THE GRECO-TURKISH WAR. 672 lines along the river to fire upon each other, and for hours there was a crackle and patter of rifles along the banks of the Arta and across the long bridge. This skirmishing went on for miles above and below the town, withoutmuch little victory at the crossing of the Arta River seemed to compensate for the loss of the Meluna Pass. If on the one hand Edhem Pasha had forced the gateof Thessaly,on the other Colonel Manos had penetrated into Turkish Epirus. injury or advantage to either side. But at Bani, below the town, some practical work was done.

The river there narrows to a channel not more than a hundred feet across in the dry, warm weather,and at this point the Greek engineers were preparing barrel-piers for the construction of a floating bridge.

On the Monday morning the artillery duel began again between the Greek and Turkish guns on the heights near Arta, while the infantry exchanged rifle fire across the river. About noon the firing ceased. At five in the afternoon the bridge was thrown across the Arta River at Bani under cover of the fire or a couple of light draugb; gunboats, which ran ivj from the Gulf into the river mouth. The company of engineers that hadconstructedthebridge dashedacrossfirst,followed by the three battalions of the 12thRegiment. The Turks had only two battalions watching this part of the river, and theyhad no artillery with which to meet the fire of the gunboats and the Greek field batteries on the left bank.

They fellback after offer-Just above Arta the river was fordable in several places, and during the Tuesday the Turks of Suleiman's brigade near Imaret, and the Greeks of Botzaris'brigade near the bridge, made more than one attempt to cross. None of these attacks were very vigorously pushed forward, and the object of the Greeks was probably to prevent the Turks reinforcing their right on the low ground further down the river. There the 2nd Brigade, under Colonel Sechos, had advancedagainst the Turkish battalions holding the villages of Neochori andPachi-Kalamo.

Neochori was held by an Albanian battalion. Another battalion of Albanianreservists,which was bivouacked in the plain a little further west, marched to the help of their countrymen. The Turkish commandant at Neochorihad telegraphed to the divisional general, Mustapha Hilmi Pasha, that the Greeks wereadvancing against him in force 6,000 or 7,000strong. The Albanians made a very poor stand against the Greek attack. They gave way,and abandoned Neochori and the other THE COUNTRY BETWEEN ARTA AND JANINA.

ing only a feeble resistance. Two more companies of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and twelve guns crossed the bridge. The Greeks had now a secure footing on the right bank, and the invasion of Epirus had begun with a success. True, the fighting had never been serious, but for the friends of Greece the village before the second battalion could join them. Meanwhile MustaphaHilmi had decided to abandon the lowground near the shore,and to concentrate for a generalaction on the edge of the hills, from the bridge of Luros on the right to the heights of Gribovo on the left.

The Greeks had contented themselves with