NAVARINO, BATTLE OF, fought on Oct. 20, 1827. By the treaty signed in London on July 6, 1827 (see GREECE, His tory), England, France and Russia agreed to demand an armistice, as preliminary to a settlement. Sir Edward Codrington, then British commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, received the treaty on the night of Aug. Io at Smyrna, together with instruc tions to demand an armistice, and to intercept all supplies corn ing to the Turkish forces in the Morea. He at once proceeded to Nauplia to communicate with the Greeks, accompanied by his French colleague, Rear-admiral de Rigny. The Greek Govern ment agreed to accept the armistice. Admiral de Rigny left for a cruise in the Levant, and Sir Edward Codrington, hearing that an Egyptian armament was on its way from Alexandria, found it, together with a Turkish squadron, at anchor at Navarino on Sept. 12. The Turkish Government refused to accept the armis tice, but on the 25th an interview took place between Codrington, de Rigny, who had just arrived, and Ibrahim Pasha on behalf of the sultan, at which Ibrahim gave a verbal engagement not to act against the Greeks pending further orders. The allies, who were in want of stores, now separated again, Codrington going to Zante and de Rigny to Cervi, frigates being left to watch Nava rino. The British admiral had barely anchored at Zante bef ore he was informed that the sultan's forces were putting to sea. From Oct. 3 to 5 Codrington, who had with him only his flagship the "Asia" (84) and some smaller vessels, was engaged in turning back the Egyptian and Turkish vessels, a task in which he was aided by a violent gale. He resumed his watch off Navarino, and on the 13th was joined by de Rigny and the Russian squadron un der Rear-admiral Heiden. By agreement among the Powers the
command was entrusted to Codrington. The allied force con sisted of three British, four French and four Russian sail of the line, and a total of 15 frigates, brigs and schooners. The Egyp tians and Turks had three ships of the line and 15 large frigates, together with a swarm of small craft making a total of over 80. Ibrahim Pasha, though unable to operate at sea, considered him self at liberty to carry on the war by land, and his men were em ployed in burning the Greek villages. On Oct. 17 a joint letter of expostulation was sent to Ibrahim, but was returned with the manifestly false answer that he had left Navarino. The admirals, therefore, decided to stand into the bay. A French officer in the Egyptian service, named Letellier, had anchored the vessels of Ibrahim and the Turkish admiral in a horseshoe formation, of which the points touched the entrance to the bay, and there were forts on the lands at both sides of the entry. The allies entered in two lines and began to anchor in the midst of Ibrahim's fleet. Captain Fellowes, commanding the British frigate "Dartmouth," seeing a Turkish fireship close to windward of him, sent a boat to demand that she should be removed. The Turks opened fire on the boat, and the action at once became general. The result was obtained by heavier broadsides and better gunnery. Three fourths of the Turkish and Egyptian vessels were sunk or fired by their own crews. The allied casualties were 177 killed and 519 wounded. The loss of the Turks and Egyptians was never ac curately reported.
See Lady Jane Bourchier, Memoir of the Life of Admiral Sir E.
Codrington (1873). (G. A. R. C.; W. C. B. T.)