Within one hour after this interview the hardy Ipsara fisherman succeeded in setting fire to the Turkish Admiral's flag-ship, three frigates, and five sloops, and forced the rest of the enemy's fleet to seek shelter under the guns of the Dardanelles forts. The loss of the Turks in men exceeded 1000; that of the Greeks was but fifteen killed and wounded.
Victorious at sea, the Greeks were at this period almost uniformly defeated on land. Fifteen thousand patriots were massacred at Patras in Morea, and many more at Salonica. The second year of the revolution witnessed the most terrible events. In order to punish the inhabitants of Scio, off the coast of Asia Minor, for sundry acts of rebellion, the Sultan sent a powerful armament to that devoted island, and in the course of a few days it was entirely depopulated. Of its 85,000 inhabitants only 15,000 escaped to the mainland; the rest were either put to the sword or carried away into captivity. But vengeance for this savage act was close at hand. Miaulis, Canaris, and another hero, George Pepinis, overtook the Sultan's vessels as they were heading for the Dardanelles. Miaulis, who had usually prohibited his men from indulging in excesses, issued the watchword "Remember Scio!" which meant no quarter under any circumstances. In the battle that followed, every known method and weapon of naval warfare was brought into play—fire-ships, grappling-irons, carronades, chain-shot, boarding assaults, and so forth—and when finally the smoke cleared at dusk, the Greeks found that they had destroyed six Turkish ships of the line, ten frigates, and twelve brigs, out of a total of fifty sail.
CANARIS DESTROYING THE TURKISH FLEET.
Canaris himself was wounded, and, indeed, owed his life to a miracle. He had selected the Turkish flag-ship as his especial prey, and steered a large brigantine filled with pine shavings and sulphur in her direction. When within a few hundred yards of the foe he started the conflagration below, and then made his way to the stern, intending to jump into a small boat behind. But in some way the boat had become detached, and was nowhere visible; the sulphurous flames were beginning to shoot up from the hold, and the bullets from the Turkish small-arms were whizzing in uncomfortable proximity. There was danger indeed, and increasing every moment at that, as the wind and current drove the vessel wildly on. There was nothing for it but to jump overboard and swim for dear life. But, though expert swimmers, Canaris and his five subordinates were not proof against leaden balls, and one after the other the poor fellows sank, until only the leader remained. Even he was struck after a while, and began to lose blood rapidly. Just as he was about abandoning hope, none of the Greek ships being near, a terrific explosion rent the air and convulsed the waters, and when the sinking man's head arose to the surface for the last time, as he thought, there, within arm's-reach, was floating the large figure-head of the Turkish Admiral's vessel. The fire-ship had done its work. It had blown up 500 Mussulmans, and by this very act had saved the life of Greece's naval hero.
Canaris's exploits now became the subject of general attention, and his name also grew to be a by-word among the Turks. The very suspicion of his being near caused the Turkish Admiral, who had been sent to relieve the fortress of Napoli di Romania, besieged by General Kolokotronis, to sail away without accomplishing his purpose. Still this act of prudence did not save him in the end, for Canaris followed the Turkish fleet to the bay of Tenedos, and there made sad havoc among the large double-deckers, blowing them one after the other out of the water. The Turks on this occasion added to the disaster by cutting their cables and running foul of one another.
The following year, 1823, Canaris drove back into the Dardanelles another Turkish fleet that had been sent from Constantinople to re-enforce the beleaguering army of Missolonghi, a proceeding that exasperated the Sultan to the point of vowing vengeance against the irrepressible Giaour. The Sultan kept his word. The year 1824 saw the accession to Turkey's fighting forces of the entire military and naval resources of the vassal state of Egypt. The Khedive placed a large army and navy, commanded by his adopted son, Ibrahim Pasha, at the Sultan's disposal. The campaign therefore began with an expedition against the Greeks, numbering 100,000 men and a fleet of 80 war-vessels. This mighty armament was first directed against the islands of Spezzia and Ispara, the latter, as stated, being Canaris's home. At the approach of the Turks a council of war was summoned at Ispara by the local dignitaries.
"Give me five fire-ships," exclaimed Canaris, "and I will stand for your safety, and that of your wives and children!"
But, as in all communities, there were here some politicians and wise-acres to be reckoned with who had never fought themselves, but who would have been perfectly willing to give Napoleon himself points on strategy. Canaris's plan was overruled by these men, and it was decided to await the enemy on shore. The result of this decision was the capture and devastation of the island, including a massacre of all the males above tender age. Canaris escaped by swimming to a boat. He had already gotten his family safely out of the way on hearing the announcement of the council's absurd plan of campaign.