The Bay of Kotor was long and winding, extending 32 kilometers inland. It consisted of four main bays connected by a narrow channel.
Mount Orjen flanked both sides of the bay. Summers were scorching, while the other seasons were rainy. Villages brimming with Mediterranean charm dotted the slopes where mountains met the sea, peaceful and beautiful to behold.
The "witches" had been escorted onto a ship and left to drift downstream with the current. The vessel had already been old, and someone had deliberately punched holes in its bottom. By the time they reached the bay, it had sunk halfway. Other than a small number who stubbornly refused to leave the ship, the younger ones had already jumped into the water, trying to swim to safety.
The appearance of the French warships took them completely by surprise. The boats that had been about to pull the swimming witches from the water immediately turned around and rowed deeper into the bay after hearing the warning from the mountain. With those people "leading the way," finding a landing site became much easier. Others hid inside fortresses built during the Middle Ages.
The locals reacted this way not merely because the French attack had come as such a surprise. Trade in the Eastern Mediterranean had long since declined, and compared with threats at sea, those on land were more deserving of vigilance.
After the Russo-Turkish War broke out in 1787, Kara Mahmud drove out the Ottoman Sultan. Not only did he establish an independent regime in Shkodër, but he also attempted to further expand the territory of his pashalik. This led the Ottoman Empire to launch another large-scale military expedition against Kara Mahmud in 1791.
This campaign, too, ended in the Ottoman Empire's defeat. Kara Mahmud took the opportunity to expand his territory