THE LIFE OF

THOMAS, LORD COCHRANE, TENTH EARL OF DUNDONALD, G. C. B. , ADMIRAL OF THE RED, REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET, ETC. , ETC. , COMPLETING "THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SEAMAN. "

BY

THOMAS, ELEVENTH EARL OF DUNDONALD, AND

H. R. FOX BOURNE, AUTHOR OF "ENGLISH SEAMEN UNDER THE TUDORS, " ETC. ETC. 

_IN TWO VOLUMES. _

VOL. II. 

LONDON:RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. 1869. 

CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. 

 PAGE

CHAPTER XVII. 

[1827. ]

Lord Cochrane's Arrival in Greece. --His Account of Hydra andPoros. --The Congratulations offered to him. --Visits from Tombazes, Mavrocordatos, and Miaoulis. --Letters from the National Assembly andother Public Bodies and Leading Men. --The Divisions in Greece. --TheFrench or Moreot, and English or Phanariot Factions. --Lord Cochrane'sRelations with them. --The Visit of Kolokotrones and other Deputiesfrom the National Assembly. --Lord Cochrane's Efforts to procureUnanimity. --Sir Richard Church. --Lord Cochrane's Commission as FirstAdmiral. --The National Assembly at Troezene. --The Election ofCapodistrias as President--Lord Cochrane's Oath-taking. --His Advice tothe National Assembly and Proclamation to the Greeks 1

CHAPTER XVIII. 

[1827. ]

The Siege of Athens--The Defenders of the Acropolis. --The Efforts ofGordon and Karaïskakes. --Lord Cochrane's Plan for Cutting off theTurkish Supplies. --The Arguments by which he was induced to proceedinstead to the Phalerum. --His Arrival there. --His other Arrangementsfor Serving Greece. --His First Meeting with Karaïskakes. --TheCondition of the Greek Camp. --Lord Cochrane's Position. --His Effortsto give Immediate Relief to the Acropolis, and the Obstacles raised bythe Greeks. --Karaïskakes's Delays, and General Church'sDifficulties. --The Convent of Saint Spiridion. --The Battle ofPhalerum. --The Capture of Saint Spiridion. --The Massacre of the Turks, and its Consequences. --Lord Cochrane's renewed Efforts to Save theAcropolis. --The Death of Karaïskakes. --The March to theAcropolis. --Its Failure through the Perversity of the Greeks. --TheBattle of Athens. --The Fall of the Acropolis 31

CHAPTER XIX. 

[1827. ]

Lord Cochrane's Return to Poros. --His Attempts to Organise anEfficient Greek Navy. --The Want of Funds and the Apathy of theGreeks. --His Letter to the Psarians, and his Visits to Hydra andSpetzas. --His Cruise Round the Morea. --His First Engagement with theTurks. --The Disorganization of his Greek Sailors. --His Capture of aVessel bearing the British Flag, laden with Greek Prisoners. --Seizureof Part of Reshid Pasha's Harem. --Ibrahim Pasha's Narrow Escape. --LordCochrane's Further Difficulties. --His Expedition to Alexandria. --ItsFailure through the Cowardice of his Seamen. --His two Letters to thePasha of Egypt. --His Return to Poros. --Further Efforts to Improve theNavy. --His Visit to Syra. --The Troubles of the Greek Government. --LordCochrane's Visit to Navarino. --His Defeat of a Turkish Squadron 77

CHAPTER XX. 

[1827. ]

The Action of Great Britain and Russia on Behalf of HellenicIndependence. --The Degradation of Greece. --Lord Cochrane's RenewedEfforts to Organise a Fleet. --Prince Paul Buonaparte, and hisDeath. --An Attempt to Assassinate Lord Cochrane. --His IntendedExpedition to Western Greece. --Its Prevention by Sir EdwardCodrington. --Lord Cochrane's Return to the Archipelago. --TheInterference of Great Britain, France, and Russia. --The Causes of theBattle of Navarino. --The Battle 114

CHAPTER XXI. 

[1827-1828. ]

The First Consequences of the Interference of the Allied Powers andthe Battle of Navarino. --Lord Cochrane's intended Share in Fabvier'sExpedition to Chios. --Its Abandonment. --His Cruise among the Islandsand about Navarino. --His Efforts to Repress Piracy. --His Return to theArchipelago. --The Misconduct of the Government. --Lord Cochrane'sComplaints. --His Letters to the Representatives of the Allied Powers, acquitting Himself of Complicity in Greek Piracy. --His FurtherComplaints to the Government. --His Resolution to Visit England. --HisLetter to Count Capodistrias Explaining and Justifying thatResolution. --His Departure from Greece, and Arrival atPortsmouth. --His Letter to M. Eynard 134

CHAPTER XXII. 

[1828-1829. ]

Lord Cochrane's Occupations on Behalf of Greece in London andParis. --His Second Letter to Capodistrias. --His Defence of Himselfwith Reference to his Visit to Western Europe. --His Return toGreece. --Capodistrias's Presidency and the Progress of Greece. --LordCochrane's Reception by the Government. --The Settlement of hisAccounts. --His Letter of Resignation. --The Final Indignities to whichhe was Subjected. --The Correspondence thereupon between Admiral Heydenand Dr. Gosse. --Lord Cochrane's Departure from Greece. --His OpinionsRegarding her. --The Character and Issues of His Services to the Greeks 162

CHAPTER XXIII. 

[1828-1832. ]

A Recapitulation of Lord Cochrane's Naval Services. --His Efforts toobtain Restitution of the Rank taken from him after the Stock ExchangeTrial. --His Petition to the Duke of Clarence. --Its Rejection by theDuke of Wellington's Cabinet. --Lord Cochrane's Occupations after theclose of his Greek Service. --His Return to England. --His Memorial toWilliam IV. --Its Tardy Consideration by Earl Grey's Cabinet. --ItsPromoters and Opponents. --Lord Cochrane's Accession to the Peerage asTenth Earl of Dundonald. --His Interview with the King. --The Countessof Dundonald's Efforts in Aid of her Husband's Memorial. --TheirUltimate Success. --The Earl of Dundonald's "Free Pardon, " andRestoration to Naval Rank 197

CHAPTER XXIV. 

[1833-1847. ]

The Inventions and Discoveries of Lord Dundonald's Father. --His ownMechanical Contrivances. --His Lamps. --His Rotary Steam-Engine, hisScrew-Propeller, his Condensing-Boiler, and his Lines ofShip-building. --Their Tardy Development. --His Correspondence uponSteam-Shipping with Sir James Graham, the Earl of Minto, the Earl ofHaddington, and the Earl of Auckland. --The Progress of hisInventions. --The _Janus_. --The Beneficial Results of his Experiments 221

CHAPTER XXV. 

[1833-1848. ]

Lord Dundonald's Secret War-Plans. --His Correspondence concerning themwith Lord Lansdowne, Lord Minto, Lord Haddington, and LordAuckland. --His Letter to the "Times. "--The Report of a Committee, consisting of Sir Thomas Hastings, Sir John Burgoyne, and Lieut. -Col. Colquhoun, upon the Secret War-Plans. --A French Project for NavalWarfare with England. --Lord Dundonald's Opinions Thereupon. --His Viewson the Defence of England 246

CHAPTER XXVI. 

[1839-1848. ]

The Earl of Dundonald's Request for the Restoration of the Order ofthe Bath. --His Good Service Pension. --The Investigation of his SecretWar-Plans. --His Pamphlet on Naval Affairs, --His Installation as aG. C. B. --His Candidature for Election as a Scotch RepresentativePeer. --The Queen's Permission to his Wearing the Brazilian Order ofthe "Cruziero. "--His Appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the NorthAmerican and West Indian Station 273

CHAPTER XXVII. 

[1848. ]

Lord Dundonald's Departure for North America. --Extracts from theCorrespondence of Lord Auckland and others Respecting West IndianAffairs and European Politics. --Bermuda. --The French Revolution of1848 and its Issues. --Ireland and the Chartists. --The Death of LordAuckland 294

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

[1848-1850. ]

Lord Dundonald's Visit to the North American and West Indian Colonies, and his Opinions thereon. --Newfoundland and itsFisheries. --Labrador. --Bermuda; its Defences and its GeologicalFormation. --Barbadoes. --The Negroes. --Trinidad. --Its Pitch Lake. --TheDepressed Condition of the West Indian Colonies. --Lord Dundonald'sSuggestions for their Improvement 307

CHAPTER XXIX. 

[1851-1853. ]

Lord Dundonald's Return from America. --His Arguments for the Relief ofthe Newfoundland Fisheries and the West India Trade. --The TrinidadBitumen. --Lord Dundonald's other Scientific Pursuits and Views 328

CHAPTER XXX. 

[1851-1860. ]

The Russian War. --Lord Dundonald's Proposals to Employ his SecretPlans against Cronstadt, Sebastopol, and other Strongholds. --HisCorrespondence thereupon with Sir James Graham and LordPalmerston. --Their Rejection. --Lord Dundonald's Appointment asRear-Admiral of the United Kingdom. --Prince Albert's Invitation to himto become an Elder Brother of the Trinity House. --His Correspondencewith Lord Palmerston respecting the Restitution of his Half-Pay. --HisLast Work. --His Death and Burial. --Conclusion 337

 * * * * *

APPENDIX. 

(Page 161. )--Captain Frank Abney Hastings's Letters to Lord Cochrane(1827) 370

THE LIFE

OF

THOMAS, TENTH EARL OF DUNDONALD. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

LORD COCHRANE'S ARRIVAL IN GREECE. --HIS ACCOUNT OF HYDRA ANDPOROS. --THE CONGRATULATIONS OFFERED TO HIM. --VISITS FROM TOMBAZES, MAVROCORDATOS, AND MIAOULIS. --LETTERS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ANDOTHER PUBLIC BODIES AND LEADING MEN. --THE DIVISIONS IN GREECE. --THEFRENCH OR MOREOT, AND ENGLISH OR PHANARIOT FACTIONS. --LORD COCHRANE'SRELATIONS WITH THEM. --THE VISIT OF KOLOKOTRONES AND OTHER DEPUTIESFROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. --LORD COCHRANE'S EFFORTS TO PROCUREUNANIMITY. --SIR RICHARD CHURCH. --LORD COCHRANE'S COMMISSION AS FIRSTADMIRAL. --THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AT TROEZENE. --THE EJECTION OFCAPODISTRIAS AS PRESIDENT. --LORD COCHRANE'S OATH-TAKING. --HIS ADVICETO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND PROCLAMATION TO THE GREEKS. 

[1827. ]

Lord Cochrane entered the Egean Sea with his little schooner _Unicorn_and the French brig _Sauveur_ on the 17th of March, 1827. In theafternoon he halted off the island of Hydra, there to leave the Greekdeputy Orlando, who had accompanied him from Marseilles. "I wassurprised, " he said, "to observe that, except the open batteries nearthe town of Hydra, the whole coast of the island remained unprotected, although, in a smooth sea, a landing might be effected in almost everypart of its circumference. The town of Hydra is built in an irregularmanner on the fall of the mountain about the port, and presents aclean appearance, the houses being all whitewashed. There is not atree on the island, though there are a few straggling bushes. There isscarcely any land capable of cultivation; but there are some vineyardson the south side and a few small gardens near the town. The port issmall, the water deep, and the vessels made fast by hawsers to theshore. It is evident, that, if Greece obtains independence, thisisland, to which the inhabitants fled to enjoy that species ofprecarious liberty that depends on eluding the view of tyranny, mustbe abandoned. Even water is only to be had from tanks which are filledby the winter's rain. "

From Hydra Lord Cochrane proceeded to Egina, making a circuit in orderthat he might have a view of Athens. "The Acropolis, " he wrote, "withthe whole scenery at sunset, was beautiful. Alas, what a change! whatmelancholy recollections crowd on the mind! There was the seat ofscience, of literature, and the arts. At this instant the barbarianTurk is actually demolishing, by the shells that now are flyingthrough the air, the scanty remains of the once magnificent temples inthe Acropolis. "

He called at Egina on the 18th, in order to despatch letters, announcing his arrival, to the Governing Commission, as it was called, then located in the island, before proceeding to Poros, where heanchored on the morning of the 19th. "The main entrance, " we furtherread in his journal, "is scarcely wide enough to work a ship in, ifthe wind is from the land. The water, however, is sufficiently deepclose to the shore; and the port, when you have entered through thisnarrow channel, is one of the finest in the world. There is anotherentrance towards the south, but it is shallow and crooked, andconsequently used only by small vessels. The town of Poros consists ofa number of irregularly-built houses on the side of a hill, and meritsthe appellation of picturesque. There are remains of temples on theisland, and the stone is yet to be seen on which Demosthenes is saidto have been sitting when he was recalled by Antipater to Athens, andin consequence of which recall he took poison and died. "

No sooner was the joyful intelligence conveyed to the inhabitants thatLord Cochrane, the long-expected deliverer of Greece, had actuallyarrived, than all the leading men who happened to be in Poros at thetime hurried on board the Unicorn to welcome their champion and togive personal assurance of their devotion to him. The first to arrivewas Jakomaki Tombazes, who was now acting with Dr. Gosse assuperintendent of marine affairs, having surrendered the chief commandof the fleet into the hands of Andreas Miaoulis. Miaoulis himself soonfollowed, and with him Alexander Mavrocordatos and many others. "Prince Mavrocordatos, " wrote Lord Cochrane's secretary, Mr. GeorgeCochrane, "was a short, stout, well-built man, of very darkcomplexion, with black eyes, an oval face expressing greatintelligence, and his hair very long, hanging upon his shoulders. Hewas dressed in the European style, and wore on his head a little clothcap. He also habitually wore spectacles. His manners indicated a manperfectly accustomed to the society of persons of rank. He immediatelyentered into familiar conversation with Lord Cochrane in the Frenchlanguage. He carried his pipe with him, which he continually smoked. Miaoulis was dressed in the Hydriot fashion; but, of course, as becamea primate of the island, his attire was of a description much superiorto that of his poorer fellow-countrymen. [1] His countenance was openand dignified, and so calm that it appeared like a rock which nothingcould move. Not that it had any character of sternness in it; on thecontrary, it possessed a placidity, blended with firmness, which wasanything but forbidding. The moment Miaoulis came on deck, hecordially shook hands with Lord Cochrane, and a broken conversationcommenced between them in Spanish, Miaoulis speaking that language butimperfectly. At the period in question he commanded the _Hellas_frigate. He knew perfectly well that Lord Cochrane's arrival wouldtake the command out of his hands. Nevertheless, he evinced not theleast jealousy, but was one of the first to offer his services underLord Cochrane. 'I know my countrymen, ' he said, 'and that I can be ofservice to your lordship on board the frigate. I will therefore sailunder your command. ' Such an offer was not to be refused, and he wasrequested to remain on board. Miaoulis informed Lord Cochrane that thehope of Greece rested in the _Hellas_, and in the quondam merchantbrigs belonging to private individuals in the islands of Hydra, Spetzas, Poros, and Egina, amounting to about two hundred and fifty. These vessels had been armed as men-of-war; some had been turned intofireships, and it was the latter that struck so much terror into theTurks, several Turkish vessels of the line and frigates having beendestroyed under the guidance of the brave Kanaris, a native of theill-fated island of Psara. "

 [1] "These men, " says the same authority, "generally speaking, from their complexions, evinced that they had been mariners all their lives, the sun having well tanned them. They wore small red caps, from which their hair flowed wildly down their shoulders. On the upper lip they wore very long mustachios, which the older ones were continually curling, and bringing out the point. They wore trousers of blue cotton, and a jacket; and by the immense capacity of the former, I should suppose they must have contained at least twelve yards. This was gathered into plaits round the waist, and only descended to the knees, which were left open. The hinder part presented a most singular appearance. It hung down almost trailing upon the ground in a huge bag, which kept moving backwards and forwards in a ludicrous manner at every motion of the body. They wore shoes, but no stockings; and their legs were as dark as their countenances, and covered with hair. Round their waist they wore a large red sash in several folds. Their jacket was similar to a waistcoat, with sleeves, and ornamented with small buttons from the wrist to the elbow, and the same on the bosom. "--"Wanderings in Greece. "

The compliments and congratulations offered in person to Lord Cochraneimmediately after his anchoring off Poros were followed by complimentsand congratulations yet more profuse conveyed to him in writing by allclasses and from all quarters. One of the first and most importantcommunications was addressed to him on the 18th of March, in the nameof the National Assembly, as it styled itself, met at Kastri, by itspresident, Georgios Sissinis. "Greece, " he said, "rejoices at yourappearance in her seas. The aspirations of the Greeks are realised. Their hopes in the success of their sacred struggle revive. The Greeknation, assembled here in a third National Assembly, desires to seeyou and invites you here, sending to you, with that object, theGeneral-in-Chief of the armies of the Peloponnesus, TheodoreKolokotrones, Messrs. Kanaris, Botazes, and Bulgaris, General Zavellaand Count Metaxas, who will tender to you the thanks of all for yourzeal on behalf of their cause. " "The Government is seized withunutterable joy at your auspicious arrival, " wrote the members of therival assembly at Egina, on the same day: "the Government wishes youhappy success in all your enterprises, and hopes soon to find in you atriumphant conqueror. " "For a long while past, " wrote the governors ofHydra, "our brave mariners have centred all their hopes on yourarrival. You can understand then the joy that we felt when we saw yourbrig and schooner, and when we knew that you had actually arrived. Wehasten to tender to you the homage of our island, and to express toyou our impatience to see our little navy placed under your orders, and guided by you to new victories, by which the safety andindependence of Greece may be secured. " "Your arrival in our belovedcountry, " wrote the primates of Spetzas, "has filled the soul of everyinhabitant of our island with joy, and every one presents his thanksto Heaven for having at last sent such an one to fight with us and toprotect our fatherland. " "You have come to Greece, " wroteKonduriottes, "at a moment when this unfortunate country most needsall that it can hope from the wisdom and courage of so great adefender. The announcement of your arrival will form an epoch in thehistory of our Revolution, and, I dare to hope, in that of our moralregeneration. "

That moral regeneration was needed Lord Cochrane already well knew, and he had not been a day in Greece before the knowledge was forcedupon him afresh. The unworthy disposition of most of the men in powerhad never been more plainly shown, nor threatened more imminent dangerto the independence of Greece, than at the time of Lord Cochrane'sarrival. With a few notable exceptions, of whom Miaoulis was perhapsthe chief, the Greek leaders had forgotten all their national duty inpersonal ambition and jealousy. If they united in parties, it was onlybecause each one hoped that, as soon as his own party was triumphant, he himself would be able to obtain the mastery over all hisassociates. 

Two factions, especially, prevailed in Greece at this time, which, partly from the circumstance that they were supported by unwisePhilhellenes of the two nations, partly because their native memberslooked for their chief support to those nations, were known as theFrench and English parties. 

Among Philhellenes the leading promoter of the French party wasColonel Fabvier, who was now, with some of the troops whom hecommanded, defending the Acropolis from the siege of the Turks. He wasan officer of considerable merit, with the interests of the Greeks atheart, but of surpassing vanity and ambition. His hope was to becomethe Napoleon of the East, to convert the whole male population ofGreece into a huge army, with himself at its head. With himsympathized most of the military leaders, who, originally littlebetter than brigands, found everything to gratify their present tastesand their future hopes in a scheme which would give them endlessemployment in lawless warfare and martial dominion. These, comingchiefly from the Morea, caused the faction also to be known as theMoreot party. 

More formidable was the English party, with little that was Englishabout it but the name. Its ambition was not military, but diplomatic, the possession of place and power in such ways as were then possible. Its real, if not avowed, leader was Prince Mavrocordatos, with an ableabettor in his brother-in-law, Mr. Spiridion Trikoupes. All throughthe previous year Mavrocordatos and his friends had sought zealouslyto win for Greece the protection of England. They had corresponded tothat end with Mr. Stratford Canning, the British ambassador atConstantinople, with Captain Hamilton, who was then stationed in Greekwaters to watch the interests of English shipping, and with others. They had sent an irregular deputation to treat with the BritishGovernment, and had used all the means in their power, so far asforeign intervention was concerned, for the establishment of a smallerbut more organized Greek nation than that which their rivals desired. Had that end been worthily sought, they would have deserved universalsympathy. But they showed by their conduct that they cared little forgood government, or for the real interests of the community. Theyexercised their abilities and squandered their resources in schemesfor selfish aggrandisement, and the possession of authority which wasto benefit none but themselves. Many of their prominent members havingstudied statecraft, before the time of the Revolution, as Christianofficials in the employment of Turkey, to whom the name Phanariot wasgiven from the Christian quarter of Constantinople, the whole partyacquired the name of Phanariot. 

This latter party had all along hoped to make Lord Cochrane its tool. It was Mavrocordatos who first invited him to enter the service of theGreeks; and when that service was agreed upon no effort was spared toattach him to the group of partizans among whom Mavrocordatos waschief. Lord Cochrane, steadily refusing this, soon incurred theiropposition, and to this opposition is to be attributed some of theunreasonable blame which was afterwards brought upon him. Much furtheropposition to him, moreover, was soon aroused by his, in like manner, refusing to become the creature of the other leading faction. Hewisely resolved, from the first--and he maintained his resolutionthroughout--to belong to no party, but having devoted himself to thecause of the Greek nation as a whole, to seek only those objects whichwere for the good of all. 

That resolution was soon put to the test. Immediately after hisarrival on the 19th of March, great efforts were made to implicate himin the schemes of the Governing Commission, as it was called, which, having outrun the time appointed for its duration, was continuing toassert its authority in Egina, and to use that authority in theinterests of the Phanariot party. Two days after that his partizanshipwas sought for the Moreot faction, which had set up a rivalgovernment, styled the National Assembly, at Hermione, under the jointleadership of Kolokotrones, Konduriottes, and Kolettes. On the 20th hewas waited upon by the deputation named in the congratulatory letterwhich has already been quoted from. 

"With his whole party, " said Lord Cochrane's secretary, reporting thisinterview, "Kolokotrones rode down to the beach opposite the ship, andsent off to say he would there wait until a boat should be sent forhim and his followers, the whole being about a hundred men, armed, according to the custom of the country, with pistols or daggers stuckin the left side of a sash or belt. The two boats sent beinginsufficient, not more than twenty came on board with the general. Kolokotrones was the spokesman, and there appeared to be great energyin his gesticulations, which did not correspond with the translationby Count Metaxas, who, from the smile on his countenance, seemed tohold in no great respect the mental acquirements of Kolokotrones. 'Greece, ' said the latter, 'required a government to bring order outof chaos. The functions of the commission appointed by the lastLegislative Assembly ought to have ceased. Its continuance in powerwas not legal, and consequently the members of the National Assemblyhad met at Hermione to name their successors; to which place it wasrequested that Lord Cochrane would proceed, in order to be present attheir deliberations. ' A letter to this effect, signed by the Presidentof the Assembly, was then put into Lord Cochrane's hands. 

"Lord Cochrane made answer verbally through Count Metaxas to thedeputies, that he held in due estimation the honour they had done himby personally delivering the communication as well as by the veryflattering terms used towards him by the members assembled atHermione. He regretted the decision that had taken place, and, recommending reconciliation, urged the necessity of prompt exertionand the little good that the wisest legislative enactments couldeffect, whilst the Turks overran their country, whilst they possessedthree-fourths of its strongholds, and whilst the enemy besieged thecapital of the state, which was in danger of falling into their power. His lordship expressed his regret that so many able and brave militaryofficers as those he saw before him should occupy themselves withcivil discussions in the present state of their country. 

"Upon this being interpreted to Kolokotrones, he became exceedinglywarm, and urged that the duty he was now occupied with was moreessential than any other. He, however, cooled on seeing, as wepresume, that no one seconded his opinion, which he evidently expectedby his glances towards his companions. Kolokotrones remained some timewithout saying a word, and then rising, took Lord Cochrane by the handand assured him that he would do his utmost to produce areconciliation of parties. Lord Cochrane urged that the termination ofdifferences between the parties should be within the space of threedays. Kolokotrones requested five; but afterwards caused hisinterpreter, Count Metaxas, to say that possibly an answer might bereceived from Hermione even before the shortest period fixed. CountMetaxas was the last who left the cabin, and as soon as the otherswere gone, he turned to Lord Cochrane and assured him that his utmostendeavours should not be wanting to accomplish so desirable an object. The Count has evidently the management of Kolokotrones, to whom heprobably adheres in order to arrive at real power, under the sanctionof an individual on whose shoulders may be heaped all the evilmeasures to be anticipated in acquiring or upholding any authorityover a multitude of rival chiefs and their rude followers. 

"Kolokotrones and his party then left the schooner, having firstdirected one of their soldiers to await Lord Cochrane's reply to thecommunication of the Assembly. A deputation from Hydra, and a crowd ofother visitors, however, precluded Lord Cochrane's despatching thecourier until the following morning. "

The reply, dated the 21st of March, was wise and bold. "I have had thehonour, " wrote Lord Cochrane, "to receive the despatches which youhave addressed to me, and I cannot but be flattered by the sentimentsthat they convey. This satisfaction is the more lively because I havehad the opportunity of becoming personally acquainted with hisexcellency General Kolokotrones, and the officers who accompanied him. But I freely acknowledge that it is blended with a feeling of regret, in that it appears to me that the bravest and most renowned officersof Greece are devoting all their energies to the formation of a civilgovernment and wasting their time in discussions as to the place inwhich they shall effect a reunion while the enemy is overrunning thecountry without resistance. Already he possesses three-fourths of thefortresses of Greece, and is besieging the capital of the republic. Athens is on the point of falling into the power of the Ottomanforces; the brave Fabvier and a few heroes, full of enthusiasm, areengaged in aiding the valiant defenders of that city; and meanwhilethe officers of Greece betake themselves again and again to frivolousdiscussions on civil affairs. If the shade of Demosthenes could againanimate the ashes of this great man which are here entombed, he would, changing only the names of persons and places, address to you hisfirst Philippic, and you would hear from the lips of a compatriotprofoundly versed in history and in the knowledge of mankind, whatought to be your manner of acting. I recommend you to read hisdiscourse in full assembly, and I especially recommend the citizenscharged with presiding over the destinies of Greece to follow hiscounsels point by point. With an authority so applicable to theexisting circumstances, it would be unpardonable presumption in me toaddress to you other than his own words. 'If, Athenians, you will now, though you did not before, adopt the principle of every man beingready, where he can and ought to give his service to the state, togive it without excuse, the wealthy to contribute, the able-bodied toenlist; in a word, plainly, if you will become your own masters, andcease each expecting to do nothing himself, while his neighbour doeseverything for him, you will then, with God's permission, get backyour own, and recover what has been lost, and punish your enemy. '"

To the same effect were Lord Cochrane's answers to the congratulatoryletters sent to him by the other leading persons and parties inGreece. "It may be well to notice, " he wrote on the same day to theGovernment at Egina, "that in the conversation which I had with thedeputation from Hermione, I respectfully suggested that, as lawscannot be promulgated with advantage whilst the mass of the country isunder the iron yoke of Turkish despotism, nor executed whilst thelives and properties of all continue insecure, the National Assemblymight be adjourned with advantage until the capital is free, and thuswe should avoid debating whilst we should be acting, and check thoseanimosities and divisions which naturally arise from difference ofsentiment under the peculiar conditions of modern Greece. " "The timenow draws near, " he wrote to the Government of Hydra, "when theapproach of a large force may reasonably be anticipated, and whenconsequently the means that the Greeks possess of contending withtheir enemies will be comparatively diminished. I have, therefore, inthe name of all Europe--by whose people I may in truth say that I havebeen sent here--called upon the Executive Government, and upon allthose connected with public affairs, to act with union andpromptitude, and I have informed them that without harmony andexertion amongst the chiefs, the slender means placed at my disposal, and any services which I personally could render, would prove of noavail. The people are split into factions, and operations areparalyzed by the conflicting personal interests of chiefs who perceivenot that the prize about which they are contending will fall to theshare of others. I have as yet taken no authority upon me in navalaffairs, because if union do not prevail I shall deceive Greece anddeceive the world by inducing a belief that I could assist you. "

While waiting, however, for the rivalries of the Greek leaders to beremoved, or at any rate set aside for a time, Lord Cochrane was notidle. He had frequent interviews, not only with Admiral Miaoulis andthe other native seamen of ability, but also with Dr. Gosse, and withCaptain Abney Hastings, who joined him on the 22nd, and provided himwith much precise information as to the naval strength of Greece, thecharacter of the officers and crews, and the best methods of attackingthe Turks with advantage. Information as precise about the land forceswas derived from other Philhellenes, among whom Colonel Heideck andColonel Gordon were perhaps the best informed. Lord Cochrane also madethe acquaintance of a new comer in Greece, with whom he was soon tohave very intimate relations--Sir Richard Church. 

General Church had begun life as an officer in the British army. Hehad seen various service between 1801 and 1809, and in the latter yearhad organised a battalion of Greeks at Zante, with which, andafterwards with another which he also formed, he had played animportant part in the war for the liberation of the Ionian Islands. Onthe establishment of peace, he had passed into the Neapolitan service. Many of his old Greek soldiers were now leaders in the Revolution, and, while Lord Cochrane was on his way to become the First Admiral ofthe Greeks, General Church had been invited to become Generalissimo onland. He arrived at Porto Kheli, near Kastri or Hermione, on the 9thof March, eight days before the appearance of Lord Cochrane. Thegenerals assembled at Hermione came out to meet him and tender theirsubmission. "Our father is at last come, " said one; "we have only toobey him and our liberty is secured. " Sir Richard Church was at oncesought as a leader by the Moreot faction, just as Lord Cochrane wasclaimed by the Phanariots as their champion. He, however, like his newcomrade, wisely resolved to avoid partisanship and to study theinterests of Greece as a whole, and to him must be assigned a share ofthe good work of pacification in which Lord Cochrane was the primemover. "This unhappy country, " he wrote to his new friend on the 19thof March, "is now divided by absurd and criminal dissensions. I hope, however, that your lordship's arrival will have a happy effect, andthat they will do everything in their power to be worthy of such aleader. "

They did something, if not everything. It was firmly believed thatparty strife had reached such a point that, had Lord Cochrane'sarrival been delayed only a few days longer, the leaders of theNational Assembly at Hermione, turning aside from their uselessdiscussions, would have acted upon a plot that had been in preparationfor several weeks, and, landing a hostile force at Egina, would haveviolently seized the whole Governing Commission there established. Lord Cochrane's honest reproofs averted this, and so saved Greece fromthe horrors of another civil war. 

"I am happy to be able to inform you, " wrote General Church on the25th of March, "that things are brought to that state that the unionof the parties is, I think, now effected. The deputies from Kastricame over to me yesterday morning to Damala, and there they met thoseof Egina. After some discussion, they have come to a conclusion, which, if ratified by the Assembly at Egina, will finally terminatethe affair. "

The affair was not terminated immediately. Lord Cochrane had todespatch many more letters and messages of earnest entreaty andindignant reproach to the leaders of the rival factions at Egina andHermione, and to other prominent men, before the good end that he andall true Philhellenes and patriots sought could be gained. "I havereceived the letter which your excellency has addressed to me, " wrotethe worthy Miaoulis, on the 3rd of April, in answer to a letterdeclining to take command of the fleet until the differences weresettled; "and I appreciate the objections which it contains. I wishwith all my heart that the reasons which prevent you may not existbeyond this evening, and that a general union will induce you to placeyourself at the head of the Greek navy. "

Before that, on the 28th of March, Lord Cochrane had received a formalcommission from the Government at Egina. "Knowing well, " ran thedocument, "the valour, wisdom, ability, and energy, and all thewarlike virtues which are joined in the estimable person of LordCochrane, and by which he has been distinguished in all the variousservices with which he has elsewhere been charged, the GoverningCommission ordains, first, that Lord Cochrane be appointed FirstAdmiral of the Fleet and of all the naval forces of Greece; secondly, that he rank above all other naval officers, and enjoy all thehonours, privileges, and rights that appertain to his office; thirdly, that all the admirals, officers, and seamen of Greece recognize him astheir superior, and obey his orders in all that concerns the serviceof the nation, and that all servants of the State, whether civil ormilitary, render him the honour and respect that are his due;fourthly, that the General Secretary of the Government execute thisorder in all respects so soon as his Excellency Lord Cochrane shallhave taken oath to perform the duties, in regard of which he pledgeshimself to serve and to act. " The document was signed by AndreasZaimes, as president, by Trikoupes, Demetrakopoulos, Blakos, Zamados, Mavromichales, Anargiros, Monarchides, and Zotos, and by Glarakes, theSecretary of State. 

Lord Cochrane refused to accept the trust thus imposed upon him, however, until the authorities at Egina had united with those atHermione and with the primates of the islands in forming one trueNational Assembly. They still hesitated and objected, and he still hadto warn and to expostulate. At length, on the 3rd of April, beingconvinced that milder language was useless, he wrote to the rivalleaders, informing them that, as his counsels appeared to be of noavail, seeing that they were addressed to persons, who, professing tohave the interests of the nation at heart, were determined to ruinthose interests by their obstinate selfishness, he should quit Greeceat once, unless, before the close of the day, they agreed to lay asidetheir differences. 

That wise threat was successful. The factions coalesced, and decidedto meet in joint assembly at Damala, also known by its ancient name ofTroezene. On the 4th of April Lord Cochrane was able to write to themin a different tone. "Having come to Greece, " he said, "with a firmdetermination to have nothing to do with party rivalries, except sofar as to seek to conciliate them for the public good, and not totrouble myself about civil affairs, beyond assuring myself of thelegality of my functions as Admiral of Greece, and having resolved todo all in my power to obtain its deliverance from the Mahometan yoke, as well as from all foreign domination, I am well pleased at thereunion of all your members in a single National Assembly, andcongratulate you on the restoration of harmony. Allow me, at the sametime, to offer my prayers for the unanimity of the members of theGovernment, and for the prompt completion of the business of theNational Assembly, in order that its members may depart to theirrespective provinces, and use their great influence to impress upontheir compatriots the imminent danger of the State, and induce them torush to arms, and by one simultaneous effort expel the oppressors ofGreece. After that the Legislative Assembly will have leisure, and therequisite security, to deliberate upon the constitution, the laws, andthe arrangements necessary to establish upon a permanent footing thehappiness and the prosperity of their fellow-citizens. "

Having thus done so much for Greece, Lord Cochrane was asked to domore. "The deputies whom you did me the honour to send, " he wrote, onthe following day, "having informed me of the difficulties which youfind in forming a Government with the necessary promptitude because ofthe jealousies shown in choosing citizens to fill situations ofauthority, permit me to advise that each member should write down thename of the person of his choice, and place it in an urn, and that hewho thus obtains the highest number of votes should be president, thesecond, vice-president, and the others ranged in order until thenumber of functionaries is complete. In this way you will avoiddiscussions, animosities, and the loss of time, which is so preciousin the present circumstances of Greece. At present naval and militaryoperations alike are all suspended, while the enemy is preparing toput an end at once to the question which engrosses your attention, andto the independence and liberty of Greece!" That sensible advice wasnot taken, but the first difficulties in the way of administrativereform were overcome. 

On the 7th of April, the National Assembly met at Damala, on the coastopposite to Poros, and half way between Hermione and Egina--themeeting-place, for want of a building large enough, to hold the twohundred members, being a lemon-grove, watered by the classic fountainof Hippocrene. Its first business, attended by turmoil whichthreatened to bring the whole proceeding to a violent close, was theelection of Count Capodistrias as President, for seven years, of theGreek nation. Capodistrias was the favourite of the Moreot party, butdisliked by the Phanariots, and hated by the island primates. The twolatter would have prevented the election, but for the support given toit by Lord Cochrane, who on this account has been frequently andseriously blamed. [2] There can be no doubt, however, that, whatevermay have been the subsequent shortcomings of Capodistrias, he wasgreatly superior to any of the other and native candidates for theoffice. None of these candidates had given any proof of statesmanlikepowers or disinterested regard for the welfare of Greece. LordCochrane judged, with good reason, that that welfare could only bepromoted by placing at the head of affairs a man who had hitherto hadno share in party strife, who had proved himself to be possessed ofgreat abilities and of generous love for the nation of which, as anative of Corfu, he was in some sort a citizen. Unfortunately, thoughfor this Lord Cochrane was in no way responsible, the management ofaffairs during the time that must elapse before Capodistrias, if heaccepted the office tendered to him, could enter upon it, wasentrusted to a Vice-governing Commission composed of three inefficientmen, Georgios Mavromichales, Milaites of Psara, and Nakos of Livadia. 

 [2] See especially Trikoupes, vol. Iv. , p. 126, and Gordon, vol. Ii. , p. 364. Mr. Finlay approves of the choice, but, not caring to say anything in favour of Lord Cochrane, makes no mention of his share in the work. Vol. Ii. , p. 139. 

The most important business done by the Troezene Assembly was theinstallation of Lord Cochrane as First Admiral of Greece. This wasdone on the 18th of April. Landing for the first time on thecontinent, Lord Cochrane proceeded in state on horseback for thedistance of a mile and a-half that was between the shore and thelemon-grove. At the entrance he was met by Kolokotrones, who embracedhim, saying, "You are welcome;" words that were repeated by many otherleading Greeks, who attended and conducted him into the centre of thegrove. There he was formally introduced to the delegates as the FirstAdmiral. Through an interpreter he addressed to them a few sentences, urging the necessity of continued harmony, and of a prompt expeditionagainst the Turks, to be conducted both by sea and by land. Afterthat, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, he took the necessaryoath: "I swear to shed my blood for the safety of the Greeks and forthe liberation of their country; I swear that I will not abandon theircause so long as they do not themselves abandon it, but sustain myefforts. "

The election of Sir Richard Church as Generalissimo of the Land Forceswas, in like manner, completed on the 15th of April. 

The essential business for which Lord Cochrane had desired that theunited National Assembly should meet at Troezene being nowaccomplished, he hoped that it would speedily adjourn, in order thatthe military leaders should be enabled to proceed at once to the workpressing urgently upon them. "The critical moment, " said LordCochrane, in a letter addressed to them on the 16th of April, "hasarrived in which you are called upon to decide whether the populationof Greece shall be annihilated or enslaved, your country peopled withbarbarous hordes, and the name of Greece blotted out from the list ofindependent nations. " The National Assembly, however, spent more thananother month in idle discussions, and in disputing upon matters thesettlement of which ought to have been postponed to a less periloustime. Again and again Lord Cochrane had to impress upon them thenecessity, in war as in council, of prompt and united action; but withvery poor result. 

"Once more I address you by letter, " he wrote a few days later, "inthe hope that you may be persuaded instantly to take measures to saveyour country from the ruin which protracted deliberations must at thepresent moment entail--ay, with as much certainty as a continuance ofthose dissensions which have hitherto so unhappily prevailed; and Ifollow this course the more readily in order that, as I have everadvocated liberal forms of government, my advice, that your Assemblyshall bring its labours to a close, shall not be misrepresented toGreece and to the world. First, then, the agitated state of thecountry, by reason of the presence of the enemy, precludes the hope ofobedience in ordinary course of law, which is as essential to theexistence even of a shadow of republican forms as the practice ofvirtue and forbearance are to their reality--which, in states thatwould be free, ever must be accompanied by universal conviction in thepublic mind that power and wealth are not essential to the enjoymentof personal security, and are desirable or useful only as they promotethe common welfare or administer to the wants or comforts ofindividuals themselves. The Grecian people, however good, naturallycannot be expected instantly to practise virtues which are theoffspring of long-established freedom. Greece requires not, at thepresent moment, sage deliberations regarding permanent forms ofgovernment, nor permanent rulers; but she requires energeticauthority, that she may be free at least from her foreign oppressors. If, without delay, the military officers take the field, if yourlabours be brought to a close and every citizen in his respectivecapacity exert himself to the utmost for the defence of his country, Athens perhaps may yet be saved, although that object assuredly isrendered far more doubtful by the unfortunate delay that has alreadyoccurred. "

In entering upon his own share of the work no time was wasted by LordCochrane. He had already made himself acquainted with the navalresources of Greece, and done much in devising measures for augmentingthem. He had resolved upon the first enterprise to be entered upon;and, while rapidly completing his arrangements for it, he dideverything in his power to quicken in the hearts of the Greeks apatriotism as pure and zealous as was his own philanthropy. "To arms!to arms!" he wrote in a proclamation issued at this time. "Onesimultaneous effort, and Greece is free. Discord, the deadly foe youhave had most to fear, is conquered. The task that now remains iseasy. The youth everywhere fly to arms. The fate of the Acropolis isno longer doubtful. The Turks surrounded, their supplies cut off, thepasses occupied, and retreat impossible, you can ensure the freedom ofthe classic plains of Athens, again destined to become the seat ofliberty, the sciences, and the arts. Rest not content with suchlimited success. Sheathe not the sword whilst the brutal Turk, theenemy of the progress of civilization and improvement of the humanmind, shall occupy one foot of that classic ground which once wasyours. Let the young seamen of the islands emulate the glory thatawaits the military force. Let them hasten to join the national ships, and, if denied your independence and rights, blockade the Hellespont, thus carrying the war into the enemy's country. Then the fate of thecruel Sultan, the destroyer of his subjects, the tyrant taskmaster ofa Christian people, shall be sealed by the hands of the executionerswho yet obey his bloody commands. Then shall prophecy be fulfilled, and Moslem sway be overthrown by the corruptions itself hasengendered. Then shall the sacred banner of the Cross once more waveon the dome of Saint Sophia. Then shall the Grecian people live secureunder the protection of just laws. Then shall noble cities rise fromtheir ruins, and the splendour of future times rival the days that arepast. "

CHAPTER XVIII. 

THE SIEGE OF ATHENS. --THE DEFENDERS OF THE ACROPOLIS. --THE EFFORTS OFGORDON AND KARAÏSKAKES. --LORD COCHRANE'S PLAN FOR CUTTING OFF THETURKISH SUPPLIES. --THE ARGUMENTS BY WHICH HE WAS INDUCED TO PROCEEDINSTEAD TO THE PHALERUM. --HIS ARRIVAL THERE. --HIS OTHER ARRANGEMENTSFOR SERVING GREECE. --HIS FIRST MEETING WITH KARAÏSKAKES. --THECONDITION OF THE GREEK CAMP. --LORD COCHRANE'S POSITION. --HIS EFFORTSTO GIVE IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO THE ACROPOLIS, AND THE OBSTACLES RAISED BYTHE GREEKS. --KARAÏSKAKES'S DELAYS, AND GENERAL CHURCH'SDIFFICULTIES. --THE CONVENT OF SAINT SPIRIDION. --THE BATTLE OFPHALERUM. --THE CAPTURE OF SAINT SPIRIDION. --THE MASSACRE OF THETURKS, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. --LORD COCHRANE'S RENEWED EFFORTS TO SAVETHE ACROPOLIS. --THE DEATH OF KARAÏSKAKES. --THE MARCH TO THEACROPOLIS. --ITS FAILURE THROUGH THE PERVERSITY OF THE GREEKS. --THEBATTLE OF ATHENS. --THE FALL OF THE ACROPOLIS. 

[1827. ]

After the conquest of Missolonghi, by which all Western Greece wasbrought under Turkish dominion, Reshid Pasha lost no time inproceeding to drive the Greeks from Athens, their chief stronghold inthe east. The siege of the town had been begun by Omar Pasha ofNegropont, with a small Ottoman force, on the 21st of June, 1826. Reshid arrived on the 11th of July, and, after much previous fighting, stormed Athens so vigorously on the 14th of August, that theinhabitants were forced to abandon it. Many of them, however, tookrefuge in the Acropolis, where a strong garrison was established underthe tyrannical rule of Goura, and in this fortress the defence wasmaintained for nearly two months. Goura died in October, and therivalries of the officers whom he had held in awe, now allowed to havefree exercise, threatened to make easy the further triumph of thebesiegers. The citadel must have surrendered, but for the timelyarrival of Karaïskakes and Fabvier, each with a strong body of troops, who diverted the enemy by formidable attacks in the rear. Karaïskakesand his force continued, with various success, to watch and harass theenemy from without. On the 12th of December Fabvier, by a brilliantexploit, forced his way into the Acropolis with about six hundred men. He had intended only to give it temporary relief, but many of thenative chiefs, gladly taking advantage of the arrival of a body forwhich, conjointly with the garrison already established, there was notroom in the fortress, hastily departed. Thus the leadership of thegarrison, comprising about a thousand soldiers, with whom were four orfive hundred women and children, and more than forty Philhellenes fromFrance, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, devolved upon ColonelFabvier. The besiegers numbered about seven thousand picked soldiers, including a regiment of cavalry veterans and a good train ofartillery. The Greek regulars and irregulars, including a corps ofPhilhellenes, commanded by Captain Inglesi, who attempted to raise thesiege, varied, at different times, from two or three thousand to sevenor eight thousand. 

That was the state of affairs when Lord Cochrane arrived in Greece. That the expulsion of the Turks from Attica and the recovery of Athenswas the first great work to be attempted was clear to every one, whether native or Philhellene, who had the welfare of Greece at heart;but opinions varied as to the best mode of procedure. Nearly allprevious efforts had been aimed at the direct attack of the besiegersin Athens and its neighbourhood. General Gordon had established a campof about three thousand men at Munychia, the hill from which, two andtwenty centuries before, Thrasybulus had gone down to deliver Athensfrom the thirty tyrants; and Karaïskakes, with some two thousand fivehundred followers, was stationed at Keratsina, on the other side ofthe Piræus. But the operations of both leaders were restrained byReshid Pasha's establishment of a garrison in the monastery of SaintSpiridion, midway between the two camps; and, without wiser leadersthan the Greeks had hitherto possessed, there seemed small chance oftheir chasing the enemy from his strong positions. Another plan, feebly recommended and yet more feebly attempted before LordCochrane's arrival, was to starve him out by intercepting the suppliesof provisions that were brought from Turkey by way of the northernchannel of the Negropont, to be sent overland from Oropos, awell-fortified magazine on the northern shore of Attica. 

Lord Cochrane saw at once that this latter course was the one mostlikely to be of service, or, at any rate, the one rightly devolvingupon him, while General Church was pursuing his operations nearer toAthens; and he was strengthened in this conviction by discussion onthe subject with General Gordon, who came for a short visit to Poros, on the 21st of March, in his own yacht. To this end he laboured whilehe was waiting for the reconciliation of parties and the officialrecognition of his employment as First Admiral. "The fate of Athens, "he wrote, both to Kolokotrones and to Karaïskakes, on the 29th ofMarch, "depends upon our depriving the enemy of the provisionsobtained by him from the north. The general and the soldiers who firstdevote themselves to this object will have the glory of raising thesiege. For myself, I offer the heartiest co-operation of the fleet, accompanied by two thousand brave marines, and the use of all thewar-steamers and transports in any port of eastern Attica. There isnot a moment to be lost. " This proposal was rejected by Kolokotrones. On the 2nd of April, Karaïskakes sent an ambiguous acceptance of it, which he cancelled on the 13th. "We are so mixed up with the enemy, "he wrote, "that if we abandon the smallest of our positions we mustresign ourselves to the loss of all. The Turks are so embarrassed byus that they can offer only a feeble siege to the Acropolis. Of this Iam assured by several Greeks who have lately come from their camp. Therefore, my lord, I am deterred from assailing the enemy from thenorth; and I have the boldness to assure and promise you that, if youwill aid me here, Athens will be free in a few days. With the help oftwo thousand good recruits, the enemy will not be able to resist ourenthusiasm. I implore you, in the name of Greece, to assist me as soonas possible with the means of destroying him and of saving Athens. "

That letter, and the advice of all in office, whether military orcivil, to the same effect, altered Lord Cochrane's plans. "As he, "said Gordon, who afterwards blamed him on this account, "unacquaintedwith the country and the language, could not form a correct judgmenton the innumerable reports transmitted to him, it is not surprisingthat he was deceived by letters written from the Acropolis, andentrusted to soldiers who, disguised as Turks or Albanians, slippedfrom time to time through the enemy's lines. In these epistles, Fabvier and the other chiefs painted their situation in the blackestcolours, carefully concealing the fact of their having provisions formany months. "[3] By them native Greeks and foreigners long resident inthe country were deceived. Lord Cochrane, still clinging to hisproject for injuring the Turks by cutting off their supplies, wasconstrained to defer it for the present, and in compliance with therequests of the Government, of General Church, and of Karaïskakes, toco-operate in the direct attack upon the enemy in the Piræus. "I nowagree with you, " he wrote to the latter, on the 14th of April, "thatthe time is past when a movement in the rear of the Turks, and thecutting off of their provisions, could have the effect of saving theAcropolis, and I see clearly the justice of your observation that adecisive blow must be struck at once against the enemy. The eyes ofEurope are turned towards Greece, and on the success or failure of themeasures now to be adopted depends the support of your glorious cause, or its abandonment in despair. "

 [3] Gordon, vol. Ii. , p. 386. As Gordon was with Lord Cochrane at the time, and on intimate relations with him, it is strange, unless he himself, with far less excuse, shared the error for which he blamed him, that he did not advise him to pursue his former plan. Compare Trikoupes, vol. Iv. , p. 137, who blames and involuntarily acquits Lord Cochrane almost in the same breath. 

Something was done by Lord Cochrane at once, however, towards thefulfilment of his first design. He despatched Captain Abney Hastings, with the _Karteria_ and five other vessels, to the Gulf of Volo andthe Channel of Negropont, with orders to seize as many Turkishprovision-ships as he could there find within the next fourteen days. One expedition was very successful. Off Volo, on the 20th of April, Hastings found eight transports protected by the guns of the fort. Hesilenced the guns, captured five of the vessels, and destroyed theother three. He then passed down the channel, and near Tricheri fellin with a Turkish brig-of-war, which, after some skilful fighting, hedestroyed by shells that exploded her powder magazine. After that heproceeded to Kumi, where he captured a store of grain, and reachedPoros within the time appointed. 

In the meanwhile Lord Cochrane had gone to the Bay of Athens as soonas he could complete his arrangements for the present and futureemployment of the Greek shipping. "Four of the largest brigs at Porosare in process of equipment, " he wrote to the Government on the 16thof April, "and five of the fastest small sailing vessels of Spetzas, and eight transports, with a thousand men, are ready at Hydra toproceed on service. The frigate _Hellas_ is victualled for two months, four gun-boats have been ordered to be built, and fireships are inprogress in addition to those which were already fitted out. Theexpenses of these preparations have been, or will be, defrayed out ofthe funds in my possession. In addition to these disbursements, a veryconsiderable sum, out of the money destined for the naval service, hasbeen advanced by me for military purposes. I consider that the fate ofGreece depends, in a great measure, on pecuniary aid from the rest ofEurope, and such aid on the probability of ultimate success; butassuredly it will not be afforded if Greece proves unable or unwillingto exert herself against the handful of sickly and enfeebled Turks whocontinue to besiege the Acropolis of Athens. "

On the 17th of April, Lord Cochrane passed from Poros to Salamis inthe _Hellas_, attended by twelve brigs and schooners from Hydra andSpetzas. In his pay were a thousand Hydriots, two hundred Cretans, anda corps of Roumeliots. On the same day, General Church embarked withthree thousand soldiers collected in the Morea, under GennaiosKolokotrones, Chrisanthos Sessini, and others. These new supplies, with the troops already at Keratsina and Munychia, composed a force ofabout ten thousand men. 

Five days were spent in organising this force, over which Sir RichardChurch, though nominally generalissimo, had very little real command. The delay and the want of discipline which caused it were alikeannoying to Lord Cochrane, whose little fleet was anchored in thesmall Bay of Phalerum, his Hydriot recruits, under Major GordonUrquhart, being established on the adjoining shore. On the 18th hereceived a four hours' visit on board the _Hellas_ from Karaïskakes, atall, bony, athletic man, small-featured, and swarthy, with flashingeyes, and a lively tongue, about forty years of age. On the 19th heand General Church went to inspect the camp of the famous Greek leaderat Keratsina. It gave but slight evidence of military organization, and both officers and men appeared to Lord Cochrane more willing totalk than to fight. His presence among them, however, stirred up a newand fitful enthusiasm. On this occasion he brought with him a largeblue and white flag, with an owl, the national emblem of Greece, painted on the centre, which had been conveyed from Marseilles. Theflag was unfurled in the presence of seven thousand Greek soldiers, within sight of the Turkish camp. Through his interpreter, LordCochrane briefly addressed the soldiers, urging them, for love oftheir country, and for their own honour and welfare, to unite in aprompt and vigorous attack on the enemy. Then, firmly planting theflag in the ground, he exclaimed, "Soldiers, whoever of you will lodgethis flag on the summit of the Acropolis, shall receive from me, as areward of his bravery, a thousand dollars, and ten times that sumshall be my share of the recompense to the force that accompanieshim!" Great applause, of course, followed that announcement, but notmuch more than applause. 

Lord Cochrane's popularity with the troops and their leaders, for thetime at any rate, was unbounded. Karaïskakes, Niketas, Zavella, Notaras, Makriyannes, Gennaios Kolokotrones, and all the othercaptains vied with one another in offering fulsome adulation to him, and pledging themselves to yield implicit obedience to hisinstructions. By word, indeed, they were more submissive than hewished. He had to remind them that he was admiral of the fleet, notgeneralissimo on land, and that the latter office was held by SirRichard Church. Unfortunately, Karaïskakes and his followers were, from the first, jealous of General Church; and General Church, accustomed only to the management of a small disciplined band, wasunequal to the troublesome duties appertaining to him as controller ofa heterogeneous crowd of irregular soldiers, most of them trained asbrigands, and accustomed to the half-lawless rule of their own pettyofficers. Hardly a day passed in which he did not complain bitterly toLord Cochrane of the obstructions thrown in his way; and Lord Cochranehad to take upon himself the thankless functions of a mediator betweena good-hearted commander-in-chief and his disaffected subordinates. 

This state of things would at any time have been irksome to him. Itwas especially so in the condition of affairs represented to him. Eachday fresh reports were brought of the desperate state of theAcropolis. "The affairs of the fortress of Athens, " we read in onedocument, signed by seven leaders of the besieged, and dated the 22ndof April, "have arrived at a very critical height, and no longer anyremedy is expected from within, and therefore the besieged are obligedto address themselves to the Government of Greece and to thecommanders of her forces, and to urge them to adopt the best, thespeediest, and the most efficient measures to relieve the citadel. TheGovernment and the commanders have always replied with promises of themost positive kind to raise the siege in a very few days. We can nolonger believe their word. To give you further intelligence, we sendnow five men, who will tell you verbally what we cannot describe. If, however, they do not persuade you, we tell you this is our lastletter. We will wait five days longer, and we can hold out no more. Wehave been brothers, and remain so during dearth, sickness, and allevils. Our nature is like that of all men: we can suffer no more thanothers. We are neither angels nor workers of miracles, to raise thedead, or do impossible things. If any evil should happen, we are notto blame, nor has God to condemn us in anything. " The bearers of thisletter, and others who brought a like report, were carefully examinedby Lord Cochrane, and by them he was solemnly assured that thegarrison of the Acropolis, destitute of provisions and every othernecessary, could not possibly hold out more than five days longer. 

He and all others were deceived; but he alone thoroughly felt theurgent need of instant action. "As I perceive the ruin of Greece, " hewrote to Karaïskakes on the 23rd of April, "in the delay now takingplace, and as I have every reason to believe that intrigues arecarrying on by persons of desperate fortune and worthless character, with a view to promote their private ends, they not being aware thatthe subjection of Greece to a foreign power will ultimately destroythe hopes which they entertain, I take the liberty of urging, as anofficer who has some character to lose in this affair, that yourexcellency should caution the officers of your army against the vainbelief that intrigues at the present moment can produce any othereffect than the ruin of themselves and their country. The educationwhich my countrymen, in common with myself, have received, leads to anattachment to the cause of Greece amounting to enthusiasm, and thisfeeling cannot but be increased by viewing the monuments of herancient grandeur. I am ready to do my utmost to promote the interestsof your country, but I am by no means willing to allow myself to bemade the puppet of intriguers. I shall put an end to intrigue in thenavy or I shall quit it, and I trust your excellency will excuse me ifI adopt the same resolutions respecting the army, if you yourselfcannot put it down. I have been but a short time in Greece, but havetaken effectual measures to obtain that sort of information which isnecessary for my guidance. This has led me to the resolution to act bymyself and for Greece, so far as I can, whenever I find that othersare either disinclined or unable to co-operate. I have moved thetransports close to the Phalerum in order that they may be moreconveniently situated when I shall learn the determination of yourexcellency and the officers in your camp. If that determination is torelieve Athens the night of the 26th is passed, the marines whom Ihave hired, paid, and victualled, shall co-operate; if not, I shalltry to render them serviceable in some other quarter, and I willdenounce to the world as traitors to their country those intriguerswho are the cause of the captivity and perhaps annihilation of thegarrison in the Acropolis. My advice to your excellency is, thatpassing the tambourias by night, without firing a shot, you join ourtroops in the olive-grove, where I will take care they shall meet yourexcellency, if such is your pleasure. I have been anxious that theglory of relieving Athens should accrue to a Greek, and especially toyour excellency. That object I am ready to promote by every means inmy power. The friendly manner in which we the other day met will causeme to regret, if in my next letter I shall be obliged to bid yourexcellency adieu for ever. "

That letter to Karaïskakes was followed by one, written on the 24th, to General Church. "In forty-eight hours, " wrote Lord Cochrane, "thequestion of relieving Athens will be at a close. I have toldKaraïskakes what I think of the state of affairs, and have made up mymind to act accordingly; taking upon myself all the responsibility ofnot looking longer on tambouria disputes whilst it seems resolved bythe Greeks themselves not to march to the relief of Athens. I have notsent the transports to Attica to raise the miserable inhabitants atthis hour, when too late for them to be of the least use in relievingthe Acropolis. If I had done so, I should have the load on myconscience of causing their heads to be struck off. I can assure you, Sir Richard, that Colonel Gordon and myself laboured long ago toprevail on Karaïskakes to do this, but he resisted every application, for reasons which it will be well if he can satisfactorily explainhereafter. If your men will not come on, and Karaïskakes's men willnot in the night pass those miserable tambourias, which in that caseare no impediment, what is the use of my detaining the squadron here?I have viewed the bugbear of a convent this day from opposite sides, and it is no more in Karaïskakes's way than the church of Poros. 

"Since writing the above, " Lord Cochrane added, "I have received yournote requesting that six hundred men shall be transported hence toKaraïskakes's head-quarters in the rear. The naval funds have beenexpended and our funds exhausted in bringing forces nearer to theenemy. I am sure if you reflect on this demand of his, and thatKaraïskakes's head-quarters are twice as far from Athens as thePhalerum, you will be of the opinion that it would be better to bringan equal number, or even the whole of Karaïskakes's force here, andendeavour immediately to do something effectual to save Fabvier andthe garrison from the inevitable destruction consequent on the presentmode of proceeding. If Karaïskakes wants more men he wants them totake tambourias, and not to march past them as he ought, for hispresent position is of no use whatever. Do cause some rational mode ofproceeding to be adopted, or let us give it up; for we are now only inthe way by occasioning jealousy and promoting the vilest intrigues. "

The "bugbear of a convent, " which Karaïskakes wished first to capture, was the monastery of Saint Spiridion, occupied by a few scores ofTurks, who from it overlooked the Greek encampments on each side, theone at Piræus, the other at Munychia, with a distant view of LordCochrane's station at Phalerum and of Sir Richard Church's on theother side. Finding that Karaïskakes would not join with Church andpress on to Athens, at a distance of about seven miles, Lord Cochranehad urged the co-operation of all the forces at Cape Colias, whencethe way to Athens was only about five miles long. Karaïskakes, however, refused this plan also. He maintained that the only safecourse was to preserve his position and strengthen it by the formationof innumerable small circular earthworks, known as tambourias, withinwhich the soldiers could crouch by day and lie securely on the bareground at night. In this way he hoped to starve out the garrison atSaint Spiridion, the capture of which he deemed essential before anyformidable attempt was made upon the main body of the Turkish camp, inAthens and around it, and especially under the walls of the Acropolis. In vain Lord Cochrane urged that this mode of warfare, tardy andexpensive enough at the best of times, was cruelly reprehensible whenthey considered the wretched state in which the garrison of theAcropolis was supposed to be, and the prospect of its speedyevacuation. Karaïskakes refused to move, answering each appeal byunreasonable demands upon Lord Cochrane for supplies of ammunition andprovisions, which it was no part of his duty to supply out of theresidue of the insignificant sum of 8, 000l. Supplied to him out of theGreek loan for naval purposes. [4] It may be that Karaïskakes--a boldand shrewd man--was not personally responsible for his inactivity. Hisarmy was little more than a commonwealth of small bands, of which eachleader claimed an authoritative share in all deliberations, and owed, even to him, only a nominal subjection. But if we acquit himindividually of cowardice, we only throw the greater blame on theGreek force as a whole. That it was blameworthy is clear. "Yourlordship, " wrote Sir Richard Church in answer to the letter justquoted, "is not aware of all the difficulties I had to encounter inpassing our troops who had all struck for pay. Not one would move. However, that difficulty is now nearly over and the greater part arepassing to the camp at this moment. "

 [4] Trikoupes, Gordon, Finlay, and all the other authorities, say that Lord Cochrane had 20, 000l. He had only been supplied with 8, 000l; and nearly all this sum had been already disposed of in fitting out the fleet at Poros, and paying the seamen's wages. 

Unexpected boldness was forced upon them on the 25th of April. "I amnow in a position, " wrote Lord Cochrane to General Church at eighto'clock in the morning from the Piræus, "to carry you all over to therear of the enemy, if Karaïskakes's army have the courage to walk tothis point, which is in their own possession, in order to land on theopposite shore at two hundred yards distance, and whereon is not aliving soul. I can make such a diversion by means of the seamen atnight as would enable Karaïskakes's army to move on by land towardsthe Phalerum, whilst those on the Phalerum, with the exception of afew, might take up a position near Athens or in the town. I can embarkyou and yours, and leave Karaïskakes's men without food, taking allthe provisions to the advanced post, leaving him to starve or comeon. "

That desperate expedient was averted. Two or three hours aftersuggesting it, Lord Cochrane was superintending the debarkation ofsome thirty soldiers, under cover of two gunboats. A party ofOttomans, seeing the operation, hurried down with the intention ofharassing the new comers. Lord Cochrane's Hydriots, however, rushed tothe rescue. Other Turkish troops came up, to be met by other Greeks, and the battle became general. Lord Cochrane, with nothing but histelescope in his hand, gathered the Christian troops round him, and, with encouraging words, led them on in an orderly attack upon theentrenchments about the monastery of Saint Spiridion. Within an hour, nine entrenchments were in the hands of the Greeks, who lost onlyeight men. Sixty Turks were slain, and then their comrades fled, mostof them hurrying up to the camp of Athens, a few betaking themselvesto the convent. 

"The Greeks, " wrote Lord Cochrane to the Government, "have this daydone as their forefathers were wont to do. Henceforth commences a newera in the system of modern Grecian warfare. If every one behavesto-morrow as all, without exception, have behaved to-day, the siege ofthe Acropolis will be raised and the liberty of Greece secured. "

By this success the Turks, with exception of the garrison in theconvent, were driven back to the neighbourhood of Athens, andKaraïskakes was encouraged to remove his camp from Keratsina to thePiræus. At a council of war held the same evening Lord Cochrane urgeda sudden and united attack upon the Turkish camp on the morrow. Karaïskakes, however, declined to move a step further until themonastery was captured, and, as General Church agreed with this view, Lord Cochrane assented to it. 

Early next morning the bombardment of the monastery was begun. The_Hellas_, commanded by Miaoulis, discharged her heavy guns upon itduring several hours, with such effect that it seemed to be only amass of ruins. It was feebly invested by Karaïskakes on land. But itsgarrison held out with excellent bravery. Thrice the Greeks tried tostorm it; but thrice they were driven back. 

In the evening the Turks solicited an armistice, and offered tocapitulate on condition that they should be allowed to retire with alltheir arms and properties: and this proposal Karaïskakes was inclinedto accept. Lord Cochrane, however, contended that they should havenothing but bare life. While this was being discussed, the Turksperfidiously assassinated a Greek messenger sent to treat with them, and fired upon a boat in which Lord Cochrane's secretary, Mr. EdwardMasson, was carrying the flag of truce. Thereupon, the Chief Admiralrefused to hear any more of a compromise. Returning to his ship, heordered the bombardment of the convent to be resumed, and besoughtKaraïskakes to continue storming it by land. 

This was done throughout the 27th, but unsuccessfully, becauseunwillingly. The Greeks asserted that the Turkish garrison was utterlywithout provisions and water. Lord Cochrane urged that, if it was so, a small detachment of the Greek army and the ships of war wouldsuffice for its investment, while the main force marched boldly on toAthens before the terror inspired by its recent achievements had diedout. He reproached them with cowardice, and threatened to leave themunless they took prompt measures for completing their triumph. "Theservices of the navy, " he wrote to Karaïskakes, "are immediatelyrequired for other purposes than those of attending upon an inactivearmy. My duty I am determined to execute in all possible ways in whichmy services can benefit Greece. I shall therefore be gratified if, inreply to this letter, you will inform me if it is in your power tomake the army advance, and if that advance will take place beforeto-morrow night. It will give me the greatest pleasure to co-operatewith you in all manner of ways, but my desire to that effect isrendered null if those under your orders will not conform to yourwishes or obey your commands. "

To the same effect Lord Cochrane wrote, on the following morning, toGeneral Church. "The convent and its walls, " he said, "have beenlevelled to the ground. The rubbish alone remains on the southern sidetowards the shipping; and it appears that not more than one hundred ofthose it contained, or who fled within its walls for safety, nowremain to oppose, or assault, or threaten, the rear of the Greek army, should you be able to prevail on its leaders to advance. I shouldremind those leaders that, independently of the army, I have fullfifteen hundred men under my command, a thousand of whom, being onshore now at this port, are more than sufficient to blockade theseruins or destroy all within; which last event might have taken placeyesterday had it not been that the seamen were removed from thepositions which they had stormed and taken, in the neighbourhood ofthe convent, and soldiers placed in their stead--a circumstance whichseems to have given them offence, so that they leave the storming ofthe ruins of the convent to those thus placed, as they say, in thepost of honour. These feelings, in such minds--however proper theproceedings may have been in a military point of view--I cannotprevent or remove. Time, provisions, and money, are wasting ininaction. The enemy is concentrating troops and fortifying positionsaround Athens, each of which positions will be a pretext for delay;even were I not aware that abundant excuses of other kinds will not bewanting--such as the arrival of a few hundred cavalry from Negropontor the like; so that I really begin to despair of one step being madein advance for the relief of the Acropolis. I know the difficulties ofyour situation, and I fear that they are more than even your energycan surmount. When you shall have done your utmost towards the end wehave in view, I shall make one effort for the safety of theunfortunate women and children who are threatened with immediatedestruction or perpetual slavery. Pray let me have a decisive reply asto what is to be done, and when. "

General Church's reply is instructive. "I have read your letter withgreat attention, " he wrote, "and fully enter into your view ofaffairs. The Hydriots are unquestionably the best to storm, if anybodywill storm. The soldiers that they say have taken their post wereplaced to co-operate in a general assault, and I had made anarrangement with a chief who certainly displayed considerable couragethe other day. I gave him directions to collect a band, or forlornhope, of volunteers to lead with, and he is to have five hundreddollars for himself and five hundred for his band. Had it notrained--however ridiculous it may seem to say so--I am sure that astorming party would have advanced yesterday evening, and I hope itwill do so to-day. In fact, the rain yesterday almost dispersed thewhole camp, and many of our outposts were quite abandoned. If theHydriots will advance, I will order the others away immediately. Youhave no idea of my anxiety to move on, and I cannot express it. Karaïskakes is at this moment going round his outposts. As soon as hereturns, I shall send for him and combine with him, _bon gré mal gré_, an advance for to-night or to-morrow. I will let you know as soon aswe have had our conference. I think, my lord, that if the weatherclears up, we shall be able still to storm, and perhaps a littlefiring again would have the effect of rousing the fellows. "

Soldiers who could only fight in fine weather were hardly fit torescue Greece in the heaviest pressure of her misfortunes. On theprevious night something like a mutiny had been occasioned by LordCochrane's complaints at their inactivity. Even Karaïskakessympathised with his captains. "We shall not go well with theseEnglish, " he said; "I fear they will ruin us by their impatience. Theycannot restrain themselves. But we must make the best we can of them. "Sir Richard Church, fired with Lord Cochrane's ardour, would not bemade the best of, according to the views of Karaïskakes and hisfollowers. The letter from him last quoted was followed within an hourby a brief one:--"My lord, I have the honour to inform you that I havegiven over the command to General Karaïskakes. "

Karaïskakes and the Greek officers were thus left, at about teno'clock in the morning of the 28th, to work out their own devices. Ateleven, Lord Cochrane received orders to cease the firing which he hadreopened from the guns of the _Hellas_. The movements which, throughhis telescope, he saw in process within the convent walls and at itsgate induced him to send strict orders to Major Urquhart to withdrawhis Hydriot marines from their post near the convent, and station themon the summit of Munychia. 

The Turks had again sent offers of capitulation, and Karaïskakes, nowuncontrolled by Lord Cochrane or General Church, and in contempt ofhis positive assertion, made two days before, that the garrison hadnot a ration of provisions left and could easily be starved into uttersubmission, had acceded to their terms. It was agreed that they wereto be allowed to surrender with all the honours of war. Bearing theirarms and all their property, they were to pass unmolested into theTurkish camp on the hills. Karaïskakes must be blamed for this excessof generosity; but, to his credit be it stated, that, having agreed tothe capitulation, he took all reasonable care to have it honourablyobserved. Along the road leading from the gate of the convent to thefortifications on the hills he ranged soldiers on either side, inorder that the Turks might be protected from the crowd of lessdisciplined soldiers. All looked well as the two hundred and seventymen, women, and children who had been locked within the shatteredbuilding passed out of it and began their march. But no sooner was theconvent evacuated than a swarm of Greeks rushed into it, each hopingto seize the largest share of the booty which they expected to find. They found nothing, and then angrily rushed out again to inform theircomrades of their disappointment. 

Lord Cochrane watched their proceedings from the deck of the_Unicorn_, General Gordon and Mr. Finlay, who was then serving as avolunteer on Gordon's staff, being by his side. "All those men will bemurdered!" exclaimed Mr. Finlay, pointing to the retreating Turks. Lord Cochrane, not yet initiated in all the depths of Greek treachery, turned in horror to General Gordon and said, "Do you hear what hesays?" "My lord, " answered Gordon, "I fear it is too true. "[5]

 [5] Finlay, vol. Ii. , p. 148. 

And so it proved. A Greek soldier, pushing through the guard, snatchedat the sword of one of the Turks passing along the line. The Turkresisted, and a scuffle followed. Two or three other Turks raisedtheir muskets and fired. A score of Greeks at once retaliated. Ashadow of an excuse was thus afforded to the Christians for wreakingvengeance for all the ills they had endured from the enemy, and forgiving vent to their anger at finding no prizes in the desertedconvent. A horrible massacre ensued. Two hundred or more Turks weremurdered. Less than seventy escaped. "Forgive me, as I forgive you, "shouted Karaïskakes to the Moslems, after vainly trying to stay theslaughter; "I can do nothing more for you. "

"Islanders, " wrote Lord Cochrane, in a proclamation to his Hydriotforce, "I was no party to the capitulation this day. Fearing that someoutrage might be committed, I sent you an order to retire; and I gloryin the consciousness that I have saved you as well as myself frombeing inculpated in the most horrid scene I ever beheld, --a scenewhich freezes my blood, and which cannot be palliated by anybarbarities which the Turks have committed on you. I send you thethousand dollars which I promised should be distributed, as a rewardfor your valour and for your obedience to my directions, which youwill ever find lead to the path of honour and humanity and the duty weowe to your country. "

Utter confusion among the Greeks resulted, for a time, from thebarbarous massacre of Saint Spiridion. The soldiers quarrelled andfought over the blood-stained spoil. The officers were occupied withmutual recriminations and excuses regarding their several shares inthe atrocity. Karaïskakes found himself unable to establish order, andhad to entreat Sir Richard Church to take back his surrenderedauthority. 

To this General Church assented on the promise that, if he did so, heshould be aided in bringing the chief wrong-doers to justice. Indeed, both he and Lord Cochrane hoped, for a little while, that their verymisconduct, filling the Greeks with shame and penitence, would inclinethem to listen to the counsels in which they both saw the only chanceof safety to the garrison of the Acropolis. "The destinies of Greece, "wrote Lord Cochrane to Karaïskakes, on the 29th of April, "the fate ofyour army, and the character of its chiefs, are now wholly in thehands of your excellency. You and you alone will be held responsiblefor all that shall happen. The hour of clemency for Greece is past;the sword alone can decide the contest. Courage is a characteristic ofmen who deserve to be free. Let then the conduct of a few atrociousindividuals yesterday be effaced by a march direct to Athens, at leastto relieve the women and children now doomed to destruction, if promptexertions be not made to save them. Your excellency has hithertotreated my friendly advice in a manner which I did not anticipate; butthe world will judge between the course you have taken and that whichI wished you, for the benefit of your country, to pursue. I shall waitthree days for your excellency's reply, when it will be my duty, ifthe fortress be not relieved, to attend exclusively to naval affairs. I hope you will reflect on the glory you may yet attain by saving yourcountry, and on the ruinous consequences of persevering in inactionuntil the last resources of war shall be exhausted. "

Karaïskakes's only answer was that the army was in urgent need ofspades and shovels, with which he hoped that Lord Cochrane wouldsupply him, as without those means of making fresh tambourias he couldnot move from his encampment. Lord Cochrane was reasonably indignant. "I confess, " he wrote in reply, "that I am now in despair of yourmaking any movement for the relief of the Acropolis, because I havenow ascertained that, all the obstacles which first presentedthemselves to your excellency being overcome, others successivelypresent themselves, to put off the day of your march to the Acropolis. I have made a diversion here this day in favour of your excellency, which, by all the rules of military tactics, must increase therelative strength of your army and facilitate its march. My time andattention must now be devoted to naval matters, and unless you advancethis evening, I shall have deeply and bitterly to regret, for the sakeof Greece, that I ever put faith in anything being accomplished byindividuals to whom so many difficulties, which my experience hastaught me to be imaginary, present themselves. I recall to yourexcellency's recollection your promises and assurances, and I callupon you to make some effort to save your country from inevitableruin. I solemnly declare that it is my opinion that a thousand men whowould obey orders and do their duty are more than are necessary toperform the task at which your excellency hesitates. I shall beoppressed with grief if, after the scene of yesterday, I am compelledto return, first, to the seat of Government, and next to Europe, without having witnessed any deed that can tend to obliterate thestain thereby affixed on the Grecian people. "

"I am making my last effort, " wrote Lord Cochrane to Dr. Gosse, "toget Karaïskakes to advance. The monastery is taken, its defenders aredestroyed, and now the sheepfold on the other side of the Phalerum isthe obstacle. We want mortars, shells, and fuses, shoes for theseamen, and food for the mob denominated falsely the army of Greece. "

The letter to Karaïskakes had some effect. On the 30th of April, General Church wrote to say that he had persuaded the Greek captainsto agree unanimously to an immediate movement against Athens. Twothousand men were to go, during the following night, by water to theneighbourhood of Cape Colias, and thence march stealthily to a hillabout a mile south of Athens, which they hoped to seize and secureunder cover of the darkness. During the next evening, a force abouttwice as large was to join them by the same route, and all were to dotheir best to drive the Turks from their encampments round theAcropolis. This was Lord Cochrane's plan; and there can be no doubtthat it would have been successful had the Greeks acted upon it anddone their duty. 

Unfortunately they did neither. Having promised overnight, they foundreasons in the morning for breaking their promises. Nothing was doneon the 1st of May, and Lord Cochrane, tired of their excuses forprocrastination, paid a brief visit to the authorities at Poros. Theresult was, that he thought of going without the Greek leaders. "Ihave seen the Government, " he wrote to Sir Richard Church on the 2nd, "and prepared them for the worst, should things go on as they havehitherto done. They are incapable of applying any remedy. Therefore, the more credit will be due to you if you shall be enabled to save thegarrison of the Acropolis; in which endeavour count on my utmostexertions and most unlimited co-operation. I hope now you will be ableto act without Karaïskakes. In addition to your own people, I canprovide two thousand marines, seamen, and volunteers. With these, ifyou land at night to the eastward, you may be in the neighbourhood ofAthens in two hours; and then there is the garrison of fifteen hundredin addition to co-operate, making in the whole a force of nearly fivethousand, without taking a soldier from Karaïskakes's tambourias. If, however, you judge well to have volunteers from Karaïskakes's camp, Ishall offer 200, 000 piastres amongst all who will accompany you ormeet you at Athens; by which means I have little doubt you will findKaraïskakes deserted, and the whole mob at the gates of Athens. Allthe vessels are at your service. "

Sir Richard Church feared to undertake the exploit without theco-operation of Karaïskakes, and, on again consulting him, he wasinformed that a fresh supply of entrenching tools was necessary. LordCochrane immediately sent messengers to procure them, but was none theless annoyed at what seemed to him an unnecessary excuse, and againthreatened to take his ships where they could do good work for Greece. "You have done everything in your power, " wrote Sir Richard to him onthe 3rd of May, "and so have I. The soldiers will not embark withoutthe entrenching tools. All we could collect do not amount to twohundred and fifty. I would have gone without one, but no one willfollow me. I cannot say more; but to-morrow we may be more fortunate. I cannot say to you stay or otherwise. If you go, I cannot deplore itmore than yourself. "

Lord Cochrane consented to wait till the morrow, and on the morrow anincident occurred which caused a little further delay. On the 4th ofMay a small body of Greeks, chiefly Hydriots, went on a skirmishingexpedition. At first they were successful, and they had nearly won aredoubt, when a large force of Turks suddenly assailed them on theflank, and drove them back to Phalerum with a loss of nearly a hundredmen. Karaïskakes, hearing of this reverse, hurried to the rescue, andwith the bravery which was never wanting to him when in actual battle, sought to rally the fugitives. He was on the point of leading themback, when a ball from a pistol struck him in the belly. He wasconveyed, in a dying state, to General Church's schooner. Regret athis previous vacillations seems to have filled his mind. "Where isCochrane? Bring Cochrane to me!" he exclaimed over and over again. Lord Cochrane soon arrived. Karaïskakes, on seeing him, murmuredrepeated thanks to him for his forbearance towards himself and hisdevotion to the cause of the Greeks. In his eagerness, he seized theinterpreter, Mr. Masson, by the beard, and, pointing towards CapeColias, said, with all the strength he could muster, "Tell them to besure to land the division over there to-morrow. " Then, not doubtingthat the expedition would be successful, he uttered solemn thanks toHeaven that he was dying in the moment of victory. Then he made hiswill--a soldier's will. "I leave my sword and my gun to my son. Tellhim to remember they belonged to Karaïskakes. " He had little else toleave, having always been free from the avarice by which many of hiscountrymen were disgraced. He died in the night, and in him Greecelost the worthiest of her native warriors. His faults were the faultsof his nation. Many of his virtues were his own. Had his followersbeen as brave and honest as he was in his best moments, he might haveled them on to easy victory. But they wavered and procrastinated, and, in listening to their excuses, he lost his chance of triumph andsubjected himself to blame, for which his brave death only halfatoned. 

On the evening of the 4th, Lord Cochrane assembled the Greek captainsat Munychia, and telling them of their leader's dying message, askedwhether they were ready to obey it. For some time they made no answer. At length, on the question being repeated, they replied that theythought they had only been brought thither to hear from the Admiralwords of consolation for the loss they had sustained in the death ofthe brave and wise Karaïskakes. Being asked a third time whether theywould obey the dying injunction of the leader for whom they nowmourned so much, they answered that they were not ready, that the armywas in disorder, that some of them were occupied in burying the slain, that some were tending the wounded, and that all desired to stay neartheir chief as long as the soul was in his body, and to have at anyrate the opportunity of kissing his body before its burial. 

With some bitterness, Lord Cochrane replied that such an excess ofgrief was inopportune, and that their love for Karaïskakes would bebest shown in obeying his last command. He added that, if they reallyrefused to go to the rescue of the Acropolis, they would not need hispresence on the coast and could not complain of his going to serveGreece elsewhere. Having said that, he returned to his ship. 

He had not been long on board, however, when a messenger followed himwith intelligence that the army would adopt his plan and be ready, without fail, to proceed to the Acropolis on the following evening. There was no further procrastination, and throughout the next daypreparations were being made for what one historian of the GreekRevolution calls "a whim, "[6] and another "an insane scheme. "[7]

 [6] Trikoupes, vol. Iv. , p. 152. 

 [7] Gordon, vol. Ii. , p. 392. 

"The scheme, " says one who was in close attendance on Lord Cochraneall through this time, Mr. Edward Masson, "was anything but insane. Itwas one of the most sober, safe, and practicable plans ever formed. The first and fundamental condition on which Lord Cochrane consentedto co-operate in any plan of landing troops at Cape Colias was, thatthe troops landed should not expose themselves to an attack of cavalryin the plains, but should, on being landed, proceed by a night march, in compact order, and without halting, to a specified rocky heightbeyond the temple of Jupiter Olympus, a position which, it wasadmitted by all, they could hold with perfect safety during the day. From this position, the leaders were to try to communicate, by signalsor otherwise, with the garrison, and in concert with it, act ascircumstances might dictate. Should the garrison resolve to make asortie, the main body of the Greek army advancing simultaneously fromthe Phalerum, it was confidently hoped that the combined attack on theenemy would prove victorious; or, at least, would be so farsuccessful, as to enable the Greeks to save the garrison and bringaway the families. The great characteristic of the plan was, thatnothing should be risked in reference to the enemy's cavalry, and thatif the detachment should find they could accomplish nothing, theyshould, on the following night, return as they went, in safety, and beembarked for the Phalerum. "

Unfortunately, the two main points on which Lord Cochrane had insistedwere neglected, and thereby what must otherwise have been a brilliantvictory was turned into a miserable defeat. He had insisted upon themovement from Cape Colias being aided by the march of the main body ofthe army direct from the Piræus to the hills, thus diverting theattention of many of the Turks while the advancing party and thegarrison were uniting; but Zavella, to whom this part of the work hadbeen entrusted, never moved at all. He had urged yet more stronglythat the preparations for the advance should be so hastened as thatall the ground should be travelled over during the night-time, whilethe Turks were in ignorance of it; but instead of that, the Greeks, though they were embarked at Phalerum by midnight, and landed at CapeColias before two o'clock in the morning, loitered near the shore tilldaylight, so that their whole enterprise was exposed to the enemy. Thecritics who have laid the blame of the disaster on Lord Cochrane haveneglected to show how these circumstances caused the failure of theenterprise. 

The story of the disaster of the 6th of May will be best told in thewords of an eye-witness. "About three thousand soldiers, " said Dr. Gosse, in a letter written to M. Eynard on the 23rd, "were embarked inthe night between the 5th and the 6th of May, in a clear moonlight, and in the most perfect order, and promptly landed on the other shore. Up to that time everything favoured our enterprise; but the treasonand negligence of the chiefs, and the indolence of some of thesoldiers, altogether destroyed it. Instead of marching directly toAthens during the night, they employed themselves in constructingredoubt after redoubt, as bad as they were useless, of the sort calledby them tambourias. We counted a dozen. Only the Suliots, theCandiots, commanded by Demetrius Kalerdji, two hundred regular troops, under the orders of Inglesi and D'aujourd'hui, and twenty-twoPhilhellenes, went in advance. Without any hindrance, they reachedwithin cannon-shot of the Acropolis, towards Philippapus, so that, asI have heard, they could even speak with the besieged; but, havingreceived no orders to enter, they waited until the day rendered theirposition hazardous. The enemy thus had time to ascertain theirweakness and to send against them eight hundred horsemen. Thrice thesetroops were repulsed. Vasso and Notaras, however, who covered theright flank, abandoned their posts, as they had done in the affair ofthe unfortunate Bourbakes, and thereby they caused confusion among thetroops in the centre. The latter defended themselves with renewedvalour, but yielded at last to the sabres of the Dehli cavalry. Thenwas exhibited such a panic as cannot be described. The soldiers whooccupied the redoubts in the rear, and near to the place ofdebarkation, began to flee almost at the same time as those of Vasso, and threw themselves into the sea at the risk of being drowned. I wasat this time with Lord Cochrane, who did not wish to mix himself upwith the affair, when the sudden flight forced us at once to rejoinour boat, and even this was not done without great difficulty. GeneralChurch was also on the shore, and he too was only saved by the sloopwhich was waiting for him. The Turkish cavalry, after having killed orcaptured all the advanced party, rushed into the plain and madeterrible havoc among the Greeks. Seven hundred of them were killed;and two hundred and forty were taken prisoners. The rest, numberingabout two thousand, rushed down towards the sea, and would soon havebeen all destroyed by the Turkish guns placed on the hills if the firefrom the vessels off the coast had not kept the enemy at a respectfuldistance. They passed the day in a terrible uncertainty, but weresustained by the courage of certain chiefs, especially of NicoloServa, a Suliot captain; and in the following night they were embarkedand carried back to Phalerum. While this portion of the army was beingthus troubled, the Greeks, under the orders of Kisso Zavella, remainedinactive. That chief quietly smoked his pipe, and when implored tomarch, was content to answer coldly, 'When they pay me I will go. ' Thetroops of Kolokotrones the younger, and of Sessinis, deserted in thedirection of Livonia. The Turks, taking advantage of the disorganizedcondition of the Greeks, attacked the Phalerum on the night of the6th, but were repulsed. "

Lord Cochrane's account of the battle sent to the Government on the7th of May, though more general, supplies some other details. "Theplan concocted previous to the death of General Karaïskakes, " he said, "was carried into effect on the 6th, by his excellency General Church, with this difference in the execution of the service, that hisexcellency and myself were anxious that a rapid march should be madefrom the place of debarkation direct to Athens, by a body of fourthousand men, in order to return with the women and children and thewounded, whereas the officers of the army insisted upon entrenchmentsbeing made in the line of their progress--an operation which requiredso much time as to preclude the possibility of effecting the objectsurprised and unopposed. The redoubts were in progress ofconstruction, and the work continued with unremitting labour untilabout nine o'clock in the morning, when the enemy's cavalry, havingcollected from all quarters, broke in upon the unfinished redoubts andvigorously attacked those who had advanced the furthest, and who, fromthe number of subdivisions left, according to the custom of thecountry, in these redoubts during their progress, had become soweakened as to be incapable of making effectual resistance. The losson our side has been very considerable. I had to lament this day thatthe Greeks still continue their aversion to that regularity ofmovement and honesty of action which constitute the strength ofarmies, and I grieve to see great bravery rendered useless to theircountry and dangerous to themselves, and wasted in desultory andunsupported personal efforts. The use of the bayonet and very slightmilitary instruction would have saved most of those who fell on thisoccasion, and would have rendered unnecessary those redoubts whichdelay the progress of your arms, and destroy more men in insignificantenterprises which tend to no result, than would be required for thedeliverance of your country. The affairs of Greece require energy, andthat remedy be at once applied to whatever impedes the progress ofaffairs. "

Lord Cochrane testified to the excellent soldiership of the Turkishhorsemen. With sabres and short muskets, they dashed in and out of thecrowd of retreating Greeks, who, having no bayonets and no weaponsadapted for close fighting, were utterly defenceless. He himself, having landed with Dr. Gosse to watch the operations from the shore, was so hard pressed by these formidable antagonists that he was onlyrescued by his own bravery and the daring of Dr. Gosse, who retainedpossession of the boat which was waiting for him on the shore untilhis chief had time to force his way back to it through the crowd offighting Turks and Greeks and through the waves beating up to hisneck. It was only when he was again on board the _Hellas_, and able todirect the firing of the guns, that the Turks were driven back, andthe remnant of the Greek force was allowed to collect and prepare forthe return to Phalerum. 

The fall of the Acropolis soon followed this terrible defeat. By itthe Greeks were utterly disorganized. Lord Cochrane, finding itimpossible to persuade them to another attempt, returned to Poros withthe fleet on the 10th of May. Sir Richard Church remained at Munychia, his army being every hour reduced by desertions, till the 27th, whenhe and the two thousand starving men who were left to him abandonedtheir position. Fabvier and the garrison, through the intervention ofthe French Captain Le Blanc and Admiral De Rigny, capitulated on the5th of June. It was then found that the Acropolis still containedstores of food and ammunition sufficient for four months' use, andthat their reports of destitution had been deliberate falsehoods, intended only to force their friends outside to come speedily to theirrelief. 

Those falsehoods had been particularly mischievous. By them, as hasbeen shown, Lord Cochrane was induced to listen to the entreaties ofKaraïskakes and the Government, and take his ships to Phalerum, instead of carrying out his plan of stopping the Turkish supplies inthe Negropont and at Oropos. Had that plan been adhered to, it seemsas if a very different issue might easily have been brought about. 

The work on which he had been engaged having terminated sounfortunately, Lord Cochrane was much blamed for it by critics who hadprivate reasons for being jealous. We have shown, however, that heonly entered upon that work at the request of men whose power andinfluence he could not gainsay; that, having undertaken it, he sethimself shrewdly and earnestly to render it successful; and that thefailure was occasioned, not by adoption of his plans, but by theirperversion or rejection. If he erred, he erred only in expecting toomuch patriotism and valour from the people whom he was doing hisutmost to serve. 

If anything further need be said in explanation and defence of LordCochrane's position up to this time, it will be best done by quotingpart of a letter addressed to M. Eynard on the 27th of May, in whichhe concisely repeated the whole story. "On my arrival in Greece, " hewrote, "I found that the authority was claimed by two factions, thatnothing like a navy existed, and that a number of individuals calledan army were collected to raise the siege of Athens, --but whollydeficient in military talent on the part of the commanders, or inobedience and discipline on the part of the troops. As soon as I hadaccepted my commission, I commenced active exertions to save theAcropolis. I advised Karaïskakes to embark and land to the southwardand eastward of the Phalerum, and, marching direct to the Acropolis, bring out the women and children. But my counsel was in vain, as hehad no idea of any combined naval and military movement, nor indeed ofany military plan, except that of advancing by slow steps, after themanner of the Turks, who construct little fortifications, calledtambourias, at every few hundred yards, which are again opposed byothers of the adverse party; and, as neither army attacks these fortsby active force, the whole, after a few hours, are brought to a stand, and the result of the contest depends on who can the longest continueto furnish pay and provisions. Such was the state of the militarycontest when General Church took the command. The battle at Phalerum, though brilliant, was accidental, and, not being followed up, wasproductive of no result. Karaïskakes fell, and General Church embarkedthe troops in order to execute the movement that ought to have takenplace a month before. The moment was more inauspicious than we wereaware of; for the Turkish commander had that very night been joined bya large body of cavalry and a number of infantry from Negropont andelsewhere. This, however, would not have proved decisive, had notGeneral Church, with a view to conciliate the officers under hiscommand, and indeed in order to induce them to embark at all upon theexpedition, conformed to their absurd views of military movement, andpermitted them to carry entrenching tools to form their usual numerouspositions on the line of their route, the construction of which whollydefeated the intention of surprise, and enabled the enemy to surroundtheir advanced guard or van, weakened by the division of the troopsinto fourteen garrisons left in a line in their advance, whereas thewhole body might, with perfect safety and in two hours, have reachedthe Acropolis. The slaughter which the Turks made in the advancedposts of the Greeks was horrible, and the panic which took possessionof those who remained on the Phalerum, at three leagues' distance fromthe scene of action, was as disgraceful as the conduct of their chief, Zavella, who made no movement even to create a diversion, but satcoolly looking at the slaughter of his countrymen. With six thousandmen under his command he remained totally inactive. This expedition toAthens cost upwards of twenty-five thousand dollars of the naval moneyand destroyed most of our provisions. At the same time, I believed itto be my duty to act as I did, and I have not since regretted any stepthat I took, because, if Fabvier and the garrison fall into the handsof the Turks and are destroyed, I shall at least have the consolationof knowing that my utmost efforts were made to avert their fate. "

CHAPTER XIX. 

LORD COCHRANE'S RETURN TO POROS. --HIS ATTEMPTS TO ORGANIZE ANEFFICIENT GREEK NAVY. --THE WANT OF FUNDS AND THE APATHY OF THEGREEKS. --HIS LETTER TO THE PSARIANS, AND HIS VISITS TO HYDRA ANDSPETZAS. --HIS CRUISE ROUND THE MOREA. --HIS FIRST ENGAGEMENT WITH THETURKS. --THE DISORGANIZATION OF HIS GREEK SAILORS. --HIS CAPTURE OF AVESSEL BEARING THE BRITISH FLAG, LADEN WITH GREEK PRISONERS. --SEIZUREOF PART OF RESHID PASHA'S HAREM. --IBRAHIM PASHA'S NARROW ESCAPE. --LORDCOCHRANE'S FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. --HIS EXPEDITION TO ALEXANDRIA. --ITSFAILURE THROUGH THE COWARDICE OF HIS SEAMEN. --HIS TWO LETTERS TO THEPASHA OF EGYPT. --HIS RETURN TO POROS. --FURTHER EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THENAVY. --HIS VISIT TO SYRA. --THE TROUBLES OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT. --LORDCOCHRANE'S VISIT TO NAVARINO. --HIS DEFEAT OF A TURKISH SQUADRON. 

[1827. ]

Before arriving in Greece, Lord Cochrane bad been informed by CaptainAbney Hastings and other experienced Philhellenes of the inefficiencyof the navy, and a very short stay at Poros served to convince him ofthe truth of the information. On the 17th of April he obtained fromthe National Assembly a decree authorizing the organization of abetter national fleet, and, before proceeding to join in the effortsfor the relief of the Acropolis, he did all that was possible towardsthe achievement of this object, making such arrangements as wouldprevent any hindrance thereto arising from his temporary absence onthe most pressing work that devolved upon him. Having sent CaptainHastings with all the available ships on the expedition to theNegropont which has already been described, he established at Porosthe centre of the administration of the fleet, entrusting itsdirection to Dr. Gosse, as Commissary-General. He then visited Hydra, Spetzas, and other islands, and left in each directions for theinspection of all the ships there stationed, in order that, accordingto the national decrees, the best of them might be bought up by theGovernment, on equitable terms, and converted into vessels of war atPoros. During his stay near the Piræus he was in almost dailycorrespondence with Dr. Grosse and Emanuel Tombazes respecting thepurchase of stores, the construction of gunboats, and every otheressential to the fulfilment of his purpose. He sent Jakomaki Tombazes, the elder of the two brothers, to look out near Candia for a newcorvette which had just been built at Leghorn for the Pasha of Egypt. All other means in his power were adopted by him for augmenting thenaval strength of Greece, and fitting it to oppose the force of herenemies so soon as he was able to devote himself exclusively to thatwork. 

This he did promptly and zealously immediately after the failure ofthe expedition in favour of the garrison of the Acropolis. "Braveofficers and soldiers and seamen of the military and naval services, "he wrote in a proclamation issued on the 7th of May, "a defeat of theenemy's naval force will tenfold repay the check which was sustainedin yesterday's attempt to relieve the Acropolis. Let every manmaintain his post as duty to his country demands, and in a few days Itrust you will find your affairs not only retrieved but secured on apermanent base. "

That trust was not fulfilled. The Greeks proved themselves on sea aswell as on land unable to fight worthily, and with enough realpatriotism, for the liberty of their country. But honour must not onthat account be withheld from the man who used all his largeexperience and larger philanthropy in trying to put them in the way ofvictory. 

Lord Cochrane returned to Poros on the 10th of May, after an absenceof just three weeks. He lost no time in rendering to the Government, then located in that island, a personal account of his recentproceedings, and in doing his utmost to persuade the Greeks to aid himin the new exploits on which he hoped to enter with better prospect ofsuccess. An address to the Psarians, dated the 11th of May, will serveas a specimen of many documents of the same nature. "It was myintention yesterday, " he said, "to have paid my respects to you, inorder personally to have made known to you the circumstances in whichthe naval service is placed and the state and preparations of theenemy, and to have called on you to show an example to the otherislanders, on whose exertions now depend the liberties and fate oftheir country. The abandonment of the schooner, in which I havehitherto been embarked by all her seamen, prevented me from fulfillingmy intention, and the certain intelligence received this morning thatthe Turkish fleet from Constantinople passed Syra the day beforeyesterday, to join the Egyptian fleet, compels me now to recommend youby writing, instead of by word of mouth, to save your country andyourselves by prompt and energetic exertions. The money I brought herewith me, being the proceeds of subscriptions made throughout Europefor your cause, has unfortunately been nearly consumed in fruitlessendeavours to save the capital of Greece by means of an irregular andunmanageable body of men, who will neither receive instruction norlisten to advice. I hope that the brave seamen who understand theirduty will listen to my recommendation through you that they should atonce step forward to save their families from oppression and slavery, and the name of their country from being struck out of the list ofindependent nations. By one glorious effort Greece may be free; but ifshe remain in her present state of apathy all hope must be abandoned. I call upon you now to stand forward in defence of your religion andall that is valuable to man. I send you a thousand dollars, which isall that I can spare. Those who will equip their ships may depend onrepayment out of the first money that shall be remitted to me for thepublic service of Greece. "

As that letter implies, Lord Cochrane had to begin his reconstructionof the Greek navy--now the only remaining resource of the nation inits hope of working out and assuring its independence by effort of itsown--almost without funds. The small sum of 8000l. Which he hadbrought with him, as well as the money collected by the Europeancommittees and transmitted to the Philhellenic Committee in Greece, composed of Colonel Heydeck, Dr. Bailli, and Dr. Gosse, was nearlyexhausted, and the bankrupt Government was unable to provide him withany adequate resources for carrying on his work. It had authorized himto buy ships and stores and to employ labourers and seamen, andexpected him to do all without stint, but gave him no money for thepurpose. In lieu it authorized him to borrow upon the security of allthe future revenue to be derived from the islands; and every effort toutilize this mortgage was made by his agent Dr. Gosse, but with verypoor success. The credit of the Greek Government was so low that theprospects of any considerable revenue in the depressed state ofcommerce--likely to be yet more depressed by the steady advances madeby the Turks in regaining their dominion over the insurgents--deterredcapitalists from staking their money thereupon. Lord Cochrane, as weshall see, had to apply half his energies in performing the work of afinancier, never anticipated by him, and certainly not proper to hisfunctions as First Admiral; and, the result of all being feeble, hislegitimate duties were grievously crippled. 

Money being absolutely needed, however, he did his best to procure it, and with this view, as well as in order to make personal acquaintancewith the principal ports, and the ships and sailors contained in them, he left Poros, three days after returning to it, on a tour among theother important islands. 

Starting on Sunday, the 13th of May, he reached Hydra on the followingmorning. There, in the house of the brothers Konduriottes, its richestand most influential inhabitants, he met several other leadingprimates, and prevailed on them to take upon themselves the outfit ofseveral brigs and brulottes, the cost of which he had at present nomeans of paying. Having, on the 15th, passed on to Spetzas, LordCochrane had a similar interview with its chief residents. "I havebeen highly gratified, " he wrote on the 16th to the elderKonduriottes, "by the spirit here manifested in following the nobleexample which you have set, and I have no doubt but a sufficient forcewill be immediately equipped to cut off all the resources by which thearmy of Reshid Pasha is maintained, and so destroy that army even moreeffectually than by the sword. The utmost promptitude, however, isnecessary. One day's delay may permit several weeks' provisions andstores to enter the Negropont. "

Promptitude was not easy, in spite of the favourable promises of theprimates. "Strange as it may appear to you, " said Lord Cochrane, in aletter to his friend, M. Eynard, "it is yet a fact that, out of thethousands of seamen idle and starving at Hydra, Spetzas, and Egina, not a man will enter the service of his country without being paid inadvance; nor will they engage to prolong their service beyond a month, so that the labour of disciplining a crew is interminable. Were therefunds to increase the pay for each month, the sailors would remain, and there might be some hope of getting a ship in order. At thepresent moment there are no individuals in Greece who are instructedin their duties as officers in ships of war. " "I see no termination tothe obstacles, " he wrote to Dr. Gosse on the 17th, "which presentthemselves at every step I advance. Neither the Hydriots nor thePsarians, nor the Spetziots, nor the Poriots, will embark in thisfrigate, which is thus useless to Greece, if not prejudicial, becauseher maintenance is an expense without benefit. I wish I could do athousand things which I am compelled to neglect, by reason of thedifficulties and want of assistance of all kinds. You, my good friend, are my only aid. "

At Spetzas, and in its neighbourhood, Lord Cochrane remained fourdays, directing the arrangements to be made in organizing a fleetstrong enough to go against the enemy's shipping, and, while waitingfor that, in appointing two minor expeditions upon services that wereurgent. On the 18th of May, he sent Admiral Saktoures with ten brigsand four fireships to cruise about the Negropont and capture as muchas he could of the stores sent through that channel fromConstantinople for the use of the Turkish army in Attica. On thefollowing day he went himself in the _Hellas_, attended by the_Karteria_, under Captain Abney Hastings, in the direction of CapeClarenza, the north-westernmost point of the Morea, opposite toZante. [8]

 [8] "The admiral, " says Gordon, "weighed with the _Hellas_ and _Karteria_ alone, leaving the rest of his squadron to draw pay and rations at Porto Kheli" (vol. Ii. , p. 415). The fact was that all the rest of his squadron that was fit for service was sent to the Negropont; and Lord Cochrane left directions that the other vessels, as soon as there were men to be rationed and funds for paying them, should follow him to Clarenza. But they only came to run away. 

Castle Tornese, there situated, was being besieged by the Turks, andLord Cochrane hoped to be in time to avert its capture. In this hefailed. Arriving on the 22nd of May, he found that the castle hadcapitulated a few hours before. All he could do was to chase twoTurkish frigates which he found on the coast. "We fired into them, " hesaid, "but our guns were ill-directed, and the noise and confusion onboard this ship was excessive, which prevented my choosing to attackthem again, though they did us not the slightest injury, because I amdesirous that the _Hellas_ shall be in somewhat better order before Ivoluntarily attack an enemy who may take advantage of theimpossibility of causing my orders to be obeyed, and so leave the fateof the ship to the conduct of a rabble. "

One capture, however, the _Hellas_ was able to make on the followingday. She fell in with a vessel, manned by Turks and Ionian Islanders, bearing the British flag, loaded with captives, chiefly women andchildren, just taken in the Castle Tornese. Lord Cochrane seized her, and sent her, with a reasonably indignant letter, to the Lord HighCommissioner at Corfu. "If I do not attempt to express my feelings inaddressing you, " he said, "it is because I am aware that the terms Ishould employ would fall far short of the sensations that will arisein the breast of every honourable man throughout the civilized world, and the degradation which every Englishman will experience, onlearning that the flag of England, first prostituted by supplying thetraffickers in Christian slaves with all the necessaries for theirhorrid purposes, is now further debased by a traffic in the slavesthemselves. I send you an Ionian vessel, full of women violated intheir persons, and who, with their children, had been reduced toslavery, in order that the British public and the world may ascertainwhether these unfortunate people will be protected by the decision ofan Ionian tribunal. If there were any hope that the people in theIonian Islands would abandon their infamous dealings otherwise than byforce, I should ask your excellency to issue an order upon thesubject. I beg, however, to signify that I am ready to co-operate withthe admiral and officers of the British naval service in theMediterranean in enforcing obedience to the laws of justice andhumanity, and putting down the Ionian trade in slaves, as well as thepiracies which have originated chiefly in the total contempt shown bythe Ionian people and others for the laws of nations and theprinciples of justice during the contest between Greeks and Turks. Ialso put at your disposal the Turks found on board the Ionian boat, not considering them as prisoners of war, but as men apprehended inviolating the laws of civilized nations and insulting the feelings ofChristendom. " "Since writing the above, " it was added in a postscript, "I have experienced considerable difficulty in restraining the fury ofthe Greeks from bursting forth upon the violators of theircountrywomen. From what I foresee, I also feel it my duty to warn youthat, should the transportation of Christian captives by neutrals becontinued, I cannot answer for the safety of Ionians found so employedby the other vessels of the Greek squadron. "

A formal acknowledgment of that letter was all the answer received byLord Cochrane. 

On the 24th of May, when near Missolonghi, he made another capture--aTurkish brig, with eight guns, bearing Austrian colours, which wasproceeding from Previsa to Navarino. In her, besides a good store offlour and gunpowder, were found some Turkish officials and severalmembers of Reshid Pasha's harem. The alarm of these prisoners was verygreat at first; but they were treated with courtesy, and landed, withall their personal properties, at the first convenient halting-place, the brig and its cargo being retained as prizes. Reshid Pasha, inreturn for the generous treatment shown to his attendants, afterwardsreleased a hundred Greek prisoners without ransom. 

Another curious incident occurred at this time. Several small Turkishmerchant-vessels passed Lord Cochrane's ship during his stay nearMissolonghi, but he abstained from capturing them, deeming it unworthyto interfere with such small crafts, devoted, as it was supposed, onlyto trading purposes. He was afterwards informed that in one of themIbrahim Pasha himself had been concealed. Had the Egyptian leader beenthus made prisoner, the future course of the war might have beenaltogether changed. 

Lord Cochrane had gone into the Gulf of Patras in hope of meeting withCaptain Hastings, from whom he had parted soon after leaving Spetzas;but the _Karteria_ had been disabled by a squall, which took away bothher masts, and so had to return to Poros; and with the ill-manned_Hellas_ alone Lord Cochrane did not deem it prudent, as he hadwished, to attack Navarino, whither the besiegers of the CastleTornese had gone, and where twelve Egyptian frigates, twentycorvettes, and forty or fifty smaller vessels were for some timelying. Several of these came out to take on board the Ottoman troopswho had done their work at Cape Clarenza, and Lord Cochrane, on the1st of June, remained for several hours within sight of them, readyand hoping to be attacked. No fight being offered, however, he did notchoose to run the risk of going single-handed into their midst. Heaccordingly contented himself with surveying the coast, and forminghis own judgment as to the relative value of its ports and harbours, as he sailed back in the direction of Poros. 

To Poros itself Lord Cochrane did not venture to proceed. "I havewritten for all the Greek vessels that are ready, including thefireships and explosion-vessels, to join me, " he said in a letter toDr. Gosse, written on the 7th of June, off Cerigo; "I remain at seawith this frigate, lest the whole of her crew should desert, accordingto custom, were I to pay a visit to Poros. " The want of zeal which hethus perceived in his seamen was shared by nearly all theircountrymen. All wished him to serve them, but very few made anypatriotic effort to aid him in the service. His most active supporterwas Captain Abney Hastings; and Captain Abney Hastings complained yetmore loudly than did his superior of the indolence and bad conduct ofthe Greeks. "I had the honour to receive your order of the 7th, enjoining me to repair to your lordship without delay, if ready forsea, " he wrote on the 9th, from Spetzas; "a variety of circumstances, unavoidable in a country deprived of even the shadow of organization, has prevented me from being yet ready to sail. The majority and bestof my crew have left me, and I must look for others. "

Hastings and all his other officers wrote over and over again to LordCochrane, asking for stores of all sorts, and for money with which topay the wages of their crews. But Lord Cochrane was still almostwithout funds. Only from Konduriottes, and the other island primates, could he procure scanty supplies with which to carry on his work--orrather, to prevent that work from being altogether abandoned. "I havethe honour, " he wrote to the Government, "to represent to yourexcellencies that I find it impossible to realise the credit which youassigned to me on the revenues of the islands, and that insurmountableobstacles prevent my acting as affairs require. The _Hellas_ even isidle for want of supplies. Each day, each event, increases myconviction that, without strong and special efforts, without a promptand disinterested co-operation of all its citizens, Greece must ofnecessity be overcome. Isolated as I am, I am useless to them. Supported by their patriotism and zeal, I could fight for theirindependence. The islands of the Archipelago are willing to aid ourefforts, but they claim from me in return a guarantee for the safetyof their goods and for the regular administration of their imposts. Iawait your excellencies' instructions for promptly answering theirdemand; for the resources of the western nations are drained; Europeancharity is wearied. The islands alone offer us the means ofmaintaining the naval forces, and of resisting, if it be possible--ifit be not too late--the vigorous preparations of our enemy. We mustact promptly or abandon everything. " The Government only answered byurging its chief admiral to lose no time in securing the independenceof Greece. 

This, in spite of the difficulties thrown in his way, he set himselfheartily to attempt. Two courses were now open to him. Reshid Pasha, having taken possession of the Acropolis, and thus completed thecapture of Athens, had laid siege to Corinth; and Sir Richard Church, with a weak and vacillating body which went by the name of anarmy--the remnants of that which had proved so useless in theneighbourhood of the Piræus--was vainly trying to raise the siege. Byhim and by the Government Lord Cochrane was urged to muster as large afleet as possible in the Bay of Corinth, and to co-operate with theland forces by blockading the besiegers, after the method that hadfailed at Athens. Experience convinced him that such action would beuseless; whereas from modification of the plan which he had in theformer instance been induced to abandon he hoped much. He knew that alarge Egyptian force was being prepared at Alexandria, to be employedfirst in aiding the siege of Corinth, and afterwards in completing theconquest of all Greece. If only he could train the Greeks to act underhis bold leadership, as he had trained the Chilians and Brazilians, hetrusted that, by one daring movement, he could seize Alexandria as hehad seized Valdivia and Maranham. And to this project he zealouslyaddressed himself, deeming it sufficient to send a small force toblockade the gulfs of Patras and Corinth, and leaving Dr. Gosse as hisagent in command of naval affairs at home, with special orders tovisit the various islands, and, in accordance with authority receivedfrom the Government, to collect the revenues of each, in order thatthe necessary expenses of the fleet might be met. 

He collected all the vessels he could muster in the neighbourhood ofCape Saint Angelo. His force consisted, besides the _Hellas_, of onecorvette, the _Sauveur_, which he had brought from Marseilles, commanded by Captain Thomas, of fourteen Greek brigs and of eightbrulôts or fireships. With these he started for Alexandria on the 11thof June, the _Hellas_ having often to slacken speed in order that theslower Greek vessels might be kept in attendance. Candia was passed onthe 13th, and Alexandria was sighted at five o'clock in the morning ofthe 15th. Lord Cochrane stood out to sea so that he might not bediscovered, and spent the day in putting his fleet in order, preparingan explosion-vessel, and arranging for the work of the morrow. "Braveofficers and seamen, " he said, in an address to his followers, "onedecisive blow, and Greece is free. The port of Alexandria, the centreof all the evil that has befallen you, now contains within its narrowbounds numerous ships of war and a multitude of vessels laden withprovisions, stores, and troops, intended to effect your total ruin. The wind is fair for us, and our enterprise unsuspected. Bravebrulotteers, resolve by one moment of active exertion to annihilatethe power of the satrap. Then shall the siege of Athens be raised inEgypt; then shall the armies of Ibrahim and Reshid be deprived ofsubsistence, and their garrisons perish of hunger, whilst the braveinhabitants of continental Greece and the islanders, freed fromimpending danger, will fly to arms, and, by one simultaneous movement, throw off the barbarian yoke. Date the return of happy days and theliberty and security of Greece from your present exhibition of valour. The emancipation of Egypt and the downfall of the satrap are alsoinevitable consequences; for the war is concentrated in one point ofaction and of time. "

That spirited address was ineffectual, and Lord Cochrane's bold planfor seizing Alexandria was prevented by the cowardice anddisorganization of the Greeks whom he was labouring to serve. Theycould hardly be persuaded on the 16th to follow the _Hellas_ and the_Sauveur_, all bearing Austrian colours, as far as the entrance toAlexandria, and when twenty large Egyptian vessels were found to bethere lying at harbour, they lost heart altogether. Lord Cochrane knewfrom past experience that, with proper support from his subordinates, he could easily capture or disperse the enemy's shipping. He had madearrangements for attacking them with the fireships and hisexplosion-vessel. But nearly all the crews refused to serve. Kanarisalone among the Greeks was brave. Having command of the fireships, heinduced the sailors of two of them to bear down upon the enemy, and atabout eight o'clock in the evening one man-of-war was burnt. So greatwas the effect of this small success that the other ships of the enemyprepared to escape, and great numbers of the inhabitants of Alexandriahurried out of the town and sought a hiding in the adjoining villages. Seeing the Egyptian ships making ready for flight, however, the Greekssupposed that they were coming out to attack them, and themselvesimmediately turned sail, heedless alike of their own honour and ofLord Cochrane's assurances that a splendid victory was easy to them. All the night was vainly spent by the _Hellas_ and the _Sauveur_ infutile efforts to collect them, and on the morning of the 18th theywere found to be dispersed far out at sea over an area of more thantwenty miles. 

In despite of his feeble allies, Lord Cochrane would have gone boldlyinto port and attacked the enemy. But his own Greek sailors were astimid as their comrades; and after a whole day spent in reconnoitringthe enemy, whose force of twenty-five sail dared not offer battle, buthad gained courage enough to abstain from actual flight, he wascompelled, on the 19th, also to put out to sea and to spend two otherdays in signalling the brigs and fireships to join him. Not till theafternoon of the 20th, by which time he had pursued his allies to adistance eighty miles from Alexandria, was he able to bring them intoany sort of order, and then the bitter conviction was forced upon himthat further prosecution of his plan, for the present at any rate, wasuseless. 

The scanty store of provisions that had been sent with the fleet, moreover, was nearly exhausted, and thus a new difficulty arose. LordCochrane sent the most useless of his vessels back to Poros for afresh supply, and with an earnest entreaty that some efficientreinforcements might also be forwarded to him, announcing hisintention of waiting in the neighbourhood in hopes of achieving somebetter success. "Your excellencies may rest assured, " he said in hisletter to the Government, "that our visit to Alexandria will have apowerful effect in paralysing the equipment of an expedition, and Ihave every reason to conclude that the example made before their eyesof the brig-of-war will deter any of the numerous neutral vessels fromengaging as transports in the expedition equipping by the Pasha. Thesensation created must indeed have been powerful as two neutralvessels of war made the signal for pilots before we weighed anchor onthe morning of the 17th, under the impression, no doubt, that a moreeffectual attack would shortly be attempted. I am going to make ashort tour, with a view, as far as I am enabled with the inadequatemeans at my disposal, to distract and paralyse the enemy. "

In accordance with that purpose, being already near Cyprus, LordCochrane conducted his fleet a little further north, and anchored, onthe 23rd of June, off Phineka, in Asia Minor, where, after a brieffight with the Turks, he effected a landing, and received somemuch-needed food and water. Thence he addressed letters, urging theprompt despatch of the necessary stores and vessels, to theGovernment, to the primates of Hydra, and to Dr. Gosse. 

From this halting-place, also, he sent a noteworthy letter to MahometAli, the Pasha of Egypt, a supplement to one which he had addressed tohim nearly a year before, when he was on his way to enter the serviceof the Greeks. 

"Your employing foreigners in your military and naval service, " he hadsaid in the former letter, which will be best quoted in this place, "the privilege which you claim and exercise of building and equippingships-of-war in neutral states, and of purchasing steam-vessels andhiring transports under neutral flags, for hostile purposes, and totransport to slavery a people whom the Ottoman arms have never yetbeen able wholly to subdue, warrant a belief, whatever your sentimentsmay be, that the civilized, educated, and liberal portion of mankindwill be gratified that succours similar to those which you, unfortunately, have hitherto obtained from these states are now aboutto be afforded to the brave, the oppressed, and suffering Greeks. Norwill the advantage derived be wholly theirs; for, until you shallcease or be forced to abandon your inhuman traffic in Christian slavesand the commission of cruelties which stain the character of man, yoursubjects must inevitably continue barbarians, --a state from which itwould be a source of great gratification to contribute to releasethem. It is true that the Christian world has not of late contended inarms with those of your faith on points of religion. It has, however, not fallen into a state of apathy so great as to see unheeded theperpetration of those enormities which you are daily committing onChristians, --a sentiment with which no feeling of animosity towardsyou or towards your people is combined. On the contrary, it desires torender you every good service consistent with that duty paramount toall others, namely, to wipe out the stain from the civilized world ofunfeelingly and inhumanly co-operating to exterminate, enslave, andtransport to bondage a whole Christian people--and such a people--thedescendants of those Greeks whose genius laid the chief foundation ofliterature, the sciences, and the arts; who reared those noblemonuments and edifices which time and the more destructive barbarianhand have yet failed to destroy, and which, compared with the wretchedhovels of your hordes, may better point out to you the elevation theyattained, and the prostrate state in which your people are--owing, alas! to the baneful effects of bigotry and despotic sway. Surely, surely there is ample field for the exercise of your energies at home, in encouraging industry, the arts and sciences, in promoting thecivilization of your people, and in enacting equitable laws for thesecurity of persons and property--on which bases the nationalprosperity of all countries must rest. But should your ambition, notcontent with bestowing blessings like these on your native land, leadyou to soar almost above mortal acts, distant oceans would unite, andthe extremities of the globe approach at your command. [9] Thus mightyour name be rendered immortal, and Egypt become again the emporium ofcommerce, and one of the richest and happiest nations upon earth. Howinfinitely great the glory from such acts! How despicable the fame ofa tyrant conqueror, the ruler of slaves! It would be pleasing tosupport you as the author of great and good works, but it is shamefulto permit your present proceedings, and dastardly to leave theunfeeling apostate sons of neutral and Christian nations unopposed, aiding to perpetuate barbarism for horrid gain, drawn from the priceof Christians torn from their homes and sold as slaves in foreignlands. Against these atrocious men, my companions and myself, castingthe gauntlet down, will contend, in the hope that they and you mayperceive your true interests and your great error, and pursue adifferent course before it shall be too late. Quit the classic sacredsoil of Greece, let the flayings, and burnings, and impalings of thatpeople cease, and oh! shocking to humanity, the ripping up of pregnantwomen, and the hewing up of their infant babes, and other acts yetworse than these--too horrid to relate. Release the Christian slaves;pursue an honourable and enlightened path, and we become friends toaid you in your pursuits--but should the present course be continued, let the bands of cruel assassins in your employ count on ouropposition; count, too, on our neutralizing the effects of everyvessel procured or bought from Christian states. 'Hear the voice ofthe Lord, ye rulers, ' in the prophecy now to be fulfilled. 'Woe tothem that go down to Egypt for help and stay. ' 'When the Lord shallstretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that isholpen shall fall down, and they shall all fall together. ' Instead offilling brim full the cup of bitterness, of which you yourself mustultimately drink, how admirably might you not employ your people, andyour treasure--the waste whereof is rearing to you a barbariansuccessor to prolong the bondage of Egypt. The Christian prayer ofthose called to rescue their suffering brethren is that, conformingyourself to the dictates of reason and humanity, you may live long tobenefit mankind; and as you are more enlightened than yourpredecessors, so may you become more humane and just. "

 [9] It is singular that at this early date Lord Cochrane should thus have advised and prognosticated the construction of the Suez Canal. 

The second letter was more brief. "The discrimination of yourHighness, " Lord Cochrane now wrote, "enables you to judge betweenthose who offer advice to promote personal objects and those whodisinterestedly desire the welfare of mankind. Egypt may become greatby the attention of her rulers to her internal concerns, but not bywar and foreign conquest, and assuredly not by the conquest of thatpeople with whom your Highness is now engaged in hostilities, not onlyon account of the impossibility of reducing them to subjection butbecause the whole of Europe is directly or indirectly engaged in theirsupport. I beg your Highness to be assured that, if I present myselfto your consideration in a more conspicuous point of view than others, it is only because the habits of my life have enabled me to be openlyinstrumental in the protection of a Christian people whom you attack, and not because I feel animosity against your Highness, nor because Idesire the overthrow of the lawful power of your Highness. Should yourHighness, however, listen to interested counsellors, or to those whohope to gain by adulation, and continue the present unjust andsanguinary contest, I take leave once more to warn you that the firstvisit I have had the honour of paying you shall not be the last, andthat it is not in the power of your Highness to prevent thedestruction of your ships destined for the invasion of Greece, nor todefeat my intention to block up the port of Alexandria. I had thehonour to address your Highness twelve months ago; but have thoughtproper to repeat once more the honest advice I then expressed, inorder that your Highness may acquit me when, in the hour of adversity, you have to regret that you have not listened to the voice of truth. "

Lord Cochrane's threats could not be enforced. Off the coast of AsiaMinor and among the southern islands of the Archipelago he waited formore than a week. But no adequate reinforcements or supplies ofprovisions arrived. The disorganised fleet became more and moreunmanageable. One vessel after another deserted, and those thatremained in nominal attendance on the flag-ship could not be broughtunder control. Lord Cochrane, who had made skilful sailors and bravewarriors of enervated Chilians and Brazilians, found the Greeksutterly unmanageable. Up to the 2nd of July he tried vainly to bringthem into order, and only succeeded in pursuing them from island toisland until, on that day, they had drawn him back to theneighbourhood of Hydra. There they all dispersed, and with a heavyheart he anchored at Poros on the 4th. The _Hellas_ was immediatelydeserted by her crew. Another month had been wasted and another boldproject for the assistance of Greece had been spoiled by the want ofpatriotism which, exhibited first and most flagrantly by the leaders, was now rapidly pervading all classes of the Greeks. 

An amusing instance of the worthlessness of the Greek sailors, whom, from first to last, he tried to make useful, may here be given. On oneoccasion, following his invariable habit of taking every possibleoccasion of trying to win the confidence and friendship of those underhim, he was exhibiting a magic lantern to the crew of the _Hellas_. Atmany of the dissolving views they manifested a childish delight, butat length one unfortunate picture was brought before them. It depicteda Greek running from the pursuit of a Turk, and then melted into aview of the Turk cutting off his captive's head. At that sight everyGreek on board took fright. Some ran into the hold of the ship, othersjumped overboard, and many hours had to be spent in bringing themtogether again and dispelling their frivolous and superstitious fears. 

Lord Cochrane, however, though disheartened, still sought, withunabated zeal, to render to Greece such help as became his name andcharacter. But he saw that this could not be done without a thoroughreform in naval affairs; and this, often urged by him before, he lostno time in urging again. "The crew of the _Hellas_, " he wrote to theeffete Government on the very day of his return, "having, according totheir usual practice, abandoned the vessel on her arrival in port, itis essential that others should be enlisted to serve in the frigatewithout delay. It is further essential that the individuals soenlisted shall engage to serve during a period of not less than sixmonths, and that they shall be young men who will conform to the rulesand regulations by which the ships-of-war of other states aregoverned. It is quite impossible to conduct a large ship-of-war amidstthe noise and confusion which I have witnessed during the two monthsthat have elapsed since my flag was hoisted on board this ship, andequally impossible to induce monthly crews to conform to habits oforder and regularity. Under these circumstances, I enclose you aproclamation, stating the pay and advantages which will accrue to suchindividuals. I should prefer that the enlistment should take placeunder such respectable young men as propose to obtain rank in thenational marine, and who can be in some degree responsible for thegood conduct of the individuals who accompany them, each individualqualified for, and aspiring to, the rank of lieutenant beingaccompanied by sixty young seamen, the second lieutenants to be eachaccompanied by thirty. For this ship five of the first class and eightof the second are required. " The proclamation which Lord Cochranesubmitted to the Government detailed his plan for ensuring, or at anyrate making possible, honest and hearty service in seafaring. 

"I wish I could inform your excellencies, " he said in another letterwritten two days later, "that the obstacles, however great, whichpresented themselves in the course of the naval service were all I hadto contend with. The jealousies among the islanders, even the mostenlightened, embarrassed me exceedingly; and these, I regret to say, cannot be alleviated by having recourse to your advice or authority, at the distance at which you are placed, without a correspondence sovoluminous that I should occupy too much of your attention. I must, therefore, act according to my own responsibility; and in so doing Iam aware that some may be displeased, and probably no one will besatisfied. "

Nearly all the month of July, indeed, was spent by Lord Cochrane inzealous efforts to render the Greek navy more efficient. For this twothings were needed--that the officers and crews should be honest andintelligent, and that there should be money enough in hand for payingtheir wages, for fitting out proper vessels, and for supplying therequisite stores and provisions. For the first object proclamationswere issued, letters were written, and agents were sent into variousparts of Greece and her islands. For the second, Lord Cochrane wentpersonally to the assistance of Dr. Gosse, who, as Commissary-Generalof the Fleet, had been attempting to collect the revenues of theislands which, by order of the Government, had been assigned to navaluses. He succeeded to some extent in this, and also in quickening thelatent patriotism of the people whom he visited. 

His most important visit was to Syra, where, as will be seen from theletter which he addressed to the Government on the 13th of July, hewas obliged to resort to strong measures for securing the good end hehad in view. "I have the honour to inform your excellencies, " hewrote, "that, a new crew having been procured for the _Hellas_ withless delay than I anticipated, by reason of the pay having beenincreased one-third in amount, I proceeded to Syra, taking with meseveral of the principal inhabitants of the three maritime islands, who expressed to me, by letter, their anxiety to have an opportunityof promoting a loan on the credit of the revenues of the islands, which your excellencies had authorised me, jointly with others, tocollect. I have now the pleasure to inform you that when I left Syrayesterday everything seemed to promise a favourable result; but inorder to attain this important object it became necessary that Ishould take upon myself the responsibility of intimating to theprefect of police, who had assumed despotic authority, that it wasessential to the public good that the magistrates should resume thefunctions that they exercised previous to his arrival. I am convincedthat your excellencies will perceive as clearly as I do, that it willbe impossible to preserve harmony amongst the islanders, if strangersare sent to exercise over the natives an authority that is notacceptable to them. Indeed, the character of these natives demands atall times prudence and circumspection on the part of the Government. "

Unfortunately, the miserable triumvirate to which the direction ofGreek affairs had been assigned until the arrival of CountCapodistrias was wholly wanting in prudence and circumspection. Aftervainly trying to maintain a show of authority, and to use it to theirown aggrandisement at Damala and at Poros, they had, on the 4th ofJuly, removed to Nauplia. There, however, they only found themselvesmore embarrassed than ever. While the last hopes of Greekindependence, to be secured and maintained by Greeks themselves, wererapidly dying out, the leaders were amusing themselves and gratifyingtheir petty jealousies and ambitions by conduct more despicable thanever. Nauplia was the seat of civil war between two military factions, whose joint contempt of the worthless Government would have been, atany rate, excusable, had not the interests of the whole nation beenthereby injured. The triumvirate was driven from the town, and takingrefuge in a little island in the Bay of Nauplia, wrote in despair toLord Cochrane, asking him to come to its aid and devise some means ofpreserving, or rather of constructing, its authority. 

To Nauplia he accordingly went on the 19th of July. "I am now at theanchorage of this place, " he wrote thence to Dr. Gosse on the 22nd. "The town is evacuated by the inhabitants and abandoned by theGovernment. The latter are in the little island in the bay in the mostdeplorable condition, trembling like Sancho when invaded in hisdominions of Barataria, and not knowing which way to turn, whether toavoid or meet the enemy. No words can depict the state of things. Ihave had correspondence with the Government and all the chiefs, buthave waited on none, because I am determined to keep myself clear offaction, and go straightforward in what I consider to be my duty. " "Weare now weighing anchor, " he added, in a postscript written in theevening of the same day, "and the Austrian commodore is coming intothe bay--an evil omen. He is watching, like a vulture, the agonies ofthe expiring authorities of Greece. "

"As you have done me the honour, " said Lord Cochrane, in a letter tothe Government, "to request my opinion regarding the manner ofsettling the disputes between the contending chiefs who hold thehigher and lower fortresses of Nauplia, it becomes a sacred duty togive that opinion without the slightest reserve, because theconsequences of any half measure will be entirely destructive of theinfluence of your excellencies throughout Greece, and eventually mayfrustrate the endeavours of the European powers to promote asettlement with the Porte. Your excellencies, then, must at onceremove from the situation in which you are now placed, or, moreproperly speaking, to which you have fled, and where you are stillunder the cannon of the disputing chiefs, or both these chiefs must becaused to abandon the fortresses they hold. To suffer one to remainand to expel the other would be voluntarily to surrender yourauthority, and through Greece and throughout the world you would beconsidered in no other light than as instruments for giving thesemblance of legality to the dictates of a military chief. "

Lord Cochrane did not wait to see the end of this dispute between themock Government and its nominal subjects. He left Nauplia on the 22ndof July to complete the arrangements he had made for another attemptin defence of Greece. He had already sent Admiral Saktoures and asmall force to maintain a show of blockading Alexandria, in order thatthereby neutral vessels, at any rate, might be deterred from givingaid to the Turkish cause. He had sent vessels to blockade the Gulf ofPatras in the same way. He had also issued a vigorous proclamation tothe inhabitants of Western Greece, urging them to rise against theiroppressors, and he was eager to go thither himself and encourage thework, for which he hoped that his fleet and his naval arrangementswere now better fitted. One important auxiliary to this work he hopedto have in a corps of marines, to the number of a thousand, whichColonel Gordon Urquhart was now trying, under his directions, toorganise. "I have several things in view which even this small forcecould accomplish, " he wrote to Dr. Gosse, "and amongst the rest willbe the rooting out of the pirates from the islands. "

More important, however, than the restraint of piracy, was theresistance, if possible, of the Turkish forces. Several of theEgyptian ships which Lord Cochrane had hoped to destroy in the harbourof Alexandria had now come out and joined the Ottoman fleet, which hadNavarino for its head-quarters. He determined, without loss of time, to go and see what injury could be done to them; and accordingly, after a brief visit to Poros, where he took on board some stores andprovisions, and where he left Dr. Gosse to use the scanty supply ofmoney which he had collected in completing the equipment of the othervessels, he started in the _Hellas_, on the 28th of July, for thewestern side of the Morea. 

On the 29th, when near Cape St. Angelo, he fell in with the _Sauveur_, returning from a cruise in the Gulf of Patras, and the two vesselsproceeded with all haste to Navarino. They reached that port, and hadsight of the Turkish fleet on the evening of the 30th. With Frenchcolours flying, Lord Cochrane reconnoitred its position, and thenwatched for an opportunity of attacking some part of it. 

The opportunity occurred on the 1st of August. A corvette, carryingtwenty-eight fine guns, and a crew of three hundred and forty, withtwo brigs and two schooners, had passed out on the previous day, apparently with the intention of conveying reinforcements to the Gulfof Patras. Lord Cochrane immediately gave them chase, and drove thembackwards and forwards between Zante and the shore north of Navarinoall through the night and till nearly noon on the 1st. Then suddenlytacking, he closed upon the corvette, and there was hard fighting--thefirst in which he had been able to persuade his Greeks tojoin--between the two vessels, for fifty minutes. At about oneo'clock, after fifty of their number had been killed and thirtywounded, the Turks surrendered. [10] Lord Cochrane found on boardtwenty Greek women and several children, who had been subjected to thevilest treatment. In the meanwhile, Captain Thomas, of the _Sauveur_, had engaged with one of the brigs, carrying twelve guns, and capturedher with a loss of fifteen killed and wounded to the Turks, but noneto the Greeks. The other vessels escaped, but an Ionian vessel, ladenwith provisions for the Ottoman army at Patras, was seized in theafternoon, and her cargo put to good use. 

 [10] "The admiral, " says Gordon (vol. Ii. , pp. 421, 422), "was less gratified at his victory than mortified that so inferior a vessel should have fought the _Hellas_ for three-quarters of an hour, and disgusted at the backwardness of his crew. In his first cruise he carried with him four hundred men recruited in the Cyclades; but as they ran below in his engagement with the two Egyptian corvettes, he discharged them and took Hydriots alone. These last, though better mariners, and really more courageous, were disconcerted by his system of reserving fire till within pistol-shot--so different from their own plan of cannonading at a mile's distance. 'The boys, ' said Cochrane, 'behaved pretty well; but the oldest, and ugliest, and fiercest-looking bravoes of Hydra ran to the other side of the deck, roaring like market-bulls. ' His lordship took summary satisfaction by knocking them down with his fists, right and left. "

Lord Cochrane waited off Navarino for two days, hoping that some ofthe enemy's fleet would come out to attack him. They, however, lockedthemselves carefully in the harbour until he had set sail for thesouth, when they feebly attempted to pursue him. He thereupon, afterreleasing the Turkish prisoners at Candia, returned to Poros, there toleave his prizes and endeavour to take back a larger force with whichworthily to supplement his recent successes. 

CHAPTER XX. 

THE ACTION OF GREAT BRITAIN AND RUSSIA ON BEHALF OF HELLENICINDEPENDENCE. --THE DEGRADATION OF GREECE. --LORD COCHRANE'S RENEWEDEFFORTS TO ORGANISE A FLEET. --PRINCE PAUL BUONAPARTE, AND HISDEATH. --AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE LORD COCHRANE. --HIS INTENDEDEXPEDITION TO WESTERN GREECE. --ITS PREVENTION BY SIR EDWARDCODRINGTON. --LORD COCHRANE'S RETURN TO THE ARCHIPELAGO. --THEINTERFERENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND RUSSIA. --THE CAUSES OF THEBATTLE OF NAVARINO. --THE BATTLE. 

[1827. ]

The Duke of Wellington's mission to St. Petersburg in the spring of1826, which has been already referred to, was part of a policy bywhich the British Government materially contributed to the ultimateindependence of Greece. Its first result was the protocol of the 4thof April, in which England and Russia recognized the right of theGreeks to claim from the Porte a recognition of their freedom. Atabout the same time our Government had sent Mr. Stratford Canning, afterwards Lord Stratford de Redclyffe, as ambassador toConstantinople, with special instructions to use every endeavour tobring about a cessation of the war which should be favourable toGreece; and on the 24th of April the National Assembly at Epidaurushad authorized him to treat with Turkey on its behalf, agreeing, if nomore favourable terms could be obtained, to a recognition of theSultan's supremacy and the payment of tribute to him, on conditionthat Greece should be independent in all its internal government. Those terms, however, were rejected by the Porte; and after a delay ofa year and a half it was forced by the Great Powers, slowly awakeningfrom their long lethargy, to accede to arrangements far morefavourable to Greece. 

These negotiations, however, proceeded very slowly, and before thedawn of Greek independence there was a time of almost utter darkness, the darkest time of all being the few months following Lord Cochrane'sarrival. "Vanquished Greece, " says her historian, "lay writhing inconvulsive throes. In herself there was neither hope nor help, and thequestion to be solved was merely whether the Mahometans would havetime to subdue her before the mediating powers made up their minds touse force. That the former, if not checked from abroad, must speedilyoverrun the country did not admit of the least doubt. But it wasequally certain that they could not pacify it; for, while the rich andtimid prepared to emigrate, the poorer and hardier portion of theinsurgents formed themselves into bands of robbers and pirates, whichwould have long infested the mountains and the Levant seas, deridingthe efforts of the Porte to suppress them. The only branch of theHellenic confederacy that still presented a menacing aspect was thenavy under Lord Cochrane. Every other department was a heap ofconfusion. No government existed, since it would be idle to dignifywith that name the three puppets set up by the Congress of Damala. None ever thought of obeying them, and they sealed their owndegradation by carrying on an infamous traffic in selling letters ofmarque to freebooters. There was no army, because there was norevenue. After the fall of Athens, Roumelia was entirely lost, and thecaptains either renewed their act of submission to Reshid Pasha orfled to the Morea. It was not, however, with an intention of defendingthe peninsula that they retreated into it. Their purpose was to seizethe fortresses, and thereby be enabled to make a good bargain with theTurks, or any other party that should remain in final possession. Nauplia and the Acrocorinthus were already garrisoned by Roumeliotes. Monemvasia, the third Peloponnesian stronghold yet held by the Greeks, was in the hands of Petro-Bey's brother, John Mavromikales, who, fitting out from thence predatory craft, converted it into a den ofthieves. "[11]

 [11] Gordon, vol. Ii. , pp. 403, 404. 

It is not strange that, amid all this confusion, cowardice, andtreachery, Lord Cochrane should have found it almost impossible toachieve anything worthy of his abilities or of the cause which hedesired so earnestly to serve. Yet he continued, in spite of allobstacles, to do all that lay in his power, in fulfilment of his duty, and even in excess of that duty. He had engaged to act as FirstAdmiral of the Greek Fleet. Finding that there was no fleet for him todirect, he laboured with unwearied zeal not only to construct one andto turn his unmannerly subordinates into disciplined sailors and bravewarriors, but also to persuade the landsmen to co-operate with him intrying to withstand, if not to drive back, the advancing force of theenemy. One day when he was at Poros, Dr. Gosse came on board the_Hellas_ to visit him. "See, my friend, " said Lord Cochrane, taking aloaded pistol from the inner pocket of his waistcoat, "see what it isto be a Greek admiral. " He found it necessary to be always providedwith a weapon with which he could defend himself from his indolent, unpatriotic seamen. 

Having returned to Poros with his prizes on the 14th of August, he wasobliged to wait there for twelve days. There were no funds to be hadfor the requisite repairs and other expenses in paying and feeding hiscrews. All he could do was to repeat his former arguments andentreaties for assistance from the miserable Government at Nauplia, and the more active, but still half-hearted primates of the islands. He also made all the other arrangements in his power for improving hisfleet and for carrying on some sort of naval warfare among thesouthern isles, especially on the coast of Candia, and for fomentingan insurrection of the inhabitants of Western Greece, who, held in aweby the Turks ever since the fall of Missolonghi, had hitherto donelittle in aid of the national strife, but to whose support he nowlooked with some hope. 

On the 24th he obtained a little further assistance. Mr. GeorgeCochrane, whom he had sent to Marseilles in the _Unicorn_, to ask forfresh supplies of money and stores from the Philhellenes of WesternEurope, but whose return had been long delayed, now arrived with acargo of provisions, and with a sum of 5000l. , which, thoughaltogether inadequate to the work to be done, made possible some workat any rate. 

In the _Unicorn_ also came a new volunteer on behalf of Greekindependence. The schooner having called at Zante on her way back, Mr. Cochrane there met Prince Paul Buonaparte, nephew of the greatNapoleon who asked to be taken on board in order that he might serveunder Lord Cochrane. This was agreed to, and the Prince, a youth abouteighteen years old, and six feet high, became, immediately after hisarrival at Poros, a favourite with Lord Cochrane and all his staff andcrew. He was remarkable, said Dr. Grosse, for "his good-will, hisamiability of character, his solidity of judgment, his intelligence, and the moderation of his principles. "

His stay in Greece, however, was very brief. On the morning of the 6thof September, all on board the _Hellas_ were startled by a shriek andthe exclamation, "Ah, mon Dieu! je suis mort!" Lord Cochrane andseveral officers rushed to the Prince's cabin, there to find him lyingin a pool of blood, and writhing in agony. His servant had beencleaning his pistols, and he had just loaded one of them to hang it ona nail, when, the trigger being accidentally struck, the weapondischarged and a ball entered his body and settled in the groin. Dr. Howe, an American surgeon, famous for his services to Greece and forlater philanthropic labours, being at hand, came to his relief untilDr. Gosse could be sent for. All that could be done, however, was tolessen the pain, which he bore with great heroism throughtwo-and-twenty hours. Lord Cochrane had him placed in his own cabin, and carefully tended him with his own hands. At seven o'clock in thefollowing morning he cried out, "Ah, quel douleur!" and diedimmediately. 

That melancholy accident had a sequel which must be told inillustration of the greed of the Greeks. The Prince's body was placedin a hogshead of spirits and conveyed to Spetzas, there to bedeposited in a convent until the wishes of the father, Prince LucienBuonaparte, could be ascertained as to its interment. A few monthsafterwards, some natives entering the convent and smelling thespirits, but apparently in ignorance of the use to which they had beenapplied, could not resist the temptation of tapping the hogshead anddrinking a part of its contents. 

Prince Paul Buonaparte died while Lord Cochrane was again making atour of the islands, vainly trying to induce the inhabitants toprovide him with adequate means for a formidable attack on the enemy. "In the port of Spetzas, " wrote one of his officers, on the 29th ofAugust, "there are now nearly forty vessels--none of them ready, not aman on board. All the men are out in cruisers, notwithstanding hisexcellency's order to fit out their vessels to meet the enemy's fleet. But such are the Greeks; they have no foresight, and until they seethe enemy they will make no preparations, nor will they, unless themoney is in their hands, expend a dollar to prepare a single fireshipto defend their country. It is now twenty-eight days since LordCochrane ordered the vessels from Hydra, Spetzas, and Egina to beprepared, and they are not yet ready. "

At length, on the 5th of September, Lord Cochrane was able, thoughstill with difficulty, to resign the irksome and extra-official dutiesof a tax-gatherer that had been forced upon him. "Since my return fromZante, and, indeed, since my return from Alexandria, " he wrote on thatday to the Government, now lodged at Egina, "I have been using myutmost endeavours to procure the equipment of a dozen brigs and asmany fireships. The delays occasioned, however, by the want ofpecuniary means have hitherto prevented the realization of my wishes, and the services of this frigate have been lost to the State duringthe fore-mentioned period, owing to the impossibility of procuring thenecessary funds without my personal presence at Syra and elsewhere. The equipment of the brigs and part of the fireships is now completed, in spite of all difficulties, and I shall not delay one moment theendeavour to effect something useful to the interests of the State. Ithink it proper, however, to intimate to your excellencies that, everything being paid relative to the expense of the presentexpedition, I know of no means whereby a single vessel can bemaintained during the ensuing month. "

On the 7th of September, Lord Cochrane was able to start on anotherwarlike cruise. His force comprised the _Hellas_, the _Karteria_, the_Sauveur_, and nineteen or twenty other vessels. The Spetziots and theHydriots, at the last moment, refused to aid him; but he was attendedby Miaoulis, Kanaris, and Saktoures, the three best of the nativeadmirals. After a brief visit to Candia, where he encouraged thegarrison of Grabusa to hold out against the enemy, he again passedround the Morea, in which direction he desired to attain two importantobjects. The first was to injure as much as possible the Turkish andEgyptian vessels collected near Navarino. The second was to co-operatewith the wretched force that, under General Church, had for threemonths past been making a show of resistance to the enemy at Corinth, and with its help to try and stir up the natives of Albania andWestern Greece. 

These objects, partly prevented in other ways, were nearly averted bya barbarous plot for Lord Cochrane's assassination. While halting offthe southern coast of the Morea, on or near the 10th of September, ashort, thick-built Greek, with an ugly countenance and determined eye, came on board the _Hellas_ and asked for employment as a sailor. Hewas examined and rejected, on the ground of previous misconduct. Instead of going on shore again, however, he contrived to hide himselfamong the crew, and was not detected by Lord Cochrane for severalhours, and when the frigate was in full sail. In the interval LordCochrane had received authentic information that this man had beencommissioned by Ibrahim Pasha to attempt his life. There would havebeen justification for his immediate arrest, and, after a courtmartial, for his summary execution. But Lord Cochrane pursued a moregenerous policy. Walking up to his secretary, Mr. George Cochrane, hesaid: "Observe that man who is at the gangway on the larboard side. Ihave just had information that he has been sent by Ibrahim Pasha toassassinate me. Go quietly below, put on your sword, and watch himwhile he is on board. " Mr. Cochrane obeyed his instructions. "In lessthan five minutes, " he says, "I was again on deck with my sword. Itook a few turns on the quarter-deck with his lordship, and thenplaced myself in a convenient position, about a dozen yards from theman. I did not lose sight of him for a couple of hours, keeping my eyesteadily upon him. He soon observed that I was watching him, and Icould perceive that he did not feel very comfortable in his mind. Hedid not attempt to come aft. Had he done so, I should have drawn mysword. After the men had had their dinner, one or two boats were gotready to convey seamen on board another vessel; and this fellow, seeing that his intentions were discovered, took advantage of theopportunity and got into one of the boats. I looked over the side ofthe _Hellas_, and saw him depart. " Thus Lord Cochrane's life wassaved. 

Navarino was passed on the 11th of September. Lord Cochrane made nohalt, as he saw that a British squadron, under Sir Edward Codrington, was there watching the Ottoman fleet and forbidding its egress. Heaccordingly at once proceeded northwards, and entered the Gulf ofPatras on the 17th of September. On that day, in anticipation of thevisit which he proposed to pay them, he forwarded proclamations to theinhabitants of the western coast. "People of Albania!" he wrote in oneof them, "although you have so long suffered under the Mussulman yoke;although your love of liberty has been so long kept down by a dark andcruel despotism, the hour of your deliverance is not distant, and ifyou will you can hasten it. Europe takes a lively interest in yourdestiny; your fellow-countrymen are hastening to aid you. But alldepends on the energy which you yourselves display: the support whichwe offer you, to be efficacious, requires on your part redoubled zealand patriotism in the actual and decisive moment. Brave Albanians!your happy future, the security of your families, and the honour ofyour religion, are in your hands; your bold and steady co-operationwill ensure your own salvation and our success!"

The intended expedition was prevented. It had been arranged that LordCochrane should wait near Cape Papas for the arrival of GeneralChurch's army and convey it to Western Greece, in the hope of puttingit to better service in that region. But the land force was long incoming, and before its arrival Lord Cochrane had to write to theGovernment, explaining his recent movement and the reasons whichcompelled him to abandon the project of fighting in Albania. "Havingproceeded to the Gulf of Patras, " he said, "in order to co-operatewith General Church in his intended expedition to Western Greece, Ithought it would be conducive to the public service to invest the fortof Vasiladi, until, by the arrival of the forces of the general, moreimportant operations could be undertaken; and accordingly that islandwas immediately blockaded by the boats of the squadron, and nowcontinues surrounded by the vessels belonging to the Missolonghites, who have undertaken to maintain the blockade until it shall surrender. The _Karteria_, the _Sauveur_, and two of the gunboats, wereimmediately detached with orders to take or destroy all the enemy'svessels within the Gulf of Lepanto, whilst the _Hellas_ went to theanchorage of Kalamos, in order to ascertain from the officers in armswhat prospect there was of general co-operation; and I regret to saythat the want of union among the chiefs and the prospect of some kindof accommodation with the enemy seemed to paralyse all their energies. I therefore detached all the squadron under Admiral Miaoulis to Syraand Naxos, to aid the Candiots and Chiots, should they continueinclined to assert their independence. I have to add that I receivedan indirect communication from the British Admiral, intimating hisdesire that no new or further operations should be undertaken in thatquarter; for which reason I am about to proceed elsewhere, under theimpression that nothing should be left undone to stir up thepopulation of Greece to a sense of their duty to themselves and totheir country. "

The communication referred to was conveyed by Lord Ingestre, commanderof the _Philomel_, who hailed the _Hellas_ on the 27th of September, to deliver a message from Sir Edward Codrington. "Whereas I aminformed by Sir Frederick Adam, " wrote the English Admiral, "that LordCochrane, with the Greek fleet, is about to embark the army of GeneralChurch in the neighbourhood of Cape Papas, for the purpose ofconveying them to the coast of Albania, you are hereby directed tomake known to the commander of that expedition that I consider it myduty, in the present state of affairs, to prevent such a measure beingcarried into execution, and that I shall shortly present myself inthat neighbourhood for that purpose. " Lord Cochrane knew that, if itwould be personally very distasteful to him to be in collision withthe naval force of his own country, it would, on public grounds and inthe interests of Greek independence, be wholly inexcusable for him toact in violation of Sir Edward Codrington's message. Therefore hecomplied with it and went back to the Archipelago, there to do otherwork, while England was serving Greece in her own way. 

The service was to be rendered at last. After spending a year indiplomatic formalities, Great Britain and Russia had, in the spring of1827, openly renewed their arguments with the Porte in favour of Greekindependence. These arguments having been rejected, the two Christianpowers were in consultation as to the next course to be pursued, whenFrance, partly urged thereto by her schemes for the acquisition ofAlgiers, then a Turkish dependency, offered to take part in thedefence of Greece. The result was a treaty signed in London, on behalfof the three states, on the 6th of July, having for its object theenforcement of the St. Petersburg protocol of the 4th of April, 1826. It insisted that Greece should have internal freedom, though undervassalage to Turkey; and provided that, if the contending parties didnot agree to an armistice within a month, there should be a forcibleintervention. 

The Greeks welcomed the proposals made to them in consequence of thistreaty; but they were rejected by the Turkish Government, notwithstanding the appearance of English, French, and Russianwarships in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Reshid Pasha andIbrahim continued their efforts to bring the whole insurgent districtinto thorough subjection, and accordingly the patriotic Greeks andtheir foreign supporters continued to act on the defensive. LordCochrane and a few others, indeed, were eager to secure action bolderthan ever, considering that, when the settling-time arrived, thelimits of independent Greece would be augmented if a larger area wasthen the scene of zealous opposition to the Turkish power. This it wasthat chiefly induced the efforts to quicken the revolt in Albania, andwhen Lord Cochrane was prevented by Sir Edward Codrington frompersevering in his work in that quarter, he lost no time in sailinground to the eastern side of Greece, there to do his utmost towardsrousing the people of Candia and other islands into an assertion oftheir independence, in order that they too might have a claim to beincluded in the liberation of the Greeks. 

The message from Sir Edward Codrington to Lord Cochrane, which hasbeen quoted, was dated the 25th of September. It was writtenimmediately after an interview of the English commander and Admiral deRigny, who was in charge of the French squadron, with Ibrahim Pasha. To him they had formally announced that they were instructed to insistupon a cessation of hostilities, and that they should promptly actupon their instructions. Ibrahim answered that he had orders from theSultan to continue the war, but he promised to communicate with hissovereign, and pledged himself to abstain from hostilities until theanswer arrived and was reported to the allied fleets. Before thatanswer came a fortunate series of accidents, arising out of LordCochrane's expedition to the Albanian coast, turned the current ofdiplomacy and secured for Greece more freedom than had beenanticipated. 

Lord Cochrane, attended by his Greek vessels, had left theneighbourhood of Cape Papas on the 27th of September. But, thoughdeeming himself bound in honour to that course, he was willing toallow a part of his force to remain in the neighbourhood and watch theprogress of events, especially as that part was at the time separatedfrom him and lying in the Gulf of Lepanto. It consisted of the_Karteria_, under Captain Abney Hastings, the _Sauveur_, under CaptainThomas, and two gunboats, each mounting a 32-pounder. For a week thislittle squadron, ignorant of the arrangement between the alliedadmirals and Ibrahim Pasha, watched a Turkish force that was moored inthe Scala of Salona, and comprised one large Algerine schoonercarrying twenty brass guns, a brig of fourteen guns, six smaller brigsand schooners, two gunboats, and two armed transports. These vesselswere protected by batteries on the level shore and other batteries onoverhanging rocks. On the 30th of September, Captains Hastings andThomas proceeded to attack them, and did so with excellent effect. Thesolid shot of the _Sauveur_ and the gunboats soon silenced thebatteries; the red-hot shells of the _Karteria_ made havoc of theenemy's vessels, four being defeated within half-an-hour. Soon the_Sauveur_ and the gunboats joined in the attack on the shipping, and, in the end, seven vessels were destroyed and three captured. 

The news of that victory, as soon as it was conveyed to Navarino, where nearly all the naval force of the Turks was lying, roused theanger of Ibrahim Pasha, who complained that the allied powers, whilebinding him to inaction, allowed the Greeks to carry on the war. Onthe 1st of October, he sent out thirty war-ships with orders to enterthe Gulf of Lepanto and punish Hastings and Thomas for their recentexploits. Sir Edward Codrington, however, pursued them, and drove themback to Navarino. Ibrahim Pasha, not easily to be baffled, himselfleft Navarino, on the evening of the 3rd, with fourteen of hisstoutest vessels. Again Sir Edward Codrington gave chase, and thissecond squadron also was compelled by him to return to port. IbrahimPasha, however, was not to be robbed of his revenge. He dared notleave Navarino by sea, but he sent thence a land force, which marchedup to the northern side of the Morea, and did serious mischief to thewornout fragment of an army which General Church was slowly conductingfrom Corinth to Papas, there to be embarked for Albania. Only by theunlooked-for valour of young Kolokotrones and his section was the routof the whole army averted. Nor was Ibrahim satisfied with this act ofretaliation. His troops scoured all the adjoining country, burningvillages and laying waste the olive-groves and fig-gardens which werethe only source of subsistence to the luckless natives. 

Thereby Sir Edward Codrington and his allies were in turn incensed. They decided that the time had come for direct interference in thestruggle, and for the expulsion of the Ottoman forces from the Morea. In the afternoon of the 20th of October, five and twentyline-of-battle ships, frigates, and sloops entered the Bay ofNavarino. Ten of them were English, seven were French, and eight wereRussian, and they carried in all 1172 guns. Twenty thousand Ottomantroops watched them from the fortresses of Navarino and Sphakteria, and, as they entered the harbour, they saw some eighty Turkish andEgyptian vessels, mounting about 2000 guns, drawn up in the shape of ahorseshoe to receive them. They had come only to threaten; butaccident, or design on the part of the enemy, brought about a mostmomentous battle. 

A volley from the Ottomans began the fight, which was continued forfour hours with stolid energy on both sides. The English and Frenchvessels, being foremost, carried on the chief contest with the enemy'sshipping; the Russians had to silence the batteries before they couldenter the harbour, but then their Admiral, Count Heyden, did his fullshare of the deadly work. The fighting lasted till sunset; but by thattime many of the enemy's hulks were in flames, and all through thenight these flames spread from one vessel to another till nearly allwere destroyed. At daybreak, only twenty-nine out of the eighty wereafloat, and six thousand or more Moslems had been slain, burnt, ordrowned. Many of the vessels of the allies were seriously damaged, andof their crews a hundred and seventy-five men were killed, and fourhundred and fifty wounded. 

That was the battle of Navarino. "I have the honour to inform you, "wrote Sir Edward Codrington to the Greek Government, "that, accordingto the decision of my colleagues, Count Heyden and Rear-Admiral deRigny, and myself, the combined fleet entered this port at two o'clockon the 20th, that some of the ships of the Turko-Egyptian fleet firstbegan a fire of musketry, and then fired cannon-shot, which led veryshortly to a general battle, which lasted till dark, and that theconsequence of this has been the destruction of the whole of theTurkish fleet, except a few corvettes and brigs. Most of the ships ofthe allied fleets have received so much injury that they must go intoport; but if the Greek vessels of war are employed against their enemyinstead of destroying the commerce of the allies, they may hencefortheasily obstruct the movements of any Turkish force by sea. "

CHAPTER XXI. 

THE FIRST CONSEQUENCES OF THE INTERFERENCE OF THE ALLIED POWERS AND THEBATTLE OF NAVARINO. --LORD COCHRANE'S INTENDED SHARE IN FABVIER'SEXPEDITION TO CHIOS. --ITS ABANDONMENT. --HIS CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDSAND ABOUT NAVARINO. --HIS EFFORTS TO REPRESS PIRACY. --HIS RETURN TO THEARCHIPELAGO. --THE MISCONDUCT OF THE GOVERNMENT. --LORD COCHRANE'SCOMPLAINTS. --HIS LETTERS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALLIED POWERS, ACQUITTING HIMSELF OF COMPLICITY IN GREEK PIRACY. --HIS FURTHERCOMPLAINTS TO THE GOVERNMENT. --HIS RESOLUTION TO VISIT ENGLAND. --HISLETTER TO COUNT CAPODISTRIAS EXPLAINING AND JUSTIFYING THATRESOLUTION. --HIS DEPARTURE FROM GREECE, AND ARRIVAL AT PORTSMOUTH. --HISLETTER TO M. EYNARD. 

[1827-1828. ]

Heartily rejoicing at the benefit conferred on Greece by the battleof Navarino, Lord Cochrane could not but be troubled to think that theoverthrow of the Turkish and Egyptian fleet, which he had laboured sozealously to effect, and which, had he received any adequate supportfrom the Government or the people, would have been a work as easy forhim as the enterprises in which he had been so notably successful informer times and other countries, had to be done by the officers andships of foreign nations instead of by him and the native fleet ofwhich, by name, he was commander-in-chief. The battle being won, however, he tried, with no flagging of his energy, to complete thetriumph that had been thus begun, and, if anything was easy to apeople so wanting in patriotism, made easier. 

He was at Poros at the time of the battle. On his way thither he hadfallen in with the _Enterprise_, the first of the steamers built inEngland, and which, with others that never were completed at all, ought to have been completed nearly two years before. The _Enterprise_had been so badly constructed, that now that she arrived, she was ofvery little use. Lord Cochrane was now trying to improve her sailingpowers, and at the same time attempting to collect a really manageablecrew for the _Hellas_, and to bring together other vessels fit fornaval work. In these labours there was no less difficulty than hadbefallen him on former occasions. The _Hellas_ was in want of water;but the inhabitants of Poros refused to supply it, on the plea thatthey had no more than was needed for their lemon-gardens. Somecarpentering was urgently needed by the _Enterprise_; but, as it hadto be done on Sunday, the workmen declined to touch a hammer, notwithstanding the exhortations of a priest who promised themabsolution, and even threatened to excommunicate them if they failedin their duty to the country in this pressing time of its necessity. Of those sorts were the obstacles that occurred each day, and renderedfutile all the efforts of Lord Cochrane and his officers. 

On the 27th of October, Lord Cochrane again set sail from Poros in the_Hellas_, accompanied by the _Sauveur_, and the corvette which he hadlately taken from the Turks, to which the name of _Hydra_ was nowgiven, and proceeded to Chios. That island, the scene of previousdisasters, had since 1822 been left in the hands of the Turks. ColonelFabvier was now attempting to recover it for Greece, and Lord Cochraneentered heartily into the work. He arrived on the 30th, and spent twodays in vigorous co-operation with the land force that had reached theisland a day before. His share in this enterprise, however, was brief. He was visited on the 2nd of November first by Captain Le Blanc, bearing a message from Admiral de Rigny, and afterwards by CaptainHamilton, who produced a copy of a letter addressed on the 24th ofOctober to the Legislative Assembly by the Admirals of the threeallied powers. "We will not suffer Greece, " they there said, "to sendany expedition to cruise or blockade, except between Lepanto and Volo, comprehending Salamis, Egina, Hydra, and Spetzas. We will not sufferthe Greeks to carry insurrection into either Chios or Albania, and, byso doing, to expose the inhabitants to the cruel reprisals of theTurks. We regard as null and void all letters of marque given tocruisers found beyond the above limits; and the ships-of-war of theallied powers will everywhere have orders to detain them. Thereremains no longer any pretence for them. The maritime armistice is, infact, observed on the side of the Turks, since their fleet no longerexists. Take care of yours, for we will destroy it also, if the caserequires it, to put an end to a system of maritime pillage which willend by putting you out of the protection of the law of nations. "

By that letter, Lord Cochrane was constrained to abandon his intendedwork at Chios. He could excuse the angry terms in which it wascouched, since the anger was only directed against the sameunpatriotic conduct which he had all along been denouncing. He waspainfully aware that, with the exception of his own flag-ship and thefew vessels commanded by English officers, his fleet was chieflycomposed of pirates, who only took temporary service under thenational flag in order to fill up their idle time, or to make theirpublic service an occasion for further clandestine pursuit of theirlawless avocations. From the first he had persistently and fiercelydenounced this piracy, and from the day on which he had heard of thevictory at Navarino he had resolved to make it a special business todo all in his power to root out the evil. "The destruction of theOttoman fleet by that of the allied powers, " he had said in aproclamation dated the 29th of October, "having delivered the Greekfleet from the cares which had necessarily occupied its attention, andthe commander of the maritime forces of Greece having the right totake due measures for the extinction of piracy, to preserve the honourof the State, and to protect the people and property of friendlynations, it is now made known that ships of less than a hundred tons'burden are not to have arms on board, unless they are first providedwith express commissions, so registered, and numbered in such a mannerthat the number shall be conspicuously noted on the ship. All othervessels of the size defined which shall be found at sea with arms willbe considered as pirates, and the crews shall be brought to trial, and, if found guilty, be executed. "

For the brief remainder of his service in Greece, indeed, LordCochrane made it his principal duty to do all in his power towards thesuppression of piracy. The admirals of the allies having insisted thatthe Greek vessels should do nothing but watch their own coasts withina distance of twelve miles from the shore, he proceeded to thesouthern part of the Morea, making only a short tour, in order to meetthe primates of Samos, Naxia, Paros, Candia, and other islands, andascertain from them the condition of the people and their power ofresistance to the Turks and to their piratical enemies of their ownrace. The information gained by him was not satisfactory. He foundthat here, as in the mainland and the nearer islands, patriotism wasweak and misrule oppressive. Everywhere the people were the victims oftheir own want of patriotism and of the tyranny of foes, both Moslemand Christian. 

He was off Cerigo on the 15th of November. There, having heard thatthe residue of the Turkish and Egyptian fleet was preparing to put tosea with all the available force, apparently to carry on the war inCandia, he at once sailed on to the south-eastern promontory of theMorea, and, during a fortnight, maintained the blockade on both sidesof Navarino, between Coron and Prodana. There also he was able tocarry on his war against pirates. "The _Hellas_ being off the islandof Prodana, a few miles to the north of Navarino, " he reported to theGovernment, describing an important adventure of the 21st of November, "I sent two boats for the purpose of procuring wood from the island. The boats, being fired upon from persons near to some vessels in acove, returned with a report that there were Turks upon the island. Inconsequence of this report, the corvette _Hydra_ was directed to enterby the northern passage, whilst the _Hellas_ entered to the southwardof the island, and both vessels anchored opposite to the place wherethe supposed Turkish vessels were at anchor. It was immediatelyperceived, however, that the vessels were not Turkish, and, onexamination, one proved to be a schooner under the Greek flag. It wassoon discovered that a Dutch vessel at anchor in the same port hadbeen seized, without the slightest pretence, by the schooner andplundered of almost everything that could be removed, and, moreover, that the captain and crew had been most barbarously flogged, for thepurpose of ascertaining where the proceeds of the outward cargo weredeposited. "

Lord Cochrane wrote to the same effect to the Governor of Zante. "Ihave left the piratical vessel with a petty officer and sufficientcrew to blockade Prodana, until you can send and seize the pirates, should you think proper, as they have been plundering and annoying thetrade of the Ionian Islands. I send two of the pirates in irons, inorder that, obtaining further information, you may deal with them andwith the others according to the law of nations. "

That instance of the policy adopted by Lord Cochrane will help to showhow he set himself to put down piracy. The work was not easy, as thelawless conduct was secretly authorised by the Government, andpractised with very little secresy by great numbers of the nationalvessels. It was in vain that he issued the proclamation of the 27th ofOctober, that has been quoted; in vain, too, that he sent two gunboatsto visit all the principal ports, with fresh injunctions againstpiracy and with authority to compel obedience to those injunctions, ifnecessary, by force. Good work, however, was done by these gunboats, in conjunction with two brigs detached for the purpose, in escortingneutral trading vessels through the waters most infested by thesea-robbers. 

Slowly and painfully the conviction was forced upon Lord Cochranethat, after all his previous failures in attempting to turn thelawless Greeks into honest patriots and to convert their ill-mannedships into members of an efficient navy, his labours were now moreuseless than ever. After a fortnight's cruising about Navarino, heretraced his course and anchored, on the 3rd of December, off Egina, where the so-called Government was then located. To it he wrote onthat day, asking for directions as to his mode of procedure. "Thesquadron under my command, " he said, "has been in the blockade ofCoron, Modon, and Navarino, and I have to inform your excellenciesthat there yet exists in the port of Navarino a naval force, under theTurkish flag, superior to the force under my command. I have, therefore, felt it my duty to repair to this port, in order that I mayobtain instructions for my guidance, more especially as the Turkishsquadron is ready for sea, and said to be destined for Candia, withten thousand men, intending there to repeat the barbarities which thewant of provisions in the Morea renders it impossible they can longerperpetrate in that quarter. There is also a great number of captivewomen and children about to be transported as slaves, and the onlyforce of the allied powers off Navarino consists of a small brig, the_Pelican_, which is totally inadequate to impede the naval operationsof the Turks. Under these circumstances, I beg to be explicitlyinformed whether I am to consider that 'the armistice _de facto_'continues, and if you have any doubt on the subject that you will bepleased candidly to inform me, that I may not be led into error and soincrease the evils by doing anything in opposition to the intentionsof the allied powers. "

That letter was answered by a personal visit from the members of theGovernment, when Lord Cochrane was informed that the triumvirate wasso embarrassed by the demands of the allied powers for restitution onaccount of piracies committed with its approval that it could neitherdo nor sanction anything at all. He was told that even the scantymeans that he had had for supporting the fleet out of the revenues ofthe islands could no longer be allowed to him, as every dollar thatcould any how be collected would be required for other purposes. 

Still, however, the Government expected him to continue his work, andhe was even asked to do work from which, both for his own honour andin the interests of Greece, he felt bound to abstain. "I have receivedyour letter, " he wrote to the Secretary, about ten days afterwards, from Poros, "informing me that it is the desire of the Government thata national vessel shall be despatched to Chios, in the event of mybeing prevented from personally proceeding in the _Hellas_ to thatisland. In reply to this intimation, I have to state to you that it isimpossible for me, consistently with the duties which I owe to Greece, to place the national squadron, whilst it shall continue under mycommand, or any part thereof, under circumstances to be treated by theships-of-war of the allied powers after the manner set forth in theletter of the 24th of October, addressed by the three admirals to theLegislative Assembly, --a determination which is even more painful tome than the grief I feel at finding myself involved, notwithstandingall my precautions, in the restrictions and penalties justly laid uponprivateers and pirates. I cannot trust myself to say more on thissubject, lest I should be led by my feelings to pass the bounds whichI prescribe to myself as an officer when treating of the conduct ofthe Government which he serves. If Chios remains unprotected, ifCandia is deprived of the aid it might receive from the nationalmarine, and if the ships-of-war are incapacitated from extending thebounds of Greece, I have the consolation of knowing that I have usedmy utmost endeavours to prevent the evils I foresaw. One of these, however, I was far from anticipating, --namely, that the revenues whichI was authorised to collect for the service of the marine would havebeen withdrawn from my control and expended for other purposes; moreparticularly that sums so diverted should be placed to the account ofthe marine, without the objects for which they were employed havingreceived my sanction or even been known by me. 

"I have struggled during eight months in the service of Greece againstdifficulties far greater than all I ever encountered before; and Iwould most willingly continue to contend with these, did I find theslightest co-operation in any quarter. But, as the Government haswithdrawn _de facto_ the resources decreed, and the seamen decline toembark without pay in advance, and the funds, arising from thephilanthropy of other European nations, which supplied the navy withthe means of subsistence, are wholly exhausted, I have no alternativebut to lay the ships up in port, until means to defray the expenses ofthe navy shall be found. I have myself, during the last month, paidthe Greeks in the naval service; but whilst I see that even the shareof prizes claimed by Government is diverted from its proper use, Ishall not continue to be answerable for future expenses, nor for theliquidation of the just claims of the foreign officers, which theyhave had the patience to leave in arrears for many months. "

It had come to this. Lord Cochrane had been devoting all his energiesto the service of Greece; and now he found himself deserted by hisemployers, or only retained in the hope that he would be an unpaidagent in piratical and lawless proceedings. 

That last circumstance was to him the most painful of all. Having donehis utmost to restrain the piracy that was rife, he was still regardedby the governing triumvirate as only the most powerful instrument forachievements that were little better than piratical; and the same cruelmisrepresentation of his functions was common among his enemies inEngland and other parts of Europe. Colour for this misrepresentationappeared in the celebrated letter written by the three admirals on the24th of October, which, describing the national fleet as a mere crowdof "Greek corsairs, " by implication included Lord Cochrane and hisEnglish supporters in the same opprobrium. This had not at first beenperceived by him. On his detecting the insult, he wrote to therepresentatives of the three powers three letters, which here need tobe quoted in his justification. 

The first was addressed, on the 13th of December, to Captain Le Blanc, commander of the _Junon_. "The silence respecting the regular forcesunder my orders, " he said, "observed in the letter of the admirals ofthe mediating powers, dated October the 24th, 1827, appearing to makeno distinction between them and the mere pirates, hanging over boththe same accusations, and subjecting consequently the former to therestrictions wisely adopted towards the latter, makes it my duty, bothtowards the country which I serve, towards the officers under mycommand, and towards myself, to protest publicly and in the face ofEurope, against the interpretations to which such a document seems togive foundation. The detailed account of the conduct of those ships ofwar which are under my immediate orders, and which compose thenational squadron of Greece, will prove that no neutral vesselwhatever has been seized, driven out of its course, or stopped by themunder any pretext whatever, with the exception of such as have brokenthe blockade of Lepanto, the detention of which is legalized by theact above mentioned. These facts are undeniable. The conduct of theofficers of the national squadron has been conformable, in all points, to the laws of nations and to the instructions issued by the admirals, in their character of representatives of the mediating Powers. Nohostility has been committed by the national vessels against theterritory or the forces of the Turco-Egyptian Government, placedbeyond the prescribed limits of Lepanto. But, if such be the state ofthings, I have the right of sending on a mission, for the publicservice, ships of war beyond these limits, and, availing myself ofthat right, I have despatched two (the one to Corfu, and the other toSyra), the destination of which relates to the finances of the navy. Be pleased, sir, to communicate the contents of this letter to Admiralde Rigny, with whom you have communicated verbally on the subject, andexplain to him the propriety of this step, to avoid explanations withwhich it is not necessary that the public should intermix. "

The second letter, dated the 5th of January, 1828, was to thecommander of the Russian frigate _Constantine_. "Although I am aware, "wrote Lord Cochrane, "that his excellency, Count Heyden, when heaffixed his signature to the letter of the Admirals, addressed to theLegislative Assembly of Greece, dated the 24th of October, could notattest, of his own knowledge, the truth of the imputations containedin the said document; yet, as the public may not recollect that therecent arrival of the Count precluded the possibility of his being inthe slightest degree acquainted with facts regarding the regular navalservice under my command, I expect from the Count, that so soon as heshall have informed himself on the subject, he will take the necessarysteps to remove an evil impression which he unconsciously hascontributed to produce, and thus save me, in as far as the Count isconcerned, the necessity, always disagreeable, even of a satisfactoryrefutation of the imputations cast upon me as Commander-in-Chief ofthe Greek fleet. "

The third letter was to Commodore Hamilton, of the _Cambrian_, who hadbeen left by Sir Edward Codrington to represent the British squadronin the Archipelago. "The Government of Greece having acquiesced in theoffer made by the three Powers to mediate in her behalf, " wrote LordCochrane, "it became my duty to obey the decision of the admiralsrepresenting those Powers, when duly communicated. But whilst myofficial situation demands acquiescence on points of a public nature, it is far otherwise when the Admirals give reasons affecting thecharacter of the regular naval service of Greece, in justification ofrestrictions imposed by them on the movements of the squadron Icommand, accompanied by threats to destroy the Greek vessels of war, in order to prevent asserted piracy. You, sir, who are accuratelyacquainted with facts, and now possess ample means of ascertaining thetruth here upon the spot, must know, or may learn, that no neutralvessel has been seized or disturbed in her course by the nationalsquadron on the high seas, nor any vessel detained, except thoseacting in violation of the blockades acknowledged by these veryAdmirals. Is it not then extraordinary that such limitations andmenaces on false grounds should originate with persons whose highofficial situations would seem to sanction imputation under theirsignatures? I have told the French and Russian commanders, and I hopeyou will assure the British Admiral, that I shall be loth to trespasson public attention with explanations, to refute their joint letter ofthe 24th of October, in justification of those under my orders; but itwill become me so to do unless a satisfactory interpretation shall begiven to expressions which, at present, seem even more particularlypersonal to myself. "

That was almost the last letter written by Lord Cochrane in Greece formany months. Finding his position as First Admiral of the Greek navy, without work to do or crews to direct, unbearable, he had resolvedupon a fresh expedient for attempting to improve the state of affairs. Before that, however, he made a last attempt to gain support from thenominal Government, and uttered a last protest against its mode ofprocedure. "I have strenuously endeavoured, " he wrote on the 18th ofDecember, "to avoid laying before you any complaint, more particularlyconcerning acts done by your excellencies; but there is a point atwhich such forbearance on my part would become a dereliction of myduty as an officer in the service of Greece, amounting even to treasonagainst the State. So long as the evils extended no further than thedepriving the ships-of-war of their crews, and preventing thebrulottes from being equipped for service; so long as the injuryoccasioned by the granting of numerous licences to privateers onlyprevented naval operations from being carried on against the enemy, Iremained silent. But now that the conduct of those privateers hasbrought down upon the Greek nation a threat of being placed out of thelaw of nations, and has involved the national squadron, unmeritedly, in the disgrace attached to those who have been guilty of unlawfulacts, it is my duty to notify to your excellencies that I consider allauthorities given without my intervention to armed vessels, of anydescription, for belligerent purposes, to be illegal, and that I havegiven orders to the national vessels under my authority to seize them, wherever they may be found, that they may be judged according to thelaw of nations. " "I have been waiting with anxiety, " he wrote inanother letter, a few days later, "for the occurrence of events whichwould have rendered it unnecessary for me to enter into anycorrespondence with your excellencies on pecuniary matters; but, unfortunately, my anticipations on this head having been disappointed, and the squadron being without even the provisions necessary for themaintenance of the few men required on board the ships when at anchor, it has become an imperious duty no longer to delay calling upon yourexcellencies to fulfil the engagement entered into relative to theappropriation of two-thirds of the revenues of the islands, which youhave thought fit to apply to other purposes. "

To neither letter was any satisfactory answer sent by the authorities, and Lord Cochrane, after all his previous troubles, believed that nonewould ever be obtained. He therefore suddenly resolved to leave Greecefor a time, to go himself to England and France, and there, bypersonal communication with the leading Philhellenes, to describe theactual condition of Greece, and to see if any better state of affairscould be brought about. This resolution he announced on the 1st ofJanuary, 1828, to Count Capodistrias, who, having been electedPresident of Greece nearly nine months before, and having acceptedthat office, had not yet thought fit to enter upon it or to doanything towards repairing the shattered fortunes and retrieving theviolated honour of the State of which he was nominally the head. 

"On my return home from Brazil, " said Lord Cochrane, in this memorableletter, "I was pressed by various friends of Greece to engage in theservice of a people struggling to free themselves from oppression andslavery. My inclination was consonant to theirs. It was stipulatedthat, for the objects in view, six steam-vessels should be rapidlybuilt, and that two old vessels of war, or Indiamen, should bepurchased and manned with foreign seamen. The engines for thesteam-vessels were to be high-pressure, these being the easiestconstructed and managed; and two American frigates, when finished, were also to be placed under my authority. The failure of theengineer, through disgraceful ignorance or base treachery, in theproper construction of the engines--the want of funds to procure theold vessels of war or Indiamen with foreign seamen--and the retentionof one of the frigates built in North America, deprived me of thewhole of the stipulated force, except the _Hellas_. It is needless toremark that with one frigate I was unable to effect that which hassince required eleven European ships of the line, aided by manyfrigates and smaller vessels, to accomplish. Under thesecircumstances, it became my duty to confine myself to desultoryoperations, secretly conducted against the enemy. 

"The difficulties I have had to contend with, even in theseexcursions, " he continued, "can best be appreciated by the few foreignEuropean officers who accompanied me. The obstinate refusal of theGreek seamen to embark or perform the smallest service without beingpaid in advance--the contempt with which the elder portion of theseamen treated every endeavour to promote regularity and maintainsilence in exercising the great guns and other evolutions, renderedtheir improvement hopeless; and the enlistment of young seamen, whilstthe old were rejected, has been rendered extremely difficult by reasonof the influence of the latter, and by the prejudice excited against aregular naval service by influential individuals, whose power andimportance are thereby diminished in the maritime islands. The frequentmutinies or resistance to authority, and the numerous instances inwhich I have been obliged to return to port or abstain from going tosea are recorded, as to dates and circumstances, in the log-book of the_Hellas_, together with the disgraceful conduct of the crew in thestripping and robbing of prisoners, and their want of coolness in thepresence of an enemy--exemplified on our attacking a small frigate anda corvette near Clarenza, and by the firing of upwards of four hundredround shot, on a subsequent occasion, at the corvette now named_Hydra_, without hitting the hull of that vessel four times, althoughshe was within a hundred yards of the _Hellas_. Such was the confusionexcited by the contiguity even of so inferior an enemy. It is not myintention to trouble you at present with detail; yet I cannot suffer topass unnoticed that certain commanders, and the seamen of the majorityof the fireships--in the use of which vessels rested my lasthopes--failed in their duty on the only two important occasions whentheir services were required; once at Alexandria in the presence of theenemy, as the brave Kanaris can well testify; and again by the crewsabandoning their duty and embarking in privateers, many of them afterhaving received pay in advance for their services. Indeed--encouragedby privateering licenses--insubordination, outrage, and piracy havearrived at such a pitch that these very national fireships, strippednot only of their rigging, but of their anchors and cables, are nowdrifting about the harbour of Poros. A neutral boat, detained by the_Hellas_ for violation of blockade, has been plundered by those sent incharge of her; and scarcely a vessel can pass between the islands, oralong the shore, without the passengers and property being exposed tobrutal violence and plunder. A darker period is yet approaching ifdecisive measures are not adopted for the suppression of outrages likethese. 

"I am ready to serve Greece, and to aid in any way in theaccomplishment of the arduous task you have undertaken; but, on thefullest consideration of circumstances, I feel that I should practisea deception were I to contribute to the belief that the few foreignofficers in the naval service can put a stop to these disorders, whichmust finally involve the character of that very service, alreadyprematurely brought in question by the conduct of vessels unlawfullycommissioned by the temporary Government. I have, in consequence ofthis opinion, come to the resolution to exert myself to procureadequate means to execute the duties of an office in which my effortshitherto have been all counteracted; and I the more readily adopt thisresolution as, during the winter months, it is impossible to navigatethe _Hellas_ in these narrow seas with a crew of young inexperiencedGreek seamen, and still more impracticable to manage her with old onesof Turkish habits. I may, indeed, add that, until the communicationaddressed on the 24th of October by the three admirals to theLegislative Assembly shall be cancelled, it is hopeless to attempt anynaval enterprise in favour of Greece, even had Admiral de Rigny notsuper-added his commands 'that all Greek vessels, armed for war, foundbeyond twelve miles from the shores of continental Greece, betweenVolo and Lepanto, shall be destroyed. ' I repeat that I have taken mydetermination, not from any private feeling of disgust at the abovedisgraceful restrictions brought by the temporary Government; nor fromtheir misappropriation of the revenues allotted to maritime purposes, and the consequent want of pay, stores, and even provisions for theships of war; nor from the painful feeling that the crippled ships ofthe enemy are thereby enabled to depart in security, dragging withthem four thousand Grecian captives to slavery; nor from theimpossibility of reducing their maritime fortifications, while theGreeks, unpunished, are the chief violators of the blockade; but Ihave resolved to proceed to England without loss of time, that I mayrender better service to Greece. If you aid me with means, my objectas to seamen will be ensured. Sober, steady men can be obtained fromthe northern nations, who will do their duty, and, since precept isuseless, teach the Greeks by example. Then piracy may cease andcommerce may flourish. Be your intention in regard to thesteam-vessels still in England what it may, foreign seamen areindispensable to the interests of Greece and to your own; and theexpense of bringing them here will be little increased if thesesteamers, fitted under my inspection, shall become the means of theirconveyance. The hardship of a winter's voyage to the North, in a smallvessel, I shall deem amply repaid if I can accomplish these objects, expose the injustice and impolicy of certain measures, and bring thereal wants of Greece to the knowledge of a liberal and enlightenedadministration. "

On the same New Year's Day Lord Cochrane wrote, explaining hisresolution, to Dr. Gosse, who, of all the Philhellenes in Greece, hadrendered him most efficient service in his thankless task, and mostzealously encouraged him, throughout a long series of failures forwhich he was in no way answerable, to persevere in struggling forsuccess. "My dear friend and fellow-sufferer, " he said, "in conformitywith your wish and opinion, I have tolerated my mental load ofgrievances until the new year; but as it is essential to commence itwell in order that measures may prosper to the end, I have resolved toput my intention in execution, regardless of the officious tongues ofthose of microscopic views who may deem that my time might be wellemployed in balancing the rivalships of barbarous seamen or protectingthe movable stores of the immovable _Hellas_. In my present state ofofficial insignificance I could render no other service. I have stateda few of my reasons in a letter to Capodistrias, for his privateinformation, when he shall assume the office of president. I hopethese will suffice, and that he will communicate his desire, whichshall be duly attended to. "

In accordance with his new resolution, Lord Cochrane transferred thecommand of the _Hellas_, and such control of the whole navy as waspossible, to Admiral Miaoulis. He left Poros in the little schooner_Unicorn_, on the 10th of January, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 11thof February. "The anxiety and disappointment, " he said, writing to M. Eynard from Portsmouth on the following day, "which I experienced inregard to the steam-vessels and other means that were to have beenplaced at my disposal are trifling, when compared to the distress I havefelt at finding my only remaining hope of rendering effectual service toGreece destroyed by the impossibility of inducing the Greek seamen tosubmit to the slightest restraint on their inclinations, or to renderthe most trifling service without being paid in advance, or to performsuch service after being so paid, if it suited their interest orconvenience to evade the fulfilment of their engagement. More than sixcrews have passed under my review on board the _Hellas_ in the course ofas many months, exclusive of those in other vessels, and, notwithstanding all that has been written to praise the courage of theGreek seamen, they are collectively the greatest cowards I have ever metwith. No service of any difficulty or danger can be undertaken with suchmen without the greatest risk of being compromised by the confusion theycreate, and the impossibility of causing orders to be obeyed. Indeed, though styled Commander-in-Chief of the Greek Naval Forces, I have, since the 12th of April last, when I hoisted my flag, been, in truth, under the control of wild and frantic savages, whose acts are guided bymomentary impulses or heedless avidity to grasp some immediate pecuniaryor petty advantage, regardless of any prospect of future benefit, however great, to their country or to themselves. To give you an idea ofthe character of men suddenly emancipated from a state of the mostdegrading and abject slavery, in which state cunning, deception, andfraud, if not absolutely requisite, were convenient and profitable, oftheir present arrogancy, ignorance, despotism, and cruelty, when safeopportunity offers for revenge, would require that a diary should belaid before you of events which have actually occurred. The confidenceyou were pleased to repose in me, and the friendly offices for which Iam indebted to you would have imposed upon me the task of transmittingto you such detail, had the state of my mind, harassed by constantcontrarieties, permitted. 

"Leaving to a future period, then, minute recital of distressingoccurrences, permit me to make a few observations as to the coursethat appears to be necessary to be pursued in order to save Greecefrom impending ruin:--1st. The chief leaders of the different factionsshould be removed from Greece, --those who have education, on missionsto different states, as envoys, consuls, etc. , and the others, ascircumstances will permit. Else Greece will be a theatre of plunderand discord whilst they hold authority or have means to interfere inpublic affairs. 2ndly. Troops to the amount of four thousand, atleast, are required to enforce obedience to salutary laws andregulations. 3rdly. Five hundred seamen from the northern nations ofEurope or North America are indispensable for the suppression ofpiracy and to prevent the plunder of the islands. 4thly. Young Greekseamen should be employed by the civilized nations in their vessels ofwar and commerce. 5thly. The settlement of persons from all quartersof Europe, in numbers affording mutual protection, should beencouraged. Of course education at home, but more especially abroad, will improve the rising generation. For all those people now at theage of maturity in Greece there is no hope of amelioration. In regardto myself, I am ready, according to my engagement, to render anyservice in my power to Greece, and I shall feel great satisfaction ifI am enabled to do so; but it is no part of my contract to placemyself under the control of lawless savages. What might we not havedone had the steam-vessels and five hundred good seamen been employedin Greece, when, with these barbarians, we have doubled the number ofGreek national vessels of war, and destroyed twice as many of theenemy's squadron? I hope the President Capodistrias will not put hisfoot on shore in Greece, unless accompanied by a military force. If hedoes, he will afford corroborative proof of the impossibility ofestablishing a new order of things by the instrumentality of men whofeel interested in the continuance of ancient habits and abuses. "[12]

 [12] See Appendix. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

LORD COCHRANE'S OCCUPATIONS ON BEHALF OF GREECE IN LONDON ANDPARIS. --HIS SECOND LETTER TO CAPODISTRIAS. --HIS DEFENCE OF HIMSELFWITH REFERENCE TO HIS VISIT TO WESTERN EUROPE. --HIS RETURN TOGREECE. --CAPODISTRIAS'S PRESIDENCY AND THE PROGRESS OF GREECE. --LORDCOCHRANE'S RECEPTION BY THE GOVERNMENT. --THE SETTLEMENT OF HISACCOUNTS. --HIS LETTER OF RESIGNATION. --THE FINAL INDIGNITIES TO WHICHHE WAS SUBJECTED. --THE CORRESPONDENCE THEREUPON BETWEEN ADMIRAL HEYDENAND DR. GOSSE. --LORD COCHRANE'S DEPARTURE FROM GREECE. --HIS OPINIONSREGARDING HER. --THE CHARACTER AND ISSUES OF HIS SERVICES TO THEGREEKS. 

[1828-1829. ]

Lord Cochrane's absence from Greece was longer and less advantageousthan he anticipated. Arriving in London on the 19th of February, 1828, he found that the English Philhellenes were tired out by the bad faithand the unpatriotic conduct of the Greeks, and that the EnglishGovernment, which he had hoped to influence so far as to obtain analteration in the Foreign Enlistment Act which would enable him tosecure the services of a well-trained force of British seamen, wasdetermined to give no help in the matter. He found, too, that thesteam-vessels yet to be furnished in accordance with the old contractwith Mr. Galloway were still unfinished, and that there would be nolittle trouble and delay, added to all that had already been endured, before their completion could be hoped for. Not disheartened, however, he went almost immediately to Paris, there to see what could beexpected from the Philhellenes of the Continent. 

"I have taken steps, " he wrote to M. Eynard from Paris on the 2nd ofMarch, "to cause one of our small steam-vessels to be fitted withproper engines, the expense of which I shall find means to defray. Ihope the President will favour me with a communication at an earlydate, at least, to say whether he has means to pay and victual a fewhundreds of foreign seamen, and thus put my mind at rest. For he mustdepend on foreign aid to support him in his government, protectcommerce, and enable a revenue to be derived from the latent resourcesof Greece. The Greeks themselves will do nothing towards theseobjects; though there will not be wanting individuals who willendeavour, for their personal views, to persuade them to the contraryof this. My mind is not yet sufficiently tranquil to give detailedreasons for my opinion that things will not succeed in Greece withouttroops and other foreign aid; but such time will prove to be thecase. "

"Were the three great powers, " he said in another letter to M. Eynard, dated the 17th of March, "pleased to aid the President with funds to asmall amount, they would accomplish more for their own benefit andthat of Greece, than by great fleets and armies. Four thousand troops, under the Greek Government, and five hundred seamen, would terminatethe affair; but never will anarchy cease or piracy be put down, norwill Capodistrias be secure, unless he has, under his own authority, the means of enforcing obedience to the laws and regulations for thepublic good by sea and land. I have told you that the Greek seamencannot be used to suppress piracy, and I may truly add that no Greeksof age to bear arms can become soldiers, though they learn readilyenough to perform the military exercises. There neither is nor has yetbeen, since my arrival in Greece, one single company--not even themarines, with which so much pains was taken--that deserves the name ofregular. Their ideas are quite repugnant to everything thatconstitutes the military character. "

Lord Cochrane, who, it will be remembered, was chiefly instrumental inthe election of Count John Capodistrias as President of Greece inApril, 1827, had hoped much from his government. His confidence wasnot a little shaken by the long delay which the President had shown inentering on his office, and when Capodistrias arrived, in Greece, onlya few days after Lord Cochrane's departure, his first acts werecalculated to shake that confidence yet more. He introduced many solidreforms; but in other respects clung to the old and bad traditions ofthe people, and, which was yet worse, allowed himself to be guided bysome of the worst placehunters and most skilful abusers of nationalpower, whom he ought to have most carefully avoided. Lord Cochranebegan to perceive this before he had been six weeks out of Greece. Heyet hoped, however, that wise counsels and good government wouldprevail, and he tendered his advice, while he reported his ownmovements, in a second letter which he addressed to Capodistrias. 

"The information which your excellency must have acquired since yourarrival in Greece, " he wrote to him on the 22nd of March, "may haveconvinced you of the facts briefly touched on in the letter which Ihad the honour to address to you on the 1st of January, and may alsohave proved to you the impossibility, under existing circumstances, ofmy rendering service to Greece, otherwise than by the course I havepursued. Although, on my arrival in England, I was disappointed atfinding other ministers than those I expected in the counsels of hisBritannic Majesty, yet I had an opportunity of making facts known toinfluential individuals in proof that the interests of England wouldbe best promoted by a liberal policy towards Greece, and by placingthat country, without loss of time, in the rank of an independentstate, having boundaries the most extensive that could be conceded. Since then, I have had several conversations here with the gentlemenof the Paris Greek Committee, and I have advised them to assure theministers that large naval and military armaments are not required forthe expulsion of the Turkish and Egyptian forces from Greece, or toprotect that country from farther attempts at invasion by thebefore-mentioned powers; that for the speedy regulation of theinternal affairs of Greece, and the support of your authority, itwould be far preferable and infinitely less costly for the mediatingpowers to place in your hands the means of maintaining four or fivethousand troops, together with five hundred seamen, and apply aportion of the vast sums they will save to the education of the risinggeneration of Greeks abroad and at home, and to the encouragement ofwhatever will tend to direct the talent and genius of the young peoplemost speedily into the course which will entitle Greece to rankamongst the civilized nations of Europe. Whether this advice shall belistened to or not, I am satisfied that my opinion is correct, andthat a multitude of foreign troops, in the pay of rival foreignnations, would contribute less to the objects these nations profess tohave in view than a much smaller force under your own authority, moreespecially when it is considered that these troops could in no wayinterfere with the internal arrangement and police of the country, unless by usurping, or at least superseding the authority which oughtto be exclusively vested in your excellency as chief of the GreekGovernment. Besides, knowing, as I do, the jealous character of yourcountrymen, the facility with which they listen to surmises andreports, the diversity of interests amongst the rival chiefs, and theintrigues practised by base and worthless individuals, I have littledoubt but that such mixture of troops of different nations would giverise to a state of anarchy more injurious to Greece than that which atpresent exists. Whether such anarchy might be prevented by one nationalone taking upon itself the internal arrangement of Greece seemsdoubtful; for, to enforce laws, however just and necessary, by troopsin foreign pay, against the opinion and habits of a people who have nojust notion of the reciprocal duties of civilized society, would be intheir estimation to erect a military despotism, and would call forthresistance on their part even to the most salutary changes. I havealso recommended, as an additional security against a multitude ofevils, an immediate demarkation of the boundaries of Greece, or, atleast, an acknowledgment of your excellency as President. The outfitof two or three steam-vessels still unfinished is going on, and Ishall find means to accomplish this object in a way that will renderthem equal if not superior in velocity to most of the steamboats ingeneral use. But, as no pecuniary means could be obtained in Englandto procure seamen and purchase provisions, coals, and othernecessaries, I came to Paris, in the hope that the Greek Committeemight enable me to give orders regarding these arrangements, soindispensable to the navigating of these vessels to Greece. The ParisCommittee, however, intimate that they have no funds; and theChevalier Eynard assures me that the moneys collected by him areexhausted. I therefore await with anxiety your answer to the letterwhich I had the honour to address to you previous to my departure fromGreece. "

No answer came from Capodistrias. He sent a message to Lord Cochraneasking him to sell him the little _Unicorn_, which had conveyed him toEngland, but said nothing about his own return. Believing that theallied powers would do for him all that was necessary in navalresistance of Turkey, he was not sorry to be deprived of an associatein the actual service of Greece as powerful as Lord Cochrane. 

This Lord Cochrane began to suspect. "Everything is arranged regardingthe engines for the two steamboats, " he said in a letter to M. Eynard, on the 24th of March; "but circumstances do not enable me toaccomplish more, especially without the sanction of the President, from whom I shall no doubt shortly hear on the subject;--unless, indeed, he shall be persuaded by the primates of the islands that hecan do better without a regular naval force, or, at least, without me, which I know is the opinion of Konduriottes, and also ofMavromichales, the great licenser and patron of pirates, so loudly andjustly complained of. I am very low, and do not feel at all well. Icannot free myself from the oppression of spirits occasioned by seeingeverything in the lamentable state in which all must continue inGreece, unless some effectual steps are taken to put an end to theintrigues and rivalships headed by unprincipled chiefs and backed bytheir savage followers. Believe me, that there is nothing I will leaveundone to serve the cause. But it is essential that more time shallnot be wasted in endeavouring to accomplish objects of vitalimportance by inadequate means. "

While Lord Cochrane was endeavouring to hasten the arrangements forhis return to Greece, he was annoyed by a letter forwarded to him bySir Francis Burdett. The letter was from Andreas Luriottis, one of thetwo Greek deputies who had requested Lord Cochrane, two years and ahalf before, to enter the service of Greece, and who now claimed arestitution of the 37, 000l. Paid to him, on the plea that by leavingGreece he had broken his contract. 

"Before writing to Sir Francis, " said Lord Cochrane in the indignantletter which he addressed to this person on the 20th of April, "youought to have informed yourself of facts and circumstances. You mighthave learnt that I continued to serve until the Greek Government hadassumed to themselves the powers vested in me, as navalcommander-in-chief, to regulate the distribution of armed vessels, anduntil they had covered the seas with piratical craft. You might haveinformed yourself that I remained at my post until the neutraladmirals refused to hold communication with a Government which had somisconducted itself, and with which they considered it would have beendisgraceful to correspond, even on subjects of a public nature. Youmight have informed yourself that I remained on board the _Hellas_until the temporary Government had sold and applied to other purposesthe revenues of the islands allotted for the maintenance of theregular naval service, and deprived me of the means to satisfy theclaims of the officers and seamen; that I continued until the seamenhad abandoned the frigate, plundered the fireships, and fitted outpirate vessels before my eyes--all which I had no power to punish ormeans to prevent. If you or others infer that my endeavours in thecause of Greece are to be judged by naval operations carried onagainst the enemy by open force, you are mistaken. It is essentialthat you hold in mind that there are no naval officers in Greece whoare acquainted with the discipline of regular ships of war, that theseamen would submit to no restraint, that they would not enlist formore than one month, that they would do nothing without being paid inadvance, nor continue to serve after the expiration of the shortperiod for which they were so paid, that by this determination of theseamen the _Hellas_ was detained for months in port or occupied incollecting amongst the islands paltry means to satisfy their demands, and that at last, when money was found, half the period of theseamen's engagement was consumed in proceeding even to the nearestpoint at which hostile operations could be carried on, whence itbecame necessary to return almost at the moment of our arrival. It isnot for me to speak, except when I am attacked, of the services I haverendered both in my professional capacity and otherwise. Those whowere in Greece knew my exertions to reconcile the National Assembliesin April, 1827, to suppress the animosity amongst the chiefs and savethe country from civil discord. They know that I doubled the nationalmarine by captures from the enemy. They know that by desultoryoperations I paralysed the efforts of fleets we could not oppose. Theyknow that the attack on Vasiladi and Lepanto, in September last, induced the Turkish and Egyptian fleets to follow to that quarter, inviolation of the armistice, and that this act produced their rencontreand dispute with the British admiral, and ultimately led to thedestruction of those fleets in the port of Navarino. "

A few days after writing that letter, Lord Cochrane returned to Londonfrom Paris, where he had been staying for nearly two months, infrequent communication with the members of the Philhellenic Committeesof that city and of other parts of the Continent. The growingdissatisfaction which the bad conduct of the Greeks had awakened inmany of their best friends, and still more the silence ofCapodistrias, prevented his doing all that he had hoped to do. Hesucceeded, however, in exciting some fresh interest, and found thatone of the steamboats, at any rate, the _Mercury_, was at length in afair way of completion, though this and its subsequent equipment wereonly effected by an advance of two thousand pounds, which he himselfmade. This was the business which took him to London, where he wasbusily employed during May and the first few days of June. He thenwent back to Paris for nearly three months more, and made furtherefforts, though in vain, to procure the substantial assistance forGreece on which his heart was set. As soon as the _Mercury_ was readyfor sea, he directed that she should proceed to Marseilles, where shearrived on the 13th of September: on the 18th, determined to make thebest use of her in his power, he again set sail for Greece. 

He reached Poros on or near the last day of September. He found thatthe internal arrangements of Greece had wonderfully improved. Capodistrias during the last eight months had been ruling with an ironhand over all those districts which the previous conquests of theTurks and Egyptians had not taken out of his control, and all thoseconquests were just then being finally abrogated. The full effects ofthe battle of Navarino were now appearing. Ibrahim Pasha, havingdeported many of his troops to Alexandria, chiefly because there wasnot food enough to be found for them in the Morea, had refused tosurrender his authority or to abandon any of the numerous fortressesof which he was master. The President, with Sir Richard Church and theworn-out refuse of the so-called army for his only support, could donothing to expel him; but he gladly accepted the proffered aid ofFrance. In compliance with a protocol signed on the 19th of July, fourteen thousand soldiers, under General Maison, had landed atPetilidi, on the 30th of August, and within a week Ibrahim had beenforced to sign a convention pledging himself to prompt evacuation ofthe peninsula. Half of the residue of his army quitted Navarino on the16th of September; the rest was preparing to depart at the time ofLord Cochrane's arrival, and actually started on the 5th of October. The ensuing weeks were worthily employed by the French army inclearing out the pestilential garrisons and making it possible forwholesome rule to succeed to the seven weary years of strife. 

Thus the primary work which Lord Cochrane had been engaged to do, andwhich he vainly strove to do under the miserable circumstances of hisposition, had been effected by others. The Ottoman fleets had beendispersed and destroyed, and, as far as they were concerned, Greecewas free at last. There was work yet to be done, troublesome but mostimportant work, in converting the disorderly and piratical vessels andcrews which constituted the navy of Greece into an efficient agent forprotecting the State and extending its boundaries. This, in spite ofall his previous annoyances, Lord Cochrane was prepared to do, if theGreeks were willing. But they did not will it. Capodistrias had laidhis plans for governing Greece, and for their performance he had noneed of a foreigner as wise and honest as Lord Cochrane. The planswere not altogether reprehensible. At starting they were perhaps thebest that could be adopted. The new President--the President whom LordCochrane had nominated as the likeliest man to beat down the factionsand override the jealousies that had hitherto wrought such grievousmischief to Greece--began by acting up to the anticipations which hadinduced his selection. Schooled in Italy and Russia, he practised bothtortuous diplomacy and straightforward tyranny in attempting to turndivided Greece into a united nation, in which a hundred rivalclaimants for power should be made humble instruments of the authorityof their one master. Thereby the State was enabled to assert itsexistence, and it was made possible for good government to beintroduced. When, however, the time came for inaugurating that goodgovernment, Capodistrias sought to continue the method of rule which, if allowable at first, was no longer right or likely to succeed. YoungGreece was to be kept in subjection for his own aggrandisement and forthe aggrandisement of his few favourites and advisers. Thesefavourites and advisers were the leaders of the old Phanariot party, Prince Mavrocordatos and his brother-in-law Mr. Trikoupes; men whosepolicy Lord Cochrane had opposed on his first arrival in Greece, andwho accordingly became even more inimical to himself than he was totheir purposes and plans. 

Therefore it was that, when Lord Cochrane returned to Greece in theautumn of 1828, he was coldly received and his offers of furtherservice, though not openly rejected, were not accepted. Throughout tenweeks he was treated with contemptuous indifference, or formalcompliments, the hollowness of which was transparent. On his arrival, the President found it difficult to grant him an interview. When thatinterview was granted, the only subject allowed to be discussed wasthe accuracy of the accounts that had been drawn up by Dr. Gosse asCommissary-General of the Fleet, during the nine months of theprevious year in which Lord Cochrane had been in active service. Nearly two months were spent in tedious and vexatious examination ofthese accounts, and correspondence thereupon, ending, however, in thepartial satisfaction which Lord Cochrane derived from the knowledgethat, after the most searching investigation, they were admitted to becorrect in every particular. 

More than once, during this waiting time, Lord Cochrane threatened toleave Greece immediately, without waiting for the settlement of theaccounts. He was only induced to remain, and submit to the insultsoffered to him, by the consideration that his hasty departure mightcause an indefinite postponement of this settlement, and so proveinjurious to his subordinates if not to himself. This being done, however, he lost no time in resigning his office as First Admiral ofGreece; and that measure was accompanied by a rare exhibition ofgenerosity. "The direct and active interference of the great Europeanpowers having decided the glorious contest for the freedom of Greece, "he said in a letter to Count Capodistrias, written at Poros, on the26th of November, "and its independence being formally acknowledged byaccredited agents from these powers, no means now present themselvesto me whereby I can professionally promote the interests of thishitherto oppressed people. I beg, therefore, that I may be permittedas an individual to alleviate their burdens by presenting the Statewith my share as Admiral of the corvette _Hydra_, and schooner-of-war_Athenian_, captured from the enemy; and further by absolving the Statefrom any and every obligation whereby the sum of 20, 000l. Was to bepaid to me on the acknowledgment of the independence of this country. If your excellency shall be pleased, conjointly with the NationalAssembly, to appropriate any part of the said amount to the relief ofthe seamen wounded, and of the families of those who have fallenduring the contest, it will be a high gratification to my feelings, and I hope will be admitted as a testimony of my satisfaction at theintroduction of useful institutions, and of the pleasure I experienceat the rapid advancement towards order which has taken place evenduring the short period of your excellency's presidency. I have onlyto add that, if at any future time your excellency shall deem myservices useful, I shall be delighted at an opportunity to prove myzeal for the welfare of Greece, more fully than circumstances haveheretofore permitted. "

The President's reply, dated the 4th of December, was complimentary:"The Government of Greece, " he said, "thanks you, my lord, for theservices you have rendered, and for the new proof of your interest andyour benevolence which you have shown in your letter of the 26th ofNovember. As you observe, Greece having been taken under theprotection of the great Powers of Europe, the Provisional Governmentcan engage in no warlike operation worthy of your talents and yourstation. It regrets, therefore, that it cannot offer you anopportunity of giving further proof of the noble and generoussentiments which animate you in favour of Greece. The Government willmake it its duty to convey to the National Congress your offer to cedeyour rights in the corvette _Hydra_ and the schooner _Athenian_, andin the 20, 000l. Which Greece was to pay you on the acknowledgment ofher independence. It doubts not that the Congress will value at itstrue worth all the nation's debt to you, and that it will adopt themeasures which you propose for succouring the families of the Greekseamen who have fallen in the war. The future of Greece is in thehands of God and of the Allied Powers. You have taken part in herrestoration, and she will reckon you, with sentiments of profoundgratitude, among her first and generous defenders. "

A day had not passed, however, before Lord Cochrane had fresh proof ofthe worthlessness of that pretended gratitude. Information havingreached Messrs. J. And S. Ricardo, the contractors for the Greek loanof 1825, that the new Government contemplated repudiating the debt, they had written to Lord Cochrane, begging him to bring the matterbefore Capodistrias, and represent to him the injustice to thestock-holders and the discredit to Greece that would result from suchan act. Lord Cochrane, accordingly, had an interview with thePresident and his two chief advisers on the 5th of December, when thissubject was discussed, and, though the repudiation was onlythreatened, attempts were made to justify it on the plea that the2, 000, 000l. Forming the loan had nearly all been squandered in Englandand America, much having disappeared in unexplained ways, the resthaving been absorbed in ship-building and engine-making, from whichGreece had derived no benefit. Both in the personal interview and in along letter which he addressed to the President on the following day, Lord Cochrane indignantly resented the proposed repudiation. Headmitted that there had been gross mismanagement, but showed that thechief blame for this attached to the Greek deputies, Orlando andLuriottis, who had been sent to England to raise the money and to seethat it was properly expended, but who, as was well known, had soughtonly their own advantage and enjoyment, and, pilfering themselves, hadallowed others to pilfer without restraint. He urged that the innocentholders of the Greek stock ought not to suffer on this account, andshowed also, that, if there had been great abuse of the loan, it hadenabled the Greeks to tide over their worst time of trouble. "Yourexcellency must be aware, " he wrote, "that there was no war-shipbelonging to the State which was not bought, taken, or obtained by theaid of this loan, and that all the guns, mortars, powder, and othermilitary stores which served to maintain the liberties of Greeceduring these later years were chiefly procured by help of this samefund. It enabled you to carry on the war until independence wassecured by the intervention of the Allied Powers. "

The debt was not repudiated; but Lord Cochrane's arguments for itsacknowledgment gave an opportunity for exhibition of thelong-smothered jealousy with which he was regarded by the counsellorsof Capodistrias, if not by Capodistrias himself. The exhibitioncertainly was contemptible. As Lord Cochrane was about to leaveGreece--and, indeed, eager to do so--the spite could only be shown inthe arrangements made for his departure. 

Having transferred the _Mercury_, which brought him out, to thePresident, Lord Cochrane had to ask for a vessel to take him fromEgina, where he was then staying, to the Ionian Islands, or, if hecould not there find suitable conveyance, to Toulon or Marseilles. Thebrig _Proserpine_ was grudgingly placed at his disposal. "I pray you, my lord, " wrote Mavrocordatos, on the 8th of December, "if you areobliged to take her to Toulon or Marseilles, not to detain her atNavarino or Zante, but to enable her to return with as little delay aspossible to her work on the shores of Western Greece. " Lord Cochraneaccordingly embarked in this vessel on the 10th. No sooner was he onboard, however, than he found himself treated with studied rudeness byher captain, Manoli Bouti, "exposed, " as he said, "to privations andinsults that would not be allowed in the conveyance of convicts. " Hehad to put in at Poros on the same evening, and thence address acomplaint to the Government, then lodged in that island. Four dayspassed before he received a written answer to his letter, and then itconveyed nothing but a formal intimation that another captain would beappointed in lieu of the obnoxious officer. 

Many personal communications, however, had passed in the interval, bywhich was confirmed the suspicion formed by Lord Cochrane from thefirst, that the captain's misconduct had been dictated by hissuperiors, and that it had been a preconceived plan to try and sendthe First Admiral of Greece--for both title and functions stillbelonged to him--from her shores with every possible degradation. Henaturally resented this indignity. He claimed that, while he remainedin Greece, and until his office of First Admiral was abrogated, heshould be treated with the respect due to his rank. All he asked, heurged, was that he might be allowed to leave Greece at once, if withsuch show of honour from the people whom he had done his best toserve, as would free him from insult and the Government fromdisgrace. "I assure your excellency, " he wrote to the President, "thatI regret the occurrence of any circumstance that occasions uneasinessto you; but I believe that, on reflection, you will clearly perceivethat all which has occurred has been the work of others, whose acts Icould neither control nor foresee. I waive my right to insist atpresent on any explicit recognition of my authority, and, though thereis ample justification for my seeking more than I desire, all that Idemand of your excellency is, for the sake of Greece, not to suffer, not to sanction your ministers in an endeavour to force me on topublic explanations, by persevering in the scandalous line of conductwhich they pursue. Surely your excellency cannot be aware of theimportance which naval men attach to the continuance of the insigniaof office, whilst actually embarked within the limits of theirstation, or you would not for an instant tolerate the attempt made todegrade me in the estimation of the high authorities and numerousofficers here present in the port of Poros. I respectfully await yourexcellency's official commands and warrant to strike my flag; notfounded on reasonings or on assumptions, which may prove fallacious orincorrect; but dictated in explicit terms, such as an officer can, such as he ought to obey. "

That Lord Cochrane was not fighting with a shadow, appears from aletter addressed to Dr. Gosse, on the 15th of December, by CountHeyden, then commanding the _Azoff_, as representative of Russia inthe bay of Poros. "As the affairs of etiquette are delicate, " he said, "I beg that you will inform me whether his lordship is still servingas First Admiral of Greece, or whether he has received his _congé_. Ifhe is still in her service and employ, I shall rejoice to render himall the honours due to his rank. In the other case, I will pay him allthe honours, except the salute of cannon. I beg that you will favourme with an answer, in order that I may show his lordship all thehonour that is due to him. "

Dr. Gosse's answer, though longer than Admiral Heyden expected, claimsto be here quoted, as it furnished an important tribute to LordCochrane's worth, and was all the more valuable in that the Russianofficer, glad to do all in his power to render homage to a man whomthe Greek Government was now treating with childish insolence, made ithis own by publishing it in the naval archives of Russia. "LordCochrane, " wrote Dr. Gosse, "having arrived in Greece in March 1827, was, in the National Assembly at Troezene, elected First Admiral andCommander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces of Greece, with independent andunlimited powers. Subsequently, and after the election of CountCapodistrias as President, the Assembly decided that the admiralshould be under the authority of the Government until the arrival ofthe President. During the year 1827, Lord Cochrane fulfilled hisduties with all the zeal, all the accuracy, and all the talent forwhich he is renowned; but he found it impossible to achieve anythingof importance, isolated as he was, without sufficient funds, andwithout support from others, except that of the PhilhellenicCommittees, and without the co-operation of the Greeks themselves. Atlength, having pledged himself not to interfere in internal politics, he considered his presence in Greece useless until a firm Governmentcould be organized, and deemed that he could render best service tothe nation by advocating its interests in Western Europe. He departedearly in January, after during two months vainly awaiting the arrivalof Count Capodistrias, whom he informed of his expedition, and askedfor instructions. He returned to France and England, used all themeans in his power to obtain fresh aid for Greece, fitted out one ofthe steamboats that were being prepared in London, took steps for thecompletion of the other two, and, after writing a second letter to thePresident--which, like the first one, received no answer--returned toGreece, resolved to devote himself to her cause. He was received withcoldness and indifference; neither lodging, nor provisions, noremployment were offered to him. He asked that his accounts might beexamined: ignorant or evil-minded commissioners were entrusted withtheir investigation, and the Government only took it in hand verytardily. Objections and disputes, difficulties and contradictions, accumulated, and it was only after a delay of sixty days that hisaccounts were publicly and officially declared to be correct. All thatwhile he remained like a private person on board his steamboat, mannedonly by six sailors. In all the audiences that he had with thePresident, he asked for instructions as to the position and work thathe should assume; but he could never receive any definite answer. During one interview which he had with Prince Mavrocordatos on boardthe _Mercury_, in the port of Poros, on the 1st of December, theanniversary of the coronation of the Emperor of Russia, he announcedhis intention of hoisting his flag on board one of the nationalvessels as a public compliment to that sovereign, and asked M. Mavrocordatos to inform the President of that intention; but hereceived no answer. He had during this period received numerousletters from the Government addressed to him as First Admiral andCommander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces of Greece. He afterwards wentto Egina with Messrs. Trikoupes and Mavrocordatos, to receive a partof the money due to him, and to hand over to the Commission of Marinethe steamboat _Mercury_. That done, he was embarked in a nationalvessel, a miserable brig which had been seized as contraband, badlyrepaired, which had been sent to convey him to Navarino, Zante, Toulon, or Marseilles. This vessel was under the orders of a Hydriotbrulotteer, an ignorant and coarse man, who, long before, at theexpedition against Alexandria, had acted in direct violation of theadmiral's orders; and the crew was on a par with the captain. LordCochrane was insolently received by these people. No place of safetywas found for his baggage and his money; no food was provided even forthe voyage from Egina to Poros, where Lord Cochrane wished to takeleave of the President. At Poros the captain repeated his insults. Lord Cochrane requested the President to dismiss him, but received noanswer. M. Trikoupes even came on board and declared that the captainshould continue his voyage and proceed to his destination. LordCochrane then said that he would be master on board a vessel fromwhose mast floated his admiral's flag, and that he would yield tonothing but the written orders of the President, in order, as he said, that he might protect himself from the insolence of servants of theGovernment who sought to annoy him by their exhibition of paltryjealousy, or to force him into a quarrel with the President. The daybefore yesterday, in the afternoon, he had an interview with thePresident, and, Messrs. Trikoupes and Mavrocordatos being present, heopenly pointed out to him the intrigues of these officials and thedangers of the course in which they were leading him. Warmly, and withthe boldness of a good conscience, he exposed their policy andexpressed his views upon the organization of the Greek navy. He thenrepeated his wish to depart as soon as possible, although he declaredhimself willing at any future time to serve Greece if she had need ofhim. He also announced that he would at once take down his flag ofauthority if the President officially and directly required it, butthat, if any charges were brought against him, he should be compelledto remain in Greece until he had exculpated himself before the nationand obtained the punishment of the unworthy servants of the President, for whom personally he declared that he had a profound respect, whilehe commiserated his difficult and painful position. In this interviewLord Cochrane appeared to me to have a great advantage over hisantagonists. Yesterday the admiral's flag was still floating. In theevening the President wrote him a letter in vague terms andcontributing nothing to the end he had in view. This morning LordCochrane, in his reply, has again asked for authority to lower hisflag, if that is the will of the President; but no orders have beenreceived. This precise statement of facts which have come under my ownknowledge will, I think, make it easy for your excellency to arrive atconclusions comporting with the laws of etiquette. "

"I have read your letter with pleasure and with pain, " wrote AdmiralHeyden in answer on the same day; "for I am certain that Lord Cochranemust have suffered greatly from the treatment to which he has beenexposed. In proof of my esteem I beg that he will send back to theirkennels these miserable causes of his annoyance, and proceed to Malta, or to Zante if he wishes, in one of my corvettes, taking with him aslarge a suite as he likes. It cannot be too numerous. As regards hissalute, I shall receive him with the honours due to his rank and withmusical honours; and at his departure I will man the yards; but thesalute of guns I cannot give him, as he is not in naval authority. Vice-Admiral Miaoulis never received from me the honours which I offerto Lord Cochrane. I did not man the yards and did not give him asalute. I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing his lordship, andthat I can provide him a passage more agreeable than that proposed forhim by Greece. "

Not content with sending that friendly message to Lord Cochrane, Admiral Heyden took prompt occasion to reprove Capodistrias for hisunworthy conduct. Capodistrias thereupon used the influence of Dr. Grosse in bringing about at any rate a formal reconciliation betweenhimself and Lord Cochrane, the result of which was that the latterreceived the official discharge that he desired, and even an offer tofind him in another ship a better passage than he could have expectedon board the _Proserpine_. Lord Cochrane, however, preferred to acceptAdmiral Heyden's more generous invitation. "It is gratifying, " he saidin a letter to Dr. Grosse on the 18th of December, [13] "that even theauthority to which wicked men refer in proof of the rectitude of evildeeds fails to sanction infamous conduct. Alas! if Capodistriassuffers--and he seems not inclined to oppose--I say, if he suffers thebase intrigues of the Phanar to be introduced as the means of ruling anation, Greece must fall back, if not into a darker state, yet into aworse condition, inasmuch as suspended anarchy is preferable to civilwar. "

 [13] Dr. Gosse had remained in Greece during Lord Cochrane's absence, and he continued to reside in Greece for a few months after his friend's final departure. He won for himself much gratitude, not only by his zealous work in war time, but by the skill and patience with which he sought to reduce the plague which raged in Greece in 1827 and 1828. Two proofs of the popularity which he fairly won are as follows. The first, dated the 17th of June, 1828, was signed by twenty-three leading inhabitants of Poros. 

 "Nous citoyens de Poros, reconnaissant dans la personne de M. Le Docteur Louis André Gosse, un homme animé du philhellénisme le plus sincère et doué de vertus éminentes, considérant son zèle ardent et infatigable pourtant en ce qui concerne le bien de la patrie et pour la cause sacrée de la Grèce et en particulier témoins des soins philanthropiques qu'il a prodigués aux indigens, persuadés d'autre part que ses qualités rares contribueront à l'amélioration de la morale du peuple Grec, et animés du désir d'attacher à notre Ile cette homme vertueux; d'une voix unanime et d'un accord commun concédons le droit de bourgeoisie au susdit M. L. A. Gosse, pour qu'il jonisse dorénavant du titre et des droits de citoyen Poriote indigène. En foi de quoi nous lui avons délivré la présente. "

 The other document was issued by President Capodistrias on the 23rd of February, 1829. 

 "La lettre que vous venez de m'adresser, datée du 21 Février, et les comptes qu'elle renferme, sont une nouvelle preuve du zèle et de l'extrême exactitude, par laquelle vous vous êtes toujours montré digne de la confiance des amis généreux de la Grèce. 

 "Je n'ai pas besoin de vous répéter combien la nation sait apprécier les services que vous lui avez rendus, et combien de reconnaissance je vous dois en particulier. C'est à mon instance que vous avez prolongé d'un an votre séjour en Grèce. Dans cet espace, et surtout dans l'été dernier, la peste et les maladies qui vinrent augmenter nos malheurs et nos souffrances, vous ont fourni l'occasion de co-opérer par un noble dénouement a l'accomplissement des mesures sanitaires qui à l'aide de la Providence ont conjuré les manx majeurs, dont la Patrie était menacée. 

 "Maintenant vous devez remplir des désirs qui honorent vos sentiments, vous allez retourner dans votre heureuse patrie, auprès de votre mère. Mes voeux vous y accompagneront, je vous souhaite toute sorte de bonheur. La Grèce ne peut dans ce moment vous exprimer d'autre manière sa reconnaissance, mais un jour viendra, je l'espère, dans lequel elle le pourra et son Gouvernement s'empressera alors d'acquitter sa dette envers vous, ainsi qu'envers les autres étrangers, qui sincèrement et généreusement ont servi sa cause sacrée. 

 "Lorsque vos affaires et vos intérêts le permettront, vous vous occuperez toujours du bien de la Grèce; vous lui serez toujours utile partout où vous vous trouverez; mais si vous voulez lui être utile plus directement, revenez encore au milieu d'un peuple qui vous connaît et qui vous aime, et son gouvernement se hâtera de vous mettre à même de lui rendre encore de grands services. 

 "Recevez en attendant l'expression de ces sentiments, avec l'assurance de la considération le plus distinguée. "

Those prognostications proved correct. Capodistrias, allowing othersto direct him in ways of bad government, entered on a policy whichvery soon led to his assassination--to be followed by the milder ruleof King Otho. 

On the 20th of December Lord Cochrane left Poros in the Russiancorvette _Grimachi_, honourably placed at his disposal by AdmiralHeyden, and proceeded to Malta. There he was worthily received by theBritish admiral, Sir Pulteney Malcolm, who offered him immediateconveyance to Naples in the _Racer_, or, in a week's time, a passagedirect to Marseilles in the _Etna_. Believing that thus he would savetime, he chose the former alternative. From Naples, however, he foundit impossible to proceed to Marseilles, and he was obliged, on the29th of January, to embark in an English merchant vessel to Leghorn. Eleven days were spent in the short voyage, and on reaching Leghorn hehad to submit to fifteen days' quarantine before being allowed toproceed to Paris, there to rejoin his family. The whole journeyoccupied nearly ten weeks. 

From Leghorn he wrote on the 15th of February to Chevalier Eynardrespecting Greece and her still unfortunate condition. "Civilizationand internal order, " he said, "can make no steady progress in Greeceunless the Government can be supported otherwise than by the presentbands of undisciplined, ignorant, and lawless savages. Under existingcircumstances, Greeks who have attained the age of maturity areincapable of military organization. You have long known my opinion asto the necessity of sending foreign troops to Greece to maintainorder. You know that I preferred Swiss or Bavarian soldiers to thoseof the great pacificating powers, because the latter cannot, withpropriety, interfere in matters of police, whilst paid by foreigncountries. It is now, however, too late to send small militaryestablishments, such as would have sufficed on the arrival ofCapodistrias, because _now_ they would be considered as oppressors;_then_ they would have been received as allies and friends. Thealternatives that may be pursued in the conduct relative to Greece noware, to let the Revolution work itself out, as in South America, or toleave six regiments in the country until the young men who are abroadshall be educated and the rising generation at home shall be somewhatcivilized. It is of no use to attempt to do good by half measuresunder the present circumstances of Greece. Kolokotrones is ready, onthe spot, to take possession of Patras the moment it is evacuated. Petro-Bey, who has been prosecuted in the Court of Admiralty forpiracy, is prepared to avenge himself by taking authority in Maina. Konduriottes, Zaimes, and all the other chiefs, anxiously await themeeting of the Assembly, which they hail as the final hour of thePresident's authority. Capodistrias's ministers, too, who are nofools, but, on the contrary, cunning men, undoubtedly have similarviews, for they have taken every means to discredit, disgust, anddrive away every foreigner who, by his conduct, counsel, or friendlyintimation, could avert the evil. Thus things are fast tending towardsa discreditable close of the President's administration. "

"Thank God, " wrote Lord Cochrane three months later, on the 17th ofMay, to Dr. Gosse, who, in the interval, had also left Greece, "we areboth clear of a country in which there is no hope of amelioration forhalf a century to come; unless, indeed, immigration shall take placeto a great extent, under some king, or competent ruler, appointed andsupported by the Governments of the mediating powers. The mental feverI contracted in Greece has not yet subsided, nor will it probably forsome months to come. "

Lord Cochrane might well be suffering from a mental fever. Nearly fouryears of his life had been spent in efforts to serve Greece, and withvery poor result. To himself the issue had been wholly unfortunate;even the pecuniary recompense to which he was entitled having been soreduced as not to meet the expenses to which he had been put, partlythrough his generous surrender of the 20, 000l. Which he was to receiveon completion of the work, partly through the depreciation of theGreek stock in which, out of sympathy for the cause, he had investedthe 37, 000l. Paid to him on his engagement. 

And to Greece the issues had been far less beneficial than he hadhoped. The tedious and wanton delays to which he had been subjected atstarting, whereby that starting was prevented for a year and a half, had hindered his arrival in Greece till it was too late for him to domuch of the work that he had planned. The want of money, and, stillmore, the want of patriotism, courage, and even common honesty on thepart of nearly all the leaders with whom he was to co-operate, and theofficers and crews whom he was to command, had caused his ten months'active service in Greece to comprise little more than a series of boldprojects, and projects which, if he had been aided by brave men, wouldhave been as easy as they were bold, in which he received none of thesupport that was necessary, and which accordingly all his energy andgenius could not make successful. When, after his visit to England andFrance, he returned to Greece, eager and able to render invaluableassistance in the organization of the navy, he was treated only withneglect and insolence, from which at last he was enabled to escapethrough the generous sympathy of a Russian admiral. 

Much, however, he had done for Greece. To his persistent entreatieswere due all the meagre displays of patriotism by which the Governmentof the country was maintained and Capodistrias accepted as President, and all the feeble efforts by which the war was carried on and thetriumph of the Porte was averted until the direct interference of theAllied Powers. That interference had been in great measure induced bythe report that he had entered the service of Greece, so that to himwas due not a little of the benefit that accrued from the whole courseof diplomacy by which her independence was secured; and theindependence was made more prompt and complete than could have beenexpected by the fortunate circumstance of his having occasioned thecollision between the forces of Turkey and those of the Allied Powerswhich issued in the Battle of Navarino. Much more he would haveachieved had his arguments been listened to and his plans supported. His failures no less than his successes bespeak his worth. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

A RECAPITULATION OF LORD COCHRANE'S NAVAL SERVICES. --HIS EFFORTS TOOBTAIN RESTITUTION OF THE RANK TAKEN FROM HIM AFTER THE STOCK EXCHANGETRIAL. --HIS PETITION TO THE DUKE OF CLARENCE. --ITS REJECTION BY THEDUKE OF WELLINGTON'S CABINET. --LORD COCHRANE'S OCCUPATIONS AFTER THECLOSE OF HIS GREEK SERVICE. --HIS RETURN TO ENGLAND. --HIS MEMORIAL TOWILLIAM IV. --ITS TARDY CONSIDERATION BY EARL GREY'S CABINET. --ITSPROMOTERS AND OPPONENTS. --LORD COCHRANE'S ACCESSION TO THE PEERAGE ASTENTH EARL OF DUNDONALD. --HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE KING. --THE COUNTESSOF DUNDONALD'S EFFORTS IN AID OF HER HUSBAND'S MEMORIAL. --THEIRULTIMATE SUCCESS. --THE EARL OF DUNDONALD'S "FREE PARDON, " ANDRESTORATION TO NAVAL RANK. 

[1828-1832. ]

Lord Cochrane's retirement from the service of Greece brought to aclose his career as a fighting seaman. With one brief exception, occurring twenty years later, when he commanded the British squadronin the North American and West Indian waters, but when there was nowarfare to be done the rest of his life, comprising thirty years ofripe manhood and vigorous old age, was passed without employment inthe profession which was dear to him, and in which he had shownhimself to be possessed of talents rarely equalled and certainly neversurpassed. 

He entered that profession at the age of seventeen. In 1800, when hewas twenty-four, he was promoted to the command of the _Speedy_. Withthat crazy little sloop, no larger than a coasting brig, he captured alarge French privateer on the 10th of May, and on the 14th herecaptured two English vessels that had been seized by the enemy. Onthe 16th of June he took another French vessel, and on the 22ndanother, with a prize which she had just obtained. On the 29th, hesecured a large Spanish privateer, in spite of five gunboats whichfought in her defence. On the 19th of July he captured another Frenchprivateer and rescued her prize; on the 27th he sunk another; and onthe 31st he put another to flight and took possession of the prizewhich she had in tow. On the 22nd of September, he seized another ofthe enemy's vessels. On the 15th of December he wrecked one Frenchwar-ship and captured another, one of three which came to herassistance; and on the 24th, being attacked by two Spanish privateers, he took one of them. On the 16th of January, 1801, he chased twovessels, and seized one, and on the 22nd, two of the enemy's craft, one French and the other Spanish, struck to him. On the 24th ofFebruary a French brig fell into his hands. The same fate was sharedby another vessel on the 11th of April, by another on the 13th, and bytwo others on the 15th. He captured a Spanish tartan and a Spanishprivateer on the 4th of May; and on the 13th occurred his celebratedvictory over the _Gamo_--carrying four times the tonnage, six timesthe number of men, and seven times the weight of shot possessed by the_Speedy_--which was soon followed by the taking of two other Spanishprivateers heavily armed. On the 9th of June, the _Speedy_ and anotherlittle vessel had a nine hours' fight, first with a Spanish zebec andthree gunboats, and afterwards with a felucco and two more gunboatswhich came to their aid, which were only allowed to escape when theEnglish ammunition was nearly exhausted, the _Speedy_ havingdischarged fourteen hundred shot. On the 3rd of July, the pigmyvessel, after hard fighting, had to surrender to three Frenchline-of-battle ships. It was on that occasion that their seniorofficer, Captain Pallière, declined to accept the sword of "anofficer, " as he said, "who had for so many hours struggled againstimpossibility. " In his thirteen months' cruise Lord Cochrane had withhis little sloop of fourteen 4-pounders, and a crew of fifty-fourofficers and men, taken and retaken fifty vessels, a hundred andtwenty-two guns, and five hundred and thirty-four prisoners. 

His next ship, the _Arab_, was made to serve during fourteen months inseas in which there was no work to be done; but for the _Pallas_, afine frigate of thirty-two guns, he was allowed to find memorableemployment. He was sent to the Azores, with orders to limit his cruiseto a month. He captured one large Spanish vessel on the 6th ofFebruary, 1805, a second on the 13th, a third on the 15th, a fourth onthe 16th. Forced after that to be idle, as far as prize-taking wasconcerned, for more than a year, he seized two French vessels on the27th of March, 1806, and another a few days later. On the 6th of Aprilhe captured the _Tapageuse_, and on the 7th he chased three othercorvettes till they were driven on shore by their crews and wrecked. He took another prize on the 14th. On the 14th of May, the _Pallas_had her famous engagement with the French frigate _Minerve_ and threebrigs, the _Lynx_, the _Sylph_, and the _Palinure_, carryingeighty-eight guns in all, wherein she was so disabled that she wasforced to return to Portsmouth to be refitted. 

The _Imperieuse_ being assigned to him in August, 1806, Lord Cochranetook two prizes on the 19th of December, and a third on the 31st. Hewas then ordered home, and there detained till the autumn of 1807. Onthe 14th of November, being again in the Mediterranean, he captured aMaltese pirate-ship, and soon afterwards he seized some other vessels. Being ordered to scour the French coast during the summer of 1808, hetook numerous prizes on the sea and effected yet more important workon land. "With varying opposition but with unvaried success, " he wrotein his concise report to Lord Collingwood on the 28th of September, "the newly-constructed semaphoric telegraphs--which are of the utmostconsequence to the safety of the numerous convoys that pass along thecoast of France--at Bourdigne, La Pinede, St. Maguire, Frontignan, Canet, and Fay, have been blown up and completely demolished, togetherwith their telegraph houses, fourteen barracks of gens d'armes, onebattery, and the strong tower on the Lake of Frontignan. " The list ofcasualties was "None killed, none wounded, one singed, in blowing upthe battery. " That work was followed by more of the same nature, afamous episode in which was Lord Cochrane's occupation of the Castleof Trinidad. "The zeal and energy with which he has maintained thatfortress, " wrote Lord Collingwood, "excite the highest admiration. Hisresources for every exigency have no end. "

The splendid exploit with the fireships in Basque Roads followed in1809, and with that Lord Cochrane's services to England as a seamanwere brought to a conclusion. Official persecution kept him inidleness during the remaining period of war with France, and he was inthe end driven to seek relief from oppression at home, and exercisefor his talents, by devoting himself to the cause of freedom in Chili, Peru, Brazil, and Greece. His unparalleled successes on both sides ofthe South American continent, and the circumstances of his partialfailure in Greece, have been sufficiently detailed in previouschapters. 

All through that time of virtual expatriation, his dearest hope hadbeen that England would, as far as possible, retrieve the cruel wrongthat had been done to him. Full redress was impossible. The heavycloud that had been cast over so many years of his most energeticmanhood could not be removed by any tardy act of justice; but thattardy justice could at any rate be done to him, and for this he strovewith unabated zeal. 

To this end he was partly occupied during his temporary absence fromGreece in 1828. On the 4th of June he addressed a memorial to the Dukeof Clarence, then Lord High Admiral, who just two years afterwards wasto become King of England. This memorial, eloquent in its simplicityand earnestness, the prelude to many others that were to be presentedin later years, claims to be here quoted in full. "To his RoyalHighness the Lord High Admiral, " it ran, "the memorial of LordCochrane humbly showeth;--That for fourteen years your memorialist hassuffered, among many injuries and privations, the loss of hissituation and rank as post-captain in his Majesty's navy, inconsequence of a verdict pronouncing your memorialist guilty of anoffence of which he was entirely and absolutely innocent;--That duringthe whole course of your memorialist's life, up to the day on which hewas charged with the crime of conspiring with others to raise falsereports for the purpose of fraudulently effecting a rise in the priceof the public funds, the character and conduct of your memorialistwere without reproach; and, numerous as have been the transactions inwhich your memorialist has subsequently engaged, he has, amid themall, uniformly preserved, though not an unassailed, yet an unshakenand unsullied character;--That your memorialist has never ceased, andnever can cease to assert his absolute innocence of the crime of whichhe was pronounced guilty. He asserts it now, most solemnly, as in thepresence of Almighty God, and certain he is, if every doubt be notdissipated in this world, that when summoned to enter more immediatelyinto that Awful and Infinite Presence, he shall not fail, with hislast breath, most solemnly to assert his innocence;--That it was yourmemorialist's consciousness of innocence that contributed, perhapsmore than any other cause, to produce his conviction; because itrendered him confident, and much less careful in making the necessarypreparations for his defence than he ought to have been, or than hewould have been, if guilty; while, on the other hand, there existedthe utmost zeal, industry, and skill in the conduct of theprosecution;--That your memorialist did all that was possible toprocure a revision of his case; but, as he had laboured under thedisadvantage of being included in, and tried under, the sameindictment with some who had probably no reason to complain of theresult, as well as the still greater disadvantage of having hisdefence blended, with theirs, so was he denied a new trial for thesame reason; it being a rule of Court that a new trial should not beallowed to any individual tried for conspiracy unless all the partiesshould appear in Court to join in the application; which, in the caseof your memorialist, could not possibly be, some of the parties havingquitted the country on the verdict being pronounced againstthem;--That your memorialist has never been able to obtain are-investigation of his extraordinary case, nor to obtain redress inany way; but now that your Royal Highness is Lord High Admiral, andhas, among other illustrious acts, distinguished yourself in thatcapacity by doing justice to meritorious officers, your memorialistfeels that he has everything to hope from the magnanimity of yourRoyal Highness;--That it is indeed certain that nothing can be morerepugnant to the feelings of your Royal Highness than that anindividual who zealously devoted himself to the naval service of hisking and country, as your Royal Highness knows your memorialist tohave done, should be for ever cut off from the service without themost unquestionable certainty of the rectitude of so severe aninfliction. So far, therefore, as depends on your Royal Highness, yourmemorialist cannot but confidently entertain the hope that he shallnot be doomed to remain all his life long the victim of a verdict ofwhich he has not only never ceased to complain, but which he knowsthat he has proved to be unfounded, to the satisfaction of those whohave examined as well what was advanced against him at the trial aswhat he has since adduced in his own justification. Your memorialist, therefore, is encouraged most respectfully to solicit your RoyalHighness to represent his case--a case of peculiar and unprecedentedhardship--to his most Sacred Majesty, and to advocate his cause. Andif, happily for your memorialist, his most Sacred Majesty, recognisingthe innocence of your memorialist, and taking his long-protracted andunmerited sufferings into his gracious consideration, should, of hismost gracious pleasure, vouchsafe to reinstate your memorialist inthat rank and station in his Royal Navy which he previously held, yourmemorialist will ever maintain the deepest and most grateful sense ofhis duty to his most Sacred Majesty and to your Royal Highness, andwill never cease to testify his gratitude by all the means in hispower. "

That document was presented by Sir Robert Preston to the Duke ofClarence, who promised to use every endeavour to obtain areconsideration of Lord Cochrane's case. He was unsuccessful. "DearSir, " he wrote to Sir Robert Preston on the 14th of June, "immediatelyon the receipt of the memorial you brought from Lord Cochrane, I sentit to the Duke of Wellington, with a request it might be considered byhis Majesty's confidential servants, and last evening I had acommunication from his Grace to state that the King's Cabinet cannotcomply with the prayer of the memorial. I ever remain, dear Sir, yourssincerely, William. "

The harsh news of this failure was sent to Paris, whither LordCochrane had gone in furtherance of his efforts for the assistance ofGreece. 

To Paris he returned, as we have seen, after his final departure fromGreece, and there he resided with his family for about six months. Hepaid a brief visit to England in September, 1829; but, seeing noimmediate prospect of gaining the restitution of his naval rank, andfinding that idle life at home was especially irksome to him, he soonwent back to the Continent. The serious illness of Lady Cochraneinduced him to pass the winter in Italy, where by the same cause hewas detained for several months. He was in England again in the autumnof 1830. 

One motive for his return was the accession of the Duke of Clarence tothe throne as King William IV. The new sovereign's often-expressedsympathy for him, induced him to hope that now he had a better chanceof obtaining the justice that had been so long withheld. The change ofsovereigns, however, was of small avail while the ministers who hadsummarily rejected his former memorial continued to have the directionof affairs. "To petition or memorialize the King whilst his presentministers remain in office, " he said in a letter written on the 10thof September, "would be to debase myself in my own estimation, and, Ithink, in that of every man of sense and feeling. " "I cannot petitionagain, " he said in another letter; "though I am assured from highauthority it would be attended to. Sir Robert Wilson and others haveobtained favour; but I, who protested against the forging of chartsand public waste of money, have had no mercy shown!" Lord Cochraneascertained, about this time, that his memorial of 1828, though sentby the Duke of Clarence for the consideration of King George IV. , hadnever reached his Majesty, the Cabinet having preferred to dismiss itat once. He therefore had good reason for abstaining from furtheraction until a more friendly ministry should be in power. 

He had not long to wait. On the 16th of November, the Duke ofWellington's Cabinet resigned. In the Administration which succeededEarl Grey was Premier, and Mr. Brougham, raised to the peerage, wasLord Chancellor. Lord Cochrane then lost no time in completing a"Review" of his case, which he had prepared for publication, and ingetting ready some early copies of the volume to be presented to theKing and his ministers. 

The King's copy was forwarded through Lord Melbourne, the HomeSecretary, on the 10th of December, accompanied by a brief petition. "Assured that the memorial which I laid before your Majesty when LordHigh Admiral, " wrote Lord Cochrane, "was honoured with your earnestconsideration, and that your Majesty was graciously pleased to make aneffort in my behalf, with the desire of restoring me to my station inthe navy; assured, too, that, had not the ministers of his late mostgracious Majesty been opposed to the prayer of my memorial, I shouldthen have been restored; and believing that no such obstacle to yourMajesty's favour would be now interposed, I have every reason to hopethat the auspicious moment is at length arrived when the redress whichI have so long sought will be freely bestowed by my most graciousSovereign. I beseech your Majesty to condescend to receive theaccompanying review of my case, which, I trust, will prove to yourMajesty that I am not unworthy of that act of your Majesty's favourwhich I humbly solicit. It is not because I have undergone a sentenceheavier than the law pronounced, it is not because I have beendeprived for sixteen years of the rank and honours which I acquired inthe Royal Navy, nor is it because I am deserving of any considerationon account of services to my King and country, that I now presume toappeal to your Majesty, --though no one is more likely than yourMajesty to feel for my sufferings, and no one more competent toappreciate my services, --but it is because I had no participation in, and no knowledge, not even the most indistinct or remote, of the crimeunder the imputation of which I have been so variously and sounceasingly punished. It is this alone which impels me to approachyour Majesty, and this alone which enables me. "

Other copies of the "Review" having been sent to the CabinetMinisters, with letters urging its favourable consideration, LordCochrane, in nearly every case, received a friendly answer. "I neednot say, " wrote Earl Grey on the 12th of December, "that it would giveme great satisfaction if it should be found possible to comply withthe prayer of your petition. This opinion I expressed some years agoin a letter which, I believe, was communicated to you. To thesentiments expressed in that letter I refer, which, if I rememberright, acquitted you of all blame, except such as might have beenincurred by inadvertence and by having suffered yourself to be led byothers into measures of the consequences of which you were notsufficiently aware. "

More than a year was to be spent, however, in persevering effortbefore Lord Cochrane's claim for justice was acceded to. Objection wastaken by some to the form in which his address to the King was worded. It was "a letter, " they said, and not "a petition;" and Lord Cochranewas distressed at hearing, on the 18th, that the document had beengiven back by his Majesty to Lord Melbourne without any comment. 

"If I have erred as to the form of my petition, which was in the shapeof a most respectful and dutiful letter to his Majesty, or as to thechannel through which it should have been forwarded, " said LordCochrane in a letter to Earl Grey, written on the 23rd of December, "Ihave erred in judgment only; and it would be hard indeed shouldredress not be accorded by reason of an informality in the mode of myapplication. I have since been advised that my petition ought to havebeen forwarded through the First Lord of the Admiralty, whom I havetherefore solicited to present another petition, the same in effect, but more brief, and in the regular form. When his Majesty was LordHigh Admiral he received a memorial from me by the hands of Sir RobertPreston, and though it had not the effect, of procuring my restorationat that time, yet from the gracious manner in which, I am assured, itwas received, I did flatter myself that his Majesty would havepleasure in the opportunity, which appeared to present itself whenyour lordship's Administration was formed, of originating a measurewhich all would consider gracious, and most, I hope, believe to beperfectly just. In reference to the letter, in answer to mine, withwhich your lordship honoured me on the 12th instant, which I cannotbut perceive is written with a kindness of feeling which commands mybest thanks, I beg only to state that any opinion of me in regard tothe crime imputed to me that does not fully acquit me of all knowledgethereof whatever does not do me justice. That crime was contrived andcompleted so entirely without my knowledge that I had not the mostdistant idea of its having been meditated until I read of itscommission in the public prints. " In a brief reply to that letter EarlGrey stated that, the petition having been presented to the King andbeing now under consideration, no more formal address need be sent inlieu of it. 

Thus Lord Cochrane had only to await the result of his application, and he waited for sixteen months. During that interval many friendsinterceded on his behalf, especially Lord Durham and Lord Auckland, and from time to time his hopes were quickened by information that thesubject was still being considered by his Majesty's ministers, whowere anxious that right should be done. 

But he was often disappointed. "The King, " he said, in a letterwritten on the 1st of April, "has invited all the Knights of the Bathto dine with him on the 12th, which is the anniversary of the affairof Basque Roads, as well as that of Grambier's installation. Ifnothing is done on that day I shall not obtain justice during the lifeof William IV. Indeed, I understand that every effort has been made toinfluence the King to my prejudice. "

"I was at an evening party at the Marquess of Lansdowne's on Friday, "wrote Lord Cochrane on the 25th of April, "and there I met the LordChancellor [Brougham] who was very civil indeed, and told me they hada battle to fight for me, and hoped they would succeed. Since then theelectors of the borough of Southwark have sent a deputation to beg meto stand; but hearing that Brougham's brother was also to be acandidate, I have declined opposing him. I had a double motive forthis line of conduct, for, had I been returned to Parliament, I couldnot conscientiously have accepted a favour at the hands of theministers of the Crown. "

Service in the House of Commons was, soon after that, made impossibleto Lord Cochrane. His father, Archibald, ninth Earl of Dundonald, diedon the 1st of July, 1831. Lord Cochrane then ceased to be a commoner, and became in succession, when he was nearly fifty-six years old, Earlof Dundonald. 

As Earl of Dundonald, however, he found it no easier to obtain ananswer to his demand for justice than as Lord Cochrane. In Septemberhe heard that his opponents were making use of some Admiraltycorrespondence respecting his conduct in Chili, nearly ten yearsbefore, to throw fresh difficulties in his way. He at once applied toSir James Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty, for extracts fromthis correspondence of any parts requiring explanation, in order thathe might furnish the same. "I beg leave to state, " wrote Sir James inreply, "that it is not usual for his Majesty's Government to produce, from the records of public offices, documents which do not appear tobe required for any public purpose. I am therefore under the necessityof declining to comply with your lordship's request. " "Is it notastonishing, " said Lord Dundonald, in a letter to the Duke ofHamilton, "that Sir James Graham does not consider justice to anindividual to be a public object?"

Tired out, at length, by the delays in the settlement of his case, Lord Dundonald wisely resolved to seek a personal interview with theKing. With that object he went down to Brighton, and the interview wasreadily granted to him on Sunday, the 27th of November. He wasgraciously received, and the King listened attentively to hisrespectful claim for a fair investigation of the matter, and forpermission to rebut any charges that might be brought against himrespecting his conduct in connection with the Stock Exchange fraud, his Chilian service, or any other portion of his life that had been orcould be complained of. His Majesty promised to see that the case wasfairly looked into, and Lord Dundonald was not long in observing thegood effects of his bold step. 

"Lady Dundonald has seen Lord Grey, and he has expressed his readinessto do all he can, " he wrote from London on the 17th of December. "ButI understand there is something in the way. Burdett assures me that hewill bring the whole affair before Parliament if they do not do mejustice. "

Sir Francis Burdett, who, never flagging in his friendship, hadrendered valuable assistance during these weary months, continued inthe same course to the end; but it was not necessary for him to appealto Parliament in this case. Yet its settlement was further delayed. "Iam unwilling to trespass on your lordship's most valuable time, " wroteLord Dundonald to Earl Grey, on the 28th of January, 1832; "but as itis now two months since I had the honour of an audience of the King, and of presenting to his Majesty my humble memorial setting forth myclaims to be heard in my defence in refutation of the accusationsexisting against me in the Admiralty, and praying that I might befurnished with copies of the accusatory documents, I can no longerrefrain from entreating your lordship to relieve my mind from itspresent state of most painful suspense by making me acquainted withthe decision of the Government. From my knowledge of your lordship'sconsiderate feelings towards me, and of your desire, should it befound practicable and just, to restore me to my place in his Majesty'sservice, and from that consciousness of my own integrity which hasmaintained me during so many years of adversity, I cannot but besanguine, notwithstanding the delay, of an ultimately favourableresult. But the period of suspense is not only one of great mentalanxiety, but in other respects most injurious. It places me in aposition worse than that which I was in under the formerAdministration, which at once decided to dismiss my complaint withoutconsideration, and spared me that uncertainty which 'makes the heartsick. ' While those ministers were in power my character sustained noinjury from their refusal to do me justice. But under theAdministration of your lordship, the public opinion must be that mycase has received every consideration, and that the ascertainedjustice of the verdict against me is the bar to my restoration. Thisopinion already operates so much to my disadvantage and annoyance asto paralyze all my pursuits, and will shortly compel me, unless yourlordship spares me that sacrifice, to quit a country of which I havenever, by any act of my life, rendered myself unworthy, and in thebosom of which, unless called out again in her service, I would fainspend the remainder of my life in tranquillity. "

That letter was delivered by the Countess of Dundonald, who at thistime, as at all others, laboured with rare energy and tact to lightenher husband's heavy load of suffering and to augment his scanty storeof joy. "Lady Dundonald, " he wrote on the 6th of February, "has had along talk with Lord Grey on the subject of my affair, and it clearlyappears that there are two individuals in the Cabinet who will notgive in. It is now, however, determined that Lady Dundonald--I beingout of town--shall go to the King with a very proper memorial on herpart, praying that the stain on the family may be wiped away by a freepardon. It is supposed that this will succeed; because in that casethe King can exercise his prerogative without other counsel than thatof his Prime Minister, who is favourable. "

That term "free pardon" was galling to Lord Dundonald. He knew that hehad done nothing which needed forgiveness. It was justice, not pardon, that he sought. He had suffered so much, however, from officialformalities, and his honest resentment of them, that he nowreluctantly consented to accept the virtual acquittal which was thegreat object of his hopes and toils, though it might be couched in aphrase none the less distasteful to him because it was the phrase thatfrom time immemorial had been used as a cloak for the withdrawal ofofficial wrong. 

His concession was successful. "The King, " he was able to write on the4th of March, "has at last promised to do that which the lateAdministration refused, and the present ministry had not the power orcourage to accomplish. For this I am indebted to the zealous exertionsof Lady Dundonald, who has been at Brighton, and has left Lord Greyand others no rest until her object was accomplished. Thus, you see, perseverance has done more than reason, right, and justice. The factis that great folks neither read nor trouble themselves with judgingfrom facts on subjects which do not immediately concern themselves. Ihave no doubt that the 'Review' has never been looked into by one ofthe ministers. "

The "free pardon" was promised on the 28th of February, but it was notformally granted till five weeks afterwards. Lord Dundonaldascertained that one cause of the long delay in considering his casewas the heat of party fight occasioned by the Reform Bill. TheGovernment feared to show any kindness to a man whom the Tories had solong and so persistently reviled, lest thereby they should lose in theHouse of Commons a few wavering votes that were important. The ReformBill passed the Lower House, for the second time, at the end ofMarch. [14] Its final adoption being expected with less difficulty thanarose, it was now easier to do justice to Lord Dundonald. "I was happyto hear your memorial to the King read in Council and referred to theAdmiralty, " the Earl of Durham wrote to him on the 16th of April. "Itrust we may eventually have the means of doing an act of private aswell as of public justice, and that I shall see you restored to thatservice of which you are the highest ornament. But you well know thatyou have had not only my best wishes, but my warmest exertions, forthe attainment of that object. "

 [14] "My dear Lord Durham, " wrote the Earl of Dundonald, on the 15th of April, "allow me most sincerely to congratulate you on the attainment of the great object which the present Administration has now, so honourably for themselves and so fortunately for the country, brought to a pass wherein no retrograde movement can take place, whatever may be the obstructions offered by the interested proprietors of borough influence, or by persons whose ideas of Government have been formed under the tuition of preceding Administrations. It is rare felicity for a nation to be governed by men having the liberality and justice which induce them to confer free institutions peacefully on the country; institutions which merit the gratitude of all who now exist, and will receive the unqualified applause of future generations. The page of history affords no parallel to the present event. "

The object was at last attained. At a Privy Council held on the 2nd ofMay, a "free pardon" was granted to the Earl of Dundonald. He wasrestored to his position in the Royal Navy, and, on the 8th, gazettedas a Rear-Admiral of the Fleet. 

In that capacity he was presented to King William IV. At the levéeheld on the 9th of May; and congratulations poured in from allquarters as soon as the good news was published. But he could not, even in the first moments of rejoicing, forget that the cause ofcongratulation was only a pardon for an offence which he had nevercommitted, and for which he had been enduring heavy punishment duringsixteen years of his life. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE INTENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES OF LORD DUNDONALD'S FATHER. --HIS OWNMECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES. --HIS LAMPS. --HIS ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE, HISSCREW-PROPELLER, HIS CONDENSING-BOILER, AND HIS LINES OFSHIP-BUILDING. --THEIR TARDY DEVELOPMENT. --HIS CORRESPONDENCE UPONSTEAM-SHIPPING WITH SIR JAMES GRAHAM, THE EARL OF MINTO, THE EARL OFHADDINGTON, AND THE EARL OF AUCKLAND. --THE PROGRESS OF HISINVENTIONS. --THE "JANUS. "--THE BENEFICIAL RESULTS OF HIS EXPERIMENTS. 

[1833-1847. ]

Lord Dundonald's father, the ninth earl, had devoted the chiefenergies of his long life to scientific pursuits, which won for him, not profit, but well-earned fame, and which proved of immense benefitto his own and succeeding generations. By him was discovered the artof extracting tar from coal, and out of that discovery was developed, partly by him and partly by others, the manufacture of gas, first usedfor lighting his tar-works. The important chemical process of makingalkali and crystals of soda was also introduced by him, whereby agreat impetus was given to the manufacture of glass and to many otherimportant branches of industry. He discovered the present method ofpreparing alum, or sulphate of vitriol, and suggested its substitutionfor gum senegal, which has proved hardly less advantageous to themechanical arts. In 1795, he published a treatise, the result ofnumerous and costly experiments, on the connection between agricultureand chemistry, which was almost the parent of all the later researchesthat have issued in beneficial plans for improving the soil andinvigorating the growth of crops, and in various and importantdevelopments of scientific farming. 

The tenth Earl of Dundonald inherited his father's mechanical andscientific genius. The lamp invented by him in 1814, which introducedthe principle upon which all later lamps for burning oil, naphtha, andother combustibles have been constructed, has been already referredto. Many other inventions and discoveries occupied his leisure duringthe years in which he was allowed to follow his profession both inBritish and in foreign service;[15] and the fuller leisure forced uponhim during the years following his return from Greece was chieflydevoted to further exercise of his inventive faculties. 

 [15] It is interesting to note that the recent introduction among us of the Turkish bath was due to Lord Dundonald. "Having recovered, " says Dr. Gosse, in his treatise "Du Bain Turc, " p. 58, "from two attacks of intermitting fever, I visited the islands of the Archipelago until summoned to Nauplia by Admiral Cochrane, who was then on board the little steam-vessel _Mercury_. There the air of the gulf, and the marshy miasma, brought on another attack of fever, from which I feared a fatal issue. Lord Cochrane had the kindness to take me in his arms, and to place me in the current of steam, which caused me to perspire freely. My illness disappeared as by enchantment. " A similar service was rendered by Lord Dundonald to Mr. David Urquhart, whose attention was thus called to the advantages of the Turkish bath, and who became its great advocate. 

To the wonderful invention known as his "secret war-plan" allusionwill presently be made. His other most important mechanical pursuitshad for their principal object the improvement of steam-engines andother appliances for steam-shipping. Almost his first reminiscence wasof a visit in which, when he was seven or eight years old, heaccompanied his father to Birmingham, there to meet with James Watt, and hear something of his memorable discovery. Apprehending in hisyouth the value of that discovery, he never wearied in his efforts toextend its usefulness. The _Rising Star_, built in 1818 under hisdirections, and those of his brother, Major Cochrane, for service inChili, was the first steam-vessel that crossed the Atlantic, and itwas an additional disappointment to him, amid all the misfortunesincident to his efforts to give adequate assistance to the Greeks intheir war of independence, that the ill-fated steamers which were tobe his chief instruments therein, failed through the indolence andincompetence of those to whom their construction was assigned. 

It is not necessary here to detail the studies and experiments bywhich he afterwards sought to introduce a better steam-engine, forlocomotive purposes, than was then, or is even now, in general use. His plan--not a new one, though it had never before been madeavailable in practice--was to substitute for the ordinaryreciprocating engine a machine which should at once produce a circularmotion. "Of the many rotary engines heretofore offered to the noticeof the world, " he wrote, in 1833, "none have stood the test ofpractical use and experience. The cause of this uniform failure hasbeen the great difficulty of obtaining, within the machine, a base ofresistance on which the steam might act in propelling the moveablepiston. " He did not quite overcome this difficulty, but he succeededin producing what the foremost critic in this department ofmanufacture describes--after a lapse of thirty years unrivalled fortheir development of ingenuity--as "the most perfect engine of theclass that has yet been projected. "

"In this engine, " says the same authority, "an eccentric is made torevolve on an axis in the manner of a piston, and two doors, formingpart of the side of the cylinder, press upon the eccentric. The pointsof these doors are armed with swivelling brasses, which applythemselves to the eccentric and make the point of contact tight in allpositions. "[16]

 [16] John Bourne. "A Treatise on the Steam-Engine" (1861), p. 392. 

"This revolving engine, " said Lord Dundonald, "does not require anyvalve or slide; consequently, there is no waste of steam thereby;neither is there any loss, as in the space left at the top and bottomof the cylinders of reciprocating engines. There is much less frictionthan arises from the sum of all the bearings required to convert therectilineal force of the common engine to circular motion. There areno beams, cranks, side-rods, connecting-rods, parallel motions, levers, slide-valves, or eccentrics, with their nicely-adjusted jointsand bearings; and thus the revolving engine is not liable, even inone-tenth degree, to the accidents and hindrances of other engines. Asits moving parts pursue their course in perfect circles, without stopor hindrance, it is capable of progressive acceleration, until thework performed equals the pressure of steam on the vacuum--anadvantage which the reciprocating engine does not possess. Thediminished bulk and weight, and the absence of tremor, add to thecapacity, buoyancy, velocity, and durability of vessels in which it isplaced. " The rotary engine did not satisfy all Lord Dundonald'sexpectations, but it took precedence of all others of the same sort, and was of great service at any rate in directing attention to what herightly considered to be the great want in war-shipping, namely, vessels of the least possible bulk and of the greatest possiblestrength, speed, and fighting power. 

Years were spent by him in attempting to bring it into notice. At hisown cost he fitted out a little steamboat, which navigated the Thames;but to perfect the invention were required more funds than he had athis command, and he sought in vain for adequate assistance fromothers. 

In January, 1834, he wrote to Sir James Graham, then First Lord of theAdmiralty, thanking him for his share in the restitution of his navalrank that had occurred nearly two years before, and urging theco-operation of the Government in perfecting an invention thatpromised to be of so much importance to the naval power of England. "You are not obliged to me for anything, " answered Sir James on the15th; "I only am fortunate in being the member of a Government whichhas regained for our country the benefit of your distinguished valourand services, which, if again required in war, will, I am persuaded, be so exerted as to win the gratitude of the nation, and todemonstrate the justice of the decision to which you allude. It isimpossible to over-estimate the paramount importance of steam infuture naval operations; and it is fortunate that you have directed somuch of your attention to the subject. The Board has complied withyour request, and two engineers, in whom we place reliance, will beordered to attend you. " It does not appear, how-ever, that theengineers did attend. At any rate, nothing was done by the Admiraltyin aid of the invention either then or for many years after. 

Yet its ingenuity was acknowledged by all who investigated it, and bynaval authorities among the number. The Earl of Minto, when First Lordof the Admiralty, sought to introduce it into the nationalship-building; but official hindrances, too great even for him toovercome, stood in his way. All he could do was to have it referred tocompetent judges and to receive their report in its favour. "I amcommanded to acquaint your lordship, " wrote Sir John Barrow, theSecretary to the Admiralty, to the Earl of Dundonald, on the 20th ofDecember, 1839, "that the opinions received of your revolving engineare favourable to the principle, and that it has not been stated thatthere are any insurmountable obstacles to its practical execution. "The insurmountable obstacles were in the stolid resistance ofsubordinates to any novelty designed to lessen labour and promoteeconomy. 

Lord Minto, when out of office, was able to speak of the engine inmore approving terms than he could adopt in his official capacity. "Ineed hardly say, " he wrote on the 6th of September, 1842, "that thereport of continued success in your rotatory engine gives me greatpleasure, not only upon your own account, but as promising a valuableaddition to our naval power in its application to ships of war. As ahigh-pressure engine, the complete success of your plan has, Ibelieve, been recognised by all who have attended to it, and it is inthis form that I had contemplated its application in the firstinstance as an auxiliary and occasional power in some ships of war. "

At length, though not with all the energy that he desired, LordDundonald's engine was put to the test by the Admiralty during theEarl of Haddington's tenure of office in that department. In May, 1842, he was invited by the new First Lord, who, in common with allthe world, was aware of the zeal and intelligence with which he haddevoted himself to the consideration of every branch of naval science, to communicate his opinions thereupon. The first result of thisinvitation was a letter showing remarkable discernment of evils thenexisting, and curiously anticipating some later efforts to correctthem. 

"The slow progress, " wrote Lord Dundonald, on the 7th of June, "whichthe naval service has made towards its present ameliorated state--yetfar from perfection--has not permitted any one Board of Admiralty inmy time to stand pre-eminently distinguished for decisiveimprovements. These have rather been effected by the gradual changeswhich time occasions, or by following the example of America, or evenof France, than by encouraging efforts of native genius. This hasarisen from causes easily remedied; one of which is, that therejection or adoption of proffered improvements has depended on thedecision of several authorities, who consequently feel littleindividual responsibility, and imagine themselves liable to censureonly for a change of system. Thus, my lord, a still heavierresponsibility has, in fact, been incurred by continuing, long afterthe most superficial observation demanded a change, to construct smallships of the line, and little frigates, which the great practicalskill and bravery of our countrymen were taxed to defend against thepowerful eighty-gun ships of France and the large frigates of America. This timidity as to change caused many years to elapse, after thecommercial use of steam-vessels, before the naval department possessedeven a tug-boat. Hence the mischievous economy manifested by thepurchase of worthless merchant steamers; hence the subsequentparsimonious project of building small steam-vessels fitted withengines immersed beyond their bearing, and deficient in everyrequisite for purposes of war. I am not one of those, my lord, whodeem it advantageous to act on the belief that one Englishman can beattwo Frenchmen. I am inclined to doubt whether a practicaldemonstration of that saying might not be attended with disastrousconsequences. Long habitude reared experienced British officers, whoare now replaced by others who possess less nautical skill, and arenearer on a par with those of France, in regard to whose educationevery pains has been taken by its Government. I do not presume toadvise that your lordship should adopt changes precipitately, norwithout consulting those who may be most competent to judge; no, noreven then that the best measures should be prematurely disclosed, soas to give intimation to other nations of the vast increase of powerwhich may suddenly be rendered available. But I venture to suggestthat you may quietly prepare the means of effecting purposes whichneither the ordinary ships of war nor the present steam-ships in thenavy can accomplish. Permanent blockades, my lord, are now quite outof the question; and so, in my opinion, are all our ordinary navaltactics. A couple of heavy line-of-battle ships, suddenly fitted, onthe outbreak of war, with adequate steam-power, would decide thesuccessful result of a general action; and I am assured that I couldshow your lordship how to fit a steam-ship which, in scouring theChannel or ranging the coast, could take or destroy every steam-shipbelonging to France that came within view. "

That offer was accepted by the Earl of Haddington, who, being atPortsmouth in August, made personal inspection of some experiments inwhich Lord Dundonald was there engaging; and the result of thatinspection was that he promptly arranged for the introduction, at thepublic expense, of the rotary engine in the _Firefly_, a smallsteam-vessel which, like many others, the Government had bought andfound useless, by reason of its clumsy machinery. In her, with no morethan the usual delay occasioned by the co-operation of officialroutine with private enterprise, in which Lord Dundonald had theassistance of Mr. Renton and Messrs. Bramah, the experiment was triedand found to answer so well, in spite of the difficulties incident toa first attempt, that it was resolved to develop it further in afrigate to be built throughout in accordance with his plans for theimproved construction of shipping. 

To these he had lately made some valuable additions. On the 19th ofJanuary, 1843, a patent was granted to him for various improvements inengines and other machinery, one of which was an apparatus forpropelling vessels. "This improved propeller, " says a competentauthority, "consists of an arrangement of propelling blades immergedbeneath the water, in the manner now usual in screw vessels; but, instead of the blades being set at right angles with thepropeller-shaft, they form an angle therewith. One important effect ofthis arrangement is that it corrects the centrifugal action of thescrew; for whereas, in common screws, the water which is dischargedbackwards assumes a conical figure, enlarging as it recedes, in ascrew formed on Lord Dundonald's plan the outline of the moving waterwill be cylindrical, the centrifugal action being counteracted by theconvergent action due to the backward inclination of the propellingblades. It is found, practically, that screws constructed upon thisprinciple give a better result than ordinary screws. "[17]

 [17] John Bourne. "A Treatise on the Screw Propeller, Screw Vessels, and Screw Engines" (1867), p. 42. 

Another invention patented by Lord Dundonald at the same time was amodification of the boilers used for steam-engines. "These boilers, "says the same critic, "are constructed with a double tier of furnacesand with upright tubes, the water being contained within the tubes andthe smoke impinging upon them on its passage to the chimney. Thisspecies of boiler is found to be very efficient. A hanging bridge isintroduced to retain the heat in the upper part of the flue in whichthe tubes are erected. By inserting a short piece of tube in the upperextremity of each tube within the boiler the upward circulation of thewater within the tubes was increased as the length of the lightercolumn of water was augmented, while the length of the gravitatingcolumn remained without alteration. "[18]

 [18] John Bourne. "A Treatise on the Steam Engine" (1861), p. 233. These boilers, extensively used in London, America, and elsewhere, and now introduced in the Admiralty ship-building, have been greatly improved by Lord Dundonald's son, Captain the Hon. A. A. Cochrane, C. B. 

"I believe, " he said in a letter to Lord Haddington dated the 22nd ofMay, 1843, "that all our old vessels of war, save the class ofeighty-gun ships and a few first-rate and large frigates, are almostworthless; whilst our steam department is deficient in most of theproperties which constitute effective vessels. No blockades worthy ofthe name can now be maintained by fleets of sailing ships; nor canaccompanying steamships be kept for months and years even in'approximate readiness, ' awaiting the distant night when it may suitthe enemy to attack our blockading force or quietly to slip out in thedark in order to assail our commerce in other quarters. I have, mylord, during the last twelve years actually disbursed, to the greatinconvenience of my family, upwards of 16, 000l. To promote nauticalobjects which appeared to me of importance. Your lordship knows theirnature, and it is in no way difficult to ascertain their reality. Iconsider that several, if not all our line-of-battle ships, shouldhave the benefit of mechanical power, say to the extent of a hundredhorses--the machinery to be placed out of the reach of shot. Theconstruction of new ships on the best lines that could be found wouldprove more judicious than repairing old ones, however apparently cheapsuch repairs may be; for a few powerful and quick-sailing ships arepreferable to a multitude which can neither successfully chase, norescape from, an enemy. "

That allusion to the "best lines" of ship-building, and some of LordDundonald's other views on naval architecture, will be explained byanother letter written by him to Lord Haddington, three months before, on the 20th of February. "I have lately, " he said, "submitted to theconsideration of Sir George Cockburn an axiom for the uniformdelineation of consecutive parabolic curves, forming a series of linespresenting the least resistance in the submerged portion of ships andvessels--an axiom never before so applied in naval architecture, as ismanifest from the discrepant forms of our ships of war. I also offeredto Sir George's attention a new propeller and method of adaptingpropellers to sailing ships in her Majesty's service, free from thedisadvantages of paddle-wheels and from the injurious consequences oflessening the buoyancy and weakening the strength of the after part ofships by a prolongation of the 'dead wood, ' and by cutting a largehole through it for the insertion of the Archimedean screw. Thefavourable impression made on the mind of Sir George, and my owndeliberate conviction of the importance of these improvements, and ofothers then briefly touched on, lead me, by reason of the lamentedindisposition of that talented officer, now personally, instead ofthrough him, to offer them to your lordship's attention. 

"The French, as your lordship is well aware, are making greatexertions to advance their steam department, especially in theMediterranean, where calms are frequent and their coal isabundant--doubtless in the hope of thereby preventing the futureblockade of Toulon, and of keeping open their intercourse withAlgiers; which would be equivalent to possessing the dominion of theMediterranean Sea, where a British blockading fleet of sailing shipsmust, under such circumstances, themselves be protected. In sayingthis, my lord, I beg to be understood as by no means depreciating thecapabilities of our common ships of war, whilst they possess the powerof motion, but as holding them to be quite unfit for blockades, andexposed to great peril where calms are of frequent occurrence and longduration. Indeed, it may be worthy of your lordship's seriousconsideration whether, in another point of view, it might not bejudicious to place steam-engines in some, at least, of ourline-of-battle ships, in order to divert the attention of foreignnations from the exclusive employment of mechanical propelling powerto purposes of naval war, whereby British officers and seamen, deprived of the means of displaying their superior skill, becomereduced to a par with the trained bands of Continental states. 

"I have prepared a model in bronze of a steam-frigate possessingpeculiar properties, founded on the before-mentioned axiom, which, Ido not hesitate to submit to your lordship, would save vast sumswasted in the construction of inferior ships and vessels, by enablingthe Admiralty, on unerring data, to stereotype--if I may use theexpression--every curve in every rate or class of ships, and so imposeon constructors the undeviating task of adhering to the lines andmodels scientifically determined on by their lordships. "[19]

 [19] The following statement of Lord Dundonald's "axiom" accompanied the model which was submitted to the Admiralty:--"It is universally admitted that a sharp _bow_ and a clear _run_ contribute to the speed of vessels; but what the consecutive lines ought to be, in order to constitute a perfect _bow_, or what those to form the _run_, no builder has yet exemplified by uniformity of practice, or theoretically defined. Ship-delineators profess the art as a mystery, and arbitrary forms are assumed as the result of science. These lines ought to be, by an axiom, founded on a law imposed by Infinite Wisdom for the perfect guidance of inanimate matter. Projectiles, thrown obliquely, take their flight in convex parabolic curves, wherein resistance is overcome by a minimum of force; and elastic surfaces obey the converse of that law in opposing certain external influences. It is a property of conic sections that a straight line, centred in the apex, and caused to circumscribe the surface of the cone, will apply itself continuously to all consecutive parabolic curves. Hence curves similar to the flight of projectiles, and to those formed by the flection of elastic surfaces, may be described on a large scale simply by causing a straight line or beam to revolve as on the axis of a cone, in contact with a parabolic or elliptical section. Thus a consecutive series of convex parabolic or elliptical curves may be substituted in ship-building for hollow fantastical lines. The benefits from which application are, increased velocity, capacity, strength, buoyancy, facility of steering, ease in hard seas, and exemption from breaking or 'hogging. '" Diagrams and explanations thereof accompanied this concise statement of the principle. 

Great interest attended the development of Lord Dundonald'sinventions. "I need hardly assure you, " wrote Lord Minto, on the 4thof October, "of the very great satisfaction I derive from thecontinued and increasing success of your rotatory engine; and I shallnow look with no little impatience for further evidence of its meritsin the new steam-frigate to which it is to be applied. I am glad, also, that you have turned your attention to the construction ofsteamers of war. I have never been satisfied with the properties ofthese vessels, much as their construction has undoubtedly beenimproved of late years. It is certainly a difficult subject, becausesome of the qualities essential to a vessel under sail can only beobtained by some deviation from the form calculated to give thegreatest speed under steam; and I consider fair sailing powers, so asunder all circumstances to keep company with a fleet, as not lessimportant than speed and power as a steamer. The best combination ofthese very different qualities, or that which will upon the wholeproduce the most serviceable ship, is yet to be sought. I think, also, that sufficient consideration has not yet been given to the correctionof that very grievous defect, the great uneasiness and excessiverolling of all these vessels, from the low position of the weightsthey carry. There is another object in connection with your enginewhich I had constantly in view: I mean its adaptation in thehigh-pressure form to our ships of war in general. It was myintention, had I remained in office, to have fitted a frigate with oneof your high-pressure engines--not very high, however--with a view, ifthe experiment answered, to the introduction of an occasional steampower in all ships of the line. I believe you and I may probablydiffer as to the amount of steam power it might be advisable to givesuch ships, and that you would wish to steam the _Vanguard_ or the_Queen_ at the rate of ten miles an hour. My wishes are much morehumble, and I should be perfectly satisfied with an amount of powersufficient to give steerage way under all circumstances, to carry theship into or out of action, and to afford her some assistance inclearing off a lee-shore--something about equivalent to five knots--anamount of power that might probably be obtained, together with somefuel for occasional use, without encroaching too much upon the stowageof the ship. I shall be extremely glad if you can induce LordHaddington to direct his attention to this object. "

Through the latter part of 1843 and the whole of 1844, Lord Dundonaldwas chiefly occupied with the construction of the _Janus_, thesteam-frigate which was being built and fitted upon his plans. She wasshaped in accordance with his "lines, " and in her were introduced bothhis revolving engines and his improved boilers. "I have just returnedfrom Chatham, " he wrote to a friend on the 6th of April, 1844, "whereeverything regarding the _Janus_ is going on very well indeed. And Ihave further good news to tell you. The Admiralty are so pleased withmy parabolic lines for ship-building that they have ordered a drawingto be made immediately of a frigate of the first class, in order tohave one constructed. " Hopeful that at last his long-cherished ideaswould bring benefit both to himself and to the nation, he had in thesemonths much to encourage him. "All is going on as well as I couldwish, or even as I could accomplish, were destiny at my command, " hewrote on the 31st of May. "The Portsmouth engines now meet theapprobation of all the authorities of the yard, and the Admiralty areso satisfied that they have given me the building of a steamship toput them in, in lieu of placing them in the old _Firefly_. " "Nothing, "he said in a letter written a week or two later, "can exceed theperfection of the work which the Bramahs have put into the _Janus_'sengines. " "The experimental engine at Portsmouth, " he wrote on the 3rdof July, "continues to perform admirably, beating all others in theyard in point of vacuum, which, you know, is the test of power. " "Theengines will commence being put together in ten or fourteen days, " weread in another letter dated the 10th of July; "after that we shallmake rapid progress. The _Janus_ is now completing--that is, beingcoppered--and having the part of her deck laid down which was left offfor the purpose of getting the boilers on board. My patent boilerswill be tried by authority of the Admiralty about the 20th, and I hopefor a favourable result. " The trial, postponed till the 1st of August, was satisfactory. "We have tried the boilers of the _Janus_, " he wroteon that day, "and the result is most triumphant, having, with slackfiring, ten and a half pounds of water evaporated by each pound ofcoal. " "I have just returned from Portsmouth, " he had written fivedays before, "where I had the pleasure to find my engine exceedingeven all that it had done before--the vacuum, with all the work on, being 28-1/2, two inches above that of any other engine in the dockyard. Mr. Taplin, the chief engineer, is quite delighted with it. " "SirGeorge Cockburn and Sir John Barrow, permanent Secretary of theAdmiralty, saw my engine yesterday, " he wrote on the 24th of October, concerning the machine being built by the Bramahs for the _Janus_;"and so did Lord Brougham; all of whom were well pleased with myexplanation of its principles and the appearance of the workmanship. It is now being pulled to pieces, in order to its being sent toChatham and set up on board the _Janus_, whose boilers, by my request, are again to be officially tested as to their evaporative power, andthat, too, by the Woolwich authorities, whose boilers have been beatenone-third by the evaporation of mine. This request must show theAdmiralty my confidence in the correctness of the former trial; forthere is no doubt the Woolwich people would condemn it if they could. "This second and crucial trial took place on the 9th of November, andthe result exceeded alike Lord Dundonald's expectations and those ofthe official judges, to whom failure would have been most pleasant. "All matters as regards my engines, " he wrote on the 20th of November, "are going on well. I hope soon to hear something satisfactory fromthe Admiralty on the subject of the boilers, respecting which theyhave until now pursued the most profound silence, notwithstanding thetriumphant result, which has surpassed the product of the far-famedCornish boilers in evaporative power. "

Those extracts from Lord Dundonald's letters to the friend with whomhe corresponded most freely will suffice to show in what temper hewatched the progress of his inventions during 1844. At the close ofthe year he hoped that his labours to bring them into general use werenow nearly at an end; but in this he was disappointed. The Woolwichauthorities, who had at the time expressed their approval of theboilers, sent in an adverse report to the Admiralty, and LordDundonald had to wait several months before he could disprove thestatements made against them; and opposition of the same sort--thecommon experience of nearly every inventor--encountered him at everyturn, and had again and again to be overcome. His Portsmouth enginecontinued to work well; but in September, 1845, he learnt that amalicious trick had been resorted to, to prevent its working better. "On a recent examination of the pumps in the well, " wrote Mr. Taplin, the engineer, "to our utter astonishment we found, in the middlesuction pipe, an elm plug, driven in so tight that we were obliged tobore and cut it out. The plug stopped that suction pipe effectually, and from its appearance must have been there from the time the pumpswere first put in motion. As proof of this, we never had such a supplyof water as at present. " And that is only an illustration of theobstacles, accidental or designed, that occurred to him. 

By them, the _Janus_ was delayed for a whole year. She was to havebeen completed in 1844; but this was not done till the end of 1845. "Ihave just returned, " Lord Dundonald was able to write on the 24th ofDecember, "from a nine days' trip in the _Janus_, the result of whichhas been successful, both in regard to the properties of the enginesand those of the 'lines' on which she has been constructed. Nothingcan exceed the beauty of her passage through the water, without even aripple, far less the wave which ordinary steamboats occasion. " Thatsuccess, however, was to be followed by a long series of disasters. The weight of the _Janus_ had been miscalculated, and though she couldproceed admirably in smooth water, she was found to lie so lowthat there was constant danger of her being wrecked in rough seasand bad weather. Other faults, incident to the bringing togetherfor the first time of so much new workmanship, were also discovered. She had to be returned to dock, and fresh hindrances of every sortoccurred during the two following years; each hindrance beingattended by tedious correspondence or controversies with pettyfunctionaries jealous of a stranger's interference, and only eager tobring discredit upon his work. Much discredit did result. Loudcomplaints were made concerning the waste of public money resultingfrom Lord Dundonald's experiments, and on him, of course, nearly allthe blame was thrown. All this, added to his previous difficulties insecuring for his boiler and engine any notice at all, was verygrievous to him. Every complaint and every entreaty from him was metby a new excuse and a new reason for delay. "Ten days are alwaysadded, " he said, in one letter, "and ten days yet are said to berequired. "

The days became weeks and the weeks months, and still the _Janus_ wasincomplete. She was unfinished when Lord Dundonald left England formore than two years in order to fulfil the duties assigned to him ascommander-in-chief of the North American and West Indian squadron, andhis absence caused a final abandonment of the works. 

The tedious process of her construction, however, to which onlysufficient reference has here been made to serve as illustration ofone phase of Lord Dundonald's life, was attended by many good results. To himself she brought only trouble and expense; but the obstaclesthrown in her way and in his did not deter private adventurers fromacting upon some of the principles developed in abortive attempts ather completion by public functionaries. Lord Dundonald'sinventions--his revolving engine, his screw-propeller, his boiler, andhis "lines of ship-building, "--have all proved useful in themselves, and have been of yet greater use in their influence upon the improvedmechanism of our own generation. 

To him must be attributed no slight share in the revolution that hasbeen effected in the materials for naval warfare. Of the superiorityof steamers to war-ships, he was one of the first advocates. His ownrotatory engine was never extensively adopted, and was superseded byother engines which, lacking the great merit of direct action upon thepaddles, that it was his object to attain, had other and greatermerits of their own; but in their adoption his great object wasrealized, seeing that that object was not his own aggrandisement, butthe development of the naval strength of England. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

LORD DUNDONALD'S SECRET WAR-PLANS. --HIS CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING THEMWITH LORD LANSDOWNE, LORD MINTO, LORD HADDINGTON, AND LORDAUCKLAND. --HIS LETTER TO THE "TIMES. "--THE REPORT OF A COMMITTEECONSISTING OF SIR THOMAS HASTINGS, SIR JOHN BURGOYNE, AND LIEUT. -COL. COLQUHOUN UPON THE SECRET WAR-PLANS. --A FRENCH PROJECT FOR NAVALWARFARE WITH ENGLAND. --LORD DUNDONALD'S OPINION THEREUPON. --HIS VIEWSON THE DEFENCE OF ENGLAND. 

[1833-1848. ]

Zealously as the Earl of Dundonald strove through nearly twenty yearsto perfect and to make generally useful his inventions in connectionwith steam shipping, he attached yet greater importance to another andan older invention or discovery, which, though its efficacy has beenadmitted by all to whom it has been explained, has never yet beenadopted. This was the device known as his "secret war-plans, " forcapturing the fleets and forts of an enemy by an altogether novelprocess, attended by little cost or risk to the assailant, but ofterrible effect upon the objects attacked. 

These plans were conceived by him in 1811, and in the following year, as he has told in his "Autobiography, " he submitted them to the PrinceRegent, afterwards King George IV. By the Prince they were referred toa Secret Committee, consisting of the Duke of York, as President, LordKeith, Lord Exmouth, and the two Congreves; who, on the details beingset before them, declared this method of attack to be infallible andirresistible. Lord Dundonald was pledged to secrecy by the PrinceRegent, and it was proposed to employ the device in the war stillproceeding with France. That proposal, however, was abandoned, andanother, for a trial of the plan under Sir Alexander Cochrane in NorthAmerica, in 1814, was prevented by the Stock Exchange trial. Afterthat, the long peace enjoyed by England would have postponed theexperiment, even if Lord Dundonald had not been debarred from pursuitof his calling as an English naval officer. He might have used hissecret in Chili, Brazil, and Greece; but his promise to the PrinceRegent, and patriotic feelings, that were even more cogent than thatpromise, restrained him. Once used, it would cease to be a secret; andhe resolved that the great advantage that would accrue from the firstuse should be reserved for his own country. 

The project, however, was not forgotten by him. Soon after theaccession of King William IV. , he explained it to his Majesty, whoacknowledged its value, and paid a tribute to Lord Dundonald'shonourable conduct in keeping his secret so long and under such stronginducements to an opposite course. Soon afterwards, and during manyyears, the prospect of another war induced him to engage in frequentcorrespondence on the subject with various members of the successiveGovernments. 

"I long ago, " wrote the Marquis of Lansdowne--then President of theCouncil--in May, 1834, "communicated the substance of the paper youleft with me, on the important objects which might be accomplished bythe agency you describe, in an attack upon an hostile marine, to suchof my colleagues as I then had an opportunity of seeing, and moreparticularly to Lord Minto, whom I found in some degree apprized ofyour views upon this subject. As questions of such importance to thenaval interests of the country can only be satisfactorily inquiredinto by the Admiralty Department of the Government, I should recommendyour entering into an unreserved communication with him on thesubject, which I know he will receive with all the attention due toyour high professional character and experience. "

The Earl of Minto gave many proofs of his regard for Lord Dundonald;but he was not disposed to think favourably of the secret war-plan, and it was kept in abeyance for four years more. In the autumn of 1838Lord Dundonald again pressed its consideration upon Lord Lansdowne, alleging as a reason the warlike attitude of Russia. "I am obliged toyou for your letter, " wrote Lord Lansdowne in reply, on the 5th ofNovember, "and will certainly make use of the communication itcontains in the proper quarter, if the occasion arises, which Isincerely hope it will not. Ambitious and encroaching as Russia isseen and felt to be in all directions, I am confident that her owntrue policy is to avoid giving just cause for war, and that, busily asshe may use all indirect means towards her ends which she thinks shecan justify, she will yield to remonstrance when these limits aretransgressed by her agents. This is a course, however, which requiresto be, and I trust will be, most carefully watched. "

In that interesting letter, Lord Lansdowne showed, by his silence, that he was not inclined to investigate the war-plan; and a likeindifference was experienced by Lord Dundonald in his repeatedefforts, during the ensuing years, to secure its acceptance by theGovernment. It was submitted to a favoured few, and all to whom it wasexplained acknowledged its efficacy; but no more than that was done. Its most competent critic was the Duke of Wellington, who recognisedthe terrible power of the device, although he objected to it on thescore that "two could play at that game. " "If the people of Franceshall force their Government to war with England, " wrote LordDundonald to Lord Minto on the 3rd of August, 1840, "I hope you willdo me the favour and justice to reflect on the nature of the opinionyou received from the Duke of Wellington in regard to my plans, whichis the same as that given to the Prince Regent by Lords Keith andExmouth and the two Congreves in the year 1811, and that your lordshipwill perceive, that 'although two can play at the game, ' the one whofirst understands it can alone be successful. In the event of war, Ibeg to offer my endeavours to place the navy of France under yourcontrol, or at once effectually to annihilate it. Were my plans knownto the world, I should not be accused of over-rating their powers bythe above otherwise extraordinary assertion. " Lord Minto's answer wasvery brief: "I shall bear your offer in mind; but there is not theslightest chance of war. "

For the same reason the secret plans were set aside by the Earl ofHaddington, who was First Lord of the Admiralty after Lord Minto. Herendered considerable aid to Lord Dundonald in testing hissteam-engine and boiler, but considered the fact that England was atpeace as a sufficient reason for not discussing the value of a newinstrument of war. 

Lord Dundonald, however, who knew the value of his invention, thoughtotherwise. While vast sums of money were being spent at Dover, Portsmouth, and elsewhere upon fortifications and harbours of refugefor trading-vessels, which, in war time, could have no chance ofsafety against fighting steam ships in the open sea, he deemed itespecially important that attention should be paid to a projectcalculated to effect an entire revolution in the principles andmethods of warfare. If his project was feasible, it furnished aninstrument by which fortifications and harbours of refuge would berendered useless, seeing that the most powerful enemy might by it beeffectually prevented from coming within reach of those defences, or, if he was allowed to approach them, could use it with a terribleeffect, to which the most formidable defences could offer noresistance. It was under this impression that, on the 29th ofNovember, 1845, finding Governments indifferent to his arguments, headdressed a vigorous letter to "The Times. "

"Had gunpowder and its adaptation to artillery, " he there said, "beendiscovered and perfected by an individual, and had its wonderful powerbeen privately tested, indisputably proved, and reported to aGovernment, or to a council of military men, at the period when thebattering-ram and cross-bow were chief implements in war, it isprobable that the civilians would have treated the author as a wildvisionary, and that the professional council, true to the _esprit decorps_, would have spurned the supposed insult to their superiorunderstanding. Science and the arts, both of peace and war, nevertheless, in despite of all such retarding causes, have advanced, and probably will advance, until effects and consequences accrue whichthe imagination can scarcely contemplate. 

"It is not, however, my intention to intrude observations of anordinary nature, but to endeavour to rectify an erroneous opinionwhich appears to prevail, that consequences disastrous to this countrymay be anticipated from the introduction of steam-ships into maritimewarfare. I am desirous of showing that the use of steam-ships of war, though at present available by rival nations, need not necessarilydiminish the security of our commerce; that still less need itnecessarily endanger our national existence, which appears to beapprehended by those who allege the necessity of devoting millions ofmoney to the defence of our coasts. I contend that there is nothing inthe expected new system of naval warfare, through the employment ofsteam-vessels, that can justify such expensive and derogatoryprecautions, because there are equally new, and yet secret, means ofconquest, which no devices hitherto used in maritime warfare couldresist or evade. 

"That the like prejudice or incredulity which in all probability wouldhave scouted the invention of gunpowder, if offered to notice underthe circumstances above supposed, may exist to a considerable extentin the present case, is extremely likely; yet I do not the lessadvisedly affirm, that with this all-powerful auxiliary invasion maybe rendered impossible, and our commerce secure, by the speedy andeffectual destruction of all assemblages of steam-ships, and, ifnecessary, of all the navies of the whole world, which, for everafter, might be prevented from inconveniently increasing. Away thenwith the sinister forebodings which have originated the recent devicesfor protruding through the sterns of sluggish ships of war additionalguns for defence in fight! Away with the projected plans of'protective forts and ports' of cowardly refuge! Let the manlyresolution be taken, when occasion shall require, vigorously to attackthe enemy, instead of preparing elaborate means of defence. Factitiousports on the margin of the Channel cannot be better protected thanthose which exist, respecting which I pledge any professional credit Imay possess, that whatever hostile force might therein be assembledcould be destroyed within the first twenty-four hours favourable foreffective operations, in defiance of forts and batteries, mounted withthe most powerful ordnance now in use. 

"In the capacity of an officer all hope seemed to be precluded, thatin time of peace I could render service to my country. A new light, however, has beamed through the cloud, for in the pursuit of myvocation as an amateur engineer it has become apparent that a plan, which I deemed available only in war, may contribute to prevent thenaval department from being paralysed by wasteful perversion of itslegitimate support. Protective harbours (save as screens from wind andsea) may be likened to nets wherein fishes, seeking to escape, findthemselves inextricably entangled; or to the guardian care of ashepherd, who should pen his flock in a fold to secure it from amarching army. No effective protection could be afforded in such portsagainst a superior naval force equipped for purposes of destruction;whilst their utility as places of refuge from steam privateers isquite disproportioned to their cost--privateers could neither tow offmerchant vessels from our shore, nor regain their own, if appropriatemeasures shall be adopted to intercept them. 

"Impressions in favour of so expensive, so despondent, and soinadequate a scheme, can have no better origin than specious reports, emanating from delusive opinions derived from a very limited knowledgeof facts. The hasty adoption of such measures, and the voting away thevast sums required to carry them into execution, are evils seriouslyto be deprecated. It is, therefore, greatly to be desired that thosein power should pause before proceeding further in such a course. Itbehoves them to consider in all its bearings, and in all itsconsequences, the contemplated system of stationary maritime defence, subject, as that system may become, to the overwhelming influence ofthe secret plan which I placed in their hands, similar to that which Ipresented in 1812 to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, whoreferred its consideration confidentially to Lord Keith, Lord Exmouth, and the two Congreves, professional and scientific men, by whom it waspronounced to be infallible, under the circumstances detailed in myexplanatory statement. 

"Thirty-three years is a long time to retain an important secret, especially as I could have used it with effect in defence of mycharacter when cruelly assailed (as I have shown at length in arepresentation to the Government), and could have practically employedit on various occasions to my private advantage. I have now, however, determined to solicit its well-merited consideration, in the hope, privately, if possible, to prove the comparative inexpedience of anexpenditure of some 12, 000, 000l. Or 20, 000, 000l. Sterling for theconstruction of forts and harbours, instead of applying ample funds atonce to remodel and renovate the navy--professionally known to besusceptible of immense improvement--including the removal from itsswollen bulk of much that is cumbrous and prejudicial. 

"However injudicious it might be thought to divulge my plan, at leastuntil energetically put in execution for an adequate object; yet, ifits disclosure is indispensable to enable a just and general estimateto be formed of the merits of the mongrel terraqueous scheme ofdefence now in contemplation, as compared with the mighty power andprotective ubiquity of the floating bulwarks of Britain, I amsatisfied that the balance would be greatly in favour of publicity. Itwould demonstrate that there could be no security in those defencesand those asylums, on the construction of which it is proposed toexpend so many millions of the public money; it might, therefore, havethe effect of preventing such useless expenditure, and of averting theobviously impending danger of future parsimonious navaladministration, abandonment of essential measures of nauticalimprovement, and the national disgrace of maritime degradation--allinseparable from an unnatural hermaphrodite union between adistinguished service, which might still further be immeasurablyexalted, and the most extravagant, derogatory, inefficient, andpreposterous project that could be devised for the security andprotection of an insular, widely-extended, colonial and commercialState. "

A few months after that letter had been written, Lord Dundonald'shopes that his secret plans would be accepted by the Government wererevived. In 1846, his friend Lord Auckland took office as First Lordof the Admiralty; and by him, with very little delay, it was proposedto submit the plans to the judgment of a competent committee ofofficers. This was all that Lord Dundonald had asked for, and hegladly accepted the proposal. The officers chosen were Sir ThomasHastings, then Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Sir J. F. Burgoyne, and Lieutenant-Colonel J. S. Colquhoun. By them the project wascarefully considered, and on the 16th of January, 1847, they tenderedtheir official report upon it. "These plans, " it was there said, "maybe classed under three heads:--1st. One, on which an opinion may beformed with experiment, for concealing or masking offensive warlikeoperations; and we consider that, under many particular circumstances, the method of his lordship may be made available as well by land as bysea, and we therefore suggest that a record of this part of LordDundonald's plans should be deposited with the Admiralty, to be madeuse of when, in the judgment of their lordships, the opportunity foremploying it may occur. 2nd. One, on which experiments would berequired before a satisfactory conclusion could be arrived at. 3rd. Nos. 1 and 2 combined for the purpose of hostile operations. Aftermature consideration, we have resolved that it is not desirable thatany experiment should be made. We assume it to be possible that theplan No. 2 contains power for producing the sweeping destruction theinventor ascribes to it; but it is clear this power could not beretained exclusively by this country, because its first employmentwould develop both its principle and application. We considered, inthe next place, how far the adoption of the proposed secret planswould accord with the feelings and principles of civilized warfare. Weare of unanimous opinion that plans Nos. 2 and 3 would not be so. Wetherefore recommend that, as hitherto, plans Nos. 2 and 3 shouldremain concealed. We feel that great credit is due to Lord Dundonaldfor the right feeling which prompted him not to disclose his secretplans, when serving in war as naval commander-in-chief of the forcesof other nations, and under many trying circumstances, in theconviction that these plans might eventually be of the highestimportance to his own country. "

That report was, in the main, highly gratifying to Lord Dundonald. Itrecognized the efficacy of his plans, and recommended their partialuse, at any rate, in time of need. "Permit me to express, as far as Iam able, " he wrote to Lord Auckland on the 27th of January, "my deepsense of obligation to your lordship in causing my plans of war to bethoroughly investigated by the most competent authorities, and for theextremely kind terms in which you have informed me of the satisfactoryresult. With regard to their disposal, I submit that it would beadvisable to retain them inviolate until a period shall arrive whenthe use of them may be deemed beneficial to the interests of thecountry, I have to observe, as to the opinions of the commission, thatplans Nos. 2 and 3 would not accord with the principles and feeling ofcivilized warfare, that the new method resorted to by the French, offiring horizontal shells and carcases, is stated by a commission ofscientific and practical men appointed by the French Government toascertain their effects, to be so formidable that 'it would renderimpossible the success of any enterprise attempted against theirvessels in harbour, ' and that, 'for the defence of roadsteads, or forthe attack of line-of-battle ships, becalmed or embayed, its effectwould be infallible, '--namely, by blowing up or burning our ships, tothe probable destruction of the lives of all their crews. I submitthat, against such batteries as these, the adoption of my plans Nos. 2and 3 would be perfectly justifiable. "

That the French, not yet forgetful of the injuries inflicted on themin the last great war, and in the frequent wars of previous centuries, were still hoping and planning for an opportunity of retaliation, andthat their plans needed to be carefully watched and counteracted, wereconvictions strongly impressed upon Lord Dundonald in these years; andin 1848 he had a singular verification of them. "I enclose a paper ofsome consequence, " wrote Lord Auckland to him on the 30th of June. "Itcontains the plan which, in contemplation of war, has been submittedto the French Provisional Government for naval operations. It is, perhaps, little more than the pamphlet of the Prince de Joinville, carried out methodically and in detail, and the writer seems to me toanticipate a far more exclusive playing of the game only on one sidethan we should allow to be the case; but, nevertheless, such a mode ofwarfare would be embarrassing and mischievous, and I should like tohave from you your views of a counter project to it, and yourcriticisms upon it. "

The report here forwarded to Lord Dundonald by Lord Auckland, entitled"La Puissance Maritime de la France, " and designed to show that "uneguerre maritime est plus à redouter pour l'Angleterre que pour laFrance, " besides affording curious confirmation of Lord Dundonald'sopinions, is a document very memorable in itself. Its main idea wasthat in naval warfare victory is to be obtained, not by mere numbers, but by superiority in ships and guns. "In the present condition of ourmarine, " said its author, "we must give up fleet-fighting. The Englishcan arm more fleets than we can, and we cannot maintain a war offleets with England without exposing ourselves to losses as great asthose we experienced under the First Empire. Though during twentyyears, however, our warfare, as carried on by fleets, was disastrous, that of our cruisers was nearly always successful. By again sendingthese forth, with instructions not to compromise themselves with anenemy superior to them in numbers, we shall inflict great loss onEnglish commerce. To attack that commerce is to attack the vitalprinciple of England--to strike her to the heart. "

That was the view advanced under Louis Philippe's reign by the Princede Joinville; but it was much more elaborately worked out by theadvocate of naval energy in days immediately preceding Prince LouisNapoleon's accession to power. "What I propose, " he said, "is a warfounded on this principle of striking at English commerce. In a navalwar between two nations, one of which has a very large commerce, andthe other very little, military forces are of small consequence. Inthe end, peace must become a necessity to the power which has much tolose and little to gain. Let us see what took place in America duringthe disputes on the Oregon question. Despite the immense superiorityof the English navy, the Americans maintained their pretensions. England found out that their well-equipped frigates and countlessprivateers were sufficient to carry on a war against her commerce inall parts of the globe; whilst all the damage she could do to Americawas the destruction of a few coast-towns, by which she could gainneither honour nor profit; and so she decided to preserve peace byyielding the question. It is this American system that we in Francemust adopt. Renouncing the glory of fleet victories, we must makeactive war on the commercial shipping of Great Britain. If Americawith her small means could gain such an advantage over England, whatresults may we not expect to obtain with a hundred and fifty ships ofwar and three hundred corsairs armed with long-range guns?"

The report recommended that the naval force of France should beorganized in twenty "corsair-divisions. " These were to have Cherbourgfor their head-quarters; one to look after the merchant-shipping inthe British Channel; another to watch the mouth of the Thames; and athird to cruise along the Dutch and German coasts, so as to interceptour Baltic trade; and all these were to be aided by a line oftelegraphs from Brest to Dunkirk, in correspondence with a line ofscouts ranged along the French coast, with orders to communicate tothe central station at Cherbourg every movement of Britishmerchantmen. Three similar divisions were to be formed at Brest, charged respectively with the oversight of the East and West Indianshipping as it passed Cape Clear, of the Azores, and of the IrishCoast. A seventh division, stationed at Rochefort, was to watch for afavourable opportunity of co-operating with the other six, ifdesirable, in transporting an army to Ireland. An eighth division wasto watch the neighbourhood of Gibraltar, and four others were to bestationed in various parts of the Mediterranean. Three other divisionswere to cruise along the North American coast, to harass our commercewith the United States, to intercept the trade of Canada and theneighbouring colonies, and, in spring time, to capture the produce ofthe Newfoundland fisheries. Three smaller divisions were to be chargedwith the annoyance of our West Indian Islands and the destruction oftheir commerce; and the remaining two were to scour the coasts ofSouth America. A separate and formidable establishment ofscrew-frigates was to have for its head-quarters a port of refuge tobe constructed in Madagascar, whence operations were to be directed inall quarters against our East Indian possessions and their extensivetrade. 

"In addition to these means, " it was further said in the report, "theDepartmental Councils should each arm one steam-frigate, commanded byan officer of the navy born in the department. The prizes captured byeach should in this case be at the disposal of the DepartmentalCouncils, a portion being devoted to defraying the expenses of thevessel, and the remainder applied to the execution of public workswithin the department. " "As regards the defence of French ports, thismay be best effected by flat-bottomed hulks, armed with long-rangeguns adapted to horizontal firing. The chances against invasion aregreatly in favour of France, on account of the superiority of her landforce, and the facility of transporting troops by railway to thelocality attacked. " "A great point will be the perfect training of theFrench squadron by annual evolutions, and with double or treble therequisite number of officers. If these suggestions are carried out, France will establish at sea what Russia has done on land, to theinjury and restriction of British commerce, which must be seriouslydamaged, without material harm being done to ourselves. This loss ofcommerce will especially affect the working classes of England, andthus bring about a democratic inundation which will compel her to aspeedy submission. "

Those were the chief proposals of the secret memoir which, fallinginto the hands of the British Government, so far alarmed it as to leadit to call upon the Earl of Dundonald for his opinions as to the bestway of meeting the threatened danger. "This document, " he wrote in hisreply to Lord Auckland, "describes a plan of maritime operationsundoubtedly more injurious to the interests of England than thatpursued by France in former wars. There is nothing new, however, inthe opinions promulgated. They have long been familiar to Britishnaval officers, whose wonder has been that the wide-spread colonialcommerce of England has never yet been effectually assailed. It istrue that the advice given in the memoir derives more importance nowfrom the fact that the application of steam-power to a system ofpredatory warfare constitutes every harbour a port of naval equipment, requiring to be watched, not in the passive manner of formerblockades, but effectively by steam-vessels having their fires kindledat least during the obscurity of night. The cost and number of suchblockades need not be dwelt on, nor the indefinite period to whichprudence on the part of the enemy, and vigilance on that of theblockading force, might prolong a war. One hundred millions sterlingadded to our national debt would solve a doubt whether the mostsuccessful depredation on British commerce could produce consequencesmore extensive and permanently injurious. The memoir obviouslyanticipates that 'l'usage des canons bombes, dont les atteintes ont unsi prodigieux effet, ' will prevent our blockading ships fromapproaching the shores of France, and that thus their steam-vesselsmight escape unobserved during night, even with sailing-vessels intow. This is no vague conjecture, but a consequence which assuredlywill follow any hesitation on our part to counteract the systemextensively adopted, and now under the consideration of the NationalAssembly, of arming all batteries with projectiles, whereby to burn orblow up our ships of war--a fate which even the precaution of keepingout of range could not avert, by reason of the incendiary andexplosive missiles whereby 'les petits bailments à vapeur pourontattaquer les plus gros vaisseaux. ' It is impossible to retaliate byusing similar weapons. Forts and batteries are incombustible. Recoursemust therefore be had to other means, whereby to overcomefortifications protecting expeditionary forces and piraticalequipments. "

The means recommended by Lord Dundonald, it need hardly be said, werethe secret war-plans which he had developed nearly forty years before, and the efficacy of which had recently been again admitted by thecommittee appointed to investigate them in 1846. It is not allowable, of course, to quote the paragraphs in which Lord Dundonald once moreexplained them and urged their adoption in case of need. The onlyobjection offered to them was that they were too terrible for use by acivilized community. "These means, " he replied, "all powerful, arenevertheless humane when contrasted with the use of shells andcarcases by ships at sea, and most merciful, as competent to avert thebloodshed that would attend the contemplated 'descente en Angleterreou en Ireland, ' and other hostile schemes recommended in the memoir. "

That letter was forwarded to Lord Auckland from Halifax, where LordDundonald then was, in the beginning of August. "Assuredly the reasonswhich you give for the use of the means suggested are such as it isdifficult to controvert, " wrote Lord Auckland on the 18th; "but Iwould at least defer my assent or dissent to the time when thequestion may be more pressing than it is at present. " "I wouldpostpone my own reflections on the 'secret plans, '" he wrote again onthe 1st of September, "and would fain hope that events will allow theGovernment long to postpone all decision upon them. I agree with you, however, in much that you say upon their principle, and am wellsatisfied that to no hands better than yours could the execution ofany vigorous plans be entrusted. "

When, however, as will be seen on a latter page, an opportunity didarise for enforcing those plans against another power than France, their execution was not permitted to Lord Dundonald. 

Strongly as he himself was impressed with their importance, theyformed only a part of a complete system of opinions respecting thedefence of England at which he arrived by close study and longexperience. These have already been partially indicated. He did notwish that his plans should be lightly made use of; but, believing thatthey would ultimately become a recognised means of warfare, and thateven without them a great revolution would soon take place in ways offighting, he deprecated as useless and wasteful the elaboratefortifications which were in his time beginning to be extensively setup at Dover, Portsmouth, and other possible points of attack uponEngland, and urged, with no less energy, that vast improvements oughtto be made in the construction and employment of ships of war. 

Fortifications, he considered, were only desirable for the protectionof the special ports and depôts around which they were set up; andeven for that purpose they ought to be so compact as to need no morethan a few troops and local garrisons for their occupation. To havethem so complicated and numerous as to require the exclusive attentionof all or nearly all the military force of England, appeared to himonly a source of national weakness. His own achievements at Valdiviaand elsewhere showed him that skilful seamanship on the part of aninvader would render them much less sufficient for the defence of thecountry than was generally supposed. If all our soldiers werescattered along various parts of the coast, it would not be difficultfor the enemy, by a bold and sudden onslaught, or still more by afeint of the sort in which he himself was master, to take possessionof one, and then there would be no concentrated army available toprevent the onward march of the assailant. Much wiser would it be toleave the seaboard comparatively unprotected from the land, and tohave a powerful army so arranged as to be ready for prompt resistanceof the enemy, if, by any means, he had gained a footing on the shore. 

To prevent that footing being gained, however, Lord Dundonald wasquite as eager as any champion of monster fortifications could be; butthis prevention, he urged, must be by means of moveable ships, and notby immoveable land-works. A strong fleet of gunboats, stationed allalong the coast, and with carefully-devised arrangements for mutualcommunication, so that at any time their force could be speedilyconcentrated in one or more important positions, would be far moreefficacious and far more economical than the more popular expedientsfor the military defence of England. He heartily believed, in fact, inthe old and often-proved maxim that the sea was England's wall, and hedesired to have that wall guarded by a force able to watch its wholeextent and pass at ease from one point to another as occasionrequired. 

Desiring that thus the coast should be immediately protected byefficient gunboats, he desired no less to augment the naval strengthof the country by means of improved war-ships as much like gunboats aspossible. To large ships, if constructed in moderation and applied tospecial purposes, he was not averse; but he set a far higher valueupon small and well-armed vessels, able to pass rapidly from place toplace and to navigate shallow seas. "Give me, " he often said, "a fastsmall steamer, with a heavy long-range gun in the bow, and another inthe hold to fall back upon, and I would not hesitate to attack thelargest ship afloat. " His opinion on this point also was confirmed byhis own experience--most notably in the exploits of his little_Speedy_ in the Mediterranean--and by the whole history of Englishnaval triumphs. Since the time when the so-called Invincible Armada ofSpain entered the British Channel, designed to conquer England bymeans of its huge armaments, and when the bulky galleons and galeassesof Philip's haughty sailors were chased and worried by the smallerbarks and pinnaces of Drake, Hawkins, Frobisher, and the othersea-captains of Elizabeth, who sailed round and round their foe, anddarted in and out of his unwieldy mass of shipping, never failing toinflict great injury, while his volleys of artillery passed harmlesslyover their decks to sink into the sea, there had been abundant proofof the constant superiority of small warships over large. A "mosquitofleet, " as he called it, was what Lord Dundonald wished to seedeveloped; a swarm of active little vessels, just large enough tocarry one or two powerful guns, which could go anywhere and doanything, to which the larger crafts of the enemy would affordconvenient targets, but which, small and nimble, would be much lesslikely to be themselves attacked, and, even if attacked and sunk, would entail far less loss than would ensue from the destruction of alarge war-ship. "As large a gun as possible, in a vessel as small andswift as possible, and as many of them as you can put upon the sea, "was Lord Dundonald's ideal. For this he argued during half a century;for this he laboured hard and long in the exercise of his inventivepowers. In 1826, the plan of the war-steamers which he was to havetaken to Greece was explained to Lord Exmouth--no slight authority onnaval matters. "Why, it's not only the Turkish fleet, " exclaimed theveteran, "but all the navies in the world, that you will be able toconquer with such craft as these. "

CHAPTER XXVI

THE EARL OF DUNDONALD'S CLAIM FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE ORDER OF THEBATH. --HIS GOOD SERVICE PENSION. --THE INVESTIGATION OF HIS SECRETWAR-PLANS. --HIS PAMPHLET ON NAVAL AFFAIRS. --HIS INSTALLATION AS AG. O. B. --HIS CANDIDATURE FOR ELECTION AS A SCOTCH REPRESENTATIVEPEER. --THE QUEEN'S PERMISSION TO HIS WEARING THE BRAZILIAN ORDER OFTHE "CRUZIERO. "--HIS APPOINTMENT AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NORTHAMERICAN AND WEST INDIAN STATION. 

[1839-1848. ]

The restoration of his naval rank to the Earl of Dundonald in 1832, was slowly followed by other acts reversing the injustice of previousyears by which a large portion of his life had been embittered. 

"Your lordship and the Admiralty, " he wrote to Lord Minto, then at thehead of naval affairs, on the 30th of March, 1839, "may have beensurprised that I have never solicited any appointment since myreinstatement in the naval service by his late Majesty, whose memory Ishall ever cherish for this magnanimous act of justice. The cause, mylord, has not been from any reluctance on my part, but from a feelingwhich, I have no doubt, will appear satisfactory to your lordship, ifyou do me the favour to read the enclosed copy of a letter which Ihave written this day to the Marquess of Lansdowne as President of theCouncil. " The letter to Lord Lansdowne referred in great part to LordDundonald's rotary-engine, and to his secret war-plan, which heexpressed his willingness to put in execution if ever it was required. "Your lordship and the Privy Council, however, " it was added, "willnot fail to observe that, if it shall ever be the intention of theGovernment, under any circumstances, again to employ me in the navalservice, it would be quite inconsistent with the character of thatservice, as well as my own reputation, for me to assume command, unless the Order of the Bath, gained on the 12th of April, 1809, nowthirty years ago, shall be restored to me. "

"I hope it will appear to your lordship, " said Lord Dundonald, in aletter to Lord Melbourne, dated the 11th July, 1839, "that my servicesas a naval officer have been useful and honourable to my country; and, referring to those services and to the peculiar opportunities I havesince had of acquiring further professional knowledge, I may say, without vanity, that her Majesty has no officer in her navy moreexperienced than myself; and yet, from the extraordinary circumstancesof my case, I am the only flag-officer in her Majesty's service who, if called upon to take a command, could not do so consistently withhis own honour and the respect due to those who might be appointed toserve under him. For where is the officer who could not convenientlycall to mind, that I, who when only a captain was a Knight of theBath, was deprived of that honour, and that now, though aflag-officer, I have not been deemed worthy of having it restored?" "Iam sensible, " wrote Lord Dundonald in another letter to the Premier, written eight days later, "that the act of justice which I experiencedfrom the late King, under the ministry of Earl Grey, of which yourlordship was a distinguished member, in restoring me to my naval rank, was a great favour, inasmuch as it evinced a considerate feelingtowards me; and I was then fully satisfied with it, under theimpression that it would be viewed by the public, and especially bythe navy, as a testimony of the belief of the Government, at thattime, that I was innocent of the offence that had been laid to mycharge, and also that I should stand as good a chance as most of mybrother officers (and perhaps, from my experience, a better) of beingcalled to active service. I did not then foresee that the restorationof my naval rank alone would be viewed as a half-measure. Still lessdid I anticipate that, in the event of my being offered anappointment, I should be incapacitated from accepting it by reason ofthe feelings of other officers that I still laboured under someimputation which would render it derogatory to them to serve under me. But it is now impossible for me to conceal from myself the fact that, while the navy generally is kindly disposed towards me, and wouldrejoice to see me fully reinstated in all that I once enjoyed, I amconsidered by many to remain as completely precluded from activeservice as if my name had never more appeared in the Navy List, Itrust, my lord, that it cannot be thought reasonable to reduce me tothe inglorious condition of a retired or yellow admiral at home, andat the same time to deny me the privilege of acquiring eitheremolument or distinction in foreign service. "

Lord Dundonald's hope was that, on the occasion of her Majesty'smarriage, there would be a bestowal of honours, which would afford aconvenient opportunity for the restoration of his dignity as a Knightof the Bath. But in this he was disappointed. 

A minor favour was conferred upon him, however, and in a verygratifying way, eighteen months later. "You are probably aware, " wroteLord Minto to him on the 3rd of January, 1841, "that the death of SirHenry Bayntam has vacated one of the pensions for good and meritoriousservice. Before I left town a few days ago I made my arrangements toenable me to confer this pension upon you, if you should think itworthy of your acceptance, either as evidence of the high estimationin which I have ever held your services, or as convenient in apecuniary point of view. Although you are one of the few who have notapplied for this, I do not fear that any one of the numerous claimantscan show so good a title to it. "

That compliment was accepted by Lord Dundonald in a spirit answeringto that in which it was offered. Yet his reasonable anxiety for arestitution of the Order of the Bath was not abated, and thereupon hewas engaged in a correspondence with the Earl of Haddington, thenFirst Lord of the Admiralty, during the early part of 1842, which wasclosed by the intimation, bitterly disappointing to Lord Dundonald, that the Cabinet Council declined recommending the Queen to complywith his earnest request. 

Equally disappointing was the result of another application with thesame object which he made to Sir Robert Peel in the autumn of 1844. "Her Majesty's servants, " wrote Sir Robert Peel on the 7th ofNovember, "have had under consideration the letter which I receivedfrom your lordship, bearing date the 10th of September. On referenceto the proceedings which were adopted in the year 1832, it appearsthat, previously to the restoration of your lordship to your rank inthe navy, a free pardon under the Great Seal was granted to yourlordship; and adverting to that circumstance, and to the fact thatthirty years have now elapsed since the charges to which the freepardon had reference were the subject of investigation before theproper judicial tribunal of the country, her Majesty's servants cannotconsistently with their duty advise the Queen to reopen an inquiryinto these charges. "

Lord Dundonald failed to see, in the partial reversal, twelve yearsbefore, of the unjust treatment to which he had been subjectedeighteen years before that, a reason for refusing to inquire whetherthere was any injustice yet to be atoned for. He had not, however, very much longer to wait for the object which he sought. 

One of his grounds for desiring a public recognition of the efficacyof his secret war-plans was a reasonable belief that, if it was seenthat through half a lifetime he had steadfastly avoided using for hisprivate advantage what might have been to him a vast source of wealth, in order that the secret might be reserved solely for the benefit ofhis country, it would be acknowledged to be incredible that, forinsignificant ends, he could have resorted to the gross and clumsyfraud attributed to him at the Stock Exchange trial. And in thisexpectation he was right. Nearly all the reparation that was nowpossible quickly followed upon the investigation into the war-plansthat was referred to in the last chapter. 

While the investigation was pending he was pained by a letter from SirThomas Hastings, not unkind in itself, but showing that his realmotives for courting that investigation were not understood. "I made acommunication to-day, " wrote Sir Thomas on the 27th of November, 1846, "that the commission had entered on its duties, and receivedinstructions to inform you that it would be desirable, before thecommission proceeded further, to ascertain your lordship's views as tothe nature of the remuneration you would expect from Government in theevent of your plans being reported on favourably. "

Lord Dundonald's reply was characteristic. "You intimate a wish on thepart of Government, " he wrote on the 1st of December, "to ascertain myviews in regard to the 'remuneration' I expect, in the event of myplans being favourably reported on. I reply that I devoted theseplans, thirty-five years ago, to the service of my country, that Ihave reserved them through the most adverse and trying circumstances, satisfied that at some future time I should prove my character to beabove pecuniary considerations or mercenary motives. I have lookedforward to the restoration of those honours, of which I was mostunjustly bereaved, and to freedom from mental anguish, enduredthroughout an isolation from society of one-third of a century. Icannot contrast with such sufferings, nor with my plans, any sum thatGovernment could bestow. Nevertheless, I have implicitly relied thatcollateral deprivations and losses would be taken into considerationby some future, just, and impartial Administration. I do mostearnestly hope that the period has now arrived. "

That letter was communicated by Sir Thomas Hastings to Lord Auckland. "I return the letter, " he wrote to Sir Thomas on the 16th of December, "which Lord Dundonald wrote to you upon the remuneration which hewould expect in the event of a favourable report upon his plans;namely, first, his restoration to the honours of which he wasdeprived; and, secondly, a consideration of collateral deprivationsand losses. I am sorry to acquaint you that the first condition is oneto which I am not authorized to promise an acquiescence. It is notnecessary that I should discuss the difficulties which occur to therestoration in question. I can only express my own deep regret thatthey should exist, and that the hopes which have been entertained byLord Dundonald should be disappointed. For myself, I personally regardhim. I look upon his naval career as most remarkable and mosthonourable; and I must lament whatever may seem to detract from theadvantage and grace of his return to the navy. "

"Sir Thomas Hastings, " wrote Lord Dundonald to Lord Auckland on thefollowing day, "has sent me your sympathizing note on the decision ofthe Cabinet Council in regard to the first item, designated as 'theremuneration I would expect in the event of a favourable report on myplans. ' Now, after the expression of my deep sense of gratitude toyour lordship for having brought the question before the Cabinet, I domost sincerely rejoice that 'the first condition is one to which youare not authorized to promise an acquiescence. ' I could not deemacquiescence a remuneration, nor could I value it otherwise than asevidence of conviction, produced by facts and the tenor of a wholelife, of my incapability of descending to base acts for gain at anyperiod of my existence, especially at a moment when I can prove that Ihad objects of the highest national importance and the most brilliantpersonal prospects in view. In confirmation of disinterestedness, Ifurther hold my retention of the 'secret war-plans' for a period ofthirty-five years, notwithstanding frequent opportunities to use themto my incalculable private advantage. The merit of these plans, thoughI am well aware of their value, is yet officially unpronounced by thecommission appointed to report. Therefore, the preceding facts beingdoubtful, I repeat that I do most sincerely rejoice that the CabinetCouncil have manifested that their decision neither depends on favournor on the value of the plans themselves. Foreseeing that, whatevermay be the ultimate determination, it must be founded on facts andjustified by an exposition of my conduct and character, I am preparinga document which, whatever may be my fate pending the brief remainderof my existence, will justify my memory when grievous wrongs shallcease to prey on a mind which, save from the consciousness ofrectitude, would in brief time have bowed my head with humiliation tothe ground. " The document there referred to was a pamphlet entitled"Observations on Naval Affairs, and on some Collateral Subjects. " Init were concisely enumerated Lord Dundonald's services as a Britishnaval officer, and the hardships brought upon him by the unmeritedStock Exchange trial. The pamphlet was published in February, 1847, and immediately excited considerable attention. "I hope thedifficulties which have prevented the realization of your wishes maybe removed shortly, " wrote Sir Thomas Hastings on the 2nd of March. "But services so distinguished, and a career so splendid and full ofprofessional instruction as your lordship's, can never be blotted outor rendered dim in the annals of the naval history of our country. " "Ihave had the kindest note possible from the Marquess of Lansdowne, "said Lord Dundonald, in a letter written on the 27th of April. "LordAuckland was at our house on Saturday, and spoke in the kindest andmost feeling manner. I hear from all quarters that the pamphlet hasmade and is making a great impression, and I have every hope that allwill end well. "

All did end well. The public announcement, on the highest authority, of the value of his secret war-plans, and the consequent exhibition ofhis disinterested patriotism in so long preserving them for hiscountry's use, followed by the bold appeal made by him to the publicthrough his pamphlet, brought success at last to his long-continuedefforts to obtain a restoration of his dignity as a Knight of theBath. His best friends in the Cabinet, especially Lords Lansdowne andAuckland, had influence, though not all the influence they desired, upon other Cabinet and Privy Councillors who were opposed to the tardyact of justice. But they did not wait for the assent of all. On the6th of May Lord Lansdowne represented the case to her Majesty theQueen, and received her promise that, with or without the approval ofher Privy Councillors, she would confer the next vacant Order of theBath upon Lord Dundonald. 

Fortunately a vacancy occurred immediately, through the death ofAdmiral Sir Davige Gould. "Lord Auckland has called, " wrote LordDundonald on the 9th of May, "and informed me officially that theQueen has placed at his disposal the vacant Order of the Bath; andthat, in conformity with the intention with which it was so placed, hewas to deliver it to me. " "I have information from the palace, " hewrote a few days later, "that her Majesty has had conversation as tothe justice of some further atonement for the injuries that have beeninflicted on me, and that she said it was subject of regret that suchwas not in her power; but, should the subject be entertained by heradvisers, her concurrence would not be wanting. "

That further act of justice was never rendered; but Lord Dundonaldrejoiced that the more important measure--that which, by restoring thedignity wrongfully taken from him, would do more than anything else toset him right in the eyes of the world--was at last adopted. "It givesme sincere pleasure, " wrote Lord John Russell on the 12th of May, inanswer to a letter thanking him for the conduct of his Administration, "that the last act of the Government has been so gratifying to you. Your services to your country are recorded among those of the mostbrilliant of a war signalised by heroic achievements. I will laybefore her Majesty the expression of your gratitude, and I can assureyou that the Queen has sanctioned with the greatest satisfaction theadvice of her ministers. "

On the 25th of May--the order being dated the 22nd--Lord Dundonald wasgazetted as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath; and thisact of grace was rendered more graceful by the personal interest shownby Prince Albert, who, as Grand Master of the Order, dispensed withthe customary formalities and delays, and, on the following morning, caused a warrant to be sent to him, in order that he might wear thecross at the birthday drawing-room, which he attended by her Majesty'scommand on the 27th of May. Thus another step was made in the way ofretribution for the injuries inflicted on him in 1814 and in theensuing years. 

"To-day, " he wrote on the 12th of July, "there was a grand muster atthe palace of all the Knights Grand Crosses, and many inferiorCrosses, and I was installed. Lord Ellenborough was one of mysponsors, and the Duke of Wellington shook hands with me, andexpressed his satisfaction at my restoration to the Order. I am gladto tell you that the ceremony of knighting, of which I was afraid, wasnot resorted to; so my knightship dates back to the 27th of April, 1809. "

In another effort to obtain full justice for himself, however, he wasunsuccessful. The great expenses that sprang out of his long-continuedscientific and mechanical pursuits had absorbed all his scanty sourcesof income, and he forcibly urged that in accordance with the precedentfurnished by a similar grant to Sir Robert Wilson, in 1832, he wasentitled to the arrears of pay due to him for the seventeen yearsduring which he had been kept out of his position in the British navy. But his request was refused; and the heavy pecuniary loss, as well asother and much heavier deprivations, consequent on a persecution thathas been since admitted to have been wholly undeserved, has never beencompensated. [20]

 [20] Part of a letter which Lord Dundonald received on this subject four years afterwards from Mr. Joseph Hume, though quoted in his "Autobiography, " is too important to be here omitted. "I considered, " wrote the great champion of public economy, on the 10th of May, 1852, "that you were incapable of taking the means that were resorted to by Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, and for which you suffered; and I was pleased to learn that you had been restored to your rank. I considered that act a proof that the Government which had restored you to the rank and honours of your profession, and had afterwards appointed you to the command in the West Indies, must have come to the same conclusion; and, until the perusal of your draft petition, I concluded that you had all your arrears paid to you as a tardy, though inadequate, return to your lordship, whose early exploits did honour to yourself, and gave additional lustre to the naval service of the country to which you belonged. .. . His Majesty King William IV. Was satisfied with the innocence of Sir Robert Wilson, and he was restored to the service--was, I understand, paid all the arrears of pay and allowances during his suspension, and afterwards appointed to the command of Gibraltar. I was pleased at the result; and it would give me equal pleasure to learn that your application to her Majesty should be attended with an act of justice to you equally merited. " Lord Palmerston subsequently, in answer to an application from Lord Dundonald--forgetting Sir Robert Wilson's case--said there was no precedent for such an act. Lord Dundonald answered that there was no precedent for such injustice as had been done to him. 

Shortly after that event Lord Dundonald sought to be elected one ofthe Scotch representative peers in the House of Lords. Now that hisload of unmerited disgrace was shaken off, he desired to resume hisold functions as a legislator--and this with no abatement of his zealfor the welfare of the people; but with none of the violence which hisown heavy sufferings at the time of their first and heaviest pressurehad partly caused him to show during his former parliamentary career. Being now a peer, he could not return to his seat in the House ofCommons, and being a Scotch peer, he could only sit in the House ofLords as one of the delegates from the aristocracy of his native land. Among these he therefore asked for a place at the election inSeptember, 1847. He did not, however, begin to seek it early enough. Other candidates had, according to custom, obtained promises of amajority of votes from the electors before he thought of canvassing, and he was thus left in a minority. Many peers, however, who on thisoccasion were unable to support him, offered to pledge their votes tohim for the next election. 

A minor favour was at this time shown to Lord Dundonald, whichafforded him real gratification. In 1835, he had been allowed by KingWilliam IV. To use the insignia of a Grand Commander of the Order ofthe Saviour of Greece, conferred upon him by King Otho. In August, 1847, he applied to the Cabinet for permission to use the title ofMarquis of Maranham and the Grand Cross of Brazil, both of which hadbeen conferred upon him by the Emperor Pedro I. , in 1823. "I have toacquaint your lordship, " wrote Lord Palmerston, then ForeignSecretary, on the 11th of October, "that under the peculiarcircumstances of the case, which have prevented the application beingmade earlier, the Queen has signified her pleasure that you should bepermitted to accept the Grand Cross of the Order of the Cruziero. Withregard, however, to the title of Marquis of Maranham, it is my duty tostate to your lordship that, after full consideration, her Majesty'sGovernment regret that they cannot advise the Queen to grant you thedesired permission. While her Majesty's Government duly appreciate theservices rendered by your lordship to the Crown of Brazil, theyconsider it to be on general principles so undesirable thatdistinguished officers of the British navy should have foreign titles, that they feel themselves compelled to decline complying with therequest. " "I beg to assure your lordship, " wrote Lord Dundonald inreply, on the 18th of October, "that I feel more gratitude in beinginformed of the sentiments of her Majesty's Government in regard to myfaithful and zealous services in Brazil than I ever experienced fromthe title conferred on me as the honorary portion of my reward forsuch services. As far as relates to assuming the title in my nativecountry, I entreat your lordship to believe that I never entertainedthe intention. "

A memorable occurrence soon followed. Now that his honours as well ashis naval rank were restored to him, he had no reason for holding backfrom active service in his profession; and the Earl of Auckland, anxious to make use--as far as use could be made in peace-time--of hisgreat and varied experience, and also to give further proof of thedesire at last to render him all possible honour, was prompt inoffering him fresh employment on the sea. "I shall shortly have toname a Commander-in-Chief for the North American and West IndianStation, " wrote Lord Auckland on the 27th of December, 1847. "Will youaccept the appointment? I shall feel it to be an honour and a pleasureto have named you to it, and I am satisfied that your nomination willbe agreeable to her Majesty, as it will be to the country, and, particularly, to the navy. "

Lord Dundonald did accept the appointment, rejoicing in it as afurther step in reparation for the injuries by which he had beenhindered, a whole generation before, from rising to the highest rankin the naval service of his country. He might then have achievedvictories over the French which would have surpassed his brilliantexploit at Basque Roads. He could now only direct the quiet operationsof a small fleet in time of peace. This, however, being the best thatit was now possible for him to do, he gladly undertook. "Permit me, "he wrote to Lord Auckland, "to assure your lordship that this graciousact has further tended to obliterate the deep and painful impressionsmade by thirty years of mental suffering, such as no language candescribe; for, my lord, the agony produced by false accusations on anhonourable mind is infinitely greater than merited infliction of deathitself. I leave your lordship then to estimate the amount ofobligation I fail to convey, and beg you will allow me to express ahope that your generous recommendation to her Majesty will bejustified by my zealous endeavours to fulfil the duties I owe to mysovereign and country. "

"I have waited for her Majesty's assent to your appointment, " said theEarl of Auckland in a letter written on the 3rd of January, 1848, "before answering your letter of the 28th ultimo. This assent has beenmost cordially given, and you may now consider yourselfCommander-in-Chief of the North American and West Indian Station, andI may repeat that my share in this proceeding has given me very greatpleasure, and that I am confirmed in my feelings of gratification bythe terms in which you speak of occupying your proper place in thenavy. I am glad for you, and I am glad for myself that I have donethis just and honourable act. "

Very hearty was the satisfaction expressed by all classes as soon asLord Dundonald's appointment was made public. "I beg, " wrote Mr. Delane, the editor of the "Times, " earliest of all in tendering hiscompliments, "to offer my very hearty congratulations upon yourappointment--all that remained to efface the stain of such unmeritedpersecution. " "The communication you have just made to me, " wrote theDuke of Hamilton and Brandon, "is most gratifying, and the First Lordof the Admiralty has done himself immortal honour in appointing thatnaval officer commander in one hemisphere who had previouslyillustrated his name by his most brilliant exploits in the other. Everything I think has now been done to undo the foul aspersions withwhich you have been assailed; and I am sure now everything will bedone that can most serve to establish the ability of the officer andthe delicacy of the gentleman. I congratulate you most sincerely uponyour appointment, and I hope you will meet with difficulties when youarrive at your destination. Don't be surprised at this my wish. Itproceeds from knowing the ample resources of my friend to overcomethem, and his constant desire to sacrifice everything to duty andhonour. " "I derive the greatest pleasure and satisfaction from yourappointment to the command of a British fleet, " wrote Sir GeorgeSinclair, "an appointment not less creditable to the ministry thanhonourable to yourself. I cannot help contemplating with affectionatesorrow the portrait of our dearest friend, Sir Francis Burdett, nowsuspended over the chimney-piece, and thinking how happy he would havebeen had he witnessed this most welcome and delightful consummation. ""Permit me the honour, " wrote Admiral John White, "to bear testimonyto the high gratification I felt at seeing by the papers theannouncement of your lordship's having taken the command of the WestIndia and Halifax Stations. The whole British empire has expressedgreat joy at this justice having been done to the bravery of yourlordship as an officer and your goodness and honour as a man. " Thatlast sentence told no more than the truth. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

LORD DUNDONALD'S DEPARTURE FOR NORTH AMERICA. --EXTRACTS FROM THECORRESPONDENCE OF LORD AUCKLAND AND OTHERS RESPECTING WEST INDIANAFFAIRS AND EUROPEAN POLITICS. --BERMUDA. --THE FRENCH REVOLUTION OF1848 AND ITS ISSUES. --IRELAND AND THE CHARTISTS. --THE DEATH OF LORDAUCKLAND. 

[1848. ]

Lord Dundonald left London for Devonport on the 16th of March, 1848, and on the following day hoisted his flag on board the _Wellesley_ asAdmiral in command of the North American and West Indian Fleet. On the25th of March he set sail for Halifax, which was soon reached, andwas, during three years, the head-quarters from which he proceeded onnumerous voyages in fulfilment of the duties of his office. Theseduties were not very onerous or various. They were relieved, however, by much careful study of the circumstances and prospects of ourcolonies in British North America, and by correspondence thereupon, and on other subjects, with influential friends at home, andespecially with Lord Auckland, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Fromthis correspondence some selections will be made in the ensuing pages. 

"I am very much pleased with your letter of the 19th, " wrote LordAuckland, on the 21st of March, while the _Wellesley_ was still atDevonport, "and the good spirit with which you look forward to yourcoming duties. I know how irksome is the succession of the pettyduties which are incident to places of authority, and how far moreattractive is the excitement of great actions to those who are capableof performing them. But even the first class of duties is not withoutinterest, and carries credit as it is performed with justice andexactness; and I hope that for the second the necessity of greatexertions will not arise. But it is always well that the possibilityof their being called for should be borne in mind; and, while youfollow the peaceful avocations of your station, I should be glad thatyou become acquainted with all its points of strength and of weakness. All the information and advice that you may give to me will begratefully received and carefully considered. "

"I hope, " wrote Lord Auckland, three days later, "that the Mosquitoaffair will have been brought to a termination before your arrival, and that the necessity for the presence of ships in the Bay of Mexicowill have terminated with a cessation of hostilities between theUnited States and Mexico. You will then have the slave-trade and thefisheries mainly to attend to. You will learn from the Consul at Cubawhether the slave-trade is now actively carried on. It had for sometime entirely ceased, but it may have revived, and, with goodinformation and force for interception applied at the right time, Ishould hope that it will not require many of your ships. The fisherieswill, for a season, be a regular and fixed object of attention. ThoughI feel that your number of ships is small, it is difficult for me toincrease it. I hate to fritter away our men and naval strength on amultitude of brigs and sloops and petty objects. "

Lord Auckland communicated to his friend many interesting opinionsrespecting the state of politics and the condition of affairs on bothsides of the Atlantic. A letter from him, dated the 30th of April, hadreference chiefly to the troubles occasioned at that time by theinterference of Nicaragua with British commerce, which hadnecessitated the sending of Captain Lock, in the _Alarm_, to watch thecourse of events and compel proper behaviour by the turbulent state. "A 'little war' is always a vexatious thing, " he wrote, "and ourrelations with the state of Mosquito, though they have long andancient standing to recommend them, are strange and anomalous. But theinsults of Nicaragua were highly provoking. The detention of Britishsubjects was not to be borne, and the spirit which has been exhibitedby Captain Lock, the spirit and enterprise with which his operationswere directed, the conduct of all who served under him, and thesuccessful results which have been achieved, are all highly to beapplauded. I am glad, however, that they have left the river of SanJuan. I see that in 1780 Nelson lost by the climate there fifteenhundred out of eighteen hundred men; and I well know what is theeffect of a low country in the tropics, particularly after exertionand fatigue. "

The rest of the letter related to the turmoil excited in Europe by thedeposition of Louis Philippe in February, 1848, and the lesssuccessful revolutions in other countries. "We continue to be on thevery best terms with the Provisional Government, and there is a betterdisposition towards us on the part of the French people than there wasat the first outbreak of the Revolution. I have therefore at presentno apprehension of war. There is, however, this danger; that Germanyand Italy are greatly disturbed, and that Austria and Sardinia areengaged in war on the side of Italy, and Prussia and Denmark to thenorth, and it will not be easy for France and England to be peacefullookers-on. Besides which, the Government of France will long besubject to popular gusts, and it is never easy to say in whatdirection they may blow. In the meantime, however, all wears theappearance of peace, and at home the chances of disturbance both fromChartists and Repealers have become less. We have only danger from thedistress and want of employment which have followed upon the shockgiven to credit throughout Europe. "

Unfortunately, most of the letters written by Lord Dundonald duringthese months have been lost; but something of their purport may begathered from the replies to them. "I am very glad, " Lord Aucklandwrote, on the 28th of May, "that your thoughts appear to be veryconsiderately given to the health of those that are under yourcommand. You will, of course, have consideration for the ships thathave served in the Gulf of Mexico, or other unhealthy places, and givethem a turn in the north. I did not lose a moment in sending to LordGrey your suggestions in favour of removing the convict hulks atBermuda, and he has promised me that he will, without delay, issueorders accordingly. "

Lord Auckland wrote again to his friend on the 23rd of June. "I haveyour valuable memoranda on the defences and dockyard of Bermuda, " hesaid, "and I am greatly obliged to you for them, as will be Lord Grey. I will promise to give them early and deep consideration. In themeantime I will press the Board to give immediate authority for theimprovement of the drains of the hospital, and of the supply of water. I am greatly obliged to you for the steadiness with which you keepconsiderations of economy in view. The disinterestedness with whichyou regard the schemes which have been proposed for a new AdmiraltyHouse at Bermuda will give you authority in checking expenditure inother objects. "

"The affairs of France, " we read in the same letter, written whileGeneral Cavaignac was suppressing the June revolution, "are mostunsettled. There is no confidence in any man or party, and there arediscontent, and mistrust, and alarm. All feel that things cannot go onin their present form; but none can foresee what will follow. It maybe a continuance of internal dissension, but in an aggravated form. Itmay be a disposition to external violence. At home the condition bothof England and Ireland is quieter than it was. " "There is morebrightness in our prospects at home just now, " wrote Lord Auckland, three weeks later, on the 14th of July, "than has been the case forsome months. Commerce and credit are reviving; Chartism is dormant, and Ireland is less troublesome. And on the Continent there is a moregeneral disposition to return to institutions of order. I confess thatI should be glad to hear that just at this moment there were a largerforce than usual at Bermuda. The presence there of Mitchell[21] isapparently raising some excitement. Though I cannot apprehend anyformidable attempt at rescue, yet the notoriety of a force being at orabout the island may put an end to the vapouring menaces which areproclaimed, and prevent any rash or foolish enterprise that may beprojected. "

 [21] The great Chartist who, having been tried and sentenced to transportation, had been sent to Bermuda in May, 1848. 

"Thanks to you for your letter from Halifax, " Lord Auckland wroteagain, on the 21st of July, "and for your last sheets on the defencesof Bermuda. I did not think, when we parted, that the question ofthese defences would so soon come under serious discussion, with aview to their practical efficiency, but I do not yet think they willbe put to the test by any formidable attempt for the rescue of Mr. Mitchell. Such apprehensions of danger, however, as they occuroccasionally, do good, and lead men to think of and correct their weakpoints. What you say of the accessible nature of the southern reefsurprises me, and strengthens your recommendation of gunboats as themeans of defence which are least to be neglected. I only hang back inregard to them, as the Naval Department could not bear the expense ofsuch defences for the many colonies that would require them, and theymust be provided by the Colonial Governments. Our arrangements, however, may in some cases be subsidiary to theirs, and, wherever itis possible, the craft of the dockyard and other establishments shouldbe so fitted as to be capable of carrying a gun. I am glad you sentoff the _Scourge_ to Bermuda. She is a handy vessel and wellcommanded, and the notoriety of her presence will not be without auseful effect. What you say of the character of the emigrants that aresent forth from Ireland to our colonies is but too true. Yet it isbetter that they should go than accumulate famine and disturbance athome. The present condition of Ireland menaces trouble anddifficulty. "

"I am quite aware, " wrote Earl Grey, who was then Secretary of Statefor the Colonies, to Lord Dundonald, on the 3rd of August, "of theunfortunate tendency of the emigration to the North American provincesbeing chiefly from Ireland; but I do not see how it is in the power ofthe Government effectually to counteract the causes which are leadingto the settlement of so large a proportion of Irish in this part ofthe British dominion. I fear this will, hereafter, be attended withvery unfortunate results. " "I beg to thank your lordship, " he alsosaid, "for the important information you have transmitted to me, andfor the pains you have taken in considering the subject of the defenceof Bermuda, which I recommended to your attention before you leftEngland. I am in communication with Lord Auckland upon this subject, and we shall endeavour to act upon your suggestions so far as we areenabled to do so, under the financial difficulties with which we haveto contend. "

In the next letter written by Lord Auckland to Lord Dundonald, on the18th of August, he again referred to European politics. "There is, with regard to the Continent, more promise of peace at this momentthan there has been for a long time past, and there is a tone of moremoderation on the part of France towards other countries than I haveever expected to see. But she yet has within her fearful elements ofdisturbance; her Government is yet unsettled, and, wheneverdetermined, it will be subject to strong popular influences, and therecan be no security. I almost apprehend earlier mischief from thepopular influences of the United States. They have had a task ofconquest and annexation, and Cuba lies temptingly. The uneasiness ofthe black population of many of the West India Islands may lead toopportunities, and disagreeable events may grow out of suchcircumstances. But these are matters of speculation, and nothing turnsout as men think that they foresee. I wish that your squadron wasstronger; for you are weak in numbers for the many points that youhave to cover. Our home politics are rather more satisfactory thanthey were; that is to say, the dangers of Irish insurrection and offormidable Chartist outbreak are over. But there is still muchuneasiness and disaffection in both countries, and the various eventsof Paris have given encouragement to strange enterprises. I apprehend, however, no serious mischief from these quarters at present; but wehave in prospect a very general failure of the potato crop, and a veryindifferent harvest, and here will be new causes of embarrassment. "

There were many causes of embarrassment to English statesmen duringthe ensuing months. "For the present, " wrote Lord Auckland, on the 1stof September, "there is a cordial and friendly understanding betweenthe Governments of this country and France, and the chances of warseem to be distant. General Cavaignac seems to be a prudent andmoderate man. But no one can predict into what courses the popularinfluences of France may force him, or what changes may on any dayoccur. The extreme Communist party is weaker than it was; and aRoyalist party--for some king, but not for Louis Philippe--is growingup; and between these is a Government of a republic and an army. Thefirst political difficulty will be that of Italy, where the Austrianswill not readily make any concession, and where the French will notreadily see them again accumulate strength. It is to be seen whethertheir mediation and ours will be of any avail. "

"The condition of the present French Government is precarious, " LordAuckland said in another letter, dated the 9th of November. "Accordingto present appearances, Louis Napoleon will be elected President, notbecause he is personally esteemed, but from his name, with someparties, and because it is anticipated by others that his rule will beshort, and that he will be made to make way for others. " "The electionof a French President is over, " Lord Auckland was able to say on the25th of December, "and has been carried at last with a rush; and weare to have a new dynasty of Napoleons. Louis Napoleon was supportedby the army for his name, by the bulk of the nation because Cavaignacand the Republic were hated, and by the Legitimists because they thinkhe may presently be overthrown. He is pronounced to be a foolish man;but his course has been lately one of prudence and perseverance, andhe will enter upon power with good auspices. But he will have manydifficulties to contend with, and we may yet see many changes beforethe condition of France will be settled. "

The Earl of Auckland, one of the worthiest and most generous statesmenof his time, Lord Dundonald's firm friend, and the friend of all withwhom he came in contact, did not live to see these changes. Just aweek after that letter was written, Admiral John Dundas, who had beenhis chief adviser on Admiralty matters, had to write to LordDundonald. "It is with great regret, " he said, on the 1st of January, 1849, "I have to inform you of the death of Lord Auckland, after a fewhours' illness. He was on a visit to Lord Ashburton, near Winchester, on Saturday--seized with a fit--never spoke after--and died thismorning. You may well imagine the universal sorrow at such a loss; andI am sure you will join in that, for I know well the friendship thatexisted between you. "

By Lord Auckland's letters, it has been shown that, among much else, Lord Dundonald made special study of the actual condition and thepossible improvement of Bermuda, both as a convict settlement and as acentre of defence against any attacks that might be made upon the WestIndies. He suggested various beneficial changes for the strengtheningof its fortifications and for lessening its unhealthy character bybetter drainage and other expedients. In all of these he was supportedby Lord Auckland. But from the new First Lord of the Admiralty, SirFrancis Baring, he met with less encouragement. Bermuda had been madea subject of inquiry by a Parliamentary Committee, and the House ofCommons being averse to any further expense, Sir Francis Baring wascompelled to countermand much of the action that had been resolvedupon. 

With Sir Francis Baring Lord Dundonald corresponded on little butstrictly official matters, and therefore their letters are of lessgeneral interest than those which passed between him and Lord Auckland. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

LORD DUNDONALD'S VISITS TO THE NORTH AMERICAN AND WEST INDIANCOLONIES, AND HIS OPINIONS THEREON. --NEWFOUNDLAND AND ITSFISHERIES. --LABRADOR. --BERMUDA; ITS DEFENCES AND ITS GEOLOGICALFORMATION. --BARBADOES. --THE NEGROS. --TRINIDAD. --ITS PITCH LAKE. --THEDEPRESSED CONDITION OF THE WEST INDIAN COLONIES. --LORD DUNDONALD'SSUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT. 

[1848-1850. ]

The foregoing chapter consists chiefly of extracts from lettersaddressed to Lord Dundonald during 1848. In the present one free usewill be made of his own journal of a tour among the colonies andislands whose interests he was appointed to watch as Admiral of theNorth American and West Indian squadron. [22] It furnishes muchinteresting information about the places visited, and has alsoadditional interest as illustrating the writer's tone of mind andmethod of investigation concerning every object that came in his way. The journal describes his occupations during eight months, beginningwith the summer of 1849, and includes reminiscences of less systematicvisits to the various localities made during the previous year. Leaving Halifax, in Nova Scotia, on the 14th of July, Lord Dundonaldproceeded northwards, passed Cape Breton Island to Newfoundland, thefisheries of which it was part of his duty to protect. 

 [22] Published in 1861 as a pamphlet, entitled, "Notes on the Mineralogy, Government, and Condition of the British West India Islands and North American Maritime Colonies. "

He entered St. George's Harbour, the chief resort of the fishermen andtraders, on the 27th of July. "It is situated, " he said, "in the angleof a deep bay between Aguille and Cape St. George, the town being onthe promontory and having deep water close to it. No village can bebetter placed for the herring fishery, as these gregarious fish at theseason of their arrival on the coast enter this harbour, as it were, into the cod of a net, whence they are lifted into the boats by scoopsand buckets. With such slender means possessed by the inhabitants, theaverage catch amounts to twenty-two thousand barrels; but hundreds ofthousands might be taken, were encouragement afforded. Salmon are alsocaught in the neighbouring rivers, which are alive with undisturbedand neglected trout. The barrels in which the herrings are packed aresaid to cost two shillings and sixpence each, and some new regulationrequires additional hoops, which, to those concerned, appears agrievance. It is said the herrings must realise ten shillings perbarrel, in order to repay costs and labour, but the last advices fromHalifax state that eight shillings only are offered by the merchants. The French, I understand, attend more to the cod fishery. They are notat liberty, if they adhere to the treaty, to draw nets on the shore. There is an American merchant here who deals in truck with the Englishsettlers, and obtains from them about a third part of the herringscaught, which he sends to the United States in such of the numerousAmerican schooners employed in the fishery as enter this bay. Theunauthorised British settlers here are said to be very jealous ofintruders, as they consider they have an exclusive right to the landand fisheries in their actual possession, and from which all are, bytreaty, excluded. They seemed suspicious that the _Wellesley_ mighthave some motive in entering the bay contrary to their interests. Noperson whatsoever came on board, nor did any one come off to the ship, even to offer himself as a pilot. Some persons were lately desirous toset up a saw-mill, which would have been important, as they obtain alltheir staves for herring-casks, &c. , from abroad; but the sanction ofthe inhabitants could not be obtained. There is no magistrate or civilor military authority, no medical man, and, perhaps fortunately, noattorney. Indeed, there is no law, though justice is done amongstthemselves after their own manner. There is a neat little church, atwhich the bishop is now officiating, and the people who are resortingto it seem well-dressed and orderly. "

On the 30th of July Lord Dundonald left the harbour, to pass round thesharp promontory known as Cape St. George. "About midway, " he said, "aremarkable change takes place to the northward of the table mountain, where the vertical strata become in appearance horizontal along thewhole shore of the projecting isthmus. The colour of the strata ischiefly grey, in parallel layers of varying hardness, as appears fromits projections and indentations. I could not, without delaying theship longer than I wished, procure samples of the strata, but therewas no appearance of carboniferous minerals. The same layers werevisible in detached places up to the tops of the hills, which are ofconsiderable altitude, though that is not denoted in the chart. Whenwe rounded Cape St. George on the following morning, the strata, whichbefore appeared parallel, were observed to dip at a considerable angletowards the N. E. , and seemed, where sufficiently exposed to view, tobe split into large diagonal flakes. There is an island close off theshore, about five miles to the eastward of the Cape, called RedIsland, which is of quite a different formation seemingly redhorizontal layers of sandstone, of a soft nature, as is obvious fromthe encroachments of the sea. The peninsula opposite to this island isof considerable elevation, as far as Round Head, whence it graduallylowers to a point about ten miles farther to the eastward. Here thelevel ground at first seems to be alluvial, but on closer observationindurated rocks are seen to protrude in flakes dipping into the sea. The bay formed by this promontory is of great magnitude. There areseveral islands at its mouth and in the interior, but there being nochart, and no motive for entering it, we stood on towards themountains on the main shore, some of which are very high. In manyparts the contortion of the strata, and the confusion of all kinds ofmaterials, are extraordinary. The sides of the mountains on the shoreare clad with moss alone, trees of very stunted growth only appearingin the sheltered valleys. No visible portion of the shore seemscapable of producing food for man. "

From the western coast of Newfoundland Lord Dundonald sailed due northto visit Labrador. With its natural resources, and the neglect ofthem, he was much surprised. "The British possessions in Labrador, " hesaid, "extend over a tract of country as great as the northern regionsof Russia from St. Petersburg towards the Pole, wherein the UralMountains compensate that Government for the sterility of the soil. Ihave often felt surprise at the indifference evinced by the SpanishGovernment towards developing the resources of its possessions; but itis with still greater astonishment I view the supineness of our ownGovernment in leaving this vast tract unexplored, and its probabletreasures undiscovered. "

Similar complaints were suggested to him by his observations on theeastern side of Newfoundland, to which he sailed down on the 6th ofAugust. "We passed several ports, wherein there were numerous Frenchships and square-rigged vessels dismantled, and schooners andmultitudes of fishing-boats in full activity in the offing. Theseschooners and fishing-boats are manned by the crews of the large Frenchvessels which are laid up in port, and constitute depots as well as themeans of transporting the produce of the fishery to France, anarrangement highly advantageous to the French marine, and which weerroneously abandoned by erecting Newfoundland into a ColonialGovernment, thus surrendering our deep-sea fishery entirely, evenwithout rendering the inshore fishery available to the newly-erectedcolony, throughout which it languishes from want of stimulus, or anadequate reward, even to induce the impoverished inhabitants of theshore to avail themselves of their small and almost costless boats tocatch fish, which, by reason of the bounties given by France andAmerica, are unsaleable with profit in any country in Europe. It isgrievous to observe the difference in the mode of carrying on theBritish fishery compared to that of the French. The former inrudely-constructed skiffs, with a couple of destitute-looking beings inparty-coloured rags; the latter in fine, well-equipped schooners, whichmay be called tenders to their larger ships, the seamen uniformlydressed in blue, with Joinville hats, looking as men ought and may beexpected to look whose interests and those of the parent State areunderstood to be in unison, and attended to as such. "

At St. John's, Newfoundland, Lord Dundonald made some stay beforesailing down to Sydney, in Cape Breton. Then he returned to Halifax, to go thence for a second visit to Bermuda. 

Respecting Bermuda, as we have seen, he had much correspondence. "Thisisland, " he now said, "ever since the discovery of the opening in thereefs by Captain Hurd, has been deemed of much naval importance, andplans were formed by the highest military authorities for its defence. A naval arsenal also has been designed for the accommodation of alarge establishment of ships of war. Distant islands, however, cannotbe defended on principles which would be the most judicious athome--by the erection of forts in all quarters that could be occupiedby an enemy. It is obvious that, under the circumstances of Bermuda, troops cannot be spared from the parent State permanently to garrisonthe multitude of forts which, on such a principle of defence, would berequisite. If they could, the expense would be enormous, and thereforeI cannot dismiss this subject without an expression of my satisfactionat the intelligence I lately received that such extravagant andunavailing system of fortification has been suspended. In my opinionit is a great error to imagine that naval officers are unfit to beconsulted respecting maritime defences; had it not been for somistaken a notion many hundreds of thousands of pounds, perhaps Imight say a million, might have been saved. I unhesitatingly assertthat gunboats not only would suffice, but are by far the mostavailable, and infinitely the cheapest defensive force amongst therocks around the island of Bermuda. The coloured population of thisisland are a fine race, incomparably superior to the generality of thecoloured population in the West Indies. They are accustomed tonavigate in their commercial vessels: their lives are almost spent inboats, and no better crews could be got for the defence of their ownisland than they would prove themselves to be. "

"The existence of this solitary island so far from the continent ofNorth America, " we further read in Lord Dundonald's journal, "is acircumstance meriting the attention of geologists, as well as theuniform material of which it is composed. It is all of a calcareousnature, but differing in condition from any of the other islands ofthe same substance. The strata are exposed in the perpendicular cliffson the sea-shore in numerous precipices, from a hundred feet to minoraltitudes, and are composed either of the most minute shells, or ofparts of shells so triturated that they scarcely indicate theirorigin. In some places, however, there are laminae containing shellsin a more perfect state, all of a white colour, with the exception ofone (which I found on digging a cave) of a semicircular shape, of ared colour, and almost as large as an oyster shell. The whole of thesubstance of Bermuda can be burnt into good lime; but there is anindurated calcareous stone, often containing many perfect shells, onthe island on which the naval yard is being built, which is preferredas more adhesive and better in quality. Although there are noindications of volcanic products on this island, yet it exhibitsmanifest proofs that volcanic force has raised it from the depths ofthe ocean. In what stage of induration it was at that period it isdifficult to conjecture. The hills and vales throughout the wholeextent of Bermuda have the stratified calcareous material generallyconforming on all sides to the inclination of the surface. There are, however, many situations in which the strata present themselves asmanifestly broken by force. In the deep cutting in the road whichenters into the enclosure around the Government House, one of thesebreaks appears at the apex of the hill, dividing its sides, which hereincline towards the centre, exposing a wedge-formed supplementary partthat fills up the interstice. In the grounds of the Admiralty Housecurious instances of unconformable strata are laid bare in oldquarries. These indicate some other cause for their nonconformity thanthat before assigned, and I am quite at a loss to imagine how thestratified materials could have been placed one above another at suchdifferent angles by the action of water, or in any other way, withoutappearance of disruption. There are caves upon this island containinglarge stalactites. There is one on Tucker's Island where thesestalactites reach from the top of the cave far below the surface ofthe salt water it contains. I am not aware of any other instance wheresimilar crystalisations have taken place under the sea water. It seemsto lead to the belief that this island was at some time lesssubmerged. There are other caves much larger, and one which goes in sofar that the officers who accompanied me did not scramble to its end. This cave is formed by two large masses of calcareous matter havingbeen reared up one against the other. I have seen some very beautifulcrystallisations taken from another cave recently found in a quarry atIreland Island; but the absence of petrifactions here (for I havenever seen one) constitutes a remarkable difference between thisformation and that on the island of Antigua, where the roads arealmost made with petrifactions. 

"In clearing the surface of the rock, as has lately been done at thequarries, and in laying the foundation of the new convict barracks, the most irregular formation is exposed. Large holes are foundcontiguous to each other in the white calcareous rock, which arefilled with a substance resembling chocolate in its colour, unlikeeverything else upon the island. "

From Bermuda Lord Dundonald sailed down to Barbadoes, where he arrivedon the 5th of February. "The negroes, " he said, "who are much morenumerous on this island than on any other of the West Indies, appearto be well fed, and cheery in their dispositions. They live in smallwooden houses resting on clumps of wood or blocks of stone, a mode ofconstruction which enables them, when tired of or displeased withtheir locality, to transport them elsewhere. I was told that a streetof stone huts, constructed for their use, is almost abandoned, byreason of the immobility of such residences. I consider thislocomotive propensity a favourable trait in their character. Behindthe barracks we stopped at a hut on the rising ground whereon thebarracks ought to have been placed, and assuredly I never saw a morecontented scene. There was a young negro, and, I believe, his wife, together with an old woman, perhaps the grandmother of the child shefondled. We made inquiry as to their mode of living, and they showedus green peas, seasoned with red pepper, ready to be cooked, yams, andcassava bread, as good as oatmeal cakes. These peas grow on largebushes, and vegetables of all kinds surround their hut. "

From Barbadoes Lord Dundonald proceeded by way of Tobago to Trinidad. "On the morning of the 11th of February, " he said, "we weighed andreturned through the Dragon's Mouth, shaping our course for the greatnatural curiosity of Trinidad, the Pitch Lake, which I hoped might berendered useful for fuel for our steam-ships--so important in theevent of war--as fuel is only obtained at present from Europe. TheUnited States and Nova Scotia are never resorted to; hence, could thispitch be rendered applicable as fuel, our vessels would be suppliedwhen an enemy would be almost deprived of the use of steam in theseseas. We arrived at La Brea, and before daybreak on the followingmorning we were on the road to the lake, or rather on a stream ofbitumen (now indurated) which in former ages overflowed the lake. Indeed the bitumen beneath this road seems still to be on the move, asshown by curvilineal ridges on its surface, like waves receding from astone thrown into water. The appearance of the lake is mostextraordinary. One vast sheet of bitumen extends until lost amidstluxuriant vegetation. Its circumference is full three miles, exclusiveof the creeks, which double the extent. The bituminous surface is of adark brown, waxy consistence, except in one or two places where thefluid still exudes; obviously this spring is in full vigour beneath, for the whole surface of the lake is formed into protuberances likethe segments of a globe pressed together, having hollows betweenfilled with rain-water, which (except in the immediate vicinity of thebituminous springs) is inodorous and without taste--an extraordinaryfact, showing that this bitumen is of a nature quite different fromthat of pyrotechnic mineral or vegetable tar. In its dry state it isquite insoluble in water, though when charged with essential oil, asit exudes from nature's laboratory, it imparts a pungent andunpleasant taste. A considerable quantity of gas bubbles up throughthese bituminous springs, showing that decomposition is still activeamongst the materials whence it exudes. Some of the recent bitumen hasan odour resembling vegetable gum. Mr. Johnson, the very obligingproprietor of a neighbouring estate, had the goodness to cause some ofhis labourers and a cart to bring samples to the beach. Means oftransport, however, were so inadequate, that we had recourse todigging the more impure pitch on the beach, in order to prosecute ourtrials for its substitution as fuel. This bitumen, which had flowedupwards of a mile from the lake, was combined with earthy and othersubstances which it had encountered in its course. Various attemptshave heretofore been made to apply the bitumen to useful purposes, butwithout success, as we may judge from the total abandonment of thosetrials and expectations which for a brief period induced its shipmentto England with a view to its application to the pavements of Londonand other cities. All excavation has consequently ceased, and so lowis the estimation in which the bitumen is held, that the duty onembarkation is only one halfpenny per ton. The nature of this bitumenis very different from that of coal. When exposed to a naked fire itbecomes fluid, and runs through the bars before gas is disengaged, orat least before it is raised to a temperature at which it will ignite;perhaps it requires more or purer air than enters through the bars ofsteamboat furnaces--a conjecture which seems to be confirmed by thedense smoke speedily produced. "

"The plains of Trinidad, " wrote Lord Dundonald, "have a fertile soil, which, simply by clearing the ground, is capable of being rendered themost productive in the West India Islands for the growth of sugar andwhatever can be cultivated in a climate most uniform in itstemperature, most congenial to tropical plants, free from the evils ofhurricanes and from all impediments to vegetation. I am confidentthat, if the hands of the Governor were not bound by restrictions androutine, the progress of Trinidad would soon verify this opinion. LordHarris, the present Governor, nobly tendered a portion of his officialincome in alleviation of the burthens which are so severely felt inthe present depressed state of agriculture and commerce, but from somecause his lordship's liberal intention was not realized. The examplewould have proved salutary, as it must have been followed byreductions throughout other West India Islands, whose resources areeven in a worse state than those of Trinidad. Is it reasonable, whilstthe ground has ceased to be cultivated because production isunprofitable, not only that the land should continue to be taxed atthe rate it was in prosperous times, but that a duty should be leviedon the exportation of its produce? Is it reasonable that whilsthouseholders can obtain no rent, and have no income save the baremeans of providing a scanty subsistence, they should be assessed atthe rack-rent of former valuation? Can any property be more entitledto protection than that of the owners of the soil or of the dwellingsthey inhabit? And yet all these, as appears by the numerous gazettedsales, are sacrificed to the collection of sums, the bulk of which isuselessly and prejudicially expended. Whilst the Government of theparent State has alleviated the burdens on the productive classes, isit just that taxes on food and on all the necessaries of life shouldbe continued throughout the colonies, and that even their productionsshould be intolerably burdened with local imposts, whilst complaintsare loud and true of the absence of all remuneration from the sourceswhich once constituted the prosperity of those now impoverished andoppressed possessions? The above observations do not apply exclusivelyto Trinidad, but to the whole of the islands, which scarcely differ indegree in the causes of ruin which seem irremediable by any authorityexcept the legislature of the parent State. I am persuaded that thechief of the Colonial Department at home would endeavour to counteractthe causes of widely-spread and increasing ruin, were he in possessionof correct information; but popular representations of grievances, often embodying misapprehensions as to their true origin, andaccompanied by suggestions of impracticable remedies, are denied ordisputed in counterstatements by interested officials, so that theColonial Minister is bewildered, and can form no correct judgment fromsuch conflicting statements. I hold it to be impossible that themonstrous absurdities and violations of every principle of goodgovernment which exist throughout these western colonies could betolerated an instant, were their consequences known and believed bythose in power, or were they laid before the British public by anyperson on whose judgment and opinion they could rely. Can it becredited that even in the island of Trinidad, not only multitudes ofvaluable properties are brought to sale from the inability of theirowners to pay the fiscal demands, but that properties are consigned tothe Government auctioneer even for so small an assessment asthree-fourths of a dollar? This is, nevertheless, the fact. Theemancipation of the slaves was a glorious act, but the rescue of thesenoble possessions from ruin, and the restoration of prosperity to anintegral part of the empire, would redound to the honour of any onewho would successfully advocate the cause of reason and justice, notonly on the principles of equity, but with the less noble view of gainto the parent State, as it is certain that the consumption of Britishmanufactured articles has fallen off in these colonies to an extentwhich has not been counterbalanced by the increase of exportsanticipated from the questionable policy of concession to Brazil, inwhich I have reason to believe the supply of articles required for theslave trade constitutes a large proportion. "

Reflections of that sort occurred to Lord Dundonald again and again, as, passing round from Trinidad, he visited all the principal BritishWest India Islands, the last at which he called on his way back toHalifax being Jamaica. "No doubt, " he said, "the generous and nobleact by which, in the reign of his late Majesty, slavery was abolished, produced a prejudicial change in the economy of the sugar plantations, notwithstanding the large amount awarded to the proprietors, as thesums so paid were for the most part immediately transferred tomortgagees, leaving the proprietors in possession of the soil, butwithout the means of paying the expense of its cultivation by freelabour. This is an evil which time has not remedied, and, of course, in the estimation of those who are, in consequence, losers, furnishesthe pretext for imputing to the black population a degree ofreluctance to labour far exceeding the reality. Those who pay areasonable price for work, and are punctual in their payments, do notfail to get as many labourers as they require. I assert this not fromany vague hearsay, but from various unquestionable and authenticdocuments, amongst which are the examinations taken by Committees ofthe House of Assembly appointed to inquire into the causes anddifficulties alleged to exist in the cultivation of estates. Whilstthe poverty of the planters and the destitution of the labouringpopulation is so universal, it seems most extraordinary on inspectingthe Custom House returns to find almost every article of necessaryconsumption brought from abroad paying high duties on entry; whilstthe concession of small patches of land to the negroes, whom there isno capital to employ, would, if accorded, produce food, and in a greatmeasure dispense with such injurious importations. Is it reasonable toinstruct the negroes in their rights as men, and open their minds tothe humble ambition of acquiring spots of land, and then throw everyimpediment possible in the way of its gratification? I perceive by theimposts and expenses on the transfer of small properties, that abarrier almost insurmountable is raised to their acquisition by thecoloured population. I have learnt that small lots of Crown lands arescarcely ever disposed of, though three-fourths of these lands arestill in the hands of Government. 

"It is lamentable to see the negroes in rags, lying about the streetsof Kingston; to learn that the gaols are full; the penitentiariesincapable of containing more inmates; whilst the port is destitute ofshipping, the wharves abandoned, and the storehouses empty; whilemuch, if not all, of this might be remedied. It may be asked, how isthis to be effected? and I answer--by justice, resolution, patriotism, and disinterestedness. Never can this wretched state of affairs beremedied so long as taxes on the necessaries of life are heaped on animpoverished population. Never can the peasantry raise their headswith a contented aspect, whilst every animate and inanimate thingaround them is taxed to the utmost. Not only is there a tax on land, and on the shipment of its produce, on houses, outhouses, and gardens, on horned cattle and horses, but on asses and pigs; and the severestpenalties are enacted for concealment or suppression in the returns. Officials are employed for the gathering of pittances which do notdefray the expense of collection. The harbour dues and exactions aresuch that no vessel, when it can be avoided, is brought into the Portof Kingston; consequently, though Jamaica is admirably situated, evenmore favourably than St. Thomas, the former port is abandoned, whilstthat of the latter is filled with the shipping of all nations. "

Lord Dundonald detailed the substance of these opinions in a letter toEarl Grey, the Secretary for the Colonies. "I have to thank yourlordship, " Lord Grey replied, "for your letter. The observations of aperson of your lordship's knowledge and experience upon the presentstate of our colonies are most interesting and useful to me. I amaware that there exists much distress in the West Indies at present;but I am sorry to say I do not see what Parliament can do towardsremoving it, beyond freeing their trade from the remainingrestrictions by the repeal of the Navigation Laws, which I hope willnow be soon accomplished. I own I quite differ from your lordship asto the propriety of restoring to the planters the monopoly in theBritish market they formerly enjoyed, and I believe that the permanentinterests of these colonies would be injured instead of being advancedby doing so. "

CHAPTER XXIX. 

LORD DUNDONALD'S RETURN FROM AMERICA. --HIS ARGUMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OFTHE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES AND THE WEST INDIA TRADE. --THE TRINIDADBITUMEN. --LORD DUNDONALD'S OTHER SCIENTIFIC PURSUITS AND VIEWS. 

[1851-1853. ]

The Earl of Dundonald's time of service as Admiral of the West Indianand North American Stations expired in April, 1851. On the 31st ofDecember, 1850, Sir Francis Baring wrote to inform him that Sir GeorgeSeymour had been appointed his successor. "It is with some regret, "said Sir Francis, "that I have performed this duty, as it has been mypleasure to have been in communication with you, and to feel that animportant command has been placed in the hands of an officer of yourlordship's high professional character and merits. You must permit me, in making this announcement, to add my sincere thanks for the mannerin which you conducted the duties of your position, and particularlyfor the valuable information you have communicated to the Board, andthe attention you have paid to the many points you had brought beforeyou. "

On the 14th of May Lord Dundonald left Halifax, and he reachedPortsmouth in the beginning of June. During the next few years hismind was much occupied with the further consideration of varioustopics suggested by his observations and explorations on the otherside of the Atlantic. It will be enough to make brief allusion to themost important of these. 

Subjects of hearty regret to him, repeatedly brought under his noticeduring his three years' stay in the North American and West Indianwaters, were the great depression of the British fisheries in theneighbourhood of Newfoundland, and the yet greater depression of tradeconsequent on the remission of slavery in the more southern colonies. For both he sought to provide a remedy. He urged, as has already beenshown in the extracts from his journal, which was published, andattracted much attention, in the summer of 1852, that special helpshould be given to these colonies, not only by the removal of allrestrictions upon their commerce and manufactures, but by protectiveenactments in their favour. 

His reasons for this view, as regards the Newfoundland fisheries, inwhich he thought not alone of the interests of the colonists, were setforth by him in a letter addressed to the "Times, " in August, 1852. "Were not the question of maintaining our nurseries for seamen, " hethere said, "more important than commercial considerations, I shouldnot venture, through your favour, to trespass on public attentionregarding the North American fisheries; but, perceiving thatimpressions are likely to be made by writers, avoiding responsibilityfor erroneous opinions by withholding their names, I feel it a dutyexplicitly to state that it is not to the amount of fish caught andcured, to the price at which it can be sold at home or abroad, or tothe number of persons employed in the fishery, but to theirnationality and vocation, to which I attach importance, in order thatour fisheries shall form hardy British seamen in oceanic vessels, likethose employed under the bounties paid by North America and France. These being the considerations, the question is not whether it isconsistent with the enlightened theory of free trade to pay a premiumwhich shall transfer capital from the pockets of one class to those ofanother, but whether it is wiser and more economical for the communityat large to uphold such nursery, or to maintain even a skeleton ofwarlike establishments--perhaps to build, equip, and employ additionalships of war, squadrons, or fleets, to watch, perchance to contendwith, power thus cheaply developed by rival nations. I ask whether thebounty given to enable steam-packets to cross the ocean is moreconsistent with free-trade principles than a bounty awarded to ourfisheries as a nursery for seamen. A colonial premium is indeed talkedof, and by those unacquainted with facts, who do not foresee itsoperation, it may be deemed a substitute for a bounty by the parentState; but I advisedly assert that such colonial premium would notrear one disposable seaman for our naval service, and that even thecolonial fishermen would derive no commensurate advantage, such is theimpoverishing effect of the inveterate system of truck-dealing thatboat fishermen, even from the harbour of the capital of Newfoundland, are chiefly paid by daily wages; the advantages derived from theemployment of two half-idle fishermen being greater to thetruckmaster, in the absence of an available market, than the likeamount of fish caught by one customer. It is manifest, by the truetheory of free trade, that it is unimportant whether the French andAmericans obtain their bait and catch fish within our limits or not, or even whether the world is supplied by them or by us; but it is notso if foreign nations thereby rear, employ, and maintain in time ofpeace fifty thousand seamen, who, in the event of war, are at the beckof their respective Governments, while Britain, the rightful owner, has not one available seaman from the fisheries. On subjects of suchvital importance it is essential that general theories, however good, shall not be supported in detail by false reasoning, or by captivatingappellations inconsistent with truth. Nine-tenths of our westerncolonies are still taxed on every article of food, and on all existingproperty, animate and inanimate; a state of things alike adverse toproduction and trade. Is it reasonable to imagine, if the interests ofcolonists are not considered jointly with those of the parent State, that they can continue to administer to our wants, comforts, andluxuries--above all, to our commercial nursery for seamen, the sourceof our national greatness? A Parliamentary investigation isindispensable to afford a chance of escape to these noble possessionsof the Crown from impending ruin. "

For the relief of the West Indian colonies Lord Dundonald was alsoanxious to obtain the intervention of Parliament; but he believed thathe had himself discovered one source of possible advancement for them. His remarks concerning the pitch lake of Trinidad have already beenpartly quoted. Having first explored that lake in the beginning of1849, he at once recognized the importance of its stores of bitumen, and much of his leisure from official duties was employed inobservations and experiments with a view to its being utilized. He wassoon convinced as to its great and various importance. The decomposedbitumen that lay in vast beds around the lake he found exceedinglyvaluable as a manure; and he perceived that the liquid mass, of whichboundless supplies might be obtained, could be put to many veryvaluable uses. Here he discerned the presence of a new material ofcommerce which might prove of incalculable benefit not only toTrinidad but also to all the other West India Islands; therefore heurged its employment, and, though but little heed was paid to hisadvice, the successful results of the few cases in which it wasadopted fully justified his opinions. 

After his return to England he also sought zealously to make hisdiscovery beneficial to himself. He was to a great extent baffled bythe obstacles common to new projects; but his projects afford curiousillustration of the activity of his mind and the fertility of hisinventive powers. "Used as a mastic, " he said in a concise enumerationof the uses to which he found that the bitumen might be put, "it ispeculiarly suited to unite and ensure the durability of hydraulicworks. It renders the foundations and superstructure of buildingsimpermeable to humidity. It is admirably adapted, by its resistance todecomposition by the most powerful solvents, to the construction ofsewers, and, being tasteless, it is an excellent coating towater-pipes, aqueducts, and reservoirs. When masticated and prepared, it is a substitute for costly gums as applied to numerous purposes. Combined with a small portion of ligneous matter, it constitutes afuel of greater evaporating power than coal, and, when pulverized andscattered over growing potato-plants or other vegetables, it preventstheir destruction by insects or blight, and acts also as a fertiliserof the soil. Essential and viscid oils are obtained by variouswell-known processes from bituminous substances, but from none in suchabundance and possessing such valuable properties as the oilsextracted from the bitumen of the lake of Trinidad, as well as fromthe petroleum of springs still in activity. "[23]

 [23] The following patents, for the use of the Trinidad bitumen, were taken out by Lord Dundonald:--1851. "Improvements in the construction and manufacture of sewers, drains, waterways, pipes, reservoirs, and receptacles for liquids or solids, and for the making of columns, pillars, capitals, pedestals, bases, and other useful and ornamental objects, from a substance never heretofore employed for such manufactures. "--1852. "Improvements in coating and insulating wire. "--1852. "Improving bituminous substances, thereby rendering them available for purposes to which they never heretofore have been successfully applied. "--1853. "Improvements in producing compositions or combinations of bituminous, resinous, and gummy matters, and thereby obtaining products useful in the arts and manufactures. "--1853. "Improvements in apparatus for laying pipes in the earth, and in the juncture of such pipes. "

 The "Observations on the long-desired, yet still unaccomplished proceeding, whereby to effect the embankment of the Thames and free the river from pollution, " by the Earl of Dundonald, are especially interesting at the present time:--"It will probably be admitted that the Thames above bridge is unnecessarily broad, unless considered as a recipient for back-water; and that the long margin of shallow water between London Bridge and that of Vauxhall is of little importance, even for that purpose, as gravel, sand, and other substances, may advantageously be removed from the central bed of the river, fully to compensate for the water that would be excluded by an embankment of one-sixth on both sides of the channel. 

 "An easy method of accomplishing this object would be to cut a ditch on each shore, equidistant from the centre, and fill it with bituminous concrete, as the foundation of a parapet or wharf to be formed of similar materials. Within this a main sewer might be excavated, and constructed in like manner of conglomerated gravel and sand from the spot. 

 "It will of course occur that, although roads may be carried over the entrances of the various docks by swing-bridges, yet these entrances present obstacles to a direct line of sewers. 

 "To enable this difficulty to be overcome, very solid tunnels, floored with hard pavement stones, set in bitumen, may be caused to descend in subverted curves below the entrances of the docks, whence all matters deposited may occasionally be removed by see-saw locomotive dredges on wheels, worked either by mechanical power, or by the current acting directly on the dredge. "

While thus urging the importance of bitumen, and initiating manymechanical operations which have quickly and extensively been turnedto the great advantage of society, Lord Dundonald was not unmindful ofhis older inventions and the arguments by which he had long sought topromote the naval strength of England. Of these inventions one inparticular--that of his improved steam-boilers--had been largelyadopted, and found highly beneficial during his absence from England, and its use continued after his return. From them he hoped, and not invain, that good would result to the general extension of navalscience. He was cheered during the last years of his life by seeingthe adoption of many of the views on these matters which he hadadvocated long before. Others have yet to be enforced. 

CHAPTER XXX. 

THE RUSSIAN WAR. --LORD DUNDONALD'S PROPOSALS TO EMPLOY HIS SECRETPLANS AGAINST CRONSTADT, SEBASTOPOL, AND OTHER STRONGHOLDS. --HISCORRESPONDENCE THEREUPON WITH SIR JAMES GRAHAM AND LORDPALMERSTON. --THEIR REJECTION. --LORD DUNDONALD'S APPOINTMENT ASREAR-ADMIRAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. --PRINCE ALBERT'S INVITATION TO HIMTO BECOME AN ELDER BROTHER OF THE TRINITY HOUSE. --HIS CORRESPONDENCEWITH LORD PALMERSTON RESPECTING THE RESTITUTION OF HIS HALF-PAY. --HISLAST WORK. --HIS DEATH AND BURIAL. --CONCLUSION. 

[1851-1860. ]

When in June, 1851, he returned to England and surrendered his officeas Commander-in-Chief of the North American and West Indian squadron, the Earl of Dundonald was in his seventy-sixth year. That he was stillyoung and vigorous in mind is sufficiently shown by the illustrationsof his inventive genius and philanthropic earnestness that have beengiven in the last chapter. The most striking proof of this, however, so far as he was allowed to prove it, has yet to be given. 

Very soon after his return he sought to impress upon Sir James Graham, then First Lord of the Admiralty, under the Earl of Aberdeen'sadministration, the value of his secret war-plans, and before long aspecial reason for advocating their adoption arose. Their efficacy hadbeen frequently acknowledged by the highest authorities, but asEngland was at peace, nothing more than an acknowledgment was made. The outbreak of our war with Russia induced Lord Dundonald to bringthem forward again in 1853. At first Sir James Graham declined toentertain the subject. The Government believed that Russia would beeasily and promptly defeated by the ordinary means of warfare, andtherefore contented itself with them. In this decision Lord Dundonaldacquiesced perforce; but, on its appearing that the fight would beharder than had been anticipated, he again claimed a hearing for hisproposals, believing that by their acceptance he could not only bringhis own career as a British seaman to a glorious termination, butalso--a yet dearer object to him--by so doing render inestimableservice to his country. 

In this spirit he wrote again to Sir James Graham on the 22nd of July, 1854. "Important aggressive enterprises, " he said, "being nowsuspended by Russia, whose armies, on the defensive, may indefinitelyprolong the war, and thereby expose our country to perilousconsequences, resulting from protracted naval co-operation, I amdesirous, through you, respectfully to offer for the consideration ofher Majesty's Cabinet Ministers a simple yet effective plan ofoperations, showing that the maritime defences of Cronstadt, howeverstrong against ordinary means of attack, may be captured, and theirred-hot shot and incendiary missiles, prepared for the destruction ofour ships, turned on those they protect; a result of paramountimportance, now that the forces in the Black Sea have been divertedfrom the judiciously-contemplated attack on Sebastopol, compared tothe success of which any secondary enterprise in the Baltic wouldprove of very small importance to the successful result of the war. Permit me, therefore, in the event of my plans being approved, unreservedly to offer my services, without command or authority, except over the very limited means of attack, the success whereofcannot fail in its consequences to free and ensure, perhaps for ever, all minor states from Russian dominion. Personal acquaintance withVice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier and Rear-Admiral Chads warrants myconviction that no feeling of rivalry could exist, save in the zealousperformance of the service. "

Sir James Graham's reply was complimentary. "You offer for theconsideration of her Majesty's Government, " he wrote on the 26th ofJuly, "a plan of operations by which the maritime defences ofCronstadt may, in your opinion, be captured; and in the most handsomemanner you declare your readiness to direct and superintend theexecution of your plan, if it should be adopted. When the greatinterests at stake are considered, and when the fatal effects of apossible failure are duly regarded, it is apparent that the merits ofyour plan and the chances of success must be fully investigated andweighed by competent authority. The Cabinet, unaided, can form nojudgment in this matter, and the tender of your services is mostproperly made by you dependent on the previous approval of your plan. The question is a naval one, into which professional considerationsmust enter largely. Naval officers, therefore, of experience and highcharacter are the judges to whom, in the first instance, this questionought to be submitted. Let me therefore ask you, before I take anyfurther step, whether you are willing, in strict confidence, to layyour whole plan before Sir Bryan Martin, Sir William Parker, andAdmiral Berkeley, who, from his place at this Board, is my first navaladviser? If you do not object to this measure, or to any of the navalofficers whom I have named, I should be disposed to add Sir JohnBurgoyne, the head of the Engineers, on whose judgment I place greatreliance. I am sure that you will not regard this mode of treatingyour proposal as inconsistent with the respect which I sincerelyentertain for your high professional character, resting on pastservices of no ordinary merit, which I have never failed to recognise. But my duty on this occasion prescribes caution and deliberate care;and you will do justice to the motives by which this answer to yourrequest is guided. "

To this suggestion Lord Dundonald readily acceded, and his secretwar-plans were once more referred to a committee of investigation. Nothing, however, was gained by this step. "I have received, " wroteSir James Graham on the 15th of August, "the report of the committeeof officers to whom, with your consent, the plan for the attack onCronstadt was submitted. On the whole, after careful consideration, they have come to the unanimous conclusion that it is inexpedient totry experiments in present circumstances. They do full justice to yourlordship, and they expressly state that, if such an enterprise were tobe undertaken, it could not be confided to fitter or abler hands thanyours; for your professional career has been distinguished byremarkable instances of skill and courage, in all of which you havebeen the foremost to lead the way, and by your personal heroism youhave gained an honourable celebrity in the naval history of thiscountry. "

That letter was disappointing to Lord Dundonald; but, as the value ofhis plans was not disputed, he hoped that he might yet be allowed toput them in execution. "Be pleased, " he said in his reply to Sir JamesGraham, "to accept the sincere assurance of the high estimation inwhich I hold the kind and favourable expression of your sentimentstowards me. It is indeed gratifying to perceive that the experiencedadmirals to whom you referred the professional consideration of mysecret plan have not expressed any doubt of its practicability. "

The report of the admirals, however, had as unfavourable an effect ascould have resulted had they declared openly against the project. Weekfollowed week without any successful issue to the efforts of theBaltic fleet; and added to Lord Dundonald's chagrin at not beingpermitted to achieve the desired success, was his distress at findingunmerited blame thrown by the Government, and by nearly all classes ofthe public, upon a brave and skilful seaman, for not doing what, withthe means at his disposal, it was impossible for him to do. AdmiralSir Charles Napier had failed, through no fault of his own, in theproject for attacking Cronstadt, a fortress of almost unrivalledstrength, and, by reason of the shallow water surrounding it, unapproachable by the heavy line-of-battle ships and frigates whichconstituted all his force; and during the months of his necessaryinactivity, and after his return to England, Lord Dundonald was almosthis only defender. "In justice to Admiral Napier, against whom 'theindignant dissatisfaction of the nation' is said to be directed, " hewrote in a letter to the "Morning Post, " on the 21st of September, "permit me to say that success could not have attended the operationsof ships against stone batteries firing red-hot shot, however easilyunresisting walls may be leisurely demolished. There is but one meansto place these parties on an equal footing, and that I confidentiallylaid before the Government. "

"The unreasoning portion of the public, " he wrote to Sir James Grahamon the 11th of November, "have made an outcry against old admirals, asif it were essential that they should be able to clear their way witha broadsword. But, my dear Sir James, were it necessary--which it isnot--that I should place myself in an arm-chair on the poop, with eachleg on a cushion, I will undertake to subdue every insularfortification at Cronstadt within four hours from the commencement ofthe attack. " And Sebastopol, he urged, could be as easily captured, ifhe were only allowed to put his plans in operation. But it was notallowed. "Nothing new can be attempted at the present moment, "answered Sir James Graham. "Winter will put an end to all activeoperations in the Baltic; and I still venture to hope that atSebastopol our arms will be triumphant. "

Lord Dundonald, though pained, not so much on his own account as inthe interests of the nation, at the way in which his offers weretreated, persevered in making them. It was now too late in the seasonto effect anything in the Baltic; but the siege of Sebastopol wasbeing carried on without any immediate prospect of success; and heyearned, with all the ardour that he had displayed half a centurybefore, for an opportunity of rendering success both certain andimmediate. 

To this end he wrote again to Sir James Graham, and also for the firsttime to the Earl of Aberdeen, on the 30th of December. "Thepertinacious resistance made at Sebastopol, and the possibility ofevents that may still further disappoint expectation, " he said to SirJames, "have induced me to address Lord Aberdeen, saying that 'if itis the opinion of the Cabinet, or of those whom they consult onmilitary affairs, that, failing the early capture of Sebastopol, theBritish army may be in danger, I offer to the discernment of theCabinet my still secret plans of attack, ' whereby the garrisons wouldbe expelled from the forts or annihilated, in defiance of numericalforce, and possession obtained, at least during sufficient time toenable the chief defences to be blown up and the harbour fleet to bedestroyed. If you will so far favour me, I should be gratified byhaving an opportunity of demonstrating to your strong mind, free fromprofessional bias, the fact that combustible ships may be not onlyplaced on a parity with stone forts fitted to fire red-hot shot, butsecured from injury more effectually than if incased in iron. "

Sir James Graham's answer was, like its forerunners, complimentary, but nothing more. "I can never cease, " he wrote, "to do justice toyour patriotic desire to serve your country, which is evinced by yourdesire to encounter, in your own person, the dangers attendant on yourexperiment, and not to transfer the hazard of the enterprise toothers. " But to the enterprise itself he would give no sanction. "Yourplans, " he said, "by my desire were submitted to the consideration ofmost competent naval and military officers, whose impartial judgmentcannot be impugned, and, on the whole, they did not recommend thetrial of the experiment which you are anxious to make. Neither LordAberdeen nor I can venture to place our individual opinions inopposition to a recorded judgment of the highest authority on aquestion which is purely professional. I see no advantage, therefore, in renewing the discussion with you at the present moment. "

Had the "impartial judgment" by which Sir James Graham held himselfbound been adverse to the principle of Lord Dundonald's plans, ordeclared them to be anything more than "inexpedient in presentcircumstances, " more weight might have been attached to it; althougheven then he could have pointed to the opposite verdict, given in1847, by other judges quite as impartial and competent, who, whileobjecting to part of them on the score of their deadly efficacy, hadofficially announced their belief in the applicability of anotherpart--the part of which Lord Dundonald now proposed to make mostuse--and recommended its adoption "when the opportunity of employingit may occur. "

He therefore refused to be thwarted in his efforts to render to hiscountry the great service that he considered to be in his power, andSir Charles Napier's removal from the command of the Baltic fleet, inJanuary, 1855, gave him an opportunity of offering to use that powerunder conditions that would relieve the Admiralty of all directresponsibility in the event of his failure. "I am much gratified, " hesaid in another letter to Sir James Graham, "to learn that her mostgracious Majesty has been pleased to reserve the high dignity ofAdmiral of the Fleet as a reward for services. Under this impression, permit me to solicit the favour of being allowed to contend for thatdistinction, not by reference again to opinions, which may provefallacious, but by actual experimental proof of the safety andfacility of assailing fortifications by my secret plans. By them, thedamage and loss of life sustained by the allied squadron in their lateattack on the fortifications of Sebastopol might have been partly ifnot wholly averted, and probably a tenfold destruction inflicted onthe enemy. If this is admitted--and I do not think it can bedisputed--I hope you will allow me to demonstrate the generalapplicability of these simple, comparatively costless, and in myopinion infallible means of annihilating the power of all kinds ofbatteries that can be approached to windward within half a mile. Theseplans have been entertained and pondered over by me during fortyyears, and now again I offer to explain, to test, and to put them inexecution. "

Sir James Graham's answer was very terse. "I have had the honour, " hewrote on the 23rd of January, "of receiving your lordship's letter, inwhich you tender your services to take command of the Baltic Fleet. Iconsider the tender highly honourable to you; but I cannot give anyother assurance. "

No other assurance would have been of any avail. The Earl ofAberdeen's Cabinet, having lost the confidence of the country, wasdissolved almost immediately after that letter was written, to bereplaced by an Administration in which Lord Palmerston was Premier, and Sir Charles Wood First Lord of the Admiralty. 

To Lord Palmerston the Earl of Dundonald wrote on the 13th ofFebruary. "The high position of our country being at stake on theresult of the war, " he said, "and our long-established naval renownpledged on the successful conduct of affairs in the Baltic, Iaddressed my kind friend Lord Lansdowne, who has been long conversantwith the objects which, by his advice, I now offer to your lordship'snotice as First Minister of the Crown, conjointly, if you judgeproper, with that of the Cabinet over which you preside. " He thenbriefly described the principle of his secret plan, adding, "Irespectfully offer to execute this plan, and answer for its success, against Cronstadt, and against all minor strongholds in the Baltic. "

Four weeks elapsed before that letter was answered. In the meanwhileLord Dundonald, beginning to despair of a satisfactory hearing fromany Minister of State, unless he was induced thereto by a populardemand, addressed a petition to the House of Commons, urging theimportance of his plans, and praying for "a searching inquiry, toascertain whether the aforesaid secret plans are capable speedily, certainly, and cheaply to surmount obstacles which our gallant, persevering, and costly armies and fleets have failed to accomplish. "His reasons for so doing he explained in a letter addressed to the"Times" on the 10th of March. 

"Peace, " he there said, "being desirable not only for the interests ofour country, but for those of the world at large, and the negotiationsnow pending being doubtless injuriously influenced by the obstinateresistance of Sebastopol (which could be overcome in a day), and bythe impossibility of successfully attacking Cronstadt by naval means(which might be as speedily reduced), I have drawn up a petition toParliament in order that secrecy and silence on my part, anddeficiency of information on that of the public, may no longer proveinjurious to the success of our arms. Hostilities having proceeded sofar, assuredly it is more expedient to reduce a restless nation to athird- or fourth-rate power, than be ourselves reduced. Let not mymotive be mistaken. I have no wish to command a fleet of 100-gunships, or to attack first-rate fortresses by incased batteries orsteam gunboats. That which I desire is, first, secretly to demonstrateto competent persons the efficiency of my plans, and then to obtainauthority, during eight or ten days of fine weather, to put them inexecution. The means I contemplate are simple, cheap, and safe. Theywould spare thousands of lives, millions of money, great havoc anduncertainty of results. Their consequences might, and probably would, effect the emancipation of Poland, and give freedom to the usurpedterritories of Sweden. Those who judge unfavourably of all aged navalcommanders assuredly do not reflect that the useful employment of theenergies of thousands and tens of thousands of men can best bedeveloped and directed by a mind instructed by long observationmatured by reflection;--an advantage to which physical power, thatcould clear its way by a broadsword, can bear no comparison. Myunsupported opinion in regard to a naval enterprise in 1809 proved tobe correct. Every other undertaking in the British service, and asCommander-in-Chief in Chili, Peru, Brazil, and Greece, was successful, and so would the protracted and unaccomplished undertaking, soinjurious to the result of negotiation, have succeeded, had Ipossessed sufficient influence to be patiently listened to. "

The petition aroused much interest among the public, but was unheededby the House of Commons, and therefore produced very slight effect onthe Ministry. "My published petition, " wrote Lord Dundonald toViscount Palmerston on the 17th of March, "has brought me numerousletters, and, amongst others, a communication, I believe from highauthority, that if I do know any means whereby to spare the slaughterthat must take place on storming Sebastopol, I ought to make it known. I wish I could impart to your lordship what I feel under the presentcircumstances, and how anxiously I desire that a speedy decision maysucceed the lingering delays that I have so long endured. "

A few days after that, chiefly through the assistance of his friendLord Brougham, Lord Dundonald obtained an interview with LordPalmerston, at which he further detailed his plans, and urged thatthey should be promptly employed in hastening a conclusion of the warwith Russia. To Lord Palmerston he also wrote again on the 31st ofMarch. "It has occurred to me, " he said, "that the supposed inhumanityof my plans may have caused the use of the word 'inexpedient' in thereport of the commission appointed in July last by the Admiralty, andmay even now influence the decision of the Cabinet. Perhaps anotherview may have been taken of the consequences of divulging my plans, asregards the security of this kingdom. " To these possible objections heurged that no conduct that brought to a speedy termination a war whichmight otherwise last for years, and be attended by terrible bloodshedin numerous battles, could be called inhuman; and that the mostpowerful means of averting invasion, and, indeed, all future war, would be the introduction of a method of fighting which, rendering allvigorous defence impossible, would frighten every nation from runningthe risks of warfare at all. 

Those arguments appear to have had some weight; but, after furthercorrespondence, Lord Palmerston's Government, like all the otherGovernments to which they had been offered, refused to put the plansin execution. Further evidence in their favour was obtained from someeminent scientific men; and it was put beyond dispute that, thoughthey might not have such deadly efficacy as Lord Dundonaldanticipated--on which point the critics spoke with hesitation--theycould not fail, if properly applied, in producing very importantresults. But it was all in vain. All that Lord Palmerston would agreeto was to have the experiment tried on a small scale at Sebastopol, and by two Engineer officers who were to be instructed in their workby Lord Dundonald. Lord Dundonald consented to the trial, if it wasconducted by his son, Captain the Honourable Arthur Cochrane, R. N. Butthis was not agreed to, and the whole project fell to the ground. 

At that result Lord Dundonald was hardly more disappointed than was alarge section of the English public. Friends and strangers, soldiers, sailors, newspaper writers, and merchants, wrote to him from London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, Belfast, and all other parts of thekingdom, urging that, if the enterprise was not undertaken byGovernment, it should be executed by means of a private subscription. "I am perfectly convinced, " wrote one, "that you can do all the injuryto the Russian fortifications that you say you can do. If miserablejealousy at the Admiralty refuses you the means, take them from thosewho, like myself, are very proud to be your countrymen. I am not arich man, but I shall gladly subscribe one hundred pounds to anyscheme that you will propose and carry out yourself. " "If yourlordship will appeal to the country, " wrote another, "in less than aweek you will receive subscriptions to any amount. You will then beindependent of Government routine, and the public will, withoutfurther delay, have an opportunity of testing the value of yourinvention, towards which the eyes of all Europe are anxiously turnedat the present juncture. "

Those suggestions, and the evidence afforded by them of a widespreadsympathy in his efforts to render a last great service to his country, afforded real satisfaction to Lord Dundonald; but their adoption wasquite impossible. As a British officer, he could not for a momentthink of entering upon a warlike project independently of the State. Therefore he left the work on which his heart was set undone, andsoon--though by no means so soon as he could have made it--the Russianwar was brought to a conclusion. 

Whatever may have been the cause of the rejection of his offer tohasten that conclusion by means of his secret war-plans, the Earl ofDundonald experienced no lack of personal courtesy during the periodof the correspondence, or throughout the brief remainder of his life. His closing years were cheered by many acts by which was nearlycompleted the tardy reparation for former injuries which was begunwith his reinstatement in the navy by King William IV. , and in whichthe most gratifying circumstance of all was the restoration of hishonours as a Knight of the Bath by her gracious Majesty QueenVictoria. 

"The death of Sir Byam Martin, and the promotion of Sir William Gageto the office of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom, " wrote Sir JamesGraham on the 23rd of October, 1854, "vacate the appointment ofRear-Admiral. It is an honorary distinction; and your standing in thenaval service and your gallant achievements entitle you to thisreward. I have taken her Majesty's pleasure, and the Queen hasgraciously approved my recommendation. I propose, therefore, with yourlordship's permission, that you shall be gazetted Rear-Admiral of theUnited Kingdom. " "I accept the proposed honour with gratitude to herMajesty and with thanks to you, " answered Lord Dundonald, on the 24th. "Permit me, however, to express a hope that such distinction shall notpreclude my further service to the Crown and country, which long andmatured consideration on professional subjects assures me I could nowperform even more effectually than at an earlier period. "

A month later he was honoured by a compliment from one who, kind andgracious in all his acts, had never failed in showing towards himspecial grace and kindness. "My dear lord, " wrote Prince Albert on the26th of November, "a vacancy has occurred in the list of HonoraryBrethren of the Trinity House, by the lamented death of Sir ByamMartin. It has always been customary in that corporation to have theRoyal Navy represented amongst the Elder Brethren by one of its mostdistinguished officers. I therefore write to inquire whether it wouldbe agreeable to you to be elected a member of that body; as I should, in that case, have much pleasure in proposing, as Master of theCorporation, your name for the election of the Elder Brethren. Believeme always, my dear lord, yours truly, --Albert. "

"May it please your Royal Highness, " Lord Dundonald wrote in reply, onthe 27th, "to accept my dutiful and most grateful thanks for thehonour your Royal Highness is pleased to confer. I assure your RoyalHighness that I shall ever look forward with anxiety to prove mydevotion and gratitude to her most gracious Majesty, for signal actsof justice and favour, and to your Royal Highness for thishighly-appreciated mark of your consideration. "

A token of the estimation in which Lord Dundonald was at length heldby all classes of his countrymen may here be recorded. After frequentrefusal, on the ground of his age and love of privacy, he consented, in May, 1856, to seek admission to the United Service Club. Itsmembers, thereupon, at once resolved, at the proposal of Vice-AdmiralSir George F. Seymour, which was seconded by Lieutenant-General SirC. F. Smith, "to invite that highly-distinguished officer, Admiral theEarl of Dundonald, to become an honorary member of the Club, until thetime of his lordship's ballot takes place. "

In spite of compliments like these, however, it was his earnest desirethat, before his life was ended, every shadow which had darkened itmight be cleared away, and that he might not pass into the gravewithout the assurance that he was formally, and in every respect, acquitted of the unjust charges brought against him nearly half acentury before. While one single consequence of those charges remainedin force, he considered that he was not so acquitted, and with thisobject he laboured to the last. 

"I venture to remind your lordship, " he wrote to Lord Palmerston, onthe 26th of May, "that the undeviating rectitude of my conduct througha long life has already induced the Crown, in the exercise of itsjustice, to restore my rank and honours. There yet remains, my dearlord, a gracious and important act to perform, namely, to order mybanner to be replaced in King Henry VII. 's Chapel, and to direct therepayment of the fine inflicted by the Court of King's Bench, and therestoration of my half-pay suspended during my removal from the navalservice. Unless these be done, I shall descend to my grave with theconsciousness, not only that justice has not fully been done to me, but under the painful conviction that its omission will be construedto the injury of my character in the estimation of posterity. Independently of the justice of this claim on its own merits, Iventure to express a hope that your lordship will admit that, duringmy temporary absence from the naval service, my exertions tendedmaterially to promote the interests of our country by opening tocommerce the ports of the Pacific and those of all the northernprovinces of Brazil. "

The appeal was unsuccessful. The part of it having reference to thereplacement of Lord Dundonald's banner in Westminster Abbey wasconsidered by Lord Palmerston to be a question with which it was notin his province to deal. "With regard to the fine, " he said, "I amafraid that there are no funds out of which it could be repaid, and Ishould doubt there being any precedent for such a proceeding; and Ifind, on inquiry, that pay or half-pay has not been granted to anynaval officer for any period during which he may have been out of theservice. " That reply induced Lord Dundonald to write again to LordPalmerston on the 7th of June. "I submit, " he then said, "that, thefine being imposed for an alleged offence of which I was whollyinnocent, it ought to be repaid, even if there be no special fundappropriated to such a purpose. The peculiarity of my case may accountfor there being no precedent for such a proceeding, if none there be. The same peculiarity may distinguish my case from that of all othernaval officers to whom no pay or half-pay has been allowed for anyperiod during which they may have been out of the service. I may havebeen the only naval officer unjustly expelled, and assuredly I havebeen the only one so expelled after manifesting, by various acts, atruly patriotic zeal for the honour and interest of our country. Noother naval officer, after such acts, was ever expelled the serviceand otherwise punished on mere conjectural evidence, sincedemonstrated to have been utterly groundless. I submit that instanceshave occurred of military officers recovering pay or half-pay afterunjust expulsion, as in the case of Sir Robert Wilson; and I am notaware of the existence of any cause for a distinction in this respectbetween the two services. I feel the deepest gratitude andsatisfaction that my life has been spared to a period when I mayreasonably hope that the portion of justice yet due to me for theerroneous verdict and its injurious consequences will not be withheld. Of that justice, the first instalment, namely, the restoration of mynaval rank, was granted by his late Majesty King William, and thesecond by her present most gracious Majesty, who, on therepresentation of my noble friend the Marquess of Lansdowne, waspleased to reinstate me in the Order of the Bath. For the third andconclusive portion of justice still remaining due to me, I cannotdesist from looking to your lordship. "

It is not necessary to detail the later correspondence that ensuedupon this subject. Lord Dundonald found that the final reparationwhich he sought was not, then at any rate, to be conceded to him bythe Government; and therefore he resolved to employ his last remainingpowers in seeking from his countrymen that thorough justice which herightly considered would result from an honest review of the incidentsof his life. 

During 1858, and in the beginning of 1859, he was engaged in thepreparation of his "Narrative of Services in the Liberation of Chili, Peru, and Brazil from Spanish and Portuguese Domination. "[24] Thatwork was immediately followed by his "Autobiography of a Seaman, " ofwhich the first volume was completed in December, 1859, the second inSeptember, 1860; bringing down the story to the date from which it hasbeen continued in the present work. [25]

 [24] The following letter, dated "Buckingham Palace, March 4, 1859, " gave pleasure to Lord Dundonald:--"My Lord, --I have received the commands of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort to return you his best thanks for the copy of your 'Narrative, ' which you have been good enough to send to his Royal Highness, and upon which his Royal Highness will place a high value. I am directed further to say that it would add materially to that value if you would have the kindness to write in the first page of the accompanying volume that it was presented by your lordship to the Prince. I have the honour to be, my lord, your most obedient humble servant, --C. B. Phipps. "

 [25] Almost the last letter written by Lord Dundonald was this to Lord Brougham:--"My dear Lord Brougham, --I have the pleasure to forward you the second volume of my 'Autobiography, ' in which you will find that use has been made of the kind expressions towards myself contained in your works. Of the injustice done to me I need not tell you, who are so well acquainted with the subject. If the accompanying volume succeeds in impressing on the public mind the sentiments so unflinchingly set forth in your works, it will have answered its purpose; and that it will do so I see no reason to doubt, now that the subject can be canvassed apart from political rancour. I am, my dear Lord Brougham, ever faithfully yours, --Dundonald. " Lord Brougham's answer was dated from Paris, on the 31st of October, the very day of his friend's death. "I have just received your very kind letter, and I daresay the volume will very speedily reach me. .. . One thing I fear you do not come down late enough to relate. I mean the impression made upon all present when I took you to the Tuileries; and when the name of Cochrane, so well known to them (and which I cannot bring myself to change for your present title), was no sooner heard than there was a general start and shudder. I remember saying, as we drove away, that it ought to satisfy you as to your disappointment at Basque Roads; and you answered that you would rather have had the ships. "

That his mind was full of vigour to the last is best proved by thatautobiography. But the body was worn out. After two years of greatphysical suffering, passed in the house of his eldest son at Queen'sGate, Kensington, he died on the 31st of October, 1860, eighty-fiveyears old. 

He was buried in Westminster Abbey, where in his last moments he hadexpressed a desire to rest, in company with other great servants ofthe nation. A public funeral was not granted to him; but his son waspermitted to conduct that funeral in a way worthy of his greatreputation, and agreeable to the wishes of all classes of hiscountrymen. Through the personal intervention of her most graciousMajesty and the Prince Consort, moreover, who counteracted the effortsof subordinates, his insignia of the Order of the Bath, which had beenignominiously spurned from King Henry the Seventh's chapel, one-and-fifty years before, were restored to their place on the 13thof November. Thus his last and most cherished wish was fulfilled, andanother precious boon was added to the many favours for which hisfamily can never cease to be grateful to their Sovereign and her noblehusband. 

The burial was on the 14th of November. The pall-bearers were AdmiralSir George Seymour, the Brazilian Minister, Admiral Grenfell--whofive-and-thirty years before had been associated with Lord Dundonaldin securing the independence of Brazil--Captain Goldsmith, CaptainSchomberg, Captain Hay, and Captain Nolloth. Among the mourners wasLord Brougham, who had come from Paris to render this last honour toone who had been his friend through fifty years. Standing over thegrave, and looking round upon the assemblage, he exclaimed, "NoCabinet minister here! no officer of State to grace this great man'sfuneral!" But the funeral was graced by the reverent homage ofhundreds gathered within the Abbey walls, and of the thousands who, though absent, acknowledged that England had lost one of her bravestwarriors and most unselfish patriots, one whose warfare had beenmarked by acts of daring rarely equalled, and whose patriotism hadbrought upon him sufferings such as few in modern times have had toendure. The solemn anthem chanted over his grave, "His body is buriedin peace, but his memory shall live for ever, " echoed far and wide, and awakened in every breast keen sentiments of sympathy for what hehad borne and of pride in what he had done. 

 Ashes to Ashes! Lay the hero down Within the grey old Abbey's glorious shade. In our Walhalla ne'er was worthier laid Since martyr first won palm, or victor crown. 

 'Tis well the State he served no farthing pays To grace with pomp and honour all too late His grave, whom, living, Statesmen dogged with hate, Denying justice, and withholding praise. 

 Let England hide her face above his tomb, As much for shame as sorrow. Let her think Upon the bitter cup he had to drink-- Heroic soul, branded with felon's doom. 

 A Sea-King, whose fit place had been by Blake, Or our own Nelson, had he been but free To follow glory's quest upon the sea, Leading the conquered navies in his wake--

 A Captain, whom it had been ours to cheer From conquest on to conquest, had our land But set its wisest, worthiest in command, Not such as hated all the good revere. 

 We let them cage the Lion while the fire In his high heart burnt clear and unsubdued; We let them stir that frank and forward mood From greatness to the self-consuming ire, The fret and chafe that wait on service scorned, Justice denied, and truth to silence driven; From men we left him to appeal to Heaven, 'Gainst fraud set high, and evidence suborned--

 We left him, with bound arms, to mark the sword Given to weak hands; left him, with working brain, To see rogues traffic, and fools rashly reign, Where Strength should have been guide, and Honour lord--

 Left him to cry aloud, without support, Against the creeping things that eat away Our wooden walls, and boast as they betray, The base supporters of a baser Court, The crawling worms that in corruption breed, And on corruption batten, till at last Mistaken honour the proud victim cast Out to their spite, to writhe, and pant, and bleed

 Under their stings and slime; and bleed he did For years, till hope into heart-sickness grew, And he sought other seas and service new, And his bright sword in alien laurels hid--

 Nor even so found gratitude, but came Back to his England, bankrupt, save of praise, To eat his heart, through weary wishful days, And shape his strength to bearing of his shame, Till, slow but sure, drew on a better time, And Statesmen owned the check of public will; And, at the last, light pierced the shadow chill That fouled his honour with the taint of crime. 

 And then they gave him back the knightly spurs Which he had never forfeited--the rank From which he ne'er by ill-deserving sank, More than the Lion sinks for yelp of curs. 

 Justice had lingered on its road too long: The Lion was grown old; the time gone by, When for his aid we vainly raised a cry, To save our flag from shame, our decks from wrong. 

 The infamy is _theirs_, whose evil deed Is past undoing; yet not guiltless we, Who, penniless, that brave old man could see, Restored to honour, but denied its meed. 

 A Belisarius, old and sad and poor, To _our_ shame, not to _his_--so he lived on, Till man's allotted fourscore years were gone, And scarcely then had leave to 'stablish sure

 Proofs of _his_ innocence, and _their_ shame, That had so wronged him; and, this done, came death, To seal the assurance of his dying breath, And wipe the last faint tarnish from his name. 

 At last his fame stands fair, and full of years He seeks that judgment which his wrongers all Have sought before him--and above his pall His flag, replaced at length, waves with his peers. 

 He did not live to see it, but he knew His country with one voice had set it high; And knowing this he was content to die, And leave to gracious Heaven what might ensue. 

 Ashes to ashes! Lay the hero down, No nobler heart e'er knew the bitter lot To be misjudged, maligned, accused, forgot-- Twine martyr's palm among his victor's crown. [26]

 [26] These lines, by Mr. Tom Taylor, were published in "Punch. "

"Victor and Martyr. " Those are the words fittest to be inscribed onthe monument that will be set up in the hearts of Englishmen in honourof the Earl of Dundonald. Entering life with great powers of mind andgreat physical endowments for his only fortune, he made his namefamous, and won immortal honour to himself by daring and successfulenterprises in the naval service of his country, which none havesurpassed at an age so young as his, and which few have rivalledduring a long life-time spent in war. But he sought to follow up thosetriumphs of his prowess on the sea by peaceful victories at home overprivate jealousy, official intrigue, and political wrong-doing, andthereby he brought on himself opposition which, boldly resented, caused the unjust forfeiture of the rewards that were his due, andweighed him down with a terrible load of disappointed hope andundeserved reproach. Seeking relief from these grievous sufferings, and opportunity of further work in a profession very dear to him andin generous aid of nations striving to throw off the tyranny to whichthey had long been subjected, he entered the service of three foreignstates in succession. But in helping others he only brought freshtrouble on himself. He rescued Chili and Peru from Spanish thraldom, only to find that the people whom he had freed therefrom werethemselves enthralled by passions which even he could do nothing toovercome, and which drove him from their shores, barely thanked andquite unrecompensed. He fought the battles of the young empire ofBrazil against Portugal, doubled her territories, and more thandoubled her opportunities of future development, only to be cruellyspurned by the faction then in power, and denied the fulfilment ofnational pledges which a later generation has but tardily and slightlyregarded. Harder yet was his treatment by the Greeks, who, havingasked him to lead them in their contest with their Turkish masters, refused to follow his leadership, gave him no assistance in his plansfor fighting on their behalf, and, in return for the services which, in spite of all the difficulties in his way, he was able to renderthem, offered him little but insult. Thus more than half his life waswasted--wasted as far as he himself was concerned, though the gain toothers from every one of his achievements was great indeed. Returningthen to peaceful work in England, he chiefly spent the years remainingto him in efforts to win back the justice of which he had beendeprived, and in efforts, yet more zealous, to benefit his country byexercise of the inventive talents in which he was almost as eminent asin warlike powers. But those talents were slighted, though from themhas, in part, resulted an entire and wholly beneficial revolution inthe science and practice of naval warfare. And, though many of hispersonal wrongs were redressed, he was allowed to die without thecomplete wiping out of the stain that had been put upon his honour. 

Of this long course of suffering, it must be admitted, he was himselfin some measure the cause. Endowed, as few others have been endowed, with the highest mental qualities, he lacked other qualities necessaryto worldly advancement and the prosperous enjoyment of life. Truth andjustice he made the guiding principles of all his actions; but he knewnothing of expediency, and was no adept in the arts of prudence. Unrivalled strategy was displayed by him in all his warlikeenterprises; but against the strategy of his fellow-workers he wasutterly defenceless. He made enemies where a cautious man might havemade friends, and he allowed those enemies to assail him, and toinflict upon him injuries almost irreparable, with weapons and byonslaughts which a cautious man would easily have warded off. Judgedby the harshest rules of worldly wisdom, however, it must beacknowledged that these faults brought upon him far heavier punishmentthan he merited. And perhaps it will be deemed by posterity that theywere faults very nearly akin to virtues. 

The same want of prudence caused trouble to him in other respects. Itled him, in furtherance of the inventions and other projects by whichhe sought to benefit the world, into expenses by which his scantysources of income were very heavily taxed. It also sometimes made himthe victim of others. Guileless himself, he was not proof against theguile of many with whom he came in contact. Every kind word sounded inhis ear, every kind act appeared in his eye, as if it proceeded from aheart as full of kindness as his own, and he often lavished sympathyand gratitude on unworthy objects. But shall we blame him for this?

Kindness, indeed, was as much a characteristic of him as valour. Whilethe world was full of the fame of his warlike achievements, all whocame within the circle of his acquaintance marvelled to find a man sosimple, so tender, so generous, and so courteous. When he was boweddown by sorrows that nearly crushed him, he sought comfort in zealousefforts for alleviating the sufferings of others. 

Fortunate circumstances would have placed him in a station ofuniversal honour, which he could have occupied to the admiration ofall on-lookers. But the circumstances of his life were unfortunate;and therefore he had to endure such hardship as falls to the lot offew. The harsh judgment by which he suffered has already beenreversed. It will be atoned for when his worth is properlyacknowledged by his fellow-men. 

APPENDIX. 

(Page 161. )

CAPTAIN ABNEY HASTINGS'S LETTERS TO LORD COCHRANE

So much had to be said in the body of this volume in evidence of theinsurmountable difficulties raised by the Greeks themselves to LordCochrane's efforts to aid them as efficiently as he desired, thatthere seemed no room, without wearying the reader, for there citingmore than two or three of the letters addressed to him by CaptainAbney Hastings. They have, therefore, been reserved for quotationhere. Their publication is desirable for two reasons. In the firstplace, they show how Captain Hastings, whom all the historians of theGreek Revolution join in praising, was harassed, and his work renderedalmost useless, by causes which Lord Cochrane, in a much moredifficult position, was blamed for not overcoming. In the secondplace, they will serve as a contribution to the biography of ahigh-minded and valiant man, a sharer in Lord Cochrane's zealousefforts on behalf of Greece, and in the misfortunes incident thereto, of whose memorable career the world knows little. 

I. 

 _Karteria_, Hydra, March 26th, 1827. 

MY LORD, The usual contrarieties of the machine prevented my following youyesterday according to your desire. Observing you went to Poros, Ithought I should act in conformity with your wishes by coming here totake in coals, and avoid all possible delay. I have got on boardenough for about four days more. I have expected you all day, and notseeing you I have taken upon myself to depart for the service youdestined me for; although I am not quite certain I know the exactstation. I shall go off Grabousa and endeavour to find Captain St. George. I leave a letter here for the primates, requesting them toload a small vessel with coals for my return, which I wish to take inon the opposite side. This measure, far from occasioning delay, wouldbe advantageous in that respect as well as having less closeconnection with the Hydriots, whose presence always has the effect ofsetting a bad example to the Greeks I have on board. I should feelobliged to your lordship to insist on this measure. Perhaps it wouldbe advantageous for your lordship to decide upon the port you intendto occupy immediately, and send there all the coals and other storeswanted for your naval force. Since you object to an island in theGreat Archipelago, I am of opinion, with Colonel Gordon, that Ambalakiis the best suited for your station. If all the coals were there, muchdelay would be saved to the steam-vessels. One of the causes ourengine went so badly was that some fire-bars being burnt the fire fellthrough, and we could not keep up the steam; another was, I had takenup the paddles (which previously had two-feet dip) six inches; theengine consequently went faster, but the pumps would not supplysufficient water. I have lowered them again. Pray leave your furtherorders for me here, as I shall touch for coals as aforesaid on myreturn. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

II. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, April 9th, 1827

MY LORD, I have the honour to transmit you an account of the _Karteria_steam-vessel up to March 16th, by which you will perceive that withthe 500l. Credit I have on Messrs. Baif at Zante, I still have acredit of 363 dollars in my favour. Not accustomed to keep suchaccounts, there may be errors, but if any they are certainly againstmyself, as I may have omitted charging expenses; whereas, I have nevercharged but what has really been expended, nor have I ever chargedanything for myself, directly or indirectly. Wages will become dueagain the 16th of this month, for which I shall require about 800dollars. Having but a few days' salt meat on board, I beg yourlordship to cause an order to be written, enabling me to receive suchquantity as you may deem requisite. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

III. 

 _Karteria_, Scopulo, April 19th, N. S. , 1827. 

MY LORD, Northerly winds prevented my passing Cape Doro until the 15th. Havingspoken a vessel from Skyro, I learnt that an Austrian merchant vesselloaded with corn and ammunition for Negropont was laying at thatisland under convoy of an Austrian vessel of war, and that thecorvette of Tombasi was there watching the merchant vessel. I touchedat Skyro the night of the 15th, and found that the Austrian was gone, supposed for Syra, followed by an Hydriot schooner of Konduriottes, who is supposed to have made some arrangement with the Austrian todeliver the cargo to him. The Greek corvette had sailed, as I wastold, for this. I arrived here the night of the 16th, and found thatthe brig and schooner were zealously employed on the service they hadbeen sent upon. Having steamed more than I had at first intended, Iwas in want of fuel, and set them at work here to obtain me wood, which they have done with more alacrity than I expected during Easterholidays. The engine of course required repairs. I sent off theschooner to inform the vessels of the blockade, when I should jointhem, and appointing a rendezvous. I sail immediately, and hope totake or destroy the vessels at Tricheri and Volo tomorrow. I send thisby the primates of this island, who carry a letter to your lordshipoffering their services. They have been apparently much oppressed inall these islands by the heroes of the earth, and are anxious toobtain protection from the naval force. This island is fertile, andcould (and could be made to) pay well for protection. The others haveclaims equally strong for protection. St. George, De Skyro, Scopulo, Skatho, &c. , &c. , have more than 2, 000 Liapis quartered upon them atthis moment. If Athens is relieved, these worthies might be turnedinto Negropont with much effect. I am told the Turkish transports arestill at Tricheri and Volo, not doubting to clear the Gulf of Greeks_à force d'argent_--however, I hope to be with them to-morrow. 

I suspect fuel could be obtained cheaper here than at Megara; and Isee no reason for incurring the expense of transport of wood to Porosfor construction of gunboats when a great majority of the Greekvessels are constructed here. The wood does not grow here. It isbrought from Agora on the main. The deputies--_tout bêtes comme ilssont_--can inform your lordship of these things. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

P. S. --Having taken the coals out from between the boilers and side ofthe ship, I am anxious to fill this space with wool, as a protectionagainst shot. The coals stowed there are an inconvenience for manyreasons, and something is necessary to replace them as a protectionfor the boilers. If your lordship would be good enough to orderTombasi to procure me wool for that purpose, I think you would beultimately satisfied of its utility. 

IV. 

 _Karteria_, off Tricheri, Monday, April 23rd, N. S. , 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to inform you that in pursuance of your orders, Icarried the squadron under my command, consisting of corvette_Themistocles_, brig _Aris_, schooner _Aspasia_, and schooner_Panayia_, before the port of Volo, the evening of the 20th. I foundeight vessels at anchor in the port; immediately I directed the_Themistocles_ and _Aris_ to anchor off a battery at the point, andcannonade it whilst I entered the harbour with boats and schooners. At4. 30 P. M. They anchored with much gallantry, and soon silenced themusket-shot from the battery. At the same moment I entered the harbourwith the boats and schooners, and we shortly took possession of sevenbrigs: they were all on shore, and most without sails bent. However, by 9 P. M. We succeeded in getting out five prizes, three loaded withprovisions and ammunition, two light; and this most fortunatelywithout the loss of a man killed or wounded, although we lay at anchorin the harbour four hours and a half, exposed to the fire of theCastle of Volo. The ship has received no material injury, althoughseveral shot struck her. We set fire to two prizes we could notsucceed in getting out; one light brig remains, but we shot away herforemast and did her such damage in her hull as will (I hope) preventher putting to sea again. Last night I entered Tricheri with the boatsof _Themistocles_, _Aris_, and _Aspasia_, to endeavour to carry out abrig of war, Turkish, of sixteen guns and two mortars, but found herprotected too advantageously by batteries and musketry. I send theprizes to your lordship under the convoy of the _Aspasia_, and shallremain here a few days to endeavour to destroy the Turkish brig ofwar, and shall then return to join your lordship. I beg leave toassure your lordship before I conclude that in these affairs I havemet with the most cordial support from the captains of the vesselsunder my orders, and that their conduct, as well as that of all theofficers and men of the squadron, has been highly meritorious. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. Hastings. 

P. S. --As the schooner _Panayia_ will participate in the prizes, I haveordered her to remain on the blockade, although not sent by yourlordship. 

V. 

 _Karteria_, at Sea, April 24th, 1827. 

MY LORD, An hour after I had the honour of sending you my last letter, detailing the affair of Volo, I stood into Tricheri with the vesselsunder my command, viz. , _Themistocles_, _Aris_, _Panayia_. 

The Turks in this place had one brig-of-war which (erroneously in mylast I rated at sixteen guns) mounted but fourteen long 24-poundersand two mortars; she was made fast in a small bight, with a plank onshore and high rocks on each side of her, behind which were posted astrong corps of Albanian troops; she was likewise protected by abattery close under her bow and five other batteries in other parts. Four small schooners lay quite hauled up on the beach. To attempt tocarry away vessels so posted and defended by men who wanted neitheralacrity nor resolution would have been exposing the lives of thecrews in a very unwarrantable manner. I therefore resolved to burn thebrig, which we effected in less than an hour. I did not make anyattempt upon the schooners, which I considered too inconsiderable tojustify a loss in capturing them. In this affair the captains, officers, and crews conducted themselves all much to my satisfaction. 

Inclosed I have the honour to transmit to you a return of the killedand wounded in this affair, which, I am happy to say, is trifling. Ihave left the rest of the squadron to maintain the blockade. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

A return of the killed and wounded on board of the Greeksquadron, at Tricheri, April 23rd. /11th. 

 _Karteria_, killed . . . One seaman, Ralph Hall. _Aris_, killed . . . . . One seaman. " wounded . . . . . . Two seamen. _Panayia_, wounded . . . One seaman. Total . . . . . . . Two killed and three wounded. F. A. HASTINGS. 

VI. 

 _Karteria_, at Sea, April 26th, N. S. , 1827. 

MY LORD, Passing by Kumi, I observed several vessels at anchor there, and agreat number of large kyekes, &c. , hauled up on the beach. I stood in, and overhauled them, and found, as I suspected, that a most scandalousand extensive commerce in grain is carrying on to that place with theTurks, chiefly in Greek vessels. A brig under Russian colours waschiefly discharged; a Psarian schooner was nearly full, and themagazines on shore were full. I set about loading the grain from themagazines, but was unable to take off more than one-third of what wasin them; and I have good reason for supposing that other magazinesequally stored are to be found in the town, about an hour's distance. 

Here there were only a dozen Turks, who fled at our approach. In theevening no less than nine small vessels were seen standing in to Kumi. I weighed and boarded six of them; three being entirely empty, Iallowed to pass; two I detained and have brought with me. 

The want of men, of time, &c. , has prevented my putting a finishinghand to this infamous traffic; but I have no doubt your lordship willsee the propriety of sending a vessel of war without delay to destroythese depôts. It is idle to talk of blockading the Gulf of Negropontwhilst such an extensive commerce is carrying on at other points ofthe island. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

VII. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, April 28th, 1827. 

MY LORD, Captain St. George going to join you, I take the opportunity ofinforming you, besides what my other letters contain, that myinformation from Kumi imports that Negropont contains two months'provisions for the army of Kutayi and fortress, and that all theirhopes are in the Turkish fleet, expected daily. It seems to me of thefirst importance that the Greek fleet should be ready to encounter theTurks; and the Gulf is a place particularly favourable to the smaller, lighter, and more skilful party. Might I suggest, my lord, thepropriety of sending a couple of light vessels upon whom you coulddepend to cruise off the Dardanelles, and give information in time?The corvette, brig, and schooner off Tricheri requested me torepresent their want of provisions, and the necessity they have ofpaying their crew regularly; many I suspect have already quitted them:with Greek sailors no arrears of pay can exist--hitherto they havebeen accustomed to receive their wages in advance; if they can be madeto go to sea without that advance it is a great point gained; to omitfulfilling the engagement would be to ruin all confidence and obligethe sailors to return to their ancient demands. 

With respect to Kumi, I beg leave to urge the necessity of sending avessel (perhaps better Captain St. George than a Greek, who probablywould not dare do his duty there, was he so disposed) to destroy theinfamous traffic existing there. May I beg of your lordship to orderhere the Marine Tribunal from Napoli to adjudge the prizes taken; alsoto issue a public order respecting the distribution of prize-money, bywhich I may be guided in my payments? You will observe that in myletter respecting the affair of Tricheri I mention simply having burntthe brig-of-war without saying how. That letter being a despatch forpublication, I thought it as well not to proclaim to the enemy the usewe made of red-hot shot. It was by those I burnt the brig, and couldquite as easily burn by the same means the largest ship ever built. Might I suggest the advantage that would result from using the sameprojectile from almost every ship? each vessel might as well as mehave a furnace in her hold for the feeding of two of her guns--theeffect would be tremendous. If the fleet was ready before the Turkscame out, a slight excursion to Salonica might be attended with profitand advantage. I shall require a little time to repair damages. I havelost my larboard cat-head, my jib-boom, second topmast, main-gaff, bowsprit shot through, and the engine requires various repairs--thesteam waste-pipe is completely gone, and I must get another made. Ihope and trust your lordship has still the intention of forming anational fleet and a dockyard; without this your difficulties will bemultiplied beyond measure. I merely mention this because I hearintrigues are on foot to prevent such measures. I, a stranger, whobelong to no party, and who neither fear nor love the Hydriots andSpetziots, will tell you the truth on these points. Although yourorders prescribed for me to remain a fortnight on the blockade of theGulf of Negropont, I was forced to return--wanting ammunition, fuel, provisions, and various repairs. I shall use my endeavours to be readyfor sea as speedily as possible. Before I conclude, give me leave tocongratulate your lordship upon your brilliant success at the Piræus. I have no doubt it is but a prelude to more important successes. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

VIII. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, April 30th, 1827. 

MY LORD, May I beg leave to present to you my very particular friend, Mr. Nicolo Kalergy? You will find him a young man of good education, talent, and, what is of still greater value, of great probity. I haveknown him many years, and esteemed him equally long. By his privatefortune he is independent, and has consequently always refused tomeddle in the intrigues he regrets so much to see cause themisfortunes of his country. So much for introduction. Mr. NicoloKalergy has been good enough to wait upon you to receive your ordersrespecting the prizes I have lately captured. These vessels containgrain chiefly, and therefore would in that state be of no use to you. Your commissaries must turn it into biscuit before it is sent to thePiraeus. The Government has sent for the Admiralty Court from Napolito sit here upon the judgment of vessels detained. As to the sale, Iam of opinion that to appease the jealousy of the seamen a public saleshould be held, and your commissaries purchase it if they please. Theywill thus always obtain it cheaper than they could buy it at Syra, andthus nobody can complain. I am anxious to receive from your lordshipan order respecting the distribution of prize-money, and this, Ithink, should be public. Hitherto the Government has received fifteenper cent. Upon all prizes. Of course your lordship will arrange as youthink proper upon this subject; but if any part of a prize goes to thepublic purse, it is only but just it should aid in the payment of thewages of seamen. I am now paying a month's wages out of my own pocket, which I hope and trust your lordship will reimburse me, as I cannotcontinue this system. Anything can be done in Greece by promptpayments; with arrears nothing is to be done. My friend has much andvarious information respecting every part of Greece, and can furnishyou with much useful matter. I do not doubt but you will shortlyappreciate his merit. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

P. S. --May I beg of you, my lord, to furnish me with a commission oflieutenant for Mr. Darby, the only officer doing duty as a sailor onboard--in truth, he is no sailor, and does not pretend, but he isbrave, diligent, and a gentleman, and has served with me for aboutfour months?

IX. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, April 30th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I had the honour to receive your orders of the 28th inst. Yourlordship will have observed, by the letters I had the honour oftransmitting to you, that the condition of this vessel is such as torender it impossible for her to put to sea immediately. Dr. Gosse lastnight was occupied sending you off 68-pounders, and I am happy to hearthis morning that the monastery has fallen without them. I must againrepeat how indispensable it is that this fleet should be in readinessto encounter the Turks, who cannot now delay long their departure. 

It is with deep regret I see the extreme discontent existing on boardthe _Sauveur_ brig, which seems to me to be greatly augmented, if notentirely owing to the Greeks being paid in advance and the Englishbeing in arrears of wages. In this country, my lord, I must repeat, nothing can be done without regular payments. By paying out of my ownfunds, when others could not be obtained, I have established theconfidence of the Greeks and English in this vessel, as far as moneyis concerned; but I cannot continue to pay out of my own pocket. Iffunds are not forthcoming for the wages of this vessel, I must begleave to resign. Whilst I am on board my people will always considerme personally responsible for their wages; and I must again remark Ihave suffered already much too severely in my private fortune to admitof my making further sacrifices. Besides wages for the crew, I havevarious expenses here to repair damage sustained by the vessel. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

P. S. --It seems to me necessary to relieve the vessels at Volo, or theywill quit their station. Greek sailors on board their own ships willnot remain more than a month at sea. 

X. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, May 6th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I do myself the honour of enclosing for your perusal two differentextracts from public papers sent me lately from Zante. I am now readyfor sea, excepting powder, of which I have only two quarter-casks ofvery vile French stuff, received from Captain St. George. Mr. Hesketh, amongst the other prizes made at Napoli, has brought some flannelcartridges for our guns filled, and forty casks of powder. Would yourlordship have the goodness to cause an order to be sent me to receivethis powder? There is still a great quantity of the stores sent outfrom England missing. I have the bills of lading, and can give copiesto Mr. Hesketh, if you think proper to send to Hydra, Spetzas, andNapoli again to collect them. I suspect the Hydriots have now in theirpossession about one hundred and sixty carbines such as I have onboard. 

It appears strange to everybody here that all the CommissaryDepartment should be absent. I am informed provisions are wanted, andyet nobody comes to buy the prize provisions. As every Greek is bynature a thief, things disappear daily; and if they remain muchlonger, nothing will be forthcoming. Already my Greeks have petitionedme about the prizes; and everybody acquainted with Greek sailors mustbe aware they will not go to sea again until they have been paid theirprize-money. Till now there never was no example of a ship quittingher prize until sold and the proceeds distributed. I am sorry to beobliged to remind your lordship again that on my arrival here I paidmy crew one month's wages, due the 16th of last month, and in ten daysmore another month's wages are due, and pay I must, for, as I havefrequently remarked to your lordship, no arrears can exist in thiscountry. The wages also is not the only expense. I was obliged topurchase about one hundred tons of firewood at Scopulo. Fresh meat inharbour runs away with great sums; and when the engine works, itconsumes about half a dollar a day of oil. Besides all this, I havebeen obliged to hire three carpenters for ten days to repair damagesdone in late expedition. I had a fluke shot off a bower anchor atTricheri, and ought to have another one. I must get a new main-sailmade here. It is disagreeable to me to torment your lordship with allthese statements, but you must be aware that a vessel like this cannotbe sailed without great expense. There are here a number of seamenfrom the brig who want to enter with me. I have as yet refused toreceive them; but, if you thought proper to give me an order, I shouldthen be justified in so doing. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XI. 

 _Karteria_, Spetzas, May 30th, 1827. 

MY LORD, Having lost my two masts in a squall off Cape Malea, and havingbusiness at Poros requiring my presence, I have thought it the mostexpeditious way to go myself to purchase other masts at Hydra, andsettle my affairs at Poros. I therefore do myself the honour totransmit to your lordship a report of my proceedings after you left menear Stamphane. At sunset I lighted the fires, and, as soon as steamwas up, steered for the passage between Zante and the Morea. The windfreshening much in a contrary direction, I found myself about tenmiles to the southward of Zante in the morning. About three A. M. Weperceived a large vessel standing towards us from the Morea, and wewent to quarters for her. I thought at first she might be the_Hellas_; but on approaching she stood back to the mainland, whichmade me conclude that it was a stranger; the wind increasing, I couldnot remain head to wind, and made sail under the lee of Zante. In theforenoon I saw a large ship under the land far off steering to thesouth, which I concluded was a Turkish or neutral ship of war. Thewind abating, I steamed up round the eastern point of Zante, and notfinding the _Hellas_ on the other side of the island, I stood towardsCephalonia, opening out the two Turkish frigates laying at Clarenza. In the evening I saw a large ship very far astern coming northward, and supposed she was the _Hellas_ and the same I had seen in theforenoon under the land. At sunset I altered course and steered forClarenza, and in the first watch we saw a good deal of firing in thatdirection. The wind and sea augmenting, I was unable to keep the shiphead to sea, and therefore bore up for the _rendezvous_ of Oxia. Notfinding the _Hellas_ at this station, the wind augmenting, thestarboard wheel being out of repair, and threatening to come to piecesif not looked to, the water requiring to be drawn off the boilers, &c. , all these things made it necessary for me to search a port. Ilooked inside Oxia, but found it unsafe, and therefore bore up for thePort of Petala, where I put things to rights as well as I could; butfound on examination we had but three days and a half's coals, littlewater, and only a few days' bread. Under these circumstances, I feltmyself called upon to return whilst the means were still left me ofhoping to accomplish it. Having obtained an offing west of Cephalonia, I took off the paddles and sailed, which gave us an opportunity ofagain repairing the wheels--again in an unsound condition--and savedour fuel. The wind and sea calming, I got up my steam; and there beingevery appearance of calm weather, I stood within five or six miles ofModon, hoping to meet the two frigates we saw off there when we passednorthward. However, we saw nothing but a brig inside the harbour, sailing close along the land. Late on the evening of the 28th, whenrounding Cape St. Angelo, a squall from the high land carried away ourfore and second masts, and left us in a very unenviable situation, considering we had but a few hours' coals on board. However, a breezefavouring us all night, we arrived here at ten A. M. , 29th May. Uponthe foremast we lost one man--Jani Patinioti. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XII. 

 _Karteria_, Spetzas, June 7th, N. S. , 1827. 

MY LORD, I had the honour of sending you a report of my proceedings since Ileft you, and hoped to have found you here on my return from Poros, that I might receive your further orders. I returned last night, having been subjected to more delay and vexation than can be imaginedor expressed, respecting the prizes taken at Volo. I could onlyprocure one mast at Poros, sold me by Tombasi--others there were bothat Hydra and Poros, but the proprietors would not part with them; Ihave therefore been obliged to purchase one here, considerably toolarge and expensive, but there is no remedy. I hope to be ready forsea in three days, but fear I shall have some embarrassment aboutmoney matters. The purchase of masts, of salt provisions, sails, &c. , besides the pay due to crew, puts me to considerable straits, particularly as I had lent all the ready money I possessed to Kalergyto redeem his brother; however, I shall do my utmost to get to sea, and I am anxious to know how, when, and where, I can have the honourof rejoining your lordship. A fireship that departs to-day willdeliver you this letter, and your lordship may perhaps think it worthwhile to send a vessel here with orders for my further guidance. May Ibeg of you also to add a private signal by which I may know all Greekvessels at a tolerable distance by day--also a night private signal?

The British squadron is assembled at Smyrna, awaiting the admiral. Thecamp at Phalerum is broken up, and General Church is returned toEgina. The puppet of Government is occupied voting for the nominationof ministers, if possible more incapable than themselves; they talk ofgoing to Napoli--Griva and Fotomana propose this. The former as usualseized upon an American ship; and Dr. Howe, charged with thedistribution of the cargo, applied to Captain Patterson of the_Constitution_, who is now at Napoli guarding it. I am sorry to addthat Mr. Lee received a letter from England announcing that the_Enterprise_ having sailed, her boilers burst opposite Plymouth, andshe was towed into that port by a brig-of-war. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XIII. 

 _Karteria_, Spetzas, June 9th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I had the honour to receive your order of the 7th, enjoining me torepair to your lordship without delay, if ready for sea. A variety ofcircumstances (unavoidable in a country deprived of even the shadow oforganization) has prevented my being yet ready to sail. I received myforemast on board to-day, but the majority and best of my crew hasleft me. I must look for others, and intend to weigh to-night and goto Poros, where I was tormented by hundreds to take them. Here I canget men--but shall confine myself to half-a-dozen, as I find itnecessary to mix my crew. In going to Poros I shall not delayanything, since I shall be occupied getting up my masts and riggingthere, making sails, &c. , &c. , _en route_, and I can water more easilyat Poros than here. I have informed the captain of the brig thatbrought this, that if I am ready to sail before any further orders ofyours arrive, I shall repair to Cerigotto, and there awaitinstructions from you; if I am not at Cerigotto I shall be found here. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XIV. 

 _Karteria_, Syra, August 1st, 1827. 

MY LORD, In hopes of seeing your lordship here I have waited two days, sincewhich, although not finished, all the work of our machinery can bedone on board. There are two things which retain me, namely, money, ofwhich I require about seven hundred dollars, and the fire-bars, whichthey continually civilly refuse me--acting the true Greek or in otherwords, the dog in the manger. If your lordship remains long absent, Ishall be sadly puzzled how to act. Without new fire-bars we cannotsteam again. The local authorities here are so afraid of the Hydriotsand Spetziots that they dare not take any steps against them. To leavethis without the fire-bars is useless. If I can obtain these bars, andyour lordship does not arrive, I will pay myself the necessary sums toget the vessel out of this port, hoping you will reimburse me--but togo without the bars is only going to return again. What I can do toforward the service I will readily perform, and anxious enough I am toget away from this place. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XV. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, August 19th, 1827, MY LORD, On my arrival here I wrote to Hydra to request the local authoritiesthere to send me the necessary coals, since you do not wish the lastcargo to be used. I have received no answer, and upon inquiringyesterday from persons arrived from Hydra, I find they are not takingany measures to forward them to me. My officer wrote me under date ofthe 15th from Napoli that he hoped to be able to cast the bars there, in which case I shall have to wait for the coals from Hydra. Theimpertinence of these shopkeepers has at length attained a pitch thatis scarcely endurable--it is to be hoped your lordship will make themsend the coals--[The remainder is lost. ]

XVI. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, August 20th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I am delighted to find you have an expedition in progress. This vesselshall be ready to accompany your lordship, whether I can get the barscast at Napoli or not. The ones we now have can be made to answer fortwenty-four hours. I shall write to Napoli to order the engineers tobe here by the 23rd, whether they succeed in casting the bars or not. The coals I wrote for from Hydra are Government coals; and it is wellthey should be used the first, as I have been informed they aregreatly diminishing without our consumption. I should like to completeas speedily as possible, and there is no time to spare between thisand the 24th for shipping 100 tons of coal from Hydra. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XVII. 

 _Karteria_, Poros, August 22nd, 1827. 

MY LORD, I am making a sail according to your lordship's plan, to becalm thehull of the ship, but want sailcloth for completing it. I understandM. Koering has some in store; would your lordship be kind enough toallow me to take a hundred piques? I have a good deal of very badFrench powder on board, and even of Turkish, I suspect, put intoFrench barrels, which I received from Methana--could your lordshippermit me to exchange it against English powder? It is of very greatimportance that our cartridge powder should be good. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XVIII. 

 _Karteria_, Gulf of Lepanto, Sept. 27th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to transmit you a report of my proceedings from theday I left you till this moment. Captain Thomas, of the _Sauveur_, joined me the 21st, and proposed with much gallantry to go into theGulf in the daytime. The wind being usually out at night I consentedwith some difficulty, in consequence of the little dependence I canplace on my engine, which might render it impossible for me to followhim immediately. The _Sauveur_, with gunboat _Bavaroise_ in tow, andaccompanied by two schooners (you had left to keep the blockade atMissolonghi, but who, contrary to my knowledge, thus disobeyed yourorders), passed into the Gulf the evening of the 21st in most gallantstyle, in despite of the enemy's very formidable batteries and onebrig of war and two schooners at the Morea Castles, and severalvessels at Lepanto. I attempted to steam in that night, but the enginefailed me within two miles of the Castles. The next day, the windbeing strong in, I attempted to sail in, but when within gunshot ofthe Castles the wind failed me, and it was not until the evening ofthe 23rd that I could get passed, towing after me the _Philhellene_gunboat, of whose commander I have always had particular occasion tobe satisfied. All our damage amounted to a few ropes cut. Oncommunicating with the Morea, the 24th, I was informed that the enemyhad nine vessels at Salona, and there were three Austrians there, thatCaptain Thomas had attacked them the 23rd, but in consequence ofunfavorable weather he had not made any impression, and that heretired to Loutraki. I immediately despatched a mistico to desireCaptain Thomas to join me with all the vessels he could collect; butnot seeing him on the 26th, and fearing that the Turks mightstrengthen themselves during a delay, I stood in on the 26th with thegunboat _Philhellene_; but we no sooner approached than the wind cameso strong out that we could not keep the ship head to wind, and foundit necessary to retire. The Turks have at Salona a very fine Algerineschooner brig, of fourteen guns, brig of sixteen guns, bearing anadmiral's flag, three smaller schooners, two armed transport brigs, and two large boats with guns, and they have a battery on shore. Thereare also three Austrians. While under their fire one of my engineerswas slightly wounded. I am now waiting for the arrival of CaptainThomas, for whom I have sent again, and preparing for a final trial. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XIX. 

 _Karteria_, Loutraki, Oct. 7th, 1827. 

MY LORD, Captain Thomas arrived here after our affair at Salona with theprizes, and sent off immediately to Poros for provisions andammunition. I could not (notwithstanding your orders for him to remainonly seven days in the Gulf) allow him to depart in the state he thenwas--having only five days' provisions, and four cartridges a gun. Hereceived some powder and provisions yesterday, and in consequence ofyour order of the 27th, which he received yesterday, departsimmediately. If the length of time Captain Thomas has remained in theGulf is contrary to your intentions, I am alone responsible; he wasalways anxious to depart. My crew is in a very discontented state, inconsequence of the month being expired without their receiving theirwages. Twelve have left me, and if I do not get money I fear the wholecrew will follow their example. I have sent an officer to Poros forprovisions, ammunition, and money, if possible. I understand theEnglish are about to prevent any offensive operations of GeneralChurch, and if not, he would never be able to undertake any, situatedas he is for money and provisions. This seems to render my remaininghere any longer of no use. As soon as I can get any money andprovisions and arrange about the prizes I will quit the Gulf; but as Ihave no orders from you where to go, I shall return to Poros unlessyou contrive to send me some directions in the interim. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XX. 

 _Karteria_, Loutraki, Oct. 8th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to receive your letter of the 3rd, and am happy tohear that the _Enterprise_ is arrived. I have also received onethousand dollars with the stores, &c. , which are very acceptable. Idespatched the _Sauveur_ yesterday, according to your order of the27th ult. I still retain the gunboats, which are very useful. I wishfurther orders from your lordship to know whether we are to remain inthe Gulf, and if you wish us to go out. There is yet at the Castles abrig and three or four Turkish schooners. I do not exactly know theirposition. I intend to run down there one of these days and see whatcan be done with them; if close under the walls of the Castles, whichare very strong, we could burn them some dark night if you would sendme a dozen rockets. I would go with a small boat close to them and dotheir business. Mr. Hane announces to me that your lordship proposescoming up to Corinth, in which case I will do myself the honour ofwaiting upon you, and receiving your further orders. I have despatcheda gunboat to General Church to inform him of your intention, and tobring him here if he wishes to confer with your lordship. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXI. 

 _Karteria_, Loutraki, Oct. 14th, 1827. 

MY LORD, Mr. Hane writes me that the Turkish fleet is off Patras. From time totime I have received vague accounts of vessels off there, but nothingcertain. I shall fortify myself either here or at the port on theother side, under the village of Pera ora--I think the latter. I wantfuzes for shells. A box was sent (I suppose in mistake for fuzes), butit contained blue lights. Pray give an officer an order to send me atleast five hundred fuzes. In my last to your lordship I mentioned ofwhat service rockets would be to us as means of attack on the enemy'svessels at the Castles; they will be of no less service as weapons ofdefence. Pray, my lord, let me have as large a quantity as possible. Iunderstood you were coming to Corinth, which has detained me here, orI would by this have been at the other end of the Gulf to gaininformation, and see after the brig, for I fear Thomas is not tooprudent. I have just been informed that much cannonading was heard inthe quarter of Lepanto the day before yesterday. I hope no misfortunehas befallen him. I have the two gunboats and one mistico out to bringme information, and I can receive nothing. Pray let me have therockets. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXII. 

 _Karteria_, Port Strava, Gulf of Lepanto, Oct. 17th, 1827. 

MY LORD, Not having received any orders from your lordship, I am still in theGulf. In consequence of an order from your lordship to Captain Thomas, I despatched the _Sauveur_ on the 7th inst. , and sent the gunboat_Philhellene_ with her with letters to General Church, and orders towait and bring me information how the _Sauveur_ got past the Castles;for I was a good deal anxious on her account, and should have gonemyself to give her any assistance in case of need, but that Iunderstood you intended coming over to Corinth. Mr. Hane bringing meletters for General Church, I despatched the other gunboat, _Bavaroise_, with these, and also some for the _Sauveur_, in case shewas still in the Gulf. Mr. Darby, the commander of the _Bavaroise_, had directions to bring General Church if he was anxious tocommunicate personally with your lordship. Day after day I awaitedanxiously an answer, till at length the mistico I had sent three daysago to General Church, to learn something of the fleet outside, whichMr. Hane wrote me for certain was Turkish, returned yesterday evening, informing me that the _Sauveur_ and two gunboats had gone out onWednesday. General Church writes me that he positively intends passinginto Roumelia, and wants my aid; but I am now quite alone (except themistico, with whom I know not what to do). He continually applies tome for provisions, and will soon probably for money. What am I to doabout him? Although wishing to aid General Church and the service inall I can, I must acknowledge I have no confidence in his intendedmovement, more particularly as he tells me he has no provisions, andwants me to seize by force what I find in boats. All I could get bythis discreditable way of raising provisions would not certainly feedone hundred men for three days, and therefore could not aid GeneralChurch, and would be a gratuitous vexation of these miserablepeasantry. If General Church had money and provisions, much is to bedone in Roumelia, but without these nothing can be achieved anywhere. As soon as I have got the prizes back to Loutraki, and formedbatteries, I will go and visit General Church, and learn moreparticulars. But I am very anxious for some orders from your lordship, having received nothing but the official letter of thanks since I leftyou. I write in haste, and beg your lordship to let me have an answeras soon as possible. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. Hastings. 

XXIII. 

 _Karteria_, Loutraki, Oct. 27th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I am ready to do all and anything for the good of the service, but Ifear General Church has no means. I had him on board for two days, making reconnaissances round the Gulf, and from what I can gather, themoney said to be at Corfu is a chimera. I suspect he has not ashilling anywhere, and cannot stir. He talks, it is true, ofexpeditions, and I have always assured him of my readiness to aid him, but we cannot be consuming months after months in the hopes of hisreceiving supplies. I must limit the period of his embarkation, and ifhe cannot then act, I think I shall be justified in quitting him. Ishall try, however, to destroy the other vessels in the Gulf first. Weare in great want of fire-bars. I am laying in a stock of wood, but wehave not yet been able to succeed perfectly with it. I have taken outthe bars and filled the ash-pits; this we find does better than withany bars in, but we cannot as yet keep up steam with it. I hope, however, ultimately to succeed--in fact our coals are nearly finished. To show you how General Church goes on--his gunboat has only advancedtwenty feet from the beach, and yet he will not send away thatswindler Allen, who commands her. I told him I would not meddle withher until he dismissed that man, and things remain thus. GeneralChurch, while on board, received letters announcing the unlooked-fordestruction of the Turkish fleet; still I have not entirely creditedit, and I am in anxious expectation of some decisive information aboutit. I am obliged to your lordship for the fuzes, and hoped to have hadalso some rockets. We are beginning to get short again of provisions, viz. , biscuit. The loaded prize is condemned, with a ridiculous clausefor me to pay the crew. They say nothing of the other vessels. I sendCaptain Hane to Egina, to hasten the condemnation of the light vesselsand counteract the intrigues which I have no doubt Tombasi hasrecommenced. I shall also endeavour by him to have more biscuit; wehave now but for a fortnight. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. Hastings. 

XXIV. 

 _Karteria_, Loutraki, Nov. 8th, 1827. 

MY LORD, The General Church has at length put himself in motion. Someprovisions and money have arrived on the other side for him (I mean atCalamachi), and I hope to sail with it to join him to-night. Ifortunately received a fortnight's provisions yesterday, when I hadonly one day's biscuit on board. After destroying, or ascertainingthat I cannot destroy, the vessels at Lepanto, I will go outside theGulf and blockade Missolonghi, Patras, and the Gulf, hoping theGeneral will blockade them by land. I fear much, however, forprovisions; I will endeavour to get some from the Ionian Islands; butmoney and everything else is scarce with me, --but I hear your lordshipis in the same predicament, and therefore I cannot complain. May I begof your lordship to grant a commission of naval lieutenant to M. Falanga, who has served on board this vessel from 29th March, 1827, and is a most deserving officer? he is the only sailor officer I have, and was always the only one of any use in that capacity. He behavedextremely well both at Volo, Tricheri, and Salona, at which latterplace he was wounded in the neck with a musket-ball, while settingfire to one of the abandoned vessels. I may really say he is the onlyGreek I ever saw who seems to conceive what an officer ought to be. Although he would be a great loss to me, and I should be sorry to partwith him but for his own advantage, I can strongly recommend him forpromotion in the command of a vessel, since (as I hear) your lordshipis in such dreadful want of officers to command. I am sure he wouldgive you the highest satisfaction. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. Hastings. 

XXV. 

 _Karteria_, Nov. 17th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to announce to you that, after much delay anddisappointment--usual in Greece--I am about to proceed to Lepantoto-morrow, and endeavour to destroy the Turkish vessels there. I thengo outside, to pass General Church over into Roumelia, and afterwardsblockade Missolonghi, Patras, and Lepanto. The want of the gunboatshere is much felt by me at this moment, as, in going out, I must leavethe Gulf to the Turks; who, even should I be fortunate enough todestroy the enemy's vessels at Lepanto, will always have here armedboats enough to command the Gulf. 

I must also beg of your lordship to consider us in money matters. I amnow seven thousand pounds out of pocket by Greek affairs, and I amdaily now expending my own money for the public service. Our prizesare serving for transports for the army, and I must either shortlyabandon this important position or be paid. 

It is most likely that if all the important points I have mentionedcould be blockaded, the Turks would be soon reduced, from the blockadebeing so much more easily maintained than elsewhere. Without money, you must be aware I cannot maintain this vessel; and all to beexpected from General Church, you must be aware, is plenty ofpromises. The General is already overwhelmed with expectants, and ifhe had millions would not be able to command a farthing. I will do allI can; but I must repeat, it is not quite fair I should end a beggarafter all the labour, vexation, and disappointment I have experiencedfor so many years. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXVI. 

 _Karteria_, off Cape Papas, Nov. 20th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to inform you I passed the Castles on the 18th, withthe three prizes and mistico in company. I lost two men killed and onewounded in passing; the other vessels passed without suffering anydamage. It had been my intention to attack the Turkish squadron atLepanto, but the wind was so strong on the land, that I felt I couldnot effect my object; and, anxious to profit by the same wind to goout and aid the operations of the army outside, and blockade thefortresses, I passed through without waiting a more favourable momentof attack. At Patras I found a schooner, whose suspicious conduct--inabstaining for a long time from hoisting any colours, and, when sheafterwards showed Austrian, persisting in drawing closer under theTurkish battery--induced me to fire and bring her out. After waiting alittle, and finding no attention paid to my warning, I fired again, and sunk her. I hear she was Austrian. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXVII. 

 _Karteria_, Petala, Dec. 2nd, 1827. 

MY LORD, I had the honour to write to you from Cape Papas, informing you that Ihad come out of the Gulf of Lepanto, and was waiting to embark thetroops of General Church. I now beg leave to acquaint you that Iarrived at Dragomestre the day before yesterday with the three prizes, which have been serving as transports to General Church's army for sixweeks. We brought over six hundred soldiers, artillery, horses, &c. ;and I am now returning to Cape Papas to embark a second division. Iheard of the gunboat _Helvetia_, M. Fabricius, being at Kataculo, and Isent immediately to order him to join me, which he did, and is now atCape Papas. While at Kataculo, the gunboat was attacked by a Turkishbrig of twenty-four guns. M. Fabricius defended himself with muchspirit, and obliged the brig to retire. I have since heard that thesame brig is now off Previsa. If the service here will permit myabsence, I think of going to look after her. The Gulf of Lepanto isnow left entirely in the hands of the Turks, and I wish to send thegunboat in to assist the expedition against Salona, but the crewhaving been so long about here, suffering much hardship and withoutpay, are very dissatisfied. I have given the boat a new mast, anchor, cable, provisions, ammunition, &c. , and I will even advance them alittle money, if they will go into the Gulf. I should hope, however, that your lordship will reimburse me for these expenses, extra of myown vessel. As you may imagine, I am almost entirely without coals, and cannot get a sufficient quantity of the pitch-pine to burn; theother pine will not answer, and therefore I am reduced to sails. General Church had ordered round here a Psariot brig he had atKenkness, and I wrote to M. Koering to request him to put coals onboard of her, which, I understand, M. Koering refused. From the mannerin which I have been frequently treated, one would imagine that thisvessel was not a Greek but an enemy's vessel. I trust your lordshipwill remedy this, and put me on a fair footing with the other Greeknational vessels. I wish your lordship could also contrive to let mehave some money, to cover the expenses of this vessel, which, forthree months that we have been absent from Poros, cannot be supposedtrifling. As I conceive it important, under existing circumstances, tokeep the blockade of Patras, Missolonghi, and the Gulf, I will remainas long as my destitute situation will permit me. Since I have beenhere I do not think any vessels have entered the Gulf. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXVIII. 

 _Karteria_, Dragomestre, Dec. 8th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to inform you that I have passed over the army ofGeneral Church to this port, amounting to about twelve hundred men, with six pieces of artillery, and about sixty horses, mules, &c. TheGeneral has been joined by Maori and some other captains, which mayhave increased his force to two thousand men. He is in hourlyexpectation of being joined by Zouga, and even Varnachioti is expectedto come over. The Monastery of Ligovitza, on the road from Arta toLepanto and Missolonghi, is said to have been possessed by the troopsof the General. This post is of importance. The troops have allmarched from Patras to Navarino, and nothing remains but someAlbanians and the inhabitants. Lepanto is thinly peopled; all havelittle provisions as well as Missolonghi. From what I know of Lepantoand the Castles, I am confident that, if your lordship was to attackit with the squadron you command, and General Church was to make evena demonstration of attack by land, it must fall in forty-eight hours'time. Lepanto lies on the face of a hill open to the sea; every shotand shell and rocket must tell somewhere, and they would readilycapitulate. We must not take the Monastery of the Piraeus as anexample. At Lepanto the Turks have their families--this particularalways operates upon them; but whether it did or not, the place wouldbe taken, and I am not one who overrates the capabilities of theGreeks. I fear, however, that General Church has other projects, andsuch as, according to my opinion, are very unlikely to succeed. Somuch so that, if your lordship does not arrive or send me orders, Ishall return to the Archipelago, rather than lend myself to measureswhich appear to me worse than useless. I must again beg of yourlordship not to forget us in the way of money, provisions, ammunition, coals, &c. We are now more than three months absent from Poros. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXIX. 

 _Karteria_, off Vasiladhi, Dec. 27th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have now been twelve days before Vasiladhi, and since our arrival Ihave every reason to believe they have neither received provisions norwater. The weather has usually been so bad, that I have only been ableto bombard it twice, and the gunboat having few shot, I have exchangedher 32 for one of our 68's, with shells; since which I have not beenable to batter it, owing to the weather. I am satisfied they are nowat their last shifts in the fort; and if I could remain before it aweek longer, and bombard it for a couple of days, I doubt not it wouldfall into our hands. I regret of all things not having theflat-bottomed gunboat here; with her we would have had the fort beforethis. General Church was to have attacked Anatolico, and might havetaken it, in the first instance, with little or no resistance; but hedelayed till too late, and then came without an ounce of provisions, and returned the day after to Dragomestre. This man is such aninsufferable quack, that I cannot act any longer with him; he affectsto command the navy as well as the army; and although I have given himone or two rather rough lessons, he, the other day, captured with aboat of his a spy of mine, on his way to me, and carried him offwithout mentioning a word of it to me. The man merely came here theother day, supposing Vasiladhi about to surrender, that he might sayhe took it. God knows there is no merit due, unless to the boatsblockading inside. I have received letters to-day from the Gulf, and Ifind the expedition at Trisonia is in alarm of being blockaded by theTurkish vessels at Lepanto. The loss of the gunboats from the Gulf isalmost irreparable. If your lordship could send them round here with abrig, it would be of infinite service. I am so in want of ammunition, provisions, fuel, &c. , that I hardly know what to do, but if possible Iwill re-enter the Gulf to assist them there. I wrote by Mr. Finlay, announcing to your lordship that if the whole squadron was to comeround here, I am satisfied that Missolonghi, Patras, Lepanto, and theCastles might be taken. They are much straitened for provisions atall, but particularly at Missolonghi and Lepanto, and the Castlescould be taken by force. Patras is now provisioned daily by one ofChurch's generals, Neneka, from Zante, _viâ_ Clarenza. Dr. Gosseinforms me how much you are in want of money. I trust, however, if youobtain any, I shall not be forgotten. I have only received six hundreddollars from General Church, and my expenses have been enormous, forfuel, provisions, &c. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

XXX. 

 _Karteria_, off Vasiladhi, Dec. 29th, 1827. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to inform you that, after having transported thetroops of General Church from Cape Papas to Dragomestre, I undertookthe blockade of Vasiladhi, for which purpose I put in requisition thesmall craft after-mentioned, and employed them to intercept allcommunication with Vasiladhi. This flotilla I placed under the ordersof my first lieutenant, M. Falanga; and on the night of the 16th theyentered, and commenced the blockade, which has been so strictlyobserved up to this day, that nothing had entered Vasiladhi. One boat, with a letter and fresh provisions, was captured by our flotilla. Ianchored, the gunboat _Helvetia_ in company, outside Vasiladhi. Yourlordship is aware that the _Helvetia_ was armed with a long32-pounder, which, in my opinion, is very inferior in every point ofview to a 68, but indisputably so for cannonading a fort only to bereduced by shells. For this reason I changed her 32-pounder long gunfor a 68-pounder cannonade. On the 22nd I bombarded Vasiladhi alone(the gunboat having been detached), with little effect, the weatherbeing unfavourable; nor could I recommence until to-day, when, considering the distance we were off (about one and three-quartermile), and the diminutive size of the object fired at, better practicehas rarely been displayed: four shells out of seven from this ship andgunboat exploded in, and one blew up, their magazine. I immediatelyordered an assault, in which all the boats took part. The Turks, intimidated by the explosion, and by our attitude of attack, calledfor quarter, which I granted them, although they had previouslyforfeited their lives by firing on a flag of truce I sent to them withterms of capitulation. I embarked the prisoners on board this ship, and from thence conveyed them in safety to near Missolonghi. They werethirty in number; and one Greek badly wounded I have retained on boardto be treated by our surgeon. The original number was from forty tofifty, the deficit having been killed off by our previous cannonadingand by the explosion. I am happy, my lord, to testify to the exemplaryconduct of the Greeks during the whole of this service; they haveborne the fatigues and privations of a winter's blockade in open boatswith extraordinary patience, and the forbearance they displayedtowards the Turks rendered any interference of mine in their favoursuperfluous. Of my officers, Lieutenant Falanga and Captain Hane, M. A. , I have only to repeat the often-told tale of their meritoriousconduct. To M. Fabricius, commanding the gunboat _Helvetia_, I feelmuch indebted for his zeal and activity, and I am happy to have sodeserving an officer under my orders. The fort of Vasiladhi mountstwelve guns, three of which are of that remarkably useful piece ofordnance, the Turkish licorne. I have offered to deliver the Fort ofVasiladhi to General Church upon his remunerating for their servicesthose employed in taking it. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

 List of small vessels employed in taking Vasiladhi. 

 A mistico, Galaxidhiote, Captain Urgaki; the same sent with me into the Gulf of Lepanto, and who has served with me ever since. 

 A mistico, Galaxidhiote. 

 A bonée. 

 An armed row-boat. 

 Two of my prize launches, armed each with a 9-pounder. 

 A bratsiera. 

 Five monoxolies, or canoes, for the shallows. 

XXXI. 

 _Karteria_, Dragomestre, Jan. 7th, 1828. 

MY LORD, I have the honour to acquaint you that General Church arrived beforeVasiladhi on the 2nd inst. ; and I resigned to him that fort on thethird, requesting him to refund the expenses of taking it; theseconsist of five dollars per man bounty, besides the provisions of theflotilla employed in the blockade. The General has promised to repaythis, although not without expressing some surprise at the demand; yetthe guns he receives in the fort would pay the whole sum. 

On the same day I received an official letter from General Church, requesting me to inform him what co-operation he might expect from thenavy in a projected attack of his on Anatolico. According to the wishof General Church, I agreed to send all the boats at my disposal thatnight, to attempt to capture an island named Poros, commanding theentrance into the Lake of Anatolico, where the Turks had a post, andwe heard he was filling up the passage, and about to place guns onanother island, which would render him entirely master of theentrance. I soon discovered that what General Church calls thecooperation of the navy is in reality the navy executing the service, and the army looking on at its leisure, ready to take possession ifsuccess attended the arms of the former. I had understood that I wasto be supported by two rocket-boats of General Church, and by thelaunch of the Psarian brig, carrying a carronade to throw grenades;but these did not appear. A dozen policaries arrived from GeneralChurch, and were embarked in the expedition. At half-past three A. M. Of the 4th inst. I arrived with five boats out of nine (the resthaving unaccountably kept behind) at a narrow part of the passage ofthe lake, across which the Turks had built a wall, and stationed agunboat behind it. The Turkish boat was soon put to flight; thesailors jumping into the water soon cleared away a passage for theboats, and the five of our boats rowed upon Poros, the Turks keepingup a brisk fire of musketry from that island, and of cannon fromAnatolico. We were now within pistol-shot of Poros, when I found, tomy surprise, a fort on it--which I had been assured there was not, orI would not have attempted the attack, knowing that in our warfaretheir holds are not to be thus taken. Seeing no reasonable hope ofsucceeding, I ordered a retreat; and having repassed by the way weentered, found General Church's detachment lying flat in the bottom oftheir boats out of gun-shot. To say that my officers, Captain Hane, M. A. , and Lieutenant Falanga, also M. Fabricius, commanding thegunboat _Helvetia_, accompanied me, is to commend them for theiraccustomed zeal and gallantry. I cannot conclude without mentioningthe name of Chrysanto, who, after having aided at Vasiladhi, was withme here in his own boat, and displayed much courage. He had one manwounded, the only loss we sustained. Perceiving that Anatolico was notto be taken by us; that General Church's troops were (withoutprovisions) somewhere in a marsh, where our boats could not get toembark them, and that they might have marched on the mainland close toAnatolico; being without provisions in this ship, and seeing nopossibility of rendering any service by remaining longer beforeVasiladhi, I returned to this port to provide for our immediate wants, and in the hopes of meeting Dr. Gosse, and procuring from him somefunds for the maintenance of my crew, which I think your lordship willsee the necessity of providing me with, as I have not received morethan two thousand dollars during five months, and I have latterly beenmaintaining this ship in provisions and fuel, besides furnishing moneyand provisions to the gunboat and flotilla inside Vasiladhi. 

 I have the honour to be, &c. , F. A. HASTINGS. 

 * * * * *

LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET ANDCHARING CROSS. 

Transcriber's note:

The following typographical errors were corrected:

 * Chapter VII, page 25: "intrusted" changed to "entrusted" * Appendix, letter IX, page 380: "vessel, " changed to "vessel. "