THE GRECO-TURKISH WAR. 656 thus threatened thelineofretreat of thedefence. The very character of the ground suggested this plan, which,in fact, was the only way to make use of the " half-open door" left in the frontier, when the upper Xerias Valley- was assigned to Turkey. But Edhem Pasha, probably because he wished to keep a strong force directly in front of the Greeks, coveringMacedonia andhis line of communications, neglected this obvious plan, and chose instead to makea frontal attack on the Meluna Pass. At the outset he was anxiousabout his extreme left towards the sea. He thought the Greeks might makeuse of their superiority on that element to make a descent that the Turks carried everything before them.

The only wonder is that they took the best part of a week to do it.

And the explanation is in the way they set about it. At early morning on the 18th, Riza Pasha brought his batteries into action, shelling the blockhouses held by the Greeks on the crest and flanking heightsof the Meluna Pass at a range of about a mileand three-quarters. The Greek mountainguns madeanineffective reply. At closer range,linesofskirmisherspushedoutin front fired at the Greek infantry, who squatted or lay down behind the natural cover afforded by the mountain side. This bombardment and onhis flank, aud Hamid Pasha was therefore directed to keep one of his brigades near Platamona to opposeany such enterprise. Hamdi had therefore only onebrigade and his artillery with which to drive the Greeks back over Analipsis. Three battalionswere sent from Elassona to reinforcehim.

In the centre, in front of the Meluna Pass, Edhem concentrated about 20,000 men. These were made up of Memdukh and HaidarPashas' divisions and the reserve artillery, five batteries under Riza Pasha. The fusillade went on allda)-. It was not till evening that any attempt was made to push the attack home, and the losses on both sides werecomparatively trifling. Away to the right the fighting was much closer. HairiPasha was just able to hold the Greeks in check about Damasi andReveni.Here Colonel Smolenski (or Smolenitzi was in commandon the Greek side, the only officer of high rank in King George's army thatcame out of the war withcredit. He had under his orders a force at least equal to Hairi's, HAIRI PASHA. (Photo: Abdullah, Constantinople.)

cavalry which had been camped further to the north was also brought up to Elassona, though at this stage of the campaign there was nothing for it to do unless the Greeks obtained a footing in the plain. A little further to the right Neshat Pasha's division advanced from Skompa against the hills to the south of the Meluna, and on the extreme right the division of Hairi Pasha— slowest and most cautious of the Turkish commanders— held Damasi and watched the Pass of Reveni. Thus the Turks were bringing about 50,000 meninto action along forty miles of frontier. Extended over such a long line, they were far too dispersed;indeed the only place where they had gathered in any considerable strength was in front of the Meluna. But then the Greeks had dispersed a smaller army,not more than 40,000 si liningmen,along the same line,and they were everywhere hopelessly weak. It is no wonder andhe made determinedefforts to force his way downinto the plain. Nearer Elassona, butstill on the Turkish right, Neshat had attacked the heightsof Papa Livadia, pushing forward along the mountain road that leads from Skompa to Gritsiovali. Hisleadingbrigade was commanded by Hafiz Pasha, a grey-bearded soldier who wore on his breast the British and Turkish Crimean medals, and had also distinguished himself in the last Russian war. He led the firing line or! horseback, reckless or ignorant of the changed conditions of warfare. His officers begged him to be more prudent. "My children,' he answered, "Inever dismounted for the Russians. Do you want me to dismount for theseGreeks? Wounded twice in the hand and arm, he remained in the saddle till he was killed at the head of his men by a bullet through the They went on with the bayonet and cleared the hill-tops of the enemy. Only the bold peak of