Star.
London, England, 1824-10-15 00:00:00

LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

A month alter the fall of lvsara, I visited its ruin!.
The desolation was complete : the streets Were silent,—
the few who escaped the slaughter had Red, and the
conquerors had already departed with the plunder. The
castle on the hill bore testimony to the desperiite ce-
sistance of the Albanians : the Gentlemen devoted to" The
Greek cause hare abundantly calumniated them—Tave
,had recourse to the old' apology for dtfeat, bribes
and ',treachery." Will the Greek a'pologisti—forgive
the statement of the unclassical tact, that ale body
of every individual Albanian who fought at Ipsara
'lies where it fell—they were •slaughtered to a mangy
Does this. savour of treachery ? The fact is, the Greeks
were panic-struck—the Turks effected a landing•on the-
eastern point of the island, where the steepness of the
ascent left the unfortunate Ipsariots fatally secure. The
Turks were thrice superior in numbers; but yet much
was to be expected. In, three hours, however, the town
was carried, and the List resistance the Turks had •to

_ encounter was from the ipsariot women. No history,
ancient or modenn can furnish. a parallel--they fought
, with a courage never equalled, and when every hope
was lost, they plunged with their wretched children
,from the rocks headlong into 'the sea! A French frigate
was lying-to during the engagement, and picked up
many of them. I saw one of these poor children.at
Smyrna, a slave to a Turk of distinction—hkshistosi is
deeply distressing. Ills mother, he says, shot the first
man who broke into the house, but was speedily
taiten
over-
powered; his fattier fought for a lung time—he *at
length retired into a room where the family lead
'refuge; he killed his three little brothers, anti tvice
lifted his sword to dispatch him : he was the favourite
of his father—his resolution failed him ; and that wretched
parent had only time to use the weapon on himself,
when the room was broken into by the soldiers. ale
misrepresentation it may be well to mention: the Turks
ate charged with slaughtering the women—no violence
whatever was offered to any female. I gladly lost sight
of this deserted islaird, and on the :nor rung of the 25tha
of August I was .in the midst of the Greek fleet, c,ff the
island of Zia. We fired a salute, which was imme-
diately returned, and were soon alongside the Greek
Admiral ; he informed its of the action which took •
place the day before, in which be burned a Turkish fri-
gate, a large corvette, and two brigs of war. This is.
the same gallant fellow wbo formerly sailed through
the Turkish squadron, and blew up the Paella in the
face of the whole fleet. I reckoned 51. sail, principally
brigs of 10, 12, and 18 guns, six fire-ships, and some
small sloops—mOst of them Lire vessels, well manned,
from 40 to 60 men in each: altogether I never beheld'
a more imposing spectacle. I doubt if Themistocles,
in the same place, with bis immortal fleet, mark halt se
glorious an exhibition.
Of all the islands, Hydra and Samos are now only
trearaining to the Greeks; there are some smaller, wive&
the population is Greek, hut they can hardlylie
independent. .In three days mom the kw of Sawa la,
to be decide+ :Die Alexandrian squadron has effecte4
a junction wtth the Tuxkiab, near *ei_o_ as ale ipM
'preparing for -the attack. At Scala Nun. a there are
. 4 •