draught of water, could not approach. Captain M. Maxwell, of the Centaur, and Captain Drummond, of the 60th regiment, were sent up, under a flag of truce, to summon the governor of Surinam to surrender. This his excellency refused to do, and no time was lost in preparing to compel him. led by the negro guides. Although a heavy fall of rain had rendered the paths (at all times difficult) almost impassable, such was the spirit and zeal of our counrymen, that they overcame every obstacle with the assistance of their sabres and felling axes; and, after a tedious march of five hours, got into the rear of Fort Frederici, where, as they were forming into columns for the attack, they were received with a heavy fire of grape and musketry. Undaunted by this salute, our men pushed forward and entered the fort with fixed bayonets, the enemy flying to Fort Leyden; but in their retreat they fired a train, which blew up their magazine, and severely wounded many of our officers. Fort Leyden was next carried with the same Nothing, says Sir Charles Green in his dispatch, can be more difficult of approach than the coast about Surinam; numerous and extensive shoals, an uncleared country, thick woods or jungle, extending to the water's edge, no landing but at high water, and at particular places; and from the swampy nature of the country, it is only to be penetrated by the rivers. The shores on each side of the river of Surinam are equally difficult of access, until you reach the bat-invincible spirit, although the way to it tery of Frederici, with the exception of the plantation called Resolution. The enemy were therefore very strongly fortified with forts, ships of war, and armed vessels, commanding the river. On the confluence of the Surinam with the Commewina river stands the fort of Amsterdam, mounting eighty pieces of cannon. Fort Leyden, near the same spo', on the right bank of the Surinam, has twelve heavy guns. This fort is opposite to, and commanded by, Fort Amsterdam, at the distance of 2,000 yards The forts Frederici and Purmurent, lower down the river, occupy the right and left banks, with ten and twelve guns each. The approaches to these forts are through swamps, marshes, and woods almost impracticable; and the fire of the works, crossing each other, completely commands the channel of the river. The town of Paramaribo is defended towards the water by a battery of ten guns, called Fort Zelandia. On the 28th, the squadron, with the transports, moved up the river to attack Fort Purmurent. On the 29th, Lieut.-colonel Shipley, of the royal engineers, having ascertained that a path might be practicable through the woods, by which forts Leyden and Frederici could be attacked with success, a party of 200 soldiers and seamen, under the command of Brigadiergeneral Hughes, supported by the Captains Maxwell, Ferris, and Richardsou, of the royal navy, landed between the hours of ten and eleven at night, and proceeded through the woods to the fort, lay along a narrow path, enfiladed by five heavy guns, whose discharges of grape, aided by volleys of musketry, could not arrest the progress of our troops. They entered the fort, and hoisted the British flag. The enemy called for quarter, which was nobly granted; and the captain, some officers, and one hundred and twenty men were made prisoners From the position they had gained, the British found they could open a fire on Fort Amsterdam. The command of the Commewina river ensured them supplies, gave them possession of the finest part of the colony, and the means of joining General Maitland's corps, which was at the mouth of the Warappa creek. That gallant officer, having effected a landing, had taken a battery, and on the 3rd of May, a sufficient number of boats being procured, he came triumphantly down the Commewina, and formed the desired junction with the body of the army, now approaching very near to Fort Amsterdam. The Dutch governor, on seeing their successes, sent out a flag, desiring to capitulate. The place was taken possession of on the 4th, and a Dutch frigate and brig fell into our hands. Thus the rich colony of Surinam was added to the British dominions. All public property, and all Dutch ships or vessels in the colony, were given up to the captors. The frigate taken was the Proserpine, of thirty-two guns, eighteen-pounders, and the corvette Pylades, of 18 guns. Our total loss on this occasion was five killed and eight wounded; among the former was Lieutenant Smith, of the Centaur. The commodore, for this and his former brilliant services, was created a Knight of the Bath, and held the command till the following year, when he was succeeded by Rear-admiral the nourable Sir Alexander Cochrane. THE SULIOTS. WHEN Ali Pasha, the Albanian chief, one of the most daring and ferocious leaders of his age, had established his interest on a firm footing in Constantinople, and was extending his sway towards the north, he determined on the extermination of the Suliots, a clan contemptible in number, but formidable from their warlike character, their daring courage, and enthusiastic love of liberty. They had a chosen band of 1000 palikars, all citizens of the four principal towns; and 1500 more were embodied from the seven colonies, and the other dependencies. During their contests with Ali Pasha, the women of the republic were scarcely inferior to the men in bravery; troops of heroines constantly attended upon the soldiers, to carry provisions and ammunition, to assist the wounded, and, if necessary, to engage in battle. Like the ancient Spartans, the Suliots never inquired about the numbers of an enemy, but only where that enemy might be found. To subdue a people like this by open warfare, was not the policy of Ali, and he therefore had recourse to stratagem and treachery, but for this time without effect; and he was obliged to seek their destruction by other means. Ali now put his troops in motion, and the Suliots were obliged to retreat before superior numbers. The Turks pursued them with great spirit down the valley of Acheron, but received a check at the pass of Klissura, being there met with such volleys of musketry from the fortress of Tichos, by which it is commanded, as well as from behind the rocks and precipices, that the passage became nearly choked with their dead bodies. up The Pasha ordered the tower to be taken at any expense, and offered various rewards to those who most distinguished their side, that they fought under cover of the rocks, huge fragments of which were hurled down upon the assailants by the very women and children. The Albanians now fell in such numbers, that the dead bodies formed, as it were, a wall between the combatants, and choked up the pass: the ammunition of the Suliots at length began to fail, their fire slackened, and fresh troops of their enemies constantly succeeding, they retired towards Kiaffa. The Turks did not wait to carry the fortress of Tichos, but leaving it in their rear, set up the yell of war, and rushed after the Suliots, whilst the Pasha, viewing all these actions from his position through a telescope, was already, in imagination, master of the capital. In this attack, Promio, Aga of Paramithia, a man of great courage and gigantic stature, who was attended to the war by several of his sons, all noted warriors, highly distinguished himself: so also did Hassan Zapari, the most powerful Bey of Margaritta, a large Turkish town in the district of Tzamouria. Kiaffa was soon found to be untenable by the Suliots; it was therefore deserted by all the inhabitants, who took refuge in their inaccessible mountains; whilst the troops of the republic, followed by the Pasha's army, retreated towards Kako-Suli. The great fort of Aghia Paraskevi upon Kunghi, which commands the Tripa, a deep chasm between Kiaffa and the capital, was at this time so thinly garrisoned, as to be unable to intercept the pursuers; and Suli would have been lost, but for an act of female valour, which well deserves comparison with that of Telessilla and her Argives. The heroine Mosco, arming all her female warriors, rushed out of the town sword in hand, stopped the retreat of husbands and brethren, headed them in a valiant attack upon the assailants, who were nearly breathless by their pursuit up these steep acclivities, and in a moment turned the tide of war. The Albanians, in their turn, retreated and fled; the garrison of | son; and of paying a very large sum as Paraskevi, which had received a number of fugitives, made a sally to increase their confusion; heaps of stones, which stood ready piled upon the edges of the precipices, were rolled down upon the flying foe, who were again intercepted at the foot of Tichos, and almost annihilated: hundreds of dead bodies were rolled into the bed of the Acheron, whose torrent was encumbered with the slain, and whose waters were dyed with blood. Arrived at this tower, Mosco discovered the body of her favourite nephew, a youth of great promise, who had been killed in the first attack of the position. Animated with a desire of vengeance at this sight, she kissed the pale lips of the corpse, and crying out, "Since I have not arrived in time to save thy life, I will yet avenge thy death," she called on the Suliots to follow her example; and lead them, like a tigress that has lost her whelps, against those troops of the enemy who remained about the Pasha in the upper regions of the valley. These being dispirited and terrified by the fate of their companions, took immediately to flight, and were pursued by the victorious Suliots as far as the village of Vareatis, which is within seven hours of Ioannina; they lost all their baggage, ammunition, and arms, which were thrown away in the flight, besides an immense number of prisoners, whose ransom served to enrich the conquerors. Ali himself killed two horses in his precipitate retreat; and when he arrived at his capital, he shut himself up in his harem for several days, where he admitted no one to his presence, except a few of his most confidential friends. Scarce a thousand men returned from this expedition with their arms; about 6000 are said to have been slain or taken prisoners, and the other 3000 having been dispersed over the woods and mountains, did not collect together at Ioannina before the expiration of several weeks. Ali having now given up the conquest of Suli as hopeless for the present, entered into negociation with its citizens, and concluded a peace upon condition of ceding to them possession of their acquired territory as far as Dervitziana; of restoring his prisoners, together with Tzavella, the Suliot leader's a ransom for his captive troops. The Beys of Paramithia and Margaritta, who had been induced by his wiles to assist in this war, made a separate treaty, by which they bound themselves in future to become allies, instead of enemies, to the republic. Ali did not rest long, but having replenished his coffers, determined to recommence operations against the Suliots, several of whose chief families had proved accessible to his arts and bribery; but although the Suliot traitor, Botzari, was now in his interest, yet the terror of the Suliot name was so great throughout Albania, that he deemed it necessary to interest his followers by some stronger motives than those of conquest or revenge. To this end he convoked an assembly of beys and agas, the chiefs of his allies for the ensuing war, at Ioaninna. There, when they were met together in the castron, he produced the Koran, and a venerable sheik, or minister of religion, who undertook to interpret several of its obscure passages as prophetical of the present state of Albania, and indicating their success in the approaching contest; they were exhorted to enter upon it with that enthusiastic zeal which distinguished the first Ottoman conquerors; whilst the rewards of victory and the glories of martyrdom were placed before their eyes in the most glowing colours. "Come then, my agas," " said Ali, rising from his seat, as many as are true and faithful followers of the prophet, and wish to preserve both life and property, let us swear a solemn oath, invoking the name of Mahomet, that nothing but death shall divert us from warring upon Suli, until that haughty republic fall beneath our arms." The assembly, urged more by fear of the vizier than by faith in his prophecies, bowed the head in token of compliance, and took the oath which he required. 66 Ali had collected an army of 18,000 men, with which he marched against the devoted Suliots, whose numbers never exceeded 3000, but who were commanded by leaders of the most determined bravery. Among the most distinguished of these, was the young Foto Tzavella, who had succeeded his father as a Suliot chief. Ali soon sustaining another defeat, and despairing to conquer Suli by assault, determined to blockade it; he divided his army into five columns, with which he occupied the entrance of the principal defiles, and erected redoubts and forts at each. In an attack which they made to dispossess the Suliots of a hill called Curilla, Foto Tzavella defeated them after three hours hard fighting, and drove them down the heights. In the eagerness of pursuit, Foto far outstripped his companions, which being observed by one of the fugitives who was in danger of being overtaken and cut down, he slunk unperceived behind a rock, fired his musket with deliberate aim, and Foto fell; the man then ran after his companions, who, elated by this event, rallied, and turned their faces against the enemy, when a fierce conflict ensued over the body of the fallen chief, like that which the poet has described over the corpse of Patroclus: not a musket was now fired, but each party fought desperately with their sharp Albanian sabres. Foto being only wounded, and not dead, earnestly entreated his companions to sever his head from his body, to prevent the possibility of his being carried alive to the Pasha; but his gallant comrades replied, that they would carry him back in triumph to his friends; and in this, after the most prodigious efforts, they finally succeeded. Immediately on the fall of Tzavella, a soldier ran off to convey the welcome tidings of his death to the Pasha, who rewarded him with a hundred sequins upon the spot, and promised him four hundred more if his news should prove correct. Soon after this occurrence, and whilst Foto's wound was getting cured, an ingenious stratagem was played off upon a large body of the new levies, by a Suliot, whose name is not recorded. Hearing that they were on their march to join the main army, he concerted measures with his countrymen, and then throwing himself, as if by accident, into their way, suffered himself to be made prisoner: soon after, as they advanced on their route, a sharp firing was heard on a mountain at a little distance, and the Suliot being questioned as to the cause, answered, that a party of the vizier's troops were engaged with those of the republic, and advised them strongly, if they wished to show their zeal, and | gain great honour and rewards from their commander, to run instantly to the assistance of their allies. The infatuated Albanians took the advice, and ascended the hill. In the hurry of this manoeuvre, their insidious adviser stole away: they soon found themselves placed between two fires, lost half their men in killed and wounded, and almost all the rest in prisoners. Notwithstanding the Suliots were conquerors in every engagement, yet after a year's siege their condition became so lamentable, that they were obliged to live upon acorns, herbs, and roots, and to grind and mix up the bark of trees, with a very scanty portion of meal; yet under all these calamities, their enemies could gain no advantage over them, when they came to engage in conflict. In their extremity, they resorted to various stratagems in order to obtain supplies. At one time, four hundred of their bravest palikars, with one hundred and seventy female heroines, headed by Mosco, sallied out by night, escaped, under cover of the darkness, through the defile of Glyky, and arrived in safety at Parga. There they were joyfully received by the compassionate inhabitants, fed for the space of four days, and on the fifth dismissed, with as much provision as they could carry for their famished country men. One hundred of this troop, with lighter burdens, marched as an advanced guard, to protect the convoy; next came the women, in the centre, and then the rest of the men, each carrying as much as he could possibly support. The Albanians, to the number of more than a thousand, endeavoured to intercept their return; but either through fear of the men, or from that respect towards the women which is carried in this country to such an excess, that the soldiers sometimes fire from behind them without fear of a return, they refrained from attacking the party. Its arrival was most welcome to the Suliots, reduced as they were almost to skeletons, through famine: yet even in this extremity, their constant cry was liberty or death. Another of the Suliots, Gianni Strivinioti, having received intelligence that the Turks had lately procured a large supply of cattle from the neighbouring pastures, dressed himself in his white capote and camise, and concealing him self till the shades of evening had descended, walked out on all fours from Ins lurking-place, and mingling with the herds, entered together with them into the stalls, when they were shut up. In the dead of the night he arose silently, opened the doors, unloosened the oxen, and drove them towards a party of his friends, who were in waiting to receive them. The Albanians heard the noise, but were so alarmed by suspicion of an ambuscade, that they lay still, and preferred the loss of their cattle to risking their lives. This The artifices and tricks of Ali at length had some influence, and, under the pretext of a conference, he got Foto into his power, and threw him into prison. In May, 1803, the Suliots having received some supplies, made their last attack on the besiegers. The most important post occupied by the Albanians was that of Villa, where they had built a large square fortress, with a strong tower at each angle, and a lofty central one in the area, which served as the principal magazine for the vizier's army. fortress it was determined to attack, and two hundred picked men set out upon the expedition, in a very dark and windy night. Having made their approaches unperceived by the enemy, one of the Suliots, named Metococcales, took a spade and a pick-axe, with which he worked patiently and perseveringly, until he had excavated a large hole under the foundation of a corner tower. In this he deposited a barrel of gunpowder, lighted a slow fusee, and returned to his companions, who had concealed themselves behind a rock. They then set up a tremendous shout, which brought the garrison to the suspected place of attack; where they had scarcely arrived, before an explosion took place, which buried them beneath the ruins of the angle. The Suliots then rushed in like a torrent through the breach, and gained possession of the great central tower; this they emptied of all its stores, which they delivered to their women and children, who arrived in great numbers, and the whole time, till the dawn of day, was occupied in their removal. That part of the garrison which escaped the effects of the explosion, had retreated into the three remaining angular towers, which they strongly barricaded. In the morn ing they were summoned to surrender, and required, in token of submission, to cast down their arms at the foot of each tower. This the Albanians pretended to do; but when the Suliots came to pick them up, they were fired upon by a reserve, and great numbers killed. This want of faith so enraged them, that they sent for a strong reinforcement of their countrymen; upon whose arrival, they applied a large quantity of pitch and other combustibles to the entrances of the towers, and burned alive, or suffocated, the whole of their perfidious enemies. Victory everywhere attended the arms of the Suliots; but they at length became so reduced, that they were compelled to accept of terms of capitulation, which were ratified on the 12th of December, 1803; and now follows the most bloody and perfidious scenes in the catastrophe of this tragic story. Men, women, and children, being gathered together, they were separated into two bodies, the largest of which, under the conduct of Tzavella and Dimo Draco, bent their steps towards Parga, whilst the other marched in the direction of Prevesa, with the intention of embarking for Santa Maura. Both were attacked on the road by the troops of the faithless tyrant. The first-mentioned corps having formed a hollow square, and placed their wives, children, and cattle, in the midst, they gallantly fought their way through the enemy, and effected their retreat. The other party were not equally fortunate. Being overtaken by their pursuers at the monastery of Zalongo, they entrenched themselves in its court, and prepared for a stout defence; so many troops, however, were brought against them, that the gates of the monastery were soon forced, and an indiscriminate slaughter commenced; those that could escape, took the road to Arta, but a party of about 100 women and children, being cut off from the rest, flew towards a steep precipice at a little distance from the convent; there the innocent babes were thrown over the rocks by their despairing mothers, whilst the women themselves, preferring death to the dishonour that awaited them, joined hand in hand, and raising their minds to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, by songs in honour of their lost country, they whirled |