possible for me to prevent it, for humanity’s sake I desire you will send your women and children to the mountains. If you agree to give up to me your galliot, and the cargo of the Ionian schooner, I have no objection to your sending a supercargo of your own to Zante on board the Ionian vessel, nor that your galliot should go there under Greek colours, and manned by her own crew, provided both sail under my custody. If the authorities at Zante conceive you had a right to capture this vessel, you well know that both she and her cargo, as well as your own galliot, will be returned to you. I likewise require satisfaction for the Ionian captain’s property, who was killed off Prodano, and on which subject you have already had communications from the Vice-Consul of Kitries, Signor Pasqualigo.
“If you do not comply with my request, I shall be obliged to begin firing: I give you two hours to consider.
(Signed)“Charles Leonard Irby.”
In consequence of this letter, Signor Giovanni Mavronücali waited upon Captain Irby, and consented to send his galliot and the Ionian vessel to Zante in company with the Pelican: the former was afterwards liberated by an order of the British Government, and sent back with a strong remonstrance to the Greeks. Early in March, 1827, Captain Irby, then at Corfu, reported to his commander-in-chief as follows:
“On the morning of the 2d instant, having heard that Cipriotti the pirate had his rendezvous at Scropho, and had been there a week previously, I took the gig and cutter with Lieutenant Smith (who had destroyed two boats there during our last cruise), in order that I might myself form a judgment as to the practicability of an attack by boats, if Cipriotti should still be there; the Pelican passing outside of Oxia, as there was too little wind for her to pass through the narrow channel between it and Scropho. On opening the passage, a bovo, answering the description I had had of Cipriotti’s, was perceived to leeward, and chased by the brig and boats; the latter keeping close in shore to cut her off, while the brig necessarily kept outside of her on account of the shallowness of the water. On getting within range, chase guns were fired by the Pelican, and muskets by the boats, to bring her to, which she did not obey, but got her sweeps out and made every effort to escape. On the pinnace and gig approaching her within pistol-shot, she opened a very heavy and destructive fire on them, though both boats had English jacks in their bows, and the Pelican her ensign displayed. Perceiving that the boats would suffer greatly, I ordered them on board, but am sorry to say not until they had two marines killed, and two seamen mortally wounded; both Lieutenants (Messrs. Smith and Daniel F. Grant), Mr. Case the
