5"

Freeman,sc.

CASTLEOFCA

LAVRITA.

ZoTutsorvPistbUsfbcd,by

HenryColburn

ct

litchard,JiwcUy.

1830.

NARRATIVE

OF A

JOURNEY THROUGH GREECE,

IN 1830.

WITH REMARKS UPON THE ACTUAL STATE

OF THE NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER

OF

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE.

HI

CAPTAIN T.ABERCROMBY TRANTAUTHOR OF

" TWO YEARS IN AVA.

LONDON:

HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY,NEW CURLINGTOX STREET.

1830.

I ON DON:

PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEV,Dorset Srret t. FIppIS'rei r

PREFACE.

So many works have been published latelyrelative to Greece, thatIfear my adding an-other to the abeady overstocked list may beconsidered a superfluous task; but Greece hi-therto has only been described as she appearedduring the Turkish rule; and whilst her strug-gle for independence was still undecided, hercondition at the termination of an eight years'war is not generally known; and it is in thehope of supplying some information on thispoint, thatIventure to publish the accompa-nying notes. They are hastily, and,Igrieveto say, carelessly written: my absence fromEngland until the present moment having pre-

a 2

IV PREFACE.

vented my preparing them properly for thepress; but Ihope my readers will bear inmind thatIam sensible how open my styleis to criticism ; andIonly urge in extenuationof my faults, that the circumstances Ihavenarrated are undoubted facts; and that thoseincidents which did not come under my own

observation are related on the authority ofothers, in whomIplace implicit reliance.

AsIam perfectly unconnected with Greece,and Grecian politics, Itrust that my remarksupon the President's Government may be 'con-sidered unprejudiced. Iwent to Greece ratherbiased in favourof his proceedings, but anearerview of bis policy dispelled my illusion;andthe manner in which he since succeeded in in-fluencing the decision of the Prince nominatedto the throneof Greece, is aproof how deep arehis designs.

The remarks upon the Ottoman Army andNavy were drawn from correct sourcesof in-formation at Constantinople;and the EngUshwere in such high favour with the Turks when

PREFACE. V

Iwas there, that Iwas enabled to examine se-veral of tbe public establishments, which hadhitherto been closed to strangers.Icannot conclude these observations without

expressing my renewed thanks to many of mycountrymen, to whose hospitalityIwas muchindebted during my travels in the East; andalthoughIabstain from mentioning theirnames,yet Itrust that they will not suppose me un-mindful of their kindness.

T. A. T.London, 25th Oct.1830.

C ONTENT S.

CHAPTER I.

Chiarenza.— Land atKatacolo.— Pyrgos.— Olympia.— Tri-potamia.— Plain of Dara.— Mount Artemesius.— Pass ofPortes.

—Plain of Argos . . Page 1

CHAPTER II.

Count J.Capo d'lstrias.—

Parties in Greece.— Arrival ofthe President.— His ambitiousviews and badGovernment.—Counts Viario andJohn Capo d'lstrias.

— Assembly at Argos.— Greek Oratory.— State of Finances.— Argos.— Hydra.—

Spezzia. Ipsara.— Scio.— Vourla . . 40

CHAPTER III.

The Cyclades.— Cape Colonna.— Temple of Minerva.—Ægina.

—Tombs.

—Palicari.

— Orphanotrope. — Museum.—

Temple of Jupiter.— Panhellenium.— Temple of Venus.—Quarantine.— Prince Demetrius Ypsilanti.— Ipsariot boat-men.

—Poros.

—Russiansquadron.— Greek fleet

—Commerce.— Damala.

—TrSzen . . 73

VIII CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV.Ruins of TrSzen.— Grove of Æsculapius. — Theatre.

—Mo-

nasteryof AgiosDemetrios.— Argos.— TheCitadel.— Ancient

Theatre.— Temple of the God Cephissus.— Monastery—

Rejoicings on Christmas Day.— Fount of Erasinus.— Marshof Lerna.— Jocrisse's Cave.— Cyclopian Tower.— Ruins ofMycenæ. — Tomb of Agamemnon.— Temple of Juno.

—Tiryns . . . . .109

CHAPTER V.

Napoli di Romania.— The Palamide. — Colocotroni at-tacks Griva, and is repulsed.— State of society at Napoli.—

Greek ladies.— Deficiency of education.— Greek troops.

—Regular forces.

— Infantry.— Cavalry.— Pay of the army.—Leave Napoli.— Plain of Argos . . 140

CHAPTER VI.

Plain of Tripolizza. — Mantinea.— Tripolizza.— Turkish

Prisoners.— Concealed wealth.— Battleof Navarino.- We

enter Laconia.— Greek marriages.— Source of the Alpheus.—Village of Bruliah.

—Sparta. — Mistra.

— Logotheti.—The Epiphany.— The Curfew bell.

—Ancient marbles at

Mistra.— Ruins of Sparta.— Sarcophagus at Cologonia 167

CHAPTER VII.Ceremony in the Metropolitan Church.

—Revenues of the

priests.— 'Present state of the Greek Church.— Mavromi-chalis, or Petro Bey.— Remarks on the necessity of colo-nizing Greece

—We leave Mistra.— Cypress-tiee at Tru-

pæ.—Fount osthe Eurotas.—

Sleep at Spaneika. Lon-dari.— Megalopolis Caritena.— Character of Colocotroni.— Temple of Apollo, at Bassæ.— Khan in the plain of Tri-polizza.—We reach Argos . 203

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER VIII.Nomination ofPrince Leopold to the Sovereignty.— Dis-

appointment of Capo d'lstrias.— Opinions of the Greeks.—

Discussions relative to the Frontiers.— Epidaurus.— Arrival

of the Duchess of Plaisance at Ægina. — We proceed toAthens; anchor in the Piræus. — Karaskakai. — EnterAthens.— Bey's Palace . . . 242

CHAPTER IX.

Ruins of Athens.— Monument of Lysicrates.— Temple ofJupiter Olympius.— Fount of Callirhoe.— Temple of Theseus.— The Pnyx.— The Parthenon.— The Erectheion.— Bey ofAthens.— Ypsali and Padishah.— The Maid of Athens.— Va-lue of Land.— Sieges of Athens.— Operations of Sir RichardChurch.— We sail forSalamis . . . 262

CHAPTER X.

Salamis.—

Vasso.— Colouri.— Departureof the President.—Irregular army.

—Origin of the Palicari.

—Their conduct

during the war..— Instances of broken faith.— Marco Bot-zaris.

—Skirmish in Albania.

—We leave Salamis, and land

at Kenchræ. — Isthmus of Corinth.—

American Colony atHexamilia.— Proceedings of the American Committee

—The Acro-Corinthus.— Corinth.— Sicyon.— Gulf of Corinth,—

Pass of Acrata.— Defeat of the Turks . . 291

CHAPTER XI.

We proceed towards Megaspileon.— Arrive at the Con-vent.

— Remarks of the Monksupon religion.— The Church.— Picture of the Holy Virgin painted by St.Luke.— Origin

X CONTENTS

of the Monastery.— Wealth of the Priests— The Library.—

Ibrahim repulsed from Megaspileon.— Vostizza.— Lepanto.—Castles of the Morea and Roumelia.

—Patras.

— HadgiChristo's irregular Cavalry.

—Society at Patras.— Embark

for Zante.— Remarks . . 322

Remarks on the Actual State of the Naval andMilitary Power osthe OttomanEmpiiie . 351351

ILLUSTRATIONS

ENGRAVINGS.P.ge

Castle of C'alavrita* . . . FrontisfieceJocrisse's Cave, near Argos . . . .130View of Mistra ..... 191Temple of Apollo, at Bassæ ....238Megaspileon ...... 322The Dardanelles . . . . . .433

WOODCUTS.Harpy ....... 88Gate ofLions, Mycenæ . . . . . 13.5Torso of a Persian or Caryatides . . . 272

* This should be Castle of Caiitcna

NARRATIVE

of a

JOURNEY THROUGH

GR EE C E.

CHAPTER I.

Chiarenza.—

Land at Katacolo.— Pyrgos.— Olympia.— Tri-potamia.— Plain of Dara.— Mount Artemesius.— Pass ofPortes.

—Plain of Argos.

The month of October 1829 had nearlyterminated whenIembarked in His Majesty'sship Ferret, CaptainHastings, on rny wayfromCorfu to Pyrgos, a small town on the westerncoastof the Morea, whichoflate years has beenthe principal point of communication betweenthe IonianIslands andGreece;and fromthenceit was my intention to proceed to Napoli diRomania and Constantinople.

B

STA. MAURA— LEUCAS— ITHACA.2

At this moment both Greece and Turkeyoffered plentiful sources of amusement to thetraveller, a nine years' contest having at lastrestored to the first her independence, whilst thelatter, after seeing her Northern enemies atthe gates of Istamboul, was, for the first time,undeceived as to her power, and forced to ac-knowledge that victory had passed away fromthe standardof Mahomet. To Greece,however,my attention was particularly directed; for notonly wasIstrongly tinctured with a classicalenthusiasm for the country which hadbeen thescene of such celebrated deeds in early times,butIalso feltanxious to see those sturdy moun-taineers who, emulating the fame of their an-cestors,had for so many years successfully defiedthe power of the Porte, and who, whatevermay be their failings, deserve much credit forthe many sacrifices they made in the cause ofliberty. Iwas however prepared to meet withsome difficulties and much inconvenience dur-ingmy projected tour ; and experience provedto me thatIwas not mistaken.

The day after leaving Corfu, we saw Sta.Maura and the promontory of Leucas, whenceSappho cast herself into the sea; we then pass-ed the rocky island of Ithaca, and ran close to

ZANTE— CEPHALONIA, &c. 3

the precipitous shores of Cephalonia, which tothe northward are bleak and dreary ; but ondoubling the westernpoint, the scene improves;groves of olive-trees and whitewashed housesare scattered along the slope of the mountains,and above them rises theblack mountain,whichis said to be five thousand three hundred feetabove the level of the sea: but tbe most beau-tiful of the Ionian Islands is Zante; and whenIfirst saw it,Icould not but coincide in theremark ofa Zantiot who was standing near me,and exclaimed with great fervor—

"Zante ! Zante!Fior diLevante ;"

for such is the attribute bestowed upon itbythe Ionians : Corfu, with much less justice, isstyled the "Fior del Mundo."

In the evening, when the sun set, the viewfrom our ship was delightful. To seaward wereZante, Cephalonia, Ithaca,and Sta.Maura; thebold mountains of Western Greece, Parnassus,Mount Olenos, and the plains of Gastouni,orElis,occupied the opposite line of the horizon;and to the southward, Cape Katacolo stretchedfar out to sea, and almost hemmed us within acircle ofland; but the bright tints of a Medi-terranean evening were wanting to render the

B 2

4 CHIARENZA.

scene more characteristic,— already had thehea-vens assumed the cold hues of winter,and thedistantmountains were capped with snow.

On the coast of Greece, one of the most pro-minent objects was Castel Tomese,an old Vene-tian fort, now a ruin,but in former days afford-ing protection to the town of Chiarenza, orClarentza, which by a strange decree of fortunehas given the title of Clarence to our RoyalFamily. Itwould appear that,at the time whenthe Latinconquerors of Constantinople dividedthe Western Empire amongst their leadingchieftains, Clarentza, with the district aroundit, and which comprised almost all of ancientElis, was formed into a duchy, and fell to thelot ofone of the victorious nobles, who trans-mitted the title and dukedom to his descend-ants, until the male line failed, and the heiressof Clarence married into the Hainault family.By this union,Philippa, the consort of Edwardthe Third, became tbe representative of theDukes of Clarence; and on this account wasPrince Lionel invested with the title, which hassince remained in our Royal Family. It iscertainly singular that a wretched village inGreece should have bestowed its name uponthe British Monarch.

Baffling winds and adverse currents prevent-

QUARANTINE. 5

ed our reaching Cape Katacolo until the thirdday of our voyage; and although this point isten miles distant from Pyrgos, yetIwas obligedto land there, the coast opposite to the townbeing dangerous from the surf which beatsupon it. There is a small wooden house atKatacolo, used asa dogana;and whenIlandedthere,having by chance touched a bale of cot-ton, Ifrom that moment was cut off fromall communication with my companions in theboat, and by a penance of three weeks' strictseclusion could alone hope to rejoin civilizedsociety. Ifelt as ifIwere outlawed, for the veryname of quarantine is disagreeable;the plague,sickness, death — all are allied to it, and onenever hears a person speak with much satisfac-tion of the time hepassed when immured in aLazaretto. Yet this is one of the necessaryevils to which a traveller in the Levant must

submit without repining, convinced as he isof the inestimable benefits these establishmentshave conferredupon Europe.

The custom-house was occupied by a Greek,who promised to procure horses for my con-veyance to Pyrgos; and until they arrived, Itried to look with admiration on the classicii'round around me: Icalled to mind thatIwastreading on the land which had produced those

THEODORE.6

great and virtuousmen whose exploits andglo-rious deeds had been the theme of my earlylessons; that this was the country where firstcivilization dawned upon Europe, and fromwhence we derived our first lights of science;and that withina few miles of me was the cele-brated Olympia, where, in former days, the fieryyouth of Greece were seen eagerly contendingfor theprize,anddisplaying an emulation whichtoo often ripened into rivalry and hatred : butthere was nothingin the scene before me to callforth corresponding ideas, — the country wasuncultivated, and apparently uninhabited;Icould not see a single house, and, instead ofviewing any of the fancied forms of ancientheroes, Iperceived a tattered, dirty-lookingwretch drivingbefore him three miserable littlehorses, whichIunderstood were the animalsprovided for my service;so, after placing mybaggage on one, my servant andImounted theothers,and sitting sideways like the Greeks, wecommenced our journey.

My servant Theodore, by the by, was agreat character in his own way, and seemedquite transported with delight on having againtouched the shores of Greece. At the com-mencement of the Greek Revolution he gaveup his place at Corfu, and taking with him

REMAINS OF PYRGOS. 7

what little money he had saved, proceeded tojoin the Patriot army;when having levied afew men, and thus transformed himself into asort ofofficer, he,according to his own account,spent all his money, fought like Leonidas, andat last, finding that he had no chance of gain-ing either pay, rank, or even food amongst hiskindred warriors, was glad again to becomea servant at Corfu. His visit to Greece withme seemed to have revived his warlike feel-ings, and a couple of human skulls which werewhitening on the road-side called forth theremark —

■"Ha, Sir! look at those rascally

Turkish heads: the Greeks fight like lions,and shoot the Turks same as lambs."

The road from Katacolo to Pyrgos is overa plain capable of being profitably cultivated,though now covered with weeds and brambles ;the sea bounds it on the west; and inlandruns a range of rocky hills,whereIobserveda fortified cavern which had served as a tempo-rary refuge to the inhabitants of an adjacentvillage, during the inroads of the Turkish ca-valry.

A little beyond this we came to theremainsof what hadonce been Pyrgos, but which nowmerely presented a dreary assemblage of roof-less mud walls: the merciless troops of Ibrahim

8 INHABITANTS OF PYRGOS.

had here deeply imprinted the marks of theirtalent for destruction, the bare walls of twochurches and a half-demolished tower beingtbe only indications that a town formerly stoodhere.

Pyrgos once contained about four thousandinhabitants, who being mostly Greeks, thetown had not experienced any injury from thecontests which took place during the four firstyears of the war; and in1825 it was in a flou-rishing state, and had a considerable trade inthe small manufactures of the country; but itsopen and unprotected situationin the plain leftit an easyprey to the Arabs, who in the follow-ing year reducedit to the state in whichIsawit. This was the first proofIremarked of Ibra-him's deadlyhatred to the Greeks. Ihad yet tolearn, that from Cape Matapan to the Gulf ofCorinth, not a single town had escaped theflames,nor asolitary house remaineduninjured.

The inhabitants of Pyrgos, who, during thewar, fled to the most inaccessible spots in themountains, where many perished from tbe in-clemency of the weather and scarcity of food,had now returned and recommenced buildino-their dwellings, and two or three housesand several huts had already arisen amidst theruins.

A GREEK BEAUTY. 9

To one of the formerIwas directed, as theresidence of Signor Pasqualigo, tbe BritishVice-Consul. All the travellers who had latelyvisited this part of Greece returned deeply im-pressed with the beauty ofone ofhis daughters,whose fame appears to vie with that of the maidof Athensof former days. On my approachingthe house, a pair of sparkling black eyes, whichIsaw peeping from behind a window, and thesucceeding chatter of female voices,assured methat the lady in question was within ;and whenIascended the steps, a very pretty young girlin her nationalcostume, with arched eyebrows,Oriental eyes, and an European complexion,stepped forward to welcome me, in the absenceof her father.

Amidst the squalid wretchedness whichPyrgos presented, the apparition of such apretty person was quite gratifying, andImostcordially subscribed to the received opinionrespecting her attractions. Katrina and hersister Euphrosyne having ushered me intothe house, and invited me to rest upon thesofa until the arrival of their father, com-menced preparing a dinner for me;and whenit was ready, they brought it in themselves,and waited at table; not from necessity, forthey bad many servants, but merely in pursu-

A GREEK BEAUTY.10

ance of the ancient custom, which appears tohave remained firmly rooted in Greece sincethe days of Homer. A person who is unaccus-tomed to Greek habits finds these attentions irk-some, and feels inclinedevery moment torequestthe lady not to give herself any trouble; butwhen we reflect that, not many centuries since,our noble dames performed almost equally me-nial offices, and that in tbe heroic ages even thedaughters ofkings scrupled not, when fulfillingthe sacred riteof hospitality, to wait upon thestranger, we set aside our modern notionsof de-votion to the weaker sex, and are perhaps notsorry to find that, foronce, it is our turn to takethe lead. Pretty Katrina had however onegreat defect in common with her country-women; her eyebrows were painted, and hercheeks were rouged;but this is so customaryamong the Greeks, that they scarcely attemptto disguise it. They perhaps still think, asdid the Athenian ladies in the time of Pe-ricles, that they are not dressed unless theircountenancesare covered with paint. Ifpaint-ing is excusable at any time, it is when peoplehave had a fit of the Morea fever; and thiswas the case with the Vice-Consul and hisfamily, who were just recovering from tbe insi-dious attacks of their annual foe. The marshes

TRAVELLING IN GREECE. 11

between Pyrgos and the sea cause most noxiousexhalations* and the wan, sallow complexions ofthe inhabitants betoken how much they are in-jured by them;indeed, scarcely any part of theMorea is quite exempt from this curse;and ascultivation and cleanliness are theonlyremediesfor the evil, it is to be feared that many yearsmust elapse ere itis eradicated.

Fresh horses having been brought to thedoor, Ibade the young beauties and theirfather adieu, and, under the especial guidanceof an active young Greek, named Anastasius,and two of his countrymen, resumed my jour-ney over the mountains.

Travelling in Greece is conducted in so dif-ferent a manner from thatof any other country,that a person who does not make up his mindto experience everykind of hardship and annoy-ance will be much disappointed. Bad horses,a scarcity of food, no inns, and, what is worse,no roads, are only a few of the troubles atraveller has to encounter. Until very lately,he ran the risk of being fired at from behind atambour, or robbed by some marauding sol-diers; and although no danger of this kind isnow to be apprehended, the exposure to theextremes of beat and cold— to the burning raysof the sun in a valley, and thepiercing blasts of

12 TRAVELLING IN GREECE.

wind on the summit of the mountain, is ex-tremely trying to the constitution. In thespace of one hour Ihave been panting withheat and shivering from cold. At night, withthe earth for abed and his saddle for a pillow,a person feels happy in sharing the fire-side ofsome peasant, whose filthy mansion he views inthe morning with feelings ofutter disgust ;andwhen he awakes, and prepares to pursue hisjourney,he is still heated, feverish, and unre-freshed. In spring and summer travelling ismore agreeable, as it is then unnecessary to sleepbeneath a roof; but at this time of the yearshelter is indispensable. From there being noroads, orat least mere pathways, it is impossibleto travelbeyond the rate of two or three milesan hour;and thus,after passing the whole dayon horseback, a traveller finds that he has notridden more than twenty or thirty miles ; andin winter he willnot be able to perform morethan half that distance.

My journey from Pyrgos to Napoli will givea tolerable idea of what travelling is,in the pre-sent day, in Greece. The sun had nearly setwhenIrode out of Pyrgos;but time was ofimportance to me, and 1 determined to hastenonwards, leaving Olympia and the vale of theAlpheus to the right, and following a path

OLYMPIAN PLAINS. 13

leading towards the mountainous district ofLalla. At the moment whenIwas quitting tbetown, an officer and a detachment of Frenchsoldiers entered it, escorting some waggonsladen with statues and antique marbles, thespoils of Olympia, which the French " savants"had rescued from obscurity by excavating onthe supposed site of the temple dedicated toOlympian Jove.

The discoveries they made there were notvery great; but the Alpheus during this win-ter having been much swollen by the rain,car-ried offa considerable portion of the soil nearwhere the excavations had been undertaken,and has brought considerable remains to light.

Pouqueville, whose first "Voyage en Grece"is just as fabulous as the stories related by thatingenious personMendezPinto,gives a detaileddescription of what hedid not see at Olympia.A gentleman of my acquaintance, some yearsafterwards, chanced to visit the Olympic plainsin company with the author of the " Regene-rationde laGrece," who was preparing materialsfor his second work;and whilst they werewalking over it, he begged Pouqueville to actas cicerone. "Eh!— but, my dear friend,"said the other, "Iknow no more about itthan you do:Ihave never been here before."

14 VILLAGE OF LANZOI."How !" said the interrogator, affecting sur-prise,— "have you neverbeenherebefore,— youwho, in your work upon Greece, say that 'atevery step we made, we trampled bronzes andinscriptions under our feet ?' "

Bronze helmets have been repeatedly foundin the bed of the Alpheus ; andIhave seentwo, which were apparently votive offerings,one of them having the name of the donor(Dionysius) inscribed upon it : they had beenpurchased here from the peasants for a fewpiastres.

After leavingPyrgos,we rode for some hoursthrough an uneven country, until the barkingof dogs, and the glimmering of lights amidstthe trees, warned us that we were approachinga village, which my guide called Lanzoi. Hereit was resolved that we should rest for a fewhours, and Anastasius accordingly knocked atthedoorof a miserable hovel, where wehoped toobtainadmittance. An aged couple presentedthemselves; and by the light of the fire, whichblazed in the middle of the tenement,Icouldperceive that the distrust which was manifestedon their countenances did not cease until theyascertained thatIwas an Englishman;for soshamefully did the armed Greeks tyrannize overthe peasants, that they were almost as much

A FIRE-SIDE PARTY. 15

dreaded as the enemy. A spot by the fire-sidewas cleared for my reception, whereIspreadout my cloak as a bed;and a few eggs havingwith difficulty been procured in the hamlet,these, with some brown bread, formed my sup-per. Whilst Iate this, my host and hostess,their daughter, a pretty black-eyed maid, somewild bandit-looking Greeks, with fierce coun-tenances and largeblack moustacbios,and dress-edintheAlbaniangarb,formeda circleround tbehearth,and after eliciting from my servant allthe information theycould respecting me, beganto tell their own tales, which related mostly tothe events of the last war, and were stronglytinctured with the spirit of exaggeration, or, inother words, lying, for which Greeks both ofthe olden time and present day have alike beenjustly famed. Oneof them declared, that whenIbrahim's troops advanced in this direction, se-venty-five Greeks, including himself, had en-trenched themselves in a small monastery nearthe Alpheus, where, for three successive days,they resisted the assaults of seven thousandArabs, who tried to breach and blow up thewalls, but without success! At last, their waterhaving failed at midnight of the fourth day,they formed themselves into a compact body,and, uttering an inspiriting hurrah, dashed into

MARVELLOUS FEATS.16

the midst of their foes, slew threehundred ofthem, and succeeded in regaining their moun-tain-wilds without the loss of one man. An-other of my companions, afraid lest his valiantdeeds should be unheard of, declared that heone day killed seven Arabs,and had an oppor-tunity of shooting Ibrahim himself, but wasafraid to do so, as hemust have paid the forfeitof his life. A third then took up the conver-sation ; and so they continued praising them-selves, untilIwas weary of listening. Theo-dore, who acted as my interpreter,did not failto remark, when he translated these tales," You see, Sir, Greeks shoot Turks same aslambs." Icertainly thought, that wereItocredit all the marvellous feats related to me,Ishould have some reason to be of his opinion.Thepoor people with whomIlodged had beenconsidered wealthy, but they were involved inthe common ruin of their village, and now hadbarely sufficient clothes to shield them from theinclemency of the weather; their daughter, agirl of seventeen, must once have been beau-tiful, but hardship, starvation, and severework, had bronzed the tints of her cheeks,and destroyed the delicacy of her features.Notwithstanding their fall from affluence topoverty, they were quite cheerful and happy.

THE NABURA. 17

To re-occupy their village, after many months'wandering in the mountains or concealment incaves, was comparative bliss ; and they hopedby assiduous industry, in a few years, to regaintheir former state of prosperity. Irequitedthe hospitality of these people with a gift,which, however trifling, far exceeded theirexpectations. The old man shook me by thehand, and then performing the Greek saluta-tion, by resting his right hand on his heart,wished me happiness andblessings innumerable.

The path we followed in continuation ofour journey, ran along the banks of the Na-bura, a brawling stream which eventuallyempties its tributary waters into the Alpheus.On either side rose rocky hills, diversified byshrubs and patches of verdure ; and hereand there a few oak-trees spread forth theirknotty branches in solitary grandeur, or wereclustered in beautiful groups, intermixed withthe pine, cestus, and dark-leafed cypress.The glen was singularly wild and romantic,and there were no symptoms of habitationsnear : the only living creature we perceivedbeing a huge wolf, who, when the morn-ing mist cleared up from the valley, was dis-closed to our view, on the brink of an over-hanging precipice, from which he peered down

c

A ROMANTIC GLEN.18

upon tbe dale below. We continued gra-dually ascending the stream until we reacheda spot where it was hemmed in by two pre-cipitous rocks, meeting above tbe river, andforming a natural bridge, below which the tor-rent rushed at tbe depth of many fathoms:*the track of a footpath denoted that this sin-gular communication was often crossed by thefearless Arcadian shepherds. Some of the oakshere appeared to have stood unmolested forages past, and, although winter was fast ap-proaching, were still clad with verdant leaves ;the earth, covered with nutritive grass insteadof being parched by tbe heats of summer, wasrefreshed by numerous rills which trickleddown the mountainsides ;and when we emerg-ed from the glen, we discerned around us nu-merous flocks of sheep and goats, tended byshepherds clad in sheepskin capotes, armedwith guns, pistols, and ataghan, and attendedby stout dogs of a noble race peculiar tothis country, and who are so fierce andpow-erful, that they fear neither man, or the beastsof tbe forest. After passing a small village,theonly one we had seen during a ride of somehours, we emerged from the wooded glen, to

* At the baths of Pfeffers in Switzerland is a similar kindof bridge.

LALLA. 19

an elevated table-land, overlooked by the loftypeaks ofMountOlenos,andcommanding a viewof the plain of Lalla, the ruin of which townwe could see at a couple of miles' distance.

The Lalliot Turks, at the commencementof the Revolution, although famed for theircourageous disposition and hardy habits,sharedthe fate of the otherMahommedan inhabitantsof the Morea, and after a sharp skirmish withthe insurgents, by whom they were defeated,retired with their families and effects to Pa-tras, and contributed to defend tbe fortress,until it was surrendered to Marshal Maison.Lalla, therefore, is now merely occupied by afew Greeks, who cultivate the Turkish lands,as the tenants of government. From theopen ground near Lalla we descended themountains towards a romantic valley, throughwhich the Dogana, or Erymanthus, flows, pre-vious to uniting with the Alpheus, near Olym-pia. The road, if such it could be called, wasthe worst, without exception, that Ihadeverpassed,— it was amere sheep-track, andhavingnever been cleared from either the shrubs orrocks which encumbered it, could only havebeen traversed by the little ponies on whichwe were mounted : they scrambled from rockto rock with the agility and sagacity of a goat;

c 2

IMPASSABLEROADS.20

and although my steed fell with me twice,Ifound that the safest plan was to leave thebridle banging on his neck. Anastasius ledthe way, and the horse followed as closelyas would a dog; stopping when he did, andturning right or left as his master's steps dic-tated. It was impossible to advance quickerthan a walk, and my attendants on foot hadtherefore no difficulty in keeping up withme. Two deep ravines that we came to werecrossed by bridges of either Venetian or Turk-ish construction ; from which circumstancealoneIjudged that we were moving upon aregular road. To the Greeks, the difficulty ofcommunication between one town and anotheris a source of exultation,as they very rightlydeem, that a spot which is not easily acces-sible can be defended with but little difficul-ty; but however correct this reasoning mighthave been when applied to the time that theircountry was invaded by a merciless enemy,there is no reason why it should be suffered tooperate for the future. Aperson unaccustomedto mountain scenery would have viewed theroad we crossed this day with a pardonable de-gree of alarm, as one false step might havehurled him down a steep declivity of severalhundred feet : but this does not appear of im-

MOUNTAIN-BANDITS. 21

port to the Greeks ; andIthink it willrequiresome time before the peasantry are made tocomprehend, that a safe road would be moreconducive to their interests.

Some of the dells we passed were exceed-ingly wild, and fit spots for the scenes ofthose atrocities which at various periods havebeen perpetrated in Greece. I was prepar-ed to see a band of Klephts start from be-hind the masses of rock which at times ob-structed our path ; and occasionally a passingherdsman,armed at all points, was the perfectrepresentation of a mountain-bandit. Anasta-sius, who was well versed in traditionary lore,had a gloomy tale for every nook we passed ;and at one little defile hepointed out to mea low stone wall, or tambour, which beingconstructed with loose stones, was scarcely tobe distinguished from the rocks around; heretwo determined ruffians had taken post somemonths before, and from their concealed posi-tion Avere enabled to take unerring aim at theunwary traveller, who, however well armed,could not but fall beneath the blows of hisunseen foe. These wretches were at last seized;but in those days, whenmight was better thanright, it is most probable that they escaped pu-nishment, or were merely confined in a prison

A TRUANT RELEASED.22

whence they could escape whenever they pleas-ed. Anastasius, though an amusing cicerone,

seemed however not to be quite free from thepredatory habits be had acquired during thewar. He had been expatiating with an un-usual flow of eloquence upon the hardships thepeasantry had experienced during that period,both from friendand foe;— "but now," said he,"we respect each other's property." Scarcely,however, had he uttered these words, whenalamb which had strayed from its flock ap-proached the road-side; in an instant Anasta-siushad seized it,and havingcautiously lookedaround to see if he were observed,he drew hisknife, and was about to plunge it into the ani-mal's throat, whenIprotested against this actof rapine. Anastasius had forgotten his newlyacquired morality,and in answer to my remon-strances replied, " that ifwe did not eat him,the wolves would." Ihowever held firm, andthe little truant was released, and disappearedamong the bushes. A few yards farther onwe met the shepherd andhis flock;butalthoughwe acquainted him with his loss, and offeredto purchase a sheep from him, he turned sulkilyaway, and would scarcely deign to answer us.

Tbe shepherds in these districts of Arcadiaare a wild, uncouth race, and as far removed

ARCADIAN SHEPHERDS. 23

from civilization as it is possible for man tobe;their lives, for ever passed amongst these se-cluded mountains, are devoted solely to thecare of their flocks; and when the pasturage isexhausted in one tract of country, they moveonwards to another: their huts may be seenoccasionally near an inclosure of brambles, inwhich the young lambs are left to the care ofthe faithful dogs, who sedulously guard themfrom danger, whilst the master is superintend-ing the wanderings of his flock in another di-rection. The women areemployed in spinningcotton for their own and husbands' garments,and in making the coarse millet-bread and smallcheeses, which are their sole articles of food:but their wants do not extend beyond tbe merenecessaries of life. Though uncouth and bru-tal in bis manners, the shepherd who calmlylooks on whilst his enormous dogis tearing youto pieces, will gladly offer what hospitality hisbut can afford to the weary traveller who seeksadmittance,— for hospitality is a virtue whichgenerally is to be found amongst people in asavage state; but bis churlish manner and un-civilized habits render him the fit representa-tive,not of those Arcadians of whom the poetshave sung, but of tbe rude tribe of Cynætheanswho occupied thispart of the country,and were

ANCIENT CITY OF PSOPHIS.24

famed for their contempt of the observances ofcivilization.

Towards sunset we descended from the highland, and came to a spot where two streamsunite with the Erymanthus, whence the nameof Tripotamia, by which it is known. Hereformerly stood the ancient city of Psophis, theruins of whichIcould perceive around me: thefine of walls in one part were sufficiently per-fect to show that they had been constructedwith care, during the best period of militaryarchitecture;and the position of Psophis, atthe entrance of three valleys, rendered it a postof military importance ; it was also famed inthe heroic ages as having been the scene ofHercules' conflict with the Boar of Eryman-thus. Near a platform, which was probablythe site of a temple, is a small Greek monastery,at this time only containing one monk, hisbrethren having been massacred by the Egyp-tians. A high wall encircled the building,which comprised a small church and a range ofbuildings for the Caloyers; several marble co-lumns were lyingon the ground in the yard ;some fluted and others plain, but none were ofa large size;and aDoric capital which was nearthem appeared to have been awork of the lowerages; the pillars that supported the entranceto the church were likewise antique, and above

KUAN OF TRIPOTAMIA. 25

them, two heads in basso-rebevo were fixed inthe wall;but both the columns and the sculp-ture had been scraped and quite disfigured bythe ignorant architects of the church. The at-tendant priest informed me that the columnshadbeen found in digging near the monastery,which, as is almost universally the case, musthave arisenupon theruins of a Pagan temple.The fertde valley around Psophis is capable ofsupporting a numerous population, as there isabundance of water for the purposes of irriga-tion ; but this part of the country having beenTurkish property, it is now in the hands ofGovernment,andis cultivatedbypeasants, who,alluredby the superiority of the soil, left themountains and have taken it on lease, the rentbeing thirty per cent, of the produce.^ Fromhence the road turns off to Calavrita; but in-stead of proceeding thither,Icrossed the Ery-inantbus, and rode to the eastward. Nearthe ruined khan of Tripotamia were somemiserable huts, occupied by families who hadsettled there, and were now busily employedin collecting their harvest of Indian corn ; theyseemed to be in great misery, and the womenand children were barely clad;but the fruitful-ness of the valley they inhabit promises themfuture years of prosperity.

Shortly after dark, Iagreed with my guides

BIVOUAC OF PEASANTS.26

that it would be advisable to stop at tbe firsthabitation we should see:my horses were com-pletely exhausted,and the Greeks who accom-paniedme,after amarch ofseventeen hours, didnot feel capable of proceeding farther. A lightwhich we perceived at a short distance from theroad, and towards which some shepherds weredriving their flocks, led us to hope that weshould find a village there;but,after fightingour way through a host of barking dogs, weperceived that there was merely a bivouac con-structed by peasants, who had descended fromtheir mountain-village into the plains, for thepurpose of gathering the harvest. We wereinstantly surrounded by the rustics, who, witheager curiosity, inquired what were our wishes.Food and lodging were wants easily under-stood, and which they hastened to gratify; thehalf of a hut was cleared out for my reception,and the trifling sumof one dollar enabled me topurchase a sheep, which was forthwith placedwhole before a fire to roast. My lodging forthe night, though not exactly what a personunacquainted with hardship wouldhave deemedhabitable, to me appeared a comfortable refugefrom tbe cold blasts of wind whichrushed downthe chasms of the mountains. A larce fireblazed in the middle of the hut; and the maize

A COMFORTABLE REFUGE. 27

with which it was partly filled having beencleared away, sufficient room was obtained forme to spread my cloak on tbe ground, and,bylying down, defend myself from the smoke,which, rising to the roof, escaped through theopenings of tbe leaves. The zone or girdle ofmy hostess, ornamented withsilver bosses,hungagainst the walls, and the richly ornamentedarms beside them indicated that my enter-tainers were not of the poorest class; all pre-tension to finery having been swept away bytbe events of the war. When the husbandwas superintending the roasting of the sheep,his wife andanother pretty young woman cameinto thehut, and placed themselves opposite tome, and then taking the distaff and spindle inhand commenced working. Whilst they ca-techised my servant as to my quality, somehandsome though dirty little urchins crept in,one by one, and slunk behind their mothers,staring at me all the while with undisguisedamazement, and, whenIspoke to them, roar-ing most loudly, and seeking refuge in the lapof their parents, from the strange looks of theFrank. By degrees they were pacified, and thenin return for Theodore's communications,minehostess told her own tale of sorrow. Throughher coarse attire and sun-burnt face Icould

A NARRATIVE.28

trace tbe remains of great beauty;her full blackeye still sparkled with the fire of youth, al-though hardship had impressed upon her fea-tures the stamp of age; and, whilst she re-counted the narrative of her sufferings,Iob-served tears gushing down her cheek. Therewas no affectation in this— she spoke what shefelt— and Itherefore believed her, and willrelate the substance of her narrative, not aspeculiar to herself alone, but as one whichmight apply to almost every mother in theMorea.

Marriages are contracted early in Greece:although only twenty-five years ofage, she hadalready been ten years a wife when Isaw her,and until the year 1825 she had lived in theretired village of Dacouni, unmolested by thecontending parties, and only knowing that warexisted by the occasionalabsence of themale in-habitants, and their return with the spods theyhad plundered from the Turks; but at thatpe-rioda fearful change tookplacein theposition ofthe Moreots;— Ibrahim Pacha landed atNava-rin. With such a foe as this upon their thres-hold, it might have been supposed that theGreeks would have smothered their intestinefeuds,andhave made common cause against theenemy; but bis arrival seemed only to add fuel

29FATAL SECURITY.

to their discord;— no regular system of opposi-tion was offered,— each chief fought or with-drew his troops as he judged most beneficialto his private welfare, and thus the interestsof the nation were neglected.

The small isolatedvillages depended on theirown inhabitants for defence; and distant asthey were from the actual scene of war, andwithout one person amongst them capable ofmaturing a proper plan ofdefence, it is not sur-prising that they shouldoftenhave beenattackedunawares by the troops of such an enterprisingchieftain as Ibrahim. Whilst the Moreotsfondly supposed that they had an army in theirfront, the Egyptians were laying waste thecountry with fire and sword ; and when thepea-sant who had been absent on a distant expedi-tion returned to his home, he too often foundbut the smoking ruins of his house, and theslaughtered bodiesof hisdearest relations. Suchwas the case at Hacouni.Ihave already spokenof the monastery on the

banks ostheErymanthusatTripotamia. Ontheevening of one of those numerous holidays cele-bratedby the Greek Church,thewomenandchil-drenofDacouni andtheadjacentvillages hadhas.tened fromtheirhomes toofferuptheiraccustom-edprayers at theshrine osthePanagia;they were

A SUDDEN ATTACK.30

quite fearless of an attack ;more than two hun-dred men from the canton having some daysbefore proceeded down tbe valley of tbe Ery-manthus,on tbe only road by which an enemycould approach. Thus, not above a score ofarmed Greeks weremixed with the women, andthese had proceeded to the monastery,not withthe view of protecting the females, but frommere feelings of devotion. So perfectly unsus-picious were the peasants of any danger, thatthey had left no scouts outside of the buildingto warn them if an enemy should approach, norbad they even closedthe doorsof the monastery,which, in addition to its own wealth, had beenmade the depository of the little possessed bythe villagers; they falsely supposed that theirabsent band of soldiers would ward off evilfrom them.

Thesun was setting: with that superstitiousdevotion characteristic osthe Greeks, the mem-bers of tbe congregation were humbling them-selves before the altar, when,on a sudden,othersounds than the chants of the priests burstupon their ears : the clattering of horses' hoofs,the appalling shout of Allah, Allah, Allah!resounded through the building, and in an in-stant tbe sanctuary was invaded by a host ofArabs. A dreadful scene ensued : the mingledcalls upon Jesus and Mahommed were soon

CONFLAGRATION OF DACOUNI. 31

indistinctly beard— and the name of the Pro-phet was alone audible. The priests were in-humanly massacred at the altar where they hadbeen officiating ;and the few Greeks who des-perately attempted to defend their shriekingwives and children were instantaneously but-chered. The women, and boys under twelveyears of age, were reserved for a fate still moredreadful— hopeless slavery!

My hostess chanced, at the first alarm, to benear a postern-gate; andavailing herself of theopportunity, she rushed through it with manyothers: but when she had gone some distance,she found that her child was missing— he hadbecome a slave to the Moslems! Her agonymay be conceived: at one moment she thoughtof turning back, but in time recollected thatshe would only render herself a captive, with-out the least chance of being united to thebov;and she saw, that her only hope of savinghim was by paying a heavy ransom.

The conflagration of Dacouni, which imme-diately followed the sack of themonastery,en-abled her to rescue but little of her propertyfrom the hands of the Arabs; having how-ever, by the sacrifice of all that she possessed,procured a thousand piastres, (about fifteenpounds,) she followed the bloody traces of hiscaptors to Patras, where the Turks offered the

A BENEFICIAL CHANGE.32

child for sale, and the poor mother was enabledto redeem him. The boy, who was restinghis head inhismother's lap, seemed little to feelthe pain he had given her, and which evennow called tears to her eyes; but the womanher companion was much affected, and saidthat she should never see two of her childrenagain, for they were slaves at Alexandria.

These villagers were loud in their praises ofthe change in the government, to which theyattributed the present quiet state of the coun-try, whereas they ought rather to thank theirown good dispositions. Previous to the year1828, the whole country wras ravaged by bandsof armed men, who, although unable to copewith their national enemies, badpower enoughto oppress their country people : the roadswere infested with robbers;the peasant, whenfollowing his plough, never for a moment laidaside his arms;and those persons who wereobliged to travel across the country, werehourly exposed to the attacks of banditti.

But these evils hadbeen so long and deeplyfelt, that the very actors in them sighed forthe return of peace; and when the President,as a preliminary measure towards quieting theMorea, directed that no persons should appeararmed, except those employed by the Govern-

CAPO DTSTRIAS. 33

ment ; he was instantly obeyed. The exhaus-tion which necessarily followed an extermi-nating war of seven years' duration, placedgreat moral power in the hands of Capo d'ls-trias, and, without the employment of a singlesoldier, he, by a simple mandate, at once al-layed the intense fermentation of the country ;a chief was appointed from amongst the eldersof each village, to collect tbe rents for theGovernment, and these were fixed at tenper cent, of the produce of private property,and thirty per cent, for the lands held uponlease from the Government. Since then.two successive years of peace have enabledthem to collect their harvests, and at leastplace themselves beyond the chance of starva-tion, and they now look forward to an undis-turbed possession of the lands for which they solong contested, and in many instances havedearly bought. Thefrankness of manner, andapparent cordiality, manifested towards meby these mountaineers, inspired me with suchconfidence, thatIslept as soundly amidst themas ifIhad been surroundedby guards ; and al-though my baggage might have offered sometemptation to people who had been leadingan unsettled life, yetIwas convinced that therights of hospitality wouldbe observed.

D

34 PLAINS OF DARA.

Long before the day dawned nextmorning,Iresumed my ride, and in five hours reached asmall plain, through the midst of which me-andered the clear and copious stream of theLandona, or Ladon, which flows into the Al-pheus near its junction with the Erymanthus.It was on the banks of this river that Daphnewas metamorphosed into a laurel, that shemight escape from the pursuit of Apollo. Thestream was shadowed by the trees which bentover it, butIcould not see whether amongstthem the laurel was conspicuous ; the youngmaidens of an adjoining village had, however,but little pretension to the fatal beauty ofthe unfortunate nymph. Two hours beyondthis- we came to the plain of Dara, in themidst of which were the ruins of a large khan,whichhadbeen destroyed during the war. Se-veral villages were visible on the slopes of thehills around, and the plain was covered withflocks ofsheep, tended by rustics bearing thetrue pastoral crook in their hands: this thenwas a real Arcadian scene,— but how differentfrom what the poets describe!Instead of beino-covered with shady forests and watered by mur-muring rills, the mountains were bare, parch-ed, and rocky ; the plain, in lieu of a verdantturf enamelled with anemonies and daisies,

LAKE OF ORCIIOMENOS. 35

barely afforded a scanty and withered herbagefor the sheep which were browsing around;and the shepherds, who ought to have beenseated under some majestic tree, playing theflageolet to their coy and beautiful shepherd-esses, were ugly, miserable wretches clad insheepskins, and so bronzed by the sun and bydirt, as to resemble in complexion tbe tintsof an Ethiop. Thus at every step a strangermakes in Greece, the veil of romance is for-cibly rent from his eyes; all that in childhoodhe read of as grand and imposing, graduallyfades in his estimation; the delightful fictionsof the poets, after playing upon his imagina-tion for years, are suddenly denuded of theircharms, and exposed in all their deformity ;andthe visions of goddesses, demi-gods, and he-roes of former ages, becoming gradually lessdistinct, are at last, ifnot forgotten, divestedof the romantic mystery which hung overthem, and degraded by comparison with whatexists in tbe present day.

On leavingDara, we again crossed some hills,and then traversed the plain of Lebide, havingon our left the lake of Orchomenos. The sce-nery around was wild and barren: we hadbeenimperceptibly ascending until we had reachedthe level of the plain of Tripolizza, some thou-

d 2

gg A PARSONAGE.

sand feet above the level of the sea: there was

snow on the mountains,and the glens we passedwere destituteof verdure, andseemed as if theyhad been desolated by the mountain torrents,

which had torn large masses ofrock from theirfoundation, and hurled them into the bed oftheravines. So cheerless and gloomy was thispart of the country, thatIwas not sorry whenwe approached Sangeh, a small village at thefoot of the pass of Portes, by which we werenext day to cross Mount Mallevo (Artemesius),the loftiest point of the range of mountains se-parating Arcadia from Argolis. Sangeh wasone of the few villages which had not beenburnt by Ibrahim's troops, and the houseof the Pappus, or priest, was pointed out tome as the best, and whereIshould be sure ofreception.

This sounded well; and althoughIdid notexpect to see a pretty whitewashed parsonage,ornamented with woodbine and jessamine, andpresenting the image of comfort andcleanliness,yetIthought that the priest would have occu-pied a mansion somewhat more respectable thanthose whichIhad hitherto seen. Vain hopes!The parsonage contained neither chimney, bed-stead, table or chair: in one corner of the oneroom was a vat full of wine, some large bins

REASONS FOR REFUSING ADMISSION. 37

for tbe reception of corn, a pile of fire-wood forthe winter's consumption, and various agricul-tural implements, whilst on a shelf were a fewdusty books, a musket, and pistols. Throughthe cloudofsmokeIcoulddimly perceive an oldbeldam squatted near the embers of the fire,andby her side two ragged dirty children, lookingmore like imps of darkness than human beings;a sow, and an interesting family of pigs. ThishagIfound to be tbelady of the house; theboyswere her children,andthepigs their companions.She however gave me shelter, and aplace nearthe fire, where,in this goodly company,Ipassedthe night.Ihadapplied atanothercottage for admission;

but was refused, on the plea that the woman ofthe house was dying. Ilooked in, and seeinga heap of something resembling a human formnear the fire,Isupposed the story to be true;however, shortly after my instalment at theparsonage, a woman came in to sell some eggs,and confessed that it was she who had feignedsickness, as she feared that we should havetaken whatever her house afforded andnot havepaid her in return!

Thenextmorning we scrambled up themoun-tain;but in the darkness we lost the track, andstumbled from one rock to another in the most

ACROPOLIS OF ARGOS.38

disagreeable manner. When we at last attainedthe summit, we waited until thedaylight wouldenable us with safety to descend the rocky roadleading to the opposite valley, for the ridgeon which we stood was only twenty feet wide,and terminated on one side by a perpendicularprecipice of great depth, along the summit ofwhich a narrow path three feet wide had beencut;the descent was not unaccompanied withdanger to our horses;on one side rose a wall ofrock, on the other there was no parapet, andtheeye lookeddownupon valleys andchasms whichthrough the medium of the morning mists ap-peared to be immeasurably distant. At the ex-tremity of a long valley the rising sun disclosedto us the Acropolis of Argos, and, as it gradu-ally appeared above the horizon, the silvery va-pours which floated around insensibly meltedaway,anddisplayedbeneathusabeautifulvalley,whilst to the southward the view extended asfar as Tripolizza.

Twenty men might have defended this passagainst an unlimited number, yet in the handsof the Moreots it was useless, and they allowedIbrahim to occupy it without opposition. Fromhence we proceeded down the valley along thebanksosthe Charadrus, andafter passing several

PLAIN OF ARGOS. 39

ruins which appeared to date from the earlyages, we reached the confines of the celebratedplain of Argos, and shortly afterwards enteredthe straggling streets which wind amongst theruins of that ancient city.

COUNT CAPO DTSTRIAS.40

CHAPTER II.

Count J. Capo d'lstrias.— Parties inGreece.— Arrival of the

thePresident.—His ambitiousviews and badGovernment.—Counts Viario and John Capo dTstrias.— Assembly at

Argos.— Greek Oratory.— State of Finances,— Argos—

Hydra.— Spezzia.—

Ipsara.— Scio.— Vourla.

Almost the first person whom Ichancedto see when Iarrived at Argos was CountJohn Capo dTstrias, the president of Greece.He was calling upon a gentleman at whosehouseIstopped, and from his dress Iat firstmistook him for a Russian officer, and wasmuch pleased with his exceedingly gentleman-like manner and winning address. His fea-tures are handsome and dignified, his figureerect and well-proportioned, and his prepos-sessing appearance is not unsupported by hisconversational powers, which are those of awell-informed, well-bred man of tbe world.Such is the appearance of the man who now

PARTIES IN GREECE. 41

presides over the interests of Greece; andbe-fore Icontinue my personal narrative,it maybe as well that Ishould cast a cursory viewover the events of the last two years sincehe has held the reins of government.

The campaign of 1826 had terminated un-favourably for tbe Greek cause. Ibrahim Pasha,with his Egyptians, occupied or devastatedathis will every part of the Morea, except Na-poli di Romania and Epidauria : the citadelof Athens was closely invested by the VisirKutayieh, and the dissensions which existedamongst the Greek chieftains raged withgreater violence than ever. The commondanger, instead of uniting, made them butcling with more tenacity to what little powerthey still retained; and distrustful as they wereof each other's intentions, it was fruitless toexpect even the semblance of union amongstthem. During the first years of the revolution,three factions rent the country with their eter-nal disputes : each grasped at power, and inturn exercised it; each waged civil war againstthe others; and thus, when the invasions of anenemy should have been the signal for callingthe Greeks to arms, those who ought first tohave answered the summons were imbruingtheir hands in the blood of their countrymen.

PARTIES IN GREECE.42

The first of these parties was headed by thePrimates, or great landed proprietors ;a set ofmen who owed their influence to the situa-tion which they held under the Pashas, forthey acted as an intermediate body betwixtthe Turkish authorities and the people;theywere generally selected by the Pashas fromamongst those Greeks possessed of most landedproperty in the districts, and to them theylooked for tbe payment of the haratsch* andother taxes imposed by the government. Un-der the plea of enforcing the orders of thePasha, the Primates were guilty of the mostarbitrary conduct; the unfortunateRayah, whoshould have looked up to his countrymen forsupport, knew that even the Turk was merci-ful compared tohim ; and the intimate know-ledge which the Primates possessed of the re-sources of every Greek who resided withintheir district, rendered all subterfuge on theplea of poverty unavailing. He who did notsubmit tobe plundered illegally by hisPrimateswas sure to be ruined on some legal pretextby the satellites ofgovernment. The Primates,though better educated, formed probably themost vitiated class in tbe Morea : domineered

* Capitationtax.

PARTIES IN GREECE. 43

over by every petty Turk in the country, theysoothed their pride by tyrannizing over theirwretched tenants;and the acts ofrapine, fraud,andoppression, by which their sway was distin-guished, were more grievously felt and bitterlycomplained of than those emanating from thewill of their imperious masters. The Turk go-verned Greece as a conquered country, fromwhich he had a right to extract what wealth hecould— he bad no feelings in common with theRayahs whom he ruled over; but thePrimatesknew well what pangs they inflicted, andthose deeds which when committed by a

Turk might be excusable as tbe force ofhabit, in a Primate could only be consideredin the light of a crime. The next factioncomprised those persons who, as captains ofArmatoli, or leaders of bands of Kleptbs, hadpossessed themselves of the military power,and who, as long as affairs remained in anunsettled state, were sure of retaining influ-ence; but these chieftains were all dividedamongst themselves, and the Moreots andRoumeliots hated each other as cordially asthey did the Turks. The third, or constitu-tional party, comprised all the most enlighten-ed characters in Greece,— men who to naturaltalents united the advantages of an European

44 PARTIES IN GREECE.

education, and in some cases what is rarely tobe met with in Greece— probity and disinte-restedness.

The Greek chieftains looked upon each othermutually as a set of " intriguants," who wereconstantly trying to undermine and supplanteach other;and self-interest being the latentmotive for all their actions, they would swearan alliance with the opposition faction one day,and have no scruple in breaking it on the next,should therebe an opening for them to join theruling party. Each person acted as a spy uponthe actions of the other, and he who professedto speak with the greatest frankness was sureto be masking some deep design. The perfectknowledge they possessed of their mutual cha-racters placed them so completely on theirguard, that even in the most trivialoccurrencesthey withheld their confidence, unless theirmutual interest tended to the same point,—then the greatest enemies hesitated not to coa-lesce, and apparently act in concert, eachflatter-inghimself that the other was a dupe of whomhe made, use, with the firm intention of castinghim aside whenever it suited his convenience;and thus the cleverest man, or most accom-plished hypocrite, was sure to gain the upper-hand. Those who found themselves thrown

45PARTIES IN GREECE.

out of office rallied round some leading person,whose interests they professed to identify withtheir own, until,as was not unfrequently thecase, government deemed it prudent to buythem off;— if not, they at all events formed aparty ready to avail itself of whatever advan-tages might present themselves, and which,bykeeping thecountry in a state of ferment, theyhoped to obtain. Whilst professing great pa-triotism, ambition and the desire of gain wereall that actuated them, and those who exclaim-ed most loudly against bribery were always tbeeasiest gained.*

These were the people amongst whom theexecutive and legislative power of Greece wasdivided. Mutually hating and fearing eachother, their proceedings were characterised by atissue of fraud and villainy difficult to unravel;and it was to befeared that, unlessprompt mea-sures were taken to terminate their dissensions,the nascent liberties of Greece would be crush-ed for ever. It was therefore proposed to calla national assembly, and accordingly in 1827

* The Presidentduly estimated the characters of the peo-ple he had to rule;and one day that he was enraged atsome of their proceedings, he exclaimed,— " You are acanaille,— Iknow you; but you willnot imposeupon me, forIam one of your own cloth!"

4G COUNT CAPO D'lSTRIAS.

the delegates of the people were convened atTrSzen, where, amidst the relics of departedgrandeur, they debated upon the means to bepursued for tbe salvation of their ruined coun-try. Toall it became evident that unanimitymust be tbe basis of their actions, and to obtainthis,GeneralSir Richard Church was nominatedcommander-in-chief of the army, and LordCochrane placed at the head of the maritimeforce of thecountry. At the same time,CountJ. Capo dTstrias was invited to Greece, and, asPresident, requested to assume the governmentof the country.

Count J. Capo dTstrias is a Corfiot by birth;and his family, which is of ancient descent,is possessed of considerable property in thatisland. Count John, who is the secondbrother,brought himself to the noticeof the Russiansat the time when they held possession of theIonian Islands ;and having since entered theirservice, he became well known to the world asa diplomatist, and received credit for a consi-derable share of talent. At the congress ofVienna he is reported to have called forth fromPrince Metternich the remark, " Ce jeunehomme lanous afait la barbea tous," whilstan-other eminent statesman, Sir T.Maitland, inexpressing his opinion of Capo d'lstrias'sabili-

HIS ARRIVAL. 47

ties, said that he was a mere " political pup-pet." Which of the two sentiments was correct,his conduct since his elevation to the Presi-dency of Greece will best determine. In theyear 1819, a visit which he made to Corfu wassupposed to have been in connexion with theviews of the Hetairists, whose cause he wasknown to advocate; but when the revolutionburst forth in Wallachia, and that Greece wascalled upon to arm by Prince Alexander Ipsi-lanti, Capo dTstrias was urgent in his endea-vours to check tbe progress of an insurrectionwhich,being premature, he foresaw threateneddestruction to those concerned in it; he is saidto have strongly assured the Greeks that theyhad no assistance to hope from Russia; andhowever he may secretly have been connectedwith their party, he overtly disavowed theirproceedings ;and, until he was summoned bythe nation, did not offer to join the patriotcause ;- but there can be no doubt that he hadfrom the commencement looked forward tothe supreme command.

In the month of January 1828, Capo dTst-rias arrived at Napoli di Romania in a Bri-tish lineof battle ship; and Griva, who was atthat time at war with Colocotroni, opened thegates of the fortress to him, and thus placed tbe

VIEW'S OF COUNT CAPO DTSTRIAS-48

key of tbe Morea in bis bands; the other re-

fractory chieftains hastened to show their pa-triotismby acknowledging the President, who,without any exercise of force, found him-self at thehead of the nation. At this periodthe fears of the Greeks, as to their politicalexistence, were hushed; the decided part takenby the allied powers, the battle of Navarino,and the results to which it led, had paralysedthe movements of their most formidable oppo-nent Ibrahim Pasha;andalthough itis true thatthe fatal battleof Athens had been followed bythe surrender of the Acropolis, the last strong-hold possessedby the Greeks inEastern Hellas,the Turkish army had not been able to pene-trate through the defiles of the Geraunianmountains, or force the position taken up byChurch for the defence of the Isthmus of Co-rinth. From the enemies of Greece the Presi-dent had therefore comparatively little to fear,and his whole attention ought to have been oc-cupied in allaying the irritation caused by thefactionsIhave before alluded to, and in restor-ing quiet to the unhappy peasantry. Tofur-ther his views, all parties were willing to con-cur. Those men who had hitherto been fore-most in opposing tbe established government,when the member of a native cabal was at its

A PROCLAMATION. 49

head, hesitated not to support a person who,it was hoped, would prove a stranger to theintrigues of party and to the spirit of fac-tion. The reputation for talent he had ac-quired when forming one of tbe Russian cabi-net, fostered theopinion that he was so well ini-tiated in the secret of legislation, as to becomea rigid protector of tbe interests of the infantnation. His arriving in a British man-of-war,at a time when the Allies had announced theirintention of interfering in favour of Greece,seemed to imply that he came as the dictatorchosen by the allied powers; and all classes,anxious to manifest their gratitude for the pro-tection of the allies, hastened to promise sub-mission to tbePresident. Greecelay prostrateat bis feet. How be availed himself of thisdisposition towards him, will hereafter appear.

The first step taken by Capo dTstrias wasto issue a proclamation, dated from on boardof tbe Revenge, calling upon the Greeks toacknowledge his authority, and directing themto lay aside their arms. The alacrity withwhich this edict was submitted to, is highlycreditable to the Greek peasantry ; and theresult of the measure was the internal pa-cification of the country : those people whohad hitherto derived the means of existing

E

THE PANHELLENIUM.50from rapine and extortion,were obliged to seeka more peaceable mode of subsistence; the in-dustrious classes were enabled to till their landandreap its fruits;thehighways werenolongerinfested by a lawless banditti ;andpeaceand se-curity were restored to the interior of families.This great point being gained, it was nowhoped that the President, when selecting hissubordinate ministers, would have made thechoice without any reference to their partyfeelings, and have merely allowed talent andintegrity to be claims upon his notice; but theresult did not justify this impression. Havingabolished the preceding form of government,he proceeded to nominate a council, called thePanhellenium; but though nominally possess-ing some power, this assembly was virtuallymerely used by him as a convenient mask tothe really despotic authority that he reservedin his own hands. Thecontributions of Franceand Russia replenished his treasury, and gavehima force more irresistible in Greece than theemployment of a powerful army; and armedwith these weapons, he no sooner saw himselfin possession of the supreme power, than hebegan to prosecute his insidious designs, tend-ing to the aggrandizement of himself andhisfamily ; to effect which, he hastened to form

POLICY OF THE PRESIDENT. 51

a party, upon whose subserviency he couldwith certainty depend. To maintain himselfin his post, as chief of the Greeks, was nodoubt the object of his ambition; and whilsthe tried to cajole England and France by anappearance of liberality and candour, he reallyrested his hopes upon Russia, who having atall times looked upon Greece as a countryshe coveted, would no doubt prefer to see hergoverned by a man Russian in heart and edu-cation, and in whose hands she would be no-thing more or less than a Russian province,than to findher influencedby the liberal policyof France and England.

Having fixeduponhis plan of operations, thePresident's first care was to disgust, orotherwiseget rid of, all those men whose integrity of prin-ciple and patriotism were bars to his personalviews, and to replace them by members of hisfamily, and Ionians,upon whom he could placeimplicitreliance. PrinceMavrocordato,Tricou-pi, andmany otherpersons of merit, were forcedto retire from office;and the President's twobrothers, Counts Viario and Augustin, weresummoned from Corfu, where they had hither-to passed their days in obscurity, and calledupon to assist in presiding over tbe destiniesof Greece. Viario, the eldest, was forthwith

e 2

THE PRESIDENT'S BROTHERS.52

placed at the head of the war and marine de-partments ; and no sooner did he assume theoffice than his incapacity and ignorance becamemanifest : from that day the President's popu-larity began to decline; and so well has Viariofollowed up the system he commenced, that heis now utterly detested, and not only receivescredit for his own misdeeds, but is also sup-posed to instigate his brother, Count John, toperform those acts which have called downupon him the hatred of men who once were hisfirmest friends and supporters. Count Augus-tin is a very youngman;he had been educatedfor the law, but made no progress in his pro-fession, and was idlingat Corfu when his bro-ther wasnominated to thePresidencyofGreece.In him, Capo dTstrias discovered some latentsparks of military talent, (acquired no doubtby watching the drill of our regiments on theesplanade,) and the experience thus learnt suf-ficed to point him out as the leader of theGreek army inAcarnania. Measures were there-fore taken to thwart and disgust Sir RichardChurch, who, as Generalissimo of the Greeks,had been successfully employing himself withhis nominal army in clearing Western Greecefrom the Turks; and by refusing him supplies

SYSTEM OF MISRULE. 53

of money and provisions, this object was soonattained; Church resigned, and Augustin wasappointed General, and nominated to the va-cant post. His conduct in his new situationwas exactly what might have been expectedfrom such a puppet; he remained at Lepanto,providing for future contingencies, by availinghimself of whatever opportunities occurred forimproving his fortune, instead of taking effec-tual steps to pacify that part of the countrywhich, though now two years in thepossessionof the Greeks, is in as unsettled a state atpresent as it was during the war.

Thesubordinate offices, in like manner, weredistributed to persons whose only merits andclaims were a blind subserviency to the will ofthe Dictator; the Ionian islands poured forththe refuse of their population upon devotedGreece, and every lucrative office or situationof trust was confided to the islanders: theyviewed Greece as vultures would a carcaseon which they hoped to gorge themselves,even unto satiety ; and so well have theyemployed their time, that there is little nowleft but the skeleton. To those persons whoseaccession he deemed advantageous to hisparty, the President dispensed the French

54 SYSTEM OF MISRULE.

and Russian subsidies with a liberal hand,on the plea of indemnity for losses sustainedduring the war, and the celebrated Coloco-troni, who possesses great influence amongstthe peasantry of the Morea, by thismeans wasfirmly bound to the President's party; the ig-norant Moreots were led to believe thatIbrahimhad been expelled from the country by CapodTstrias, and that they owed their presentsecurity entirely to him; and as he abstainedfrom taxation, they were easily induced to ac-quiesce in any measure proposed by the Presi-dent's satellites. Thus the country was ruledwitha tyrannynot the less severely felt, thoughmasked under the garb of liberty ; the brightdreams of the well-wishers to Greece were dis-pelled by the conduct of him to whom theyhad looked as a preserver; factions which theysupposed were quelled, like the heads of theHydra, sprungup more formidable thanever;the demoralization of Greece advanced withrapid strides, andas a final blow to thehappinessof the country, a system of espionage was esta-blished, unequalled perhaps in the most despo-tic country in the world. The child was set asaspy upon the actionsosthe parent,the brotherupon the brother; the privacy of families wasinvaded, letters were opened, and on one oc-

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. 55

casion the goverment mail was actually robbedby the orders of thePresident, who was anxiousto examine its contents.*

Such were the leading characteristics of thePresident's rule during 1828, and part of thefollowing year ; but the Protocol to the Treatyof London having then become public, andstruck a death-blow to his ambitious hopes, heresolved, by a great political stroke, to impressthe Allies with the idea, that in removing himfrom the government of Greece, they wouldact in direct opposition to the wishes of thatnation, which, as he would prove to the world,he had so ably governed. For this purposehe resolved to convene a National Assembly;and bis emissaries were immediately directed tosecure the election of such men as had no opi-nions of their own, or would presume to differfrom the directions they would receive for theirfuture guidance. Circular letters of the Pre-

*A gentleman, whose nameIhave forgotten, ina letterto a friend, written shortly after the publication of the Pro-tocol, made some judicious remarks on the subject, butwithoutin the least reflectingon the government of the Pre-sident. The letter was intercepted, and was made theground of an accusation against him. He was found guiltyby the subservient judges, and sentenced to one year's im-prisonment!

NOMINATION OF THE DEPUTIES.56

sident's own composition were sent to the elec-tors anddeputies, whereinhe warned them thatthey were to assent to all his measures, "eten rien changer la position actuelle du Presi-dents under pain of being ejected from theiremployments;and as he was afraid that, evenwith theseprecautions,be should not be able toobtain tbe overwhelming majority he wishedfor, he nominated deputies from Candia andother islands belonging to the Turks,as well asfrom the armies of the Morea, and Eastern andWestern Greece! Satisfied with these precau-tions,and with the knowledge that the igno-rantclowns deputed from the Morea were meremachines he could move at will,he summonsedthe States of Greece to assemble at Argos, andthe ancient theatre, at the foot of the Larissahill, was cleared out for their reception. Abetter spot than this could not have been se-lected, observed tbe editor of the Smyrna Ga-zette,"pour jouer la comedies

The proceedings of this assembly were suchas might have been foreseen. The resolutionsthey entered into were allprepared by the Pre-sident, who, in receiving their thanks and com-munications, merely heard repeated what hehadhimself composed. Heopened the sittingdressed in a Russian uniform, and wearing

OPENING OF THE SITTINGS. 57

Russian orders, and uttered a speech explana-tory of the leading points of his government,and of the manner in which the financesof tbe state had been disbursed; adding, thatto them he had devoted " les derniers restes"of his fortune. Every measure he proposedwas carried by acclamation. An income of30,000 S. dollars was offered to him, which he,withgreat apparent disinterestedness, refused ;*and he was requested to continue the line ofconduct that he had hithertopursued with somuch advantage to the nation.

In an assembly thus constituted, there wasof course but little oratorical display ; andthose who did venture to adorn their languagewith a few classical quotations, were listenedto with astonishment by their less accom-plished comrades. Their ignorance gave riseto an amusing scene. There is a very commonexpression amongst Eastern nations, implying,"May youeat dirt !" which inGreek is signifiedby the words, "Na tofas." It chanced during

* Count John Capo dTstrias cannot be taxed with everhaving tried to increase his private fortune at the expenseof the Greeks; in money matters he is perfectly disinte-rested, although his brothers are less scrupulous. The30,000 dollars wereoffered tohim at hisowninstigation, thathe might have the meritof refusing them.

THE SENATE.58the sittings of the assembly, that one of thede-puties, who was better informed than the rest,wishing to make a display of his erudition,in-troduced in his speech the Latin quotation,"Fas, aut nefas," and when heuttered it,acci-dentally fixed his eyes on oneof theMoreot de-puties seated opposite to his. Theother think-ing that the speech was addressed to him, andhearing aword resembling the expression abovealluded to, instantly sprang from his seat, andshaking his fist at the astonished orator,roaredout, "Na tofas! na tofas yourself."

A slight change was made by the Presidentin the form of government ; he found that thePanhellium was not always inclined to submitto his dictation, and he seized this opportu-nity of forming a new council, to be styledthe Senate. It was composed of twenty-sevenmembers, twenty-one of whom were to bechosen by the President from a list of sixtypresented by the Congress, whilst the remain-der were entirely at his nomination;and what-ever vacancy might occur was likewise to befilled up by him. But this council, though socompletely at the disposal of the President,was allowed only the semblance of authority;it merely had to approve or negative the "

pro-jets de his" submitted to it by him, and which

THE REVENUE. 59

in either case could be carried into effect on hisown responsibility. In financial arrangementsalone was its consent required.

Tbe Assembly likewise gave its sanction toa new coinage, bearing the emblem of aPhSnix on one side, and the name of thePresident on tbe other; and also to the in-stitution of an order, to be called St. Saviour,with the insignia of which all those who con-tributed to the liberation of Greece were to bedecorated; but although the first mentionedresolutionhas been carried into effect, the lat-ter has not been acted upon. A law was alsopassed authorizing theGovernment to take pos-session of tbe churchlands.

The revenue for the past year, as laid beforethe National Assembly, did not appear to be ina very flourishing state; the taxes only pro-ducing 8,539,969 piastres, (or 116,711/.) whichwith the French and Russian subsidies, andsome other funds, formed a totalof350,940/., towhich the expenditure nearly amounted, only30,000/. being left in hand for the expenses ofthe current year. The following is the state-mentpublished in the Government Gazette.*

* The Government Gazette is published in the Frenchlanguage,at Ægina.

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE.60Receipts from January 1828, to April 1829.

Piastres.

Revenue . 8,539,969Funds of the National Bank . . 2,034,660Prizes not liquidated . . . 233,414

"Owing to several by the State . . 455,845Funds givenbyhis Excellency the Pre-"1

sident ..... JFrench Subsidies ....8,265,000Russian ditto .... 4,383,200

Total . . 25,6 IS,664

Expenditure.Land and sea service . . 13,647,214Sundryestablishments . . . 684,335Civil List 1,879,864Orphanotrophe .... 38,779Charitable Donations ... . 356,880Paid to Creditorsof the State . . 281,771Unpaid by the farmers of the Public

Revenue . . . . 658,948Paid to LordCochrane . . . 159,510Valueofcargoespaid toAdmiralDandolo 115,S31Cash inhand 2,129,022

Totalpiastres . 25,61S,664

15 piastres are equal to one Spanish dollar— 73 piastres1/. sterling.

Theobedient representatives of Greece badnow performed all that their Chief requiredfrom them; they had enabled the President to

* The original expression is " Du a divers par l'Etat."

PRESIDENT'S DESIGNS FRUSTRATED. 61

impress upon those who viewed these proceed-ings at a distance, that the welfare of Greececentered in his person, and that he alone wascapable of governing her. By his apparent at-tention to tbe progress of education, he exhi-bited bis judicious care of the interests of therising generation, and this heknew was a baitwhich would be seized with avidity by thosewho were not able to examine the truth of hisstatements ; and by renouncing any salary forhimself,he hoped to gain the credit of beingactuatedsolely bydisinterestedmotives in allhisproceedings. But,unfortunately, his words anddeeds have been at variance. In his efforts toobtain the sovereignty ofGreece, be pursued anunderhand, intriguing course, which alienatedfrom him thosepersons who, at one time, wouldhave supported his cause; and this circumstancealone suffices to prove that his talents havebeen overrated. Of him may be justly said,

"Tel brille au second rang, qui s'eclipse au premier."

He made an excellent Russian minister, buthis mind has too long pursued the tortuouspath of diplomatic cunning to be capable ofviewing affairs in a straight-forward, undis-guised manner ; and he possesses not the inde-pendent, high-minded principles which should

PLAINS OF ARGOS.62

characterise the sovereign of a free nation.His views of government are contracted; andit will be a happy day for Greece when he iscalled upon to lay down the power which hehas so much abused. The assembly beingdissolved; Capo dTstrias transferred the seat ofgovernment from Ægina to Napoli; and thuswere affairs situated whenIentered Greece.

The various accounts Ihad heard of thebeauty and richness of the plains of Argos,caused me much disappointment. A per-fectly level plain, of about forty square miles,undiversified by trees or hedges, and hemmedin by a barren and rugged range of moun-tains, was not calculated to excite much ad-miration; and tbe very few hamlets whichare scattered over it being composed of meremud huts, did not appear as striking ob-jects;but whenIpassed the hill of the Acro-polis, and that Ibeheld before me the townof Argos, and in the distance Napoli di Ro-mania, with its impregnable Palamede, thespacious gulf bounded by the bold mountainsof Laconiaand Epidamia, the marsh of Lerna,and the site of Mycenæ, my classical recollec-tions induced me to view the scene with muchinterest. Argos appeared to- be a large stran-gling village, interspersed with ruins of Turkish

GULF OF NAPOLI. 63

Pyrgi, Christian churches, Turkish mosques,and masses of Roman brickwork; but how-ever uninviting the first coup d'Sil mayhave been, it was not in the least improvedupon a closer examination. Alternately de-voted to the flames by Greeks and Turks,Argos was now literally rising from its ashes;but, unlike the phSnix, not with renovatedbeauty,— three houses,belonging to the Presi-dent, Mr.Dawkins, and ColonelGordon,beingthe only mansions that were habitable; the restwere mud hovels. It contains 5000 inhabi-tants,most of whom are cultivators of the sur-rounding plain.Istayed so short a time at Argos that I

was under the necessity of deferring my visitsto its antiquities until my return, andIthere-fore proceeded four miles onwards to the Gulfof Napob, whereIembarked onboard H.M.S.Favourite, Captain Harrison, for Vonrla, wherethe British squadron was anchored.

In sailing out of thegulf, there was nothingto attract attention until we came oppositeto the small islands of Spezzia and Hydra,which have become so celebrated by the partthe inhabitants took in the naval struggle be-tween Turkey and her revolted provinces.Previous to theRevolution,these islanders were

THE IIYDRIOTS.64

the most favoured subjects of the Porte; noTurks ever resided on their islands, the tributethey paid was merely nominal, and in returnfor these indulgences, the Sultan hoped to ob-tain a supply of experienced sailors to man hisfleet. Both parties were satisfied with this ar-rangement; theHydriots and Spezziots devotedtheir attention solely to commerce, every maleinhabitant became a sailor, and these barrenrocks, at the commencement of the war, mono-polized all the carrying trade of the Levant.Their wealth became proportionately great;and of all the subjects of the Porte, whetherChristian or Moslem, they had least felt its des-potic system of government, and were, in fact,quite independent. But when the wrongs oftheir less favoured countrymen called aloud forredress, the restless andenterprising spirit ostheHydriots inducedthem to jointhe patriot cause,and foreseeing that, should they remain neuter,the Turks would nevertheless punish themfor the sins of their fellow-rayahs, they feltconvinced that not only patriotism but policywere in favour of their hoisting the flao- of in-dependence. The fame of their exploits underthe gallant Miaulis and Tombazi resoundedthrough Europe. With their little brigs, theyfeared not to encounter thenumerous squadrons

IMPROVIDENCE OF THE HYDRIOTS. 65of the Ottomans, and many a line-of-battle-ship destroyed, many a fleet consumed by tbeflames, established their character for courao-eand skill, and struck terror into the hearts oftheir enemies. But these advantages were notgained without severe sacrifices on their parts.As their prosperity was solely owing to com-merce, so when trade became stagnated, thesources of their wealth dried up, and theirrocky islands being perfectly barren, they wereobliged to expend their hoarded wealth in pur-chasing supplies for their numerous population.It is true that both Hydriots and Spezziotswere paidby tbe Government for their services;but the emoluments they received were a poorremuneration for thewealth they acquired whentheir vessels were employed in trade. Duringthe campaign, which lasted six months,a first-ratesailor receivedfrom seventy-five to onehun-dred piastres monthly, with which he had tosupport his family during the year ;and whenbyalucky capture an islander chanced to obtainan unexpected supply of money, like the gam-bler, who rolling in riches one day, is a beggarthe next, so did the Hydriot think only of thepresent moment— the money he received wassquandered insenseless profusion ;and when allwas expended, he felt a disgust for theplain

r

CONDUCT OF THE SPEZZIOTS.66

habits of life to which he had been hitherto ac-customed. EveryHydriot sailor hada share oftbe vessel in which he served ; and not un-frequently the loss of a ship entailedruin uponseveral families:—thus when tbe war termi-nated, the Hydriots discovered that their sacri-fices and devotions, instead of benefiting theirinterests, had only reduced them to the brinkof poverty ; and that their political situationwas infinitely worse than when they were underthe Turkishgovernment, for that now they hadnoprivileges apart from the mass of the nation,and were obliged, in common with the conti-nental Greeks, to contribute their share to theexigencies of the state. Disgusted with thisresult, and despairing of obtaining employmentunder their own flag, more than eight hundredHydriots have,Iunderstand, left Greece withthe intentionof entering the service of Mahom-med Ali; and whilst their own vessels are rot-ting in the harbour of Poros from a want ofsailors to man, and cargoes to freight them,tbe navy of tbe Egyptian Pacha will receivean invaluable accession of strength from themen whose country he has laid waste anddesolated.

The Spezziots, during the war, always act-ed with great circumspection, and have been

ISLAND OF IPSARA. 67

gainers, instead of losers, by tbe contest; forwhen they found that commerce was at a stand,they made war upon the world one day, aspirates, and, as patriots, fought the Turks thenext,and by uniting these two capacities, havemanaged toobtain tbecharacter ofgoodcitizens,and to render themselvesmasters of great riches.They likewise are discontented, and wish forthe returnof former days;but their fate is seal-ed, and they must for the future compete withothers in conducting the trade of Greece, andforget that they ever monopolized it.

We passed close under the rocky hills ofHydra: they were destitute of vegetation, andunadorned by a single tree; but several whitehouses were perched on the summits of thecrags, where they served as look-out posts towarn the inhabitants of the town, should dan-ger be approaching. It seemed a melancholy,dreary spot. From hence, a fair breeze carriedus rapidly onwards:we passed the Bocca Silotaduring the night, and next morning ran closeunder Ipsara, which, like Spezzia and Hydra,contributed largely to tbe maritime successesof the Greeks, but unfortunately escaped notunscathed from the conflict. The Ipsariotswere among the first who declared themselvesindependent, and with their fleet joined the

f 2

SLAUGHTER OF THE IPSARIOTS.68Hydriot squadron ; the most daring feats ofthe naval campaigns were executed by theirsailors; and the intrepid Canaris was a nativeof Ipsara. The proximity of the island tothe Asiatic coast exposed it, considerablymore than Hydra or Spezzia, to the attacksof the Turks; and the injury the Ottomanfleet constantly experienced from the Ipsariotsailors,called aloud for vengeance;but duringthree years the Ipsariots were unmolested bythe Turks;and it was only in 1824 that theCapitan Pasha, at the head of a numerous fleet,attacked the devoted island. Theinhabitantswereoverpowered by numbers;many, in mak-ing a useless defence, perished sword in hand,and others were slaughtered whilst attemptingto escape; but the greater part of the Ipsariotssucceeded in reaching their ships with theirfamilies, and sought for shelter in Greece.Many of them are now at Napoli, Ægina,Poros, and other maritime towns of Greece;some few have returned to their desolateisland. The town was sacked and burnt bythe Capitan Pasha; but, when viewed froma distance, with the sun shining on the whitewalls of the houses, seemed still perfect andhabitable: however, on approaching it, weperceived that tbe houses were roofless and

ISLAND OF SCIO. 69

empty ; tbe harbour, without even a fishing-boat upon it;and that not a single wreath ofsmoke was rising from the town to betokenthe presence of an inhabitant. Ipsara willnever again be occupied by its exiled children;they are determined to live under the protec-tion of the country in establishing whose in-tegrity they have suffered so much ;and whenthe Government shall have allotted to them aterritory in lieuof that from whence they havebeen expelled, they purpose calling it by thename of Ipsara, that their descendants may re-member how dearly they paid for their liberty.

A southerly gale filled our sails: under dou-ble-reefed topsails we cut through the water atthe rate of ten miles an hour;and Scio, nowcapped by a sheet of clouds which seemedrushing down the hills, appeared rapidly moredistinct.

None of the islands Ihad hitherto seenequalled the expectationsIformed, and whichwere undoubtedly too highly wrought. Ihoped to see Greece's sunny isles interspersedwith forest and mountain scenery, and vyingwith the Caribbees in beauty. Here, on afrowning promontory, the majestic ruins of anancient temple, below a cheerful village, embo-somed in orange and olive groves; the bright

70 FATE OF THE SCIOTES.

blue sky uncbequered by a cloud; and theÆgean barely agitated by a gentle breeze. Ibeheld barren rocks, against which the foamingwaves dashed with fury, scattering their sprayhigh in the air;the soil, apparently unpro-ductive and parched, barely affording nou-rishment to a few solitary, unhappy-lookingtrees bending beneath the fury of the blast ;tbe towns, which deceived the eye from afar,proving to be in ruins, and tbe heavens dark-ened by the tempest. So did the Isles ofGreece display themselves to me; but Sciowas a favourable exception. It used in happierdays to be called the Garden of the Archipe-lago: the hills were clad with forests of oak,and the valleys were bright with cultivation;the women were the most lovely of the East,the men, tbe best educated and most refined;and tbe inhabitants were renowned for theirwealth and prosperity : but, in 1822, fifty-fivethousand of tbe Sciotes either fell before thescimitar of the Turks, or were condemned toslavery. It is unnecessary to repeat the sadtale, which was heard and listened to withcommiseration in every part of Europe. Suf-fice it to say, that Scio has not, nor ever willrecover from the blow. A few inhabitantsstill occupy the island; but all that render-

GULF OF SMYRNA. 71

ed Scio valuable bas been swept away, andthis ill-fated spot is comparatively a desert.The wind -rushed through the chasms of themountains with unparalleled violence when wesailed under their lea;and as the scud flew ra-pidly along, and for an instant obscured theface of the sun, the various tints of lightand shade thrown upon the island hada mostbeautiful effect, and displayed to great advan-tage the romantic glens of the wooded moun-tains. The next day we beat up the Gulf ofSmyrna, and anchored at Vourla in the midstof the British squadron.

From thence, on tbe 31st of October, Ipro-ceeded to Constantinople. So many books havebeen published relative to that city, thatIamnot presumptuous enough to undertake anewversion of an oft-told tale. Iwill only say, thatIhad the honour of playing atEcarte with theCapitan Pasha; that Isaw the members oftbe Sultan's cabinet drinking the health of theKing, and of Charles the Tenth,in bumpers ofchampagne, at the supper-table of Count Guil-leminot,on which a large ham was placed; thatIwas present when Avney Bey, Lieutenant-Colonel of the cavalry of the guard, and firstAid-de-Camp to the Sultan, requested a lady towaltz with him, and continued dancing during

72 CONSTANTINOPLE.

the whole evening;that the Turkishladies havelowered so much of their veil, that the infidelsare now permitted to see part of the forehead,and even the nose; and that Sultan Mahmoudwears boots, spurs, trowsers, and gloves, justlike a Christian !

THE CYCLADES. 73

CHAPTER III.

The Cyclades.— Cape Colonna.—

Temple of Minerva.—Ægina.

—Tombs Palicari.

— Orphanotrope.— Museum.—

Temple of Jupiter.—

Panhellenium.— Temple of Venus.—

Quarantine.—

Prince DemetriusYpsilanti.— Ipsariot boat-men.— Poros.—Russian squadron.— Greek fleet.

—Com-

merce.—

Damala.—

TrSzen.

On the 24thDecember, His Majesty's cutterHind, in which Ireturned from Constanti-nople, sailed between Andros and Negropont,through the Bocca Silota, on her way to Ægina.The island of Andros is not remarkable forits beauty, and the opposite coast of Negro-pont is likewise sterile and desolate; themountains we passed were partly concealedby dense vapours floating round their sum-mits ; and the chasms into which they havebeen rent by some convulsion of nature, arequite destitute of herbage. Inthe distance, aswe emerged from the narrow passage, we sawthe grey land of Syra, Mycone, Tino, and Zea,

CAPE COLONNA.74

better known under its ancient name of Cos,

and as being the birthplace of Hippocrates,Apelles, and Simonides ;and to the north-westwe sought to catch a glimpse of Marathon,butwere too far distant.

The day had already nearly closed beforewe passed Cos; and we eagerly looked towardsthe west, in the hopes that we might see" Sunium's marbled steep" before dark. Thesetting sun had brightened the western hori-zon with a ruby tint; and when we doubledthe south point ofLong Island, we saw CapeColonna stretching to the sea, and the sevencolumns which are left of itsbeautiful Templestrongly pencilled in the glowing sky, whilstall tbe land around was dark. For a few mo-ments, tbe illuminated horizon continued tothrow the Cape into strong relief; but, whenthe sky lost its borrowed light, the scenegradually became less distinct, and soonwas concealed in darkness. Iwas unable,from personal examination, to ascertain whatmutilations had been inflicted on the Tem-ple of late years by various antiquarian ama-teurs ; butIunderstand that the damage isirreparable, and leading to no useful result ; forpublic museums have not benefited by itsspoliation, and the fragments taken from the

75TEMPLE OF MINERVA.

ruin are now lost to the world in the insignifi-cant museums of some private persons. Oneof our own countrymen first set the example,by carrying off a few of the marbles, and hewas successfully imitated by the captain of anAustrian frigate, who also caused tbe name ofhis ship to be painted in large red letters on thefrieze of the Temple* Whilst people werelamenting that time should have made suchrapid ravages in this work of art, thebeautifulcolumns were quietly borneaway to other lands,and no one knew how they had disappeared;but the rage for antiquarian destruction hasnow ceased, and we may hope that the fewremnants of Minerva's fame, which still act asa landmark to the saflor, and as anational me-mento to the Greeks, may for the future beleft unmolested to war solely with the elements,whose influence they have withstood duringso many centuries.' A friend of mine whopassed through Venice two years

since, when visiting the Austrian buildings, observedsomecolumns lying- on the ground, which he recognised imme-diately as being of Grecian architecture. In answer to hisremarks, the officer to whomhe addressed himself, assented,and said that he had brought them from Cape Colonna; anEnglish officer havingfirst set the example. Thus it is, thatthe civilized moderns are inflicting greater injury upon theantiquitiesof Greece, than they received during many cen-turies exposure to the ravages of barbarians.

76 CAPE COLONNA.

The weather had been so gloomy this day,that Itried in vain to recognise in the scenesbefore me those "blessed isles," which, whenseen from "Colonna's height," are said to be sobeautiful; and Ifelt convinced, that a personwho visits Greece with the hope of not findinghis juvenile enthusiasmdamped, and who wouldwish to retain a romantic impression of theclassic soil, should never travel in winter. Ourspirits are affected by the weather, as is abaro-meter. A brilliant sunshinenot only gilds thescenebefore us,butlikewisecastsits exhilaratinginfluence over our minds,— weview every thingunder the most favourable colours; the lightsand shadows cast upon the mountains create athousand imaginary beauties, which, if divestedof their splendour, would be dismal and chfll-ing— decked with the rosy tints of a settingsun, the most terrific, sterile rocks are not defi-cient in beauty; we allow full play to ourimagination, and the first impression remainingengraved in our memory, we always recur tothat scene as representative of the distant spot.But if, instead of a bright summer's day, aperson views the shores of Greece in bleakDecember, the sea foaming around,a densemassof clouds above, and the cheerless land appear-ing in all its nakedness, his feelings will be

77ÆGINA.

very different. Such has been my case : withthe exception of one kind gleam from the sink-ing sun, which fell upon the ruined temple, theday hadbeen dark anddismal,andIshallalwaysfeel more inclined to think of Cape Colonna asthe scene of Falconer's "Shipwreck," than as aspot remarkable for the beauties of its situation.

Thenextmorning (ChristmasDay) thecloudsdisappeared ; tbe sun shone out brightly ; wewere sailing close under the land of Ægina, andAthens, Salamis, andPoros, were in sight. Theslopes of the bills of Ægina are laid out in ter-races, on which a scanty vegetation is percep-tible, and a few olive trees are scattered hereand there, but rock is the principal featureof the island. We expected to find the Bri-tish squadron here;but the harbour was onlyoccupied by a French brigof war,SirPulteneyMalcolm having sailed for Poros. A road, orrather receptacle for mud and rain, made underthe direction of Count Viario, leads from theanchorage to the town, situated in a smallplain, on the site of the ancient city. It isa wretched spot, notwithstanding that somepains were taken to ameliorate its appearanceduring the time it was the seat of govern-ment ; but, with the exception of the Presi-dent's house, and the Orphanotrope, a large

ÆGINA78

building lately erected for a public school, itcontains scarcely a single habitable mansion.In the main street are several shops, and theport, which was full of small trading vessels,isadorned witha well-built quay : there is like-wise a quarantine establishment, and a church.The inhabitants,who are mostly refugees fromAttica,Ipsara,and other places in thepower ofthe Turks, are about five thousand in number;at one time the island was crowded to excesswith fugitives from the continent;but theseare gradually returning to their native villages;and when Attica is evacuated by the Turks,Ægina will sink into comparative insignificance.The dwellings of these unfortunate people aremost wretched;andmany of theunhappy Athe-nians and Ipsariots, unable even to procurea miserable hut, are content to dwell under-ground, in the ancient tombs of the Æginetæ,or of the fugitive Athenians. Tberocksaroundtbe town are full of these sepulchral chambers,which have been opened in search of antiquevases. They areentered by steps ;and the roofand sides, being covered with cement, protectthose who inhabit them from the weather. Astrange coincidence this, that the tombs of theAthenian dead, who were here buried at thetime when they fled from their Persian inva-

THE TOMBS. 79

ders, should, twenty-two centuries afterwards,receive and shelter their descendants, like them,fugitives, and escaping from the despotismof an Eastern lord. The numerous vases,of exquisite design and workmanship, dailyfound in the tombs, induce us to think thatthey were most probably the work of the Athe-nians during their stay here; for, althoughÆgina was once of considerable importanceprevious to its conquest by Pericles, it seemsimprobable that the population of so small anisland should have been either sufficiently nu-merous or wealthy to excavate such number-less tombs, or place in them so many beautifulvases. At all times, Ægina has afforded a re-fuge in the hour of danger to the Athenians.Once, during the Persian war; a second time,Avhen Attica was ravaged by the Goths; andmore than once since the commencement ofthe Revolution.Ibad some difficulty in procuring lodgings.Iwas refused admittance at a place called theHotel des Trois Puissances, because, it beingChristmas Day, the landlord was absent feastingwith his friends; but, after rambling throughthe town,'Iobtained a comfortable apartmentin the house of an Athenian lady. She hadfled|from Athens at the commencement of the

80 MY LANDLADY'S HISTORY.

war,and, sacrificing an excellent house and itsfurniture, was happy to escape with her hus-band and two pretty daughters, with what por-table property they possessed, to Hydra. Shetherehired a boat to convey them to Ægina ;and having embarked all their valuables, await-ed in a friend's house until a change of windwould enable them to sail. But the boatmenhad other intentions; a boat full of baggagewas a prize not to be often met with, espe-cially without a little fighting; they thereforethought that it would be exceedingly wrong tomiss such an opportunity of carrying off somebooty ; and when it was dark, they set all sail,and stood out to sea. Several hoursafter theirdeparture, my landlady and her daughtersproceeded to the beach with the intention ofembarking; but when they reached the spotwhere theboat bad been moored, none was tobe seen;and she learnt, when it was too late,that there were as many miscreants amonghercountrymen as in theranks of the enemy. Shewas now pennyless, her husband died broken-hearted, and her young daughters had no guar-dian but her; so she struggled with her misfor-tunes, and managed, with the assistance of herrelations, to live respectably, and educate herchildren, who were learning French and Ita-

A SUNDAY SCENE. 81

ban. Her case is a common one;almost allthe Athenians have been reduced from wealthto penury, and are utterly ruined.

On Sunday Ihad an opportunity of viewingthe inhabitants in their best attire, and manyvarieties of costume were to be seen; but thegaudy finery of some of the dresses suited illwith the filthand wretchednessaround. Therewere women of Ipsara with Turkish veils,con-cealingpartoftheir faces; Hydriots,with dresseslike those of the Swiss peasantry, Albanians,Moreots, and Athenians,whomight berecognis-edby theirbraidedhair. Some of the latter hadbeautiful faces, brilliant black eyes, arched eye-brows, and delicate red and white complexions;but almost all were painted. Their figures Icannot praise; for they are never seen;theirclumsy gowns, with waists as high as the shoul-ders, destroy thesymmetry oftheir form, and sodisfigure them, that when their backs are turn-ed, it is impossible to distinguish sixty fromsixteen. The difference of dress amongst themen is not so striking, there being only twocostumes

— the island and the Albanian: theformer is very unbecoming ; the loose Turkishtrowsers being substituted for the handsomewhite fustanella (phillibeg).

Ægina, at this moment, contained some ofG

32 M. DE RIBEAUPIERRE.

the leadingcharacters inGreece. ThePresidenthadarrived for the purpose of communicatingwithM.de Ribeaupierre, (who was on his wayto Constantinople,) and persuading him thatthe welfare of Greece depended upon his be-ing retained at the head of the government.He therefore directed a deputation from theSenate (apparently unconnected with himself)to wait upon the Ambassador, and, in thename of the Greek nation, request that hisMajesty theEmperor of Russia would interfereto obtain the nomination of Capo dTstrias aschief of Greece;that he would be pleased togrant them a pecuniary supply ;and, moreover,use his influence with the Sultan to remove therestrictions upon Greek commerce in the BlackSea. To these solicitations M. de Ribeau-pierre could return no direct answer : and lateevents have proved that theEmperor of Russiapaid but littleattention to the first of their de-mands. Whilst, however, the President strainsevery nerve to obtain his nomination to thesovereignty of Greece, he affects publicly anardent desire to return into private life, andsays that he will be most happy to serve asprime minister to the sovereign nominated bythe allies, if the employment of his talentscan in any way be of use to tbe nation. These

ARMY AT SALAMIS. 83

expressions have been repeated by the Ger-man papers; and those persons whose onlymeans of information are derived from thepublic press, are led to believe that he is adisinterested patriot; but a glance behindthe scenes wouldspeedily undeceive them, andshow the crafty politician in his true colours.

Prince Ypsilanti was expected at Ægina, andPrince Mavrocordato, Sir RichardChurch,Tri-coupi, and the heads of the opposition, usuallyresided here, taking no interest in public af-fairs, and waiting quietly until the fiat of theallied powers shouldbe made public.

Themovements ofCapo dTstrias were watch-ed with much interest, as he had just returnedfrom Salamis, whither he had proceeded in thesteam-boat, in thehopes ofallaying the clamoursof the irregular troops, who thought proper todemand ninemonths' pay that was due to them.The force stationedat Salamis amounted to fivethousand Roumeliots, under the command oftheir Capitani, amongst whom were Grisiotti,Vasso, Hadgi Christo, Metaxa, and others,whose names were celebrated during the war.As an army they were perfectly useless, theyhadno enemy to oppose, and it is impossible todivine what object was to be gained by keep-ing them imbodied. During several months

G 2

84 DISCONTENT OF THE TROOPS.

they had been stationed in and around Salamis,doing literally nothing;and as there was nota superabundance of money in the hands ofGovernment, many considered that it wouldbe advisable to disband them. The Presidentwas of a different opinion; they were keptin arrears ; and then, on finding that theirpay was not forthcoming, they threatened tomarch into the Morea, and remunerate them-selves by the plunder of the country. Thisstorm, which Capo dTstrias had himself raised,he foundit no easy matter to dispel. Havingassembled the leaders of the Palicari, he at-tempted at first to amuse them withpromises;but finding that this was unavailing, he ad-dressed one of the captains in terms of abuse,and threatened, should he not submit, to sendhim to his native forests to feed pigs, as he hadused to do. Theother, looking him fuU in theface, exclaimed, "Excellency! He who daressend me to feed pigs is a man of dirt."— Thisconversation only increased the discontent, andthe President found himself under the neces-sity of granting half their demand; but as thePalicari would listen to no compromise relativeto theremainder,fears were entertainedlest theyshould put their threats into execution;anditismore thanprobable that, if the French troopsat Navarin had not at this time received a tele-

THE ORPHANOTROPE. 85

graphic dispatch from Toulon,directing them todelay their embarkation for France, the Moreawould have been invadedby this lawless militia.

The only claims that Ægina possesses onthe attention of the antiquarian, are the Tem-ples of Jupiter Panhellenius, and of Venus,and a small Museum within the Orphano-trope. The last is a large square building, con-structed under the direction of Capo dTstrias,for thepurpose of affording an asylum to morethan six hundred fatherless children. Theireducation is superintendedby somepriests; butIregret to say, that more attention is paid totheir marching and saluting, than to their moralsor intellects. A largeyard, in the interior of thebuilding, affords ample space for exercise, andinit were leaping-bars and poles for gymnasticexercises, in imitation of the ancient Spartans.The rooms were well aired and clean, and ifproper care were taken to teach theboys, muchgood might be expected from this institution;but they aresadly in want of better instructorsthan thosethey now possess. A gentlemanofmyacquaintance told me, that a very intelligentGreek boy, whom he had sent there during sixmonths, returned without knowing his alpha-bet ; and that this backwardness did not pro-ceed from stupidity was evident, for after afew weeks' instruction at home, he made a

NATIONAL MUSEUM.86

most rapidprogress. The school is on theLan-castrian system,— and Greece has to thank thebenevolent feelings of tbe Dowager Empressof Russia for its establishment; she contri-buted the funds necessary for its construction,amounting, it is said, to 1,706,576 piastres,(or 23,377/.) from her private purse; it is,how-ever,quite impossible, that the paltry buildingat Ægina could have cost such an enormoussum. A room in the Orphanotrope is allottedto the ancient marbles which have lately beendiscovered, and are intended as the commence-ment ofaNational Museum. There are severalvotive tablets, some basso relievos of no greatmerit, a mutilated colossal statue of Juno orCeres,andanunfinishedbut remarkably spiritedstatueof a Harpy seizing a vase. This piece ofsculpture is cut out of a block of dark-colouredmarble three feet high, and although it is un-polished, and that the knobs from which thesculptor measured bis proportions protrudehereand there, it must be considereda very cleverperformance, and from its singularity invalua-ble,— for, ifImistake not,it is the only repre-sentation extant of thoseobscenebirds. SeveralGreeks came into tbe room,andseeing me mak-ing a sketch of this figure, crowded round me."What is it," said one,— "is it a woman?"—

A REMARKABLE STATUE. 87"No! it is aman," replied asecond.— " Itmustbe the devil," said a third.

Milordo was appealed to; but my explana-tion, that it was the figure of a Greek lady,who once upon a time lived in an island nearZante, and was very fond of other persons'dinners, and who moreover had wings andclaws like a bird, did not appear to be quiteintelligible;they were puzzled to make out thetruth of my tale, and renewed their examina-tion of themonster, with an air of stupid won-der. Isince heard that not only the lowerclasses, but others who pride themselves upontheir antiquarian knowledge, have been unableto decide what the statue wasintended to repre-sent; and Count Viario,Doctor ,a friendof his, and the gentleman who related this tome, proceeded to examine it. "There," saidthe Doctor, pointing to the knobs which,asIbefore observed, protruded from the statue,—" there are proofs that this figure was intend-ed to represent disease; these are evidently pus-tules ; and such was the vivacious imaginationof the ancients, that they wished to signify thedeformity occasioned by the Elephantiasis inthese claws and mis-shapen limbs."" But the wings ?" saidmy friend." Why, they are likewise the efforts of ima-gination."

88 A REMARKABLE STATUE."However, the beautiful countenance and

matted locks are the attributes of Harpies ?"" The contrast only shows more powerfullythe horrors of the disease."" But why does she grasp the vase, evidentlyseizing upon it with avidity ?"" That is immaterial;the figure is an Ele-phantiasis, and can be nothing else."* Hesaid:— but notwithstanding bis degree, those

Sphinx.

* The French savants whohave been making a scientifictour in Greece, likewise decided that the statue representedanElephantiasis. Theaccompanying sketch will enablepeo-ple to judge for themselves.

TEMPLE OF JUPITER PANHELLENIUS. 89

whomhe considers ignorant persist in believingit to be a Harpy, and have the presumption tolaugh at the Doctor's decision.

If proper care be taken to form a Museum,there is every reason to hope that Greece, in-stead of having fewer beautiful sculptures thanany other country, may possess more. Excava-tions properly conducted would bring a greatmany interesting marbles to light ; and a lawhaving lately beenpassed thatno works of artshall henceforthbe exported, she secures to her-self those pieces of sculpture which are dailyappearing;but when the government is finallyorganized, persons should be allowed to exca-vate on condition of resigning to the nationwhatever it thinks worth retaining.

From henceIproceeded to view the Templeof Jupiter Panhellenius, distant from Æginaabout six mdes. The road runs through arocky tract of country,occasionally interspersedwith cultivation, the mountains having beenformed into terraces, which prevent the rainfrom washing the soil into the plain; but how-ever necessary they may be to the agriculturalinterests of the island, they bestow a formalandunnatural character uponits features, whichmust at all times have been very deficient inbeauty. Half-way from Ægina, we saw on our

90 SITUATION OF THE TEMPLE.

left an isolated rocky hill, and on its summitwere the walls and deserted housesof an exten-sive town, stillperfect in their externalappear-ance,but so desolate that onemight fancy theyhad lately been depopulated by the plague-fiend. These were the remains of the town ofÆgina, as it existed during the period that theVenetians held the Morea. Infestedas the seasthen were by bands of daring pirates, whousedto land on the coast of Greece, and, after plun-dering the villages, carry off the inhabitants ascaptives;the natives of the small islands wereobliged in self-defence to construct their dwell-ings on some naturally strong position inland,whence they might be able to repel tbe attacksof these marauders;and it was only aboutsixtyyears ago that the Æginetæ left their strong-hold, and established themselves on the sea-shore, where they were enabled with less diffi-culty to follow their commercial pursuits. Af-ter passing the deserted town,weproceededoverbills and dales, amongst rocks and stunted fir-trees, untilMountPanhellenius and its Templebecame visible.

The Temple is on the ridge of a hill, onone side commanding a view of Megara, Sa-lamis, and Athens; and on the other, of theÆgean and part of Ægina, which appears

RUINS OF THE TEMPLE. 91

below the spectator, as ison a map. The scenemust be lovely during one of the sunsets forwhich Ægina is so celebrated, when the vene-rable columns would be gilt by the varioustints of evening, and the Athen shore in likemanner be brilliant and distinct;butIsawit to disadvantage, a gale of wind was blow-ing, and the horizon was enveloped in a mist.Twenty-three columns are still erect, and therubbish having been lately cleared away, thepavement around the temple, and the stepsleading to it have been brought to light: a cu-rious water channel was discovered at the sametime, conducting to an opening, or well, per-haps connected with a cavern in the rockbeneath; or still more probably, merely asink to carry off the blood of the victimssacrificed at the altar.* The temple is said byPausanias to have been consecrated by Æacus,King of tbe Æginetæ, and father ofTelamon,whoseson Ajax led the troops of Salamis to theTrojan war. This spot has therefore been sa-cred to Jupiter about 3064 years, but it can-

*Thebassorelievoswhichadorned the friezeof thisTempleare now in the Museum of the King of Bavaria; and it wasreported that his Majesty, who is a great Philhellenist,hadexpressedhis intentionof restoring them toGreece wheneverher government is established.— This, however, seems pro-blematical.

TEMPLE OF VENUS.92

not be supposed that the ruins we see datefrom so distant a period. Telamon, the son ofÆacus, was banished from Ægina as a punish-ment for themurder of his brother; buthavingobtained the king's permission to plead hiscause, he erected a mound of earth, whencehe delivered his justification, which howeverproved fruitless. A large tumulus is now tobe seen on the sea-shore near the port alludedto by Pausanias; and this may possibly bethe identical mound raised by the exiled Te-lamon ? Tumuli are the most durable monu-ments raised by the ingenuity of man ; andif belief is attached to the supposition, thatthose visible on the plains of Troy conceal theashes of the heroes who perished in the tenyears' siege,— why may not this mound beviewed as the work of the same period?

Of the other temples in this island, onlythat of Venus still presents any remains; it issituated on an elevated point of land nearthe port, and one solitary shattered columnmarks the spot where the worshippers ofbeauty once poured forth their vows. Thefoundation has been taken away lately forthe erection of various public works, andexca-vations made for this purpose are continued tothe depth of twenty feet below the peribolus,

QUARANTINE. 93

where large blocks of stone fitted together withthe greatest nicety form the base of tbe edi-fice. This height, up to the pavement of thetemple, hadbeen filled with earth,so as to pre-sent the appearance ofa natural hill.

Not far distant from the Temple of Venusis the Lazaretto and health-office, constructedby order of the President, who has nominallycommenced a system of quarantine which mayhereafter be improved upon, as the communi-cation by land between Greece and Turkeycan be easily prevented, though it is unlikelythat much intercourse will hereafter take placewith the frontier provinces. At present, mer-chant vesselscoming fromtheEast aresubjectedto a quarantine of fourteendays. Hereafter, tbeamelioration of the quarantine system ought,strongly to attract the attention of Govern-ment;and although it may, at first,be difficultto persuade the Greeks what benefits are to bederived from it, they will gradually learn toprize the establishment of regulations which,however they may interfere with the conve-nience of individuals, tend to guard thenationfrom that curse, theplague. Thegreatest diffi-culty towards carrying this plan into executionwill be the facility of communication betweenthe Asiatic coast and the Cyclades. TheGreeks

94 QUARANTINE.

of thoseislands are inured to the sea from theirinfancy, and think nothing of sailing fromisland to island in small boats, which wouldeasily elude the vigilance of Government. Per-fect safety from the plague cannot therefore beinsured;but at least such precautions might betakenas would put Greece on the same footingas the Ionian Islands,with regard to pratique.

At Syra, the inhabitants have long beenaware of the advantages of a quarantine, andonce prevented the plague from being com-municated to the whole country. A mer-chant-brig arrived at Smyrna from Egypt,and, upon inquiry, it was ascertained thather crew was infected. Now, although theTurks considered this immaterial, a Frenchman-of-wrar stationed there obliged tbe briginstantly to leave tbe port. She then bore upfor Syra, where the local authorities, havingascertained that a man had died on board, notonly placed her in quarantine, but would notallow her to leave the harbour until forty dayshad expired, when they ordered her to departwithout communicating with the shore. Inthe mean time, her character had been spreadabroad:at whatever harbour she presented her-self, admittance was refused;and,after wander-ing about the Archipelago like the demon-ship,

DEMETRIUS YPSILANTI. 95

she was obliged to proceed to Malta, and thereperform asecond quarantine. About two yearsago, an infectious disease,not unlike tbe plague,manifested itself in Greece;but by theprecau-tions taken, it was prevented from spreading,and in a short time disappeared.

At Ægina, Ihired a caique to convey me toPoros,— not one of those light caiques thatskim the surface of the Bosphorus, and glidealong the water as lightly as if they had wings,but a large clumsy boat without a keel, andcarrying a huge unwieldy sail, which, althoughpicturesque in its appearance, seemed to mebadly calculated for this season of the year,when squalls are of such frequent occurrence.When wre were leaving the harbour, a boat,containing severalgentlemen inEuropean attire,ran foul of us. We were soon extricated,butthis occurrence gave me an opportunity of re-marking the countenance of one of the party,a pale, sickly-looking man apparently aboutfifty years of age. This person was one of thefew men of honour that Greece possesses— onewho, during the whole of his political career,maintained an unspotted reputation ; was al-ways ready to encounter personal risk in thedefence of his country;and who, after holdingimportant situations during seven years, is still

96 A TREMENDOUS SQUALL.

as poor in purse as when he landed in Greece.This panegyric, which no other military chief-tain deserves, is due to the integrity of Deme-trius Ypsilanti.

My boat was manned by Ipsariots, whosereputation as sailors is uncontested; but theday was so fine, thatIhopedIshould have noopportunity of seeing it put to the test. A fairwind accompanied us until we had sailed half-way across ; but then, a cloud appeared on thebigh land of Methana, and a white ripplevisible on the distant water, created a violentdiscussion among the crew. One wanted tolower the sail;another laughed at his fears;andall were giving their opinions as loudly as theycould:— but the question was soon settled.A furious gust of wind fell suddenly uponus: in an instant the boat was half-filled withwater ; andbut that the prudent sailor had letthe sheet fly, we must have gone down ina fewseconds. The sea rose, and became a sheet offoam;and without any sail set, we were obligedto scud and seek shelter under the lee ofMoni. Iseldom witnessed a more tremendoussquall. A Russian seventy-four, close to us,with top-gallants sails set, let all her sheets fly,and drovebefore the wind in the most slovenlymanner; whilst H.M.S. Infernal, which like-

A BRULOTIER. 97

wise was in sight, and crowded with canvass,took in every thing in excellent style, and ranalong under her foresail. Thesesqualls, thoughof exceeding violence in the onset, are never oflong duration; and we were enabled, withoutrisk, to run back to Ægina, whence Iagainsailed on the following morning.

Amongst the passengers was a young Ipsa-riot, who had served during the war as a Bru-lotier, but was now out of employment, andconsequently much discontented. He talkedabout Leonidas and Miltiades,whose deeds, hesaid, were graven in his heart and head: butnotwithstanding this show of patriotism, it waseasy to perceive that he bitterly repented hisself-devotion. Such is the case with many ofthe Greeks: they entered headlong into thespirit of revolt, from the erroneous suppositionthat they would become their own masters,have no taxes to pay, and either act as robbersby land, or pirates at sea, whenever it suitedtheir convenience. By these, a change in thegovernment is looked forward to as a remedyfor their grievances.

"All," said my companion, "anxiously awaitthe decisionosthealliedpowers as to their futuresovereign. Some thinkthe choice will fall uponyoung Napoleon ; others, that Greece will be

ii

98 A BRULOTIER.

ruled by an English or Russian Prince. His ar-rival is to settle every thing. They are to bepaidfor their losses,and become rich. Greece is toequip a fleet of fifty sail, in which her sailorswill find employment, and a regular army is tobe organized. Theseoccurrences are to happenimmediately, and then every one will be con-tented." The Brulotier, when he recapitulatedthese advantages, spoke with the fire and anima-tionof an ancientorator, his black eyes sparkled,his long hair fell wildly over his shoulders, hisgesticulation was forcible,andhe summed up hisspeech by tearing off his shoes, stamping on thedeck, and exclaiming, "Ihad a father, mother,and sister— -they have been murdered !Ihad ahome—Ihave been driven from it for ever. Ihad a ship—Idevoted it to the service of mycountry. Ionce was rich,andnow am a beggar,— and the Governmentof thecountry, for whomImade these sacrifices, refuses to grant a mise-rable pittance to keep me from starving."Ihave often heard similar complaints;but it

isimpossible for theGovernment,withits triflingresources and exhausted treasury, fully to re-munerate the sufferers by the Revolution. ThePresident might have given those situations toGreeks, who fought during the war, which arenow filledby his eight hundred Ionians;but the

HARBOUR AND TOWN OF POROS. 99

upper classes, who were gainers by tbe Revo-lution, alone met with his encouragement. Asfor the rest, notwithstanding that they havelosttheir all in the struggle, they have the rightto call themselves free; and although the poorwretches think this but a trifling compensationfor their sufferings, the world will tell themthat liberty is a blessing never too dearly pur-chased, and that they will hereafter reap itsfruits.

We were nine hours in crossing to the har-bour of Poros, which is exceedingly beautiful.The entranceis narrow,and when passed,is con-cealedby the land, so that the harbour appearsas a small lake. To the southward, the loftymountains of Epidauria hem it in, theirsummitsdescribing a bold, rocky outline,and their slopesbecoming gradually more fertile as they ap-proach the shore, where they are planted withorangegroves, olive-trees,and vines,interspersedwith gardens and meadows. Damala, theancient TrSzen, overlooks tbe harbour; to thewestwardis thepromontory ofMethana;and tothe north the island of Poros forms a crescent,completely inclosing the lake.

Ona steep hill, separated fromEpidauria by anarrow channel, at present impassable for largeships, is the town of Poros; the white, flat-

h 2

100 THE RUSSIAN SQUADRON.

roofed houses rise one above the other until ter-minated like a pyramid, and on the sea-shoreare several storehousesconstructed by the Rus-sians, and on their departure, to be given up tothe Greek Government, whose naval depot isestablished here.

Secure within this basin, the Russian squad-ron of five line-of-battle ships, (three bearingadmirals' flags,) and ten smaller vessels, was atanchor; and no inlet being visible, it seemedwonderful how these floating masses could haveentered this retired spot. Many boats wereplying about;severalparties of sailors were onshore,cutting wood,or procuring water,andthescene was so animated, thatIquite forgotIwasin Greece.

TheRussian squadron appeared to be in ex-cellent order;the ships had been refittedprepa-ratory to their return homewards, and now thatthey were at anchor, looked almost as well asBritishmen-of-war ;but tbe comparison extendsno farther ;when at sea they are stillvery clumsyin their manSuvres, and in bad weather theirinferiority is still more apparent ; but the im-provement which has takenplace in the Russianships since they first entered theMediterranean,is,Iam told, wonderful;and this is owing totheir having remained so long in company with

THE GREEK FLEET. 101

our fleet ; they watched our proceedings, andfaithfully imitated them ;and although a Rus-sian sailor with hismilitaryuniformis a very dif-ferent being from Jack Tar, the progress theymade is much greater than might have beenex-pected. A small corvette, the only ship cap-tured from the Turks during the late war,was at anchor with the Russian colours flying,and near her was a large frigate which a shorttime before bad lost her three top-masts ina squall.

From there being only one outlet, the diffi-culty of sailing in and out of the harbour issuch, that Sir P. Malcolm was detained herewithhis squadron for several days;but when theeastern channel is cleared, it will be immaterialfrom whatquarter thewindmay blow. For lay-ing ships up inordinary, careening, or refitting,no spot in the world can be better calculated;and the Greeks have acted wisely in fixing theirnaval establishment here; but at present thisexists but in name. The arsenal contains a fewold guns, but is not capable of equippingeven asmall brig with the stores requisite; and thevessels composing the Greek fleet (mostly pri-vateproperty)are moored to the shorewith theirmasts and rigging standing, and are already sorotten as to be scarcely sea-worthy. Thereis

J02 STATE OF COMMERCE.

one fine brig carrying eighteen guns, belong-ing to Miaulis, and a ship of Tombazi's, likelyto share the same fate. The other vessels arerigged as brigs, polaccas, and schooners, andnow have nothing warlike about them but theirnames of Leonidas, Epaminondas, Xenophon,&c. painted on tbe sterns.

The owners of these vessels are too poor topay the crews they require; they have not capi-talenough to begin trade;and they can find nopurchasers for their ships, which are therefore adead loss to them, and will soon only be fit forfirewood. Thus Greece, who, from her beauti-ful harbours and situation, is eminently calcu-lated for a commercial country, who possesseswithin herself a host of hardy and experiencedsailors, and is not deficient in shipping, is insuch a morbid state as to be unable to profit byher advantages. Commercial spirit was para-lized by the war, and has not yet revived; tbeinterests of the mercantile class have not beenconsulted;and such are the imposts *

now laidupon exports and imports, that unless somechange is made, commerce, whichalone can call

* During the Turkish rule,Franks paid 3 per cent., andRayahs, 5 per cent, upon allexportsaud imports. The GreekGovernmenthas increased the tax to12 per cent.;and thecon-sequence is, that trade has ceased!

A LEARNED LANDLADY. 103

forth the latent enterprise of the Greeks, willreceive its death-blow.

The town of Poros is disgustingly filthy ;and the few good houses in it were occupiedwith billiard-tables for tbe recreation of theRussians. Iheard the unceasing rattleof ballswhenIwalked down the quay ; and the townwas full of the fair-haired Muscovites. Therewas room for me,however,at tbe miserable inn,where, in an adjoining room, a crowd ofRus-sians were smoking,swearing, andplayingat bil-liards : tbe landlady, as she informed me, couldspeak seven different languages ; and, aftertrying her luck as an innkeeper at Constantino-ple, was now cheating the Russians of as.muchas she could, previous to their departure. Iwasseated quietly at dinner, when this naval MollFlaggon rushed into the room, and, in herdialect— for it was impossible to say that herwords belonged to any particular language— shescreamed out— "Is it true— is it true?'' Ifeltrather amazed at this visitation,and begged herto explain herself; when she said, that she hadjust heard that the President had gone to Ægi-na; that he was proclaimed King; and that hewas to be crowned in five days; and if suchwas the case, she would start for Ægina nextday with all her household, in the hopes of

104 DEMOSTHENES' ASYLUM.

makinga little money. Reports like these wereconstantly circulated.

Oranges and lemons used to be exported ingreat numbers from Poros to Constantinople,andone or two cargoes were shipping for thatport: these appear to be its principal articles oftrade. It is considered unhealthy during thesummer months, and the heat is excessive;butwe ought not to think this surprising, for thePeloponnesians supposed that the nearest roadto the infernal regions, and by which Plutobore Proserpine to his kingdom, was only twelvemiles from Poros,near the ancient Hermione.

Poros, known in ancient times by the namesof Sphæria and Kalauria, was given by Apolloto Neptune, in exchange for Delphi. A tem-ple of great sanctity, dedicated to the OceanGod, stood on the summit of the highest hill,but it is now a mere heap of ruins. On thatheight, Demosthenes sought an asylum fromthe persecution of his enemies; and when hefound that even Neptune's protection was ofno avail,he swallowed poison, and was buriedwithin the boundsof the temple.

The morning after my arrival at Poros,Ipurposed to continue my journey towards Ar-gos ; and whilst my servant was packing up,Istrolled into the principal coffee-house, accom-

AN UNBELIEVING CAPTAIN. 105

panied by a man who stated himself to be theVice-Consul ofEngland andof all themaritimepowers, though he was self-constituted as such.At this earlyhour, theonly person in the coffee-room was an old man with grey mustachios,who was introduced to me as the captain of oneof the Greek man-of-war brigs, and, like them,thrown aside and forgotten. He spokeItalian;and after deploring the state of the woodenwalls of Greece, compared them to the fineRussian ships which were at anchor in theharbour. " Yes," said the universal Consul,anxious to impress him withan idea of his im-portance, " they are fine ships;but you havenot seen the Brittania which has just arrivedfrom England, andis pierced for one hundredandforty guns." " Corpo diDio!" replied theold captain, "Icannot believe that ! Ibelievethat a ship may carry eighty guns, forIsee theRussian admiral's;but you willnever convinceme that a ship can carry more:" and so saying,he sagaciously shook his head, drank his coffee,and departed.

The road from Poros to Trcezen passesthrough a beautiful country, withhigh verdantmountains on one side, and the harbour onthe other ; and the level ground, extendingbetween the high lands and the sea, is planted

GREEK TOWERS.106

with vines, lemon and orange-groves. Thefruit of the latter was hanging in golden clus-ters uponthe branches,andhada striking effect;the surface osthe plains was bright with younggrass ; some fields of wheat were already green,— in others the peasants were employed inploughing ; and the season, which would havebeen winter in other countries, here bore theattributes of spring. On the slope ofa moun-tain, we saw a square tower with turrets andbattlements, like a feudal castle, and around itwere tbe houses of the tenantry, who sought forsafety under tbe protection ofits walls. Ithadevidently been constructed as a fortress in for-mer days, and still retainedits importance; thesmoke rising from its chimneys betokened itto be inhabited; and it formed,Ishould think,an apt representation of a military post in thefeudal days. But some ignoble Greek wasmost probably tbe proprietor of what may havepertained to a Latin count or Venetian noble.Many of these towers are to be seen in Greece;some are of ancient date, whilst others wereconstructed by tbe Turks, who feared to liveamongst tbe Greeks without having tbe powerof controlling them. Their origin dates, nodoubt, from tbe year 1210, when the Latinsconquered Constantinople, and divided the em-

DAMALA. 107

pire of Greece amongst their leading chieftains,who, being called upon to govern a people inevery way averse to them, whose religion wasdifferent,— whosemanners were polished, whilsttheirs were warlike, and who, although effe-minate, were dangerous from their numbers,— could only maintain their ascendency byestablishing fortresses in various parts of theMorea, similar to those they had possessed intheir native country. But, notwithstandingthis precaution, the Latins soon lost theirpower inGreece ;and the means they had takento enslave the country, were copied by theGreek despots. They built castles on the sum-mit ofhills, and collected their tenants aroundthem ;and it is worthy of remark, that all theGreek towns which do not stand upon the siteofancient cities,have been built on the slopeof hills surmountedby fortresses. The Turks,in 1455, swept away the chieftains who hadtyrannized over the serfs, and became the mas-ters of their strongholds; when, finding thatthe same measures were necessary to control ahostile population, they placed garrisons in thelarger castles, and fortified themselves in thevillages where they settled.

At about four miles' distance from Poros, wecame toDamala, which is romantically situated

108 RUINS OF TRRZEN.

on the slope of the mountains. In itself, thevillage is not remarkable;but the orange-grovenear it is the spot where the Greeks, in 1827,held their national assembly ; and in the plainaround are to be seen the ruins of one of themost ancient Greciancities— Trcezen.

A REMARKABLE TOWER. 109

CHAPTER IV.

Ruins of TrSzen.— Grove of Æsculapius. — Theatre.— Mo-nastery of Agios Demetrios.— Argos.— TheCitadel.— An-cient Theajre.— Temple of the God Cephissus.— Monas-tery— Rejoicings on Christmas Day.— Fount ofErasinus.—

Marsh ofLerna.—

Jocrisse'sCave.— Cyclopian Tower.—

Ruins of Mycenæ. — Tomb of Agamemnon.— Temple ofJuno

— Tiryns.

TrSzen formerly containednumerous tem-ples and other public buildings; but the onlyvestiges that now remain, are a lofty towerand some ruined baths, and walls of Romanconstruction. The lower part of the towerdates from a very early period, and the stonesit is built with are almost of Cyclopian size:but the upper story has been constructed at alater epoch. Thepeasants have converted thetower into a sheep-fold : below it are the ruinsof a small vaulted edifice, constructed princi-

HO RUINS OF A TEMPLE.

pally with fragments of ancient columns andmarbles ; and a fresco painting, still visible onthe wall, denotes it to have been dedicated toSt.George, who is represented on awhite horse,spearing the dragon. Inthis chapel stands analtar, which appeared to have been the pedestalof a statue erected by the people to one of theRoman Emperors. Icopied the inscription;but, as was the case with most of thoseIgavemyself the trouble of decyphering, it had beenalready repeatedly published. Near the banksosthe Damala (Chrysorrohes), fragmentsof wallsare to be seen, probably intended to check theinroadsof that mountain stream, and for a greatdistance around theplain is strewed with tiles.A conspicuous ruin beyond the river excitedmy curiosity; but instead of an ancient edifice,it proved to be the remains of a church dedi-cated to the Panagia, and burnt by the soldieryduring the war. It now affords a shelter to theshepherds who tend their flocks in the plain.Several marbles which had been built in thewalls were lying on the ground, and two ofthem were pedestals of statues. The templethey belonged to must have stood a littleabove thechurch, where a stone enclosureseemsto mark the space occupied by the peribolus ;

PROMONTORY OF METHANA. 111

the ground is also elevated above tbe surround-ing country by terraces which can be distinctlytraced.Iviewed these few remains of TrSzen with

great interest ; for many of tberomantic tales oftbe heroic ages were connected with this town.Here it was that Theseus was born : throughtwo apertures in the earth, which are no longerto be seen, Bacchus brought Semele from Hell,and Hercules dragged forth Cerberus. Orestesremained here until be had appeased the manesof Clytemnestra;and in theplain the unfortu-nate Hippolytus met with his untimely death." There are many people," said a foreigner tome, " who having read Racine's 'Phædre etHippolite,' would hasten on their arrival inGreece to view the ruins of TrSzen in pre-ference to those of Athens and Sparta."

The promontory of Metbara is of volcanicorigin, and intercepts the view of the SaronicGulf from TrSzen. On the neck of land con-necting it with the continent, Fabvier con-structed some fortifications, wherehe entrench-ed his regular troops— at the time when Epi-dauria was the only part of Greece under thecontrol of the national government ;but theTurks did not offer to attack them. Leaving

GROVE OF ÆSCULAPIUS.112

TrSzen, we ascended mountains, covered withthe rododaphne, arbutus and myrtle, and sleptat Potamia, on the brink of a romantic glen.The scenery during our ride next morning waspleasing,but thecountry seemed quite deserted;the villages we passed were roofless;and but forthe tinkling bells of the flocks feeding in themountains, we might have concluded this dis-trict to be uninhabited. This part of Epidau-ria was peculiarly sacred to Æsculapius, towhom a temple and grove were dedicated nearthe present village of Lygourio. There werealso baths supposed to possess peculiar virtues,and to this spot invalids resorted from everypart of Greece. None were allowed to diewithin the sacred precincts;and tbe reputa-tion of the God thus escaped uninjured du-ring several centuries. The theatre is statedby Pausanias to excel every other that hehadseen, in chasteness of design and architecturalmerits.

The grove was ina small plain hemmed roundbylofty mountains;andwhen weapproached thespot,Ilooked aroundinsearchofthemajesticoakswith which my fancy had decorated the plain;but thecountry here was even more destitute oftrees thanthat we hadpreviously passed. Onde-scending,Ihowever soon perceived thatIwas

THEATRE OF EPIDAURUS. 113

treading on sacred ground. Ruins and blocksof stone were scattered inevery direction;alongthe road-side ran an ancient water-course, andwhere it terminated were the ruins of a bath.Beyond these, on the side of ahill, are the re-mains of the theatre, which being much over-grownwith shrubs, are not at first remarkable.Itmust indeedhave been a beautiful structure.Fifty ranges of marble seats rise in asemicircle,one above tbe other, and are capable of contain-ing several thousand spectators ;and although afew seats have been forced out of their places byshrubs springing up, the theatre may be con-sidered almost perfect, as with but little trou-ble the fallen stones might be restored to theiroriginalposition.Icould not but reflect, when standing on tbe

summit of the Theatre, and looking down onthe vacant seats, how different was the scenewhen last the hills resounded withthe shouts ofthe multitude,— then theplain below presenteda busy sight. Near those heaps of stones wasthe stadium; and that which now seems a mis-shapen mass of brick-work, was a handsomebuilding, erected by the Emperor Antoninusfor the use of those who sought the aid ofÆsculapius ;beyond were the baths, and to theleft a fountain. A magnificent temple stood

i

MONASTERY OF AGIOS DEMETRIOS.114

not far from the theatre, but it has long sincebeen razed. The sacred grove has likewise dis-appeared; and now, in tbeplain around, my at-tendants were the only living beings*

Amongst the few ruins worth seeing inGreece, the TheatreofEpidaurus must be class-ed as one of the first. Ihave since seen manyothers ;but none of themmade such an impres-sion upon my mind as this.

We passed close to Lygourio shortly afterleaving the plain, and prosecuted our journeythrough the same irregular scenery;now cross-ing a mountain torrent, next ascending ahill:but although we hoped to reach Argos thatevening, our delay at Ierohad rendered thisim-possible,and wedetermined to take upour abodefor tbe night at the monastery of Agios Deme-trios, which we understood was not far distant.We accordingly struck off to the right, and onattaining the crest of the hills, beheld the con-

* This spot owedits celebrity to the birthof Æsculapius,who was exposedby his mother Coronis on one of the Epi-daurian mountains. A shepherd who had lost one of hisflock returned to seek for it,and on the roadbeheld abeau-teousboy with a bright gloryroundhim. This was the futureGod of Medicine. He passed for the son of Apollo; intime became celebrated forhis knowledge of the healing art,and finally was deified.

A MAGNIFICENT VIEW. 115

vent close to us. The view from hence wasmagnificent :— in the foreground stood the mo-nastery on the brink of a glen, planted withorange andolive trees;near it were thepictu-resque ruins of an ancient church, with the lastrays of the sunstrikingthrough its arches. Farbelow us,in tbedistance, was the lofty Palamide,Nauplia, the Citadel of Argos, tbe GulfofNa-poli; and the plain boundedby a mountainousrange, above which rose Mount Artemesius co-vered with snow. The tintscast on this by thesetting sun were of every hue, and of the mostbrilliant colour. At one moment they were likegold;then they changed to crimson,andnext topink ; and long after the sun had set, and thatthe plain of Argos and the surrounding hillswere grey and indistinct, the pinnacles of thesnowy mountains still retained their brilliantpainting.

A Caloyer received us at the convent gate,and hastened to prepare a room, and offer suchhospitality as was in his power, not only tome, but also to several muleteers, who likewisecraved admittance and lodging for the night.Itis thebounden duty of these monks to affordshelter and food to those poor travellers whodemand it from them; but since the war, theytransgress their rules by receiving money in

i2

116 A RUINED CHURCH.

compensation for their hospitality. This mo-nastery was a very different building to the su-perb convents of Spain and Italy. The wallswere high and loop-holed, and the few smallwindows that looked outwards were raisedhigh above the ground. In the middle of theinner yard was the church: tbe ground-floorwas used as store-rooms or stables, and along tbeupper story ran a wooden gallery, communi-cating with the cells of the Caloyers. This dis-tributionof the building calculatedit to becomea strong military post;and during the Revolu-tion, the monks having armed themselves, andtaken fifty Albaniansinto theirpay,wereenabledthree times to repel the attacks of detachmentsfrom the Turkish army. The monastery is saidto be rich in landed property;and the two hun-dred monks belonging to it, were at this timeabsent in various parts of tbe country, tillingtheir land for the ensuing year.

On a little green knoll adjoining the monas-tery stands the ruined church before alludedto, which the monks informed me was de-stroyed in the old times before the Venetiansleft the Morea. Part ofit is so well constructedwith alternate layers of brick and stone, thatIshould think it must have been constructedduring the times of the Greek Empire. Two

ARGOS— CITADEL OF LARISSA. 117

marble Corinthian capitals, lying within thechurch, areof superior workmanship to that wegenerally see in these buildings.

Argos is only three hours distant from AgiosDemetrios, andnext morning at an early hourIwalked there through the plain, no longeradorned with the illusive beauty of the pre-ceding evening, but quite saturated with therain that had fallen,andconverted theploughedfields into as many quagmires.Imade Argos my head-quarters for several

days,and employed myself in visitingMycenæ,Tiryns, Napoli di Romania, and other interest-ing objects in and around the town.* # * *

On a hill, overlooking Argos, is the citadelof Larissa. Seen from afar, it bas the appear-ance of an extensive fortification, with loftytowers and commanding battlements; but uponascending the hill,it presents a miserable spec-tacle: fallen towers,crumbling walls, and othersymptomsofdecay,arevisible; andthe only partlikely to defy time for a much longer period,are some walls of Cyclopian construction: theenormous stones they are built with will not beeasily displaced, after having retained theirposi-tionnearly three thousand years. Theremainderof the fortress is partly of Roman, partly of

118 VIEW FROM THE CITADEL.

Venetian construction,and is capable of con-taining anumerous garrison;but having beenunoccupied for many years, tbe tanks by whichits defenders were supplied with water arenow useless. Oneof these in the upper citadelis of a singular construction,and being coatedwith ancient cement, may probably have beenformed when the citadel was first erected.Prince Ypsilanti gallantly threw himself intothis fortress, in the hopes of checking the ad-vance of the Turkish army under KourdschidPacha, in 1822 ;but,having neither water norprovisions,he could only maintain himself thereduring a few days. The view from the citadelis very extensive. On the side of the hill be-low the citadel is the theatre, the seats are cutoutof tbesolid rock,— there are seventy ranges;but,although the most ancient, it is the leastbeautiful of all the Grecian theatres. Ithad lately been cleared out for the receptionof the National Assembly. Very extensivebrick ruins adjoin the theatre ; they containsome curious subterranean passages and a tes-selated pavement. Veli Pacha caused an ex-cavation to be made here, and was rewarded forhis labour by the discovery of some ancientstatues ;but as a greatpart of the ruinsare stillunexplored, more might possibly be extracted

DR. CLARKE IN ERROR. 119

fromthem. In thisdirectionare also tobeseentheremains of a small octagonal temple.

A few yards to the north of the theatre isthe building called an oracular shrine by Dr.Clarke ; but there is every reason to believethat he is mistaken in his supposition. Dr.Clarke mentions a ruined wall below the ci-tadel, which he concluded formed part of theancient fortifications;but it appeared to usthat, the town being defended by the fortress,these were unnecessary ;and they proved to bethe remains of an aqueduct. Curiosity inducedus to trace its course;and we found that it ter-minated in the concealed passage of the oracu-lar shrine, which Clarke imagined was intendedfor the reception of the priests who deliveredthe oracles : in the other direction, the aque-duct maybe traced to the banksof theInachus;it then winds along the sides of the mountainsfor five or six miles, until it crosses the Cha-radrus in the valley near Katubeles, and fromthence the direction it takes is towards a glenin the mountains, whence rushes a stream ofwater, which undoubtedly used to be conduct-ed by means of the aqueduct to Argos. Thisrivulet must be the Cephissus, and the supposedshrine is most probably the temple of that God,thus described by Pausanias.

TEMPLE OF THE GOD CEPHISSUS.120" In going thither, you leave on your right a

temple dedicated to the river Cephissus, who,

the Argives say, was more than once destroyedby Neptune, although they know very wellthat thisriver flows underneath the temple. Isaw there,Ibelieve, a head of Medusa,madeof marble, and whichis said to have been thework of the Cyclops. Behind the temple is aspot even now called the Audience Cham-ber, because Hypermnestra was tried thereafter she had been accused by her father Da-nai'is. The theatre is not far from thence."The Cyclopian wall in front of the buildingmust have supported the ancient temple, andthe niche for a statue most probably containedthat of the river Cephissus, there being suffi-cient space for a recumbent figure. That partof the temple which is cut out of the rock maybe the chamber alluded to by Pausanias. Inspeaking of this shrine, Clarke dilates withmuch satisfaction upon the proof that it afford-ed of the manner in which the impostures ofthe priests were concealed from the people :but the termination of tbe aqueduct in this pas-sage is a fact which will unfortunately militateagainst his conclusions.

A monastery, built on tbe brink of a pre-cipice half-way up the Larissa hill, is supposed

A MONASTERY. 121

to mark the site of a temple of Apollo;butalthoughIexamined every part of it with thegreatest attention,Idid not see a single stonethat appeared to have pertained to an ancientedifice. The Pappa pointed out to me a smallbas-relief ofaman onhorseback;but it was sucha wretched performance, that it can only havebeen meant for their patron saint, St. George.Below the convent is an enormous cavern,forming a striking object from tbe town, andnow affording shelter to severalpoor families.

These are the few remains that Argos stillcan show as proofs of her former grandeur, andthey have been so often mentioned by formertravellers, that my enumerating them is almosta work of supererogation ;but as one of thegreat links between the present and past agesis formed by the monuments ofancient days, itmay be interesting to know what still remainsuninjured by the events of the last nine years.Henceforth, the safety of- the works of artwill, Ihope, be guarded with a jealous eye,and their decay, though rapid, not be acce-leratedby thoughtless injuries. At Argos thereis, however,nothing to care about; the theatrewill last as long as theLarissahill,andthe otherruins are already scarcely worth remarking.* * -*- *

122 REJOICINGS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

The 6th of January is the Christmas Day ofthe Greek Church,and for forty days previousthey keep a strict fast. On this day, Argosoffered a busy scene: every one was dressed inhis best attire, and a great variety of costumewas to be seen. Some were preparing kids,or pork, for the evening's repast;others assem-bled round the winehouses; all were laughing,talking, or singing;and before noon therewere many who bad lifted tbe wine cup oncetoo often. The young women of Argos has-tened to the side of the Iiarissa hill, and there,in front of the " Oracular shrine," they joinedhands,andsinging theirnationalairs,commenceddancing the monotonous but gracefulRomaika.Isat within the ancient temple, on the spotwhere once stood the image of the God; andwhenIlooked down upon the circling groupbefore me,Ipictured to myself a similar danceperformed on the same spot twenty centuriesbefore, then in honour of an idol,now in com-memoration of the birth of our Saviour;andIcould not refrain from thinking that custommight have consecrated this place as the siteof the dance and revelry, and that it was notmere chance which had caused its selection.As the women whirled round and round in the

COSTUME OF THE WOMEN. 123

mystic dance, now gently chanting a song,then elevating their voices in fullchorus, someyoung men sprang into the circle and joinedthe girls;others followed ;and atlastIcountedfifty-six persons dancing together, and revolv-ing round a centre in a double circle. Thepivot was a little child barely able to stand;some older children were next to him, thencame the maidens, after them the matrons,and finally the men. The costumes of thewomen were varied, and had apparently beentransmitted from mother to daughter for manygenerations;but it was rather incongruous tosee a rich dress of crimson velvet and a furtippet thrown over a ragged petticoat; and apoor girl, whose entire wardrobe consisted inwhat she had on, bedizened with a tawdryhandkerchief wrapped round her hair. Thesturdy peasants were likewise decked withtheir best clothes; and it was a truly pleasantsight to see them enjoying themselves aftertheir preceding toils. But, alas !Isaw not onepretty female face! Ladies of Argos, whereis your beauty ?— where the arched eyebrows,fair complexions, and rosy cheeks of yourAthenian sisters ? Inthe rugged countenancesof the men,Icould trace the reckless audacity

124 PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND

of theKlepth, the careless habits of the Palicar,and thepatient disposition of the hind, and ineach there was an expression not devoid ofmanly beauty ; but the women,Iregret to say,were ugly— their features were coarse, and borethe appearance ofpremature old age; their com-plexions werebronzed; andmany girls,not twen-ty years of age, seemed care-worn and faded.

The theatre was not far distant, andIsatdown on one ostheancient seats whenceIcouldembrace at one glance tbe various scenes thatwere taking place. Whilst thus occupied,Iwasaccosted by a respectably dressed young man,who, after the first salutation, begged that Iwould explain to him what the ruins werewhich he saw below us. "We are at present,"continued he, " in a very backward and igno-rant state; but Ihope that before long weshall be better acquainted with every thingbelonging to our own country. Ifeel ashamedthat a stranger should have given me the his-tory of such a ruin as this, when I, a Greek,ought to have been able to explain it to him;but Iam labouring to make up for my defi-ciency.'' Iwas pleased with the intelligent man-ner of this youth, and upon questioning himascertained that bis brother was master of theschool at Argos, and that be who so candidly

DEBASEMENT OF THE WOMEN. 125

confessed bis want of knowledge, was one ofthe teachers!

The remainder of the day was devoted bythe Argives to hilarity and feasting ; and asIwalked through the town,Icould hear in onehouse the boisterous tones of a merry groupsinging their nationalsongs, and in another theshrill sounds of a bagpipe, and the beat of asmall drum;but in all their amusements themen kept quite distinct from the women. Intbe dance, themen held each other'shands, anddid not intermix with the females,— the maleand female spectators likewise sat apart. In theoutskirts of the town,Isaw one or two festiveparties of men who were merrily enjoying theluxuriousfarepresented byasheep roastedwhole,but no women were near ; and their poor wivesand daughters were probably feeding on theirusual coarse fare in the solitudeof their houses.Man here looks down upon woman as an in-ferior animal, who is to minister to his plea-sures and to his wants; and the peasantmerelymarries to obtain a household drudge, and savehimself from labour. Women are constantlyto be seen carrying enormous loads, whilsttheir husbands are saunteringidly along; andIhave more than once met Greeks on horseback,when their unfortunate wives, with their chil-

126 FOUNT OF ERASINUS.

dren at their backs, and heavy bundles on theirheads, were toiling along on foot. A gentle-man of my acquaintance witnessed astill moreforcible illustration of this feeling. He waswalking in the country, when he found hisprogress stopped by a mountain torrent of con-siderable depth running across the road;andat the same instant a Greek and his wifearrived at the opposite bank and prepared tocross it; but instead of the man assisting thewoman, he jumped upon her shoulders, andmade her carry him over. The women, how-ever, do not complain: and once whenIaskedan intelligent little person why she worked sobard whilst her husband was idle, she answeredthat it was " her duty."* * * *

At three miles' distance from Argos is a spotcalled the Fount of Erasinus, where that river,which is supposed to be connected with theLake Stymphalus, terminates its subterraneancourse, and gushes from a mass of rock. Thebody of water is very considerable, and so muchabove the level of the plain of Argos, that itmight with ease be made applicable to the pur-poses of irrigation, though at present it merelyis of use in turning some mills. An aque-duct hadbeenkept inrepair by Greeks,Romans,

MARSH OF LERNA. 127

and Venetians, and used to supply the townwith water from hence;but now the streamloses itself in the plain below, near the Marshof Lerna, about a mile distant : immediatelyabove the source are two enormous caves, andone contains a small chapel. A miserablePappa was the guardian of this shrine, andin the adjoining cavern, of sufficient size tocontain two or three hundred people, Iper-ceived by the uncertain light of a fire at its ex-tremity, several poor women and children whohad made this den their home. Here it wasthat Colocotroni, in June 1822, took up apo-sition with the few troops hehad hastily assem-bled, and, aided by Ypsilanti, kept the Turksin check until they were obliged to retirethrough the defiles near Corinth, where theymet with their memorable defeat from theGreeks under Niketas. The ground is verystrong, the left being defended by a precipi-tous mountain, and the right by the varioustrenches of the Erasmus, and the Marsh ofLerna. The latter retains the bad reputation ithad in the olden time,and theHydra's hundredheads still infect the country with their pesti-lential breath ; but, in the progress of civili-zation, a remedy may be found for this evil.The waters now stagnating in the marsh might

128 THE RIVER INACHUS.

be led into the sea, and much fine land wouldno doubt be recovered. The evil has of coursebeen much magnified during the last few cen-turies, when the population, instead of increas-ing in the same ratio as in other countries,has diminished, and that consequently less ter-ritory is necessary for its support. Beyond themarsh, on Mount Pontinus, are the ruins ofa Venetian fort; and on the shore a village andsome mills (whence the name of Mylæ) havebeen rendered celebrated by tbe gallant oppo-sition offered there by Ypsilanti and someother chieftains, to the advance of Ibrahim'sarmy in 1825.

My next excursion from Argos was to thewest, along the banks of the Inachus, which, tojudge by the depth and width of its bed, shouldbeariver of some importance;but evennow,inthe midst of January, it was quite dry — the fallof the ground is so rapid, that the wrater col-lected by tbe melting of the snows or rain inthemountains is carried off in avery few hours;and as it rushes down with great violence, achannel is formed quite disproportionate to thebody of water it conveys. Our principal objectfor proceeding in this direction, which is notpossessed of any classical interest, was to viewthe cave in which a celebrated Greek chief,

THE CAVE OF JOCR1SSE. 129

named Jocrisse, had taken post with his bandduring tbe war. Jocrisse, who was one of theCapitani of Greece at the commencement ofthe Revolution, undertook with tbe men underhis command, assisted by the Argives, to de-fend the town against the attack of a corps ofTurks advancing from Corinth. The positionhe occupied was strong: the dry but deep bedof the Inachus covered his front, his flankswere protected, and a long wall, erected toprevent the overflow of the river, affordeda secure shelter for the greater part of hismen. The remainder threw up tambours, be-hind which they concealed themselves, andtheir wives and children assembled on thePho-roneian hill, in the fond expectation of seeingtheir countrymen triumph over tbe Moslems.The Turkish force slowly advanced over theArgolic plain, on the road leading from My-cenæ : it was composed solely of cavalry, andapproached the Greek position with the cau-tion that experience had taught them was re-quisite; but on this occasion prudence wasneedless. The Greeks, instead of reservingtheir fire until the Turks were within a certainrange, fired a random volley when tbe enemywas still distant — tbe Turkish horsemen in-stantly charged, before tbe Greeks had time to

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130 THE CAVE OF JOCRISSE.

reload, the position was forced, and an indis-criminate slaughter took place of all thosewhose flight had not been successful. Jocrisse,with two hundred of his immediate followers,hastened towards the cave he had already pre-pared as a place of refuge, and it being onlythree miles from Argos, he reached it in safety.Towards this spot we walked;and when weentered the wild valley, formed by the ruggedmountains bordering the Inachus, my compa-nion pointed to a tremendous cliff, quite per-pendicular, and four or five hundredfeet high :above it rose a rocky peak; whilst below, arapid slopeled to thebanksof theInachus. Mid-wayup this gigantic wrall,Isaw a small blackspeck like an opening in tbe rock, such as wouldbe a fit place for the eagle to build his nest,quite secure from the intrusions of men, andthis proved to be tbe cavern. As we climbedup the mountain, and approached the baseof tbe precipice, Icould more distinctly per-ceive a flight of steps leading to the cave, anolive-tree grew at its mouth, and a wall partlyclosed the entrance. At the foot of thepreci-pice were the remains of some huts whichhadafforded a temporary shelter to that portion oftbe Argives who claimed the protection ofJocrisse, and some small cavities in the adjoin-

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'<iCRISS1

CAVJNEARARGOS.

THE CAVE OF JOCRISSE.131

ing rocks had likewise been used as dwelling-places. WhenIgazed upwards at the cave,Ifelt that my wish to ascend was fast evaporat-ing: the steps were extremely narrow, and hadno parapet;and half way up there was a bro-ken ladder. One false step would have beendestruction:Ihowever ran up the first rangeof steps, and reached the ladder, part of it wasgone, andIalready felt giddy from the effectof my elevated situation. Thesecond range ofsteps was not so difficult;but whenIsaw thethird, my resolution almost failed— they werenot above two feet wide: on my left rose theprecipice, to whichItenaciously clung;and onthe right, one glance assured me that there wasnothing toprotect me.Ifeared to look again, and springing up-

wards, reached the projecting ledge of rock infront of the cavern. Here was an open space ofabout twenty feetiong and as manybroad, andbuilt round with a parapet;at one end grewthe olive-tree, under it was a pile of howitzershells, and in the opposite corner a smallhouse for the reception of the chieftain. Arecess closed by a door appeared to have beentbe powder magazine; and the interior of thecavern was spacious, and said to be suppliedwitha sufficiency of water.

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132 THE CAVE OF JOCRISSE.

In this singular spot, two hundred men,with women and children, established them-selves : they succeeded in hoisting two brassguns into their airy fortification — they sup-plied it with three months' provisions : theircommanding situation, embracing a view ofthe Argolic plain and valley of the Inachus,rendered a surprisal impossible; and if theywere attacked, they could draw up the ladder,shut the upper gate, and destroy the assail-ants by a desperate fire from above. No-thing can give a better idea of tbe determina-tion with which tbe Greeks avoided all com-promise with their persecutors, and of the pri-vations they endured, than the sight of thiscavern. Driven as they were from theirvalleys,their houses destroyed, and their crops tramp-led under foot, the poor peasants felt hap-py in obtaining a refuge in their mountaincaves: they thus also rescued their flocks ofsheep from the grasp of the enemy ; and al-though they were exposed to the chill air oftbe mountains,and to the extremes of beat andcold— although their aged people fell victims tothe hardships they encountered, and that theiroffspring were, in like manner, the victims ofmisery, freedom, even thus qualified, was bet-ter than slavery. The various mountains of the

CAVERNS. 133

Morea are full of caves, which at times havebeen the home of thepopulation;andeven nowthe smoke that sometimes is seen curling' abovetheir dark entrances, and the human figuresstanding near, point them out as the residenceof shepherds whose flocks are feeding in thevalleys beneath.

In the earliest ages, before the Egyptianssent their colonies to Greece, and that the rudeinhabitants were instructed in the social arts,these caverns formed their dwelling-places;and when the minds of men became refined,and that they gave a loose to the play of theirimagination, they peopled these dens with thefertile creations of romance and superstition.Each cave had its Faun or Dryad,— each foun-tain its Nymph. Iviewed the descent fromthe cave with some degree of trepidation; butwhenIrecollected that the Greek women weredaily in the habit of going up and down thesteps with their children on their backs,Iwasashamed of my alarm, and by refraining fromlooking downwards, reached the bottom insafety. On our return we crossed the Inachus,near the ruins of the aqueduct, and on thepresent road to Tripolizza observed where thetracts ofancient chariot wheels are deeply wornin the rock. Near this, Mr. Dawkins disco-

134 CYCLOPIAN TOWER.

vered a small square tower of Cyclopian con-struction, which had hitherto escaped the re-marks of travellers: it is a perfect specimen ofthat style of architecture, and is twenty feetsquare. One sideof a door, seven feet from theground, is still standing, but tbe remainder hasfallen, and the interior is so completely filledupby the soil washed from the mountains, thatit is impossible to say whether we see the baseof the tower or not. Itmust have been intend-ed for the defence of the road from Argos toMantinea.

The ruins of the ancient city of Mycenæ,the capital of Agamemnon, are only five milesto the northward of Argos, on the verge of theplain, where it is terminated by a steep rangeof hills. On our way thither we crossed theInachus and Cbaradrus, and, to our right, leftthe remains of the Hæroum, or Temple ofJuno, which, after being fruitlessly sought forby Gell, Leake, and Dodwell, have since beendiscovered, and two columns are still erect.Mycenæ is amost interesting sight : its situa-tionis romantic ; thebed of a mountain torrentdefends one side, on the other is a deep valley,and the steep bill girt round with the massivewalls of the citadel commands the entrance ofa desolate defile. We first examined the prin-

RUINS OF MYCENÆ. 135

Gate of Lions, Mycenæ.

cipal gate, known as the "Gate of Lions :"it is formed of one, enormous stone fifteenfeet long, supported by two others, of almostequal size, but partly covered by the rubbishthat has fallen. Above this rises a triangularblock sculptured with two figures of leopards,or lions, resting upon a pillar which it is sup-posed was terminated by a triangle emble-matical of fire. On either side are the walls,

136 RUINS OF MYCENÆ.

formed of huge stones placed one upon theother, without cement ; their magnitude issurprising; and the ancients,.on learning thatthey were constructed by people called Cyclops,were justified in believing that the architectsmust have been of greater size than the gene-rality of mortals, for in later ages the construc-

tion of such works as these would have beenregarded as an endless labour. History in-forms us that Mycenæ was founded three thou-sand years ago;and when we consider what thenations ofEurope were at that time, we cannotbut feel a certain degree of respect for thosepeople who, at such an early period,could con-struct works like these. Mycenæ was destroy-ed by the Argives; 568 B. C.;since then, ithas beenuninhabited,and thiscircumstance ren-ders still more surprising the perfect state of itswalls. Three ranges of these can be traced; andthere is a second gate on the north-west face ofthe citadel, in good preservation.

A few hundred yards from Mycenæ, on theslope of a bill, is the entrance to the extraor-dinary tomb that has so much excited the cu-riosity and doubts of antiquaries, and beenknown as the treasury of Atreus, but is nowcalled the tomb of Agamemnon. The en-trance to this sepulchre, like that at Mycenæ,

TOMB OF AGAMEMNON. 137

is formed of one enormous stone restingupon two others, and is wider at the basethan at the top : the upper stone is twenty-seven feet long, seventeen feet wide, aboutfour feet and a half thick, and weighs onehundred and thirty-six tons! The interior ofthe sepulchre consists of a chamber built intbe form of a cone, from the apex of whichto the ground, measures more than fifty feet.The walls are built with stones carefully fittedtogether, and were formerly covered withbrass plates, fastened by nails of the same me-tal. We caused a fire to be lit in the interiorof the tomb, and were enabled to see a smallerchamber cut out of the rock, and commu-nicating with the tomb by a small door. Hereit was supposed that the treasures of Atreuswere concealed, being defended from dangerby the sacredness attached to the abode ofthe dead. That the tomb should have contain-ed the remains of the "King of Men," seemsliable to doubt, as three similar edifices are tobe seen not far distant, but they are all inruins.

Who the wonderful Cyclops were that rais-ed these extraordinary edifices, is still unde-cided; and the only information transmittedby ancient authors is, that they were supposed

138 CITADEL OF TIRYNS.

to have fortified Mycenæ and Tiryns, 1379years B.C.

The citadel of Tiryns is in the plain onthe roadside from Argos to Nauplia. Thoughof much less extent than Mycenæ, the enor-mous walls, their height and durability, areequally calculated to excite astonishment. Inone place, where a tower is nearly perfect, thewall is about forty feet high, and instead ofbeing perpendicular, inclines outwards, as, if toprevent an assailant from availing himself ofthe interstices of the stones to climb up to therampart. A road wound round the tower intothe upper citadel, but there are no gates nowvisible. Two extraordinary gallerieshave beenbrought to light by the destruction of a part ofthewalls; they ran round thenorth and easternsides of the citadel, and were probably intendedas places of concealment, but they are particu-larly singular as representing the first approxi-mation made by early architects to tbe form ofan arch: the upper stones meet, but instead ofbeing square, are cut on one side so as tohave almost a triangular shape, giving to thegallery tbe shape of a cone. The citadel ofTiryns could never have been taken by assaultduring the infancy of the art of war, but wasmost probably starved into a surrender; it fell

CITADEL OF TIRYNS. 139

at the same time as Mycenæ, andits inhabitantswere transported to Argos.* Two miles be-yond Tiryns, at tbe extremity of the plain, isNapoli diRomania.

* I lately heard that the Greek Government, notwith-standing their pretended love of the fine arts, have beenthrowing down part of Tiryns, with the view of employ-ing the stones in a wallround a government farm. If true,this act is most disgraceful; for every one who has beenin Greece, wellknows that there is no lack of stone in thecountry. To think that Greeks should wilfully destroy whateven Turks had respected, does not say much in favour oftheir pretensions to civilization.

140 NAPOLI DI ROMANIA.

CHAPTER V.

Napoli di Romania.—

The Palamide.— Colocotroni attacksGriva, and is repulsed.— State of society at Napoli.—Greek ladies.

— Deficiencyof education.— Greek troops.—Regular forces.

— Infantry.— Cavalry.— Pay of thearmy.—Leave Napoli.— Plpin of Argos.

Napolidi Romania (by the Greeks stillcalled Nauplia) was the capital of the Moreaduring the Venetian rule; and its excellentharbour,commanding position, and strong for-tifications,rendered it the maritime key of thePeloponessus during the late wars. Its posses-sion generally conferred the control over therestof thepeninsula; and thus itwas a constantsource of contentionbetween the hostile par-ties. The Turks only surrendered it when astrict blockade left them no alternative butto submit or perish by famine, which hadalready made such havoc in their force, thatwhen the Greeks escaladed the Palamide, they

NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. 141

found only a few miserable wretches stillalive,and these had been feeding on tbe corpsesof their comrades! Napoli is six miles distantfrom Argos, and built on a rocky point of landjutting into the gulf, and surrounded withstrong fortifications of Venetian construction:it has only one assailable point, where a nar-row isthmus connects it with the main land,and this is overlooked by a rocky precipicesurmounted by the citadel of the Palamide,which,likeEhrenbretstein,is defended on threesides by perpendicular rocks, and on tbe fourthby extensive fortifications. WhenIapproach-ed the gates of Napoli, Iobserved that, as atCorfu, the winged lion of St. Mark, fixed indifferent; parts of the walls, formed a recordof the fallen power of Venice; and when Ipassed through the gate,Ifound myself in anarrow, dirty street full of people, and fromwhence the sea breeze is excluded by theupper stories of the houses projecting oneabove tbe other, until they almost meet.Some of these are of Venetian construction,but tbe greater part are Turkish,and very dif-ferent from the light, well-built houses of Con-stantinople. A mosque and its taper minaretlikewise remain, in evidence that the Turkswere once masters here, and one or two marble

142 NAPOLI DI ROMANIA.

fountains,such as the Turks are in the habit ofplacing in their streets and market-places, arestill unhurt;but these probably are the onlymonuments which twenty years hence willremain to show that, during four centuries,Greece was the slave of Turkey. No othernation, after ruling a country for so long aspace of time, left such slight traces behindthem as the Ottomans. Itraversed the wholeof Greece, without seeing a single publicwork that would hereafter say that such peo-ple were. Far from improving the countriesthey governed, they scathed every thing thatcame within their influence; and, to use thewords of an accomplished observer, " theymay be compared to flights of locusts eating upand destroying whatever they came near, con-ferring no benefits in return;and at last, whenswept from the face of the earth by some kind-ly blast, only remembered from the havoc theyhad committed."

Since Napoli became tbe seat ofGovernment,a few improvements have been made in thetown. The most influential, and thereforerichest Greeks, have constructed some goodhouses : Colocotroni has established himselfthere. An excellent barrack for the troops isbuilding; and a respectable mansion has been

NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. 143

erected for the President. But that which,above all things, is necessary to render Napolihabitable, and to secure it from disease — acommon sewer, is neglected ; and tbe filth col-lected in the town is so abominable, thatIcan-not think of it without abhorrence. Iam tooold a traveller to be very fastidious;butImustsay, that Napoli is the most impure, offen-sive town Iever entered. It is proverbiallyunhealthy ; and this is, perhaps with justice,partly ascribed to tbe exhalations from the ad-joining marshes ; but even if these were notto act upon the health of the inhabitants, thegerms of disease must exist in a crowded town,with narrow streets, shut out from the seabreeze, and never cleansed from the accumu-lated filth of its uncleanly population.

Napoli contains about five thousand inhabit-ants;and although this number is not equal towhat it formerly held, it is more than commen-surate to the space of ground contained withinthe fortification. As a commercial town andmilitary post, Napoli will always retain its im-portance;but it is not in the least calculatedever to become tbe capital of Greece: its cir-cumscribed extent, and its unhealthiness, arealone sufficient to prevent itsbeing selected asthe capital ofa risingnation. During the rule

NAPOLI DI ROMANIA.144

of the Arenetians, when their sole object was toprotect the country from external foes by mari-time fortresses,and render the succour of theirnavies available, should they have to repress apopular insurrection,Napoli diRomania was awell-chosenpost; and Modon, Coron,and Nava-rin were constructed for the same purpose;butthese reasons cannot actuate the Greek rulers.Their views must be more expansive : theymust take into consideration the future pro-spects of Greece— that she possesses an enter-prising people, a fertile soil, excellent harbours,—

every thing, in fact, that Nature can bestowto make a flourishing nation; and the capitalmust be chosen with reference to the Greeceof fifty years hence. It is amidst the ruins ofAthens that the sovereign of Greece shoulderecthis throne.

The ancient name of Nauplia has been ab-sorbed in its modern appellative. It was con-structed by Nauplius, the son of Neptune,some years before the siege of Troy; and theextensive Cyclopian walls, intermixed with theVenetian fortifications of the upper town, areproofs of its just claims to antiquity. Thetown issupplied with water by a streamissuingfrom the celebrated fountain Canathos, which

THE PALAMIDE. 145

however no longer possesses the virtues it wasfamed for in the heathen time.

The Palamide is of Venetian origin, and isascended on the town side by several flightsof steps cut in the rock. Igave myself thetrouble of climbing up to the gate, but, inconsequence of the absence of the command-ant,Iwas not admitted;Ihowever consoledmyself with the magnificent viewr of the sur-rounding country. The works are capable ofcontaining a numerous garrison, and againstthe irregular Greek troops might be easily de-fended; so that when Griva, the Roumeliotchieftain, obtained possession of them in1827,Colocotroni,who was at the head of theMoreotparty, finding it impossible to drive him thenceby force, had recourse to treachery.

Colocotroni was at "this period quartered inArgos with his retainers, and conceiving thatGriva's lieutenant could not resist the tempta-tion of a large bribe,he sent to sound him whe-ther,inconsideration of a certain sum, he wroulddeliver up the citadel. The officer acquaintedGriva with this proceeding, and was directedby the chief apparently to acquiesce in Coloco-troni's proposition, to make the best bargain hecould, and cheat the Moreot out of as mucii

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146 COLOCOTRONI'S ATTACK,

money as possible,but to acquaint him with alltbe plans agreed upon. Thelieutenantinstantlyprofessed to enter into Colocotroni's views, butgave him to understand that his good-willmustbe dearly purchased ; and twenty-five thou-sand piastres, and a pair of diamond-mountedpistols worth as many more, were sent to him.The lieutenant and Colocotroni then arrangedtheir plot. The gates of tbe Palamide wereto be left open, and the men withdrawn byGriva's deputy, on a certain night at a fixedhour. Colocotroni's troops were to advance andtake possession of the works;and when theirsuccess was complete, five guns were to be firedfrom the fortress, as a signal that Colocotronimight then send to occupy the town.

Griva meanwhile made his preparations : histroops were all concealed;the night, which wasdark, hid his position ;he threw open the gates,and shortlyafterwards Colocotroni's detachmententered thePalamide. Thestillness, the absenceof Griva's men, and the easy manner in whichthey had been allowed to enter the works, crea-ted a suspicion that all was not right ; some ofthe men hesitated to advance, and others spokeabout a retreat, when Griva's voice was heardaloud, calling upon his Palicari to fire. Thenfrom every quarter around, the fire of musketry

AND SUBSEQUENT DEFEAT. 147

opened upon tbe invaders, who turned too lateto fly;the gates were closed upon them, somewere killed, many were taken prisoners, and afew escaped down thehill.

Griva, not content with having thus over-reached his adversary, wished to complete bistriumph; and Colocotroni, who was anxiouslylooking for the signal of victory, saw the fiveguns as agreed upon fired from the Palamide.Certain of success, he sent his eldest son witha strong detachment to take possession of thetown. Here also tbe gates were open; andyoung Colocotroni, unsuspicious of what await-ed him, marched bis followers in; but insteadof being master of Napoli, he found the gatesclosed upon him, and his troops surrounded byGriva's whole force. He had only two hun-dred men, and with thesehe threw himself intoan adjoining house, where he swore he woulddefend himself to the last,and sell his life dear-ly. To Griva's summons, and threat to burnthe house,he returned a contemptuous reply;knowing that, were he to fallintoGriva's power,that chief would demand all his father's fortuneas a ransom;and the twobands ofGreeks, whoought to have been combating tbe enemies oftheir country, prepared to decide tbe quarrel byarms. Fortunately for the town of Napoli.

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148 SOCIETY AT NAPOLI.

several people of influence waiteduponGriva torequest that he would allow youngColocotronitodepart ;andafter much entreaty heconsented;but so little did Colocotroni rely upon Griva'sword, that he would not stir from bis fortifiedhouse until Griva's son came, and walked armin arm with him out of the gates, at the headof the Moreot soldiers. Such were the contestswhich agitated the Greek chieftains, whenal-most the whole of their country was in thepower of the enemy.

The little society that Greece can boastis assembled at Napoli, where there are aboutthirty ladies, some of whom speak French,and the others Italian; but they are still farbehind the rest of the world in accomplish-ments; their natural tact and shrewdness ofcharacter enables them, however, at once toperceive in what they are deficient, and theystrive as much as is within their power to correcttheir faults;but a different tone must be givento society, before the ladies can acquire thedegree of influence they ought to possess overtheminds of the men. It will be a gratifyingtask for the future princess of Greece to en-lighten the minds and form the manners of therising female generation ; and a very few yearswillsuffice to create a great change for thebet-

DEFICIENCY OF EDUCATION. 149

ter. Were a school to be formed on the modelof that at St.Petersburg, where young ladies ofnoble family are educated with the greateststrictness, and where merit is always rewarded,the spirit of emulation acting upon the naturalquickness of the Greeks, would bring forth allthe good qualities and talent now latent intbe minds of tbe "beau sexes overpowered bysluggishness, bad habits, and a hopeless feelingof inferiority. Iconsider the education ofthe women to be one of the first steps towardsthe regeneration of the men, who will notwillingly resign the control which, in imita-tion of their Turkishmasters, they have gainedover their countrywomen ; but when the latterare gifted with a superior education, talent andacquirements must give them the ascendency.Pride will then urge the men to place them-selves at least on a par with the weaker sex;and they will be able to acquire knowledgeat home far more beneficial than if they wereto be entirely educated abroad. Foreign edu-cation, unless there is something to counter-balance it in Greece, injures rather than im-proves them. After a long absence, theyreturn to their country with European feel-ings and acquirements, and finding themselvesin the midst of an ignorant and presump-

150 GREEK LADIES.

tuous people, they with little difficulty, by hu-mouring their passions, render themsubservientto their superior talents. Thus they acquire anascendency which fosters theirinnate genius forintrigue : their vices increase with their success ;personal aggrandizement, at whatever cost, istheir object ; they lose sight of their country'swelfare;and, insteadof becoming ornaments toit, they keep it in a constant state of mentalconflagration.

The Greek ladies were so unaccustomed tosociety, that they at first lookedupon thechanceof meeting a number of strangers, with dread:the young girls were never seen. So little didtheyunderstand theunmeaning attentions whichcommon politeness induces a well-bred man topayunto a lady, that they always suspected himof some sinister design. "He is a dissembler,"they said;"he is trying to conceal his real pro-jects by flattery ; he is a politico." And evennow they are often so strongly impressed withthe sense of their deficiency in polite acquire-ments, that they are ashamed to dance, becausethey think they willbe laughed at, anddo notlike to converse in a foreign language from asimilar reason;refinement having made solittleprogress in society, that they dread the sneersandcriticisms of each other. "Iwould rather "

GREEK LADIES. 151

said a young lady to me, " speak French toyou, or to a Frenchman, than to one of myown nation;for although the mistakes Imakeare of course more apparent, yet you eitherpretend not to remark them, or else assist me.A Greek would laugh in my face."

So completely are the Greek ladies thrownin the shade, that even in such an importantevent of their lives as marriage, they are notconsulted, and the bridegroom and parentsof the bride settle every thing without herparticipation. Ionce called rather late in theevening upon a clever, well-educated Greekgentleman who bad passed a long time in Eu-rope, and on entering the small room he oc-cupied, Ifound a young lady his sister inbed, and the brother preparing to slumber intbe same apartment. She, however, gave herhandkerchief an extra tie, arranged her hair,and began to converse with us, whilst hethrew aside the huge capote in which he hadbeen sitting, and entered into conversation.The young lady was rather accomplished; shecould speak French and Italian; played theguitar, and thought that every custom import-ed from Europe ought to be immediately fol-lowed. Itherefore supposedImight venture

to sound her opinion relative to a subject which

A DISCUSSION ON MARRIAGE.152

had undoubtedly often occupied her thoughts,andIasked her whether she approved of thecustom of " betrothing," or whether she didnot think it much more natural that a personshould select a husband for herself? But,civilized as she otherwise was, on this point,barbarism still predominated. "It is muchbetter," said she, " that our parents shouldchoose for us;our partiality for any one personwould induce us to overlook his faults; andthen, when they became apparent, we shouldblame ourselves for our blindness.""But then you have no affection for theperson to whom you are united for life; andinstead of confiding in your husband, you findhim aperfect stranger?"" Not so," interrupted the brother; " mysister is right,— we are often betrothed toeach other from our infancy ;and althoughit is true that the youth is never allowed tospeak to his intended, and that he does noteven see her but by accident, yet she learnsthrough their mutual acquaintance what arethe leading traits of his character, and on themmodels her efforts to please ; whilst be, on theother hand, knowing himself to be already en-gaged, never allows his fancy to stray in searchof a mistress."

A DISCUSSION ON MARRIAGE. 153"But," answered I, " if the young lady

deems it necessary that she should study herhusband'scharacter, and try to please him, whyshould she not do so from her own experience ?why not judge for herself, instead of trustingto the reports of others?""Such is the established custom; and we seeno reason to alter it."" Sometimes, however, she may chance tolove another person?"" We never love," said thesister,— " we knownot what love is."

There wsas no replying to the last argument,which convinced me that tbe Greek ladieswere indeed very backward in tbe scale ofcivilization.*

* Apropos to marriage,Imust relate an instance of a lu-dicrous nature, which occurred justbeforeIarrivedat Argos.ColonelG had two Moslem servants; the one his groom,and theother anegress. Whether it was sympathy or love,itis impossible to say ;but in such wise did the swarthycharms of the latter act upon the mind of the stable-keeper,that he offered himself inmarriage, and was accepted. Buthow werethe necessary formalitiesto be gone through1 theywere the only Mahommedans in the country; they had nofriends of their own religion to invite to the feast. In thisdilemma, they resolved to be unitedby a Greek priest, andColonel G promised to furnish the bridalsupper. Theknot was duly tied ; the happy couple sat down to the feastprovided for them, and (hear it, Mahomet!) they ate as much

154 GREEK WOMEN.

In fact,Ibelieve that there are few countrieswhere woman is less respected than here; hersituation, generally speaking, being little betterthan that ofa slave; not of such slaves as adornthe harem of a Turk, and who are nursed withthe tenderest care, and pampered with everyluxury,but of those who toil anddrudge in thefields of an unfeeling barbarian. Ihave seen se-veral partsof the world;butamongst theCaribs,the Caffres, or the various nations of the East,Ido not recollect to have witnessed a strongerline drawn between the male and female sexthan in Greece. This evil, though fast disap-pearing amongst the upper classes, is stilldeeplyrooted in the populace, and may be traced tothe state ofsubjection in which they were keptby the Turks. TheGreek whocringed beneaththe imperious commands ofhis tyrant,acted inadespotic manner, withinhis own house, to thosedependent on him;and provided that, in imita-tion of his masters, he could sit cross-leggedsmoking his pipe, he cared not how much hiswife and daughters might toil;but where theGreeks were less exposed to Turkish influence,the women were better treated; and in Mainapork as wouldhave contented four Greeks after a forty days'fast, and drank such a quantity of wine, that they amplyrepaid themselves for years of previous abstinence.

SECLUSION OF THE FEMALES. 155

they are said to be considered as the equals ofthe men. The degradation of the sex appearsin a very forcible light toan Englishman whenfirst visiting Greece, with his head full of theromantic images pictured by Byron inhis vividpoems. Heexpects inevery face to see thefea-tures of a Zoeor a Haidee, and every youthfulform to be sylph-like and angelic. He travelsfrom one end of Greece to the other, and hefinds that his expectations are visionary. Idonot say that Greece possesses no beautifulcountenances amongst her maidens, forIhaveseen some exceedingly pretty;but they are socompletely disfigured by the bronzing of thesun, filth, and excess of labour, that at twentyyears of age they already bear tbe appearance ofold women. To the upper classes this remarkdoes not of course apply ; but then tbe youngladies are kept so secluded, that it is almostimpossible for a stranger to see them. A Greekgentleman assured me that there were severalpersons he was intimately acquainted with,whoseunmarried daughters he had never seen.At Smyrna and Constantinople, the Greek la-dies are at present most to be admired. Sciowas the spot where all that was lovely in Greecemight be met ; but that Scio is no more.

Tbe Turkish women, who are supposed to be

156 SECLUSION OF THE FEMALES.

such prisoners, enjoy a degree of liberty whichis little understood inEurope : they walk outwhenever they please, they are perfect mis-tresses of the house, and can, if they choose,exclude their husbands from their apartments.Many of the Greeks have but little more simi-larity to European habits.Ihave often met arobas* full of laughing

young Turkish ladies,driving outside of Con-stantinople, unattended by a guardian — theywere going to enjoy a party of pleasure onthe banks of the Bosphorus, or perhaps weremerely taking exercise; but during the wholetime that 1was at Constantinople, Ido not re-collect seeing any Greek ladies walking or rid-ing about:— they remained shut up in theirhouses, their sole occupation being that of look-ing through the jalousies of their windows tosee what was going forward, and who was pass-ing in the dirtiest streetof a place which hasnotimproperly been called " JJegout de I'Europe."An English gentleman, who had taken a housein a retired part of Pera, wasremonstrated withby a Greek lady—" Your wife will never beable to bear that stupid house," said she; " itdoes not look out on the street."

A few Greek ladies may be met at the

Covered carts.

THE FANARIOT GREEKS. 157

houses of the different ambassadors at Con-stantinople, but they are mostly tbe wives ordaughters ofpersons attached to the embassies,and cannot be considered as genuine samples oftbe Grecian fair, who live quite amongst them-selves within the precincts of the Fanar.*

One adviceIwould give the Greek ladiesis to take care that the Turks do not overtakethem in the march of civilization. This is anevent which once would have been deemed im-possible; but whenIleft Constantinople, theCapitan Pacha was going to give a ball, wherethey were to be present in galleries; and Mr.Calosso assured me, that when he asked theSultan whether they were to join in the dance,he only laughed, and said, "It is not time yet."

At Napoli, society is improving: balls havebeen given, at which the ladies danced ; and inthe course of time, 1suppose, they will en-tirely divest themselves of their antiquatedprejudices.

* The Fanariot Greeks are well educated. The principalfamilies fled to Odessa at the commencementof the Revolu-tion, and are now hasteningto Greece; and as they havefor the greaterpart retainedtheir property, their arrival willcreate a great change for the better in society. Prince Ma-vrocordato has lately marrieda ladybelongingtooneof thesefamilies, who is highly accomplished — it was quite a lovematch:so all the Greek ladies are not quite as insensible to

he influence of the tender passion as was my little friend.

158 GREEK TROOPS.

Napoli is at this moment the head-quartersof the regular army, and it likewise containsaschoolfor military instruction,containingaboutfifty scholars. Generals Træzel and Gerard,both very distinguished French officers, arenow at the head of the Greek regular force,but this force only amounts to fifteen or eigh-teen hundred men, and though so few in num-ber, they are badly paid, and worse clothed;—that such should be the case, reflects muchupon the conduct of the President, whobeingwell aware how perfectly useless the irregularforces are to Greece at the present moment,persists in keeping a force of several thousandmen under arms.* What his object is, noone can say. France and England have pledg-ed themselves to defend the integrity of theGreek state; andwith suchpowerful protectors,he well knows, that he has nothing to fearfrom external foes : the Palicari, who, if dis-banded, would probably resume their agricul-tural pursuits, find that it is much more agree-able to remain idle, and be well paid;and feel-ing that they possess the power of enforcing

* The EubSans havea right toexpectpayand employmentfrom the Government, whilst theircountry is occupied by theTurks;but this case does not apply to the inhabitants of otherdistricts.

REGULAR FORCES. 159

their just claims upon Government, they setits threats at defiance. France, whose genero-sity to Greece is not sufficiently valued, or in-deed known by the Greeks, who thank thePresident for tbe gifts ofCharles,— France, whosupposes that her liberal contributions were ex-pended in raising a regular army, will be sur-prised to hear that the regular troops, thoughorganized into regiments and battalions uponpaper, are actually not above one thousandeight hundred strong. Yet such, Iregret tosay, is the manner in which the laudable inten-tions of the FrenchGovernment have been act-edup to; and at this moment the Greek regu-lars are scarcely more efficient than they weretwo years ago. Several edicts have been issuedby the President directing the enrolment often thousand men; but as long as an irregularforce exists, twice as numerous as it shouldbe, in proportion to the population, and more-over free from discipline, he can never dreamof filling the vacant ranks of the regular ar-my. Had he directed his attention in thefirst instance to the destruction of the bands ofPalicari, he would have found less difficultyin raising a disciplined force;but now the im-pression has circulated amongst the people thatthe regulars, or Tacticoes,as they are called, are

DRESS OF THE SOLDIERS.160

an inferior class to the Palicari, and that a manwho once enlists is a slave for life: such erro-neous impressions, indeed, appear to exist rela-tive to the regular troops, that it is evident nopains whatever have been taken to organizethem. The manner in which the regulars areclad, and their general appearance, certainly isnot likely to impress the mind of a peasantwith the same feeling of respect as when hesees a Palicar with his fustanella, pistols, andtophaic. The soldiers are dressed in the Eu-ropean style, but so shabbily, that they havenot a martial bearing, and appear to great dis-advantage near one of the common peasantry.The anxiety of theGreek government to intro-duce European customs into Greece, madethem commit an error in the equipment oftheir troops, which, however trivial it may ap-pear, has great weight in the eyes of that classfrom whence the soldiers must be recruited. Iallude to their not having dressed the regularsin the fustanella, or philibeg. It is the na-tional costume and favourite dress of the war-like class of Greeks. Nothing can be more sol-dier-like, and at the same time better adapt-ed to the mountainous country in which theyhave to act; it leaves their limbs free, and wewell know, by the example of our Highland

161GREEK OFFICERS.

regiments, that it does not fetter their courage.Many Greeks confessed tome, that one of theirprincipal reasons for disliking the Tacticoes, wasthe abandonment of thenational garb;— therecertainly exists a strongprejudice against them.

With the exception of a few French offi-cers, who are intermixed with the Greeks,and whose military mien only makes theothers appear to still greater disadvantage, theofficers of the regular regiments are a motleycrew, even more in want of instruction thanthe men;— they are dirty, badly dressed, andwhen commanding their troops, apparentlyquite ignorant of their professional duties.The fact is, that with the exception of theFrench, the officers of these regiments haveno claim whatever to military rank; theyhave never served— have evidently never beendrilled-— are not gentlemen, and are composedprincipally of a crowd of applicants whom thePresident, not knowing otherwise how to dis-pose of, nominated to commissions in batta-lions where there were no men. Ibebeve that,if well, that is to say, strictly commanded, theGreeks would make excellent soldiers and of-ficers;but the whole management of the armymust be changed;and unless the command ofthe different battalions is given to French or

M

1(32 PAY 0F THE ARMY-

English officers, with full powers to eject allthose useless beings who now possess commis-sions, Greece will never have an army. It isnot however force alone that must be usedwith Greek soldiers; persuasion and flatteryjudiciously administered, will have far moreeffect; for, whatever may be their failings,they have much personal pride, and deeplyfeel an insult.

Aprivate soldier in the regular army receivesone piastre (three-pence halfpenny) per day,anda ration of two pounds and a quarter of flour ;he is supplied with a jacket, a cap, and threepair of trowsers, by the Government; but forbis shoes, and other equipments, he is obligedtopay outof his miserable pittance; so that hispay is almost nominal.

The few troops at present composing theregular force are scattered throughout the for-tresses of the Morea: some are at Patras, othersoccupy the Morea Castle, Corinth,Napoli, Mo-don, and Coron. The army is to consist often thousand men, which is a larger force thanGreece, with her present population of sevenhundred and fifty thousand, is capable of sup-porting. One regiment of cavalry has beenformed, under the command of Colonel Pelion,a Frenchofficer, who in tbe Peninsula, and at

COLONEL PELION. 163

Waterloo, served with much distinction,andhasnow accepted promotion in the Greek service.Hisregiment doeshimcredit; not so muchfromits outward appearance— for thatdepends uponthe arrangements of Government — but fromthe excellent system he has enforced in hisinternal arrangements, deferring, until a laterperiod, the more easy task of drilling hismen. His chef d'escadron, Mr. Touret, meet-ing me accidentally one day, asked me to lookat the barracks; and although they were notprepared for show, they were in excellentorder ; the arms well cleaned and stacked, andthe rooms as comfortableas they couldbe made.Colonel Pelion was anxious to introduce a sys-tem of messing amongst his officers, in imita-tionof thatfollowed in theBritisharmy;for hefelt the necessity of creating intheman "espritde corps" and of teaching them regular habits;butIfear, that paid as are the Greek officers,he will find his intentionsdifficult to be realiz-ed;a lieutenant does not receive above fortypounds sterling pay, per annum, and no rationsexcept a pound ofbread. Ihowever gave himan explicit account of the manner in which the"messing" was managed in the British army.The horses of this corps belonged to the thirdlight cavahy, and were generously given with

M 2

164 ROAD FROM NAPOLI TO ARGOS.

their equipments by the French to Greece, butthey are mostly old;and when unfit for service,Iknow not how they can be replaced, for thereare no horses fit for cavalry in Greece at pre-sent. There are one hundred and seventyhorses in the regiment, formed into two troopsof lancers, and two of dragoons. As long asGreece merely raises troops to carry on a de-fensive war, a couple of cavalry regiments willbe quite sufficient, the ground her armieswould have to combat in being mountainousand easily defended against cavalry; but whenshe feels herself strong enough not only torepel aggression, but to pursue her foes intothe plains of Thessaly, it will be necessary forher to strengthen this arm.

A corps of artillery is organizing.The road from Napoli to Argos runs through

the plains on thebrink of the sea shore,but theground being here extremely marshy, there aretimes, after a fall of rain,when it isbarely pass-able. TheVenetians had constructed two pavedcauseways through the swamp, but they are sofull of holes that it is dangerous to rideoverthem;and thus thecommunicationbetween thetwo most populous towns in Greece, thoughonly six miles in length, is almost obstructed.As all the produce of the plain of Argos finds

PLAIN OF ARGOS. 165

a mart at Napoli, it is surprishig that a littletrouble shouldnot have been taken to amelior-ate this wretched road. The Greeks, however,do not care how bad the roads are; and an-swered my remark relative to this one, with—" True, it is bad now, but you should see it insummer !

"

Before leaving the plain of Argos, Imustenumerate its various capabilities. The plaincontains about forty square miles of arable land,and a great portion of it may be irrigated. Thesoil is not very rich, and requires to be left fal-low after a crop of wheat; but as it is nevermanured, this is not surprising. Tobacco, rice,maize, wheat, and cotton,are produced ;but sovery ignorant are the Greek husbandmen ofthe improvements which have taken place inthe agricultural system, that they do not derivehalf the advantages they ought from their pro-perty. Their plough is the same kind of im-plement that it was in the days ofTriptolemus;and the ground is so easily worked, that theiringenuity has not been exerted to improve it.They have no hedges or fences, and dung-lies in heaps in their houses and streets, butis never employed as manure. A vegetablegarden is seldom seen: provided, indeed, thatthey grow sufficient provision for their families

166 PLAIN OF ARGOS.

they care not about the other resources theirground offers to them;but this proceeds,Ithink, more from ignorance than sloth. Silkused to be made at Argos, and a few mulberrytrees still remain; but the orange groves andorchards surrounding the town, were used asfuel,or wantonly destroyed during the war. Agreat part of the plain of Argos is now go-vernment property.

LEAVE ARGOS. 167

CHAPTER VI.

Plain of Tripolizza. — Mantinea. — Tripolizza. —■ Turkish

Prisoners.— Concealed wealth.— Battle of Navarino.—

WeenterLaconia.— Greek marriages.— Sourceosthe Alpheus.— Villageof Bruliah.

—Sparta.— Mistra.— Logotheti.—

TheEpiphany.— The Curfew bell.—

Ancient marbles atMistra.

—Ruins of Sparta.— Sarcophagus at Cologonia.

Onthe11thJanuary,Captain theHonourableJ. Gordon andIleft Argos, with the intentionof visiting Sparta and tbe southern part of theMorea. We were forewarnedbyallouracquaint-ance, that to make a tour in the Morea at thisseason of the year was next to impracticable,for that the falls of snow on the mountains, theviolent rain,andthe overflow oftherivers,wouldthrow so many impediments in our way, thatwe should be quite disgusted at the terminationof a few days. But we determined to brave allthese difficulties ;and being well provided with

168 PASS OF TSIPIANA.

cloaks and blankets, didnot anticipate much in-convenience from the cold, although the snowytops of Mount Artemesius declared that thetemperature would be more chilly in that vici-nity than in the sheltered plain of Argos. Wewere anxious to visit Mantinea, in the plain ofTripolizza, and wished toproceed thither by theTsipiana pass; but our guides declared that thesnow rendered it impassable, and we then fol-lowed the road to Portes. The day was finewhen we left Argos; but we had not proceededa couple of miles before the rain fell in torrents.Mount Artemesius, which we were to ascend,was covered with clouds, and we began to fearthat thepredictions of our Argos friends wereabout to be verified. We sought shelter at Ka-tubeleis, a small village which had escaped fromIbrahim's incendiaries, and there the Pappasreceived us in a comfortable cottage— lit an ex-cellent fire, and enabled us to dry our saturatedclothes. He consoled us for our misfortunes,by declaring that themorrow, beingNew Year'sday, (old style)* we were sure of having fineweather; and his prediction was fortunatelyverified.

We ascended the passIhave before describ-* The Greeks have not adopted the newstyle in comput-

ing their years.

THE FOUNTAIN OF ARNE. 169

ed, and on our way met an old Greek armedwith a wretchedgun, with which he was goingto shoot partridges. The unblushing poachershowed us the manner he approached a coveyunseen: he had two sticks with him, fixedcrossways,andcovered with a brown cloth: thishe carried before him, and when he came nearenough to the birds, he used it as a screen, andthen aiming through ahole made for that pur-pose, sometimes, as he declared, slaughteredfifteen partridges at one shot.

We had no difficulty in ascending the pass;the snow had almost all melted from the ridge,although higher up it covered the mountains;and the fog clearing away, enabled us to en-joy the magnificent viewr, and to congratulateourselves upon having such a fine day to crossthe mountains, which at this season are oftenimpassable. We left Sangeh on our right, andentered a small plain, for the time convertedinto a swamp by numerous springs issuingfrom the mountains, and which, having no out-let, are here collected. One of these, where astream of pure water gushes from the earth, isthe fountain of Arne, the spot where Rhea wasdelivered ofNeptune, andhaving concealed himin a sheepfold, persuaded Saturn that she hadbrought forth a colt, which she gave him to

170 RUINS OF MANTINEA.

devour. On the mountain bounding the plainto the eastward, we saw the monastery and largevillage of Tsipiana, and a little beyond it wecame to the plain of Tripolizza. It is abouttwo miles wide in this part;and the mountainsrise from it abruptly,andaredesolate andcheer-less. The plain was cultivated, but there waslittle verdure to be seen, andno wood, and thescene altogether was dreary in the extreme. Ithas been called the Yorkshire of Greece;butIdo not see in what the similarity consists.

We entered theplain near the ruins of Man-tinea, which, in common with many other an-cient ruins, has received the indefinite name ofPalæopolis. The walls are to be distinctlytraced, although only rising a few feet abovethe surrounding country ; and at every thirtyyards are the remains of a tower. The riverOphis, although quite full, was so narrowthat we jumped over it: it divides into twobranches on reaching the walls, and after encir-cling the city, reunites, and finally disappears ina chasm. At this point, various travellers havesupposed that they could trace a small moundraised by Agesipolis to stop its course ; but ifever such existed, it could not have answeredthe purpose intended. The interior of the wallsis strown with bricks and stones ; but with the

RUINS OF MANTINEA. 171

exception of the ruins of a small theatre, no-thing can be distinctly traced. A few heaps ofstones here and there appear to mark the site ofsome building of note, but we could only findtbe fragment of one column. Adjoining tothe theatre there was a small stone enclosureused by theGreeks as a chapel during the revo-lution. Many of the stones had formed part ofsome ancient building, and amongst them Cap-tain Gordon discovered a small marble statueof Cybele, represented sitting between twolions: the goddess was so much disfigured,that we did not think her worth bringing away,but placed her on the altar of the Panagia,where perhaps she may once more have divinehonour rendered to her by some clown whomay chance there to say his prayers.

Onthe Tegean side ofMantinea, at one hun-dred yards from the walls, a square markedwith large stones, agrees with the position as-signed byPausanias to the Temple of Neptune,under which it was said there was a passagecommunicating with the sea, and a little to theright is an upright stone,apparently thebase ofsome monument; perhaps the trophy erectedby the Mantineans to commemorate the vic-tory gained by their general Aratus over Agis,king of Sparta.

172 TRIPOLIZZA.

On leavingMantinea we traversed partof theplain through vineyards and corn-fields whichwere completely flooded: the rain of the pre-ceding day had filled the springs;the rivuletshadoverflowed, and we experienced the greatestdifficulty in wading through the water andmud,until we arrived at part of the plain where ahilljuts into it, and considerably diminishes thewidth. This was the site of the memorablebattle of Mantinea, and tbe slope of themoun-tain was probably the spot where the greatThe-ban expired —justly exclaiming that he left twoimmortal daughters,Leuctra and Mantinea.

Tripolizza is seven miles from Mantinea: wereached it at sunset; and having letters to thegovernor, obtained a comfortable house for thenight. Misery, filth, ruined walls, crumblinghouses, and muddy streets, were the prominentcharacteristics of Tripolizza. At the doors ofa few new houses, we saw some pretty womendressed in holiday clothes, in honourof the newyear,andsounds ofmerriment issued from manywretched hovels. Mirth, however, amidst thesurrounding desolation seemed quite fiendish,and we could not but remember with horrorthe dreadful massacre which took place here in1821. We walked round the ruins of the town,and saw mosques and churches, harems and

TRIPOLIZZA. 173

towers, all mixed in one indiscriminate mass.What the Greeks had spared, Ibrahim,when heevacuated the town, literally demolished— thefortifications, that they might not be of serviceto the Greeks ; the mosques, to prevent theirbeing defiled by the infidels.

When we reflect upon the massacre of Tri-polizza, it displays forcibly tbe similarity in thecharacter of the ancient and modern Greeks;and whatever may be said to prove that theGreeks of to-day are not descended from thoseof early times, at least, it is impossible to denythat they possess the impetuous passions of theancientPeloponnesians. How often in ancienthistory do we not read a tale of broken faith,rapine, murder, and violation! how often donot the historians of old speak with compla-cency of the murders and atrocities committedby their countrymen! Not a single tree is tobe seen at Tripolizza—

not even one dark cy-press, the usual ornament to the last homes ofthe Mahommedan dead; nor didIsee one tur-baned pillar marking a Moslem's tomb: thesememorials of the Turks, light as they were,hadalso been swept away.*

* An anecdote was related to me which proves that therewas some pity shown by the Greeks at Tripolizza. A gen-tleman who was travellingin Greece, and trusting to the in-

AN ANECDOTE.174

The ruins of the PekulPasha Mosque werefull of marble fragments, most probably thespoils of the Temple of Minerva,atTegea;and

habitants for hospitality, onstopping at a littlevillage nearCaritena, asked his entertainer to sit down and partake ofhis dinner; at the same time requesting him to relate whatadventureshad happened to himduring the war. The othercomplied ; and having waited until the room was cleared oflisteners, he exclaimed, "Iam aTurk! When Tripolizzawas stormed,Ishut myselfup withmy master inhis house :we fought for some time;my master was killed, and atlastIsurrendered my sword to a Greek:he likevvise beggedfor my pistols

— Igave them; and then he requested thatIwouldgivehim what moneyIhad:it was a requestItookgood care not to refuse. 'Now,' said the Greek, 'do not bealarmed, for Iwill take care of you :' he kept me byhisside during the slaughter that occurred; and when urgedby some Capitani to put me to death,he steadily refused to<Jo so

— Ifollowedhim to his village. Five years afterwards,Ibrahim's troopsapproached it,and amongst themweresomeTurks who knew me of old. 'Ha!Mustapha,' said they,' what areyou doing amongst those Giaours ? come and joinus:' however,Ireasoned withmyself, and said, these Greeksare masters of the landnow

— Ishall do wiserto remain whereIam;besideswhich,Ihad taken a liking to the prettiestgirl inthe village: so, all things considered,Iresolved tostop whereIwas. My Turkish friends went away; and Iwent to the church to be baptized. Ienteredit Mustaphaand a Mussulman,

—andIcame out of it Spiro, and aChris-

tian;and whenIam a little richer,Iintend toget married."

POPULATION OF TRIPOLIZZA. 175

part of a marble column, fourteen feet in cir-cumference, hollowed out as a reservoir forwater, must have pertained to the same edifice.Near the Mosque, a new building was prepar-ing as a school-room; and on each side ofthe doorIobserved marble slabs with ancientinscriptions. One of these was very long, butin some parts so much defaced, that it wouldrequire a long time to decypber it: the otherwas ofno importance. The school is to containone hundred scholars.

We called on the governor, who had for-merly served in our Greek regiments : hesaid, that wrhen he came to assume his com-mand the year before,not one house was stand-ing in Tripolizza, but that now the number ofinhabitants amounted to seven hundred andfifty; — in the Turkish time there were fif-teen thousand souls; but Tripolizza will neveragain be a place of importance— its situation inthe most inclement district of the Morea, andits difficulty of access, conspire to render itof no consequence to a civilized government.The Turks who held the Morea by right ofconquest, viewed it in the light of a possessionfrom whence the chance of war might again ex-pel them. They governed as conquerors, and all

176 PLUNDER OF TRIPOLIZZA.

that they required was a military control overtheir subjects;this Tripolizza, from its centralposition, afforded them, and thus they made ittheir capital.

Great wealth accrued to the chiefs by theplunder of Tripolizza. The peasants, whoknewnot thevalueofprecious stones,offereddiamondsfor sale at one or two shillings each;and apairofdiamond-mountedpistolsworthfifty thousandpiastres, was sold for six thousand. Coloco-troni amassed an immense booty here; andfrom being a pennyless Kleptb has becomethe richest man in Greece. The plunder theGreeks at various times acquired not havingbeen drawn from the country, it is evident thatthere must be a great deal of capital nowconcealed in Greece;* but the Greeks are soafraid of appearing rich, that when they doamass a little money, they immediately buryit, and hide even from their dearest friendswhere it is concealed. The Turks, also, buriedtheirmoney ;and the Palicari usednever to en-ter ahouse without running their ramrods intothe floor, in the hopes of finding treasure.* During the twoyears thatIbrahim possessed theMorea,

the Greeks wereobliged to expend their wealth inpurchas-ing provision;but there is undoubtedly a great deal stillleft.

TRAITS OF CHARACTER. 177

A Turkish gentleman, at the commencementof the war, buried a large sum of money in acertain part of his house, which was destroyedduring the contest. Being afraid of trustinghimself in the power of the Greeks, he wasunable to seek for his treasure;but whenhostibties ceased, he wrote to some Europeanofficers who were stationed near his house, of-fering them half of his wealth provided theywould dig it up,and transmit the remainder tohim. The bargain was made; the officers easilyfoundthe spot indicated,but themoney had al-ready been taken. " Fool thatIwas," said theTurk, when he heard of his misfortune—" Ientrusted my dearest friend with my secret !"

The Greeks are more cautious in keepinga secret, for not even the fear of approach-ing death will induce them to disclose thesite of their hoarded wealth; as an instancewhich occurred lately near Argos will testify.There was an old Greek, apparently in thegreatest misery, who was taken very ill, and ina few days his life was despaired of: his friendsassembled round him;and when they acquaint-ed him that there was no hope, said, that beought to make what arrangements he wished,relative to his property,and declare whether hehad any money concealed. "Money !" exclaim-

N

CONCEALED WEALTH.178

ed the wretch; "Iam so poor, that 1havenotenough to pay the expenses of my funeral—Iam not worth a single para. How shouldIget money ?"— The relations stillurged him toconfess, but he resolutely refused compliance.Next day be became worse, and on the follow-ingmorning, finding that death was at hand,he called one of his relations, told him " tosearch near the large olive-tree in the garden,"and shortly afterwards expired. Not far fromthe olive-tree a jar was found containing twohundred dollars !

We had no inducement to prolong our stayamid the ruins of Tripolizza, and on the 13thresumed our journey; but we had only ad-vanced four miles, and reached the banks ofa small lake called Taca, into which the Al-pbeus flows, when the mountainsbecame dark-ened by clouds,the thunderpealed, and we hadbarely time to seek shelter in a miserable hutwhen the storm burst ; snow fell on the moun-tains,and sleet in the plain; and we saw thatwemust resolve to pass tbeday where we were,in company withbipeds, quadrupeds, and fowlsof every kind ; in fact, the hut contained notonly the family, but the rightful inhabitants ofthe cow-house, pig-sty, and stable, who how-ever seemed to be firmly united with their mas-

BATTLE OF NAVARIN. 179

ters by the bond of good fellowship. Theinhabitants of the small villages in this plainare in themost abject state of ignorance, andcan scarcely be considered otherwise than as sa-vages ; but they possess, in common withall theGreekpeasants,many good qualities,whichonlyrequire cultivation: they are hospitable to tbestranger, extremely obedient and submissive tothe will of their superiors, and apparently notdeficient in gratitude for benefits conferredupon them : but their extreme ignorance ofwhat had taken place in their country is reallypitiable. In tbe course of conversation,Iaskedtbe people here if they knew who fought thebattle of Neocastro? (Navarin.)" Capo d'lstrias," was the reply." But who expelled Ibrahim from the Mo-rea?"" Capo d'lstrias, who wrote a letter to him,saying, ' that if he did not embark for Alex-andria in twelve days, he would make himdo so!'"" And to whom do you attribute your pre-sent quiet ?"" Capo d'lstrias!blessings on his name !"Ithought whenIheard this, that if some of

the gallant English and French sailors whofought at Navarin were to know how lightly

N 2

180 ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEASANTS.

their services are estimated,it would effectuallycure their Philhellenism.

Some of the Moreot peasants carry their en-thusiasm in favour of the President to ratheran extraordinary excess, if we may believean anecdote related to me. A print-seller atNapoli received a number of engravings fromFrance, which he exhibited at his shop win-dows for sale; there were likenesses of theKings of England and France, the Emperor ofRussia, and Capo d'lstrias. A country hind,whohad entered Napoli for the purpose of ex-pending a few piastres in purchasing clothes,having stopped at the shop to gaze at the pic-tures, inquired who they were intended to re-present, and a bystander informed him. Nosooner did he hear the President's name men-tioned than he rushed into the shop, paid sixpiastres for theprint, and forgetting his intend-ed purchases, ran out of the town,exclaiming,'The Turksbeat and robbed me, the Roume-liots plundered and maltreated me, and myprayers were of no avail: but Capo d'lstriascame, and my troubles ceased!— He shall bemy God— him willIworship.'" It is not sur-prising that the peasants, who have scarcelybeen taxed, and have in fact been quite theirown masters during the last two years, should

GREEK MARRIAGES. 181

speak in favour of a person who has made thembelieve that the liberation of Greece was owingto his exertions.

Only a portion of the arable land in the plainof Tripolizza is now cultivated, there beingsuch a scarcity of cattle in the country thatthey have not oxen enough for agriculturalpurposes : its principal produce is corn; andthere are likewise a few vineyards in the vici-nity of the town. The wants of the peasantsare but few, and these easily supplied : theirfood is generally coarse bread, and cheese; andthreeor four times a year they gorge themselveswith fat pork, and drink as much wine as theycan procure; thus by their occasional excessesrewarding themselves from their previous abs-tinence : the clothes they wear are all workedby the women of the family.

The marriages of the peasants are conductedon thesame system as those of thebetterclasses.Tbe contract is first entered into between theparents,and when thepreliminaries arearranged,the bridegroom sends his intendedspouse a ringtied to the end of a handkerchief— this consti-tutes the betrothal; from that moment the manis debarred from her sight, and the doors of herfather's house are shut against him until thetermination of from six to twelve months, as

SOURCE OF THE ALPHEUS.182

may have been agreed upon, when themarriagetakes place, and all the family attend the wed-ding. Our hostess had four sons and threedaughters : two of tbe latter weremarried;butthe third, though twenty years of age, not be-ing yet provided with a sufficient wardrobe,hermarriage was deferred until the ensuing year,when they hoped, by manual industry, to haveequipped the young lady as became a bride.She was to have four chemises, two coarse clothdresses,andone fine wedding gown— the latter,after being worn on allholidays, wouldbe trans-mitted as a legacy to the daughters. Until theyoung lady was disposed of, her four brotherswere obliged to remain single, the ladies of afamily being always married off first.

At daybreak on the 14th we hastened fromthe pig-sty where we had passed thenight,androde along the bank of the Saranda Potamo,which we crossed repeatedly : this river oftenswells so rapidly as to endanger the lives ofthose who are travelling near it: after aheavyfall of snow or rain,a vastbody of water rushesdown it, and disappears in a chasm at the endosthe plain of Tripolizza: it continues a sub-terraneous course, until it unites with the TacaLake, whenit again sinks, and finally emergesfrom the ground in the plain of Megalopolis,

VALLEY OF THE EUROTAS. 183

where, as the Alpheus, it receives numeroustributary streams, and joins the sea near Pyr-gos. The high land near the river was co-vered with snow; and we found ice in all thepools. Fahrenheit's thermometer fell to 37°.Theaspect ofthe country was not inviting; butafter we passed Cria Vrissa, where stood aTurkish fountain, and that we crossed theridge dividing Arcadia from Laconia, the sce-nery improvedat every step. The ground wrasbeautifully broken into hills and valleys; asmall river ran by tbe road side;and the arbu-tus, the wild olive,and the fir, adorned the faceof the mountains with their various tints ofgreen;but there were no villages or habitations,and the only traces of houses we saw dur-ing a ride of eight hours, were the walls of theKhan of Krabata;but towards evening,on issu-ing from a small glen, a view of unequalledbeauty presented itself. The whole valley ofthe Eurotas was displayed before us: immedi-ately in front were the lofty and precipitouspeaks of Mount Taygetus rising like a wall ofrocks from the plain below, and half coveredwith snow, which by its intense brightnessthrew the craggy outline of Pentydactylonstrongly in relief. On theborders of the valleywe could see Mistra andnumerous villages. we

VILLAGE OF BRULIAH.184

tracedthe winding course of theEurotasduringmany a mile, and looking towards the spotwhere Sparta stood, tried to distinguish itsruins:to the N.E. we saw the bills above Londari,

and to the southward, in the extreme distance,

the highlands of Cerigo. Bruliah, a romanticvillage with its houses scattered over the slopesof thehills, and intermixed with olive trees, oc-cupied the foreground; and all around thecountry was broken into ravines and glens wellwooded with a variety of trees. After leavingthe bleak, inhospitable plain of Tripolizza, thistransition from gloom to cheerfulness was mostpleasing, and the scene amply repaid us for ourpreceding day's misery.

Our reception by the inhabitants of Bruliahwas very hospitable : a youngwoman conductedus to her house, and prepared it for our recep-tion— she hadbeautiful features, fineblack eyes,and a pleasing address,but her misfortunes dur-ing the war bad left a melancholy impressionon her countenance. When Ibrahim invadedthe country, Bruliah was one of the most flou-rishing villages in the Morea, but one night itwas surprised by the Arabs; sixty persons werecarried into slavery, and many were killed,amongst whom was the husbandof our hostess:such of the inhabitants as could escape, fled

185IBRAHIM'S CRUELTY.

to the impenetrable recesses ofMaina; andwhen,after three years'exile, they ventured toreturn,sad must have been their feelings on contem-plating the wreck of their homes, and theybitterly lamented the slavery of their kindred.*A poor woman came to us with a present offruit, and she told us, with tears in her eyes,that her four children had been carried awayby Ibrahim,and that she was now childless.

Ibrahim certainly did not pursue a vacillat-ingsystem: he said he would destroy Greece;and fearfully did he redeem his promise: yetthis wretch, to whom the shedding of inno-cent blood is as nought,— who could calmlylook upon the burning villages, devastatedfields, and mangled bodies of those whom hedoomed to destruction,— this man isconsideredone of the most enlightened chieftains in theTurkish empire. If the curses of the childless,the widowed,and the fatherless be of any avail,Ibrahim has a dreadful weight of maledictionhanging over him.

* We had not been long seated, when a handsome littleboy entered the room with his present for the Milordos:when told to shut the door, he answered with truly Spartanbrevity, "Iwon't," and then strutted forward to offer us asmall bird he had just killedand prepared for the spit—showing even at his early age a spirit that wouldnot brookcontrol ;and that he possessed a propersense ofhospitality.

186 RIVER EUROTAS.

The road from Bruliah down to the banks ofthe Eurotas was varied and beautiful. Afterascending and descending several small bills,we came to one overlooking the Eurotas, whereit is hemmed in by an opposite ridge of hills,and rushes through theglen withgreat rapidity.Over it there is a curious bridge of Venetianconstruction,consistingofonelargearch,stretch-ing from bank to bank, and four smaller ones.The banks of the river are lined with shrubs,and several masses of rocks rise above thebridge, and give it an air of peculiar wildnessand beauty. When we advanced beyond this,we entered a cultivated track : the left bank ofthe river seemed populous and fertile, and wesaw several groves of olive and mulberry trees.Our road led along the right bank of the Euro-tas, which isbounded by the hilly ground fall-ing from Mount TaygetUs;but it having ap-peared to us that we were not proceeding in adirect line towards Mistra, we inquired the rea-son of our deviation from the established track,and were informed by Theodore that he hadbrought us by a circuitous route, in order thatwe might see an old fort called Magula; wetherefore continued following the banks of theEurotas,until we came to a small rivulet run-ning into it ; and having then turned to the

SPARTA— MISTRA." 187

right, saw on a steep hill in front some ruinedwalls. "There," triumphantly exclaimedTheo-dore— "there is the Palæo Kastro— there isMagula." We rode up to it, and in the mass ofbrick and stone scattered around, recognisedthe ruins of Sparta. We deferred until alater period examining the site of the city,and continuedour journey towards Mistra,themodern representative of Lacedæmon. Theappearanceof the interveningcountry was high-ly flourishing: there were on either side of theroad vineyards, olive and orange groves, mul-berry-trees, and fields, which, although nowfallow, bad been highly cultivated; whilst theruins of many excellent houses showed thatthere hadonce been a numerous population.

Mistra at a distance had an imposing ap-pearance. On a nearer approach, itproved tobe a mass ofruins. Ibrahim had been there!Amidst the blackened walls around, therewere several new houses, and one street linedwith shops, forming the bazaar. Whilst weremained here, until our servants found alodging, we were accosted by a young mandressed in the island costume, who told us inFrench that he considered himself under greatobligations both to the French and English,and that if we would do him the honour of ac-

188 DISINTERESTED HOSPITALITY.

cepting the shelter his house afforded,heshouldfeel most happy in conducting us thither. Wegratefully availed ourselves of his offer, andwere soon installed in a small house contain-ing but one room. On the door we observedan ancient basso relievo, which induced us tothink favourably of the degreeof civilization towhich our host had attained, and his speakingFrench and Italian were proofs that he was su-perior to tbe class of men we had been in thehabit of meeting; but he was so inquisitive,thatIdid him the injustice of supposing thathe was a mere employe of the police : his sub-sequent conduct proved, however, that hisques-tions emanated from a desire to improve him-self, and that he acted towards us with disinte-restedhospitality. His father and brothersheldsituations under government: in their absencehe was master of the house; and as such, hesaid that he felt happy in affording us ahomeduring our stay at Mistra. He offered to actas our cicerone; and as he was versed in thelegends relative to all the ruins around, andthat,moreover, the few ancient sculptures whichMistra possesses were likewise known to him,we found him an extremely usefulperson.

Therain fell so violently during the first dayof our stay at Mistra, that we were obliged to

M. THEODORAKI. 189

remain withindoors; the whole country was en-veloped in a mist,and we couldnot even distin-guish the citadel,so weamused ourselvesby con-versing with Mr. Theodoraki. " Ah!" said he,"Iam soanxious to seeEngland!Iwish somuchto improve myself! and yetIam obliged to re-main here amongst an ignorant people who areaprey to superstition, whilst inEngland alonetrue philosophy is to be found. I,however,try to acquire information, for Iam convincedof the benefits of education; and you may seethatIpossessbooks." Heproduced them;theywere the Confessions of Rousseau! "But tellme," continuedhe, " is it true that youchooseyour own wives,and converse with thembeforemarriage? we considerit very malhonncte:— anddo you really believe in Jesus?" We repliedin theaffirmative. "Ah! is it possible!Ihaveheard that people die from disappointed love, iftheir parents refuse consent to their marriage;butIcannot understand it. Do men look uponwomen with respect, inEngland? Do you thinkthat thepassion of love, such as it is described,is conducive to the happiness of mankind?"We tried to explain some of these mysticalpoints which so much puzzled him; and thenhe showed us a little book written by Tri-coupi, in Greek, and published at Ægina : the

190 RUINS OF MISTRA.

contents, he informed us, were the historyofan English Milordo, who was very rich, anddied at Missolonghi. This was the Life ofByron. Notwithstanding his abuse of the su-perstitious rites practised by his countrymen,Iobserved that he certainly judged it prudentto follow them. At night, a painting, repre-senting thePanagia, was illuminatedby a lamp;and before he retired to rest, he made as manygenuflexions before it as would have done for aMahommedan in theholy templeatMecca;andcrossed himself with such rapidity, during a fullquarterof anhour, thatIbecame tiredofcount-ing thenumber of his signs. His servants after-wards came forward and performed the sameceremony ; and then, under the protection ofthe Panagia, we all laiddown in thesame apart-ment, and resigned ourselves to sleep.

Mistra bas a most striking appearance; andCaptainGordon, who had lately been travellingin Spain, found a great similarity between itand Granada. It is, orIshould say was, builton the side of a precipitous mountain, and thesummit is crowned by a fortress with towersand turrets in the ancient style, which form-ing a black -mass, relieved by the snowy peaksofPentydactylon, has amagnificent effect : be-low the castle the ruins of tbe town commence

sc.

MISTRA.

//,,/byJ/enry

Colbwn.i-

Richard,BentUy.1830.

RUINS OF MISTRA.191— dilapidated towers, broken arches, banging

gardens, or rather terraces which once supportedthem, present a scene of desolation, that seemsto have been effected by some supernaturalpower, instead of by the will of man. One ortwo gloomy cypresses here and there contrastedtheir black foliage with the dazzling whitenessof the distant snow, but no smoke rising fromthe town bespoke its occupation; not a singlebeing moved amidst its blackened and crum-bling walls: it was a perfect solitude. On thesouthern side of the castle the mountain is se-parated from itsnatural rangeby a tremendouschasm, apparently formed by an earthquake:the mountain is literally rent asunder, leav-ing a perpendicular precipice several hundredfeet high; and below runs a plentiful stream,separating tbe old town from what was for-merly a suburb, but is now the only inha-bited part of Mistra: a curious bridge of onearch connects the two banks. At some distancebeyond this is another suburb, surrounded byorange groves; the trees were in full bearing,and the golden fruit hung inbeautiful clusterson their branches,but the gardens they belong-ed to were overrun with weeds, and thehouseswere in ruins. Four times did Ibrahim enterMistra, and on each occasion the inhabitants

CASTLE AND CHURCHES OF MISTRA.192

fled to themountains, and he set fire to what-ever houses had escaped from his former con-flagrations ; but the castle, defendedby a fewGreeks, always resistedbis efforts to capture it.

The weather having cleared up a little, weresolved to stroll amongst the ruins of the oldtown,and climb up to the castle. Most of thehouses were built upon arched foundations,which beingnow disclosed,looked hke themys-terious recesses of a feudal castle, and the tow-ers intended for the defence of the street, withloopholed walls, contributed to give the townthe semblance of an ancient fortress. Thereare several oldGreek churches in the town, con-spicuous from their numerous domes and quaintstyle of architecture: that called the metropoli-tan church, near where the Bishop of Spartaresides, is a strange old building, apparentlyconstructed during the lower empire. Thepavement is partly tesselated, the pillars aresurmounted with capitals of various designs,neither Greek, Tuscan, nor Gothic, but trulybarbarous;and on some are inscribed,in the in-comprehensible Greek of the middle ages, thenames of those persons who granted donationsto the church. Higher up thebill are theruinsof an extensive palace, in which are many tracesof gothic architecture; and here it must have

FORTRESS OF MISTRA. 193

been that the ancient despots of Sparta resided,when they transferred thepopulation of Spartato the more secure military position of Mistra:the tradition relative to this building amongstthe Mistriots is, that it formerly was the resi-dence of a great queen in the time of the Vene-tians. It must be observed that the commonGreeks, in speaking of any event that occurredmore than a century past, always say that ittook place during the time of the Venetians.

We had stopped for a short time at an openspot, and were looking upon thebeautiful viewof theplain of Sparta, whena Palicar, who wasascending the hill, accosted us, and asked ifwe wished to see the fortress. He led theway, and we followed, until within hail of theramparts, when he called out in a -loud tone;a voice answered from within, and the gateswere opened bya young lad, who, with the Pa-licar, composed the garrison of Mistra's citadel.A cloud swept over the hill at this moment,and prevented our seeing all the magnificenceof our situation;but we couldperceive that wewere on the summit of thepeak, and that thecastle, though badly fortified, yet in the pos-sessionof brave soldiers, would be impregnable,save by famine. At the breaking out of theRevolution, the Turks fled from Mistra with-

o

LOCOTHETI.— THE CURFEW BELL.194

out attempting to defend the citadel, and theGreeks immediately occupied it, and restoredthe fortifications.

Mistra, in1821,contained 20,000 inhabitants,but has now no more than 1500; the rest weremostly Turks, who fled at the breaking out ofthe Revolution, and their property is in thehands of Government. Logotheti is at pre-sent the commissary extraordinary of thisdistrict ; and although be received us very gra-ciously, yet Icould not forget that to his un-principled ambition was owing the dreadfulmassacre at Scio. He it was who, with a smallbody ofPalicars, landed in the island,and triedto excite the inhabitants to revolt ; and then,having succeeded in making them rise againstthe Turkish authorities, was the first to fly anddesert them when danger became imminent.He was surrounded by numerous armed Mai-note retainers, who amused themselves in theevening by discharging their pistols in thestreets, in honour of the Epiphany ; but al-though they are not famed for the urbanity oftheir manners, none of them passed us withoutsaluting and wishing us good day. We re-marked, indeed, that all theMistriotswere veryrespectful. At seven o'clock in the eveningthe curfew bell .sounded; and after that warn-

THE EPIPHANY. 195

ing, none of the Mistriots dared to leave theirbouses, as any persons found strolling throughthe streets would be taken up by the guards.This regulation appeared to be just the samethat existed in our country eight centuries ago,and was quite in character with the ruins webad been examining in the morning.

The 17th was the Epiphany of the Greekchurch, and early in the morning, whilst wewere dressing, six Pappas entered the room,bearing in theirhands acrucifix,a basinofholywater, and a bunch of flowers, with which theysprinkled tbe waterabout the room: Mr.Theo-doraki and his servants then advanced, and thepriests made the figure of a cross on their fore-heads, and pronounced a benediction, whichwas requited by the gift of a few paras: an-other detachment, armed in a similar manner,came shortly afterwards, and renewed the cere-mony ; but, as we were heretics, they did notoffer to bless us. Thisceremony, incommemo-ration of the Baptism of Our Saviour, is per-formed once annually by all the priests of thetown;but, in addition to this, the priests ofthe parish pay a monthly visit to their flock,and having purified their mansion with holywater, receive some trifling remuneration,which, however inconsiderable, is their princi-

o 2

196 ANCIENT MARBLES.

pal source ofrevenue. After thiswe proceeded,under the guidance of Mr. Theodoraki, to seethe few ancient marbles discovered here. Wehoped that, amongst the ruins of the old town,we might have discovered some of the spoils ofSparta, butour search was fruitless. Our ciceronefirstpointed out to us, at the foot of thewalls ofthe old town, a beautiful marble sarcophagus,nowusedasa cistern. It was six feet long, andthree wide:one face representedadanceofBac-chanalians;but the figures, though well execut-ed, were much mutilated. On the opposite sidewere two winged dragons resting their claws ona spiral ornament standing between them, andat the extremities of the sarcophagus were twosphinxes. At another fountain thereis a bassorelievo representing three boys supporting agarland;andIlikewise saw ahead of Bacchus,ten inches high; but the Turks, in their reli-gious zeal, had dreadfully mutilated it. These,and a few fragments of marble columns, hereand there built into tbe walls, are all the relicsthat Mistra possesses of the ancient arts.

The rain that hitherto detained us at Mis-tra having ceased, we mounted our horses,and proceeded through the beautiful plain torevisit theruins of Sparta. Near the banks of

197SPARTA.

the Scattias river, at the village of Magula, ourguide showed vis some marbles collected in ayard, until they could be transmitted to thenational museum. They were half hidden in adunghill, and consisted of a mutilated femalehead, and a basso relievo well executed, repre-senting the combat ofa naked warrior with twoAmazons, one of whom he is holding by herlong hair, and, withhis sword uplifted, prepar-ing to strike ; whilst the other is hasteningto her assistance. There was also a small butclever bas relief of anaked youth armed witha sword, and having on his head the Phry-gian cap.

Sparta isnot above two miles from Mistra;and a few minutes' ride from Magula broughtus to the hill of the Theatre, from whence wehad an excellent view of the ruins, consistingfor the greater part of brick walls, constructedduring the Roman government, and so exten-sive, that Iam surprised it should ever havebeen said that of Sparta nothing remained.

Tbe situation of theancient city was in everyrespect admirable: to the east, the plain ofSparta is terminated by a steep declivity ; theground is broken into several small bills, andon the most elevated are the ruins of the

198 RUINS OF SPARTA.

Theatre. At their base flows the Eurotas, andaround them is the fertile plain of Mistra. Onthese hills the city was built; and although thewalls could not have embraced the whole ofthe ancient town, yet they enabled us to traceits probable outline. They are evidently thework of the lower ages, in many places upona Greek foundation, and are formed of brickmixed with fragments of columns, marble tab-lets,&c. Inone part of the walls, we saw theheadless statue of a man clad in the toga; andnear it were several marble slabs with inscrip-tions, but so mutilated, evidently by design,that it was impossible to decypher them. Theseare probably the remains of the Abbe Four-mont'sdestructive labours,as describedbyDod-well. We likewise saw in another part of theruins an inscription apparently recording someact of thecity; the letters were six inches long,but half of the slab was broken off.

Several elevated spots indicate the site oftemples, from whence the stones hadbeen takento build the walls: on one of them were twoentrances formed of three enormous stones, asat Mycenæ, and leading into an open space infront of the temple : the steps of the templestill remain. On the south side of the town isan enclosure in the shape of a parallelogram,

RUINS OF SPARTA. 199

having on one side a range of vaulted cham-bers: this must have been one of the publicinstitutions connected with the exercises of theSpartan youth, perhaps the Hippodrome; butthere is no possibility of ascertaining positivelywhat its purposes were, as Pausanias does notmention any similar edifice;— however, theFrench savants who have lately examined Spar-ta, may be able to throw some light on the sub-ject. Outside of the walls is a squarebuildingconstructed withancient fragments, and near itan edifice supposed to be the tomb of Pausaniasand Leonidas. Theseruins are all that is to beseen at Sparta;but theremust be amine of an-tiquarian wealth not far below the surface, elsehow can we account for thedisappearance of theenormous columns which supported the ancienttemples? We saw some broken shafts of co-lumns of so large a size, that they would notbe removed for the purpose of building a dis-tant town, when more portable materials wereprocurable; and we may therefore suppose thatwhen Sparta was deserted, the houses (being-most probably in great part builtof mud) form-ed, when they fell, an extra layer of soil to thedepth of many feet, and thus concealed theprostrate remains of thepublic edifices and tem-ples. We know that at Athens the soil has

SARCOPHAGUS OF COLOGONIA.200

accumulated to the depth of thirty feet. FromSparta we rode towards a village called Colo-gonia, near the junction of the Scattias withthe Eurotas;and close to a clump of poplars,on thebanks of the river, we were shown a bro-ken marblesarcophagus, discovered accidentallya year ago. The sides are sculptured;but somuch of the upper part is broken, that wecould only distinguish the lower extremitiesof the figures. Onone side we traced warriorsfighting, a river god, some females, and thebase of an altar; and at the end is a spiritedfigure of a horse. What renders this sarco-phagus very singular is, that on two sides thesculpture has been finished, whilst on the otherit is merely sketched. The spot where thesarcophagus was found, agrees with the site ofthe Platinistas, and it may have pertained tosome of themonuments mentionedby Pausaniasas existing there. Mr. Gropius told me thatnear Amyclæ, at Leftka, thereis a tomb simi-lar to that of Agamemnon ; but we had nottime to proceed thither.Iwas highly gratified with what we saw of

Sparta: not only was there much to admire inthe surrounding scenery, but there was also intheruins of Sparta more to be seen thanIhadanticipated, and with the aidof fancyIsupplied

201RETURN TO MISTRA.

the rest: so distinct indeed is Sparta still, thatIshould have been sorry if the Mistriots wereallowed to put into execution a plan theymeditated. After supposing for many yearsthat they were occupying the site of Sparta,they latterly discovered their mistake, and be-fore they commenced rebuilding at Mistra, pre-sented a petition to the President, requestingpermission to establish themselves on the ruinsof the ancient city; but the project was notapproved of by Capo d'lstrias,— one reasonbeing, that the plain close to the Eurotas isnot considered healthy— this evil may be con-quered by cultivation,as the malaria is ge-nerally caused by the stagnate waters left inthe fields, in consequence of a bad system ofirrigation. Mistra is also unhealthy in sum-mer, when the inhabitants are subject to at-tacks of fever andague; and this is accountedfor by the situation of the town: it is exposedto the burning rays of the sun, reflected fromthe mountain, and also to thechill currents ofair rushing down from the snowy summits ofTaygetus, which, checking the perspiration, ofcourse produce fevers.

When we returned to Mistra, we found thestreets decked with orange branches, in honourof the President's fete, which happened to be

202 POUQUEVTLLE.

on the ensuing day, and in the evening theinhabitants were called upon to illuminate.*

* Pouqueville's account of Mistra is a tissue of lies:it isa pity that the Modern Traveller should have given him aplace inhis well-selectedpages. He speaks of Sparta asbeing on the same spot as Mistra, and calls the Scattiasthe Eurotas.

THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH. 203

CHAPTER VII.

Ceremony in the Metropolitan Church.—

Revenues of thepriests.— Present state of the Greek Church.— Mavromi-chalis,or PetroBey.— Remarks on the necessity of colo-nizing Greece.— We leave Mistra.

— Cypress-tiee atTru-pæ. — Fount of the Eurotas.

— Sleep at Spaneika.—

Lon-dari.— Megalopolis— Caritena.— Character of Colocotroni.— Temple of Apollo, atBassæ. — Khan in the plain of Tri-polizza.— We reach Argos.

On the morning of theEpiphany, we accom-paniedour landlord to the Metropolitan Church,to witness the ceremony of the Baptism of theCross, as emblematical of that of Our Saviour.The whole population of Mistra had assembledhere,and the church was crowded to suchan ex-cess that many of the congregation were oblig-ed to remain round the door without the hopesofgetting in; they however had thekindness tomake way for us, and we obtained a place nearthealtar. Asis usual inGreece, thewomen were

A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY.204

separated from the men;the latter stood in theaisle bearing tapers in their hands; but the for-mer, who,Iregretted to observe, wore Turkishveils, were sitting in the galleries. The scenewas one of peculiar interest, as it enabled us tosee the wild mountaineers of these regions ina different light to what is generally expectedfrom them. Here they came to humble them-selves before their God: we hadgenerally heardof them as robbers and murderers.

The service was long; and, at onepart of it,prayers were recited for the sovereigns ofEng-land, France,and Russia, as well as for thePre-sident; and to theseit appeared that thepeasantsbstened with moreattention than to theremain-der osthe service. A lad twelve years of age,dressed in tbe garb of the church, then steppedforward,andhurried through asermon ; and thebishop and his attendant priest, after receivingthe sacrament, advanced frombehind the screen,which in Greek churches separates the congre-gation from thealtar,and proceeded to sanctifya vase full of water placed in the middle of thechurch. During the ceremony, the image ofa dove bearing a piece of paper in its beak,inscribed with the Word of God, was low-ered from the ceiling, and three times dippedin the water, to the edification of the gaping

REVENUES OF THE PRIESTS. 205

peasants. Thus far, great decorum had beenobserved; the men stood uncovered, with theirlong black hair flowing on their shoulders,every head was bowed, and each person crossedhimself; but the moment that the Bishop haduttered the last words of the blessing, there wasa general rush towards the holy water, eachman hoping toobtain some of it to drink : therewas such a clattering of cups and pans, suchshouting andconfusion, thatIshouldhave sup-posed myself witnessing a bacchanalian revel,insteadofaChristianceremony: theBishop withdifficulty escaped from the fray : some mentriumphantly swallowed the holy draught theyhad succeeded in obtaining; and the tablesupporting the vase having been upset, quietwas at last restored. TheBishop now placedhimself in the episcopal chair, and the membersof tbe congregation proceeded one by one tokiss his hand and receive his benediction, atthe same time offering him a pecuniary gift,amounting in all to about five hundred pi-astres. Twice yearly does he make a similarcollection;and this small sum, together withfees upon marriages and burials, composes thewhole revenue of the Bishop of Sparta. Fromthe church lands he derives likewise someassistance, but has no control over them, for

STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH.206

they are at present in the hands of Govern-ment, and their produce is to be employed infurthering the improvement of education. ThePappas, in likemanner, depend upon the gene-rosity of their parishioners for support.

Thedebased state of the Greek Church at thepresent moment, may,Ithink,be considered afortunate circumstance,as it will enable the fu-ture government to model and arrange theirchurch establishment in the manner best suitedto the interests of the country. The ignoranceof the clergy is deplorable; and even the peo-ple feel less respect for their pastors thaninanyother Christian country. Their education hasnever beenattended to;anditsufficed,ifapersonwished to take orders, that he should be able toperform themummeriespractised by thechurch,and recite a few prayers.* Their income beingof a precarious nature, they are all cultivatorsand landed proprietors;and although after or-dination they may no longer marry, their beingmarried before does not prevent their admissionwithin theChurch. Formerly,Greece was over-run with ignorant priests and monks; and inseveral towns there were almost as manychurches as houses;but the Revolution has

* A seminary has been established at Ægina, which con-tains ten or twelve scholars.

STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH. 207

considerably diminished this evil;and the pre-sent Government having prohibited the ordina-tion of priests for the present, it is to be hopedthat this useless, ignorant race will graduallydisappear.

Education, which is so much talked about,and so little attended to in Greece, shouldcommence with the clergy. A seminary oughtto be established solely for the instruction ofthe candidates for holy orders, and the ex-penses might easily be defrayed by the landsof the Church. The superintendence of suchan establishment ought not to be placed in thehands of the priesthood; for, in that case, itwould become a mere nest of superstition;butthere should be a controlling power exercisedby theGovernment, and aliberal system ofedu-cation enforced, andno priests should be ordain-ed until they had passed a strict examination,not only in theology, but in foreign languages,andsubjects of general information. They thenmight be appointed to churches, where theirlearning would enable them to superintend theeducation and morals of their parishioners, nei-ther of which have hithertobeen thought of;—indeed, it says much in favour of the Greeks,that none of their virtues are the result of in-struction,— they areindigenous, and the growthof their own good dispositions.

208 STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH.

The Government has acted wisely in seizingthe church lands; and hereafter it ought to ac-knowledge no priests but thoseof itsown nomi-nation; by this means a reformmay probably beeffected intheecclesiasticalsystem, enabling thepeasant to devote that time to labour, which isnow absorbed in the holidays of the Church.Thereare not less than one hundredandeighty-two holidays kept by the Greeks, when theyare perfectly idle. If we consider what a dread-ful loss of timethis is, we cannotbut hope that,with the progress of education, it will becomeapparent that a system so monstrous in its de-tails isnotcalculated for the interestsof a risingnation;andas thediminutionof the Festas can-not interfere with theprerogativesof the clergy,they perhaps may lend their sanction to achange in their number. Thisalteration mightbe effected by adopting the new style, andseizing that opportunity to throw three or foursaints' days into one.

An ecclesiastical court, composed of threebishops, at present superintends the affairs ofthe Church;but, although they disclaim theright of the Patriarch of Constantinople tointerfere with the temporalities of the Church,they still refer to him on all spiritual matters.Even this nominal interference ought, if pos-

THE PRIESTS. 209

sible, to be shaken off; for it is surely incon-sistent with the liberties of a free people,that they should, in any way, be subject tothe control of a Patriarch nominated by theSultan.* Many years must elapse before theclergy are placed on a respectable footing ;and to obtain that desideratum, it will benecessary to root out several nests of ignorantmonks, whose monasteries have gradually be-come possessedof immenseproperty. Ignorantas are this class of people, yet armed withwealth and the weapons of superstition, theymight become dangerous opponents to the pro-gress of civilization; andas they confer no be-nefit on thecountry, in return for the riches it

*Iwas oneday speaking to a Greek gentleman respect-ing the deficiency of their education.— "To show you," saidhe, " the estimation inwhich they are held, Iwill relate toyou a story current among the people. ' There was a merryfellow once who, wishing to expose the ignorance of thepriests, led an ass up to the Bishop, and respectfully beggedthathe wouldconfer ordinationuponhim.'— 'Outupon you !'said the bishop in a rage, 'how dare you insult the mysteriesof our holy religion by such aproposition?— away with you!'The man turned round,and was leading the beast away,whenthe bishop perceived a purse full of gold hanging to his tail.'Stop, friend,' he cried out,

'Iwas wrong; bring your ani-

mal back; for, although only an ass in front,Isee that hewillmake an excellent priest behind.'

"

210 THE PRIESTS.

bestows upon them, the government need feelno compunction in proscribing their vitiatedcommunities.It is already contemplated by the liberal

Greeks to effect a reform in their churches, andemancipate themselves from the authority ofthe Patriarch,but much opposition is manifest-ed by the bishops and principal dignitaries ofthe church, who affect to view any innovationon their religion as sacrilege. Although soperfectly ignorant themselves of what their re-ligion is founded upon, that they only know itby the ceremonies that they perform, they pro-fess to consider any attempt at reform as anheretical invasion. The President having ju-diciously taken possession of the church lands,disgusted many of the bishops, who view withjealousy any encroachment upon their preroga-tives, and are anxious still to hold their investi-ture from the Patriarch, as it only requires awell-furnished purse to ensure their nomination.Ithowever is evident, that nothing can be soinjudicious as to allow a Patriarch nominatedby and in the interest of the Porte, to have thespiritual control of the Greek nation;and en-lightened men are all ofopinion that the GreekChurch ought to have its chief in Greece,as itis undoubtedly contrary to the canons of the

MAVROMICHALIS. 211

Church, that their Patriarch should be nomi-nated by an infidel. On the other hand, it isfearedthat this will create a schism, there beingthree million two hundred and fifty thousandAsiatic Greeks who would recognise the Patri-arch, whilst Greece could only number sevenhundred and fifty thousand.

We felt considerable regret at not having itin ourpower to visit the territory of Maina, thehighlands of Greece;but even if our time badnot been limited, at this season of the year, itwould have been far from pleasant to travelamongst the snowy ridges ofMount Taygetus :but the Mainotes are already ceasing to forma distinct class from therest of the Greeks;andold PetroBey, (Mavromichalis,) who has cededhis power over them to the government, andlives quietly at Napoli di Romania, upon be-ing asked whether he thought they wouldchange their habits, replied," Do you thinkthat we will continue to live amidst our barrenmountains, now that the plains are open to us?No,— we loved Maina, because it was the landof liberty! but, now that freedom is to be en-joyed in a more productive part of Greece, weshall gradually descend to the valleys." Not-withstanding tbe distinguished part that Mav-romichalis took in the revolutionarycontest, he

p 2

MAVROMICHALIS.212

is strongly suspected of looking back with re-gret to the good old times when he was Bey ofMaina, and possessed of sovereign authority.His official functions are now merely those of asenator, and, instead of having any weight inthe government, he is considered as a cypher.His own words will best describe his senti-ments. A friend of his paid him a visit oneday at a new house he had constructed, andremarked to Mavromichalis, that he thoughtit extremely comfortable;— " Yes," answeredthe chief, "but you should have seen me inmy Beyship of Maina." — "How !" said hisfriend, "do you regret former times? Whatthen induced you to rise against the Porte?"—"Why the fact is, that althoughIwas alreadypowerful and rich,Iwished to become moreso; a crowd of agents surrounded me, andpromised that Ishould be made Prince ofGreece; soIthrew myself headlong into theRevolution.— What has been the result ? Myson was killed. Iwas used as a tool until myservices were no longer required; and now Iam a mere man of dirt."

Anexcursion toMainabeing out of theques-tion, we resolved uponproceeding toLondari,inthe plain of Megalopolis, and therefore turnedaway from the beautiful valley of the Eurotas.

NECESSITY OF COLONIZATION. 213

Of tbe various parts of GreeceIhad seen, noneappeared to me so welladapted to colonizationas the plain of Mistra; and a personwishing topurchase lands inGreece would act wisely in se-lecting this spot for bis residence. The bestground, havingformerly belonged to theTurks,is now in the hands of Government, and willeventually be offered for sale— and thebest landalready planted with olives,mulberries, oranges,and vines,and capable of being irrigated, may,at the present moment, be purchased for fivehundred piastres the strema.

No measure couldpossiblybemore conduciveto the interests of Greece than encouraging fo-reigners to become purchasers of governmentproperty, on the condition of actual residence.The population of the Greek kingdom beingonly 750,000, is so inadequate to its extentof territory, that to do justice to the fertilityof the soil,andnatural advantages of the coun-try, it is absolutely necessary that coloniza-tion should be resorted to; but that this sys-tem may not tend to theprejudice of the actualproprietors of land, and to prevent the nationbeing burthened with the support of strangers,it must be carried on solely at the expense ofindividuals. Foreign purchasers of governmentlandsshould pledge themselves to supply a sus-

214 ADVANTAGES OF COLONIZATION.

ficient number of labourers for their cultiva-tion, and this arrangement would entail butlittle difficulty upon them, as the island ofMatra could easily supply several hundred in-dustrious families ; and after the first year, theproduce of the land would be sufficient to sup-port them. An English speculator, instead ofseeking in America the means of increasing hiscapital, might here invest it in the purchase ofproperty in one of themost favoured countriesinEurope;and the distance from England isso slight, thata person might come out in four-teen days, view the different parts of the coun-try, select a spot calculated to meet his views,(weighing well thepossibility of irrigation, andthe facilities offered for the disposal of his pro-duce,) and, having possessed himself of thene-cessary information, return to England withinthree months. It would be unnecessary forhim to enter into any extraordinary expensesfor agricultural implements, those used in thecountry being sufficient until a year's expe-rience had taught him what would be mostuseful. Tobacco, wheat, oil, cotton, wine, silk,are but a few of the articles produced in Greece,which in able hands might be turned to thegreatest advantage; and the first cost of his es-tablishment would be trifling, as tbe price of

CHARACTER OF THE PEASANTS. 215

building is inconsiderable: the houses are offragile materials,— but, for the first few years,this wouldbe immaterial. A house calculatedfor a small family maybe built for fifty or sixtypounds, and those for his tenantry would notcost one-third of that sum.

Theadvantages that would accrue to Greeceby the introduction of monied men amongstthe agricultural class are manifold. TheGreekpeasants at present, in many respects, are notundeserving the name which their ancestorsbestowed upon the polished Persians— "Bar-barians.'' They pride themselves upon beingdistinct from Europeans.* Their manners arestill Asiatic— they have no ideahow to employtheir money ; and when by their industry theyhave succeeded in saving a few dollars, insteadof laying them out in the purchase of land, inimproving their houses,or educating their chil-dren, they bury their treasure in the ground,

* They always call the inhabitants of ChristendomEuropeans, as if they were themselves Asiatics. A Greekgentleman belonging to one of the ancient families of theFanar was visited by an old Moreot, who expressed him-self delighted to see him; but, on remarking that he wasdressed in the Frank costume, observed

— " Why do youwear those clothes just like an European ? recollect that youare a Greek !"

216 CHARACTER OF THE PEASANTS.

and only occasionally spend a portion of it inpurchasing a fine dress for holidays. A manwhosehouse isnot worth ten dollars, willspenda hundred inpurchasing an embroidered dress.

The first symptoms of civilization in a barba-rous nation is a demand for the conveniencesand luxuries of life, and to this state the Greekhusbandmanhas not yet attained: by followingthe path of his fathers, he secures to himselfprovisions and clothing, and he looks not be-yond them: he is content to live ina miserablehut,amidst his pigs and poultry, rather than,bycallinghis energies into play, rise from his de-graded state. He cultivates the lands that hisancestorscleared; but, although hehas sufficienttime to plant a great deal more, he will not doso. He is content to wallow in filth, and wearhis unwashed clothes until they bterally fall offhim, provided that three or four times a yearhe can appear decked out in finery ; he is, infine, but little removed in his wants and habitsfrom a savage;and Ihave seen many nationswhom we stigmatize as uncivilized, that werenot more so than the Greeks. Now, wereEuropeans to settle in the country, and availthemselves of the capabilities of the soil, theGreeks, who at first would besurprised at theirstrange customs, yet on viewing the benefits

FOREIGN SETTLERS DISCOURAGED. 217

they produced, would not fail to imitate them:they would gradually see that the sickness towhich they are subject during the summermonths, proceeds less from the climate thanfrom their own filthy habits; they would feelanxious to pursue the improved manner offarming followed by the colonists; they wouldlearn that money is a useless drug when hoard-edup, but that when incirculation it constantlyincreases its value; and thusby degrees wouldfresh vigour be infused in the social fabric.

With the increased demandfor articlesoflux-ury would follow a proportionate employmentofshipping;and theislanders, insteadofseekingservice with the Turks and Egyptians, mightfind employment under their own flag. It ap-pears, however, that thepresent Government isquite averse to the introductionofeither Frenchor English settlers; and the President wishedto enact that none but Greeks should becomepurchasers of land, but this theNational As-sembly had the good sense to negative. Hehowrever refused to grant letters of naturaliza-tion to an English gentleman who has settledin Greece, and whose unpaid services duringthe war gave him a claim to this indulgence.The sale of the national lands, if left open tocompetition, will more than liquidate the debt

218 CYPRESS-TREE AT TRUPÆ.

of 1,800,000/., for which they now stand pledg-ed to the holders of Greek bonds;and thena-tional purse, delivered from this dead weight,would derive an increased revenueinproportionto the augmented produce of the ground.

On the 19th we took leave of Mr.Theodo-raki, who obstinately refused to accept any re-muneration for tbe trouble we bad given him,but expressed a hope that we would sometimesremember the young Spartan. We howevergave his servants some money;and when heheard that we haddone so,he ran after us,appa-rently much annoyed, and exclaimed, "Mon-sieur, vous avez deshonore ma maison"

Previous to entering the road to Londari, wewent to see a magnificent cypress-tree situatedina romantic glen a mile from Mistra,at a placecalled Trupæ. Through the glen ran a torrent,and among therocks were pine and fir-trees,butabove them all the cypress raised its head. Theruins of a small mosque were near the tree, andhere, under the shade of its drooping branches,the Mistriot Turks were wont to smoke theirchibouques, and regale themselves with sherbet.The trunk of the tree, at three feet from theground, is thirty-four feet in circumference.

From Trupæ we descended to the Londariroad. It winds along the banks of theEuro-

FOUNT OF THE EUROTAS. 219

tas, which is hemmed in by mountains on ei-ther side. The oleander, arbutus, and mul-berry tree, were growing in abundance, and inspring must render the scene very beautiful.There were, however, no habitations, and itwas only at the termination of four hours'ride that we reached Paravadyes, where ourbreakfast afforded great amusement to the sur-rounding rustics. We looked for the nume-rous traces of antiquity said to be visible onthis road, but saw none;and the only objectpossessing any claims to notice was a small hill,well adapted for an Acropolis, and supposed byGell to have been the ancient Belemina. Herewe left the plain, and ascended the hills form-ing the westernboundary, betweenLaconia andArcadia: for some miles they were arid andbarren, until we reached a spring issuing fromthehill side, and near it were the ruins of anancient building. This was the fount of theEurotas, though it appeared to me that manyother mountain streams had a better claim tothe honour of giving birth to that classic river.

We hadbeen informed thatLondari was onlynine hours distant from Mistra; but after a fa-tiguing ride of twelve hours, we were still farfrom the town. A pyrgo, with its dependentvillage, on a distant hill, was the only shelter

A VILLAGE CHURCH.220

that offered itself to us, and we therefore re-solved to continue our journey; but our mule-teersmutinied ;theydeclared that their animalscould proceed no farther, night had set in, andwe were obliged to stop at a small hamlet onthe summit of the ridge separating Arcadiafrom Laconia.

There did not appear to be morefour huts in the village, and to these wesent Theodore as an ambassador; but at allhe was refused admittance. At last his reite-rated knocks brought out a savage-lookingwretch, with pistols in his belt, who flatly re-fused to giveus a lodging. We said that wewere Franks, and that we would pay him; buthe did not credit our assertions, and we had theunpleasant prospect before us of passing thenight in the open air, exposed to the frost andto a bitter north wind. We fortunately hadremarked near the villagea smallbuilding, appa-rently ruinous and untenanted— this we pro-posed to occupy; andalthough it was thevillagechurch, the man offered no objection. Theroof was partly broken, earth and rock formedthe floor, and the only symptoms that we ob-served of its being a church, were twopaintingsofSt. Athanasius, to whomitwas dedicated, andwho, decked in blue and gold, and holding a

A BIVOUAC. 221

pastoral crook, seemed to view our intentionswith dismay. We were glad to take possessionof this miserable tenement : a broken column,whichstoodupright in tbemiddleof the church,served as a candlestick: wood was procured;we made a tremendous fire, and spreading ourblankets on theground, withmuleteers and ser-vants,formed a circle around it. Tbe villagers,finding that we did not intend to plunder them,brought us some wine; we had provisions,and managed to make ourselves very comfort-able.* Two young savages came in to stare atus. They had never seen Franks before, andlooked with astonishment at our proceedings.

* Comfort is so comparative, that none but those whohavebeenwandererson the faceostheearthcan tell in whatitreally consists;andaperson unaccustomed tohardship wouldsmile onhearing a house withouta roof, and a bed formedwitha cloak, calledcomfortable ;but a travellersoonlearns tomoralizeupon his situation, and thinks less upon his actualposition than what it might have beenifhe had neither shel-ter nor covering, as may probably have occurred to him be-fore: heconsoleshimself forhis present discomfort,by recol-lecting the time when he slept under a tree, exposed to allthe violence of the storm, without fire to warm, or cloak toshield him:heremembershowoften he hasbeen hungry andthirsty, without the power of satisfying either want; andwhen he looks upon a scene such as that whichwe formed,he considers it, compared with what he has known, one ofgreatcomfort.

222 SPANEIKA— LONDARI.

" Here,Hellenes !" said Theodore, as he threwthem thebones we had left ;and forthwith theyseized and began to gnaw them with the great-est delight : they were quite wild. After turn-ing them out, we barred the door, placed ourpistols beside us, and did not fall asleep withoutsome expectation of a fight before morning.Day however broke without any interveningoccurrence, and we pursued our way. Thiswas the only time that we met with inhospita-lity in Greece, andItherefore record thenameof the village,— it was Spaneika.

A ride of two hours brought us to Londari,now a mere heap of ruins : there were onlyeight houses occupied, although once it hadbeen a town of some importance : it is situ-ated on a bill at the extremity of Mount Tay-getus,and commands a magnificent view of theplain of Megalopolis, which is partly coveredwith woods of oak, and partly cultivated: theAlpheus winds through it,and a-tall, black cy-press, the only one in the plain, marks the siteof Sinano, the ancient Megalopolis. Londariwas defended formerly by a citadel, and thewalls still remain, and appear to be tbe work ofthe Venetians: there is also a curious old Greekchurch, which the Pappas assured me was builtby the Emperor Andronicus. We examined

S1NAN0. 223

tbe interior, in hopes of finding an inscription,but only saw the name of a French travellerscribbled on one of the columns. The remainsof aminaret showed that the church had oncebeen sacred to Mahomet, whilst some antiqueremains betokened that a heathen God hadlikewise been adored in the same spot. Thesupremacy of different religions in turn, isoftenexemplified in Greece. Almost every Greekchapel was built on theruins and with themate-rials of an ancient temple;— thencame theMa-hommedans, who converted the churches intomosques ; and now the Revolution has againrestored them to their original functions. Aninscribedmarble lying near the church appear-ed to have been the pedestal of a statue, butthe only wordsIcould distinguish were, Pont,and Cos. A school, on the principle of mu-tual instruction, adjoined the church, and thedirty little wretches who were playing aboutbegan chattering their lessons as loudly aspossible, when they saw us approach, hopingto impress us with a high opinion of theirlearning.

Sinano, where we breakfasted next day, isinhabited by an Albanian colony, and in a moreprosperous state thanmostof the villages wehadpassed. Colocotroni's standard-bearer seemed to

RUINS OF MEGALOPOLIS.224

be the principal person in the village, and hishouse stood close to the ruined pyrgo of theTurkish Aga, to whose expulsion he had nodoubt contributed.

His son accompanied us to the ruins of Me-galopolis, which are a quarter of a mile be-yond Sinano. The theatre,being the largest inGreece, is considered an object of curiosity; butafter seeing that at Epidaurus, this had fewclaims upon ouradmiration. Theother vestigesof temples are numerous. Megalopolis, thoughfounded by Epaminondas, and the birth-placeof Philopcemon, has but little historical fame:it was built for thepurposeof counterbalancingthepower of Sparta, and being unequal to thetask, fell as rapidly as it had risen. All greatcities derive their size and power either fromtheir situation in the centre of a state, orfrom their local advantages being such as toavail them for the purposes of trade; butMegalopolis bad none of these. The inhabi-tants were gathered from the various districtsof Arcadia, and thrown together without pos-sessing interests in common ; and after itsfoundation, the Arcadians (who were alwaysquarrelling amongst themselves) did not sup-port Megalopolis, and thus it soon sunk intoinsignificance, and now is scarcely to be dis-

CARITENA. 225

tinguished from the plain around. It sharedthe fate of its rival, Sparta,— over both theplough has passed.

From hence to Caritena the distance isthree hours ; but we found the road to be somuch cut up by the rain, that we were muchlonger in performing it. Caritena is on a hill,commanding the entrance to the plain of Me-galopolis ; the hills of Messenia and Arcadiastretch across the valley, and would close it,but that the Alpheus has forced its way be-tween them, leaving on each bank a tremen-dous precipice ; whilst on the left rises MountLycæus, partly covered with wood. The hill,surmountedby the castle,risesabruptly from thebed of the Alpheus,and forms a most imposing-military post : on its slope the town is built, intbe manner of the feudal times, when the serfsought for protection under the ramparts ofhis baron's castle. The view from the castle issuperb, and the outward appearance of the for-tress realizes those pictures of feudal strong-holds, which Mrs. Radcliffe presents to herreaders. Around us were lofty mountains,some covered with snow, othersremarkable fortheir bold, rocky features; below us was thetown, so completely commanded by the castle,that we onlv wanted an Asmodeus tohave un-

Q

226 CASTLE OF CARITENA.

roofed the houses, and we should have seen theinterior of all. Far beneath the town there ap-peared a rent in the mountain, and at the bot-tom of this chasm flows the Alpheus, but it isonly seen when it emerges from the glen lowerdown the valley.

The castle appears to be of Venetian origin,and was repaired by Colocotroni during thewar: it contains tanks for water, granaries, andtworanges ofbarracks, as wellas a house for thechief. A few guns are mounted on the ram-parts;but itsbest defencewouldbefrom a goodfire of musketry. Caritena was the spot wherefirst the Revolution blazed forth in the Morea;and when the Greeks armed themselves, theTurks fled to the castle, (thenin ruins,) wherethey held out until the arrivalof succours, whenit became the turn of the Greeks to fly ; theTurks burnt the town; but when Colocotroniadvanced withhis troops, they retreated to Tri-polizza ; and Colocotroni, being sensible of theadvantages offered by tbe castle as a militarypost, repaired it asIhave above stated, andheld it during the remainderof thewar. WhenIbrahim made his first visit to Caritena, the in-habitants abandoned the town to the flames ofthe Egyptians. As soon as he retired, they re-built their houses;— he came a second time,

CARITENA. 227

and again set fire to their dwellings; a thirdtime they rebuilt them, and the perseveringIbrahim once more marched his devastatingbands to the town. There are now about onehundred houses, containing six or seven hun-dred inhabitants, who appear to be less impo-verished than most of the Moreots; our host,for instance, had a comfortable house with pa-per windows, and the walls of our apartmentwere decorated with two brace of pistols, threesilver-mounted muskets, and two ataghans,captured from the Turks. All the men hadserved under Colocotroni, who is a native ofCaritena;and in the plunder of theTurks theywere amply recompensed for the destruction oftheir houses. There were several shops in themain street, but the most conspicuous were ablacksmith's and an armourer's, bespeaking theruling pursuits of the inhabitants to be war ;indeed, the armed retainers of Colocotroni,strolling about, gave quite a military appear-ance to the town.

Of all the people produced by the Revolu-tion, no one has been more conspicuous thanColocotroni. His career was extraordinary, and,likemany other events in Greece, reminds us ofthe feudal era, when personal strength and cou-rage were qualities which oftenconferredpower

Q 2

228 .CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI.

andnobility on the possessor, and transformeda bandit into abaronial chieftain.

George Colocotroni, the father of the pre-sent chief, was well known and much dreadedthirty years since, as the leader of anumerousband of robbers, or kleptbs, who infested thevicinity of Caritena, and in the mountainsaround founda safe retreat from the pursuit ofthe Turkish cavalry. In those days, the pro-fession of klepth was looked upon by theGreeks as one redounding to the credit of theoppressed nation ;— instead of viewing the rob-beries committed by the kelptbs with alarm,they felt proud that a small body of independ-ent men should laugh to scorn thepower of thePorte, and within the heart of its dominionsinflict daily injuries upon the wealth or personsof theOsmanlis :— they forgot the robber in thepatriot;they fancied that the hardy klepthskept alive a spark of liberty in their breasts,which, sooner or later, would kindle into aflame,and as the event proved, they were partlyright in their conjectures.

There were manyof these lawless fraternitiesscattered throughout Greece, where they con-tinued to defy the power of the Turks, attimes appearing in large bodies when a par-ticular object was to be gained, and at others

CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI. 229

living peaceably with their families, as if no-thing was farther from their habits than a lifeof warlike adventure. In his father's band,composed of thematerials above described, Co-locotroni commenced and finished his educa-tion;and when hehad attained theage of man-hood, there was not a path in the Morea un-known to him. At this time, however, we findthat, forsaking his early haunts,he crossed overto the Ionian Islands, and enrolled himself inone of the Greek corps then raised by theRussians in those islands; and when the sove-reignty of the septinsular state was vested inGreat Britain, he entered our service, and, ifImistake not, became a non-commissioned offi-cer, or a subaltern, in Sir Richard Church'sGreek light infantry. The Greek corps weresubsequently disbanded, and Colocotroni set-tled at Zante, where he entered into a contractto supply the island with cattle from tbeMorea.He thus kept alive his influence amongst hisMoreot countrymen; and when the intrigueswhich had for years been maturing, with theview of effecting a Revolution in Greece, wereconfided to him, he entered at once into thescheme ; andknowing that his influence wouldenable him to assemble a numerous band, fore-saw that the career now offered would gratify

CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI.230

alike his love of power and avaricious propen-sities. It is unnecessary for me to detail hisproceedings during the war; suffice it to say,that his ambition has been completely gratified.His influence over the Moreots is uncontested ;hehas madeCapo d'lstrias feel this,andobligedhim to pay dearly for his friendship, or else findhim a bitter and troublesome enemy ; and hehas filled his coffers with the plunder of Tri-polizza and other parts of Greece. Thus hasthe robber transformed himself into the chief-tain; and already, no doubt, does he look for-ward to the arrival of his sovereign, that hemay be decorated with the insignia of chi-valry, and transmit his name ennobled to hischildren.

Colocotroni was absent from his castle attnis time, and we were consequently not so for-tunateas a friendof mine,who,passing throughCaritena two years ago, was most hospitablyreceived by the chief The conversation theyhad will give a tolerable idea of the patriot-ism innerent in Colocotroni's character. Capod'Tstrias had just landed at Napoli, and Mr.R observed, that it was a fortunate cir-cumstance for the Greeks, as they would nowbe able to live in quiet" Ah !" said the old klepht, " these new

LEAVE CARITENA. 231

times are very bad indeed; formerly, ifIwant-edhalf a dozen sheep,Isent to the first flockIsaw, and took them with or without leave :Ineverbad to buy a horse; there were plenty intbe country. Idid just asIpleased, and no-body dared remonstrate ; but now that thisPresident is come, Icannot takea feiv sheepor fowls, but the rascally villagers go and makea complaint, and thenIam written to by Go-vernment about them ! Bad times, these !"

Colocotroni has two sons: the eldest distin-guished himself during tbe war, and obtain-ed amongst tbe Greeks a high reputation forcourage; the character of the second is quitethe reverse;his education has been more ci-vilized, and he is looked down upon as beingeffeminate.

The weather was now so fine, that we didnot anticipate many obstacles inour visit to theTemple of Apollo at Bassæ, six hours distantfrom Caritena, which we left on the 22nd, anddescending to the Alpheus, crossed that riverby a bridge of singular construction, fromwhence the view of the castle,* and of the

* In the sketch of this scene, a mistake was made, eitherby the engraver or myself. It is calledCastle of Calavirta,instead of Caritena.

—(See plate.)

232 A VALUABLE RELIC !

Alpheus, is superb. We then ascended themountain, and at every step enjoyed some va-riety in the scenery : our road was the samedescribed by Dodwell, and we had some diffi-culty in persuading our muleteers to follow it,as they werebent upon proceeding to Andriz-zena, and thereby gaining an extra day's pay.

A peasant armed with a musket, met us onthe road, and after theusual salutation,calledusaside with a great air of mystery, and first look-ing cautiously around to see that our muleteerswerenotobserving him,he drew from his vest asmall packet carefully tied up. This we hopedmight contain some ancient coins;andweanxi-ously awaited until he had unfolded severalcoverings, and at last produced a little bit ofshrivelled wood with two glass beads in it, sothat it seemed like a monkey's face.— "Look!"said the man : we looked, but could not com-prehend what he meant us to do.— "Igave,"said he, " one hundred dollars for this, to adoctor in Anatolico;andIwould not part withit for any sum that you could offer." —

■ Weagain examined this valuable relic, but couldnot discover its virtues;and at last be told us,that whether it came from God or tbe devilhe could not say, but that it was an infalliblecharm against wounds of every kind!

TEMPLE OF APOLLO. 233

We left the fool glorying in his purchase,and proceeded up the mountain through wildscenery, interspersed with masses of rocks, andoak forests, and having passed a village calledAmpelione, halted at Skieru. The latter is asmall hamlet in one of the sequestered glens ofthis mountain range, and the white slate thebouses were roofed with, and the patches ofsnow on the rocky peaks above, made the scenevery wintry. We here left our baggage, andhastened on foot to climb tbehill of the tem-ple, and during forty minutes that our walklasted, we were constantly looking to the sum-mit, in hopes of seeing "thecolumns," but itwas not until within a few yards' distance thatwe perceived them.

To see the ruins of a handsome temple in solone a spot as this, surrounded on all sides bylofty mountains, and far away from any habita-tion, creates an interest in the scene whichwould not be felt were the ruins near a town,but here there is no disgusting object to con-trast between thepresent and past : the Greek,your guide, who leans against the columns, isprobably attired in the costume worn when thistemple wasresorted to; andthe wreck aroundap-pears tohavebeencausedby the jealousy of somerival power, rather than by the handof Time.

TEMPLE OF APOLLO.234

Thirty-five columns are still erect, thepave-ment isperfect, the marble ceiling is scatteredin fragments around, as if it had just fallen in,and there is nomiserable habitation of the pre-sent day near enough to defile the spot; thetemple is grand in its solitude. Toits secludedand inaccessible situation we may attribute itspreservation; and it might have been hopedthat, after combating successfully against time,during 2200 years, its remains would havebeen respected in the present day — Not so: theman in whose hut we lodged at Skleru, boastedthat he had thrown down two columns in orderto extract the lead from their fastenings ; butthere was an excuse for this,as the lead so pro-cured was cast into bullets, and expended insuccessfully defending the village against aparty of Ibrahim's troops. The temple wasdedicated to Apollo Epicurius,and constructedby the architect of theParthenon:its discoverywas accidental, the persons who first saw it hav-ing been led to tbe spot by a hare they werepursuing. The frieze of the temple had fallen,and was covered with rubbish; but this hav-ing been cleared away, the sculptures now to beseen in tbe British Museum, under the namesof thePhigalean marbles, were discovered, andbrought to England by Mr. Cockerel!. The

TEMPLE OF APOLLO. 235

view from the temple embraces the sea, Modon,Arcadia,Messene,Mount Taygetus, and count-less hills and valleys in the foreground ; andour situation was so elevated, that the cold waspiercing. The thermometer fell below freez-ing point, and a northerly wind was blowing,which made us feel it very sensibly, and in-duced us to hastendown towards Skleru. Thecold was such, thatIcould not hold my pencil.

Theinhabitants of Skleru are a robust set ofbeings, and well adapted to the wild spot theyreside in, for they appeared to have no wishesbeyond what their valley could gratify. Theirhousehold utensils were allosthe plainest kind;the trunks of trees hollowed out, formed thereceptacles for their winter's store of corn ; thewomen made theclothing, and the valley sup-plied them witha sufficiency of food: they werefree from the Morea fever and the excessivebeats of summer, but they couldnot escape thegreater plague— Ibrahim. The women also ap-peared to possess more influence over tbe men,and to be more independent than in any of thevillagesIhad yet seen.

We procured a guide at Skleru, who agreedto take us to Sinano by a different road fromthat we came by. He kept his promise; andinstead of moving through the valleys, we sol-

236 DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER.

lowed the ridge of the mountain, and passedsome fine oak forests, where, however, we re-gretted to see that many venerable trees hadbeen wantonly burnt. The shepherds are thegreatest enemies of the old trees in the Arca-dian forests. Theannual fall of the leaf causesan accumulation of rich soil under the tree,which,if exposed to the sun, throws forth thebest grass imaginable : the shepherds, in orderto secure this, set fire without remorse to thetrunks of the oldest trees in the forests, andthus, for a few hours'profit, destroy what ithastaken ages to mature : formerly there weretrees in the vicinity of villages, but these hav-ing become the scene of insult to the femalesfrom the Turks, the Greeks seized every op-portunity of felling them. The destructionof timber is advancing so rapidly, that unlessthe Government interferes, the] Peloponne-sus will ere long be bare. Pausanias speaks ofranges of mountains covered with forests, whichare now without a single tree, and the soil thatwas held on the high lands by the woods hasbeen washed into the plains, leaving the hillyground barren and unprofitable. Greece pos-sesses such treasures within herself, that, underproper management, she need not be depend-ent upon Venice for her timber ; some of her

237AN EXTENSIVE VIEW.

mountains abound with fir and pine, and thetorrents rushing from them into tbe plain mayeasily be made the means of transporting tbefallen wood.

The road gradually ascended, and we foundourselves near Mount Lycæus, where Jupiterwas nursed. Iclimbed to the summit, and wasrewarded by one of the most extensive viewsIever beheld. At one glance,Isaw the IonianIslands, and two-thirds of the Morea. Elis,Arcadia, Messenia, and Laconia, were beforeme, girt round by the Mediterranean, and thesnowy range of Mount Olenos. Icould dis-tinguish the situation of Modon, Messene,Arcadia, Pyrgos, Olympia, and Chiarenza;andnot far distant was tbe plain of Megalopolis,and the winding Alpheus. There was snow onthe mountains, but the clear blue sky was un-speckled by a single cloud, and the morningsun shonebrightly. On descending from hencetowards Sinano, we came to a valley betweenthe two peaks ofMount Lycæus, where are theruins of a temple and hippodrome, sacred toPan, in whose honour games used formerly tobe held here.

After a ride of two hours more, we arrivedat the banks of the Alpheus; the water wasnot more than three feet deep in the middle of

238 KHAN IN THE PLAIN

the stream, and we had no difficulty in fordingit, preceded by a guide mounted on stilts.Eight or ten women and girls were standing onthe bank, preparing to cross over to the villageof Bromasera, with the bundles of wood theyhadbeencutting in themountains; and withoutin the least heeding our presence, they tuckedup their garments, and like as many Naiads,plunged into the stream.

We slept at Sinano; and having promisedour muleteers three days' pay if they wouldtake us to Argos in two, we next morningcrossed the plains ofTripolizza,and stopped forthe night at the khan of Ayiruithica, at thefoot of the pass leading to the Lake of Lerna.

A khan is the humble representative of aninn;and, previous to the war, khans were to befound on every road;some were erectedby richTurks, who entertained travellers gratis, whilstothers were built upon speculation. This onewhere we halted had lately been re-established,and consisted of a stable for the cattle, and along room with an earthenfloor : one end wasfilled withprovender, and at the other was thebar, where aquadente, wines, and provisions,might be purchased.

We congratulated ourselves upon obtainingsuch a refuge from the bitter cold, and having

.'■'free/nan.sc.

VPOT.LOAT

BAS3Æ.

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-Y*-:1830.

OF TRIPOLIZZA.239

lit a fire in the middle of the room, preparedour provisions for supper,but we were not longthe sole occupants: presently came in threeGreek gentlemen, with apretty littlegirl, andtheir attendants, and these made another fire ;and having cooked their meat,commenced pull-ing it to pieces with their fingers. Severalmerchants next entered, laden wdth sacks fullof figs and cotton, and skins of oil, they werebringing from Calamata; whilst other traderswho were on their way thither were carryingbullocks' hides for sandals. They came in oneby one, anddeposited theirloadson the ground;and then, withoutceremony, invadedour circle,and squatted before the fire, where they cate-chised each other as to the success or failure oftheir speculations. We succeeded at last inreconquering ourhearth,and, lying down, triedto sleep; but in the middle of the nightIwasawoke by a chattering near me, andIsaw thatour friends had very quietly placed themselvesbetween us and the fire, and were enjoying itswarmth at our expense. Then when morningdawned, the uproar was deafening: — one fel-low hada horse-load of live fowls ; these beganto crow : the men bustled about, removingtheir sacks and loading their mules; and thelandlord and half a dozen of his lodgers were

JOURNEY RESUMED.240

screaming and swearing at the full extent oftheir voices about onepara, the fortieth part ofthreepence halfpenny. By degrees the tumultsubsided, each party pursued its way, and weresumed our journey.

The morning was so cold, that we wrappedourselves in great coats, shawls, &c, as if wehad been in England ; but we could not keepourselves warm ; the water which had spreadover the road was frozen, and the pools werefull of ice. A good fire at a khan where webreakfasted had the effect of thawing us; andwhilst we were there, the three Greeks whomwe had seen the preceding evening likewisecame in andbreakfasted, but the little girl wasnot with them; and when we were goingaway,we observed that they had left the poor childsitting outside near the ice, exposed to thepiercing north wind, and looking so cold andunhappy, that we felt quite indignant at theconduct of her protectors, who, however, tookno notice of her misery.

Theroad from hence was good ; we enteredArgos at an early hour, and were delighted tofind ourselves once more within the sphere ofcivilized life; and the comforts ofa well-regu-lated English establishment made us doublyfeel how much inconvenience our love of the

RETURN TO ARGOS. 241

classics had induced us to support. In truth,travelling in Greece, at this season of the year,can scarcely be called pleasant :— bad roads,bad horses, wet baggage, dirty hovels insteadof houses; vermin, cold, and countless otherplagues, are what a traveller must expect, whoundertakes a winter's tour in theMorea. April,May, and June, are the proper months ; andthen travelling is delightful.

R

NOMINATION OF PRINCE LEOPOLD.242

CHAPTER VIII.

Nomination of Prince Leopold to the Sovereignty.— Disap-pointmentof Capo d'lstrias.

— Opinions of the Greeks.—

Discussions relative to the Frontiers.— Epidaurus.— Arri-

val of the Duchess ofPlaisance at Ægina. — We proceedto Athens; anchor in the Piræus.

— Karaskakai.— EnterAthens

— Bey's Palace.

Shortly after our return to Argos, the no-mination of Prince Leopold to the sovereigntyof Greecebecame publicly known, and this in-telligence caused as much dismay to the parti-sans of the President's family, as it did pleasureto the liberal minded and intelligent portion ofthe inhabitants,— theRoumeliots, the Islanders,and theconstitutionalparty, formed the latter;whilst the ignorant Moreots, who were entirelyat the beck of Colocotroni, composed the for-mer party, backed by the council miscalled Se-nate, which, asIbefore observed, contained abody of illiterate men quite devoted to the willof Capo d'lstrias:— his words were their words,his wishes their wishes; and in parodying the

STATE OF PARTIES. 243

words of Napoleon, he might with justice ex-claim, "What is the Senate ?— the Senateis me!"Weighty reasons had been urged tobind Colo-cotroni to the causeof Capo d'lstrias;and manyof the Moreots, who were favoured beyond allthe other Greeks, lent their wishes to thePre-sident. On the other hand, the Roumeliotsand Islanders, who were the only Greeks thatfought during the wrar, and merit any praisefor their patriotism, having had their servicesdisregarded, and even treated with derisionby the President and his parasites, and formonths been kept under arms without an os-tensible motive, and without pay to save theirfamilies from starvation, until in their despairthey threatened to remunerate themselves bythe plunder of the more fortunate Moreots;— who saw no hopes of improving their con-dition but in the arrival of a sovereign, whosefirst duty would be to act with justice towardshis subjects — these hailed the nomination ofPrince Leopold with unfeigned delight.

The constitutional party also at last foundtheir wishes gratified: all that they requiredwas a Prince, who, setting himself above thespirit of faction, would devote his talents solelyto the amelioration of their unhappy country;and (without being too subservient to Eng-land and France, or, like the President, the

R 2

PROFESSIONS OF CAPO DTSTRIAS.244

mere slave of Russia,) maintain Greece on afooting with the Allied Powers, which wouldevince her deep feelings of gratitude for theirexertionsinher favour, and not militate againsther independence.

When the nomination of Prince Leopoldwas first publicly talked of, the President af-fected to treat the report with contempt;butwhen the fact became subsequently known, heexpressed himself delighted with the decreeof the Allied Powers, and said, " that fromthe commencement of his government, hehadbeen constantly impressing upon them the ne-cessity ofplacing a foreign prince on the throneof Greece; that, for his part, he had long beentired of public life, and wished to pass theremainder of his days in retirement ; but if hisdear country required that he should still de-votehis talents to her cause, he would willing-ly serve underLeopold as minister, or in anyother capacity."

To those who were acquainted with Capod'lstrias's character, these professions seemed ofdubious import; in the exaggerated and ma-licious reports subsequently circulated amongstthe people, it was easy to perceive that somedeep counterplot was in agitation ; and so wellwere his subordinate engines worked, that hesucceeded in maturing his projects, and (as the

245HIS DEEP DESIGNS.

result proved) threw imaginary difficulties inthe way of the sovereign, which caused hisresignation, and delivered Capo d'lstrias fromthe fear of English influence. Capo d'lstriaswell knew that if a British Prince ascended thethrone of Greece, his power would terminate;he had long since given up allhopes of impos-ing upon the clear-sightedness of the BritishGovernment, who had pierced through theflimsy veil he cast over his designing policy;he knew that the false patriot appeared tothem in bis true colours, and by an under-hand intrigue could he alonehope to counteractthe fate which he foresaw awaited him. Thesenate was called; hepulled the strings of hispuppets; and whilst he uttered the words, theobedient machines performed whatever theshowman required.Iwas speaking one day to an extremely

clever Greek gentleman relative to the changelikely to ensue in Greece on the arrival ofPrince Leopold, who,he hoped, would hastenhis departure from England; and by a strangethough just comparison — " The first sevenyears of the Revolution," said be, "maynot unaptly be termed our hell; the last two,

our purgatory ; and we now, in the acces-sion of Prince Leopold to the throne, hopeto realize our paradise. Those who have really

246 PRINCE LEOPOLD.

the welfare of Greece at heart, view the no-mination of the Prince as the measure, ofall others, that they could most have desired.Greece, in his appointment, sees that not onlythe wishes of the Allied Powers, but also herown feelings, have been consulted;and that,far from having a sovereign imposed uponher, she has, in fact, been a party in his se-lection ; for, in 1825, when first she soughtthe protection of Great Britain, she requestedthat Prince Leopold might be sent to pre-side over her interests. — Under his govern-ment, in five years we may hope to see Greecea flourishing country: the wounds caused bythe Revolution are already partially healed ;

and although the spirit which should animateand fully awaken the energies of Greece is stilldormant, it isnot from there being a deficiencyof materials to work upon,butbecause therehasbeen no controlling power to call it forthanddirect its first impulse. Thatbeing once given,and life infused into the weakened frame of thiscountry,its prosperity will increasemost rapid-ly. The recent events in Greece may be com-pared to those fires which, in consuming thewithered herbage of the mountains for a time,cause the land to seem bleak and desolate; butafter the first beneficent shower, the verdantgrass springs up, the shrubs sprout forth anew,

OPINIONS OF THE GREEKS. 247

and it appears that the flames did but clearaway the noxious weeds and enable the youngplants to shoot without resistance. So itis withGreece. The fire of the Revolution destroyedevery thing,andconverted thecountry intoa de-sert; the President's rule checked the fartherprogress of tbeflames ; and wemay nowhope tosee them extinguished, and that our devastatedcountry will again spring into existence."

Although the question as to whom theGreeks were to receive as a sovereign was nowconsidered as almost set at rest, the minds ofthe people were still agitated by tbe desire tolearn what were to be the limits of the newstate, the moderate parties feeling convincedthat a small territory with absolute indepen-dence was most advantageous to their interests;whilst tbe others,wilfully forgetting the small-ness of their population, and tbe difficulty theyhad even in making good their ground in acorner of the Morea, deprecated any curtail-ment of the ancient Greek territory, and saidthat it ought, at least, to include Mount Olym-pus, as that was the abode of the Greek Gods,and all thecountry betweenit and Corfu ! TheSuliots wished for Epirus, the Thessalians forThessaly, the EubSans for Eubcea, the Can-diots forCandia; andIevenheard some Greekssay, that they considered tbe Allies hadbehaved

248 RELATIVE POSITION OF

ill in not giving them Constantinople. Theexact boundary was not generally known whenIleft Greece; but it has since become a mat-ter of discussion, as being coupled with theresignation of Prince Leopold. Let us seewhat claims the Greeks have to the territorywhich has been so artfully demanded for themby Capo d'lstrias.

To whom does Greece owe her indepen-dence? Not to herself; since, but for theinterference of the Allied Powers, there wouldnot have been at this day a single Greek alivein the Morea. In1827, Ibrahim Pasha was infull possession of the whole country, exceptingNapoli di Romania and the small district ofEpidauria : he had an unbounded command ofmen, money, and ships: he was flushed withvictory, and fixed in his determination to slayor capture every Christian he could meet:—and what had the Greek Government to opposeto this power ? A pennyless treasury ; anavywithout equipments ; a dispersed army;anddivided councils! In Eastern and WesternGreece, their position was notmore flourishing.The Vizier Kutayieh,afterdefeating their army,was in quiet occupation of Attica, the greatestpart of BSotia, and Eubcea. The fortressesin Western Greece were occupied by Turkishgarrisons; and the Greek forces were nominal.

THE GREEKS AND TURKS. 249

In the islands, the Greeks had been rathermoresuccessful : they stillheld Samos; but in Can-dia, the great object of their ambition, theTurks had the upper hand.

Greece was at the last gasp, when the Alliesstept in betwixt her and destruction. TheFrench army landed:— Ibrahim was forced toforego his advantages ; and tbe Morea, beingunder the protection of Maison's force, Churchwas enabled to clear Western Greece from theenemy ; so that, when hostilities ceased, therelative possessions of the contending powerswere as follows :—

GREECE. TURKEY.

Attica.The Morea.Acarnania.Ætolia.

BSotia.Eubcea.Candia.Samos.

The Cyclades.

This position of the two states rendered itdifficult for the Allied Powers to decide asto the future boundary of Greece, withoutinfringing upon territory belonging to eitherparty. With what appearance of justice, then,could they possibly say totbe Porte— Youmustcede to us Attica, BSotia, and EubSa,as theyare required for the new state; but we willnot

250 EXERTIONS OF THE ALLIES

offer youan equivalent:and what would Greecebe without Athens, and how useless Attica,unless its right flank were rendered secureby the cession of BSotia and EubSa? TheGreeks themselves had undoubtedly no claimto a voice in the debate;they owed every thingto the Allies: without their interference, theywouldstillhavebeen slaves,and the victims of atyrannical persecution;but this interference wasnot set forth for the purpose of gratifying thepride of the most vain-glorious people uponearth;it was not with a view to heap additionalinsult on the headof our ally the Sultan, nor toformakingdom with his provinces,because theybore names endeared to us by classical recollec-tions. The mere wish to pacify Europe, and thedictates of humanity, induced us to side withthe Greeks as a suffering Christian nation, andobtain for them a resting-place. We first usedarguments in their favour, but were unsuccess-ful;we thenappealed toarms, andshedourbloodin their cause when they deemed it hopeless ;and surely the Greeks had no right to interferein the arrangement of the territory they couldnot defend, and which was won for them bythe Allies. In the line of demarcation pointedoutby the Protocols lately published, the AlliedPowers have acted with a due regard to the in-terests ofGreece and Turkey. The latter cedes

ON BEHALF OF GREECE 251

Attica and BSotia,and receives in return Acar-nania; the Cyclades remain to the Greeks; butSamos, being an Asiatic island, reverts to theSultan, who gives up EubSa, and retains Can-dia. The Grecian state thus forms a compactbody, comprising an extent of territory capablenot merely of supporting the seven hundredandfifty thousand inhabitants, at which its popula-tion is now estimated, but also the wholeof theGreeks scattered throughout the Ottoman em-pire. There is no doubt but that the naturalboundary of the Greek state exists in the moun-tains running from Arta to Volo;and if theAllied Powers, with any show of justice, couldhave demanded that line, in its full extent,fromthe Porte, it would have rendered the frontierapparently more secure ; but it is already safe;and those who adduce the chances of invasionin support of their argument, why the Aspropo-tamo should not be the western boundary, for-get that there is more safety to Greece in theguarantee of the Three Powers, than in themostformidable frontier she could select; and thatit is improbable an attack should be made inthat direction, whilst Great Britain occupiesthe Ionian Islands with a strong military forceready to act at a moment's notice,and that thetroops of France are garrisoning the Morea.

The question as to the hardship of obliging

252 GREEK FRONTIER CONSIDERED.

the Acarnanians (who are undoubtedly thebest of the Greeks) to leave their native pro-vince, is one of minor importance. The finestlands in Greece are now at the disposal ofthe Government, and will prove an ampleremuneration for the barren soil of the coun-try they leave behind them;and, as they havetheir houses yet to build, it is immaterialwhether they construct them in Acarnania orin Ætolia.

If it be asked, why the Allied Powerschanged the line of frontier originally allottedto Greece, the answer is easily found, by theirhaving released the Greek states from all alle-giance to the Porte, as was contemplated whenfirst Arta and Volo were pointed out as thelimits of the twocountries;and themost ardentfriends of Greece cannot possibly object totbe cession ofa barren district like Acarnania,in lieu of an odious tribute, which, whilst itwounded the national pride of the Greeks, leftan opening for the future intervention of thePorte in their affairs. From whatIheard inGreece,Iam convinced that the enlightenedclass in that country is perfectly satisfied withthe arrangements of the protecting Powers;and, although the Acarnanians may grumble,and Capo d'lstrias stillwagea paper war againstEurope, there is not much reason to suppose

EPIDAURUS. 253

that their arguments will effect any alterationin theplan now settled upon.* * * * *

At the end of JanuaryIleft Argos for Epi-daurus,on my way to Ægina, whereIexpectedto meet Captain Gordon, who had sailed forParos, purposing to visit Athenson his return.

The ancient town of Epidaurus stood on apoint of land projecting into the sea, and form-ing on either side a sheltered bay, admirablyadapted for the vessels of the ancients; butfew ruins are now visible. On the road-side isa headless statue of a male figure, in a recum-bent posture; and on tbe summit of the hill, anumber of sepulchral chambers are to be seencut in tbe rock. It appeared to me that manyof these hadnotbeen opened ;andthere is everyprobability that their contents would repay forthetrouble of excavating them.

Pidavro, the modern village, contains aboutthirty houses, and a wine shop, which acts asan inn for those who are delayed here by con-trary winds. This was my case. Iwas oblig-ed to remain a whole day in this den, in com-pany with some Greeks from Salona, one ofwhom assured me, that in excavating nearDelphimany inscribed marbles and other curio-sities had been discovered in a cavern, whichmay perhaps be the celebrated cave where the

254 THE DUCHESS OF PLAISANCE.

oracle was delivered. However, upon suchauthority as this, it is impossible to form anopinion ; and althoughIsubsequently wishedto verify his report, by sailing from Corinth toSalona, the weather was so bad that Icouldnot fulfil my intention. When Athens is thecapital of Greece, Pidavro, being the pointof communication betwreen it and Argolis, willbecome a place of some importance.Ireached Ægina in time to witness the de-

parture of the Russian fleet for the Baltic.During my absence, the Duchess de Plaisanceand her daughter selected Ægina as their placeof residence. These ladies, who are extremelywell versed in classic lore, came to Greece withthe determination of spending the remainderof their lives amidst the ruins of Athens; andas they are possessed of a large fortune, Greecemay feel much obliged to Themistocles andLeonidas, for having inspired them with thePhilhellenic mania. It is to be feared, how-ever, that disgust may induce Madame dePlaisance to leave Greece sooner than she at firstintended; for she has been terribly undeceivedin her classic dreams. She expected to find"Hotels Garnis" in Greece; and she has beenobliged to occupy a most wretched mansion !Should she remain, itwillbe inher power to do

PROCEED TO ATHENS. 255

a great deal of good; but she must turn herattention to tbe living, not to the dead.

On the 2ndFebruary, CaptainGordon and I,accompanied by Mr.Gropius, whose long resi-dence, as Austrian Consul at Athens, enabledhim to acquire a perfect knowledge of theantiquities of that spot, embarked for Athens.The day was lovely ; and the Gulf of Corinth,scarcely agitated by the breeze, hemmed inby beautiful mountains, and studded withislands, presented a most beautiful and pla-cid scene, enhanced by the recollection ofmany a classic tale. A light wind wafted usgently round Ægina ;and as we gradually ap-proached the coast of Attica, the Parthenon,which at first appeared a mere white speckupon the distant grey mountains, assumed amore decided shape, and at last we coulddistinguish its columns and adjacent buildings.We then passed Salamis; and when we ar-rived opposite to Psytalia, a gleam of sun-shine fell upon the hills where Xerxes satwhen he viewed the discomfiture of his fleet,and enabled us to distinguish the spot wherehis throne is supposed to have been placed;but a little Greek mistico was the only barkthat moved upon the water.

Shortly afterwards we sailed through the

256 ANCHOR IN THE PIRÆUS.

narrow entrance of the Piræus, having thetomb of Themistocles on one side, and theremains of the trophy erected by the Athe-nians, after the battle of Salamis, on the other;and anchored opposite to a ruined convent,whichhadbeenwarmly contestedby the Greeksand Turks in 1827. The Albanians, who de-fended it, at last capitulated to the Greeks,with the proviso that they should be permit-ted to rejoin theTurkish army;but when theywere marching out, the accidental dischargeof a pistol wras construed by tbe Greeks intoan act of hostility; and, notwithstanding theentreaties of their officers, they attacked theprisoners, and began to massacre them. TheTurks, in the hopes of saving the Albanians,opened their batteries upon the mass of com-batants, and killed many, both friends andfoes ; but, nevertheless, the Albanians wereexterminated. The battle of Athens tookplace soon aftenvards;and the Greeks beingdefeated, the Acropolis surrendered to theTurks, and is now the only fortified post theypossess in Greece. A small body of irregulartroops, under the command of a Bey, forms thegarrison, and the chief is very civil to stran-gers;but,unfortunately, willnot allow any oneto enter the Acropolis, from the foolish ideathat they wish to spy thenakedness of theland :

KARASKAKAI. 257

we,however, hoped that Mr.Gropius, being anold acquaintance, would induce him to relent.

We lost no time in landing, and bent oursteps towards the town. On our right, atthe termination of the high land formingthe Piræus, the spot was pointed out to uswhere Karaskakai, one of the best of theGreek generals, received his death-wound.—Karaskakai was a Thessalian by birth, andklepht by profession ; and his mother, whowas attached to a band of Klephts, had nur-tured him in the manner which best becameone whose future life promised to be of astormy nature. His early habits inured himto fatigue, and accustomed him to war ; andno stigma was attached to his profession bythe Greeks. The klepths, as Ihave beforeobserved, were considered in the light of in-dependent soldiers;and as the Turks werethe chief sufferers by their predatory attacks,the Greeks viewed them with feelings of re-gard, and identified their cause with that ofthe nation. Undaunted courage, considerabletalent, and unbounded generosity, were qua-lities which soon raised Karaskakai above hiscomrades; andhis own ambition prompted himon every occasion to take the lead. Prodigalalike of his money and his person, sharing thefatigues of his men, and participating in their

s

258 KARASKAKAI.

privations, he succeeded in obtaining an un-bounded controlover the soldiery, who viewedhim as their idol ; and his early experience ofthe Turkish and Greek mode of fighting, ren-dered him capable of employing bis men tothe best advantage. He was, therefore, emi-nently suited to the times in which he lived;and those qualities which would have renderedhim a dangerous and troublesome man undera settled government, were of use during thestormy periodof tbe Revolution.

Karaskakai's death was deplored as a na-tional misfortune, especially as his life wasthrown away in an insignificant skirmish, at atime when his talents were most required.At the commencement of 1827, hehad takenpost in the vicinity of Athens, where hewatched the Turks who, under Kutayieh,were besieging Fabvier in the citadel; andwhen Lord Cochrane and General Church re-solved upongiving battle, he united his forcesto theirs, and stationed himself near the hillIhave alluded to. Three days previous to thebattle of Athens, some Palicari who had beendrinking too freely, proposed to rush forwardand attack a small Turkish entrenchment intheir front ; and, without officers or system,they ran up to the Tambour; but the Turksresolutely held their ground, until supported

ENTER ATHENS. 259

by fresh troops. More Greeks advanced tothe aid of their comrades, and by degrees theskirmish became general. Karaskakai, who hadbeen ill,and was in bed, upon hearing the fir-ing, mounted his horse and galloped to thescene, with the intention of calling off hismen; but having been separated from hisfollowers, he was attacked by three Turkishspahis, one of whom wounded him in theabdomen with a pistol shot. He was carriedback to his tent;but the wound bled inwardly,andhe died next day.

A walk of an hour and a quarter, on aroad along the foundation of one of the longwalls connecting Athens with the Piræus,brought us to the modern gates of the cityof Minerva, when the Turkish officer on dutyasked us to enter the guard-room and performthe ceremony of drinking coffee and smokinga pipe : and when he thought that his civilityhad made a due impression, he asked for someEnglish gunpowder. It was moonlight whenwe entered Athens, and the wdiite columnsof the Parthenon shone brightly above us.We could also see the venerable Temple ofTheseus; but the rest of the town seemed a

mass ofruins. Weadvanced cautiously throughthe silent and deserted streets, betwixt crumb-

s 2

THE BEY'S PALACE.260

ling walls and tenantlesshouses;and the voicesof our party were the only sounds that brokein upon the stillness of the night —

we thencame to a part of the town which had beenconverted into a bazaar, and found ourselvesamidst a number ofdirty Albaniansand Turks,who were lounging about near tbe only mosquestill left to the followers of Mahomet in the" landof the free."

The Bey's palace was not far distant, and hadformerly been occupied by Mr. Gropius, whomust have felt a little annoyed at being a sup-pliant for hospitality at the gate ofhis own man-sion. It was an extensive budding, and gaveusa good ideaof what modern Athenscontainedwhen she existed. There was a square courtinside, and in the middle of it from a fountainspouted a plentiful stream of water. A largeopen gallery, communicating with all the roomsin the house, looked over this; and the apart-ments, though now dirty and dilapidated, hadbeen adorned with gilding and painting.

TheBey was absent on a hunting-party; buthissecretary, an old Turk withorthodox beard,and (according to Mahmoud)heterodox turban,ushered us into the presence-chamber, gave uspipes and coffee, and, whilst supper was prepar-ing, occasionally offered us rum and water. At

TURKISH SUPPER. 261

eight o'clock supper was announced,and an at-tendant presented us with a towel, and pouredwaterover our hands;and then a round coppertable or tray, two feet high, was placed beforeus. Somepieces of bread were thrown on this, awooden spoon was given to each person, and along napkin spread over our knees, and then wewere regaled with soup, and six other dishes insuccession,from which we helped ourselves withour fingers.* A cup-bearer stood behind, andpoured out wine forus;andan Albanian soldierin his martial costume held the lamp in onehand, whilst the other rested on his pistols.Around were crowded anumber of Turks andAlbanians, who stood motionless, with theirhands grasping their ataghans and pistols, as ifbut awaiting the nod of the chief to use them.It was a truly Eastern scene, and more charac-teristic than any thing thatIsaw at Constanti-nople. Notwithstanding the strangeness of thedishes, and the disagreeable operation of eatingwith our fingers, we did ample justice to theBey's hospitality ; and after being again dosedwith coffee and tobacco, spread our blankets onthe divan and slept.

*Ionce asked an Albanian woman why she didnot use afork ineating. She held up her hands in answer,and said,Youhave only one fork;Ihave ten!

RUINS OF ATHENS.262

CHAPTER IX.

Ruins of Athens.—

Monument of Lysicrates.— Temple of Ju-piterOlympius.— Fount of Callirhb'e.— Temple of Theseus.— The Pnyx.— The Parthenon.— The Erechtheion.— Beyof Athens.— Ypsali and Padishah.— The Maid of Athens.— Value of Land.

—Sieges of Athens.— Operations of Sir

Richard Church.—

We sail for Salamis.

Athens has been so fully described, that inmentioning its antiquities,Ido not pretend tocast any new light upon the subject, but merelyto point out what has been injured, and whathas escaped during the war of the Revolution.Mr.Gropius led us in succession to every thingthat was remarkable;and we couldnot have hada more excellent cicerone. The destruction ofthe town has also exposed to view all the an-cient buildings, which still tower in conscioussuperiority above the modern ruins that liearound them. We first proceeded to the walland seven Corinthian columns forming one sideof the Pantheon of Adrian, and since answer-ing as a support to the Vaivode's palace;andfrom thence to the octagonal building known as

RUINS OF ATHENS. 263

the Temple of the Winds, which having beenclearedfrom the surrounding houses, appears togreater advantage than it ever did before;butthe fall of the adjoining walls has increased theaccumulation of soil,and there are now at leasteight feet of the building concealed by therubbish. It had formerly been a Tekke, or cellof dancing dervishes, but they have long sincedisappeared; and it is now unoccupied, unlessperchance the owl should choose to rest there.We saw many of the sacred birds winging theirway over the ruins of the city, and utteringdoleful cries, as if wailing for its destruction.We walked round the base of the Acropolis,and looked wistfully at the forbidden groundabove us; below, our glance wandered over amass of ruins.

We went next to the Theatre of Bacchus,and examined the cave behind it runningunder the Acropolis, but the Chorasgic monu-ment of Thrasyllus of Decelia, which adornedthe entrance, was destroyed during the war.Below the Theatre is the monument of Ly-sicrates, better known as the " Lantern ofDemosthenes." The convent within which itwas built is now level with the ground, andthe monument rises above the rubbish thatformerly concealed the greater part ofit. MrGropius caused it to be strengthened in some

MONUMENT OF LYSICRATES.264

places where it threatened to fall, but his carehas been rendered almost nugatory by the de-predations of the Turks, or of soi-disant ama-teurs, who, since last May,have not only muti-latedseveral figures of the beautiful bas-relief,but also wantonly thrown down one of the Co-rinthian capitals, and deprived that side of thebuilding of its necessary support. The maniafor destruction which actuates all those who vi-sit Athens is incredible. Every youngster whoobtains leave to have a cruise on shore, thinksitnecessary to carry offa pieceofmarble as arelic :if tbe bead or legofastatue,so much thebetter.A stone is seizedand applied asahammer to oneof the finest bas-reliefs ;offflies a fragment, andon board starts tbe midshipman with his prize.Some years since, a letter was picked up atAthens, written by one of the midshipmen of aman-of-war stationed at the Piræus, to his mess-mate who was at Athens, requesting him toknock off another piece from the Caryatides, ashe had lost the marble he took with him!

After deploring the damage inflicted by theignorant in this direction, we bent our stepstowards the banks of the Ilissus; where sixteenCorinthian columns of the magnificent templededicated to Jupiter Olympius are to be seen.The enormous size of these,* their beautiful* Sixty-eight feet high.

TEMPLE OF JUPITER OLYMPIUS. 265

proportion and exquisite workmanship, strikethe beholder with astonishment; the chasteseverity of the Doric temples pleases the eye,but these ruins surprise it; and if so few co-lumns have such an imposing effect, what mustitnot have been when onehundred and twentywere standing! Upon the summit of two ofthe columns, a fanatic, who wished to emulatethe fame of Simeon Stylites, constructed a her-mitage, where he passed his life, dependingupon the charity of the righteous or supersti-tious for support ; but the tenant is long sincedead, and the ill-cemented mass of stone form-ing his airy habitation, threatens at every gustof wind to fall from the place it has usurp-ed, and mingle with its kindred rubbish. Onfollowing the banks of the Ilissus,here a mererill, we came to the ruins of a bridge leadingacross it to the Stadium, in shape a parallel-ogram,between two high embankments, wherein former days the multitude assembled to seetheprize of swiftness offoot contendedfor : onone side was the Temple ofVictory, where thesuccessful candidates were crowned;and by astrange coincidence, its ruins were convertedintoan entrenchment,eitherbyTurksorGreeks,during thelast war : the Goddess, however, en-raged ather worshiphaving beensolongneglect-edby theGreeks,lent her aid to their adversaries.

266 FOUNT OF CALLIRIIOE.

The fount of Callirhoe, whither the Athe-nian maidens used to resort for water, nextattracted our attention

— two dirty half-cladAlbanian women washing their rags in thestream, were but poor substitutes for the con-temporaries of Lais and Aspasia. All indeedthat we see in Greece is directly in oppositionto classical romance. Trajan's gate is still un-injured, but is no longer used as an entranceto the town, whither we returned through awretched Turkish gate, having as lintela largepiece of inscribedmarble taken from the ruinsof a temple constructed by one of the RomanEmperors. Spon gives the inscription, onehalfof which he found here, and the other at Ve-nice. On our return to the Bey's palace, weexamined an old Greek church, almost entirelybuilt of sculptured stones; another was point-ed out to us as having been once a Lutheranchurch, then a Catholic chapel, next a Greekchurch, latterly a school on the Lancasteriansystem, under the direction of the PhilomuseSociety,* and now a stable or pigsty. Athens

* The Society of the " <&IA0M0Y20I" (Friends of theMuses) was instituted at Athens previous to the Revolution,and intended for the purposes of disseminating knowledgein the Romaic language, furthering education,and restoringthe fine arts. The annual subscription was three or fourdollars, and all travellers were invited to become members.

TEMPLE OF THESEUS. 267

is full of churches: where one ought to havesufficed, there are six or seven ; and their roofsbeing all arched, they are the only buildingsappearing to be still uninjured by the alternateravages of the Greeks and Turks. A towerbuilt byLordElginfor the reception of a clock,intended perhaps as a peace-offering for the in-juries he inflicted on the Parthenon, is also aconspicuous object.

Of all that Athens presented worth seeing,there was nothing that pleased me so muchas the Temple of Theseus, still almost perfect,although twenty-two centuries have elapsedsince its erection, still an incomparable modelfor chasteness of design, and solidity of con-struction. How lamentable it is to relate,that a building which withstood the shock ofearthquakes, and the barbarous spoliations ofits barbarous possessors until the present cen-tury, should within these few months havehad its eastern pediment destroyed irreparablyby some Turkish wretches, for the sake of ashilling's worth of honey ! A swarm of bees,unhappily for the temple, not content with thesecurity of their domain on Mount Hymettus,established their hive within the crevices ofA donation was expected from them in lieu of the annualsubscription, and they received a diploma, and a gold ringhaving on one side the head of Minerva, and on the otherthe owl with the letters AGE-

268 THE AREOPAGUS.

the pediment. TheTurks discovered the spot;they climbed to the roof; and finding that thehoney could not be extracted without over-throwing a portion of the building, they withconsiderable difficulty hurled down one-half ofthe pediment, which now, insteadof its chasteoutline, presents a broken and rugged breach.Some of the figures in basso-relievo have alsobeen lately mutilated :here,one of the Lapithæhas had a leg knocked off; there, a Centaur hasbeenbeheaded ;but these injuries are the worksof virtuosi. The western endof the temple wasseverely injuredby a flashof lightning, in1821,which threw down a part of the cornice, andshattered one of the columns; but, notwith-standing this, the Theseion is still the mostperfect temple in existence. The interior hadbeen a Greek church, and is now a stable forthe Turkish cavalry ; under the dung we sawsome inscriptions marking the site where anEnglishman named Watson was interred.

We next walked to the Areopagus, and thento the Pnyx,* where the assemblies of thepeo-ple used to be held. The stand of the orators,and the seats of the magistrates, being cut out

* The Pnyx was excavatedby the orders of Lord Aber-deen, when he travelledin Greece, about twenty years ago:but for him,it wouldhave been undiscovered.

THE PNYX. 269

of the solid rock, there is no doubt as to theidentity of thescene;andalthough not inclined,like Chateaubriand, to rhapsodize about everyold stone thatIchanced to see, Icould not butfeel a littleenthusiasm whenrecollecting thatIstood upon the exact spot where Themistoclesand Aristideshad so often agitated the multi-tude by their debates;where Alcibiades hadmisled them by the brilliancy of his oratory;where Pericles had first taught them to feel adistaste for the simplicity and poverty of theirancestors ; and where Demosthenes had thun-dered forth his philippics : but of those whospoke, and those who listened, not even themodern representatives were to be seen;

"anotherrace,

Another generation fills their place!"

The remnants of entrenchments, a broken gun,and the voices of Turkish soldiers warning usnot to approach their post on the hill of themuseum, recalled to our memory that Asiaticbarbarians were stillthe lordsof Athens. OncemoreIhope that the Pnyx may be trod by therepresentativesof Greece,and that the sovereignwill there make his first speech to his people.

In this vicinity somecurious sepulchral cham-bers are hewn in the rock, and one of themhas received the name of the tomb of Cimon;

THE PARTHENON.270

whilst another, with still less probability, iscalled the prison of Socrates. From the Pnyxwe had an excellent view of theParthenon,andsaw with regret that the columns and pedimenthadbeendreadfully shatteredby thecannonfromhence, and from the batteries at the monumentof Philopapus. What, in fact, was supposed to

be the safeguard of the Parthenon has causedits ruin; thestrength of the Acropolis, as a mili-tary post, having exposed it to a siege on everyoccasion that war raged in the country around.

The first and severest injury it sufferedwas inflicted by the Venetians of Morosini'sarmy, in 1697, a shell from their batterieshaving fallen upon the powder magazine form-edby the Turks within the temple, and causedan explosion which overthrew many of thecolumns on both sides. From that period,until LordElgin commenced his depredations,it sustained little injury;but in extractingthe Metopes, his Lordship's agents, to savethemselves trouble and expense, destroyed agreat portion of the frieze unnecessarily ; andduring the last siege, the cannon of the Turkshas contributed to the work of demolition, andalso shattered the left wing of the Propylæa.TheErechtbeion has not escaped unhurt. ATurk of rank, who fled from the town at thetime of the first insurrection, placed his wife

THE ERECHTHEION. 271

and harem within the temple, supposing thatits massivearchitecture wouldsecure them fromthe shot of the enemy ; and in order farther toward off danger, he caused a quantity of earthto be heaped on the roof. The weight wasevidently too great for the dilapidated build-ing; but reckless of this, and, like a truebeliever, trusting to Providence, he retiredwith all his family to rest there. During thenight the temple fell in, overwhelmed all thosewho were beneath it, and caused the deathof eight persons. Spon relates a story aboutSt.Demetrius the bombardier,who once upona time destroyed a cruel aga in the Acropolis,by exploding bis powder magazine. Had theGreeks of the present day been versed in thehistory of their country, they might with equaljustice have supposed the suffocation of thepoor Turkish women to be a punishment in-flicted by their ancient gods, indignant at theprofanation of their temple. The Theatre ofHerodes Atticus, below the Acropolis, is a finespecimen of ancient architecture;but we couldnot see the interior,it being comprised withinthe fortifications of the citadel.

The remaining antiquities that Mr.Gropiusshowed us were the columns forming the por-tico of the Agora, and dedicated to Augustus ;and near them, on the road-side, is a marble

272 A MAGNIFICENT TORSO.

tablet which had hitherto been immured in ahouse, but now stands alone, and is inscribedwithnumerous regulations of Hadrian's,relativeto the sale of oil. Not far from this is a hand-some marble sarcophagus ; and at the door of aGreek church are two marble chairs,ornament-ed in basso-relievo, and so made as to form asemicircle when placed together.

Thefall ofa house has lately disclosed a mag-nificent Torso of a Persian or Caryatides. Thefigure is that"of a man nine feet high; his legs

ARRIVAL OF THE BEY. 273

terminate with a fish's tail, turning up the back,andresting on the shoulders ; the head and armsare broken off, but the rest of the figure isper-fect;andhalf-buriedintheearth near it isa simi-lar statue, having only the head and shouldersat present visible. An excavation here wouldprobably bring some curious pieces of sculptureto light;but thetrouble willbe considerable,theearth having accumulated over ancient Athensto the depth of twelve feet, and in many placesnearly thirty. The houses being built withearth instead of mortar, every ruin continuesto increase the accumulation of the soil ; andthe last demolition of Athens raised it morethan a foot.

Whilst we were walking round the town,

discussing with Mr. Gropius where the newcity ought to commence, and building nume-rous castles in the air, we observed a body ofcavalry advancing at a gallop on the plain :—this was the Bey and his escort ; and when wereturned to the house,he was already installedon bis divan.

There was nothing in the appearance of theBey to point out bis superiority in rank : bisdress indeed was shabby ; and, instead of con-forming to Mahmoud's costume, he wore theproscribed turban and pelisse. His eyes were

T

RECEPTION BY THE BEY.274

still red from the excesses of the precedingnight, for, like many other Osmanlis, he deem-ed it no sin to swallow the contents ofa fewbottles of rum;and this pernicious habit hadstamped his features with the marks of dissi-pation. He, however, received us courteously,andspoke twoor three words of lingua Franca,acquired, as he said, during a voyage to Leg-horn, which, in his opinion, was at the otherend of the world;but his travels hadnot addedto thedignity ofhis demeanour;andIsoonper-ceived thathe was far inferior in manners to themembers of the court circleIhad seen at Con-stantinople. His rank, in point of fact, was notvery exalted, as his real office was that of selic-tar, or sword-bearer, to his cousin the Pasha ofNegropont, whose authority extended over At-tica and the other portions of Eastern Greecestill held by the Turks. His page, ahandsomeyoung Cretan, with the features of an Anti-nous, stoodbeside him, dressedmost gorgeouslyin the Albanian garb;and the other end of theapartment was filled with his armed retainers,aworthless crew, composed of indolent wretches,who, for food and lodging, are content to swellthe train of a great man, and add to his appa-rent importance.

HIS RANK AND DEMEANOUR. 275

At Athens, the Bey affected the rank of aPasha ;and each person who entered the roombent low before him, and made numerous obei-sances in the most servile manner ; whilst atEgripo, the Bey would demean himself in asimilar way before the Pasha. In his hand,the chieftain helda rosary composed ofninety-nine beads, for each of which a good Moslemmust utter one of the epithets of God;andwith this he played whilst he entered intoconversation with Mr. Gropius, who informedhim that a Prince had been nominated by theAllied Powers as sovereign of the Morea." Well," said he, "and nowIsuppose that theEnglish and French are coming to drive mefrom hence. The English want Greece forthemselves; they have already got Corfu;andnow they are anxious to obtain possession ofthe Morea. You will not make me believethat they lent the Greeks money, and attackedour fleet at Navarin, merely from affection tothe Hellenes!— No, no : they are wiser thanthat:— they gave money, because they knewthat the Greeks could never repay it;and thusthey would have apretext for seizing the coun-try. However,Godwilling, as soon as we haverecovered from the last war, we will conquer

t 2

276 CONVERSATION OF THE BEY.

Greece again. We asked for peace now ; notbecause we were afraid of tbe Muscovites,butthat we were weary of the long continuance ofa war which had separated us from our families,and made us even as strangers to our children.You do not think that we were deficient insoldiers ? The Sultan had only to issue a fir-man, and he could raise as many thousands,ortens of thousands, as he pleased : they wouldcome from every part of the empire, from onethousand, two thousand, three thousand milesdistant1"

Rum and water was now offered to usby thepage, and the Bey took repeated draughts, gra-dually forgetting to mix it with water, until atlast it was almost pure spirit. We were quitesurprised that he should be so well suppliedwith this beverage ;but tbe sourceofhis wealthbecame accidentally disclosed to us. Mr. Gro-pius proposed that we should visit a smallkiosk at the top of the house, whence therewas an excellent view ; and when the secreta-ry conducted us thither, we discovered that ithad been converted into a spirit store ; shelvesfull of lemons were ranged round the room;several loaves of English sugar were piled upin one corner, and some dozens of bottles la-

THE BEY'S LEVEE. 277

belled with the word "Rhum," in large let-ters, were on the floor. It is fortunate forthe Turks that Mahomet was ignorant of tbevarious uses of the sugar-cane; but as theProphet had never heard of rum, and that hisguardian angel did not reveal its future ap-pearance to him, that spirit was not excludedfrom the beverage of tbe true believers, who,availing themselves of the omission,drink rumto excess. Captain Gordon increased theBey'sstock by a present which we knew would bemost acceptable to him. A supper, similarto that of the preceding evening, closed ourevening's entertainment; and the Bey, whoseeyes were beginning to glisten, having stretch-ed hismattress on the floor, and retired to rest,we followed his example. Before daybreaknext morning, the Bey commenced smokinghis pipe; and shortly afterwards, the officersunder his command came to attend his levee—

■

each making a humble salam, and then squat-ting in a circle on the floor, or at the extremityof the divan where we were sitting, coffee andpipes being the succedaneum for conversation.AGreek also came into theapartment,and reada letter he had received from the chief ofa vil-lage, in BSotia, seven hours distant, acquaint-

278 A REQUEST DENIED.

ing the Bey that four Delhis bad been attack-ed by a Greek banditti in the mountains, andthree of them murdered. This intelligence,though listened to with great calmness, did notplease him much; he declared that Vasso andthe other Greek chieftains at Salamis connivedat these attacks, and participated in the spoil ;and it is very probable that he was right in hisconjectures. Men were forthwith dispatchedtobring the heads of the delinquents, but theirerrand seemed likely to prove fruitless.

We had hitherto deferred asking the Bey'spermission to enter the Acropolis, in the hopesthat, as we became better acquainted, hemightbe induced to grant it; but we could no longerdelay ;and Mr.Gropius, in a whisper,made theimportant communication, begging the chiefnot to decide in a hurry, but to deliberate wellon the subject. This he certainly did : formore than an hour he kept us seated on thedivan doing nothing; and at last, when wehoped that our patience wouldbe rewarded, hedenied our request. "It was," he said, " be-yond his power;for that he was surroundedbya set of scoundrels, who would avail themselvesof tbe slightest opening to misrepresent his con-duct, andeffect his ruin. Were he to grant thedesired permission, it would be said that Cap-

YPSALI AND PADISHAH. 279

tain Gordon had bribed him;and the loss ofhis head would be the consequence. He hadhitherto denied admission to every one; andalthough he much regretted that he could notmeet the wishes of the Elchee Bey's brother,still hehad no alternative." Thus allournego-tiations were at an end: we perceived that hewas firm in his resolution; and so, contentingourselves with what we hadalready seen of theParthenon, we walked out of the town, to lookat the remains of the once beautiful gardensand villas in the environs of Athens:— on ourway, we passed a heap of human skulls, piledup by Kutayieh, after the battle of Athens,when he caused seventy Greek prisoners to bebrought to this spot and beheaded.

Thevillages of YpsaliandPadishah,formerlytheresortosthe Atheniansin summer,havebeencompletely demolished,and thousands of olive,orange, and other fruit trees, cut down for fuel,or wantonly destroyed. The destruction of afine old tree is to mealwaysa source ofregret; itis robbingNature of her brightest garment, andleaving her naked andmiserable;and here tbehavoc is particularly to be deplored, for it willrequire many generations to restore to theplainof Athens the wood it has been deprived ofby Greeks and Turks. Amongst the crumbled

280 THE MAID OF ATHENS.

walls at Ypsali we were shown the houseoccupied by the Maid of Athens, in herbright days, when her beauty was such as tocall from Byron the praises contained in thoselines commencing—

" Maid of Athens, ere we part,Give, oh give me back my heart!"

But twenty years have made some change inher appearance: she has exchanged her youth-ful appellation to that ofMrs.Black; and whenIwas atÆgina, had just presented her husbandwith a son. When her father's house wasdestroyed at Athens, she fled with her sister toCorfu, and Ibelieve excited much interestthere; a considerable subscription having beencollected to enableher to return toGreece.

To the westward of Padishah, near twomounds of earth called Kolonos, is the spot for-merly appropriated to the Grove of the Acade-my :it is now planted witholive trees ; a smallchapel on one of the hillocks occupies the siteof a temple dedicated to Neptune, and anotheris supposed to stand on the ruins of Plato'shouse.

As Athens must undoubtedly become thecapital of Greece, not only in consequence of

THE RUINS OF ATHENS. 281

her classic fame, but also because her centralposition and excellent harbours eminently qua-lify her for that post ; it is to be hoped that, inre-establishing the town,due attention may bepaid tounitebeauty and cleanliness. Theruinsof the town at present form such a mass of rub-bish, that it seems a fruitless task to attemptrebuilding on tbe same site, especially as theground to the westward of the walls presents amore desirable position, open both to the landand sea-breeze, and commanding a fine view ofthePiræus and surrounding country. The latetown stood at the foot of the Acropolis; theobject of the inhabitants being to seek protec-tion under its walls; and thus the houses werecrowded one upon another, in a manner preju-dicial not only to the comfort but to the healthof the inhabitants. This may easily be reme-died ; and the miserable wall built round thetown by tbe Turks fifty years ago, can be le-velled without difficulty. The ancient ruinsshould have a clear space left around them: alarge square, or market-place, ought to beform-ed on the site of the ancient Agora, with widestreets leading from it to the outlets of thetown; and then the Athenians, who chose,might build their habitations amongst theruins;but the strangers attracted by commerce

282 VALUE OF LAND.

or fancy, the members of the Government,andthe Prince himself, ought to fix their dwell-ings to the west of the present walls. Athenswould then be one of the best situated cities inthe world.

Men of capital wishing to settle in Greece,might find in the plains around Athens manyinducements to build. Ground uncultivated,but capable of being planted with vines, maybe purchased at fifteen piastres a stretna;* butthis cannot be irrigated, and would not beproductive before five or six years. Gardenground at Padishah is worth about seven hun-dred piastres the strema, and the proprietor isentitled to nine hours of water weekly. Thewater isprivate,or Government property, beingbrought in a channel from the Cephissus, andthen distributed through the .lands of thosewho choose to pay for it;but, although notabundant now, if proper measures are pursued,water enough may easily be conducted to thecity. Building is not expensive at present;and for one thousand eight hundred or twothousand piastres, a person may build a housequite good enough for the actual circumstancesof thecountry;ample materials are to befound

* Ten thousand square feet.

ATHENS BESIEGED. 283

among the ruins;and it is only necessary toprocure the boarding and window-frames fromVenice or Smyrna.

Athens has stood three sieges since 1821.The first was formed by the Greeks, who,having stormed the town, enclosed the Turkswithin the citadel, where they were closelyblockaded until the advance of the Pasha, atthe head of four thousand men, induced themto abandon their enterprise, and fly with theAthenians to Salamis and Ægina. The Pasha,however, at the end of two months, having leftAthens to the defence of fifteen hundred men,the Greeks again ventured to attack the town,and succeeded in obliging the Turks to seekre-fuge in tbe citadel, which they forthwith deter-mined tobesiege,and accordinglyplaceda thirty-six pounder carronade in battery, ateight hun-dred yards' distance, hoping to effect a breach!They had only sixty balls, and whenever one ofthem chanced to strike the walls, the Greeksshouted out victory, expecting every momentto see the fortifications demolished. However,theirammunition was expended,and thewall re-mainedas high as ever. What was to be done ?They determined to try a mine; so, havingmade aholenear the bastion,which they wishedto breach, they placed six hundred pounds of

284 SURRENDER OF THE TURKS.

powder in it, set fire to a slow match, and thenran behind a hill, fully a mile distant, wherethey waited to see the Acropolis flying in theair. Theexplosion took place, four or five stoneswere moved, but the Acropolis was still there,and the Turks on the walls bade them defiance;they therefore concluded that the mine bad notexploded, and that only the match had takenfire;and for a whole day they remained quiet,awaiting the grand result ; they then venturedto look at the mine,and were undeceived. Anattempt was next made to carry the Acropolisby storm; but this failed, with the loss offorty men;andit was only when they obtainedpossession of the well which supplied the ci-tadel with water, that the Turks agreed tocapitulate, on condition of being forthwith em-barked and sent to Asia. The Acropolis thenwas delivered up,and the Turks, with their fa-milies, were quartered in the town; but, insteadoffulfilling tbecapitulation, theGreek chieftainsfrom day to day delayed embarking them, andthis decision was fatal to the prisoners.

The Greek chiefs one day received intelli-gence that a large Turkish force was advancingupon Athens, and had already reached Thebes,and this news they instantly promulgated tothe people, directing that each person should

AN INDISCRIMINATE MASSACRE. 285

take care of himself. An indescribable sceneof confusion was thenaturalresult. TheGreekwomen and children hurried out of the town,and rushed towards the Piræus, intending toembark for Salamis; whilst thePalicari, insteadof manning the walls and preparing for a vigor-ous defence, ran in a body to the houses wherethe Turkish prisoners were confined, and com-menced an indiscriminate massacre, in whichthe young and beautiful inmates of the harem,the aged and infirm,and the brave but defence-less spahis and janissaries, fell alike beneaththe ataghan. Mr.Gropius, as AustrianConsul,had sheltered three hundred of these unhappybeings within the walls of the consulate,* andsucceeded in saving their lives; but many hun-

* Mr.Gropius, onone occasion, threw awayhishospitalityupon some Turks, whose conduct deserves recording. Atthe time when the Ottoman troops were in possession ofAthens, two Turks came to Gropius,and begged as an espe-cial favour that he would allow them to leave aquantity ofcorn in one of the spare apartments of his house, where itwould be safe from the rapacity of the Pasha. Leave wasgranted, and the corn deposited in the apartment, whichwas carefully locked up, and the key given to the owners.The Turks then took up their abode in a house adjoining;and conceiving that Mr. Gropius's residence would affordthem rich plunder, they set to work, made a hole in thewalldividingthe two houses, and penetrated into one of the

286 ATHENS AGAIN BESIEGED.

dreds perished; and the Greek chieftains hadgreat difficulty in restraining the soldiery, evenafter it was ascertained that the report whichhad given rise to these excesses was false. Thethird siege was laid by the Turks, in 1826.The Athenians,afraid of trusting to the mi-serable wall that encircled the town, oncemore fled to Salamis, but left a strong garrisonin the Acropolis, with provisions for severalmonths; anda springof water having been dis-covered in the cave of Pan, and enclosed with-in the defences of the citadel by Odysseus,there was no danger of its being starved intoa surrender. The Turks established batteries

rooms. To their greatdisappointment, they found that itcontained nothing but some old books andfurniture; buttheir cupiditybeing excitedby the facility ofpiercing throughthe wall, they resolved to make an opening into the lowerapartment, and they were rewarded for their trouble by dis-covering a large store of wheat: this they forthwith carriedoff and sold; and then, fearfulof their iniquity being dis-coveredby Mr.Gropius, theyhastenedtohishouse, and beg-ged that he would allow them to take away their corn."Certainly," said Mr. Gropius, who immediately accom-panied them to their granary, and had it opened in his pre-sence;but tohis surprise the corn was no longer there. TheTurks also werestupified; but the case was soonelucidated.The rascals, without being aware of it, had been robbingthemselves!

THE BATTLE OF ATHENS. 287

near the Pnyx, and on the hill of the Museum,and drew a Une of trenches round the citadel,with the view of intercepting all communi-cation between the besieged and tbe Greekarmy ; but Fabvier, with great gallantry, land-ed at night near the Piræus, with five hundredmen, and a supply of ammunition, and by arapid march reached the Turkish bnes undis-covered. He instantly dashed through them;and the Turks being taken by surprise, he wasenabled to enter the citadel with his whole de-tachment. To raise the siege was now the ob-ject of the Greek chieftains, and ten thousandmen, commanded by Sir R. Church, landed atthePiræus, with the intent to give battle;but,instead of advancing through the mountains,they allowed themselves to be surprised by theTurkish cavalry in the plain, and were com-pletely routed, with the exception of a corpsunder ColonelGordon,whomade a very gallantandsuccessful attack on an entrenched positionnear the Piræus.

Theloss of thebattleof Athens wras oneof themost unfortunateeventsof the war,andentirelyattributable to the dissensions existing amongthe leaders, some of whom wished to attack,according to European tactics, whilst the moreprudent were of opinion that it would be better

DISPERSION OF THE ARMY.288

to follow the advice of the capitani, and adaptthe plan of attack to the characters of the mencomposing the army, who, being always accus-tomed to fight behind their tambours and en-trenchments, werenotonlyincapable ofeffectual-lycombating intheplain,butwereactually afraidof theTurkishcavalry, whose prowess they hadoften experienced. General Church concurredin the latter plan, but he was overruled;and anight march through the plain was resolvedupon. Daylight broke whilst the Greeks werestill inmotion : the ground was extremely fa-vourable for cavalry movements, and threethousand Turkish horse advanced upon themat a gallop. The Greeks instantly broke fromtheir ranks without offering resistance,and fledtowards the sea-shore; about six hundredbeingcut down by the Turks. The Philhellenes,whoattempted to defend themselves, were over-powered and annihilated, and the dispersion ofthe army was completed. Shortly after thisdisaster,Fabvier surrendered theAcropolis.

This unfortunate affair caused much blameto be unjustly heaped upon Church, whoseservices in the Greek cause have never beenduly estimated;for in an army composed ofsuchdiscordant materials as was that at Athens,a General-in-chief hadlittle more than nominal

SIR RICHARD CHURCH. 289authority ; and he certainly ought not to beblamed for proceedings to which he was op-posed. Although General Church was not sofortunate as to have a subsequent opportunityof effacing the recollection of this check byany brilliant affair,he effected witha very smallforce more than could have been possibly ex-pected, and the Turkish garrisons in WesternGreece successively capitulated to him, and lefthim in possession of that part of the country.Notwithstanding the repeated instances ofbreach of faiththe Turks had experienced fromthe Greeks, they confided implicitly in thepledges of safety given by Church to their ca-pitulating garrisons ; and the conditions uponwhich they surrendered having been scrupu-lously fulfilled in every instance, the last inci-dents of tbe war ceased to be characterised bythose dreadful atrocities that had hitherto dark-ened theglory of victory onboth sides. Churchpossessed great influence over his men; and itwas solely owing to this circumstance that hewas able to keep up even the semblance ofan army; for, instead of being supported bythe Government, every possible difficulty wasthrown in his way. His soldiers were neitherpaid nor provisioned, whilst those ofother chief-tains, whowere unemployed, received both mo-

u

LEAVE ATHENS.290

ney and food; and at last, when he had no ex-ternal foes to oppose in Acarnania, and that hesaw how strong a feeling of enmity the headof the government bore towards him, he deter-mined to resign his situation,untilbetter timesshould dawn, and accordingly returned to theNational Assembly of Argos the commission ofgeneralissimo, which had been conferred uponhim by the congress of TrSzen.

When we had seen all thatAthens presentedto our observation, we took leave of the Bey,and,according to theEasterncustom,distributedbaakshish* tohisattendants. Thecoffee-bearer,thepipe-bearer, the cook, the assistant-cook,theguards, the grooms, all came in for their share,this being theonly pay they receive from theirmaster, and an established arrangement. Mr.Gropiusoverheard the secretary taxing the cookwith his dirty appearance; the other repliedthat he hadno money. "No money !" retortedthe secretary, "and what did you do with thebaakshish given you by the Russianadmiral?"

The Bey lent us horses, for which we paidthegroom,and we galloped back to tbe Piræus,and reimbarked.

* Baakshish is the term used throughout the East, to sig-nify a present. It is the same inIndia as in Turkey.

SALAMIS. 291

CHAPTER X.

Salamis.—

Vasso.— Colouri.— Departure of the President.—Irregular army.— Origin of the Palicari.— Their conductduring the war.

—Instances of broken faith Marco Bot-

zaris.—

Skirmish in Albania.—

We leave Salamis, andland atKenchræ.

—Isthmus ofCorinth.— AmericanColony

at Hexamilia.— Proceedingsofthe AmericanCommitteeTheAeroCorinthus.— Corinth

—Sicyon.— Gulf of Corinth.—

Pass of Acrata.— Defeat of the Turks.

On leaving the Piræus we stood into theGulf of Salamis, passing through the straitswhere the memorable battle took place. Thewhole gulf from Megara to Psytalia forms abeautiful harbour, capable of affording secureanchorage to a very large fleet; andcombinedwith its vicinity to the Piræus, this circum-stance points it out as the proper place to es-tablish the naval depot of the Greek fleet.The western channel is barely passable for afrigate, H.M.S. Blonde having turned up the

u 2

292 VASSO AND HIS WIFE.

mud as she sailed out; but the eastern channelhas sufficient water for a line-of-battle ship closeto the shore, and the entrance is not so intri-cate as that of Poros, nor ismalaria prevalentin the neighbourhood.

We were anxiousto see thePalicariquarteredat Salamis,and therefore landed on the island atAmphelaki, near the ruins of the ancient town,and, under the auspices of Mr. Gropius, pro-ceeded to thehouse of Vasso, a Greek general*who commanded one of the irregular bandsduring the war. It was a miserable cottage:the walls were hung round with arms of va-rious kinds ; and at one end of the apartmentsat a tall, handsome man, who was presentedto us as the general, and a pretty little woman,his wife. Here we were obliged again to drinkcoffee,and eat sweetmeats, to our great disgust,— for during the whole day we scarcely hadthe coffee-cup out of our hands; and, notwith-standing its supposed merits, were quite sickof the beverage : but there was no possibilityofrefusing the proffered cup. The lady, who

* The titleof General, during the Greek war, was assumedby almost any one who chose. In Candia alone, there aresix field-marshals, who may be seen driving their horses tomarket, makingoil, pruning vines, &c.; the generals in thesame island are innumerable.

YASSO AND HIS WIFE. 293

monopolized all the conversation, and had evi-dently the upper hand of the chieftain, pos-sessed better manners than might have beenexpected from the consort of this bandit; butit appears that she acquired these when wifeto a consul in one of the Greek islands. Theconsul had married her for the sake of the" beaux yeux de sa cassette ;" and during therevolutionary war, Vasso and his gang beingin the island, he invited him to his house, andtreated him hospitably, in the hopes that thepresence of such a redoubtable chief would se-cure his property from spoliation; but thepoorconsul, in avoiding Scylla, fell into Charyb-dis; for, one evening that the general, his wife,and himself, were seated at the supper table,the lady rose from her chair and left the room.Vasso remained drinking with his friend for acouple of hours; and wishing him good night,likewise retired. The consul then called hiswife, but received no answer: he sought forher all over the house, but she was not tobe found. He hastened to consult his friendVasso, but he likewise had disappeared; and,to crown his misfortunes, he discovered thathis wife hadnot forgotten tocarry off her jewel-case. Much as he grieved for his spouse, stillmore deeply did this loss weigh upon his mind ;

TOWN OF COLOURI.294

and when, after the divorce, Vasso claimed hiswife's landed property, the poor consul couldnot resist this accumulated demand upon hishappiness, but fell sick and died. Vasso, asthe Bey of Athens observed, is strongly sus-pected of conniving at the robberies commit-ted by the Greeks; at one moment threaten-ing to punish the offenders, and at the nextreceiving his share of the spoil. He possessesno talent, and is so ignorant that he can scarce-ly read or write. Two letters were broughtto him whilst we were there;butafter lookingat the superscription, he gave up the attemptto read it, and handed them to a person whomwe supposed to be his Grammaticos, — that isto say, one who knows how to read and write,and is generally to be seen attendant on theseignorant chieftains.

An hour's walk across the island broughtus to the opposite town of Colouri,* thehead-quarters of the irregular Greek forces under

* In speaking of Salamis, the Greeks make use of themodern name Colouri; but in dating a letter, they wouldcall it Salamis. A wish exists throughout Greece, to re-store the Hellenic names to the towns and provinces thatare found inhistory ;but the force of habit induces themstill to use the corrupted denominations in conversation,although they studiously avoid doing so in writing. Thusthe Morea is now divided into its ancient provinces.

IRREGULAR ARMY. 295

Grisiotti, Hadji Christo, Metaxa, and others.ThePresident left Colouri only the day before,having succeeded in pacifying the clamour ofthe Palicari, by settling their arrears of pay;and he had also directed that they should beorganized in battalions of five hundred meneach, and subdivided into companies, by whichmeans he hoped to check the dishonesty of thechieftains. Most of the chiefs assented to thisarrangement ; but Grisiotti and Vasso withheldtheir consent to a plan tending to restrict theirauthority and diminish their illegal profits.

The troops now assembled at Salamis weremostly Roumeliots from Acarnania, Ætolia,Doris, Phocis,and EubSa;and the last rem-nant of Suli's band, amounting to about onehundred men. The greater part of them hadfought during the war, and were indeed theonly troops that successfully exerted themselvesagainst the common foe;the Moreots havinggenerally left the laborious part of the contestto the Roumeliots, whilst they enjoyed thefruits of it ; and this circumstance engenderedin the minds of the northern soldiers a feelingof contempt towards their southern brethren,which, whilst it often prevented their actingin concert against the Turks, contributed tokeep alive the factions of their chieftains. —

296 THE ARMATOLI.

They also had this advantage over the Mo-reots, that whereas the latter were unacquaint-ed with the use of arms, until roused fromtheir passive subjection, tbe Roumeliots hadat all times been acquiring a knowledge of themilitary profession, by their constant employ-ment as Armatoli, in the passes of NorthernGreece.

The Armatoli were formerly a kindof mili-tia instituted during the Byzantine Empire,for tbe purpose of acting as a local police, andperforming the military duty of such parts ofGreece as were approached by mountain-passeslikely to afford shelter to marauders, or impedethe military communications of the empire.—The mountains connected with Mount Rta,and separating Greece from Thessaly and Epi-rus, especially called for the maintenance of astrict police ; and the Ottomans, contrary totheir usual system of disarming the rayahs,deemed it necessary to retain the Armatoli onthe same footing as during the ByzantineEmpire. The inhabitants of the country weremade answerable for the safety of the passes,and obliged to maintain a body of Armatoli forthat purpose; and as these soldiers were con-nectedby the ties of birth and affection withtbe villages whence they were drawn, theTurks,

THE ARMATOLI. 297

instead of assuring their authority, were gra-dually undermining it, by forming, within tbeheart of Greece, a body of brave, indefatigable,and independent soldiers. So long as the Ar-matoli were called upon to repress the violenceof Turkish freebooters, or to resist the pressureof an aga's extortion, they were useful to theGovernment that employed them ; but whentheir services were required to exterminate aband of Klepbtes, it more frequently happenedthat they made common cause with the robbers,andperhaps sharedintheir spoils. The slightestdispute with the Turkish authorities sufficed todrive themintoopen rebellion,and they too wellknew theirownstrength andthefastnesses osthecountry, to doubt their power of obtaining theterms they pleased : their chieftains,or capitani,(a title whichmust have been assumed duringthe Venetian time,) possessed great authority,andwere at theheadofsmallor numerous bands,according to tbe reputation they acquired; andalthough at times, when in the pay of a Pasha,they were obedient to his commands, it morefrequently happened that, uniting with theKlepbtes, they led a life of freedom in themountains, and supported themselves by levy-ing "black mail" upon the inhabitants of theplains. InNorthern Greece, the passes had all

ALI DECLARED A REBEL.298

been placed under the control of one person ;and the celebrated Ali Pasha, as DervendjeeBashee,having been appointed to this importantpost, the greater part of the Armatoli wereplaced at his command. With Ali,power wasnever nominal, and he soon succeeded in esta-blishing his authority amongst these moun-taineers, to whom at a future period he lookedfor succour in resisting the will of the Porte,should his misdeeds at last arouse the ire of theSultan; and although some districts of North-ern Greece were never quite subservient to hisauthority, he may be said, in 1820, to havepossessed the virtual control of all the Greeksoldiery.It was in this year that the Porte declared

him a rebel;and Ab's first step was to assemblehisArmatoli,andurge them to assisthim againstthe Porte;whilst, on the other side, the Seras-kier deputed by the Sultan to attack the Vizir,resorted to the dangerous expedient of callingupon the Greeks to take armsagainst AliPasha.Meanwhile the spirit of the Hetaria had been atwork amongst the Greeks; the seeds of libertybegan to germinate ; and the Armatoli andGreek peasantry, instead of obeying the sum-monseitherosthePorteor its vassal, united theirforces, and seized their arms in assertion oftheir

A STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY. 299

rights as men and Christians. The Armatoliand Klephts had now a wider and more glo-rious field for the display of their warlike qua-lities;and in the expulsion of their pseudo-mas-ters, they hoped to satisfy their love of libertyand spoil. Ulysses, (Odysseus,) Griva, Karaska-kai, and many other chiefs of note, assembledtheir bands inNorthernGreece, and were joinedby the peasantry. Colocotroni headed the Mo-reots, and Marco Botzaris placed himself at thehead of the exiled Suliots. Each captain actedquite independently ;and the history of thewar points out many instances where the oppor-tunity of striking a great blow was lost fromwant of concert in the leaders. They howeversucceeded in clearing Greece from the Turks;and then commenced the struggle for supre-macy amongst themselves: in one thing onlydid they agree, and this was to draw as muchpayas possible from their weakand impoverishedgovernment. Ifacaptain hadone hundred fol-lowers aroundhim,he would boldly demandpayfor a thousand, and pocket tbe surplus ; andwhen the hour of attack arrived,Greece, insteadof the numerous army she relied upon, disco-vered that a mere handfulofmen were assembledunder her banners. In all the proceedings ofthe Greek soldiery, the habits of the Klepht

300 GALLANTRY OF THE GREEKS.

predominated ; and seldom, during the Greekwar, was there an instance of their behavingwell, except when allured by the prospect ofplunder. They however deserve credit for thecheerful sacrifice they made of their homes,andfor the hardships they endured, and saw theirfamilies suffer during the contest ; some allow-ancealsomust be made for theirlove of plunder,when it is recollected, that with the produce oftheir spoil alone could they save their familiesfrom starving,— for, during nearly eight years,the fields of Eastern and Western Greece wereuncultivated, or, when ready to reap, seizedupon by the Turks.It is difficult to offer an opinion as to the

courage of the Greeks. Iconversed with manypersons who served during the war, and werecompetent judges ; but from what they said, Ishouldconsider thegallantry of the Greeksmuchoverrated. Individual instances of the mostdaring courage have been known; but when-ever the Greeks were brought to act en masseagainst the enemy, they did not distinguishthemselves; each man seemed more anxiousto ascertain whether his comrade was goingto run, than to display his own bravery. Theirvictories over the Turks were seldom gained inan open,hand-to-handmanner, the enemy having

INSTANCES OF BROKEN FAITH. 301

generally been conquered by famine, or over-powered by superiority of numbers; and thefeeling of patriotism which we suppose incitedthe Palicar to battle, was not half so pow-erful a passion in his breast, as the desire ofspoil. On many occasions, the Greeks evinceda mercenary spirit that did them no credit;andat all times their savage cruelty to tbe Osman-lis who fell into their hands was disgraceful tomen who called themselves soldiers and Chris-tians:— real courage does not prey upon the de-fenceless. As an excuse for this conduct, it hasbeen stated with much plausibility, that theyonly retaliated for injuries received; but it wasundoubtedly the Greeks who first threw awaythe scabbard, and told the Turks that the warwas " al cuchillo." The slaughter at Tripo-lizza may be extenuated, as the place was, insome measure, carried bystorm;andevery manmust know how impossible it is to restrain asoldier in battle, when all the worst feelings ofhis disposition are let loose. But what can beurged in favour of those who, at Hydra, drewtwo hundred Turkish prisoners from the prisonand deliberately slew them ?— who at Athensmurdered the prisoners taken in the Acropolis,after having attested heaven and earth to wit-ness that their lives shouldbe saved ? — who at

ATROCITIES OF THE TURKS.302

Corinth, in likemanner, massacred the garrisonafter its capitulation, and who, in despite of theexhortations and prayers of their officers, put todeath the brave Albanians,whose capitulationat the Piræus they had all assented to ? Theirindividual acts of cruelty were countless : theynevergranted quarter: theTurks followedasimi-lar system; and the war was one of individualextermination,insteadofproducinggreatresults.

Inthus pointing out the faults of theGreeks,Iam far from wishing to exculpate the Turks;for what canbe worse than the legal murder ofthe Patriarch of Constantinople, or the massa-cres ofScio andIpsara?— or what more dreadfulvengeance could have fallen upon the Greeks,than the visitation of Ibrahim Pasha? ButImean to observe, that the Greeks, who wereclaiming the rights of civilization, should haveproved themselves deserving of the boon, bydisplaying aknowledge of its first dictate— hu-manity ! and that, since they acted like tho-rough savages, they must thank themselves forbeing treated as such by the Egyptians.

The spirit of exaggeration inherent in theGreek character gave rise to such ridiculousreports during the war, that it was impossibleever to place confidence in the intelligence re-ceived from Greece. It was not uncommon tohearof a battle lastingnine hours, in which the

A SANGUINARY CONFLICT. 303

Greeks had slain two thousand Turks, and lostonly two men themselves!and then, when weexpected to find that this affair had been fol-lowed up by some important manSuvre, itwould appear that the Turkish force was just asstrongas ever. Sometimes, however, theGreeksreally did succeed in gaining an advantage overtheir enemies with but a very trivial loss, ifwe may credit the accompanying details of anaffair in which the person who narrated it tome was engaged.

Karaskakai was stationed in the vicinity ofMount Parnassus, with one thousand five hun-dred men, when he received information thattwo thousand Turks were about to advancethrough the mountain passes: he instantlyassembled his Pabcari; said that the enemywas only six hundred strong; and having in-spired them with confidence, advanced towardsthe ground occupied by the Turks. The lat-ter were unprepared for an attack, andhadhalt-ed in a village near an isolated hillock, form-ing a strong military position ; and when theGreeks appeared, they retired to this, leavingin the abandoned village all their provisions,which were soon seized by the Greeks. Rein-forcements joined the Greeks; whilst the Turksstill remained inactive, though exposed to theinclemency of the weather: the ground was

304 MARCO BOTZARIS

covered with snow ; they had no wood;andcould only light a fire by burning their saddles.At the termination of eight days, being ex-hausted with hunger and cold, they resolved tocut their way through the Greeks, and accord-ingly sallied forth ; but so perfectly were theyunnerved by their suffering, that they couldoffer no resistance, and one thousand were kill-ed the first day, and eight hundred the next,whilst the Greeks lost only four men ! Thiswas ameremassacre. AnEuropean force wrouldhave made tbe Turksprisoners.

One action fought by the Greeks does theminfinite credit, and may without doubt becompared to the battleof Thermopylæ. Ial-lude to the attack by Marco Botzaris, withthreehundred Suliots, upon the army of Mus-tapha; an attack, fatal it is true, to the chiefwho led it, but which has conferred immor-tality on his name. The defence of Missolon-ghi is another fine feature of the war ;and thedestruction of the Turkish army in the defilesnear Corinth, and tbe surrender of Dramali'sforce at Acrata, are also events redounding tothe credit of the Greek generals ; but the restof their operations present a chaotic mass ofinarches,countermarches, and skirmishes, whichit is almost impossible to understand.

PALICARI. 305

The vagrant, independent life led by thePalicari of late years, has, Ishould say, un-fitted them to become useful members ofsociety; but the experiment ought most un-doubtedly to be tried, for, in their presentstate, they are a heavy drain upon the re-sources of the country, and are perfectly use-less as soldiers. The longer that they remainimbodied, tbe more difficult will it be to dis-perse them; and it is not unlikely but thatsome ostheoldKlephtesmay reform themselvesinto predatory bands,and carry on aborder warhighly detrimental to the interests of the na-tion;butas the AlliedPowers purpose grantinga military force to the Sovereign of Greece,there will be little trouble in exterminatingthem. Men who have been accustomed torule by the sword, must in turn be governedby it; and a few severe examples of what awell organized and powerful government iscapable of doing, would have a great effectupon these freebooters.

Turkish punishments, though severe and san-guinary, lost their effect, because they weighedequally upon the innocent and the guilty ; butwhen the Greeks understand that crime cannever escape from the vengeance of the laws,whilst innocence in them will find protection,

x

306 SKIRMISH IN ALBANIA.

they will cease to look upon the Klephtes inthe same light as formerly, and assist theGo-vernment in putting them down. On the con-fines of Albania, thePalicarihave already givena specimen of whatmay be expected from themhereafter, the troops appointed to defend thefrontier having had a serious affray with theAlbanians. It appears that the Greeks couldnot withstand the temptation offered by someflocks of sheep browsing within sight of theirpost, and, forgetting that a truce existed,they amused themselves by carrying offa greatnumber of the sheep. The Albanians wouldnot allow this outrage to pass unpunished, and,having assembled in considerable force, attackedthe Greeks when they least expected them, andkilled or wounded one- fourth of their number.Therethematter ended: theGreeks having beenthe aggressors, could not complain, and the Al-banians had revenged themselves sufficiently.

There were between four and five thousandmen at Colouri ; but as they were all quarteredin the town, we had no opportunity of seeingthem to advantage; not that they ever havedrillsor parades, their sole tactics being how bestto hide themselves behind a rock or tambour;but that the scene would have been more cha-racteristic, if they bad been in bivouac. The

MONASTERY OF PHANEROMENE. 307Palicari, whom we met in the streets, only dif-fered from the dirty peasantry, in being armedwith pistols and tophaic. We occasionally sawa man whose gaudy dress and valuable armsproclaimed him to be a chief; but had we notbeen aware to which cause he belonged, itwould have been impossible to say whether hewas Greek or Turk. The turban, the Albanianjacket and fustanella, the arms, were alike. Itwas certainly strange for us to step at oncefrom a Turkish garrison to a Greek army, andsuch an opportunity is not likely to occur again,as the Turks must soon evacuate Athens, andthe irregular Greeks return to their homes.The payment of their arrears seemed to haveput the soldiers in good humour, and, duringthe wholenight, we heard the sounds of music,and occasionally the discharge of pistols.

We parted with Mr.Gropius at Colouri,and walked to the monastery of Phaneromene,where the cutter was anchored. On our way,we saw but little to interest us, the island beingextremely barren, and incapable of supportinga large population, though of late years thenumber ofits inhabitants has been increased bythe unfortunate Athenians,who, in imitationof their ancestors during thePersian war, heresought a refuge from slavery. Phaneromene is

x 2

PROCEED TOWARDS HEXAMILIA.308a large building, calculated to resist the attacksof apiratical band, and commanding a view ofEleusis anda great part of the Gulf of Salamis.Within the walls, there is a church decoratedwith a profusion ofpaintings, and aroundit wasabivouac of the Greek soldiery, who were stalk-ing about wrapped up in their huge capotes.We here embarked, and having sailed throughthe narrow channel where thePersians blockedup the Greeks during the battle of Salamis,passed Megara, and in the evening anchored atKenchræ, the eastern port of Corinth.

In the morning we landed, and proceededtowards Hexamilia. On our way we passedthe ruins of the Temple of Neptune, and theStadium, where the Isthmian games were cele-brated. The remains of the temple are veryextensive,but no columns are now erect: nearthem runs the wall dividing the Peloponnesusfrom Greece, which, after being repeatedly re-stored, and as often found useless, is now quiteneglected. The real defences of the Isthmusare in fact to be found in the Geraunian moun-tains,stretching across from gulf to gulf, andhaving only three passes, which may be easilyheldagainst a superior force;but,notwithstand-ing this, the Greeks always allowed the Turksto penetrateas far as Corinth,before they offered

RECEPTION AT HEXAMILIA. 3Q9

any effectual resistance. Even in the lowestpart of the Isthmus there are many excellentpositions.

Thecanal commenced by Nero on the west-ern side was to have terminated at Kenchræ ;but this undertaking was soon abandoned,and that portion of it already commencedshows how tremendous the labour must havebeen, as it was necessary to cut through thesolid rock almost the whole way. The osten-sible motive for discontinuing the work was,that the engineers supposed the sea on one sideof the Isthmus to be at a higher level than onthe other, and that consequently, by its rush-ing in, the country wouldbe overflowed.

At Hexamilia we were hospitably receivedbyDr.Howe, the gentleman who has charge ofthe colony formed thereby theAmerican Phil-hellenist Committee, and redounding much tothe credit of our Trans-Atlantic brethren. Atthe time that England was contributing largesubscriptions in favour of the suffering Greeks,the Americans likewise collected a sum ofmoney for the same benevolent purpose ; but,having seen the manner in which the Englishsubscriptions were squandered, without theGreeks deriving any benefit therefrom, theyresolved to keep the money in their own hands,

AMERICAN COLONY AT HEXAMIL1A.310

and issue it in such manner as the agents oftheir Committee in Greece should determine.Dr. Howe commenced his operations at Æginaduring the time that the island was crowdedwith fugitives from every part of Greece, manyof whom were literally starving. These he re-lieved:but, instead ofgiving themoney he wasentrusted with to the idle and dissolute, heobliged those he succoured to employ them-selves in building the quay at Ægina — thus ina double sense benefiting thecountry: andwhenthe Turks evacuated this part of the Morea, heentered upon his plan of forming a colony.

The original intentionof the American Com-mittee was, that one hundred of the poorestfamilies shouldbelocated on thisspot, in housesbuilt for them at the expense of the Ameri-cans ; they were, in like manner, to be providedwith seeds, cattle, and agricultural implements,and, in return for their labour, were to payhalf the annualproduce to the American fund.Tbe Governmentgranted theland to them rent-free during five years, at the termination ofwhich they were to bold it on the same termsas the other lessees of Government. But somedifficulties thrown in theway of this scheme bythe President prevented Dr.Howe from act-ing up to the full extent of his original plan,

THE ACRO-CORINTHUS. 311

and only forty families are now settled here.They are already free from want ; and we can-not sufficiently admire the judgment whichprompted the American Committee to dis-pose of their funds in so praiseworthy a man-ner, instead of following the pernicious exam-ple set by the London Committee, who dis-bursed their money with perfect imbecility.Many hundred pounds were expended in thepurchase of mathematical instruments,(whichno Greek could use, and were finally sent backto England) ; in printing-presses, for a peoplewho knew not how to read, and were callingfor bodily, not mental food ; and inartillery,which burst upon the first discharge.

FromHexamilia there is a view ofboth gulfs;in front the Geraunian mountains,and to thewest the Acro-corinthus—

— " the tower capp'd Acropolis,That seems the very clouds to kiss."

The latter is only one hour's walk from Hexa-milia, and, notwithstanding the rain, we has-tened towards it, and at the foot of the hillpassed through thevillage on the site of Corinth;but in the miserable huts that here and therehave arisen from amongst the mass of ancientand modern ruins,Ishould never have recog-

CORINTH.312

nised the Corinth so famed for its luxury, re-finement, and wealth. Some ragged, wretched-looking people were lounging about the streets,and there werenot more than one hundred cot-tages standing,— in truth, it appeared to be themost miserable of the ruined townsIhad seenin Greece. Exposed to every irruption of theTurks, and alternately possessed by them andthe Greeks,itwas oneof the first towns destroy-ed, and last rebuilt;and its citadel, the strong-estinGreece,and thebulwark of thePeloponne-sus,constantly attracted the hostile armies. TheTurks, who heldit in 1821, surrendered by ca-pitulation to Ypsilanti,and were almost allmur-dered by his unruly soldiery. TheGreeks thenplaced a small garrison in it; but the chief incommand, on hearing that the Turks were ad-vancing, deserted his post without even await-ing their arrival, and the Turks immediatelytook possession of the works, and held themuntil the defeat of their army in the defilesnear Nemea, when a rigorous blockade havingreduced them to great straits from want ofpro-visions,they again surrendered.

We climbed the precipitous Acropolis, andduring our walk were completely drenched bythe rain, which fell in torrents, and deprived usof the magnificent view from the citadel. Afterpassing through three ranges of formidable for-

CORINTH.— SICYON. 313

tifications, which however did not prove strongenough to repel the Turks of former days, weentered the body of the fortresses. The areawas fullof ruined bouses. Near the house oc-cupied by the commandant were some brokencolumns, and statues of white marble foundwithin the works;and some parts of the innerwall were of Cyclopian workmanship. Whatwe saw of the Acro-corintbus did not recom-pense us for the labour of ascending to sucha height ; and as we could obtain no shelterthere, we were obliged to descend without ob-taining a sight of the country beneath us. Inthe town are seven columns of a Doric tem-ple supposed to have been dedicated eitherto Venus or Neptune : they bear the marks ofgreat antiquity, and are singular, as the shaftsare formed of but one piece. A few ruins ofRoman brick are likewise to be seen.

On ourreturn toDr.Howe's, CaptainGordonandIwished each other good-b'y, very muchtomy regret; he being on his way to Constan-tinople, whilst Iintended proceeding to thewestward.

Basiliko,a wretched hamlet, six miles fromCorinth, occupies the site of Sicyon, the ca-pital of the most ancient kingdom in Greece.The ancient theatre is perfect, and from theseats there is a magnificent view of the Gulf

314 SICYON.

of Corinth, Parnassus,Mount Helicon,and theAcro-corinthus: the Stadium is also curious,being lengthened from the mountain by aprojecting bastion of Cyclopian workmanship.The sight of these two ruins scarcely compen-sated me for the wretchedness of my night'slodging in a peasant's hut, where, however,the rude hospitabty of its inmates was ex-erted to render me comfortable. One of theyoung men had been summoned to enter theTacticoes, and his family were loud in exclaim-ing against the cruelty of separating chil-dren from their parents in their old age;anddeclared that it would be better to fly tothe mountains on the approach of the Turks,and wage, as before, a war of extermination.They seemed to believe that a man who enter-ed the regular troops would be for ever lost tohis family; and the wife ofone of the speakerswas vehement in her remarks upon the subject." So then,"said I,"insteadofhaving theTurkskept away from you by an army of Tacticoes,you wish to see them back again ?"" See the Turks!— When hair grows on thepalm of my hand, then shallIwish to see aTurk !" was her indignant answer.*

* If the weather had been more favourable,Iintended tohave proceeded from hence to the Lake of Phonia,one osthe

INQUISITIVE HOST. 315

The rain fell violently next morning, andIcould not proceed beyond Kato, whereIwasreceived in a good house within ten yards ofthe sea. Myhost, an inquisitive,cunning man,passed for wealthy, his annual income beingtwo thousand dollars;and it was amusing tohear him cross-questioning me, in hopes thatIwouldgive himsome political intelligence whichmight tend to increase his fortune. " Who isto be our King?" said he: and when Itoldhim that Prince Leopold was nominated —" And where do you think he will live ? WillCorinthever become a great town again ? Tellme how you would recommend me to employmy money? Shall Iact wisely in buildingtwo large houses at Corinth? forIhear that theGovernment is going to cut a canal throughthe Isthmus,and then Corinth will become a

most romantic spots in the Morea, and celebrated in Mytho-logical history, as connected with the labours of Hercules,who opened a passage for the watersfrom the lake, to preventtheir overflowing. A prophecy however existed, that theGreeks would obtain theirliberty whenever the waters ceas-ing to flow, the lake rose to the ancientlevel; and by amostextraordinary coincidence, this event has actually takenplace. In 1820, the outlet became accidentally stopped ;during the succeeding years the obstruction increased, thelake gradually filled,the water has reached the ancient level,and Greece is free!

DETAINED AT KATO.316

great port." Igave the answers called for bythese questions;and then he entertained mewith an accountofhis currants. Currants formthe principal produce of this part of the Morea,and a strema of currant land is worth aboutfive hundredpiastres; thereturns arevery great;but at the present moment there is no demandfor them; and all the peasants complained thatthe storehouses were heaped full of currantswhich they could not dispose of.

A peasant here brought me a lachrymaliain such preservation, that Ioffered him halfa dollar for it. My landlord winked to him toask more; and as Idid not choose to be im-posed upon,Iwalked away. In the evening itwas again shown to me; but whenIincreasedin my offer, the man refused to sell it, andIsince ascertained that the landlord, supposing itto be of great value, had bought it for a fewparas,and was convinced by my anxiety to pur-chase it thatIhad not offered the real value.He hopes to sell it for a large sum to someEnglish Milordo.

Thescirocco, with its attendant rain, detainedus one day at Kato, but in the evening achangeof weather was notified to us, not by the wind,for all was still, but by tbe roaring of the sea.Theair was not in the least agitated, the clouds

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. 317

still floated round the mountains, and the seahadbeen equally tranquil; but suddenly break-ers began to roll upon the shore, and the wavessounded as if disturbed by a gale of wind.Theodorecame joyfully to acquaint me that tbemaestro was going to blow, and that we shouldhave a fine day on the morrow, and severalhours afterwards the north wind rushed downfrom the opposite mountains with tremendousgusts, and, when morning broke, had clearedaway all the vapours of the scirocco.

The scenery near the road along the sea-shore, from Kato towards Patras, is of un-equalled beauty : on one side there is the Gulfof Corinth, hemmed in by Mount Helicon, andthe snow-capped Parnassus; and on the otherranges of mountains fall abruptly to the sea,and are covered with magnificent pineasters, cy-press trees, arbutus,.and myrtle, growing downto the edge of the surf. Numerous torrentsrush from the mountains, and often renderthe road impassable after a fall of rain; andthe water of the gulf is discoloured for agreat distance by the mud they carry withthem, and whichmust gradually cause the landto gain upon the sea. Although so beautiful,this district isnotconsidered healthy; and dur-ing a ride of four hours, we saw no habitations,

318 VILLAGE OF ZACHOLI.

but we then came to some currant plantations,where two new houses had been erected ofsuch good materials, that they betokened theowners to be in affluent circumstances. Khanshave also been established at short distancesalong the road: at one of these we slept, andthe people told me that at the village of Za-choli, a short distance further on, a peasant,when digging in his currant ground, had dis-covered some ancient marbles, and that on thehill above were the ruins of a Palæo Castro,built withenormous stones.

On my way to ZacholiImet all the villagers,male and female, hurrying forth to prune theircurrant vines along the shore, and from theruddy complexions of the women, and thestout forms of the men, it was evident that atleast thisbeautifulspot was free from theMoreafever. Themarbles shown tome consistedoffivesmall columns of bad workmanship; but fromthe large stonesin the vicinity, it would appearthat they belonged to some ancient temple.

Beyond this, where the mountains runningdown to the sea caused a narrow pass, weresomeancient vestiges, and themodern entrench-ments occupied by the Greeks when they cutoff the retreat of the Turkish army advancingto the reliefof Patras in 1822.

PLAIN OF ACRATA. 319

Theplain of Acrata, which we entered after-wards, formsa semicircle,bounded on one sideby mountains, and on the other by the gulf.the high road from Corinth to Patras passesthrough the centre, and, on leaving it, runsalong one of the strongest and most beautifulpasses that can be conceived; the mountainslopes to the sea, and is wooded with mag-nificent fir and cypress trees: the day wasclear, and wre saw Parnassus and its kindredmountains unobscured by their wonted canopyof clouds ; and below, appearing at intervalsthrough the foliage, were the clear blue wa-ters of the gulf. The scene was one wellcalculated to arrest the attention;andIhadreined in my horse for a moment, when mymuleteers pointed to some tambours thrownacross the road. "Here," said one of them,"wetook post to arrest the advance of the Turksupon Patras. We placed parties upon all thesurrounding bills, and allowed the enemy toenter the plain without showing ourselves, orfiring a shot; but when their rear-guard hadpassed tbe first defile, we seized it, and com-pletely hemmed them in:— they were threethousandstrong, mostly cavalry, and, withoutbeing aware of the fate that awaited them,rodeonwards to this spot, where we knelt behind

DEFEAT OF THE TURKS.320

our tambours, with our muskets levelled, readyto fire :— they did not perceive us until withinsixty yards' distance,when they rushed forwardat full speed, with their heads bowed low ontheir horses' necks, and making the rocks re-sound with the shouts of 'Allah,Allah, Allah !'We fired— down fell the foremost ; some,in theconfusion of the moment, rolled over thepreci-pice; many were killed; and the main bodyretired to the centre of the plain, whence theysent detachments to force the other passes,but found that all were closed against them;reinforcements had joined us, and there wasnot an accessible point in the surroundinghills unoccupied by our comrades. The Turksnow, with sullen apathy, retreated to the ex-treme verge of the plain, and crowded toge-ther out of reach from our musketry; — intwo days they consumed their small stock ofprovisions;on the third they slaughtered theirhorses,and for some time existed upon this food;at last this resource failed them,and they preyedupon one another! There we saw them, lyingupon the groundinthe agonies ofdeath,andcall-ing out to us, 'Effendi! Rayah! have pity,giveus food;' but we heeded themnot until theyof-fered to surrender; and then three hundred liv-ing skeletons were all that remained out of thethree thousand gallant horsemen who attacked

SURRENDER OF THE TURKS. 321

us. 'EhPanagia !Panagia !'"

said the narra-tor interminatinghis tale, " the Turkswill mo-lest us nomore. Ihear that a king is comingwith ten thousand men, and we shall have no-thing more to fear from them."

Who but Osmanlis would have submitted tobe starved in this manner, whilst they bad armsin their hands? But, asa writer justlyobservedof them on a similar occasion, they fell " thevictims of destiny."

v

PROCEED TOWARDS THE322

CHAPTER XI.

We proceed towards Megaspileon.— Arrive at the Convent.— Remarks-of the Monks upon religion.—

The Church.—Picture of the Holy Virgin painted by St. Luke.

— Originof the Monastery.

—Wealthof the Priests.— TheLibrary.—

Ibrahimrepulsed fromMegaspileon.— Vostizza.— Lepanto.—

Castles of the Morea and Roumelia.— Patras.— HadgiChristo's irregular Cavalry.— Society at Patras.

— Embarkfor Zante.— Remarks.

The road towards the celebrated monasteryof Megaspileon strikes inland fromAcrata;andafter ascending the mountains for a couple ofhours, we were soon made sensible of the diffe-rence in the temperature betwixt thehigh landandtheplains; the snow waslyhigon the groundto a considerable depth, and yetIhad bathedin the gulf the evening before.

The scenery was varied and imposing, andthe inhabitants were apparently as wild as theircountry. At an open glade, near a pine forest,

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MEGASFILEON.Lond<->n,J'i4.bUs?iedy

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MONASTERY OF MEGASPILEON.323

were three boys, with shepherds' crooks intheir hands, tending a flock of sheep. Iwasin front of my Greeks;and when the littlepeople saw me, they uttered a wild shout ofalarm, and ran away as fast as they could fora hundred yards; they then ventured to lookagain, the two smallest boys hiding themselvesbehind their taller companions, and occasion-ally peeping on either side. Icalled out tothem;but my voice, instead of soothing theirfears, only created a greater panic, and off theyran again, screaming most piteously, until anold shepherd came to their assistance; and he,though not more civilized than the childrenin his appearance, explained to them thatIwasneither the devilnor a Turk.

After emerging from a gloomy glen that re-minded me of the Alps, we crossed a ridgewhence there was a view of the valley of theCalavrita river, and midway up one of themountainsIsaw some buildings near Megas-pileon, which was as yet concealed from ourview. The muleteers, as they looked towardsit, crossed themselves, and uttered a shortprayer, and then we descended the mountain.It was not, however, until we had passed twoentrenchments thrown across the narrow road,and turned rounda precipitous rock, that weobtained a sight of the convent, which is cer-

y 2

324 APPROACH THE MONASTERY.

tainly one of the most extraordinary spectaclesIever beheld. In front of the spectator is aperpendicular wallof rock, several hundred feetin height, surmounted by the buildings Ihadfirst remarked, which were intended as fortifica-tions. Immediately under the precipice thereis an immense cave, entirely concealed by theconvent,a singular structure eight stories high,and full of windows and galleries. A greatpart of the building runs back under the cave,and the summit of the precipice projects somuch, that when the Albanians, in 1780, at-tempted to destroy the convent by hurling rocksfrom above, they all fell clear of it. Near themonastery are some smaller edifices, and infront the ground is laid out in terraces, plantedwith vegetables and fruit trees ; in the glenbeneath rushes the turbid waters of the Cala-vrita river,and around are loftymountains cladwith pines and cypress trees,and their summitscovered with snow.

Near the ancient gate of the convent,manyof the monks, clad in black garments, wereseated enjoying the evening breeze; and, asa contrast to their peaceable occupation, Iob-served a piece of field-artillery pointed downthepass.

When we approached, a monk stepped for-

RECEPTION AT THE CONVENT. 325

ward to enquire our errand, and then asked usto sit down,whilst he submitted my passport tothe examination of the Hegoumenos (or prior),who shortly afterwards sent permission for usto enter. He was seated in a vaulted gallerylooking out upon the valley, and around wereseveral of the principal monks: his long whitebeard, resting on his black robes, had a strikingeffect; and in his hand he bore a wand,Isup-pose the badge of office. His manners werecourteous;and he directed one of the brethrento conduct me to the apartment reserved forthe reception of strangers, on the upper storyof the building.Ihad always formed a very high opinion of

thehospitality shown by these religious frater-nities to the stranger; and whenIrecollectedthe feast Ionce witnessed in a Portugueseconvent,Icould not help supposing, that insuch a wealthy establishment as this,Ishouldhave no reason to complain of my fare. Atwelve hours' ride had made me sensible ofa troublesome appetite; and it was thereforewith much pleasure, when, proceeding to myroom, thatIespied a fat sheep hanging up inthe larder. " Would you like to eat some-thing?" said the priest who had shown methe way to my apartment. "What will youhave?"

PARSIMONY OF THE MONKS.326Theproposition delightedme, andIrequest-

ed that he wouldprepare some mutton." We have not a morsel of mutton in theconvent,"repbed my interrogator."How! no mutton !" (very strange this,thought I)"well then, let me have a fowl."

The priest shook his head. "It is now toolate tokillone," said he;"but you shallhavesome meat to-morrow."Ibegan to feel alarmed, and begged him to

recollect thatIhadeaten nothing allday. "Youshallhave some eggs," replied the Pappas.

In this arrangementIwas obliged to acqui-esce: and after waiting an hour, a table wasbrought in with great ceremony ;and the sub-prior, a fat, sleek, comfortable-looking man,who evidently did not like fasting often him-self, however he may have prescribed it toothers, placed himself at one end of the table,whilst Isat at the other. Some bread andwine were put upon the board, and presentlya Caloyer came in bearing a covered dish. Ilifted the cover, and beheld six poached eggs,intended as a dinner for three hungry men!Theodore, seeing dismay pictured on my coun-tenance, said that he had brought some smallfish, and would send them to be fried: andshortly afterwards he returned, exclaiming,that the monks had kept half of them below !

PARSIMONY OF THE MONKS. 327

The sub-prior took a fancy to the remainder,andIfound myself in the situation of Sanchoat Barataria, starving in the midst of plenty.Toconceal the badness of the dinner, my com-panion continually urged me to drink the winepresented by an attendant,whilst his own glasswas replenished with wine of a superior quality.Mine was execrable;Itherefore hinted thatIshouldbke to taste the old wine his conventwas famed for. " We have very good wine,"said he, " the best indeed in Greece: some ofit is fifteen years old, and our cellar containsfour hundred thousand okas." But he wasdeaf to my hints, and continued praising thesour wineIhad been drinking.Iwas more amused than annoyed by the

parsimony of my hosts; and, after dinner,wasstill farther entertained, when thepriest, afterasking for my tobacco and filling his pipe,stretchedhimself upon the divan, andenteredinto conversation." Well," said he,"and so the Allied Powersare going to give us a King; but what havethey done for us ? Why did they not takeConstantinople from Sultan Mahmoud, andgive it to Greece ? Ihave fought against theTurks during the whole war, and been twicewounded," (at the same time displaying ahide-ous scar onbis leg) " andIwould willingly take

REMARKS ON RELIGION.328

up arms to drive the Turks out of Europe. Ifthe Allied Powers would allow us, we couldconquer the Turks ourselves. What are they,the infidels! See then," continued he, " whatCapod'lstrias has been doing. Beforehe came,we were a poor, ignorant set of beings;andnow we have instructors to teachus theFrench,Italian,and English languages !" Iwas indeedsurprised at this intelligence, and expressed awish to see these professors, but was told thatthey would be presented to me in themorning ;and when morning came, the learned masterswere still invisible ; the whole story being aninvention of the priest's to impose upon mycredulity.

A book was next brought to me that hadbeen sent them as apresent by an Englishman;andalthough it was the Bible, not one of thembad lookedinto it beyond the title page. Thisbrought on a discussion relative to religion, inwhich the Pappas displayed profound erudi-tion, as may be inferred from his final remark :" The English and French," said he, " aregood Christians, although they differ a littlefrom us in the forms of their religion; but asfor the Italians and the Patriarch of Rome,eh! Panagia! tbe damnable heretics! they areworse than tbe Turks!"

PICTURE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN. 329

The next morning, at an early hour, the bellrang for matins, and Iwent to the churchwhere high mass was performing. It is agloomy, dingy place, with a curious tessellatedpavement ; and, likeother Greek churches, be-dizened around with daubs, representing thevarious saints of their creed. The lamps andornaments are all of silver ; and the greatesttreasure is a rich silver case ornamented withprecious stones, and containing the originalpicture of the Holy Virgin, by St.Luke; butalthough " painters always, more or less,

Flatter the features they express,"

the Apostle cannot be taxed with having fol-lowed the general example. Instead ofbeing apainting, as its name implies, this relic is akindof basso relievo, cut in black wood ; it remind-ed me of an Otaheitan God, and is far inferiorin personal charms to OurLady ofLoretto,whois not remarkable for her beauty. When thepriest opened the case, some Greeks who werepresent rushed forward to kiss the frame, andstare at tbe idol with genuine credulity— it ap-peared to me, that notwithstanding the abhor-rence professed by the Greeks for images, thisrepresentation of the Virgin ought certainlyto be considered one; and therefore that, with-

ORIGIN OF THE MONASTERY.330

out acknowledging it, the worshippers at thisshrine are in the daily habit of sinning againstthe fundamental rules of their Church.

The tradition relative to the foundation ofthe monastery is, that in the fifth century,some holy men fled from Salonica to avoid thepersecution of the heathens, and finding thisextraordinary cave, and the painting of theVirgin near the fountain, resolved upon re-maining here during the rest of their lives.But they first had a dangerous enemy to en-counter, in a winged serpent, who had takenup his abode in a cleft of the rock: thiswas theEvilOne!However, tbe hermits were resolvednot to give up the point ; and having piledsome dry bushes at the entrance of the cave,they set fire to them, and obbged the dragon tofly away. The religious reputation of the cavesoon became established, and the EmperorsCantacuzene and Constantine Palæologos be-stowed great privileges upon it;since then ithas yearly increased its territory and influence,both of which are now very great, notwith-standing that themonks expended muchmoneyduring the war, and profess at the present mo-ment to be very poor.

The monastery contains two hundred bre-thren, of whom eighty are priests, and their

WEALTH OF THE PRIESTS. 331

community is divided into three sections, theHegoumenos, the Priests, and the Caloyers.The Hegoumenos is elected annually from theclass of priests, who ballot amongst themselves;and when a vacancy occurs in their number, itis supplied by one selected from tbe Caloyers;the latter are replaced by youths, who act asservants and in other capacities to the monks.A man of property wishing to become apriest,is admitted instantly without any examination;and although he is allowed the use of his landduring his lifetime, at his death it becomes in-corporated with the other domains of the con-vent. In this manner, the monastery of Me-gaspelion has gradually been acquiring an im-mense property; and unless a stop is put to itsinsidious acquisition of land, it will, ere long,possess tbe best parts of the Morea. If themonks, in return for their wealth, diffused in-struction among the peasantry under their con-trol, and tried to lead them into the path ofcivilization, no objection could be offered tothe continuance of the establishment;but whenwe see a large revenue devoted solely to thesupport of a number of illiterate, pampered,and bigoted monks, we cannot but wish forits suppression.

The territorial wealth of the priests gives

IGNORANCE OF THE PRIESTS.332

them a great influence over the surrounding-peasantry, andaverse as they must be to all in-tellectual improvement amongst their tenants,

as prejudicial to their own authority, we mayfeel certain that their power will always be ex-erted to counteract the views of an enlightenedgovernment, andstill preserve the darkness thathangs over the minds of tbe peasantry. Me-gaspelion ought to be converted into a nationalcollege. The President has tried to imposeupon those who are interested in the affairs ofGreece, by giving them to understand, that hisattention is much devoted to tbefurtherance ofpublic education;and for this purpose the Go-vernment paper is filled with correspondencebetwixt him and various schoolmasters;but,infact, nothing has been done. Where thepriestshave been appointed mastersof tbe schools, theyare scarcely less ignorant than their pupils;andit is with them that education should com-mence. This would be an excellent spot for anuniversity, and the revenues of the conventwould defray the expenses.

The monks showed me their library, in thesmallest room of the convent;but it containedmerely a few Greek and Latin books upontheological subjects ; the latter had never beenread, and were only known to be Latin from

THEIR LIBRARY AND CELLAR. 333

report;and the dust which bad gathered on theGreek volumes appeared likewise to have beenlong unmolested. Ienquired whether theypossessed any manuscripts, and was shown anilluminated Psalter, which they had the impu-dence to say was written one thousand threehundred years ago;perhaps they believed so.Iwras next conducted to the cellar, said to con-tain four hundred thousand okas of wine, inlarge casks, each holding thirty-two thousandokas.* The refectory, where, on certain occa-sions, the priests dine together, hadnot a verysocial appearance;on ordinary days, each monkreceives a loaf of bread and quart of wine,which he takes to his cell. Their cells arevery comfortable ; and, although they professto lead a life of celibacy,Isaw sundry femaleformsgliding through the gloomy passages: soit would seem that they do not consider theirsacred building polluted by the presence ofthe sex.

During the war, the monks of Megaspelionwere not backward in joining the cause of in-dependence;and the cross in one hand, andTophaic in the other, they slew infidels, andab-solved Christians in the most orthodox manner.

* An oka, equal to two quarts.

334 IBRAHIM REPULSED

When, however, Ibrahim commenced his de-predations, they limited their exertions to thedefenceof themonastery;they fortified the ap-proaches to it with great judgment; two field-pieces were placed in battery at the most assail-ablepoint, and above them rose a huge cross,which, planted on thebrink of a precipice, hada very imposing effect, and was well calculatedto remind the combatants, that the cause forwhich they fought was that of religion as wellas of liberty, and that the war with theMoslemwas one of extermination.

Some hundred Albanians, who had no objec-tion to the good winein thecellar, or to thepias-tres of the priests, were takenintopay ; and theneighbouring peasantry, with their familiesand moveable property, sought refuge withinthe walls; so that when the advanced-guard ofIbrahim's columns debouchedfrom the moun-tain pass of Calavrita, the number of combat-ants within the entrenchments of Megaspileonamounted to one thousandmen, well resolvedtohold their ground, and defend all that theyheld most dear on earth — the monks, theirriches and the Panagia ;the Albanians, the cel-lar;and the peasants, their live stock and fami-lies. On the other hand, Ibrahim was insti-gated by thehopeofseizing the reported wealth

FROM MEGASPILEON. 335of the brothers;and likewise conceived, thatby exterminating this herd of " horned pigs,"he would obtain military possession of the dis-trict. He brought, it is said, three thousandmen to the attack; but against such a strongposition as that of Megaspileon he had nochance of succeeding without artillery;and af-ter ten hours fruitlessly spent in endeavouringto force the southern defile, he withdrew histroops, having killed only three of the Alba-nians. " Was it likely that an infidel Turkshould prevail against St. Luke's Panagia?"—"Andhow many men did you kill?" saidItothe Hegoumenos. "Forty were left dead onthe spot," answered the old man, "and abouttwo hundred and fifty were -wounded."— "For-ty !" exclaimed another;" there were at leastthree hundred killedoutright."— " Yes," said athird, "he lost,Iam certain, more than sevenhundred men.''* Which to believe ? Ishouldsay, the Prior.

Previous to my departure from Megaspileon,Ibegged permission to deposit a few piastresin the poor-box of the monastery. "Iam thepoor-box," said the Sub-prior, whose sleek ap-pearance, however, belied bis words; but his

*The monkshadneverread Shakspeare ;but they evident-lypossessedmore than oneFalstaff in their community.

336 VOSTIZZA.

confession was so candid and quaint, that Iplaced thirty piastres in his hand, as a requitalfor his poached eggs and sour wine;and then,having received his benediction, or more pro-bably curse,Iissued through the convent-gate,and gladly bent my steps down the hill.

The road toVostizza crosses a ridge of moun-tains, and enters the plain on the sea-shore, nearwhere the Vostizza river, a rapid, and, at thisseason of the year, dangerous stream, runs intothe gulf a little on the east side of Vostizza:seventeen persons hadbeen drowned inattempt-ing to cross the stream at different times duringthis winter;butIeffected the passage withoutmuch difficulty, and reached Vostizza on themorning of the 11th of February. The towncontained a few good houses ; the countryaround was highly cultivated ; and in the har-bour a large English merchant brig was an-chored. Previous to the Revolution,Vostizzacontained several wealthy inhabitants, and waspossessed of a brisk trade; but since then, theenormous duties imposed by the Greek Govern-ment has caused a stagnation in commerce, andthebrig was the only vessel that had come tothis part of Greece for a cargo during the lastyear. Two hours' distance beyond Vostizza,we came to the ruins of a large khan on the

LEPANTO— THE HELLAS FRIGATE. 337

banks of tbe sea; myrtle bushes grew around,and the mountains were beautifully wooded.

The gulf here becomes narrower;and on theopposite shore we saw Lepanto, which, being-built on the side of a steep hill, is quite ex-posed to the sea. It wras in this part of thegulf that thenavalpower of the Turksreceivedits memorable check from the united fleet ofChristendom, commanded by Don John ofAustria; and now, opposite to the town, thenaval force of independent Greece was anchor-ed— for so theHellas frigate may be considered.This superb ship is kept in commission at anenormous expense, although her services are nolonger required; and for several months pastshe has been anchored off Lepanto, servingmerely as a tender to Count Augustin Capod'lstrias, who, as Commander in Chief of tbeforces in Western Greece, has fixed his head-quarters at Lepanto. She bears the flag of Ad-miral Miaulis. As she is fir built, and conse-quently not calculated to last many years, theGreeks ought now to sell her to MahommedAli,whowould,inallprobability,become a will-ingpurchaser. Inher present state, Greece on-ly requires a few gun-brigs to protect her mer-chant vessels from the depredations of pirates.

A few miles beyond tbeKhan,abeautifulcas-z

CASTLES OF MOREA AND ROUMELIA.338

cade falls from a perpendicular height of severalhundred feet; and it is remarkable as beingalmost the only waterfall in the Morea. Wenext obtained a view of Capes Rhium and An-tirrhium, two low points of land stretching outfrom the opposite shores, and forming abarrierto the Gulfof Lepanto. The castles of Moreaand Roumelia are built at the extremities ofthe capes, and completely command the en-trance to the gulf. When the French army,commanded by Marshal Maison, landed inGreece for the purpose of expelling the Turks,the Morea Castle was garrisoned by one thou-sand five hundred men, who refused to surren-der;and the French were obliged to besiege itin form, whilst his Majesty's ships Ætna andBlonde bombarded. The greater part of theTurks escaped to the coast of Roumelia; andwhen the remainder agreed to capitulate, onlythree hundred men laid down their arms, inpresence of abesieging force of ten thousand.

Thecastle isnotmore than two hours' distancefrom Patras; but it wasso late when we reach-ed it, that we were obliged to pursue our jour-ney in the dark. The country was intersectedby ravines and ditches, and the darkness mag-nified every danger so much, that we were lite-rally obliged to feel our way—now plunging

PATRAS. 339

into themud, and the next moment scramblingout ofa water-course. At last, wet,dirty, andsulky, we enteredPatras, and were glad to findan untenanted room in a coffee-bouse, which,though full of a set of ruffians andspies drink-ing andgambling, appeared nevertheless a mostdesirable residence.

Patras during the Turkish rule was the townof the greatest commercial importance in tbeMorea, but it shared the fate of the others;andalthough the Turks always held the citadel, yetthe town was completely destroyed. Merchantvessels of various nations used here to take inthe produce of the adjacent country, and theconsuls of the maritime powers, and manymerchants, resided at Patras. Itnow containsseven thousand inhabitants, and the new townis daily increasing in size, and has been laid outin regular streets running at right angles witheach other. The town is planned for a hundredand twenty thousandinhabitants :it is to besur-rounded by a boulevard; and the projectors ofthe scheme are already debating which is themost eligible spot for a theatre, when they havenot funds enough tomacadamize theonly streetthey have commenced. The plan of improvingthe town isno doubt meritorious; but comfortand cleanliness should be attended to before

7. 2

HADJI CHRISTO AND340

luxury and amusements ; and a cloaca maximawould be a more praiseworthy work than themost magnificent theatre in the world.

Patras is just as dirty as any other Moreottown;and that is sayingevery thing. Last year,the prevalence of fever in the lower town, inconsequence of the accumulation of filth andstagnate water, was so great, that three hundredchildren died there, whilst in the upper town,which was better drained, only eight were vic-tims to the malady.

Thecitadel is garrisoned by a battalion of re-gular troops, and quartered in the town weretwo hundred irregular cavalry, commanded byHadjiChristo,a chief who distinguished himselfat Navarino, where he was taken prisoner byIbrahim. The men were mostly Bulgarians,who had served in the Turkish army, andde-serted to the Greeks; and a field-day they hadwhilstIwas at Patras, gave me a good oppor-tunity of seeing them. The drummer of thetroop,dressedlike a TurkishDelhi,rode throughthe town, beating two small kettle-drums, andpresently themen came riding in to the place ofrendezvous;they were dressed in all ways: somewore the Emir's turban of green; others hadshawls wrapped round their heads, with theendsflying intbe wind;and some were in Greek cos-

HIS IRREGULAR CAVALRY. 341

tume; they were for themost part wellmountedupon Turkish horses, with Oriental housings ;and with pistols in belt, and scimitar in band,made rather a gallant show. When the musterwas completed, Hadji Christo's lieutenant ledthe way to aplain near tbe town; where, having-separated into two parties, they commenced amock fight, now galloping out and attackingsingly, or throwing the djereed, and then skir-mishing in groups, all the while abusing eachother as Turks and Giaours. One party thencharged the other in line, and was met at speedwith such spirit that three horses were over-thrown ; andIexpected to see tbe sham fightconverted into a realbattle. Thearrival of thesemen, who are notorious for their predatory andunceremonious habits, created great consterna-tion atPatras, and it was rumoured that theycame for thepurpose of arresting Zaimi, the ex-president, a person whose influence and liberalviews afford much uneasiness to Capo d'lstrias;but as he has had the sense to remain perfectlyquiet, the Government have no excuse for seiz-ingbis person. Capo d'lstriaseitherbelieved,oraffected tobelieve,thatamasonic association hadbeen formed at Patras, composed of tbe Frenchand English, and those Greeks who are disaf-fected to him, and that tbe conspirators even

SOCIETY AT PATRAS.342

aimed at his life. His object in circulatingthese infamous reportsis obviously to render theFrench and English odious to the Greeks ;butbis measures betoken so muchmeanness andlit-tleness of mind, that they will only redound tohis own discredit. He feels that the measurespursued by him will not stand the test ofdis-cussion;and as he knows that he has exposedhimself to the criticism of the world,he wincesunder the slightest lash of satire.

A small society has been formed at Patras,and tbe Greek ladies there seem determined totake the lead in civilizing themselves. Therehad been two masked balls just before my ar-rival;and, what is a convincing proof of theirprogress, and that they are beginning to thinkfor themselves,— an elopement ! The lady,daughter of the Russian Vice-consul, and thelover a lieutenant, whose sole income amountedto forty pounds a-year, ran off to the Moreacastle;whence the bride very properly sent tobeg Mamma's pardon, promised never to do soagain,and asked for someclothes. Mamma, whowas accustomed to the good old Greek mode ofbetrothing- ayear or two before themarriage-day,was scandalizedat the proceedings ofher daugh-ter. To dare fall in love without her sanction

EMBARK FOR ZANTE. 343— infamous conduct! Instead, therefore, ofsending the repentantgirla gown, andher bless-ing, she gave her a breviary, a crucifix,and hercurse.Iwas present at an evening party atPatras,

where the young Greek ladies dancedcountry-dances, waltzes, and the romaika. The latterwas very well performed by a young Greek,who had been a General during the war, and agirl in thenationalcostume, witha truly Greciancountenance, who glided along at the head ofthe circle in so graceful a manner, thatIscarce-ly recognised the figure to be the same as thatdanced by the peasantry.

There are few antique remains at Patras ;and indeed my love of classical ground badnow quite evaporated. The fatigue of travel-lingduring the wintermonths, amidst the rainand snow of this mountainouscountry, can bebetter felt than described. Ihad felt it, andmy curiosity being satisfied, Iresolved uponembarking for Zante withoutdelay.

Even Theodore, who was so enthusiasticon first landing, now changed his sentiments.The muleteers had tried his patience too often;and during our passage across, he was violentin his abuse of the Greeks. "They are a ca-

344 ARRIVAL AT ZANTE.

naille," said he; "and ifIhad the power,Iwould hang a few dozen of them daily. Look,Sir, at the way the English act towards them,"continued he,pointing to the four men hangingin chains upon the Zante hill. "Unless thegovernment treat the Greeks in the same man-ner, they will never be good for any thing !"

On the 16thIarrived at Zante, and was de-lighted to enter the Lazaretto, and undergoa quarantine of twenty-one days. Althougha prisoner,1had a house to cover me, andwhatwas a still greater luxury, and one thatIhadnot enjoyed for three months— a bed!* * * *Ibad seen enough of Greece to convince me,

that although shepossesses great capabilities,yetthat the future ruler will have a most arduoustask to perform in bringing her within thebounds of civilization. Inveterate habits andprejudices must be weeded from the minds ofthe people, and their irascible passions calmed;a new impulse must be given to the enter-prising spirit of her mariners;a lawlesssoldieryis to be disbanded and thrown loose upon thecountry ; taxation must be enforced;roadsmade, and justice administered;and to effectthese objects, tbe new Sovereign must be sup-

REMARKS. 345

ported by a foreign army, and resolve to go-vern bis subjects with a

"Main de fer et gant de velours."

The proceedings of Capo d'lstria's assemblyat Argos sufficiently demonstrate the incapacityof the Greeks generally to understand the ad-vantages of a representative government; and,therefore, previous to throwing any power intothe hands of the delegates from the people,it would be necessary to form municipalities,and thus initiate them in the secrets of election.Municipal power would be so immediately feltby the persons interested, that they wouldlearn to duly estimate the value of having avoice in the nomination of those authorities;and when this feeling becomes generally un-derstood, it will be time to form a represen-tative assembly. In the present state of af-fairs, tbe Greek peopMe are so unfit to takeany share in the proceedings of the govern-ment, that it wouldbe an act of folly to grantthem at the onset the constitution which mayhereafter be requisite for them. Their debateswould only be the efforts of one faction tryingto undermine the other; and the partisansof tbe President's family, anxious to throw

346 REMARKS.

every impediment in the way of the new sove-reign, under the pretext of demanding consti-tutional rights, would try to counteract all themeasures of the Government. The misrule ofthe President, during the last two years, hasplaced the sovereign in a more difficult posi-tion than that of Capo d'lstrias in 1827, inas-much that,in addition to the vices of the Turk-ish administration, and to the abuses crept induring the war, he has also to unravel theweb of Machiavelian texture with which Capod'lstrias has entangled the country ; and sodifficult, or rather hopeless, is this task, thathis only chance of succeeding will be in sever-ing it at one blow. It is rather amusing tohear some persons, who know nothing of theGreeks except by hearsay, expatiating on thepropriety of granting to them at once a consti-tution similar to our own; they either knownot, or wilfully forget, tthat for four centu-ries the Greeks have been slaves to tbe mostdespotic power in the world;and that, accus-tomed to be ruled with a rod of iron, it ismorally impossible that they should be prepar-ed fora democratic government— the transitionis too rapid to be attended with a beneficialresult : the materials for a constitution are stillin too crude a state to be rendered available

REMARKS. 347

for present purposes; and the vicious habitsacquired from the Turks are so deeply rootedin the hearts of many, that there is no room forthe birth of truly patriotic sentiments. Butin the course of a few years, when the steadymarch of an enlightened government has re-stored the component parts of the nation totheir true equihbrium;when the refractoryhave not only been told what is right, butobliged to act up toit;when the revenues of thestate, instead of being absorbed by a few needyadventurers, flow through the various chan-nels of industry and commerce, until theyreturn to the source from whence they started,again to renew their vivifying course, — thenindeed may the Greeks consider themselves anindependent people, and claim their right tohave a suffrage in state affairs.

At present, Greece is like a wayward child,who, attempting to run before he can walk,falls, and hurts himself in the effort; and, bybis watchful guardians, is again put into lead-ing-strings, until age shall have ripened hismental and bodily faculties. To the.good qua-lities of tbe Greeks are added many vices;butas tbe latter are most apparent among thosewho have mixed much with theEastern world,

wemay believe that their virtues are their own,

348 REMARKS.

whilst their vices are those of example andeducation. Many writers upon Greece havebeen lavish in their abuse of the Greeks, andhave not hesitated to stigmatise them withevery vice that can disgrace mankind ; whilstothers, with equal prejudice, have representedthem as being so many suffering angels, groan-ing under the scourge of a tyrant. Bothpic-tures are overdrawn: the Greeks have manymore faults than their advocates are led to be-lieve, and fewer vices than their enemies arewilling to admit: and a person going toGreece,prejudiced either one way or the other, willfind himself much undeceived. Whilst theywere a suffering people, they were meek, cring-ing, andsubmissive;and when success attendedtheir arms, they became vindictive, cruel, andrapacious : but such are the characteristics ofman in an uneducated state, and are applicablenot to the Greeks alone, but to many othernations. The whole bent of their learning,during the Turkish rule, was to afford theman opportunity of exerting their talents for in-trigue to the best advantage: morality, virtue,honour, were terms the signification of whichwas obselete;of what use could they be withinthe precincts of a Pasha's court ? Religion hadbeen absorbed insuperstition ;and it is amatter

REMARKS. 349

of surprise, that the Greeks should possess anyvirtues whatever. The merits or demerits ofthe Greeks will, however, soon cease to be amatter of discussion ;their regeneration is aboutto commence ; they will soonbe unitedwith thegreat European family ; and in the course of avery few years we may hope to see them rapidlyapproximating to the state of civilization at-tained by the other nations of Europe.*

* Since the foregoing pages were written, the abdicationofPrince Leopold has beenmade public;andone cannotbutregret that the Greeks shouldhave been deprivedof a Sove-reign who, whatever Capo d'lstriasmay say to the contrary,would have been wellreceivedby the nation. Capod'lstriaswas anxious to free himself fromBritish influence and a Bri-tish Prince, and hopes, no doubt, to direct the councils ofthe future Sovereign.

REMARKS ON THE ACTUAL STATE

OF THE

NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER

OF THE

OTTOMAN EMPIRE.

OX THE

NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER

OF THE

OTTOMAN EMPIRE.

The changes that have taken place of lateyears in the government of the Porte,and thevarious innovations made by Sultan Mabmoudon the customs and prejudices of the Ottomans,caused the attention of all Europe to centrein the East; and tbe thirst for informationrelative to Turkey is still far from being as-suaged. Never was there a people so often de-scribed, andyet solittleunderstood, as theOtto-mans: the rapidity and splendour of their con-quests in early days called for the admirationas well as alarm of Christendom ; the causes oftheir prosperity were in vain sought for ; theywere considered to be endowed with supernatu-ral courage and enterprise ; and the difference

2 A

354 RISE AND PROGRESS.

of manners existing betwixt them and the restof Europe, prevented a thorough inquiry intotheir real power. Sultan succeeded sultan, andeach was supposed to mount a throne power-ful and firm as that of Suleiman ; but, in thecourse of time, it was discovered that this un-changing position was,in fact,undermining thestability of the empire;for whilst civilizationadvanced in other nations,inTurkey itremain-ed stationary.

The science of war, which the Turks in thefirst instance improved upon to theiradvantage,had now attained such perfection in Christen-dom that the Ottoman tactics were of but littleavail: the innate courage of the Spahis andJanissaries was rendered nugatory by the well-directed operations of a numerous artillery;and in the beginning of the eighteenth cen-tury, the victories of Prince Eugene of Savoyfirst opened the eyes of Europe as to thereal character of the Turks, and proved that itwas as easy to defeat them as any other nation.Reverse followed reverse;Russia and Austriayearly encroached upon theOttoman Empire;and yet no effort was made by the Porte tocorrect the vicious organization of its forces,and place itself on a par, in scientific advance-ment, with the other European states. Europe

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 355

was no longer imposed upon by the imaginarystrength of the Porte ; she saw that the earlysuccesses of the Ottomans were owing, not somuch to their own intrepidity, as to the weak-ness of thoseopposed to them, and in time shefelt that science and union had placed in herhands the power once wieldedby the Porte.

Luxuryandostentationhadlong sincebeenba-nishedfromher armies,whilstamongst theTurksthey held their wonted place ;and grown wiseby experience, she knew that wealth in a campacted but as abait to the enemy. The martialspirit of the Turks also suffered achill: so longas the armies of the Crescent rolled westward,andwrestedlands and wealth from the Giaours,ambition and avarice spurred the Moslems on-wards;but, when checked by the barrier ofunited Christendom, there was a revulsion inthe warlike stream, a change took place in thenational feeling, and the Turks only fought todefend their former conquests.

Atthebeginningof thenineteenthcentury,Sul-tanSelim awoketo asense ofhis own inferiority:he saw that the decay ofhismilitary power hadcommenced, and that, unless hehastened to re-medy theevil,the fall ofhis empire wouldensue:yet,so convinced were tbe Ottomans of the effi-ciency of their system, so elated with the recol-

2 A 2

356 RISE AND PROGRESS

lection of past victories,and confident of futuresuccess, that his attempts at reform were fruit-less, and ultimately caused his dethronementand death. Mahmoud then appeared upon thescene as a reformer, and hitherto has been ableto enforce his wishes;but he has a people todeal with already chastened by their reverses,and much decreased in numbers.

The fanaticism of the Mahommedans has inpart disappeared, but their fatalism still remainsin full force, and they firmly believe that theend of their European empire is approaching ;they feel that they are no longer conquerors inthe field, and that, even when victors,their lau-rels are barren, ■

—■the hopes of a place in Para-

dise hereafter are not so tempting as were thespoils of Hungary and Austria. The plunderof aRussian camp offers no incitement to theircupidity or sensuality. The talisman contain-ed in the word "home" has no influence onthem; they came as conquerors, have lived andruled as conquerors, and thus are not in theleast identified with the soil. Thelove of one'sfamily, which converts an European rustic intoa hero, cannot be expected to excite those tobattle who are sensualists in love, and strangersto esteem. Mere animal passions are thereforethe main springs of their actions, and these,

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 357unsupported by mind, can never be productiveof any great result. The Turks are ambitious,but merely because successful ambition createspower, andpower enables them togratify theirfeelings whether of love or hate.

With these materials,Mahmoud has under-taken to form a disciplined army ; and, al-though he has had many difficulties to en-counter, he has hitherto triumphed over them,andprosecuted the advancementof his favouritescheme.

The remodelling of the maritime force hasalso attracted his attention: and in the follow-ing pages Iwill try to point out the progressbe has made in his undertaking. A residenceof several weeks at Constantinople affordedme ample opportunities of inquiring into theestablishments of the Porte; and the Turkishofficers showed themselves extremely anxiousto oblige and assist me.

RISE AND PROGRESS358

OTTOMAN ARMY.

At the period when the Ottomans first be-came formidable to Europe, they may be saidto have composed one immense army;eachOsmanli was a soldier,and could not refuse hisservices to the common cause, as long as hewas able to bear arms ; and from the age ofsixteen to sixty they held themselves at thedisposal of the state. Their unpaid serviceswere not, however,unrequited ;a third of theconquered land was distributed amongst them,and held on tenure of military service, whichwas limited from April to October. The con-quered peasantry cultivated the lands thusceded to the soldiery, and paid the rents to thelandlords; and thelarger grants, called Ziamets,being ofmore thanfive hundred, and the lesser,or Timars, of from three to five hundred acres,the Osmanlis, thusprovided for, received ampleremuneration for their services. But this sys-

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 359tem, although placing a large numerical forceat the disposal of the chief, was attended withmany disadvantages : it was impossible to keepan army together during the winter months ;and a series of operations was often paralyzedby the soldiers returning to their homes beforethe termination of the campaign. The onlymode of obviating this evil was by raising abody of mercenaries, whose services would beat all times available; and in furtherance ofthis idea, Amuratb's Vizier suggested to himthe plan of claiming, as his right, the fifth partof the Christian youth captured in Bulgaria,Albania, Servia, and Bosnia, and, after instruct-ing them in the law of the Prophet, inuringthem to arms. The advice was listened to withattentionby the Sultan, and soon acted upon:a new body of soldiers was formed, uncon-nected with the rest of the empire by ties ofbirth; and Hadjee Bectash, a holy man, whosereputation for sanctity was unequalled, deli-vered his blessing to the assembled proselytes.*" Let them," said he, "be called Yenghicheri(or new soldiers) : may their countenances beever bright, their swords keen,— may theirspears always hang over theheads of their ene-

* Cantemir Hist, de l'Empire Ottoman.—

Gibbon.

RISE AND PROGRESS360

mies, and, wherever they go, may they returnwitha white face!"

At this time, there was not a single power inChristendom that maintained a regular body oftroops in its pay : tbe Christian armies wereraised at the will of the nobility, who brookedno superior, and seized the first pretext to leavethe armies of their sovereign, and return withtheir vassals to their strongholds ; the advan-tages of union against a common enemy werenot sufficiently felt; and victory declared infavour of those troops who to courage and en-thusiasm united discipline and a blind subser-vience to the will of their rulers. Such weretheJanissaries: they sweptallbefore them;andwhilst the captureof Christians furnishedslavesto supply the vacancies in their ranks, so longdid fortune smile upon them;but when theJanissaries ceased to form a separate class fromthemass of the nation,when they were allowedto marry and enrol their children, and that theOdas* were encumbered with men who prefer-red an inglorious life, in the retirement of theirfamilies, to the dangers of a bard-fought field;the Janissaries ceased to be formidable to theirenemies, and, like the Prætorian guards, wereonly dreaded by their Emperors.

'The companies, or regiments, wereso called.

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 361Yet on this class of men did the Porte

depend for defence against her foes;and al-though their inefficiency became daily moreapparent, no reform could be effected in thesystem. In vain did Selim attempt to remo-del them; his life paid the forfeit of bis teme-rity. In vain did Mahmoud, on bis accessionto the throne, wish to enforce tbe strict regu-lations of " Suleiman the Magnificent." Aninsurrection was the consequence, which, dur-ing three days, inundatedhis capital with blood,and obliged him, in self-defence, to commandthe execution of bis brother. The stern dis-position of Mahmoud was not, however, daunt-ed by this failure: he now saw that nothingless thantheentiredestruction of the Janissarieswould enable him to improve the situation ofhis empire; and be patiently waited until becould strike a blow with the certainty of suc-cess. In1826, the Janissaries again mutinied;but they found the Sultan prepared, and theygave but the signal for their own destruction.The artillery-men and other troops faithful tothe Sultan surrounded them in the Etmeidan.They attempted to defend themselves, butwithout success, and twenty thousand perished.It is not within the limits of this book to givethe details of an occurrence which has already

RISE AND PROGRESS362been well described;andImerely allude to thecircumstance,asconnecting themodern militarysystem of the Turks with that of ancient days.

The suppression of the corps of Janissarieshaving left Mahmoud at liberty to remodel hisarmy in such manner as appeared best suitedto the times, he hastened to supply the voidoccasioned by the destruction of the only forcein the empire; and orders were issued, direct-ing the enrolment of a certain number of menfrom every province, with the exception ofAlbania, Bosnia, and the African states. Butthe Sultan foundmore difficulty in raising hisnew troops than had been anticipated; foralthough the law existed in full force,placingthe services of every Moslem at the disposalof the Sultan, this only applied to a periodof war; and no instance occurred formerlyof the present system of enrolment, whichwas consequently viewed with suspicion bythepopulace. Another drawback to the speedyformation of an army, was the necessity of ex-cluding from the new corps all persons sus-pected of Janissarism;and as it hadbeen cus-tomary for every Moslem, on attaining the ageof manhood, to inscribe his name in the odasof tbe Janissaries, the only method by whichMahmoud could hope to secure his troops from

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 363

the contaminationof that sect, was by enrollingnone but boys in his army. There was, con-sequently, a proportionate difficulty in fillingthe ranks; and twelve months only hadelapsedsince the introductionof the new system, whenRussia declared war against the Porte. Theregiments of the Ottoman army were still in-complete;and the unpopularity of the contest,and dread of theRussian arms, acted as an ad-ditional check to the enlistment of the villagers,who,on the approach ofa recruiting party,usedto fly from their villages in the greatest alarm.

Thenew troops were, however,brought intoaction; but they were as yet too ignorant ofthe advantages of discipline to benefit by theinstructions they had received. Their ma-nSuvres served but to confuse them ; the offi-cers were superior to the men only in name;and the generals were equally destitute oftalent. The interior organization of thearmywas not understood;themen felt no confidenceeither in their officers or themselves; and theregular troops were, on most occasions, easilyovercome by tbe disciplined Muscovites.

The campaign of 1829 commenced morefavourably for theTurks: they were command-ed by the Grand Vizir, who to undoubtedcourage was supposed to unite considerable

364 PRESENT STATE

military talent; and the forty thousand regu-lars who served underhim were certainly bettertroops than had yet been led into action; buttbe battle of Kuleftscba inflicted a final blowon the spirit of the army;part ofit dispersed,and onlytwenty thousand men retired with theGrand Vizir to Shumla. The result of thatcampaign is well known, andIshall thereforeproceed to detail the condition of the Ottomanarmy at tbe commencement of this year.* * * *

The Ottoman army is composed of regularand irregular cavalry and infantry, a corps ofartillery, and a regiment of bombardiers, orminers.

REGULAR ARMY—

INFANTRY.

The Assakiri Mansurei Mohamediyes, (vic-torious troops ofMahomet,) or regular infantry,are said to amount to fifty thousand men, andten thousand of these compose the Imperialguard, quartered in and around Constantinople.The latter were the troopsIhad anopportunityof seeing, and are similar in their organizationand equipment to the troops of the line. Theyare recruited from the mass of the people, with-out distinction;and although the Sultan didnot oblige the children of his nobility to enter

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 365

the service, yet, at tbe beginning of tbe war,many voluntarily enlisted; and even some oftbe Ulemas, or expounders of the law, forsooktheir peaceable profession, and enrolled them-selves. Tbe black and white subjects of theSultan are alike received as soldiers ; and onemay see in a regiment the various shades ofthe human countenance, from the jet blackcomplexion of the Ethiop to the fair-faced in-habitant of Roumelia. "Ah !" said an ex-janissary to me one day, "what kind of soldiersare these? You see every race, and everycolour on the earth, amongst them !"— Themixture has certainly a grotesque appearance.Once enrolled, a soldier is obliged to serve forlife; but it often happens that discharges aregranted.

ORGANIZATION OF THE REGULAR INFANTRY.

The regular troops are organized on the mo-delof the French army, and are divided intocorpsd'armees,divisions,brigades,andregiments.Thecorps d'armeeis commandedbya Seraskier;the division by a Pasha of three tails ; thebri-gade by a Pasha of two tails; the regiment,consisting of three battalions,by a Miri-alay;and the battalion by a Bimbashee.

A regiment is thus divided :—

PRESENT STATE366

EFFECTIVESTATEOFA

TURKISHREGIMENT.

IIS*3 2

J

a

o sa"ata's M«3

—rt3.2,

■Sa

aEaas s*das

-oMS* Si.

o Es

a 60

a *aa)

**a ——iIRegimental

Staff

1stBattalion

2dBattalion

3dBattalion

1

1

1

iii

111

11

8 8 8

16 16 1632 32 32

720 720 7201

1

1

48 48 48

1

Total

1

1

1

3

3

3

II

244806

14421601

1

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 367

The prejudices of the Mahommedans are soinveterate relative to the employment of Euro-pean officers in their service, that Mahmoudhas not attempted to place any foreigners incommand of his troops, and they have hithertobeen disciplined by those officers who servedunder Sultan Selim in the Nizam Djedid, andby persons sent from the Egyptian army. Theonly footing on which an European officer canbe tolerated by the Turks is as instructor;anda Mr.Calosso has been employed by Mahmoudto superintend the discipline of his cavalry;buttbe infantry have not been equally favoured,and are consequently labouring under greatdisadvantages.

Several adventurers presented themselves atConstantinople, in the hopes of being nomi-nated to a command in the Turkish army; butthey were men without talent or reputation;and it was fortunate for Mahmoud that he didnot avail himself of their services. The onlydifference between the officers and men of theTurkish army lies in their rank : they are drawnfrom the same class of society, and have hadthe same means of acquiring education, which,however, is limited to reading and writing;but something more than this is required toform an officer. The science of war is not tobe acquired by instinct, nor are the detailsof

368 PRESENT STATE

the military profession to be learnt by hearsay,in an European army; the causes of a mili-tary movement are explained, and the neces-sity of internal discipline made apparent to all:— but in the Turkish army there is no one tolook up to; the same ignorance pervades allranks; and, unless they have the benefit of ex-ample, we cannot expect them to make a rapidadvancein their discipline.

The Turks appear to think, that performingthe manual and platoon exercises with a tole-rable degreeof precision,marching in companiesinstead of independently, and wearing a peculiarkindof dress, is sufficient to class them withdis-ciplined troops; but in their anxiety to perfectthemselves they overlook the only means bywhich perfection can be attained. The soldieris placed in the ranks before he knows how tomarch : provided that he goes through theexercise,it matters not whether bis carriage issteady or not. When in theranks, the men talkand laugh without restraint, and even addressthemselves to the officers;and the latter, insteadof reprehending their soldiers, join in thelaugh.Theline drawn betwixt the privates and subal-tern officers is not sufficiently distinct, althoughthe field-officers are treated with the most obse-quious respect by their inferiors; and it is easy

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 369

to perceive throughout that the handof a mas-ter is wanting to combine all the elements ofdiscipline, which are now but imperfectly un-derstood, and to impress upon the higher ranks,that, before they are capable of commanding, itis requisite for them to study their profession,andmake upby their theoretical knowledge, fortheir want of experience.Iwas not so fortunateas to witness any grand

review of the new troops, but often saw themmarching in small bodies, when, although amilitary formation was adhered to, their move-ments were so unsteady that they did not offera favourable sample of the proficiency theyhad made in discipline. They went throughthe firelock exercise much better thanIhadexpected.

It would be unfair,however, to blame theOt-tomans for alaxity of discipline atpresent, whenso short a time has elapsed since their armieswere in a complete state of insubordination;and it may be prudent, in the onset, to allowthe troops alittle latitude,whilst the Janissariesare fresh in their recollection, and graduallyto tighten the reins hereafter. There howeverappears to be a good feeling in the army atpresent : the men seem capable of being madeexcellent soldiers; to tbe undoubted courage of

2 B

370 PRESENT STATE

their race, they unite sobriety and obedience totheir superiors ;and, to judgeby their cheerful,careless manner, are free from the gloomy fana-ticism of the Janissaries. These good qualitiesmay partly be attributed to their youth, manyof the recruits not being more than twelveyears of age; and although this circumstancewas disadvantageous to them during the warwith Russia, yet if the Porteis allowed a fewyears'peace, theseboys will form abody of menwell affected to the Government,and sufficientlynumerous and powerful to lead the opinions ofthe conscripts who from time to time may beadded to them.

DRESS OF THE REGULAR TROOPS.

The dress and equipment of the army, whichin other countries would be considered in a se-condary point of view, has presented more dif-ficulties to the Sultan than any other of his un-dertakings;for so perfectly were the Turkswedded to their ancient costume, that any alte-ration was viewed with disgust by the nation.No dress could certainly be more graceful thanthe flowing robe and shawl-turban of the Os-manlis: but it was badly adapted for an infantrysoldier :it impeded his movementsin advancing,

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 371

andoften fatally delayed his retreat. It was im-possible to have a proper command of the mus-ket, whenembarrassed by the capacious sleevesof the Turkish robes; and this dress was there-fore one of the first objects that attracted Mah-moud's attention. He issued a decree prohi-bitinghis subjects from wearing either the tur-ban or pelisse, and directed them to substitute around cloth jacket for the latter, and the redcap, or Fez, (formerly worn inside the turban)instead of tbe entire head-dress. He set theexample to bis subjects by appearing dressedin the simplest manner ;andtheuniform chosenfor the troops was of a similar fashion.

Although having the merit of uniformity,and being far more serviceable than the ancientmilitary dress, there are still many objectionsto be urged against the new costume. The^xis especially liable to be condemned, as it nei-ther protects the soldier from the sun or therain, and is quite useless as a defence against asabre-cut. It is made of red cloth; and, as theMahommedans all shave their heads, is pulleddown over the forehead as low as the eye-brows ; a blue silk tassel hangs from the top,and the front is sometimes ornamented by astar and crescent. Mahmoud, at one time,directed the officers to wear peaks to their caps,

2 B 2

PRESENT STATE372

but they came forward with one accord, anddeclared that they would not submit to bedressed like Europeans. Since then there hasbeen a change in their sentiments; andIhaveno doubt but that,before long, we shall see theTurks wearing the European chako.

The uniform of the guards is a round bluejacket with red cuffs and collar ; but thejackets never fit the men, and have consequent-ly a very slovenly appearance. In summer, awhite cotton jacket is substituted for tbe other.The trowsers are bluecloth in winter,and whitecotton in summer; they hang in large slovenlybags down to theknee, where they are gather-ed in,and fit close to the leg, as low as theankle. (They remind one forcibly of the ne-ther garments of a Dutch burgomaster in thetime of Van Ostade.)

Another great innovation has been made, byobliging the soldiers of the guards to wear Eu-ropean shoes fastened with buckles, instead oftbeclumsyTurkishboots. A coarse brown greatcoat, with hood like that of a monk, completesthe dress of a Turkish soldier.

The accoutrements of the guards are madeofvery bad materials. They consist of apouchand belt of black leather; the former contain-ing fifty rounds of ammunition. A belt of

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 373

similar materials is worn round the waist; andthe bayonet, which has superseded the ataghan,is carried in a frog attached to this. Fiftyyears ago, theTurks refused to admit thebayo-net amidst their weapons; and it was onlyafter the Mufti had publicly pronounced ablessing upon it, and declared that its usewould be advantageous to the true believers,that they sanctioned its introduction! Goat-skin knapsacks contain the cooking utensilsand spare clothes of the men; and their great-coats are strapped on them in a very carelessmanner. Each soldier is provided with a lea-thern bottle for water.

The following articles are issued to a soldierannually, at the expense of the Government :

The uniform of the officers is similar to thatof the men, except that they wear trowsersnearly likeour own,andEuropean boots. Their

Q*-a***" ..5 a

Necessaries issued annually.

1 Blue cloth jacket.1 White cotton ditto.1 Pairof white trowsers.1 Pair of blue ditto.2 Pair of shoes.1 Fez(red cap).

374 PRESENT STATE

cloaks also are the same as ours; andIhaveseen some of the young men dressed very well,and even wearing gloves. The degrees ofrankare denoted by a star and crescent, worn uponthe left breast. These ornaments are made ofgold or silver for the junior officers, and set indiamonds for the higher ranks. Each regimenthas a green standard, with the star and crescentembroidered thereon ingold.

PROMOTION.

Promotion in the regular army is to takeplace by seniority ; but although this rule hasbeen laid down, the Sultan frequently advancesthose officers who bring themselves to his no-tice by their talent and knowledge of tactics;and many of the regiments are commanded byvery young men, who are not ashamed to ac-knowledge their backwardness in science. In-deed,Imet several Turkish officers who scru-pled not to own that they were inferior to theFranksin their military system;and they seem-ed anxious to improve themselves by inquiry.The older men are more conceited, and fancytheir system to be exceedingly good.

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 375

REGIMENTAL MUSIC.

The strangest additions made by Mahmoudto his regiments are the bands; and it is quitesurprising to hear the Turks, who, two yearsago, had no correct ideas of music,now playingwith tolerable taste some of our most popularairs; "Malbrook" is a great favourite; andthe drummers and risers are to be heardpractis-ing during the whole day. They play in verygood time, and have an excellent ear for music,so that a great source of enjoyment is openedto them; and they ought to consider them-selves under great obligations to Mahmoudfor introducing this art into his empire. TheSultan's band is extremely good, and containssome Italian performers ; but the greater num-ber of the musicians are young Turks, whohave already made a great proficiency in theirstudies,and are capable of executing some ofRossini's pieces of music with brilliancy. Amarch composed for the Sultan by the leaderof his band is a fine piece of music ; and Iheard it very well played by his musicians.Ithas since been introduced to the notice ofour regiments, and is well known as the "Sul-tan's March." The dress of the Turkishbands

PRESENT STATE376

differs a little,but not materially, from that ofthe soldiers.

REGULAR CAVALRY.

The Turks have been at all times famed fortheir cavalry ;but their organization was so dif-ferent from that of European dragoons, thatthe Sultan has hitherto failed in effecting muchimprovement in this arm. He has himselfbeen indefatigable in learning to ride in anEuropean saddle with long stirrups, and has ac-quired an excellent seat; but the four squad-rons of dragoons attached to the guard, andcomposing the only regular cavalry in the em-pire, are not remarkable for their military ap-pearance. Mr. Calosso, a ci-devant captain ofdragoons in Eugene's army of Italy, havingbeen obliged to fly from Piedmont, in conse-quence of thepart he took during the Revolu-tion, offered his services to the Sultan, and hassince been employed as the instructor of hiscavalry. Mahmoud was fortunate in meetingwith a person of respectability capable of as-suming this office, and hehas not shown him-self ungrateful to Calosso for his exertions: thelatter has taught Mahmoud to ride, and tomanSuvre a squadron, and the Sultan takes

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 377

great pleasure in watching the improvement ofhis guard. The men, however, have not keptpace with the Sultan; they still entertain agreat predilection for short stirrups ; their seatis loose and ungraceful, and they not unfre-quently are thrown from their saddle, much totheir disgrace and mortification.

The horses of this corps are very differentfrom what we are in the habit of consideringTurkish horses; they are small and ugly, illconditioned, and badly groomed, and were pur-chasedby tbe Government wherever they couldprocure them— in Asia,Roumelia, and Walla-chia; but the greater part came from Widdin.Their equipments are bad and dirty, and themen do not dress well. They wear an embroi-dered blue jacket, trowsers,European boots andspurs;but theboots are never cleaned,and theirtrowsers, when they are riding, shrink half wayup the leg. That effective weapon, the Turkishscimitar, has been rejected to make way forFrench light dragoon sabres; andas neither thescabbard nor hilts of these have been cleanedsince their importation, it may be conceivedthat these dragoons are not very martial in theirappearance.

The officers of the cavalry are however su-perior to the generality, and some of them pay

378 PRESENT STATE

great attention to their dress. Avney Bey, theLieutenant-Colonel, and Aid-de-camp to theSultan, had his uniforms well made, wore astock, gloves, and well polished boots;and, butfor the fez, might be taken for an Europeanofficer : but Avney Bey was quite a renegadeTurk; half his days were spent amongst theFranks. Whenever he could escape from hisduty at Ramah Chiflik, he hastened on boardour men-of-war, to join in the conversation, andindulge in the forbidden drink of the unbeliev-ers : he spoke sufficient French to render him-self understood, and he was in a fair way tobring down the displeasure of the Prophet,when,unfortunately for him, he incurred thatof the Sultan. Mahmoud, who was extremelypartial to this young man, had expressed nodisapprobation of his conduct, as longas hekeptwithin the bounds of moderation; but it ap-pears, that during theRamazan, AvneyBey wasguiltyof great excesses. Now, as the Sultan israpidly undermining the Mahommedan creedby his innovations, he deems it right to affectoutwardly the greatest respect for the ceremo-nies ofhis religion ; and to punish Avney Beyfor his want ofdiscretion, he banished him toNicomedia, where, however, it is not likelythat he will remain long before be is restoredto favour.

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 379

PAY DEPARTMENT.

The greatest abuses formerly prevailed in thepayment of the Ottoman army: the troops andthe Sultan were plundered alike: andalthoughit was osthe greatest importance not to keep theJanissaries inarrears, yet it oftenhappened that,duringmanymonths, the soldiers' pay was with-held, whereas it ought to have been grantedquarterly. Of themany thousandsof Janissariesreceiving pay, not above twenty thousand ac-tually served; yet a ticket called essame insuredevery man his pay, whetherhepresented ithim-self, or sentitby an agent;thiskind ofbank billwas often sold by the owner, and thus it wasimpossible to restrain the drain upon the publicpurse. Some of the Janissaries received threeaspers a day, whilst othershad as many as nine-ty-nine; and these sums, though apparentlytrivial, formed in the aggregatea great amount.When the Janissaries were destroyed, this de-partment partook of the general reform; andalthough the Government is still, in some de-gree, at the mercy of its agents, the soldier iscertain of receiving his pay and clothing withregularity.

The management of the finance, commissa-riat, and general organization of the army, isvested in the Asker Naziry (superintendent of

PRESENT STATE380

the troops), conjointly with the Seraskier andother official persons. All tbe army is regis-tered at this office, and to it the soldiers addressthemselves,if they have any cause ofcomplaint.The troops are paid monthly ; and the follow-ing are the rates of pay and number of rationsgranted to tbe different ranks.

3 Asperszzl Para; 40 ParasolPiastre; 15 Piastres*-"-:1 Spanish Dollar; 73J to 75 Piastres^One Pound Ster-ling. It is supposed that the piastre was originally worthaSpanish dollar, 4s. 4d.; but the false policy pursued by theSultans in debasing the coinage has caused its present, dimi-nutionof value. Even twenty years back, the pound sterlingwas only worth 12 piastres, and the exchange isnow at 73 J!

An Oka in weightnearly equals three pounds English.

PayMonthly. Rations ierdiem.Rank.

Piastres. Okas of meat Loaves olbread.

Miri Alay (Colonel)Caimacando.(Lt. Col.)Alay Eminy (Major)Bimbashee(Chef deBat.) ..SaghCol Aghassy (Adj. Maj.)Sol. Col. Aghassy (Adjutant)Yuzbashee(Captain)Mulazims(Lieutenant)Tchiaoushe (Serjeant)Onbashee (Corporal)Drum-majorClerkChaplainPrivate

15001200900750400400180120403040

1506020

86543*H2

242015

83322

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 381

Upon taking into consideration the trifling-expenses of the Turkish officers, as comparedwith thoseof other armies,it would appear thatthey are extremely well paid: their uniformscost but little; their lodging is provided at thepublic expense; and they receive amost ampleallowance of provisions. By thus appealing totheir interests,Mahmoud has made sure of theirservices;and although the expense of the newarmy is very heavy, the money so disbursedhas placed a power in his hands whichit is notunlikely that he may be obliged to wield, soon-er or later, to defendhimself against bis people.The annual cost of the regulars is estimated at40,000,000 piastres, (520,000/.).

MILITARY CODE.

Sultan Suleiman,when hereformed the corpsof Janissaries and restored them to their ancientdiscipline, issued a code of laws for their guid-ance; and Mahmoud, finding that many ofthem were applicable to the present state of hisarmy, grounded thereon his articles of war.The officers are held responsible for the disci-pline and good conductof their men, andat thesame time are admonished not to treat themwith harshness. Such, however,are the despo-

382 PRESENT STATE

tic habits of the Turks, that the soldier wouldfind himself a mere slave in the hands of hisofficer, were it not for a clause in the militaryregulations, authorizing him to complain to theAsker Naziry and Seraskier, should he deemthat he has been treated with injustice; andthis regulation will, Idoubt not, contributemuch to ameliorate the moral condition of theOttoman soldier.

Courts-martial havenot yet been introduced;nor is itprobable that they will for some time,as they are at variance with the despotism ofMahmoud,andmight interfere with theprompt-ness of his measures. Officers of high rankare punished for neglect of duty by banish-ment or degradation ; the inferior officers arelikewise liable to be reduced to the ranks; andthe soldiers are kept in order through fear oftheold Turkish argument— the bastinado. Ifthe punishment of death were to be inflicted onthose who deserted their colours during the lastcampaign, it would be necessary to exterminatethe greatest portion of the army;but as thecase was so common, it became a fruitless task topunish any of the fugitives, and their miscon-duct remained unnoticed.

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 383

COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT.

The importance of the Commissariat depart-ment is well understood by all military men,although many persons who are not in theservice entirely overlook it when watching theoperations ofan army: they merely think ofitsnumerical force; they are surprised to hear ofthe tardiness of its movements, and supposethat, to fight battles and conquer kingdoms, itis solely necessary to collect a number of men,and march them here and there at the will ofthe leader.

Such have hitherto been the opinions of theTurkish rulers: they deemed it but necessaryto find tbe men, and trusted to Allah for themeans of feeding them. SultanMahmoud has,however, established a kind of Commissariatdepartment, under the control of the AskerNaziry; but it is yet in its infancy, and thefield arrangements are very imperfect. Thereis no transport train ; and when a column oftroops is in motion, it depends, as heretofore,on the resources of the country it is passingthrough for support ; with this difference, thata Vekil Hardj, or Commissary, precedes the co-lumn, and is supposed to purchase provisions

384 PRESENT STATE

for it at the expense of Government ; but themoney appropriated to thatpurpose seldom goesbeyond the pocket of the Commissary, and thesoldier is then supported by the forced contri-butions of those whom he is sent to defend.There are large stores of provisions at Con-stantinople, and the troops quartered there arealways well supplied; but the farther they areremoved from the eye of the Sultan, tbe moreare they liable to be neglected and plundered.The soldiers at the capital receive two mealsa-day, consisting of soup, meat, bread, and ve-getables ; and on Friday (the Mahommedansabbath) they are supplied with a "Pilaff,"which may be considered as the national dishof the East.

The irregular troops, being obliged to serveat their own expense, are left to feed them-selves as well as they can; and as they are inthe habit of considering all the country northof Constantinople as the source whence theyare to draw their supplies, the wretched inha-bitants of Roumelia and Bulgaria, howeverdis-tant they may be from the actual seat of war,suffer quite as much as if their provinces form-ed the arena for the combatants. Their housesare ransacked, their cattle are driven away,their remonstrances are treated with derision,

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 385

or silenced by a blow ; and when a few years'peace have enabled them to recover from theirpoverty, another war breaks out

— tbe samescenes are repeated, and tbe unhappy peasantfeels that his only relief from bondage is indeath. But it is not alone the country peo-ple who suffer by this marauding system,— thesoldiers in turn feel the effects of their wanton-ness. Long before the termination of thecampaign, they find the greatest difficultyin obtaining a coarse and scanty provision;eventhis often fails. Many of them die literallyfrom want ;and the irregular force ceases to beeffective.

In the process of time, when Mahmoud, byincreasing bis regular force, is enabled to dis-pense with the services of the irregulars, theseevils, we should think, would in part disappear;and as the advantages of having a good com-missariat must display themselves to him, inthe event of another war, when he will haveto move large bodies of disciplined troops,there can be no doubt but that be will paymore attention to this branch or his militarysystem.

2 c

PRESENT STATE386

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

The Turks at all times have been ready toacknowledge the superiority of Europeans inthe science of medicine; and, notwithstandingtheir predestination, there are no people uponearth who place more faith in the skill andknowledge ofa physician. It is therefore sin-gular that they should hithertohave dependedalmost solely upon strangers for the welfare oftheir bodies, and not have made more progressin the study themselves. The physicians whoattend the Sultan and his harem areEuropeans;and there is scarcely a Pasha in the empire whohas not some Greek or Italian adventurer at-tached to his court, whose knowledge of medi-cine is acquired much in the same manner asthat of the learned Hakim, described in thatbest of Oriental pictures— "Anastasius." Mah-moud, however,has not allowed themedical de-partment of his army to escape unnoticed; and,in furtherance of its improvement, he has esta-blished a College of Medicine, where youngTurks alone are admitted and instructed inmedicine and French.

The Hakim Bashee has the control of themedical department, and each regiment has a

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 387

physician and surgeon attached to it;the for-mer receiving 150 piastres, or 2l. per month,and the latter 100 piastres. Italians, Germans,Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and Turks, nowcompose the medicalbody, and from the salarywhich they think it worth their while to re-ceive, we may infer that their studies werenot ofa very satisfactory nature. During war-time, field-hospitals are established for theregular troops; but the unfortunate irregularsare not in the least attended to; and when thepoor wretches are badly wounded, all they cando is to lie down and die. The external ap-pearance of the hospitals at Constantinople didnot promise much comfort within; but it issaid that the diet and cleanliness of the patientsare not neglected.

ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT.

It is now nearly a century since the Turksfirst attempted to improve the state of theirOrdnance department : the efficiency of Euro-pean artillery astonished them;they could notcomprehend how it was possible to fire withthe rapidity of theAustrian gunners; and whenthey compared their own proficiency with thatof the enemy, they wereunwillingly obliged to

2 c 2

388 PRESENT STATE

acknowledge their inferiority,andseek for a re-medy. This could only be found by borrow-ing from the infidels those lights which theyhad acquired, whilst the Moslems slept;and itwas not difficult for the Porte to find instruc-tors in officers belonging to such Europeannations as were anxious to check the encroach-ments of Austria and Russia upon the Turkishempire. But the great obstacle to improve-ment existed in the prejudices of the Otto-mans ; and Monsieur de Bonneval, a Frenchofficer, who was one of the first to undertakethe arduous task, failed in his object from ig-norance of the character of the people he hadto deal with: bis anxiety to succeed led him toexpect results when he had not made a begin-ning; and the artillery remained in their back-ward state until tbe Baron de Tott, in 1770,offered his services to the Porte. He foundevery thing in the greatest disorder; and tofully comprehend the difficulty of his task, it isnecessary to read his amusing memoirs. Everyobstacle that prejudice or jealousy could inventwas sedulously thrown in his way ; and theinstances herelates of the schemes planned bybis enemies are truly amusing.

On one occasion,he brought some field-piecesto exercisebefore the Grand Vizir ; and in lieu

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 389

of a sponge, substituted hogs' bristles; and thisoccurrence was instantly pointed out by hisenemies as a wish to insult the religious preju-dices of the people ; but having made themacknowledge that their mosques were paintedwith brushes made of the same materials, hebegged to know what objection there could beto his using them in the service of the country;— and the fanatics, who were preparing to mur-der him, exclaimed, " God is wonderful !" andquietly permitted him to continue.

There were some mortars and shells in thearsenal, but the artillerymen knew not how touse them: and when he desired them to try,they placed the shell in first, and the powderafterwards. They knew not how to bore can-non until De Tott instructed them ; and wereso careless of the manner in which they obey-ed the orders of the Sultan, that fifty piecesof field-artillery, which were to be sent to thearmy, were embarked without carriages, andconsequently proved useless to the combatants.

The Topejees, or artillerymen, at this timeconsisting of forty thousand men, were quitedevoid of discipline, and, like the Janissaries,

scattered throughout the empire; they were

not paid with regularity, and'-but few of themactually served.

PRESENT STATE390

To attempt the re-organization of sucha bodyas this at once would have been madness; andDe Tott therefore limited himself to the disci-plining of six hundred men, who were formedinto a separate corps, and styled saratchis, ordiligent. Their pay was issued weekly ; theysubmitted with docility to the lessons of theirmaster ;andbefore long,DeTott taught them tofire several times inaminute. This was a won-derful change in people who formerly thoughtthat if they fired a gun once an hour, it wasvery good practice. De Tott likewise assistedthe Turks in their knowledge of mathematics;and when he departed from the country, leftthem in a state of improvement. Since then,many French officers were employed inameho-rating tbe state of the artillery, until the de-thronement of Selim, when a stagnation tookplace in improvement, until lately.

As it was to the exertions of the Topejeesthat Mahmoud owed the defeat of the Janissa-ries, he rewarded their fidelity by retainingthem on the same footing as formerly, makingonly some trifling alterations in their dress;butit is said that he intends to give them the sameorganization as the infantry. At the presentmoment they are divided into three corps—

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 391

horse artillery;foot artillery ;and bombardiers,or miners.

HORSE ARTILLERY.

The horse artillery, though very inefficientcompared with ours, has made considerable pro-gress in its discipline: it at present amounts totworegiments, which are thus divided :

EFFECTIVE STATE OF A RKGIMRNT OF

HORSE ARTILLERY

Thenumber of guns attached to each troop is tobe diminished to eight : they are generally nine-pounders, and five-and-a-half-inch howitzers.

The horses belonging to the artillery averagefrom thirteen hands two inches to fourteenhands in height. The officers aresupplied with

No.ofTroops. sa.O

a wQJ *p

"■■r co«m O B U3

"** *"'*:K O Ph

a.o

aO

1st Troop2nd do3rd do4th do

1111

3333 :

180180180180

180180

10101(1180

180 10

Total 12 720 720 10

PRESENT STATE392

horses by tbe Government ; and the forage al-lowed to each horse is nine pounds of barley,and twelve pounds of chopped straw per diem.The stables were in very bad order;the horsesappeared to bebadly groomed;and tbe harnesswas dirty : the saddles are in imitation of theCossack saddle, and, though weighing twentypounds, are not badly adapted for service.

The uniform of the horse artillery is a redjacket embroidered,blue trowsers,clumsy boots,and the fez: they are most slovenly and unsol-dier-like in their appearance.

FOOT ARTILLERY.

The Topejees, or foot artillery, at present aresaid to be six thousand five hundred strong;and, although their new organization has notyet takenplace, the Sultan purposesbefore longto form them into regiments. Their pay andallowances are the sameas the guards, and theirdress is of a similar fashion, except that theirjackets are of a brown colour.

BOMBARDIERS AND MINERS.

This corps amounts to two thousand men;they are quite undisciplined, and dressed in a

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 393

most extraordinary manner ; but to this attirethey are much attached, andIshould say, thatthey retained more of the leaven of formerdays, than is compatible with the march of re-formation. Of their quabfications, it was notinmy power to judge; but it seems unlikelythat they should be versed in the scientificbranches of their profession, since even thepractical part of it is neglected. Their gun-carriages,platforms, andammunition carts, werein a shameful state, and quite unfit for service.

Until lately, it was customary to leave thesame artillerymen quartered for many yearsin the forts of the Dardanelles and frontiertowns ; and the consequences were, that theymarried and settled themselves for life in thosespots, which they with justice might considertheir home. Thus a large portion of the artil-lery force was quite nominal ; and when theirposts were attacked, no gunners were forth-coming;but this plan has been abolished bythe Sultan;and his troops are no longer to bekept stationary.

The education of the artillery officers washitherto quite neglected ;buta college bas beenestablished, where they are to be instructed.

394 PRESENT STATE

CANNON FOUNDRIES.

The only foundries established for castingcannon are at the capital;they are three innumber: one,of two furnaces, is attached to themilitary arsenalatTophana; thesecond,likewiseof two furnaces, is near the naval arsenal;andthe third,of one furnace, is at Hassquiou, thebombardier barracks.

The officer who had charge of the foundrynear the arsenal was extremely obliging, andconducted me all round the works;but theestablishment was in great disorder, and theartificers had all been discharged, as they hadno materials to work with. In the two fur-naces at this establishment,sufficient metal canbe melted to cast from five to seven guns at atime;but the tools are of the coarsest kind;the labour is all manual, and it requires sevendays to finish one gun. Shells also are cast atthis estabhshment,and they can make as manyas one thousand four hundred daily : the work-men are Turks and Armenians.

WhenIwas leaving the foundry, Iofferedthe officer a present of money, as is customaryinTurkey;but this he declined, and beggedme to believe thathe felt most happy inhaving

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 395

an opportunity of obliging- an English officer.The copper used in these foundries isprocuredfrom mines in Asia Minor;but for other ma-terials, the Turks are dependent upon foreignsupplies.

ARSENALS.

The military arsenal is at Tophana, and thenaval arsenal near the port. The militaryarsenal contains a large stock of artillery ofvarious calibres. There is one gun eighteenfeet long, with a bore thirteen inches in dia-meter ; andIsaw a six-pounder twelve feet inlength. The field-pieces were in better orderthanIexpected ; but the guns had neitherscales nor sights.

Near the Seraglio are many of those enor-mous guns carrying stone-balls, like those firedat our fleet when passing the Dardanelles in1808 ; but these guns can only be dischargedwhen the object passes their line of fire, forthey are not mounted on carriages,but fixed ina wall. Some of the guns at the Dardanellescarry balls twenty-six inches and a half indiameter.

A manufactory of muskets has existed forsome years past; but, although one hundred

396 PRESENT STATE

and twenty can be made daily, the supply isnot found sufficient, and the troops are mostlyarmed with muskets purchased at Marseilles.Sultan Selim first commenced the manufactureofgunpowder at Constantinople;and there arenow two powder-mills, one near St. Stephano,and the other at Azatli ; but thepowder is notso strong as that made in Christendom.

BARRACKS.

There are eight handsome barracks in andaround Constantinople, which have been builteither by Mahmoud or Sultan Selim: they areequal to any structures of the kind inEurope,and are undoubtedly the most splendid build-ings in Constantinople. They are thus divided:

No. Names. No.of Meniueacii.

2 PeraDaoud Pasha ..RamahChiflic ..The Seraskiers..TophanaScutariHassquiou

500018,00016,000

50002000

24,0002000

Total 72,000

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 397

Ihave given the number of men they weresaid to be capable of containing ;butIam con-vinced that the statement is very greatly exag-gerated. The rooms in the barracks are small,and their men aremore crowded than we shouldconsider healthy ; but the rooms were clean,and each soldier had a wooden stretcher onwhich to spread the carpet that constitutes hisbed.

Some of thebarracks were much dilapidated,andnot half occupied by the reduced garrisonnow at the capital.

COLLEGES.

Sultan Mahmoud has lately established fourColleges, or Schools,at Constantinople ;namely,of Medicine,of the Marine, of Music, and ofMilitary Instruction. The first contains onehundred students, who are making a rapid pro-gress; and between three and four hundredyoung men are instructed at the Military Col-lege, which is under the superintendence of thechief bombardier : their studies are mathema-tics, the elements of fortification, &c. Somefew French works upon military subjects havebeen translated into Turkish, and such officersas can read are obliged to study them.

398 PRESENT STATE

The prejudices of the Turks have hithertoeffectually prevented any improvement in theeducation of their youth, as they deemed thataMoslem who could speak a foreign languagewas little better than an apostate; but Mah-moud, at the beginning of the year, brokethrough this ridiculous fancy, and issued a fir-man by which he authorized his subjects toproceed to France and England for the pur-pose of receiving instruction. When thisedictwas notified to the students at the colleges,they received it with great delight, and manyinstantly volunteered to be amongst thenum-ber sent. It was said thatone hundredyoungmen were toproceed to France, andas many toEngland;but it does not appear that this planhas yet been put into execution. Since theTurks willnot submit to serve under Christianofficers, it is only by acquiring, in a Christiancountry, the knowledge we possess,* that theycan hope ever to ameliorate their condition;and Mahmoud should therefore hasten to avail

* The Turks have made but little progress in the scienceof fortification since the year 1770, whenaPasha, who un-dertook to fortify the Dardanelles, built the walls of his fortextremely high, and then whitewashed them, in order thatthe Russians might see them a long wayoff, and be awarethathe wasready to give battle!

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 399himself of the favourable disposition evincedby the young collegians : it is, however,mostprobable, that a want of funds may act as adrawback to his wishes; for it is not likelythat either France or England would be so ge-nerous as to spend 10,000/. a-year on the mindsof the young infidels; and 20,000/. is a largerannual disbursement than the weakened trea-sury of the Sultancould conveniently afford.

IRREGULAR ARMY.

Under this head, the wholeMahommedan po-pulation of the Ottoman empire may be com-prised;every Mussulman, asIhave before ob-served,beingobliged to join thearmy,ifrequired,during a war. The irregular cavalry is raisedby the Zaims and Timariots, who hold feudalgrants from the Porteon tenure of military ser-vice; and the infantry is assembled by the Pa-shas and inferior officers in the provinces.

CAVALRY.

The irregular cavalry, sixty years ago, formedthe most formidable and effective force of Tur-key;but the country whence she drew this armhaving been wrested from her by Catherine the

PRESENT STATE400

Second, herenemies now use it with great effectagainst her. Thus,during the last campaign, theTurks had always worse information than theRussians;clouds of Cossacks scoured the coun-try; and this command of the communicationgave Diebitsch a vast superiority during thecampaign, andenabledhim to surprise the ViziratKuleftscha, and to mask his march across theBalkan, so that those troops sent to intercepthim, always arrived too late. The Khansof theCrimea were most useful tributaries of thePorte, and were ready at all times to take thefield with fifty thousandhorse. Crim Gueray,in 1769, had three armies of horse, amountingseverally to ahundred thousand, sixty thousand,and forty thousandmen ; and these troops costhim nothing, as they served without pay, andno preparations were made to supply them withfood. Tenpounds of millet, roasted, pounded,and pressed together, suspended to the saddle ofevery Noguais, furnishedthe troops withcertainprovisions for fifty days; the horses foraged forthemselves; andas they required but little care,many of the Tartars had two or three.

When inlineofbattle, the Tartar forceformedtwenty deep ;and whenincolumn, they were di-vided intocompanies,of forty men, four abreast.

The Crim-Tartars possessed all the qualities

OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 401

requisite for an irregular soldier : they werehardy, accustomed to support fatigue and priva-tion, brave, inured to riding from their child-hood, and obedient to their leaders. They werefar superior to the Timariots, whohad becomeenervated by peaceful habits; and tbe lossof tbeCrimea, and consequently of these troops, in-flicted an irreparable injury on the military re-sources of Turkey.

The irregular cavalry isnow drawnprincipallyfrom theAsiatic provinces; but as theMahom-medanpopulation has much decreased, this forceis consequently less numerous than formerly.The Sultan, during the Russian war, formedseveral regiments from theirregular cavalry,andwhen they were partially disciplined, sent themto the army, where they fought with credit,and often proved troublesome to the Russianadvanced-guards ; but at the conclusion of hos-tilities they were disbanded, and allowed toreturn to their homes.

War is far from being popular with them, asthey are obliged to furnish their own horses andarms ; and it often happens that they returnwith neither.

2 D

402 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

INFANTRY.

The irregular infantry called " Seimens," israised by the Pashas, Ayans, Monsselims, andVaivodes; and during the last war someirregular regiments were paid by the Porte:the men were drawn from Roumelia and Asia;and of those who behaved well before tbe ene-my, the majority were ex-janissaries, but whowere not imbued with the maxims and preju-dices of their former corps. Icannot presumeto offer an opinion as to the numerical force ofthe Ottoman Empire, the spirit of Janissarismbeing still latent in a large portion of thepo-pulation;but there is every reason to believethat it is much less than we have hitherto sup-posed. IntheEuropean provinces, the Christianinhabitants are three times more numerous thanthe Mussulmans; and in Asia, the country isvery thinly peopled. It is unnecessary to enterinto any farther details relative to the irregulartroops;they are merely an armed rabble, andtheir qualities have often been fully discussedby former writers.

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 403

OTTOMAN NAVY.

Although Turkey has been always essen-tially a military nation, yet her geographicalposition, commanding the shores of the Medi-terranean, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Mar-mora, and the inviting prey offered by the ill-guarded and fertile possessions of the Vene-tians amongst the islands of the Levant, ren-dered it a matter of necessity for her to or-ganize a maritime force; and we find that,since the capture of Constantinople, in 1453,the Turkish Sultans paid considerable attentionto their navy, and, after much struggling, wereenabled at last to cope successfully with Venice,whose sway until then had been undisputed inthose seas. But these successes were transitory :the battle of Lepanto for ever checked the as-cendency of the Turkish flag; and, contentedwith their victories inHungary, the Ottomanswere compelled to acknowledge that the Pro-phet, who rendered their arms irresistible on

2 d 2

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS404

shore, had still left the Christians masters ofthe seas.*

Mahomet the Second may be considered thecreator of the Ottoman navy; but on so small ascale were his first efforts, that when be attack-ed Constantinople, bis fleet consisted of onlyeighteen galleys and some open boats, badlyconstructed, and manned by sailors who dread-ed the element they were destined to act upon.The approach of five Christian ships bearingsuccours to the besieged city, afforded the Ot-tomans an opportunity of trying their skill inmaritime warfare; but their attacks were illdi-rected, and the defence made by their enemieswas so desperate, that after three fruitless at-tempts to carry the ships by boarding, theywere forced to retire with the loss of severalthousand men, leaving the sea open to theiropponents.

The capture of Constantinople was howevermaterially aided by the agency of the Turkishflotilla; and when Mahomet had firmly estab-lished his throne amidst the fragments of thatof the Cæsars, be found no difficulty in im-proving tbe condition of his infant marine.His new Greek subjects, or slaves, were forced

* Gibbon, a Cantemir, &c.

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 405

to display tbe science they possessed for the ser-vice of their imperious master ; and the talentand labour which, if properly employed, mighthave postponed the downfal of their country,was now made to rivet her chains. The mer-cenary disposition of the Genoese, and theirhatred to Venice, rendered them willing alliesof the Sultan, with whose aid they hoped tohumble the power of their rival republic; andthey foresaw that, withoutanavy, it would beimpossible for the Turks tolop her limbsby seiz-ing Candiaand her other insular possessions.

Thus, ina few years, the Turkish navy madea rapidprogress towards perfection. The Ve-netians were soon expelled from the SeaofMar-mora; and, not content with guarding theirown coasts, the Ottoman ships ranged theMe-diterranean Sea in search of adventures;and,by occasional descents on the shores of theirenemies, caused constant alarm to the inhabi-tants of the coasts, whilst they remuneratedthemselves by ample spoils in treasure andslaves. Conflicts occasionally took place be-tween the Ottoman and Venetian squadrons;at times witha dubious result, but generallyterminating to the advantage of the latter; andit was not until the notorious Hayraddin Bar-

406 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

barossa assumed the command of the Ottomannavy, that it could be considered capable ofgiving battle to the Christian fleets, with anycertainty of success.

Hayraddin Barbarossa was one of those ex-traordinary beings who, had he been born inanother clime, and possessed a mind temperedby education, would have been considered inthe light of a hero; but the courage whichmade him undertake the most hazardousenter-prises, and the judgment which ensured himsuccess, servedbut to raise him from the loweststation in a band of pirates, to become theirhead ; and the natural ferocity of his character,whilst it kept his followers within the boundsof submission, attached such odium to his me-mory, that the deeds of the Ottoman CapitanPasha are forgotten in the atrocities committedby the corsair.

The improvement caused in the Ottomanfleetsby the appointment of Barbarossa to thecommand, may be explained in a few words:he was a sailor!— he had been inured to thesea from his childhood— the waves had no ter-rors for him;and, whether at sea or on shore,he hadstill the same boldunflinching heart anddecisive judgment.

Hitherto, admirals had been appointed to the

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 407

Turkish fleets who had never been on board aship, and were alike ignorant of navigation andnaval tactics; and subsequently, the same pre-posterous system was followed by the fatalistministers of the Porte. The subordinate offi-cers were selected with equal disregard to theirqualifications ; the men, in like manner, werepressed into a service they detested, withoutany reference to their previous habits of life;and the artisans of Constantinople were oftentorn from their pursuits, hurried on board aship, and expected intuitively to acquire theskill and habits of a sailor.

Naval science was so little understood at thisperiod, that, even amongst Christiannations, itwas not uncommon to see an admiral command-ing an army on shore, and a general directingthe movements of a fleet; but this differenceexisted between them and the Turks, that theirsubordinate agents were all acquainted withtheir professional duties, and it only requiredthe genius of amaster spirit to form the outlineofa naval campaign, whilst they supplied thedetails. The crews of the Christian ships wereall sailors. TheVenetians, anamphibious race,were accustomed, from tbe earliest age, tobravethe dangers of the sea, which a series of unin-terrupted success had taught them to consider

408 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

as their own, and upon emergency they couldalways man their fleets with the hardy inhabi-tants of theIstrian andDalmatian coasts. TheGenoese still retained their predilection formaritime enterprise; Spain and France like-wise possessed a naval force; and Malta, everenp-ao-ed in war with the Infidels, formed anursery for the aspiring Christian youth, whoin those days used to seek for fame and dis-tinction wherever hostilities were raging. Butuntil the improvement of navigation had abo-lished the use of galleys, a strange anomalyexisted in the maritime warfare of the Chris-tians and Turks; tbe unfortunate slaves, whowere doomed to work at the oar, being, onmost occasions, the countrymen of those whomthey were accessory in combating; and thecontending parties were certain that every shotthey fired was as likely to killone of their ownfaith, as to take effect on an Infidel: when,however, the progress of science found a sub-stitute for manual labour, by tbe adaptation ofsails to ships, the Christian fleets ceased to beencumbered withprisoners, although the Turksstill retained their slaves, and often chainedthem to the guns they were to work.

The celebrated battle of Lepanto, in 1571,

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 409

formed a great epoch, not only inTurkish navalhistory, but alsoin that of the Christian powersconnected with the Mediterranean,— itmay beconsidered as the period from whence dates theintroduction of heavy artillery into their ships,and the consequent disuse of galleys, the vic-tory having principally been obtained by thecontinued fire of five large ships, which, likeas many fortresses, protected the front of theChristian line. Five hundred ships and gal-leys were on this day engaged;and, after atremendous contest, victory sided with DonJohn of Austria. The Turks, out of twohundred and thirty galleys, had thirty sunk,twenty-five burnt, and one hundred andthirty captured ; twenty-five thousand Turkswere killed, eight thousand taken prisoners,and fifteen thousand Christian slaves released.Theallies lost fifteen ships, and ten thousandmen. When we reflect that, one hundredand eighteen yearsprevious to this, the Turkswere quite ignorant of naval affairs, and un-able to compete with five Christian galleysin the Sea of Marmora, we cannot refuse themsome praise for the rapidity with which theycreated a naval force; and their celerity inre-assembling two hundred sail, immediately

410 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

after the battle of Lepanto, proves their re-sources to have been immense : however, fromthis moment, their maritime power declined, al-though it still was able to compete with Ve-nice, and to wrest from her Candia, in additionto Cyprus,andother Greek islands; but Venicehad already begun to sink under the enervatinginfluence of her degenerate nobility ; and thepeace of Passarowitz, in 1718, struck the lastblow to her supremacy in the Mediterranean.

The Turks now ceased to use galleys asshipsof war, and, in imitation of the Christian pow-ers, constructed ships, andarmed themaccord-ing to modern principles; but of what servicewere the mere ships without the hands to workthem ? — and what advantage could thosederivefrom the compass, who scarcely knew the car-dinal points, and were perfectly ignorant ofgeography ? Infact, the same causes which ef-fected the defeat of the Turkish armies on thefrontiers of Hungary, at this period, likewiseacted upon their naval system. Science hadmade rapid strides inEurope, whilst in Turkeyshe was dormant;and when at last the Otto-mans perceived that they were left in the back-ground, they hoped atonce to supply their de-ficiencies by imitating the mechanical improve-

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 411

ments of the age, without acquiring the sciencethat dictated them. Thus they built shipswithout understanding their management, andfrom helplessness had recourse to their Greeksubjects, whom piratical and enterprising habitshadinured to the sea.

During thehalf century following the peaceof Passarowitz, the attacks of the enemies ofTurkey were directed solely to her northernfrontier;neither Austrianor Russia were thenmaritime powers; and the attention of herSultans being attracted to where the dangerwas most imminent, their fleet was quite ne-glected, and fell into a most shameful state ofdisorganization. The ships lay rotting in theharbour, half manned, worse commanded, andindeed unfit to sail across the Sea of Marmora,much less to range from one end to the otherof the Sultan's extensive empire; the onlyships that ever ventured to sea were those sentby the Capitan Pasha to collect his revenuefrom the islands of the Archipelago ; and thesecrept under the shore, from island to island,an-choring if the wind was contrary or blowingfresh, and fearing to sail out of sight of land,lest they should never behold it more.

Although the Turks wereblind to their mari-

ORIGIN AND PROGRESS412

time weakness, their bitterest enemy, Catherine,did not overlook the opportunity it gave her offorwarding her interests in the Mediterranean;and in1770, the Turks were struck with con-sternation on hearing that a Russian fleet hadlanded troops in Greece, and sailed up to theDardanelles. This intelligence roused themfrom their lethargy;butitwas already too late:the Russian fleet, though nominally command-ed by Count Orloff, was actually directed byAdmirals Elphinstone and Greig, experiencedEnglish sailors, and the crews were alreadyaccustomed to the sea. TheTurks had neitherofficers nor sailors; and, although treble thestrength of the Russian squadron, their fleet,after a sharp engagement, in which theCapitanPacha's ship blew up, anchored in the harbourofTchesme, near Scio,and waited,in a crowdedposition,therenewed attacksof theenemy. Theresult did credit to the gallantry and skill ofthe Russian commanders, who, directing fourfire-ships upon the Ottoman fleet, had the satis-faction of seeing it soon enveloped in flames.Fifteen line-of-battle ships were destroyed, be-sides many smaller vessels;and theRussians on-ly lost the ship bearing Admiral Spiridon's flag,which was blown upwith the Turkishadmiral's.

One man, however, escaped from the de-

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 413feat, to whom the Turkish navy eventuallyowed its restoration— this was Hassan, the cap-tain osthe Capitan Pasha's ship, who, althoughon board during the explosion, escaped un-injured, and succeeded in swimming to theshore. He was appointed to replace the Capi-tan Pasha, who was put to death by order ofthe Sultan, and in his hands the navy soon as-sumed a more respectable footing ; new shipswere built, the old vessels repaired, the arsenalsreplenished, and many of those abuses whichhad crept into the management of the navyabolished. Hassan's courage was unbounded,and approached to rashness, but it served torestore the confidence of his men; and a boldand successful attack made by him upon theRussians in the island of Lemnos, served toestablish the fame his preceding measures hadobtained for him. He was not always equallyfortunate; thePrinceofNassauhaving defeatedhis flotilla offOczakoff, in the summer of 1788,where helost eight ships and two thousandmen;andinasecond engagement, four sail of the line,some frigates, and three thousand men. Hassanwas subsequently employed inEgypt andBessa-rabia, where he displayed considerable talentsas a general.

After his death, the Ottoman navy again

414 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS

became proverbial for its inefficiency;and wedo not hear that it made any figure in theMediterranean, until the occupation of Egyptby the French, and the subsequent disem-barkation of the British army in 1800, whena considerable fleet sailed from Constantino-ple to further the success of the commoncause. But Selim now occupied the Otto-man throne, and this enlightened prince hadtoo much discernment not to perceive the ne-cessity of forming a force capable of co-opera-ting with his armies, and which would renderhis decrees respected by his distant tributaries,who, in the absence of the means to enforcethem, treated the firmans of the Sultan withneglect or derision; he therefore did not allowhis navy to remain neglected. In 1807, whenthe British squadron effected the passage ofthe Dardanelles, the Turkish fleet at Constan-tinople alone consisted of twelve ships of theline, two of which were three-deckers, nine fri-gates, and many smaller vessels ; and of these,our squadron burnt or destroyed onesixty-four,four frigates, three corvettes, onebrig, and twogun-boats.

Enough, however,still remained toencounterthe Russian squadron in the Black Sea (which,since thebattleof Tchesme,had been the scene

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 415

of naval warfare); and as England had undis-puted command of the Mediterranean, and wasat peace with thePorte, the Sultanhad nothingto fear from an enemy in that direction.

The termination of hostilities between Rus-sia and Turkey, in1812, left no warlike occu-pation for the Ottoman fleet, which merely per-formed its annual cruise round the islands ofthe Archipelago, levying the taxes due to theCapitan Pasha;but the hour was not distantwhen its efficiency was again to be tried; theGreeks were already preparing to throw off theTurkish yoke, and cope with their oppressorsin a naval war; and in 1821 the Greek revolu-tion broke forth. From that time until theclose of 1827, the history of the Ottoman navypresents an uninterrupted series of disgracefuldefeats. The details of that war belong to thehistory of the Greek revolution; suffice it tosay, that many of the Turkish line-of-battleships were destroyed by tbe fire-ships of theGreeks, and several smaller vessels were cap-tured, burnt, or driven on shore, until at lastthe Turks fled on all occasions from the smallGreek brigs, and for some time resigned tothem the superiority in the Ægean Sea. Thebattle of Navarin completed the dismay of theTurkish sailors : they fought well, it is true;

416 PRESENT STATE

but their courage did not supply the deficiencyof their discipline, and they fell a prey to thewell-combined attack of the Allied fleet.

The Russian war in 1829, and the followingyear, had no effect upon the Ottoman navy :they lost a corvette and captured a frigate, butno engagement took place.

Having now summed up the leading featuresof Turkish naval history,Ishallproceed to de-scribe the actualstate of the Ottoman fleet;pre-mising, however, that, as a landsman, it is withdiffidence thatItouchupon the subject of apro-fession foreign tomyown ;andItherefore onlypretend to give a slight sketch of its condition.

PRESENT STATE OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY.

Itmay truly be said of Constantinople, thatthe whole of the Ottoman empire is concen-trated there;for, notwithstanding the capabili-ties of its distant provinces, every thing thatrelates to the army, navy, or civil government,emanates from, and ismatured at, the capital.

The Sultan is afraid to trust the execution ofany plan to subordinate agents, well knowingthat,under his own superintendence alone, canhe hope to see his projects realized : thus thearmy, asIhave before observed, is to be seen

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY 417

to the greatest advantage at Constantinople,where its materiel is organized; and the dock-yards and arsenals of the Ottoman fleet arelikewise all established on the shore of theGolden Horn.

No situation in the world can be betteradapted for the purpose,— the Bosphorus andDardanelles afford an easy passage to eitherthe Black or Mediterranean Seas, and give theTurks a great advantage over the Russians,ifthey chose to avail themselves of it, since it isin their power to concentrate their naval force,and attack either of the Russian squadronswith a superior fleet : but they are too igno-rant of their own strength to know how it maybe best applied.

The harbour of Constantinople, also calledthe "Golden Horn," is a branch of the Bos-phorus, about five hundred yards in width,and running inland for nearly three miles,when it receives the waters of a small streamflowing from the northward. The right shoreof theport is hemmed inby the walls of Con-stantinople, extending from Seraglio Point to

where the harbour terminates, and on the op-posite bank are the suburbs of Galata, Pera,thenaval arsenal, and Hassquiou. Thereis suf-ficient depth of water in every part of theport

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for ships of the largest size;the sea is alwaysperfectly smooth;the surrounding heights ef-fectually screen it from every wind, and thereis an abundance of fresh water. Nature seemsto have made it expressly for a naval depot,and to the Turks, such aharbour is invaluable;for it has spared them a great deal of trouble,as it never requires to be cleared out or deep-ened.

WhenIarrived at Constantinople, the rem-nants of tbe Ottoman fleet were anchored inthe Bosphorus off Buyukdere,but shortly after-wards they sailed into the port, for thepurposeof being laid up for the winter months; andwhenIleft, in December, they were all mooredclose to the arsenal, with their cutwaters touch-ing the shore, and their bowsprits projectingover the quay. One frigate anchored in theport as guard-ship, and a frigate and a brigsailed with Halil Pasha, the ambassador toRussia.

The Ottoman fleet now consists of the Mah-moud, 120 guns; Selim, (flag-ship) 80; fiveline-of-battle ships, mounting 74 guns each;four frigates, five corvettes, onebrig, two steam-boats,at Constantinople: one line-of-battle ship,fourteen frigates and corvettes;which shipsescaped from Navarin, &c. on their way from

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY 419

Alexandria. Total— eight line-of-battle ships,and twenty-four frigates, corvettes, and brigs.Some of these ships are so old as to be scarcelysea-worthy, and one of the seventy-four's isbroken-backed. The Mahmoud was still un-finished, but they expected to have her readyfor sea in spring; she is the largest ship in tbeworld,andIunderstandthat her proportions areperfect. She has a flush-deck, and is nine feetwider in her beam than the largest of our line-of-battle ships! Her length is two hundred andthirty-four feet, and her width sixty-three feet.The height of her lower deck is seven feet;and her sides are four feet six inches thick.On her main-deck she is to mount long brass32-pounders ;onher middle deck, 42-pounders ;and on her lower deck, 68-pounders, besidesfour or more guns carrying enormous stone-balls.Iwas one day conversing with a Turkish

naval officer of high rank, relative to theTurkish fleet, and remarked to him that the"Mahmoud" was the largest ship in existence." True," said he; "but of what use is it to us?we donotknow how to manageher;besides,theEngbsh, who form the first navalpower, do not

build such large vessels;and all that we nowlearn inour navyis owing to theirexample." His

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420 PRESENT STATE

remarks were correct;for, in the present stateofthe Turkish navy, itisimpossible to expect thatsuch a ship as the Mahmoud could be properlyworked. Itmust, however,be acknowledged,that the Turks are apt imitators of our system,and have profited much by the example of hisMajesty's ships Blonde and Rifleman, whichwere anchored at Constantinople during sixmonths. Previous to their arrival, the Turkishmen-of-war were in greatdisorder;but the con-trast presented by the appearanceofour frigatesinduced them toalter the trim of their ownves-sels, and their external appearance latterly wasvery respectable.

The arrival of the British and French men-of-war conveying the Ambassadors was quitean event at Constantinople, many years havingpassed since a foreign frigate hadbeen seenintheBosphorus ; and even on this occasion, (to com-ply with the orders prohibiting the admissionofmen-of-war within theouter castles,) our shipswere obliged to conceal their guns, asamatter ofform, when passing the Dardanelles;but afterthey had anchored at Terapia, opposite to theSultan's summer palace, they again ran theirguns out. At this period the sandjac sheriff,or standard of Mahomet, was in the Sultan'skeeping at Terapia; and when his Highness

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 421

determined upon taking the field in person, hedirected that the sacred standard should betransferred fromTerapia to the camp at RamahChiflic.

In former days, whenever a ceremony of thiskind occurred, it was dangerous for a Christianto be seen near the holy relic, lest he shouldcast his profane eyes upon it;but such is thetoleration of Mahmoud, that he felt highly flat-tered by H.M.S.Blonde andRifleman firing asalute when the ceremonies took place. Cap-tain Hugon's frigate, the Armide, did not sa-lute;andMahmoud,having inquired the reason,was informed that her guns pointed towardsthe palace, and would consequently have in-commodedhim. On anotheroccasion, when theSultan passed our ships in his barge, CaptainsLyon and Mitchell manned their yards, andgave him three cheers;a compliment whichpleased Mahmoud so much, that he directed ahandsome present to be divided amongst thecrews.

The Capitan Pasha made repeated visits toour men-of-war, and closely examined all theirdetails, with the view of adopting them in hisown ships: he is a person of some merit, al-though his education was not such as to qualifyhim for the important post he now occupies,

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which is tantamount to that of Lord HighAdmiral; but Fortune dispenses her favoursin so capricious a manner in Turkey, that theorigin of the greatest statesman must not beinquired into, if we expect to hear either ofnoblebirth or liberal education.

The Capitan Pasha is one instance in manyof the whimsical selections madeby the Sultansfor the post of High Admiral. His early edu-cation was limited to theknowledge of slipper-making, and for some years he plied away athis trade, little dreaming that he was destinedto occupy the important situation henow fills.He however became weary of private life andpapoushes, and commenced his public career asa subordinate police-officer at Pera and Galata,wherehe was well known to several of the resi-dents. But although his situationwas insignifi-cant,it gave hima share of power, anda footingin thegovernment;and,by degrees, rising fromonepost to another,andacquiring his knowledgeof naval science from an occasional glance atthe merchant vessels anchored off Galata, andhis practical experience of the ocean from hisvoyages in a light caique across the port fromTophana to Istamboul, he at last was consi-dered fit to hold the post of Capitan Pasha,which he has hitherto filled in a manner ere-

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY 423

disable to himself. He seeks every opportu-nity of acquiring information relative to navalaffairs, and is candid enough to admit thathiscountrymen are very backward in this profes-sion.

Either a deficiency of personal courage,or a consciousness that he could not dependupon his crews, prevented his seeking an ac-tion with the Russians in the Black Sea, lastyear, at times when he might have encoun-tered them to advantage ; but although hemade a great display of his squadron once infront of Varna; and that he might have at-tacked the Russians with a superior force, hesuddenly changed his course, and bore up forthe Bosphorus. The capture of a Russian fri-gate, through the cowardice of the captain,(who has since been tried by a court-martial,and shot,) was not owing to the manSuvres ofthe Ottoman commanders; for they had un-wittingly surrounded her during a fog;whilstthe escape of a small brig (the Mercury), whichwas in a similar predicament, was perfectly dis-graceful to them. The frigate, however, wasbrought into theport in triumph, and ispoint-ed out by the Turks with the greatest com-placency ; for it is the first prize of the kindthey have seen there during many years. A

424 PRESENT STATE

gentleman who accompanied the Capitan Pa-sha during one of his cruises, described him aspassing his time in witnessing the buffooneryof some of his crew. One day, whilst idlingin this manner, he inquired how British admi-rals amused themselves. The other replied,that "British admirals devoted that time tothe care of their ships and discipline of theircrews, which he employed, in amusement ;"and this answer surprised and annoyed hisExcellency very much. The Capitan Pasha,on his first assumption of office, was a strictfollower of the Mahommedan laws, and oncedirected an attendant, who offered him wine,to be severely punished ; but all that is nowchanged, and he drinks champagne, and otherforbidden juices, with as much zest, and inas great a quantity, as any infidel in Christen-dom. A handsome palace, within the navalarsenal, is appropriated to the use of the Ca-pitan Pasha; and he there transacts businessdaily, assisted by his kiaya, or lieutenant. Thenaval arsenal is under his control.*

* The Capitan Pasha died lately, and has been succeededby HalilPasha, the late ambassador to Russia.

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 425

TURKISH SAILORS.

Until lately, a kind of marine corps existed,from whence crews were taken for the fleet;but the galionjees, as they were called, are nowabolished, and a new system is about to be or-ganized. Previous to the Greek Revolution, theIpsariots, Spezziots, and Hydriots, formed theeffective strength of the Ottoman navy ; andwhilst the work aloft was left to their manage-ment, the Turksdidduty at theguns;but,nowthatthe Greeks have thrownoff their allegiance,it has become necessary for the Turks to per-form both tasks, and it is not likely that theywill succeed as well as their active rayahs.They, however,work their guns extremely well;and when Sir Pulteney Malcolm visited theCapitan Pasha's flag-ship at Buyukdere, theyfired with a rapidity and regularity not to beexcelled : but it must be remembered that the" Selim" was at anchor in smooth water, andthat it is probable their practice would not beso perfect at sea.It is the Sultan's intention to form a naval

corps, regularly officered, and dressed in anuniform similar in make to that of the landforces ; but these arrangements were not com-

PRESENT STATE426

piete in December last; a handsome" barrackadjoining the arsenal is intended for the men,and they are to be well paid and clothed. Anaval college also has been established.

The Turkish ships are usually too muchcrowded, and the number of men only servesto embarrass their movements at sea, and causethem a heavy loss when in action: no attentionis paid to tbe cleanliness of the crew ;and theships are consequently in a most filthy state.There is no doubt but that a rapid improve-ment may take place in the internal arrange-ments of the Ottoman navy, for the materialsat Mahmoud's disposal are much the same asthose with which Mahmoud Ali has effected somuch inEgypt. Hisnavy is in excellent or-der; and aman-of-war brig which came to Con-stantinople with some treasure for the Sultan,was quite perfect in all her details. Her deckswere clean, the hammocks * of the men wereranged in the nettings, her yards well squared,and ropes taut, and at sunset she lowered herroyal yards very smartly, whilst the Turkishfrigate alongside was twice as long in perform-ing the same feat.

* The Turkish sailors sleep upon carpets spread on thedeck.

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 427

Though nominally the property of the Sul-tan, the Egyptian fleet is in fact quite distinctfrom the Turkish ; and it ismost probable thatwhen Mahommed Ali dies, his son Ibrahimwillquite withdraw his allegiance from the Sul-tan, and array the Egyptian navy against thatof his liegelord.

NAVAL ARSENAL.

The naval arsenal at Constantinople is defi-cient in almost every thing that ought to con-stitute a depot. There were no stores excepta few spare masts, and the blocks for the"Mahmoud" were preparing by only ten work-men, without the aid ofmachinery.

The arsenal is supplied with fir timber fromIsnic, (the ancient Nice,) and also from theAsiatic coast of the Black Sea. Copper is pro-cured inAsiaMinor,and ropes and canvass are,Ibelieve, manufactured at Constantinople.

The celebrated Bagnio, or prison, is enclosedwithin the walls of the arsenal, and well de-serves the fearful descriptions that havebeengiven of it. Disease, filth, misery, and despair,are its inmates; foetid vapours exhale from thedirt that has accumulatedin the gloomy cham-bers where the prisoners are confined; the light

PRESENT STATE428

of day barely penetrates into this abode ofwretchedness; and the spectator is impressedwith a feeling of utter horror, when he recol-lects that few of the unhappy beings who enterhere are ever released, except by the devas-tating influence of the plague, whichhas oftenconverted this crowded deninto a solitude."Those who enter here must leave allhopebehind." The innocent victim of tyrannicalpersecution is perhaps chained to a wretchwhose life may have been disgraced by everycrime;yet he cannot separate from his com-panion, and must remain linked to him untildeath severs his bonds. There were happilybut few prisoners in tbe Bagnio whenIvisitedit; but some of these were pitiable objects :they were Bulgarians, who hadbeen imprisonedfor attempting to emigrate from their countryto Russia— their clothes were in rags, theirbeards and hair were long and matted, and theattenuated appearance of many betokened thatthe food they procured barely sufficed to sup-port life. Two of these unfortunate men castthemselves at our feet, and supplicated for ourinterference ;butwe couldonlypitythem— theirdoom was unalterable. Severalof the prisonerswere employed on the public works ;but in thechamber someunhappy wretches were stretched

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 429

on the filthy floor, apparently dying. Thereis a small chapel adjoining, whither we wereconducted by two Greek priests, through somedark passages. The light from a taper displayedtous theusual tawdry assemblage ofsaints paint-edround the Avails, and intheir name thepriestsasked us for charity. The mite thus receivedfromstrangers was allthey had to live upon; forthey were prisoners, and considered themselvesfortunate in having escaped from the massacresof their sect. In tbe yard of the Bagnio are asmall mosque, a range of shops, andabath. Atthe door of the latter stood a handsome youngMoslem, whoseperson was cleanly, andcounte-nance soanimated, that we shouldnot have sup-posed him to be a prisoner but for tbe iron ringround one ofbis ankles. Hischeerfulness cor-responded so little with his situation, that wecalled him to us, and inquired what had causedhis incarceration. He laughed whilst he rela-ted his tale; from which it appeared, that, incommon with all other Turks, he enrolled him-self when a boy as a janissary, and bad been

marked on the arm, as was customary. Hehowever had no participation in their revolt;but, happening one day to be very drunk, was

discovered by the patrol lying senseless in thestreets, and the janissarymarks having betrayed

PRESENT STATE430

him as one of the proscribed sect, he was forth-with carried to the Bagnio. When he awokefrom his drunken sleep, he found himself inirons, in this fearful prison, where he had nowbeen confined many months, but hoped soonto be released, as they had discovered him tobe innocent of treasonable practices, and, as apreliminary step to bis liberation, had knockedoff his chains. Near the Bagnio, there is arange of store-houses;and moored in front ofthese are a few brigs and polaccas, capturedfrom the Greeks at Ipsara: there is also an oldgalley of forty oars, said to have been takenfrom the Knights of Malta;but this relic offormer days is so rotten, that it will before longshare the fate of a similar prize, which sunk atits moorings a short time ago.

NAVAL ARTILLERY.

TheTurkishships are armed withbrass guns.The method of casting iron is not yet under-stood by their artificers. The gun-carriagesare clumsy, and none of the guns thatIsawhad sights; butIsuppose that the Turks havenow adopted them, in imitation of those theysaw onboard our frigates.

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 431

THE DARDANELLES.

The defences of the Dardanelles are so inti-mately connected with the naval and militarypower of the Porte, thatImay be excused foradverting to a subject so often described byformer writers, especially as some changes havelately been made in the batteries,and that theyare infinitely more formidable than when Sir J.Duckworthsailed past them in1807. TheHel-lespont is about sixty miles in length, and tbefortifications commence at its junction with theMediterranean Sea,and terminate at Sestos andAbydos, where the channel becomes very wide.Theouter castles ostheDardanelles are built op-posite to eachother at the entrance of the chan-nel, where its width is about one thousandfour hundred yards ; but a shoal, which runsout from theAsiatic shore obliges vessels to sailclose to the "SeetilBahar," or European castle.This fortress is constructed according to theTurkish system: the walls are high and ex-posed;there are no flank defences on the land-side; and a small hill, within half cannon-shot, commands it so effectually, that it mightbe battered to ruins in a few hours. "KoomKale," the opposite fort, although not in so un-favourable a position, is very weak towards theland. A quarter of an hour'ssail beyond Seetil

PRESENT STATE432

Bahar, is a small battery, on a height, andcalled "EskiSarlek" but this work is open tothe rear;and beyond this,on the Asiatic shore,at "Pointedes Barbiers," is the KippisBoorumbattery, likewise undefended towards the inte-rior. From thence there are no works, untilwhere the channel, being not more than fivehundred yards in width, is commanded oneither shore by the fortresses properly calledthe Dardanelles. The Killit Bahar, on theEuropean shore, is completely overlooked by ahill that rises behind it,and from whence mus-ketry might be fired upon the garrison of thefortress;this hill is not fortified, and the pos-session of it would ensure the immediate fallof the castle. The Sultanie Kalessie, on theopposite bank, is likewise commanded by thishill;but it may be considered the strongestwork of all the fortresses, the country aroundbeing level and marshy. It was from the gunsof these two forts that our squadron suffered somuch in 1807. The distance from the Dar-danelles to Abydos is about four miles, and theintervening coast is lined with batteries, whichcross their fire; whilst those at Sestos andAbydos bear down the stream; none of theseworks are,however,susceptible of defence, ex-cept Abydos, which is walledround, but is notcapable of making a long resistance.

SKETCH OT THF. DARDAM LIES

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 433The capture of the Dardanelles by an in-

vading force would be a matter of no greatdifficulty. It would be necessary to land troopsat the end of the Gulf of Saros,and to take upa position across the Chersonesus, above Galli-poli, where the peninsula is not more than fouror five miles wide, and intersected by a ridgeof bills. This would prevent any succour ar-riving by land to the castles from Constan-tinople, and a very short time would sufficeto place them in the power of the enemy,and enable the fleet to pass up. If a descentwere made during theprevalence of a southerlywind, some days must elapse before reinforce-ments could be sent from the capital by water,and it would require still longer to marchround the Asiatic coast.

The following is a list of the batteries andnumber of guns in each.

EUROPE.Guns. Mort.

Skarni Kale 15 —Seetil Bahar 70 4Eski Sarlek 12 —Killit Bahar 15.5 —Kiamle Bourmie 30

—Bovalli Kalessie,

or Sestos -50 —Total 332 4

ASIA.Guns. Mort.

KoomKale 80 4Kippis Boorum 26

—SultanieKalessie 196

—A new battery 50 —Kiosse Boorum 46

—NagaraBoorum,

or Abydos 84—

Total 482 4

2 F

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Making an enormous totalof eight mortars andeight hundred and fourteen guns. Amongstthe latter, at Sultanie Kalessie, thereare seven-teenwhichcarrystoneballs twenty-four inches indiameter,andoneof twenty-six andahalfinches.At Killit Bahar there are eighteen, and atKoom Kale sixteen guns of similar size. Theaccompanying rough sketch points out the po-sition of the batteries between the Dardanellesand Abydos.

DEFENCE OF THE BOSPHORUS.

The fortifications at the entrance of the Bos-phorus are of a similar construction to those onthe Hellespont;but here thereis less danger tobe apprehended from an attack. The coast of-fers no facilities for a disembarkation, and themouth of the Bosphorus is (in sailors' parlance)very difficult to make. Northerly gales are ofconstant occurrence, and ships could not ven-ture near the shore with that wind, as there isno harbour south of Bourgas. Reinforcementsof men and ships might be sent from Constan-tinople to the forts on the Bosphorus withintwenty-four hours;and even if Russia couldland twenty or thirty thousand men, theywould be overpowered by the armed popula-

OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 435tion of the capital. The only spot where adebarkationmight be effected near the castles,is at Kilia Kalessie; and between that villageand thecity is a tract of hilly ground, coveredwith forests, which it would be easy to defend.The Russians, however, are now too well ac-quainted with the road from Yassy to Con-stantinople to trouble themselves about anyother mode of approaching that city, whenthey determine upon finally ejecting the Turksfrom Europe. Intheir bands, the defences oftbe Dardanelles will be more formidable thanthey are at present.

THE END.

LON&ON:PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLL.Y,_Dorset Sticel,Fleet Street.