IN GREEK WATERS
G·A·HENTY
CAPTURED BY ALBANIAN BRIGANDS
IN GREEK WATERS
A STORY OF
THE GRECIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
(1821-1827)
WITH TWELVE ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. S. STACEY, ANDA MAP OF THE GRECIAN ARCHIPELAGO
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1902
COPYRIGHT, 1892, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS.
THE CAXTON PRESS
NEW YORK.
PREFACE
My dear Lads,
The struggle known as the Greek War of Independence lasted for sixyears (1821-27), and had I attempted to give even an outline of theevents this would have been a history and not a story. Moreover, sixyears is altogether beyond the length of time that can be included ina book for boys. For these reasons I have confined the story to theprincipal incidents of the first two years of the war; those of myreaders who may wish to learn the whole history of the struggle Irefer to Finlay’s well-known History of Greece, which I havefollowed closely in my narration.
As a rule in the stories of wars, especially of wars waged fornational independence, the dark side of the struggle is brightened byexamples of patriotism and devotion, of heroic bravery, of humanity tothe wounded, of disinterestedness and self-sacrifice. The war of Greekindependence is an exception. The story is a dark one with scarcely agleam of light. Never during modern times has a struggle beendisgraced by such deeds of cruelty and massacre as those whichprevailed on both sides. Such being the case, I have devoted lessspace than usual to the historical portion of my tale, and this playsbut a subordinate part in the adventures of the Misericordia and hercrew.