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

192 THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE
the Hydriot sailors, who had refused to remain without
pay in advance, had forced Miaoulis to leave the
Turks in command of the sea.
They now again prepared
a flotilla of flat-bottomed boats, and proceeded
to make a systematic attack on the islands of the
lagoons. On the 9th of March, Fort Yasiladi fell. On
the 21st, after a seven hours' fight, the Egyptians
captured the sandbank of Dolma; and thereupon the
town of Anatoliko, which had so far shared the fortunes
of Missolonghi, capitulated.
inhabitants were transported to Arta, in
Its three thousand
accordance
with the terms of the capitulation.
To Greek and Turk alike this seemed the beginning
of the end and Ibrahim seized the
;
opportunity
to offer the Missolonghiots honourable terms. The garrison
was to be allowed to withdraw,
the inhabitants
either to follow, or to remain undisturbed under the
protection of the Sultan. But the undaunted defenders
were determined to hold out. "What the future
had in store for them or their foes, they answered, God
only knew; but of terms they would have none, and
were determined to live, or die, free. 1
i Cf. Lemaitre, p. 195. He ascribes this attitude solely to
the Missolonghiots' distrust of Ibrahim's promises, which
they regarded as a trap. He is right when he says that
their fear of being massacred was idle. I find only one instance
during the war of the Turks having violated a ca-