THE ALBANIAN MUTINY. 673 occupying and entrenchingthe villagesthey had so easily won, sendingonly a few cavalry patrols a short distance to their front. Had they pushed boldly on with all their available force they might have reaped great results from the success of the morning. For theretreat of the Albanians had become a confused rout, even though there was nopursuit. The menwere in ahalf-mutinous state ofmind. Insteadofbeingunder the orders of Turkish staff officers they had hoped to fight under the chiefs of their ownclans. Theycomplained that the Turkish colonelsdid not know messagelatein the evening,despatched after the complete break-up of Nazis Pasha's brigade, orderedSuleiman to continue his retreat by the old mountain road to Janina, which runs past thelittle fort ofPentepigadia.

When Luros was evacuated, the Turks had abandoned the coast battery of Salagora. At early morning on the 21st, the Greek cavalry, which had pushed on to the village of Anesis, heardfrom the people that the Turks had gone from Salagora. They rode down to the shore and found in the battery four heavy guns, some how to treat them properly; that they hadbeen given old and damaged cartridges, short rations and no pay, and then sent to meet a superior Greek foice withouteven asingle mountain gun to help them against the enemy's artillery.

A thev marched back towards Luros the two Albanian battalions became an angry and disorderly mob, quite out of control of their officers. They came into the town firing their rifles in the air. It was getting dark, and the other battalions camped round the place sprang to their arms, and opened fire at random to their front. The firing rifles, and a quantity of ammunition and provisions. They would have done better service to Greece if instead of waiting to secure these trophies they hadpressed on to the northward and learned the truth about theTurkishretreat. Badlyserved by his few cavalry and with no able intelligence officerson his staff, ColonelManos could not realise the extent of his success. At a moment when a rapid advance might havehadimportant results, he moved slowly forward,contenting himself with occupying a fewvillages in the south of Epirus, amid the plaudits of their inhabitants, when GHAZ1OSMAN l'ASII A ; 1 111- DEFENDEROP PLEVNA.

{Photo: Abdullah, Constantinople.)

stopped,but the disorderhad only begun. The Albanian element was strong in Mustapha Hilmi's division, and battalion after battalion showed that its sympathy was with the mutineers. With such a spirit abroad in his camp the Pasha felt that it would be madness to await the Greek advance. Heled his disorderly ist Brigade northwards through the night by the new road that runs from Prevesa by Luros to Janina. In the afternoon he had telegraphed to Suleiman Pasha, the commander of his 2nd Brigade, who held the heights of the river bank opposite Arta, ordering him to withdraw to Gribovo. Suleiman at first thought there mu ' be amistake, as he felt perfectly safe where he was. But a second message confirmed the first order, and he had to obey. Thus the G right brigade under Botzaris was able to march unopposed over the bridge of Arta. A third vigorous action might have made him master of Janina.

Mustapha Hilmi's division had been retreating all through the night between the 20th and 21st. The Pasha had made no determined attempt to re-establish order in the mutinous Albanian brigade,andthe men werethrowing away equipments and ammunition as they tramped along.

Amid the disorder even baggage and ammunition mules with valuable loads were abandoned in the darkness. Only onebattalion (formed of reservists from Asia Minor, and having no sympathy with the local malcontents) kept its ranks and obeyed orders. It acted as a rearguard through the night.

The news of the disorderly retreat caused a rani at Janina. Christians and Turks alike were alarmed at the idea of the city being invaded by ;m armed mob of half-savage 43