No sooner did the day dawn which had been previously agreed upon for our escape, than we were each of us busied in laying together all that belonged to us, or would be likely to be wanted by the way, taking every precaution to do this unobserved by such of our comrades as knew nothing of our intentions.

Precisely at noon all met at a place that had been determined on: we were all Italians, sixteen in number, including the serjeant's wife, and each of the men carried with him all his arms and accoutrements.

We lost no time in proceeding upon our way, and the consciousness that, in every yard that we advanced we had by so much recovered a comparative state of liberty and free-will, made the toil and fatigue appear light to us.

We soon got confused, and being quite ignorant of our direction, were fain to climb to the top of the great mountain which overlooks Budoa: we reached it before the sun was down, and peeping cautiously from thence upon the city, so commanded it as to be able to discern almost every thing that was passing there; amongst the rest, we could very plainly distinguish the muster and roll-call of the troops, and even thought that we could perceive the bustle of surprise and inquiry that was occasioned in our own company, by the circumstance of so many of us not appearing. Some of us, eagerly intent upon this scene, and others more usefully engaged in taking accurate observation, as to the road which we should follow, all remained fixed upon that elevated spot till it grew dark we

then began our descent upon the further side, and made onwards for Albania; walking at our quickest pace, and about midnight had already reached the frontier.

A French outport was stationed there; and no sooner was our approach perceived, than we were hailed with the watchword of qui vive? For a moment we felt as if all was lost, but some one of our party no sooner heard the challenge repeated for the second time, than he presented his musket, and shot the centinel dead upon the spot. the report alarmed the remainder of the outpost, and they all flew to their arms, and supposing us to be, as we really were, deserters, they did their utmost to arrest us, or to turn us back.

The night was so dark, that the two parties could hardly discriminate one another,

especially as all wore the same uniform; the firing, however, was very brisk upon both sides, and the result very disastrous, for, though by some good fortune, not one of the deserting party was hurt, five of the French piquet were left dead, and we have reason to think that several others were left wounded.

The advantage, in short, was so much upon our side, that we passed on unmolested into the Albanese territory, where the absence of any corresponding Turkish guard greatly facilitated our pressing forward; so that the sun had not risen above an hour, when we came in sight, first of the castle, and then of the town of Antivări.

The former of these stands on a commanding height; and as soon as some of the Turkish garrison within observed us

approaching, and that we were armed and accoutred as French soldiers, an alarm was given, and all instantly became upon the alert; for Antivări, at that time, had a large force in it, and was well provided with ammunition: a resident Pasha had the command of it, with the charge of watching and keeping check upon the French operations in Dalmatia, who was no sooner apprized of our appearance in the distance, than he ordered out a considerable body of troops, and placing himself at their head, advanced towards us in order to learn our intentions and object.

We could distinguish the gate opening, and this armed body, in gay colours, coming towards us; and, since every thing that we feared was from behind, we were so far from looking to this with any apprehen