o defend themselves as best they could from
numerous sorties, well-planned and well-executed, in May and June; and
fresh courage came to the Greeks with the intelligence that Admiral
Miaoulis was on his way to the port, with as powerful a fleet as he
could muster. While he was being expected, however, on the 10th of
July, the Turkish Capitan Pasha of Greece arrived with fifty-five
vessels. Miaoulis, with forty Greek sail, made his appearance on the
2nd of August. Thus the naval and military forces of both sides were
brought into formidable opposition.

At first the Greeks triumphed on the sea. In the night of the 3rd of
August, Miaoulis, finding that Missolonghi was being greatly troubled
by the blockade established by the Turks, cleverly placed himself to
windward of the enemy's line, and at daybreak on the 4th he dispersed
the squadron nearest the shore. At noon the whole Turkish force came
against him. He met them bravely, but being able to do no more
than hold his own by the ordinary method of warfare, he sent three
fireships against them in the afternoon. The Turks did not wait to be
injured by them. They fled at once, going all the way to Alexandria
in search of safety. Miaoulis then lost no time in seconding his first
exploit by another. A detachment of the army of Eastern Greece, under
the brave generals Karaiskakes and Zavellas, having been sent to
harass Reshid Pasha's operations, the admiral assisted them in a
successful piece of strategy. The Turks were, on the 6th of August,
attacked simultaneously by the ships and by the outlying battalion
of Greeks, while fifteen hundred of the garrison rushed out upon the
invaders. Four Turkish batteries were seized, and a great number of
their defenders were killed and captured; the remainder, after tough
fighting during three hours and a half, being driven so far back that
much of the besieging work had to be done over again.

Miaoulis then went in search of the Ottoman fleet, leaving the
townsmen, who were enabled, by the raising of the blockade, to receive
fresh supplies of food, ammunition, and men, to continue their
defence with a good heart. Reshid Pasha vigorously restored his siege
operations, but, attempting to force his way into the town on the 21st
of September, was again seriously repulsed. The Turks were allowed,
and even tempted, to advance to a point which had been skilfully
undermined by the besieged. The mine was then fired, and a great
number of Mosl