THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

184 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
sive works.
A covered gallery had been constructed
outside the ditch, and, flanking the wall, in the lagoon
the island of Marmora had been fortified.
At the outset,
moreover, the besieged were much better provided
with artillery than the besiegers. Keshid, indeed, in
this respect was so badly off that he had at first to
trust mainly to the spade, and gradually advance his
parallels nearer the walls.
The garrison of the town consisted of four thousand
men, under some of the best captains in Greece;
but there were in addition to these some twelve thousand
non-combatants, who formed a serious drain on
the resources of the besieged. The veteran Notaris
Botzares commanded the forces of the defence;
the
heroic Papadiamantopulos, a Moreot primate, presided
over the civil government of the town.
In June Reshid received some reinforcements of
artillery, but was prevented from pressing the siege
with proportionate vigour owing to lack of ammunition.
The supply of bombs having run out, the mortars
were reduced to hurling rocks;
and the practice
of the gunners was, moreover, so bad that very little
damage was done. An attack on the island of Marmora
was repulsed. On the 10th of June, a squadron of
seven Hydriot ships sailed into the harbour, bringing
plentiful supplies, some reinforcements from the