Ali Pasha had an intense desire to control the Ionian Islands, so he was naturally inclined to oppose any country that occupied them. The capricious ruler forbade the sale of grain to the French while other goods could be exported when supply exceeded demand or when there was a glut of inferior quality products. As far as timber was concerned, he was adamant that no plank was to leave his territories. When the French landed in Leukas (1807), an island on Ali’s doorstep, he burned down the forests of Akarnania to a distance of three kilometers from the coast to ensure that the French would not be able to find timber for their fortifications or shipyards.