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The Parici were all hopeful because letters arrived from Venice allowing the lords to release them from their servitude; but no liberty did they get, except such as Mustafa gave them. All the gentlemen of the realm kept saying publicly that they had given their consent to the liberation of their parici : if their good intentions were defeated by the cruelty of the government I cannot say. The expedition left Finica on June 27 and arrived at Baffo July 1 ; the next day the news reached Nicosia, Limisso and Acrotiri were sacked and burned, the enemy's ravages extending inland to the village of Polimidia. The captain of the Stradiots and Vincenzo Malipiero, vice-captain of Baffo, met and charged them with cavalry, broke their ranks, put them completely to flight, and so drove them back with great slaughter to the sea. They took two Turks alive, and made up two loads of heads, which the Stradiots who were sent to meet them carried afterwards on the points of their lances to Nicosia. The two prisoners, with their hands bound behind them, were forced to march hefore the horse of the vice-captain of Baffo. The sight gave courage to the citizens, who came out to the villages, and down to the sea-shore, or went shouting abont the walls of Nicosia, "Success to S. Mark by land and by sea." The next day the Tnrks arrived at Salines. Our general of cavalry went to confer with Estor Baglione at a village between Salines and Famagosta. On the third, in perfect comfort and without the slightest opposition, the enemy landed his cavalry, infantry, artillery, ammunition and stores, and laid out and fortified his camp. Mustafa sent Piali to the gulf of Aiazza with a hundred galleys, twenty horseboats and some lighters to bring over the rest of the horses, janissaries and Sipahis; while Ali Pasha was despatched with the rest of the fleet to the same end to the gulf of Satalia, Mustafa being afraid to leave Salines until he had mustered his whole force. The officers returned on July 21 with the desired rein-forcements. In the meanwhile Mustafa had sent Nicodemus, a blind Greek monk, a Corfiote, with letters exhorting and threatening all men to submit to his sovereign, promising them all the liberties they now enjoyed, and greater still. Our general of cavalry had already retired with his whole force tu Nicosia, and remained there until the day of the massacre. The enemy meanwhile made various raids, and reached Lefcara, guided by a Greek priest of the village. The inhabitants, who had neither walls nor ditches, arms offensive or defensive, were obliged to promise allegiance. The government was promptly informed, and Captain Meaduca Dimitri Lasca ri, with his company of light horse, was sent with orders to give the village to fire and flame, and kill old and young. This bold officer, when he had reduced the Lefkarites to obedience, was anxious for another chance of meeting the enemy. He gave chase to a large detachment, and drove them into a narrow gorge between two monntains. Here his horse was killed, and leaping up behind his brother, an ensign, he retreated to Nicosia. On the 24th the Turks left for Nicosia, having first sent five hundred horsemen to Fama-gosta to prevent any assistance reaching that city, but Signor Estor Baglione met and routed them at San Sergio. On the 25th part of the enemy's army arrived, with a vanguard of cavalry; as soon as they were in sight Colonel Palazzo was ready with advice to go out and check this first detachment before the main army came up ; he wanted to make a sally in force with all the mounted Stradiots, feudatories and pensioners, and a great part of the Italian and Greek infantry, and although the chief officials and the Coadjutor knew that he was a soldier of great experience, they did not accept his counsel nor approve his reasons. The next day the rest of the enemy's forces arrived, and some horsemen rode boldly up to the walls, and pitched their camp on the hill of Mantia. Among these, and on the same spot, the General had his quarters, aud contrary to the notions of our people found abundant 132 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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