o with their lamentations. The guns were fired at long
intervals. The portcullis was raised to admit the procession, and the
whole garrison, drawn up to receive it, rendered a military salute. The
body, covered with matting, was laid in a grave beside that of Amina.
When the grave had been filled in, a priest approached to listen to
the supposed conflict between the good and bad angels, who dispute the
possession of the soul of the deceased. When he at length announced
that Ali Tepelen Zadi would repose in peace amid celestial houris,
the Skipetars, murmuring like the waves of the sea after a tempest,
dispersed to their quarters.

Kursheed, profiting by the night spent by the Epirotes in mourning,
caused Ali's head to be enclosed in a silver casket, and despatched
it secretly to Constantinople. His sword-bearer Mehemet, who, having
presided at the execution, was entrusted with the further duty of
presenting it to the sultan, was escorted by three hundred Turkish
soldiers. He was warned to be expeditious, and before dawn was well out
of reach of the Arnaouts, from whom a surprise might have been feared.

The Seraskier then ordered the unfortunate Basilissa, whose life had
been spared, to be brought before him. She threw herself at his feet,
imploring him to spare, not her life, but her honour; and he consoled
her, and assured her of the sultan's protection. She burst into tears
when she beheld Ali's secretaries, treasurers, and steward loaded with
irons. Only sixty thousand purses (about twenty-five million piastres)
of Ali's treasure could be found, and already his officers had been
tortured, in order to compel them to disclose where the rest might be
concealed. Fearing a similar fate, Basilissa fell insensible into the
arms of her attendants, and she was removed to the farm of Bouila, until
the Supreme Porte should decide on her fate.

The couriers sent in all directions to announce the death of Ali, having
preceded the sword-bearer Mehemet's triumphal procession, the latter,
on arriving at Greveno, found the whole population of that town and the
neighbouring hamlets assembled to meet him, eager to behold the head of
the terrible Ali Pacha. Unable to comprehend how he could possibly
have succumbed, they could hardly believe their eyes when the head was
withdrawn from its casket and displayed before them. It remained exposed
to view in the house of the Mussulman Veli Aga whilst the escort partook
of refreshment and ch