d upon Basiladi, a fortress that commands
the port of Missolonghi, while some of the soldiers of Cariascachi
had, in the course of the night, arrested two of the Primates, and
carried them to Anatolico. The tumult and indignation that this
intelligence produced was universal. All the shops were shut, and the
bazaars deserted. "Lord Byron," says Count Gamba, "ordered his troops
to continue under arms; but to preserve the strictest neutrality,
without mixing in any quarrel, either by actions or words."

During this crisis, the weather had become sufficiently favourable to
admit of his paying the visit to Salona, which he had purposed. But,
as his departure at such a juncture might have the appearance of
abandoning Missolonghi, he resolved to wait the danger out. At this
time the following letters were written.

LETTER 559. TO MR. BARFF.

"April 3.

"There is a quarrel, not yet settled, between the citizens and some
of Cariascachi's people, which has already produced some blows. I
keep my people quite neutral; but have ordered them to be on their
guard.

"Some days ago we had an Italian private soldier drummed out for
thieving. The German officers wanted to flog him; but I flatly
refused to permit the use of the stick or whip, and delivered him
over to the police.[1] Since then a Prussian officer rioted in his
lodgings; and I put him under arrest, according to the order. This,
it appears, did not please his German confederation: but I stuck by
my text; and have given them plainly to understand, that those who do
not choose to be amenable to the laws of the country and service, may
retire; but that in all that I have to do, I will see them obeyed by
foreigner or native.

[Footnote 1: "Lord Byron declared that, as far as he was concerned,
no barbarous usages, however adopted even by some civilised people,
should be introduced into Greece; especially as such a mode of
punishment would disgust rather than reform. We hit upon an expedient
which favoured our military discipline: but it required not only all
Lord Byron's eloquence, but his authority, to prevail upon our
Germans to accede to it. The culprit had his uniform stripped off his
back, in presence of his comrades, and was afterwards marched through
the town with a label on his back, describing, both in Greek and
Italian, the nature of his offence; after which he was given up to
the regular police. This example of severity, tempered by a humane
spirit, produced