as worthy of commemoration-the accession to her ranks of one of the most illustrious men of the present age, the noble Byron, who sealed the record of his munificent services in the cause of Greece, by now offering her his fortune and his life. It was announced towards the close of this year, that the heroic bard, whose ly re had been alternately heard waking, after ages of slavish apathy and silence, the strains of liberty in the deserted valleys of Greece, or subduing the soul to love with all the tenderness of the Teian muse, had laid his lyre aside, had hung it, not on the willows, but on her own "Why, Eugene, O why did you thus de"sea-green olive," until he could strike its ceive me? Think my dearest boy, what chords to the Pean of Victory; and, assum- would have been the consequence had you ing the hero's glaive, came to fight, side by fallen; but you are alive, and my old longside, with her struggling sons for freedom. ing eyes again shall see you. I do not blame Yes, generous Byron! thy love of liberty you for having embraced the cause of Greece was boundless as sincere ; and wast thou all-it is worthy of our house, and you only that thy enemies have basely tried to make have shown that you inherit the adventur |