THE GREEK PREPARATIONS. 671 troops were organised in two divisions, and at the outbreak of the war the Turkish army of Epirus was about 27,000 strong,though only a part of this force was available to meet the threatened advance of Manos from Arta.

The ist Division of the Turkish army under ' Osman Pasha (two brigades— the first of eight andthe second of seveninfantry battalions, two fieldbatteries,twomountainguns,anda squadron of cavalry) wasin the north of the district. It mustered in all 12,000 men with fourteen guns. It held Janina,and had some 5,000 men watching thepassesovertheGreek bordernearMetzovo andSyraku and at the bridgeof Plakka over the upper Arta River. The 2nd Division under MustaphaHilmi Pasha wasin the south. It was madeup of a detachment of three battalions of infantry and a battalion of fortress artillery for the garrison of Prevesa, two brigades of eight battalionseach for operations near Arta, a field battery and a squadron of cavalry. The total strength was 15.500 men and six guns. Deducting 3,000 for the garrison of Prevesa, there wouldbe about 12,000men available for meeting the Greek advance. Mustapha Hilmi had three battalions of his first brigade (Nazis Pasha) watching the right bank of the ArtaRiver below the town. The other five battalions were in reserve at Luros. The second brigade (Suleiman Pasha 1 held the river bank near Arta. and was entrenched on the heights of Imaret and Vlacherna across the river north of the town. A battalion was specially told off to guard the Turkish end of the long bridge over the Arta. On both sides of the river the rival armies were entrenching themselves. On theheights east of wn the Greekshad mountedbehind earthworks eleven heavy siege guns.

The Greeks, besidesmassing a strong force at Arta for the invasion of Southern Epirus, had made preparations for an attack on Prevesa. Four siege guns hadbeen mounted on the point of land on the south side of the entrance to the Gulf, the Cape Actium of classic days, now known as Kephalis Panagia. A flotilla of gunboats layin the Gulf, a squadron flying the flag of Commodore Kriezis was cruising off the entrance of the Gulf, ready to co-operatein the attack.

The first shots werefired earlyon the morning of Sunday, April 18th, at Prevesa. That was the day after the declaration of war. As usual, each side declared that they were fired by the other. According to Greek accounts, the batteries of the fortress opened on a merchant steamer that was running into the Gulf, and then the guns of the Kephalis Panagia battery replied. According to Turkish accounts,it w*as this battery that began the firing. The point is of very little importance. The first shots had been fired two days before on theMacedonian border. Near Arta all was quiet until the afternoon, when the Greek batteries on the heights openedfire againsttheTurkish entrenchments across the river about 3 p.m. By that time the bombardment of Prevesa had been manyhours in progress.

For many hours on the 18th the batteryon CapePanagia, a flotillaof sevengunboats inside the Gulf, and Commodore Kriezis' squadron outside, poured their fire into the batteries of Prevesa. The outside squadron was made up of an old ironclad, the King George, a small unarmoured cruiser,the AdmiralMiattlis, and four gunboats. In all,sixty Greek guns were in action, to which the Turks replied with twentyfour. Next day the Spetsai, a small battleship of modern construction,which had lately been rearmed with quick-firing guns, joined the outside squadron, and the bombardment continued all through the Monday. But the Turkish batteries had been well constructed, and whenevening came their guns were still to action. On the 20th and 21st the bombardment was renewed, and on both days a half-hearted attempt was made to land armed parties from the fleet near the town. Both attempts were repulsed, and the fire of the Greek guns had done very little damage■to either the works or the town. In the eveningthe Greek squadron steamed away to Corfu to renew its supply ol coals and ammunition. The Spetsai hadalready been recalled by telegram from Athens, and ordered to rejoin the eastern squadron in the Gulf of Salonika under the command of Prince-George.

It had been expected by the Greeks that Prevesa would surrender under the stress of bombardment. Finding that the Turkish garrison was not so easily to be frightened into hauling down its flag, Commodore Kriezis decided to save his ammunition, and was content merely to blockade the place.

Colonel Manos had been more successful with the Greek army of Epirus. On the afternoon of Sunday, the 18th,he had opened fire with his heavy siege guns from the hills near Arta against the Turkish entrenchments on the heights north of the town. The boom of the cannon was like a signal to the hostile outpost