This occupied from the 18th to the 20th of May. The Turkish army then concentrated near the remains of Gnossus, and without entering into Candia moved on to Pediada, where Omar established his headquarters at Castale, near the foot of the Lasithe Mountains. He now announced his plan, which was to sweep round the insurgent forces, and push them all westward into Sphakia, where he would shut them up and finish the war. That he entertained no such expectation, however, was evident from the order of his attack on Lasithe, which he made at a single point, so as rather to disperse than gather in the insurgents. The 3d of June he sent Reschid to attack the northern pass of Lasithe, by Abdou. The column of irregulars entered the little plateau, which is as an ante-chamber to the great plain of Lasithe, without opposition, and his men at once camped, and began to cook their supper, or whatever else the desire of the bashi-bazouk might be. They were, in this state of confusion and security, suddenly attacked by the Cretans, and utterly routed and driven back to the plains below, leaving their dead and wounded on the ground. The news of the disaster followed the despatch announcing the entry so closely, that both became known in Candia that same night. Reinforcements were continually arriving, and the Pasha had now in the field for the attack 18,000 men. With these he renewed the attack on Lasithe in two directions, from Abdou on the north, and from the west by Mathea and the pass which was defended by the mountain called Lasithe Effendi--a very strong position, but in a state of defence in no ways equal to its natural advantages. The insurgent force gathered in the Lasithe at this time was the largest the insurrection had ever seen assembled, and is estimated by competent assistants at about 5,000, but with no head, though many commanders. The force was sufficiently well organized to have defeated Omar Pasha, but, after three days' cautious skirmishing, the Turks penetrated on several sides, the irregulars turning Abdou by a difficult and undefended approach at the east, and the insurgents retired in disorder and in every direction; some by Messara into the Ida district, but the larger portion into Rhizo Castron, south of Lasithe, and the higher ridges of the Lasithe range, which Omar did not attempt to penetrate.