Modon

Modon appears briefly in the captive’s account of naval operations near Navarino. Described there as an island close to Navarino, it becomes a refuge for El Uchali after the allied commander withdraws, linking the place to a moment of retreat and tactical delay in the campaign.

Setting and Identification

The account identifies Modon as an island near Navarino. It supplies no further description of the settlement or its inhabitants; the location matters through its position in the narrated movements of the fleets and forces around Navarino.

Role in the Naval Campaign

The episode follows a missed opportunity to capture the Ottoman fleet at Navarino: its crews, the narrator says, expected an attack and were ready to flee ashore, but the allied forces did not assault the harbor. El Uchali then took refuge at Modon. His forces landed and fortified the harbor entrance, waiting there until Don John of Austria withdrew.

Narrative Significance

Modon’s brief role is defined by this sequence: a possible attack gives way to an enemy refuge, and the fortified harbor mouth helps explain why the fleets do not immediately engage again. The place is not developed as a setting in its own right; it anchors the captive’s account in the shifting geography of the campaign and marks the pause following the lost opportunity at Navarino.