DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4098#0082
58 CHANNEL OF SANTA MAURA, PIRATES
Our boat was small, and the crew composed of four sailors. We were
accompanied by another boat with eight armed men, provided by
the senate to protect us from the pirates,1 who were more numerous
in the canal of Santa Maura than in any other part of Greece, being
particularly favoured by the nature of the country. They con-
ceal themselves among the rocks and islands, with which the canal
is studded ; and if they find themselves in danger, escape in a few
minutes, either to Leucadia or to the coast of Acarnania. In some
places the canal is so narrow, that if the pirates see a superior force
coming down, which they are unwilling to attack by open force,
they fire at them with muskets, and are sure of their aim from
either shore, and having thus killed some, they come off in their boats,
and easily manage the rest. They in general ransom their prisoners
in the following manner: One of the thieves takes a letter to
the prisoner's friends, demanding a certain sum for his liberty. If
the sum demanded can be paid, a person accompanies the thief to
the place appointed ; and on his depositing the money, the prisoner
is set at liberty. They never fail in their engagement when the sum is
delivered; and the person who takes it risks nothing—as a defici-
ency of mutual confidence would ruin the trade. But woe to the un-
fortunate prisoner who is unable to raise the sum demanded ; the
least he can expect is the loss of his nose and ears. A French mer-
chant, who resided at Patra many years ago, was taken by thieves,
who demanded so large a sum for his release, that his friends were
unable to pay it. They cut off the unfortunate man's nose, and sent
it to his friends; soon after (the money not being forthcoming) they
sent an ear; and afterwards the other ear. They then began to send
his teeth, and intended to have put him to death, when he escaped,
and the villains were shortly after taken and impaled. They commit
these cruelties for the purpose of terrifying the prisoners' friends, and
thereby obtaining large ransoms.
1 Since this journey was performed, Leucadia and the other Ionian islands having been taken
under the protection of the British government, the pirates have totally disappeared.
Our boat was small, and the crew composed of four sailors. We were
accompanied by another boat with eight armed men, provided by
the senate to protect us from the pirates,1 who were more numerous
in the canal of Santa Maura than in any other part of Greece, being
particularly favoured by the nature of the country. They con-
ceal themselves among the rocks and islands, with which the canal
is studded ; and if they find themselves in danger, escape in a few
minutes, either to Leucadia or to the coast of Acarnania. In some
places the canal is so narrow, that if the pirates see a superior force
coming down, which they are unwilling to attack by open force,
they fire at them with muskets, and are sure of their aim from
either shore, and having thus killed some, they come off in their boats,
and easily manage the rest. They in general ransom their prisoners
in the following manner: One of the thieves takes a letter to
the prisoner's friends, demanding a certain sum for his liberty. If
the sum demanded can be paid, a person accompanies the thief to
the place appointed ; and on his depositing the money, the prisoner
is set at liberty. They never fail in their engagement when the sum is
delivered; and the person who takes it risks nothing—as a defici-
ency of mutual confidence would ruin the trade. But woe to the un-
fortunate prisoner who is unable to raise the sum demanded ; the
least he can expect is the loss of his nose and ears. A French mer-
chant, who resided at Patra many years ago, was taken by thieves,
who demanded so large a sum for his release, that his friends were
unable to pay it. They cut off the unfortunate man's nose, and sent
it to his friends; soon after (the money not being forthcoming) they
sent an ear; and afterwards the other ear. They then began to send
his teeth, and intended to have put him to death, when he escaped,
and the villains were shortly after taken and impaled. They commit
these cruelties for the purpose of terrifying the prisoners' friends, and
thereby obtaining large ransoms.
1 Since this journey was performed, Leucadia and the other Ionian islands having been taken
under the protection of the British government, the pirates have totally disappeared.