THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 

 \ 
 
SELECTIONS 
 
 MY JOURNAL, 
 
 DURING A RESIDENCE 
 
 THE MEDITERRANEAN 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET. 
 
 MDCCCXXXVI. 
 
HIS FRIENDS, 
 
 FROM WHOM HE HAS RECEIVED UNREMITTING 
 ATTENTION AND KINDNESS 
 
 SINCE HIS RETURN FROM ABROAD, 
 
 THIS LITTLE WORK 
 
 is 
 
 DEDICATED 
 BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
SELECTIONS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 AT the time these sketches commence,, the short 
 peace of Amiens was broken, and war had been 
 renewed with redoubled vigour Buonaparte threat- 
 ened us with invasion, and all England was in a 
 state of excitement. Volunteer corps were formed 
 in all parts of the kingdom, and my native town, 
 in the county of Sussex, was not wanting in this 
 patriotic feeling. A company was raised, and, as 
 I had just completed my education, I readily ac- 
 cepted an appointment as one of its lieutenants. 
 I soon became anxious to hold a commission in 
 the regular service, and was gazetted on the 4th 
 
 B 
 
 M311841 
 
2 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 May, 1805,, as an ensign, and attached to the 
 35th regiment of foot, and immediately after was 
 encamped at Weymouth. Weymouth was the 
 favourite marine residence of George III. The 
 splendour of a court, the frequent visits of the 
 royal family to the camp, the numerous field-days 
 and daily parades, with the cheering sound of music, 
 rendered it a scene of the highest interest. 
 
 It was the usual custom of this respected mo- 
 narch to mount his horse early in the morning, 
 and ride to the camp, where the troops, at what- 
 ever hour he appeared, were expected to be under 
 arms. Often have I been called from my bed, 
 when, hastily putting on the long boots which were 
 worn at that period, and wrapping myself in a 
 great coat, with my sword and sash, I have held 
 the colours, while this venerable sovereign has 
 passed the lines, with that good-humoured conde- 
 scension to all around him which so peculiarly 
 marked his character. 
 
 In November in the same year I embarked for 
 the Mediterranean. Our fleet of forty sail con- 
 sisted of transports and merchantmen, convoyed by 
 
THE VOYAGE. 3 
 
 several ships of war, under the orders of Lord 
 Amelius Beauclerk. Monotonous as the time must 
 be during a voyage, still there are several excite- 
 ments, the impulse of which long after awakens 
 the most pleasing recollections. It is a brilliant 
 sight to see a large fleet under sail to observe a 
 ship of the line majestically scudding through the 
 waters, with her heavy guns, tier upon tier, ready 
 to open a fire apparently irresistible. If a strange 
 vessel appears, a signal is made, and immediately 
 one of our fine frigates, spreading her broad bosom 
 of canvass to the wind, glides cheerily over the 
 heaving billows, her towering masts bearing aloft 
 her pennants, bending under the pressure of her 
 sails; on she moves, leaving the lazy craft far 
 behind. Again, how pleasing is the first sight of 
 foreign land, as it looms in the distance; anon 
 it becomes more marked and distinct numerous 
 villages are seen scattered over plains, or on the 
 sides of the mountains, inhabited by a race of people 
 differing from us in manners and habits, and with 
 whom we feel anxious to communicate, the white 
 
4 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 houses contrasting with a rich foliage, and large 
 convents located in the most lovely situations. 
 
 When we were opposite the coast of Portugal a 
 heavy gale came on ; the sea was high, and the 
 small barks were now lost in a gulph of waters, and 
 now seen rising on the summit of a rolling wave. 
 During this storm a fleet was descried, when all 
 was anxiety, conjecture, and confusion. It proved 
 to be that glorious squadron which, a short time 
 before, at the ever-memorable battle of Trafalgar, 
 destroyed the fleet, and for ever blighted the naval 
 prospects, of Buonaparte, bearing the body of its 
 brave commander to receive his last honours in his 
 native land. 
 
 When we had entered the Straits of Gibraltar the 
 gale subsided into a perfect calm the sails were 
 flapping against the masts of the vessels, and the 
 current was drifting us towards the Spanish coast. 
 In this provoking situation we observed numerous 
 objects, like little black spots, stealing from under 
 the land. As they advanced they proved to be 
 gun-boats; presently a flash was seen a dense 
 
THE VOYAGE. 5 
 
 smoke arose, and some seconds elapsed before we 
 heard the report, or saw the descent of the ball. 
 The firing soon became rapid; and as we were still 
 drifting towards Tarifa Point, the batteries also 
 opened upon us. Our boats were soon seen towing 
 our ships of war to protect sucii vessels as were in 
 danger, and a tremendous fire commenced. The 
 Spanish gun-boats were scattered in all directions. 
 and the men driven from the batteries, when a wind 
 sprung up, and, with some loss and damage, we 
 entered the Bay of Gibraltar. 
 
 I shall not attempt to describe this well-known 
 rock, bristling with guns, and crowded with inha- 
 bitants of many nations. After a stay of a few- 
 days we left it to proceed to Malta; and again the 
 wind was high and the sky louring, indicating a 
 continuance of the storm, and, having contended 
 for several days against contrary winds, we were 
 at last obliged to anchor at the island of Maretimo. 
 We afterwards passed over to Trapani, in Sicily- 
 
 Trapani is picturesqiiely situated at the base 
 of a mountain, and surrounded by a wall. This 
 was the ancient Drepanum under Mount Eryx. 
 
b THE VOYAGE. 
 
 Anchises died here on his voyage to Italy with his 
 son ^Eneas. Its principal buildings have a light 
 appearance from the sea, but, as we approached, 
 seemed dirty and indifferent. It is famous for its 
 salt, which forms an extensive article of trade. 
 
 We next entered the spacious harbour of Malta : 
 and I was delighted with a scene to me perfectly 
 new and pleasing. In this climate a serene sky 
 continually brightens and animates the surrounding 
 objects. In this beautiful basin were shipping from 
 all quarters of the world numerous boats were 
 plying to various parts of the city, filled with 
 Maltese in their red, white, and blue caps, whim- 
 sically contrasting with their Moorish complexions 
 the powerful batteries rising one above another ; 
 and on entering the town its Eastern appearance, 
 with its splendid churches, narrow streets, and 
 windows covered by gelosias, presented an interest- 
 ing novelty to me, only accustomed to towns in 
 England. 
 
 As the first battalion of my regiment formed 
 part of the expedition under Sir James Craigg, at 
 Naples, our stay at Malta was consequently short. 
 
THE VOYAGE. > 
 
 If St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, 
 ensures to those of the true faith favourable breezes 
 and a calm sea, he seemed to have poured his wrath 
 upon us heretics, for no sooner were we again 
 under sail than the wind and the waves opposed 
 us, and we were compelled to seek shelter in the 
 fine harbour of Syracuse. 
 
 Syracuse, the city of Archias, memorable for its 
 great and virtuous king, Gelon, and its execrable 
 tyrant, Dionysius, was a renowned city. It was 
 frequently engaged in wars with the Athenians, 
 Lacedaemonians, and Carthaginians ; but being 
 unfortunately governed by tyrants that kept the 
 inhabitants in constant excitement, it fell at last 
 under the Romans ; and at the declension of the 
 Western Empire became subject to the ravages of 
 barbarians, and was reduced by the Saracens to 
 the few traces of its ancient grandeur which we 
 
 O 
 
 now behold. Here is a field in which the mind 
 meditates with all the eagerness which the ruins 
 of cities, and the fate of a people once conspicuous 
 in history, are likely to create. Amphitheatres, 
 temples, statues, and other interesting monuments 
 
8 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 of a superior age, lie scattered around us. We 
 cannot survey this fine harbour without recollecting 
 that it was once the emporium of commerce which 
 enriched a happy people ; we cannot look into that 
 cave, called the Cave of Dionysius, with its remains 
 of bolts and bars, without acknowledging that here 
 reigned a tyrant *. 
 
 On entering the vast caverns called the Cata- 
 combs, the light from the torches threw on those 
 around, more particularly on the monk who was 
 our guide, a pale and ghastly appearance, while the 
 confined vapour rendered a protracted stay uncom- 
 fortable. Neither could we entirely divest our- 
 selves of the fear, that in this labyrinth, which has 
 been so little explored that it is said to extend to 
 Catania, the guide might become bewildered, and 
 we terminate our lives in an unavailing search for 
 the blessings of pure air, and the brilliant light of 
 heaven. 
 
 It has been a subject of speculation whether 
 hese subterraneous passages were intended for the 
 
 * This excavation was formed by Dionysius as a state prison, 
 and so admirably was it contrived, that every murmur of the 
 prisoners could be heard in a little chamber constructed above. 
 
THL-: VOYAGE. 
 
 living or the dead. In this happy climate, and at 
 a period long distant, it is said the inhabitants cut 
 themselves residences within the rocks, which, 
 yielding readily to their labours, and being free 
 from damp, served for their rude habitations*. 
 These have evidently, at some period, been used as 
 cemeteries, and their extent would rather justify 
 us in supposing them to have been sepulchres. 
 The country around Syracuse, which took its name 
 from a neighbouring marsh called Syraco, is slightly 
 undulated, and principally used as pasturage. 
 
 I cannot take my leave of this city without 
 acknowledging the attention we received from its 
 inhabitants. 
 
 If novelty be the charm of life, this ought to 
 have been the happiest part of mine. One scene 
 of picturesque beauty appeared to be surpassed by 
 the succeeding; mountains, valleys, rivers, town*, 
 followed each other with the charm of a panoramic 
 reality, enhanced by the brilliancy of a serene and 
 
 * Diodorus Siculus relates that the inhabitants of Sicily lived 
 in subterranean dwellings ; as aluo did the natives of the Balearic 
 Islands. 
 
10 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 cloudless sky, whilst human beings were seen 
 under every change of dress and language. 
 
 It was night when we passed within a short 
 distance of Stromboli. The lava was issuing from 
 the summit of the mountain, and pouring down its 
 side, illuminating the atmosphere, the effect of 
 which was most grand. A light breeze wafted us 
 silently over the water the stars shone brightly 
 above us all appeared like a heaven on earth, 
 save this emblem of destruction. As the morning 
 dawned, the magnificent prospect from the Bay of 
 Naples presented itself, with stately Vesuvius 
 frowning over the ruins of Herculaneum and Pom- 
 peii, Cape Misenum, Castello Mare, Sorentum, 
 Mola, and, in the intervals, the picturesque isles 
 of Capri, Ischia, and Procida, the beautiful city, 
 backed by the Apennines, occupying the fore- 
 ground. 
 
 We landed at Naples, but had little time to 
 enjoy the pleasures of this delightful capitaL We 
 visited the splendid theatre of San Carlo, paraded 
 the beautiful grove called the Chiaja, and the 
 magnificent Strada di Toledo, and had planned 
 
THE VOYAGE. 1 1 
 
 many excursions, which were frustrated by the 
 French marching down a force which obliged the 
 combined troops of England and Russia to retreat*, 
 and we speedily embarked, and passed unscathed 
 the ordeal of Scylla and Charybdis, although for- 
 merly, as Homer tells us 
 
 The swiftest rarer of the azure plain 
 
 Here fills her sails and spreads her oars in vain ; 
 
 Fell Scylla rises in her fury roars, 
 
 At once six mouths expand at once six men devours. 
 
 :. 
 
 Scylla is but an insignificant rock, surmounted by 
 a castle, and Charybdis is not perceptible, except 
 when the winds occasion a strong current. 
 
 It will be remembered that, in the year 1783, 
 an earthquake desolated this part of Calabria 
 and Messina. Towns were engulphed, mountains 
 split, and forty thousand persons were said to have 
 perished in a moment. It was under this rock 
 that the aged Prince of Scylla, with fourteen hun- 
 dred of the inhabitants of the town, took refuge, 
 and were s^wept at once into the sea by an enor- 
 
 * The retreat of the Anglo-Russian army was rendered neces- 
 sary by the great battle of Austerlitz, which had completely 
 changed the face of affaiis. 
 
12 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 mous wave, which, during one of the shocks, 
 rushed impetuously upon the shore where they 
 were standing, and carried them away in its retreat. 
 
 We entered the harbour of Messina, and found 
 this city still exhibiting, in the range of ruins form- 
 ing the Majino, a sad spectacle of the desolating 
 power of that dreadful convulsion of nature. 
 
 By the consent of the Neapolitan government we 
 took possession of Sicily, the whole English army 
 disembarked, and we marched to our different 
 quarters. 
 
SICILY. 13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SICILY. 
 
 MESSINA is situated under high hills of a conical 
 form, which rise one above the other until they as- 
 sume the appearance of mountains. These hills 
 are covered with wood, with here and there patches 
 of cultivation. The city is large, and, running 
 along the coasts of the Straits, commands a fine 
 view. The Straits of Messina are about six miles 
 across, bounded on the opposite side by the moun- 
 tains of Calabria ; on that coast are seen the towns 
 of Scylla and Reggio. To the right of Messina is 
 the open sea ; the left is more confined by the 
 Faro, the ancient promontory of Pylorus ; beyond 
 which, and separated by the sea, are indistinctly 
 seen the more distant mountains of Calabria, in the 
 neighbourhood of Nicotara. 
 
 These Straits are celebrated for that singular 
 
14 SICILY. 
 
 phenomenon, which has attracted the notice of the 
 ancients and moderns, called the Fata Morgana. 
 It is said that in the heat of summer, after the sea 
 and air have been much agitated by winds, and a 
 perfect calm succeeds, there appears about, the time 
 of dawn, in that part of the heavens over the Straits 
 of Messina, a great variety of singular forms, some 
 at rest, and some moving about with great velocity : 
 these forms, in proportion as the light increases, 
 seem to become more aerial, till at last, some time 
 before the sun rises, they entirely disappear. By 
 others it is represented as exhibiting lofty towers, 
 superb palaces, extended alleys of trees, delightful 
 plains with herds and flocks, and armies of men, 
 with other appearances calculated to produce asto- 
 nishment. The solution given of this phenomenon 
 is, that the air acquires on these occasions a cer- 
 tain density, so as to form atmospheric prisms, 
 which reflect and represent the objects around. 
 The actual existence of such a phenomenon admits 
 of no dispute ; yet it is rather singular, that during 
 the time the English were in possession of Sicily it 
 was not noticed by them, although the continued 
 
SICILY. 15 
 
 night-guards, both of the navy and army, were not 
 likely to let such an exhibition pass disregarded. 
 
 The difficulty of finding quarters for so large a 
 force obliged the regiments destined for Messina 
 to march detachments some distance from the city, 
 and I formed a part of that sent to a monastery, 
 one mile and a half from Messina, beautifully situ- 
 ated on a hill called Monte Santo. We found the 
 monks most willing to receive us, which they after- 
 wards said arose from the variety which must ne- 
 cessarily ensue, and break the monotony of the 
 rigid duties of their convent. It would be difficult 
 to discover the motive which first induced these 
 monks to take monastic vows, as they most readily 
 seize on all occasions to break them. The monks 
 of Monte Santo dined with us frequently, and ate 
 and drank to excess, and were not over-scrupulous 
 in acts of honesty or morality. They gave us a 
 great feast, the noisy termination of which could 
 not have been exceeded by any civic convivial party. 
 If these monks imagine they cheat the world, they 
 seem to be aware of their own hypocrisy. A Sici- 
 lian, who had been a priest, but was at this time 
 
16 SICILY. 
 
 employed by the English, on being told that two 
 young noviciates had just taken the cowl in the 
 convent of the Carmelites, exclaimed " That there 
 were two more birbanti (rascals) in addition to the 
 number already there." 
 
 With the knowledge of these defects in their 
 clergy, we feel astonished at the influence they con- 
 tinue to exercise over their flock, and that the same 
 enthusiasm should still exist amongst the Sicilians 
 for the faith of their church ; yet our surprise is 
 somewhat diminished, when we know that they are 
 educated by the priests, who control and limit their 
 minds, instructing them in gross superstition, and 
 leading them astray by the splendour of their cere- 
 monies. Who can enter their churches without 
 being struck with the beauty and richness of their 
 decorations ? and when the shrines are lighted by 
 hundreds of candles, with the soft tones of music 
 floating through the aisles, accompanied by the swell 
 of melodious voices, there are few but must feel the 
 force of the appeal. Habit, however, seems to 
 have weakened its influence, for at that most so- 
 lemn portion of their church service, the elevation 
 
SICILY. 17 
 
 of the Host, the sacred emblem of our Saviour, 
 when in a religious ecstasy they throw themselves 
 on their knees, praying, and beating their breasts, 
 their eyes are soon attracted by the entrance of a 
 stranger, and while devotional tears fill their eyes,, 
 their minds are occupied with far different thoughts. 
 The priests also keep their faith alive by proces- 
 sions of saints and martyrs, whose bones they pre- 
 tend possess the power of relieving them from 
 every evil, but certainly leave them subject to that, 
 which most dreadfully oppresses them, poverty. 
 
 Another cause, which acts powerfully with the 
 Sicilians, is that their religion but little interferes 
 with their pleasures ; they can cross themselves 
 and say a Paternoster, when in the act of commit- 
 ting a heinous crime, and their consciences can at 
 any time be eased by absolution. This, I am sorry 
 to say, is too much the religious feeling of those 
 under the influence of the Catholic church in the 
 southern countries of Europe. 
 
 Monte Santo was a delightful quarter, and we 
 regretted when the orders arrived to remove to 
 Melazzo. 
 
18 SICILY. 
 
 Melazzo is situated on the north of the island, 
 and thirty miles from Messina. The march was 
 long and fatiguing, but it was a pleasing sight to 
 see the regiment winding around the peaks of the 
 rocky mountains. 
 
 Melazzo is a small town on the isthmus of a pro- 
 montory, running three miles into the sea, sur- 
 mounted by a strong castle; the views on every 
 side are most extensive, and the snow-capped head 
 of ^Etna is seen in the distance. To the north are 
 the isles of Lipari, famous for their wines. 
 
 Under the high and craggy rock which is 
 crowned by the fortress, is that celebrated cave, 
 according to Homer, the residence of the monstrous 
 giant Polyphemus. When Ulysses was driven on 
 shore here, he discovered the giant grazing his 
 sheep on the plain we used for our parades 
 
 As some lone mountain's monstrous growth he stood, 
 Crown'd with rough thickets, and a nodding wood. 
 
 The inhospitable reception of Ulysses and his 
 companions is well known. From this cruel mon- 
 ster they happily escaped 
 
 At length we reached folia's sea-girt shore, 
 Where great Hippotades the sceptre bore. 
 
SICILY. 19 
 
 This was one of the Lipari isles, feigned to be 
 the residence of JEolus and Vulcan. They are all 
 of volcanic origin, but Stromboli at present is the 
 only one that emits fire. They are now inhabited 
 by a few fishermen, and their produce is inconsi- 
 derable. We had not been long at Melazzo before 
 we experienced the effects of the dreaded sirocco, a 
 hot and dusky vapour sweeping over the country, 
 throwing the human frame into a clammy perspi- 
 ration, attended with a difficulty of breathing, ex- 
 cessive lassitude, and an oppression of spirits. 
 From the effect of this I became seriously ill, and 
 it was to the beautiful village of St. Lucia I was 
 sent for recovery ; where, sitting under vines, I have 
 watched for hours the peasants and their mules, 
 now lost and now again emerging from among the 
 rocks of the lofty mountains, under which the vil- 
 lage is situated. In the evening the Lampyris 
 noctiluca, or fire-fly, is seen darting its starry light 
 through the air, covering the hedges with bril- 
 liants, and illuminating the houses. 
 
 I had here an opportunity of seeing the Sicilian 
 peasantry in all their native simplicity ; and there 
 
22 SICILY. 
 
 regiment should march to Messina for immediate 
 embarkation. I shall conclude the chapter with a 
 few remarks on this island. 
 
 Sicily abounds in mountains, and the scenery is 
 most romantic ; it is not, however, famous for its 
 purling streams or pastoral meadows; the summer 
 being excessively warm, and the heats burning up 
 the vegetable productions, give it a parched and 
 rather sterile appearance ; but the beauty of the 
 spring cannot be surpassed; the winter is chilly, 
 and the rain at periods descends in torrents ; but, 
 with the exception of the mal aria, which is to be 
 met with at uncertain periods, Sicily may be con- 
 sidered as very healthy. In a country so prover- 
 bially rich in fruits, some disappointment was expe- 
 rienced by the English, that those in Sicily, though 
 differing from the fruits of our own country, were 
 confined in their variety. Grapes and olives may 
 be considered the staple commodity of the island ; 
 on the first I need make no remark ; the olive 
 grows from a tree the least picturesque, and the 
 produce is only estimated by the inhabitants for its 
 oil. The orange, lemon, citron, and pomegranate 
 
SICILY. 23 
 
 trees arrive at the highest perfection, yet they 
 seldom exceed the size of a shrub, but whose um- 
 brageous shelter, in the season when the blos- 
 soms appear, and the sun's rays are oppressive, 
 forms a most fragrant and grateful retreat. The 
 fig-trees are numerous, and the fresh fruit delicious. 
 The melon, particularly the water-melon, is much 
 eaten by the peasantry ; the almond tree is general 
 in the island. Independent of some minor fruits of 
 little consideration, there is, besides, but the very 
 common and unsightly species of cactus, frequently 
 called the prickly pear ; this forms the boundaries 
 of the fields and gardens; the fruit is mawkish, 
 but the flavour must be acquired before it is much 
 relished. These constitute the general fruits of the 
 country, and it may be asked, when blessed with 
 these luxuries, what more could we desire ? But 
 it is surprising how soon the taste seeks for novelty, 
 and the sojourner sighs for those things beyond his 
 reach : we longed for the fruits of England. The 
 same remark applies to the flowers of the island; 
 for although there were beautiful specimens of 
 plants rare in England, yet they were not numerous, 
 
22 SICILY. 
 
 regiment should march to Messina for immediate 
 embarkation. I shall conclude the chapter with a 
 few remarks on this island. 
 
 Sicily abounds in mountains, and the scenery is 
 most romantic ; it is not, however, famous for its 
 purling streams or pastoral meadows; the summer 
 being excessively warm, and the heats burning up 
 the vegetable productions, give it a parched and 
 rather sterile appearance ; but the beauty of the 
 spring cannot be surpassed; the winter is chilly, 
 and the rain at periods descends in torrents; but, 
 with the exception of the mal aria, which is to be 
 met with at uncertain periods, Sicily may be con- 
 sidered as very healthy. In a country so prover- 
 bially rich in fruits, some disappointment was expe- 
 rienced by the English, that those in Sicily, though 
 differing from the fruits of our own country, were 
 confined in their variety. Grapes and olives may 
 be considered the staple commodity of the island ; 
 on the first I need make no remark ; the olive 
 grows from a tree the least picturesque, and the 
 produce is only estimated by the inhabitants for its 
 oil. The orange, lemon, citron, and pomegranate 
 
SICILY. 23 
 
 trees arrive at the highest perfection, yet they 
 seldom exceed the size of a shrub, but whose um- 
 brageous shelter, in the season when the blos- 
 soms appear, and the sun's rays are oppressive, 
 forms a most fragrant and grateful retreat. The 
 fig-trees are numerous, and the fresh fruit delicious. 
 The melon, particularly the water-melon, is much 
 eaten by the peasantry ; the almond tree is general 
 in the island. Independent of some minor fruits of 
 little consideration, there is, besides, but the very 
 common and unsightly species of cactus, frequently 
 called the prickly pear ; this forms the boundaries 
 of the fields and gardens; the fruit is mawkish, 
 but the flavour must be acquired before it is much 
 relished. These constitute the general fruits of the 
 country, and it may be asked, when blessed with 
 these luxuries, what more could we desire ? But 
 it is surprising how soon the taste seeks for novelty, 
 and the sojourner sighs for those things beyond his 
 reach : we longed for the fruits of England. The 
 same remark applies to the flowers of the island; 
 for although there were beautiful specimens of 
 plants rare in England, yet they were not numerous, 
 
24 
 
 SICILY. 
 
 nor cultivated with much taste. The rose was not 
 so common nor so fine as in our own country. 
 Birds were not numerous, nor sweet in their song; 
 I do not recollect ever to have heard a nightingale 
 in Sicily. 
 
25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EGYPT. 
 
 ON the 6th of March, 1807, an expedition was 
 sent, under the orders of General Frazer, to take 
 possession of Alexandria in Egypt. A storm dis- 
 persed our ships, and when the few that were col- 
 lected anchored to the west of Alexandria, it was 
 deemed necessary to land the troops immediately. 
 As we were anchored at a distance from the shore, 
 it was dark when we reached the land. In this vast 
 wilderness everything was strange, and as we groped 
 about to visit our sentries, we were uncertain 
 whether we approached a friend or an enemy ; the 
 utmost vigilance was necessary, and the night was 
 piercingly cold. 
 
 The morning dawned, and the burning rays of 
 the sun were increased by their reaction from the 
 sands. To our right was the Lake Mareotis, the 
 
 c 
 
26 EGYPT. 
 
 waters of which being evaporated leave only a 
 broad sheet of salt, reflecting a fiery tinge. At the 
 distance of five miles in our front was situated the 
 once celebrated Alexandria, and behind us an in- 
 terminable tract of waving sand. 
 
 It was determined that in the evening our small 
 party should storm the works. Every preparation 
 being made, we waited the approach of night be- 
 fore we left the ground ; a universal silence pre- 
 vailed, nothing was heard but the subdued tread 
 on the march. The cloudless sky was studded with 
 millions of brilliant luminaries, shining with more 
 than ordinary lustre. The moon arose, and her 
 beams glittered on the arms of the soldiers; the 
 beauty of the heavens for some time attracted our 
 observation ; but as we advanced, the distant war- 
 whoop of the Turks confined us to more serious 
 duties. Our contemplation of the silent orbs that 
 glared so beauteously in the firmament was now 
 interrupted by the rattling of fire-arms, mingled 
 with the thunder of the cannon, and the bursting of 
 the deadly shell. A delusive gleam hung around 
 every object, and the cries of the wounded gave an 
 
EGYPT. 27 
 
 awful character to the scene. We came to the walls 
 of these extensive ruins, but, unacquainted with the 
 localities, we retired to the lines taken up in 1801 
 by Sir Ralph Abercrombie to the east. 
 
 Having well secured our position, we resisted 
 several vigorous sorties by the Turks; and, the 
 remainder of the troops appearing in the offing, 
 Alexandria in a few days surrendered. 
 
 We had now leisure to reflect on the sudden 
 transition from the fertile shores of Sicily to the 
 sandy deserts of Egypt that Egypt which from 
 our childhood we have associated with the interesting 
 and affecting story of Joseph and his brethren and 
 the hard-heartedness of Pharaoh; the land that 
 gave birth to the arts and sciences ; the kingdom of 
 the Ptolemies, and of the voluptuous Cleopatra. 
 We felt a pleasure in remembering we were now in 
 Egypt ; once the granary of the world, though now 
 a neglected and almost desert waste. Yet even the 
 sand-hills which surround these walls were, in the 
 days of its splendour, forced into cultivation and 
 formed into gardens for this once-extended metro- 
 polis, the emporium of the world. 
 
 c 2 
 
28 EGYPT. 
 
 Nor can we forget the noble Roman who met 
 with his death on this shore. After the battle of 
 Pharsalia, Pompey was advised to seek refuge in 
 Egypt, and Ptolemy the king, at the instigation of 
 his prime minister Photinus, and to ingratiate him- 
 self with Caesar, determined to put him to death. 
 Pompey was no sooner landed, than Septimius, one 
 of the king's officers, ran him through the body; 
 his wife Cornelia, and her friends who were left in 
 the galleys, upon seeing him murdered, gave a 
 shriek that was heard to the shore. Caesar, who 
 arrived in Egypt not long after, when the head of 
 Pompey was presented to him, turned from it with 
 great abhorrence ; on receiving the signet of that 
 great general he wept. This forms an interesting 
 narrative in Plutarch's ' Life of Pompey.' 
 
 It was supposed that we could not long keep 
 possession of Alexandria without opening a com- 
 munication with the Delta, which would insure us 
 a supply of provisions. For this purpose General 
 Wauchope was dispatched with a force to take pos- 
 session of Rosetta ; General Wauchope, in too 
 great a confidence of success, entered the town, but 
 
EGYPT. 29 
 
 the Turks, having secured themselves in their 
 houses, opened a fire which our troops were unable 
 to resist ; and the General being killed, a most 
 disastrous retreat was the consequence. 
 
 A larger force was sent under Brigadier- General 
 Stuart, with the firm hope of retrieving this unfor- 
 tunate mistake: on arriving before Rosetta, our 
 energies were further increased by the appalling 
 sight of the headless trunks of our brother soldiers, 
 scattered over the sand-hills, swoln to a prodigious 
 size by the heat of the sun; and it was several 
 days before we could rid ourselves of this loath- 
 some nuisance. 
 
 We had now taken a position with a determina- 
 tion to batter down the town, if the Turks would 
 not enter into a capitulation. 
 
 Rosetta had a most picturesque appearance : 
 the town, though not large, is pleasantly located, 
 being watered by one of the principal branches of 
 the Nile, and supplied with provisions from the 
 rich soil of the Delta. The houses have flat roofs, 
 and are interspersed with numerous trees : there are 
 several mosques, and the elegant and delicate mina- 
 
30 EGYPT. 
 
 rets, rising from amidst the cypress and sycamore 
 trees, have a most pleasing effect. As the ground 
 around our position was composed of loose sand, 
 the Delta, separated from us by the Nile, formed a 
 great contrast : here, almost blinded with the sand, 
 we looked with envy on the green verdure beyond 
 our reach, and longed to shelter ourselves from a 
 scorching sun in the orange and plantain groves ; 
 even the cool waters of the Nile were almost denied 
 us by the unceasing fire from the Turks. In this 
 exposed state we remained for three weeks. Find- 
 ing we could make but little impression upon the 
 town, except by knocking down a few minarets, and 
 weakening our force by a succession of skirmishes, 
 while the Turks were strengthening themselves by 
 reinforcements from Cairo, it was considered neces- 
 sary to retreat. Our small army was formed into a 
 square, in the centre of which were placed the 
 camels, loaded with such stores as were required. 
 The Turks soon discovered our intention, and the 
 horizon was literally bounded by swarms of turbans, 
 and from every sand-hill they poured upon our 
 square a most destructive fire : we were then three 
 
EGYPT. 31 
 
 days' march from Alexandria, with a short supply 
 of provisions, and without water to quench our 
 parching thirst. A strong detachment that we had 
 expected to join us from El Hammet we had every 
 reason to suppose were cut in pieces ; our wounded 
 men became so numerous that we began to appre- 
 hend our retreat might be impeded ; we durst not 
 leave them behind, as their lives would have been 
 immediately sacrificed. The stores were removed 
 from the camels to accommodate such as were 
 unable to walk, but there were still many in a very 
 enfeebled state. A few shots from our field-pieces 
 in general dispersed this horde of Turks, but our 
 ammunition was now become scarce; we were at 
 the close of the day in imminent peril, whilst the 
 boldness of our assailants was remarkable : they 
 rode up to the muzzle of our guns, with a courage 
 worthy of a better fate. Although cut down in 
 numbers, their force seemed still to gather strength ; 
 our men became exhausted ; fortunately, as night 
 advanced our enemy retired, and the next day we 
 retreated without further molestation. The follow- 
 ing day we reached Alexandria, having traversed 
 
32 EGYPT. 
 
 the heated sand-hills under the greatest of priva- 
 tions, the want of water *. 
 
 At this time some Mamelukes came to Alexan- 
 dria, and they astonished us by the wonderful com- 
 mand they had over their horses, and their dexterity 
 in the use of the sword. They were a fine race of 
 men, and most splendidly dressed. They dined with 
 us at our mess, drank little wine, and smoked their 
 pipes with that gravity becoming true Mahometans. 
 
 Alexandria has rather an imposing appearance 
 at a distance, but it is a wretched town, contracted 
 to a point projecting into the sea. The ruins are 
 extensive, within a still more extensive ruin, the 
 architecture of the Saracens ; but few of these can 
 be identified as part of the bold design of Alexan- 
 
 * An instance or two will show the extent of this suffering. 
 On the march a small well of indifferent water was discovered ; 
 discipline was at an end, the soldiers rushed to the spot, impeding 
 each other from benefiting by the discovery. Those who did 
 obtain water suffered by their imprudence ; one man was buried 
 at the well, others were rolling about the sand-hills in the most 
 excruciating pain. 
 
 I conceived myself extremely fortunate to obtain a few drops 
 of water from an Arab, for which I paid him to the value of a 
 shilling, but it was so heated and mixed with sand that it gave 
 me no relief. 
 
EGYPT. 33 
 
 der. Amidst this mass of ruins we are astonished 
 at the immense reservoirs which seem to undermine 
 the whole space ; the arches to support the brick 
 work were most beautifully executed. These reser- 
 voirs were formed to receive the water of the Nile 
 for the supply of the inhabitants by means of an 
 aqueduct, of which there are but few remains. To 
 the south stands that celebrated column called 
 Pompey's Pillar, on the top of which our sailors 
 planted the English colours. Near the sea are 
 those pyramidical columns., Cleopatra's Needles ; 
 the modern Pharos has no pretensions to the 
 Pharos of ancient celebrity. Baths, and various 
 other ruins, are seen at a great distance from the 
 present dilapidated walls, which, point out the 
 extent of the once mighty city. 
 
 The inhabitants of Alexandria are as various 
 and as wretched as their ill-constructed town. 
 The most primitive of all the people we saw in 
 Egypt were the Arabs, whom we found civil and 
 obliging. Their peculiarity of dress the turban 
 and large cloak and their swarthy complexions, 
 gave them rather a grotesque appearance. They 
 
 c3 
 
34 EGYPT. 
 
 had established a mart in our neighbourhood, and 
 in consequence we found provisions in abundance. 
 Although of a roving disposition, they were by no 
 means neglectful of the advantages they might 
 obtain by an established traffic. 
 
 I shall not attempt even an outline of the miser- 
 able-looking females usually seen about Alexan- 
 dria; but the following anecdote will convince us 
 that Egypt, since the renowned Cleopatra, has 
 produced a fascinating woman. An officer of a 
 regiment, highly respected both for his private 
 and military virtues, formed an attachment to an 
 Egyptian girl, who, though in middle life, was 
 poor in the accustomed English expenditure. He 
 married her; and, secluded from society, they 
 retired to live in one of the ruins so numerous 
 around this celebrated city, apparently happy in 
 a wretched cave. The active service at Rosetta 
 removed him from the scene of his contentment, 
 and from the idol of his heart. The stirring scenes 
 of war could not efface the effect of the fascinations 
 of his lady in the cave; and, careless of conse- 
 quences, he imprudently quitted his post, and flew 
 
EGYPT. 35 
 
 to his wife. Removed from the army, with the 
 hopes and prospects of his life blighted, he, like 
 Mark Antony, fell a victim to the power of love, 
 wielded by the hand of an Egyptian enchantress, 
 
 Egypt must be ever celebrated for its wonders. 
 The gigantic pyramids, and the noble river, with 
 its cataracts and its fertilizing floods, have been fa- 
 miliar to every reader. The portraiture and habits 
 of its animals the crocodile, the camel, the wild 
 dog, the beautiful ass, the jerboa, the stork, the 
 cameleon, and the various species of lizard, and 
 other curious and useful animals, would fill a 
 volume; but they have been so frequently de- 
 scribed, that to enumerate them here would be 
 merely repetition. 
 
 When the dispatches of our unfortunate failure 
 reached England, orders were sent for us to retire 
 from Egypt ; and we sailed on the 25th September, 
 and landed again in Sicily. Although we had 
 been unsuccessful in our military exploits, our 
 feelings of regret were relieved by the knowledge 
 of the uncertainty of war, and that even the desul- 
 tory warfare of the Turks will sometimes baffle the 
 
36 EGYPT. 
 
 energies of the best -disciplined troops ; yet Egypt 
 had its charms ! " I love," said an enthusiastic 
 Frenchman, " the very deserts, which open to the 
 imagination the field of immensity." Often have 
 I, on my Arab steed, rode with a feeling of true 
 liberty over these barren sands, galloping on, unim- 
 peded by any barriers, my mind buoyant with 
 delight, and as unbounded as these wilds. Our 
 chief amusement was hunting, for want of other 
 game, the hyaena, or the wild dog ; and the meri- 
 dian sun being tempered by the sea-breeze, it was 
 an exercise of the highest gratification. It is true 
 that the Delta burst upon us with a satisfaction 
 which a rich verdure, encircled by the waters of 
 the far-famed Nile, must do on eyes accustomed 
 to the monotony of parched and dusty sand-hills : 
 still there was a charm around these never-ending 
 deserts, and I must acknowledge I left Egypt with 
 some regret. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SICILY. 
 
 AFTER being long at sea, how cheering is the first 
 sight of land ! On approaching Messina, every 
 suburb appeared with renewed beauty; the cir- 
 cular harbour was filled with English shipping, 
 and the knowledge that we were again in a civilized 
 country increased the charm. 
 
 I shall pass over many little occurrences to re- 
 cord a phenomenon which created an unusual 
 interest. Being at Messina in March, 1809, the 
 sky became suddenly dark, and the air was loaded 
 with a fine black grain, which falling covered the 
 ground and tops of the houses. It was soon known 
 to proceed from an eruption which had burst from 
 the foot of the Horn of Mount Etna. As soon as 
 circumstances would permit, a brother officer and 
 myself proceeded to the mountain. Passing through 
 
38 SICILY. 
 
 that interesting suburb of Messina called Contessa, 
 we followed the indentations of this rocky coast 
 until we arrived at Taormina. Taormina must 
 have once been a place of some importance : there 
 are still the remains of an amphitheatre, baths, and 
 large reservoirs; at present it is an insignificant 
 town. From thence we entered a rich country, 
 which continued until we passed over an ancient 
 bridge thrown across the Chantera, an inconsider- 
 able river, whose banks were composed of lava : 
 the country was now rocky and barren. We ar- 
 rived at Piedmont, lying, as the name would imply, 
 at the foot of the mountain : here the fall of the 
 ashes was so great, as to impart a desolate appear- 
 ance to the neighbourhood : the road from thence, 
 if road it could be called, was greatly on the ascent 
 to Lingua Grossa : three miles more brought us to 
 the nearest stream of lava, which we found ad- 
 vancing through a thick coppice wood, but, at the 
 time we saw it, it was slow in its progress. The 
 lava which, at the commencement of the eruption, 
 presented the appearance of liquid fire, had, by 
 continuing its course for nine miles,, considerably 
 
SICILY. 39 
 
 expended itself, and by the action of the air become 
 crusted ; and it resembled a huge bank of moving 
 cinders, crumbling forward, with the lava occa- 
 sionally gushing forth. This immense bank ap- 
 peared 100 feet in breadth, and about 20 feet in 
 height. 
 
 In looking around we were surprised to see 
 numerous pictures hung in different parts of the 
 wood in front of the stream of lava. On making 
 inquiries we found they were representations of 
 saints, whose interposition, together with the prayers 
 of the priests, the Sicilians appeared confident 
 would impede the farther progress of the lava, 
 which was moving in a direct course for the village 
 of Lingua Grossa. 
 
 From hence to the craters was a difficult ascent, 
 and we passed through the noble wood which forms 
 that division of the mountain called the woody re- 
 gion. The appearance of five large cones throwing 
 forth fire and smoke to a great height, was as grand 
 as it was novel. We had determined to enter the 
 principal crater, and for this purpose passed over a 
 stream of lava of considerable breadth : here, how- 
 
40 SICILY. 
 
 ever,, the top was also crusted with scoriae or cinders, 
 and it was by stepping from one to another of these, 
 which were floating on the liquid stream below, 
 that we reached the opposite side ; we had then to 
 mount the hot ashes, and descend to as near the 
 burning mass as the heat would allow, taking care 
 to change our situation to avoid the showers of 
 ashes and stone which were constantly thrown from 
 the crater. Here the noise was tremendous, and 
 there was an awful grandeur in the appearance of 
 this huge cauldron of boiling minerals which it is 
 impossible to describe : the continued volumes of 
 smoke, the bursting forth of the fiery liquid, with 
 the roar resembling peals of discharged parks of 
 artillery, were deafening and confounding. After 
 watching this phenomenon for some time, the ap- 
 proach of night reminded us that we had again to 
 pass the fiery ordeal, and that one false step might 
 prove fatal : this, however, we accomplished with 
 only the destruction of our boots. The night was 
 so far advanced, that we did not attempt to descend 
 the mountain, but, wrapping our cloaks around us, 
 we retired to rest, our couch being composed of the 
 
SICILY. 41 
 
 cinders thrown out at the commencement of the 
 eruption, which still retained a very comfortable 
 degree of heat. 
 
 As the dawn opened, what a glorious sight pre- 
 sented itself ! Sicily at first was unfolded from a 
 mantle of vapour, then the islands around, and 
 lastly Italy the distance so illusively reduced, that 
 this extensive scene appeared under our feet' As 
 the sun arose, the dark shade which rendered indis- 
 tinct all save the high grounds gradually lessened, 
 until the whole was illuminated into one splendid 
 panorama. 
 
 Our regiment was quartered in Messina at the 
 monastery of Annunziato, situated on a height near 
 to the Porta Ligna. On the lower part of this hill 
 was the nunnery of Santa Barbara, and opposite to 
 this myself and another officer of the regiment 
 lived in small cottages. Curiosity prompted us to 
 walk into that part of the nunnery called the Par- 
 latorio, it being a small room surrounded by grated 
 windows, and set apart for the relations and friends 
 to hold converse with the nuns of the convent. 
 Instead of the repulse we expected, we met with a 
 
42 SICILY. 
 
 gracious reception, and we were induced to repeat 
 our visits until they became daily and expected 
 calls. I do not understand at this day why this 
 liberty was granted us, as the greatest caution is 
 generally preserved in these convents. We con- 
 versed freely with the novices, and were treated 
 by them in the most familiar manner : they pre- 
 sented us with sweetmeats, and studied by various 
 means to evince their regard for us. I have at this 
 day handkerchiefs which were marked by these fair 
 nuns for fair and beautiful some of them were ; 
 and I am satisfied that they would have preferred 
 a red coat to the most elaborately-executed Ma- 
 donna. When the moment of parting arrived, our 
 adieus were most pathetic : they expressed much 
 regret that we should be exposed to the dangers of 
 war, and promised to be liberal with their prayers 
 for our safety. 
 
 I must confess there was in those days a romance 
 which softened the rigours of war, and a benediction 
 from a pretty girl would have caused us to brave 
 dangers which might otherwise appal the stoutest 
 heart. 
 
SICILY. 43 
 
 These young girls are generally forced into this 
 seclusion by their parents. The nobles of Sicily 
 are extremely poor, and unable to support their 
 family with the dignity their station requires ; their 
 sons are placed in some post under government, 
 and the daughters are sent early to a convent, 
 where, after passing their noviciate, they become 
 habituated to a system from which they have but 
 little chance of escaping, and are induced at last to 
 take the veil. I was present on one of these in- 
 teresting but affecting occasions. The young lady 
 was the daughter of Prince Squillaccio : most of 
 the English officers received invitations. During 
 the solemn music of which the Romish church is 
 so lavish, the nuns chanted an invitation which was 
 answered by the novice ; and when the melodious 
 voice of this beautiful girl was heard alone, echoing 
 through the aisles, it thrilled through every heart. 
 At the termination, her flowing locks were severed 
 from her head, her elegant dress changed to that of 
 a nun, and she was closed for ever from the world 
 and all its pleasures. 
 
44 SICILY. 
 
 tl Can I forget that sad, that solemn day, 
 When victim at yon altar's foot she lay ? 
 Can I forget what tears that moment fell, 
 When, warm in youth, she bade the world farewell ? 
 As with cold lips she kiss'd the sacred veil, 
 The shrines all trembled, and the lamps grew pale ; 
 Heav'n scarce believ'd the conquest it survey 'd, 
 And saints, with wonder, heard the vows she made." 
 
 I have before stated that the French had taken 
 possession of Naples. In 1806 the glorious battle 
 of Maida was fought. The English troops were 
 under the command of Sir John Stuart. As part 
 of my regiment only was present, I have not at- 
 tempted to describe a battle so characteristic of 
 British valour. From this event a predatory war- 
 fare was kept up between the Calabrese and the 
 French, which the English general conceived it 
 advantageous to support, by sending over some 
 troops. The siege of Scylla was undertaken : 
 Murat was at this time king of Naples. The 
 siege was maintained on both sides with great 
 spirit; by the French, under the expectation of a 
 strong reinforcement from Naples ; and on our 
 side, lest this reinforcement should arrive and 
 
SICILY. 45 
 
 drive us from our position, and probably cut off 
 our retreat. The Castle of Scylla is situated on a 
 rock, under high and magnificent mountains : our 
 batteries were erected on their projecting points. 
 The ardour with which this conflict was maintained 
 was such, that our fire was continued until the guns 
 could only be directed by the flashes from each 
 other's batteries. It then became truly interesting, 
 the discharge from the guns throwing a momentary 
 light on the scene around, the reports echoing and 
 reverberating from mountain to mountain. Scylla 
 was taken, retaken, and again remained in our 
 possession. Amidst these exhilarating scenes, we 
 were ordered on another service. 
 
 Being now about to bid adieu to Sicily, I shall 
 close my remarks with some recollections of the 
 pleasurable feelings experienced by a sojourner in 
 this delicious island. I remember, -more particu- 
 larly, when quartered in the straggling but pretty 
 village of Contessa, those balmy mornings which 
 saluted me when I arose from a feverish bed, and 
 opened the windows which were fringed with the 
 vine, loaded with the luscious muscadine grape, 
 
46 SICILY. 
 
 the grateful shade of the neighbouring trees, 
 the sea-breeze, which began to move the lazy bark 
 loitering on the green waters, and wafted the sweet 
 odour from the orange and citron groves, the 
 boundless sea, with here and there a vessel, its 
 white sails dazzling in the distance, and the moun- 
 tains of Calabria, strongly marked in the horizon ; 
 the whole scene heightened by the picturesque 
 dresses of the peasantry. 
 
 With the advantages of climate, we do not find a 
 corresponding advancement in the inhabitants of 
 this island: on the contrary, their wants being 
 easily supplied, luxury and indolence usurp the 
 place of a healthful activity ; and we meet with men 
 hypocritically professing the most cordial hospi- 
 tality, and yet being at the same time guilty of 
 the greatest insincerity. The women are sprightly 
 and agreeable when young, but speedily approach 
 senescence. They are tainted with a levity which 
 destroys the amiableness of the female character, 
 and we seek in vain to find that native timidity, 
 that attractive diffidence, which adorn the daugh- 
 ters of Britain. 
 
SICILY. 47 
 
 The inhabitants of Sicily continue as Goldsmith 
 has so justly described them: 
 
 ct But short the bliss which sense alone bestows, 
 And sensual bliss is all the nation knows ; 
 In florid beauty groves and fields appear, 
 Man seems the only growth that dwindles here." 
 
48 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 IT was considered necessary that the English should 
 take possession ( of the Ionian Isles, at that time 
 occupied by French troops. For this purpose a 
 small force was sent under the command of Ge- 
 neral, now Sir John Oswald, which sailed from 
 Messina on the 23rd September, 1809. 
 
 Etna never appeared to me more majestic than 
 in the view we this day obtained of it while sailing 
 to the south ; its hoary head towering in the sky, 
 emitting dense columns of smoke, while below its 
 summit, but still above adjoining mountains, rolled 
 thick clouds, with peals of thunder and vivid 
 lightning. 
 
 On the 28th, we came in sight of Cephalonia. 
 In consequence of waiting to receive the co-opera- 
 tion of the Corfu squadron, it was the 1st of Octo- 
 
IONIAN ISLES. 49 
 
 her before we anchored off the island of Zante. 
 The next day we landed under a brisk fire from our 
 frigates. The French retreated to the fortress, and 
 we, marching through vineyards bearing clusters 
 of rich grapes, took up our position on a height. 
 The castle is on an elevated situation, having the 
 town at its base, skirting a beautiful bay, but the 
 works were in so ruinous a state, that the French 
 
 did not attempt to defend it ; and, after a few shots, ^ ' f 
 
 || 
 it capitulated. With the same easy success Cepha- 
 
 lonia and Ithaca were taken. Shortly afterwards, 
 Cerigo was also in our possession. Preparations 
 were made, and we embarked for other conquests ; 
 but having received counter-orders, they were sus- 
 pended. We were now in 
 
 " The isles of Greece, the isles of Greece ! 
 Where burning Sappho loved and sung ;" 
 
 and, from a long residence, I can confidently state 
 that it is impossible to enjoy a more delightful 
 climate. These islands did not at all answer our 
 highly-raised expectations. The barren soil of 
 Cephalonia had little to recommend it but a safe 
 and spacious harbour surrounded by high hills: 
 
50 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 two wretched villages, Lixura and Argostola, were 
 its principal towns. Ithaca is rocky, and more 
 estimated as having been the residence or Ulysses 
 and the chaste Penelope, than for its natural beau- 
 ties ; yet Homer has made Ulysses exclaim, with that 
 pride of country which has existed in all ages, 
 
 ts My native soil is Ithaca the fair, 
 Where high Neritus waves his woods in air ; 
 Dulichium, Same", and Zacynthus crown'd 
 With shady mountains, spread their isles around, 
 Low lies our isle, yet blest in fruitful stores ; 
 Strong are her sons, though rocky are her shores ; 
 And none ah, none so lovely to my sight, 
 Of all the lands that heav'n o'erspreads with light I" 
 
 Cerigo is situated near Cape Angelo, south of 
 the Morea. On entering the Bay of Capsale no 
 person could have imagined this island to have been 
 chosen as the birth-place and favourite residence 
 of the Queen of Love. Alas ! when Venus fled, 
 then fled for ever the beauties of Cythera. With 
 the exception of two or three valleys, it presents 
 mountains of rock without the least vegetation. 
 
 " How strange the taste ! that rocks and wilds should prove 
 The favourite refuge of the Queen of Love." 
 
IONIAN ISLES. 51 
 
 But Zante, according to their proverb 
 
 " Zante Fior del Levante " 
 
 is a most beautiful little island, with a fertile 
 plain bounded by hills, interspersed with numerous 
 villages ; a rich soil producing abundance of 
 grapes, currants *, and olives, besides a variety of 
 delicious fruits. The principal town, also called 
 Zante, is large, well built, and extremely clean, 
 situated at the head of and extending along a fine 
 bay, which has been compared, in miniature, to the 
 beautiful Bay of Naples, comprising a scene which 
 is better described in the words of Mr. Wright, 
 
 " Sure 'tis enchantmeat bids the prospect rise, 
 Like some bright fairy vision to my eyes ; 
 On every side what varied beauty charms J 
 Here the throng 'd city spreads her crescent arms ; 
 To her white bosom woos the swelling tide, 
 And rises in the mountain's shelvy side; 
 Around whose brow in ruin'd grandeur frown 
 The hoary honours of his mural crown." 
 
 From this castle (the Alta Zacynthus) the view 
 
 * The currant, or grape of Corinth, is the staple commodity of 
 Zante. This vine resembles the grape, except the leaf being much 
 smaller : when in blossom the fragrance is most delightful : the 
 fruit is dried in the sun, and placed in large casks for exportation. 
 
 D 2 
 
52 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 is most extensive; the Peloponnesus spreads in 
 front, bounded by Olympia and the hills of Arcadia. 
 The forest of Lyceeus is still to be traced, and the 
 Alpheus glides, a limpid current, through its de- 
 serted woods. To the right are the islands of 
 Strophades, the refuge of the Harpies. To the left 
 the isles of Cephalonia and Ithaca: the varied 
 tints with which they are seen, and the expanse of 
 water that intervenes, render it an enchanting 
 scene. 
 
 On the 22nd of March, 1810, we again began 
 our offensive operations, and landed a force of 
 about 3000 men on the island of St. Maura, for the 
 purpose of besieging the castle. This fortress is 
 advantageously situated on a low neck of land, the 
 sea flowing on each side. The guns from the castle 
 completely commanded this isthmus, and it was 
 only by throwing up entrenchments, which re- 
 quired considerable time, that we could advance 
 our battering train. Several assaults were made 
 for the purpose of driving in the French picquets, 
 which were necessarily performed in the night, and 
 we generally returned under a tremendous fire of 
 
IONIAN ISLES. 53 
 
 ' grape and round' from the enemy, ploughing up 
 the narrow space in which we had to retreat. At 
 length, having well secured the ground around the 
 castle, within musket-shot of the enemy's \vorks, 
 and our battering- guns beginning to breach the 
 walls, the French General Camus was induced to 
 send a flag of truce, and the conditions of surren- 
 der were signed on the 16th of April. 
 
 We had now the means of seeing the effect of 
 our shot and shells : the buildings within the 
 castle were completely destroyed, the ground was 
 literally ploughed, and we observed many very 
 evident proofs of the loss of life. 
 
 St. Maura is an island of considerable conse- 
 quence, but where the castle and town are situated 
 it is unhealthy ; the shallow waters around them, 
 when dried up by the summer heat, leave a putrid 
 mud, from whence arise vapours of a noxious cha- 
 racter, which constantly hang over the town and 
 castle. The town is low, and connected with the 
 castle by means of an aqueduct of considerable 
 length, which answers also the purpose of a bridge. 
 
 St. Maura was anciently called Leucadia, and 
 
54 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 famous for its promontory, from whence Sappho is 
 said to have thrown herself into the sea. In her 
 letter to Phaon, she has left this legacy to despair- 
 ing lovers : 
 
 O you that love in vain, 
 
 Fly hence and seek the fair Leucadian main : 
 There stands a rock, from whose impending steep 
 Apollo's fane surveys the rolling deep ; 
 There injured lovers, leaping from above, 
 Their flames extinguish, and forget to love." 
 
 Shortly after the capture of St. Maura, a part 
 of the regiment was sent up the Adriatic on board 
 the Milford, 74, under the command of Admiral 
 Fremantle, to take possession of the island of 
 Lissa, which having been accomplished, my com- 
 pany was removed to the Eagle, 74, commanded 
 by Captain Charles Rowley, for the purpose of 
 destroying the batteries on the Dalmatian coast. 
 The peculiar nature of this service will be better 
 understood by describing the taking of one of the 
 forts, called Sestos. The ship being kept in the 
 offing, about twelve o'clock at night we embarked 
 in boats, and rowed to the point of attack, which 
 it was our object to reach at break of day : the 
 
IONIAN ISLES. 55 
 
 French, however, were on the alert, and after "fe- 
 eeiving the first fire of their guns, we swept imme- 
 diately under the fort. A panic seized the garrison, 
 and in a moment we were in possession of the 
 works. 
 
 To landsmen in general, there is a tediousness 
 in being confined on board of a ship, which they 
 cannot easily overcome ; but this fine vessel, with 
 her beautiful equipments her batteries of cannon 
 her gigantic masts, with their broad bosoms o/ 
 canvass the thousand individuals that thronged 
 her decks, always produced feelings of animation 
 and excitement. In the narrow Adriatic there is 
 a constant change : as we sail on, the blue haze of 
 distant land every now and then emerges from the 
 sea : ships are seen stealing from under the moun- 
 tains, or appear like specks in the horizon ; and in 
 the prospect of meeting an enemy, the mind is too 
 much occupied to sink into despondency. 
 
 On our return to Zante we experienced one of 
 those violent earthquakes which produce the utmost 
 terror and alarm. We had during our abode in 
 Sicily felt shocks of an appalling nature : on one 
 occasion, the regiment being on parade, the whole 
 
56 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 line was thrown into confusion, and several of the 
 men, differently affected, were obliged to be taken 
 to their quarters. The first notice I had of the 
 earthquake at Zante was from being awoke in 
 the night by my bedstead cracking my curtains 
 flapping to and fro and in casting my eyes to- 
 wards the light of the window, I could perceive 
 the room rocking in a most awful manner. I felt 
 a sickness, and my mind at the moment was para- 
 lyzed. I soon jumped out of bed, and beheld the 
 street in a state of uproar ; the cries of the inha- 
 bitants, the ringing of bells, and the howling of 
 animals, formed a scene truly distressing. We 
 found, when the morning dawned, that towers had 
 been rent, and several houses thrown down. But 
 our alarm was not to terminate here : for a month 
 afterwards, we continued to feel earthquakes, but 
 not of so severe a naturei They were generally 
 preceded by a rolling noise resembling carriages 
 rapidly driven along the street*. During this 
 eventful period, to avoid being buried under our 
 
 * Scientific men are divided as to whether the shocks are vibra- 
 tory or undulating : they are generally so sudden and momentary 
 that it is difficult to determine. 
 
IONIAN ISLES. 57 
 
 houses, we pitched our tents in the olive groves. 
 It was a curious sight to see the inhabitants night 
 after night scattered like sheep over the hills; 
 they, like ourselves, had left their houses, the 
 weather being fine, and the air mild; they rolled 
 themselves in their cloaks, and men, women, and 
 children, slept under the canopy of heaven. 
 
 The inhabitants of these isles differ materially 
 from the Greeks of the continent, Having been 
 long under the Venetians, they approach nearer to 
 the Italians : they are more lively and more social 
 in their manners. It was usual to see the Zantiots 
 in circles under trees enjoying their fruit and light 
 wines, and concluding with the Pyrrhic dance to 
 the melody of a rustic pipe. But the general cha- 
 racter of the modern Greeks did not stand high in 
 our estimation ; they seemed to have retained all the 
 vices, without the virtues of their noble ancestors 
 low cunning and vile profligacy being the ruling 
 features of their character. With such compa- 
 nions, it is to be expected the women must be 
 deficient in many of those virtues which adorn the 
 female mind. Yet they still retained the embers 
 
 D 3 
 
58 IONIAN ISLES. 
 
 of a better feeling ; and I have seen interesting and 
 amiable females, whose soft and elegant manners 
 would have highly graced better society. One, in 
 particular, I am reminded of, a lovely girl, called 
 Theresa, who unfortunately experienced what 
 Lady Blessington says 
 
 " Is woman's fate, 
 
 To have one summer day of happiness, 
 And then to be most wretched." 
 
 She was one of those girls that attract more by a 
 pleasing animation, than by any regularity of fea- 
 tures ; yet the charming Theresa possessed an eye 
 the most penetrating, which, while it excited admi- 
 ration, at the same time commanded respect : but 
 she fell into the hands of a man unable to appre- 
 ciate her many excellencies ; and, deserted by her 
 friends, she to the last retained, with the fascina- 
 tions of a Helen, the virtues of Penelope. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 ATHENS. 
 
 His Majesty's brig Paulina being ordered to 
 Athens, presented an opportunity for me to visit 
 the ruins of this celebrated city. On our voyage 
 we encountered a violent storm ; the rain descended 
 in torrents, attended with loud peals of thunder, 
 and the most vivid lightning. After this had 
 somewhat subsided, several large water-spouts 
 were observed hanging around us: we had an 
 opportunity of watching them. From the ponder- 
 ous clouds two or three mammillae would project, 
 and at the same time elongating themselves until 
 they formed immense columns resembling the 
 proboscis of an elephant in form, and also in 
 motion when agitated by the winds. Sometimes 
 the cylinders closed on each other and united into 
 one body, then disappeared gradually and insen- 
 
60 
 
 ATHENS. 
 
 sibly from their points, and others again formed 
 in a more distant part. They sometimes touched 
 the sea, and apparently collected their water from 
 thence; and again the columns of water, thus 
 attracted, fell and produced great agitation in the 
 waves. While these were forming, we conceived 
 ourselves in such imminent danger, that we pre- 
 pared to fire our guns to endeavour, if possible, by 
 the concussion, to disperse them ; but they rushed 
 past us, splashing up the water to a great height. 
 
 The sea is always supposed to be rough and 
 boisterous off Cape Angelo, anciently Malea, which 
 gave rise to the proverb, *" Cum ad Maleam deflex- 
 eris, obliviscere quce sunt domi" We now beheld 
 the rocky mountains called Maina, inhabited by 
 those independent outlaws whom the Turks were 
 unable to subdue. Chateaubriand imagines these 
 Mainotts to be descendants from a horde of banditti 
 that overran Greece under Michael III., and who 
 settled to the east and west of Taygetus, and not, as 
 was supposed, the descendants of the ancient Spar- 
 tans, the virtuous heirs of Lacedemonian liberty. 
 
 When we entered the Saronic Bay, now called 
 
ATHENS. 61 
 
 the Gulf of Corinth, the coast became exceedingly 
 interesting. To our right was Cape Sunium, now 
 Cape Colonna, with the ruins of the temple of 
 Minerva. This scene is so admirably described 
 by Lord Byron, that I make no apology for using 
 his words. (e In all Attica, if we except Athens 
 itself and Marathon, there is no scene more interest- 
 ing than Cape Colonna. To the antiquary and the 
 artist, sixteen columns are an inexhaustible source 
 of observation and design; to the philosopher, 
 the supposed scene of some of Plato's conversations 
 will not be unwelcome ; and the traveller will be 
 struck with the beauty of the prospect over ' Isles 
 that crown the ^Egean deep ;' but for the English- 
 man, Colonna has yet an additional interest, as 
 the actual spot of Falconer's shipwreck. Pallas 
 and Plato are forgotten in the recollections of 
 Falconer and Campbell : 
 
 ' Here, in the dead of night, by Lonna's steep, 
 The seaman's cry was heard along the deep.' " 
 
 When Athens opened upon us, we observed, 
 scattered over a large plain, innumerable columns. 
 
62 ATHENS. 
 
 These, as we glided on under easy sail, occupied 
 our attention, until we entered a harbour in the 
 island of ^Egina. 
 
 Upon a height in this island are the remains of 
 the temple of Jupiter Panhellenius ; and from hence 
 is seen the Acropolis of Athens arising from the 
 surrounding ruins, crowned with the Parthenon, 
 and bounded by Hymettus and the Pentelican 
 mountains. 
 
 Amongst other interesting objects that presented 
 themselves were Eleusis ; the Island of Salamis, 
 celebrated for the defeat of the Persian fleet by 
 Themistocles ; and Calauria, where Demosthenes 
 poisoned himself to escape from the persecutions 
 of Antipater. Port Piraeus was before us. What 
 a beautiful scene must this have been in the flou- 
 rishing state of Athens, to have seen her fleets 
 standing out to engage the enemy ; or to repair to 
 the feasts of Delos, a great and populous city, 
 extending itself around the plain, with its magnifi- 
 cent temples and ornaments ! We might, like 
 Demosthenes, when in his exile on this island, and 
 
ATHENS. 63 
 
 with his eyes cast towards the scene we were then 
 contemplating, bewail the deplorable vicissitudes 
 of human affairs. 
 
 We joined our ship and sailed over to the 
 Piraeus ; but instead of those once superb arsenals, 
 those porticos, where, in the days of Athenian 
 glory, the galleys were wont to be launched, we 
 found only here and there a block of marble. 
 Instead of the Agora reverberating the shouts of 
 the seamen, we beheld, in a wretched hut, a 
 custom-house officer, who sits all the year round, 
 the lonely sentinel of the coast, and a model of 
 stupid patience : whole months elapse without his 
 witnessing the arrival of a single vessel *. 
 
 The distance from the Piraeus to Athens is five 
 miles. The next morning we proceeded to the 
 city. The sun shone with peculiar lustre ; and as 
 we passed through a beautiful grove of olive trees, 
 the occasional view of the Acropolis was most 
 striking : the strong light thrown on the columns 
 
 * In the recent change which has liberated the Greeks from 
 the Turkish yoke, and given to Greece a king, Athens is become 
 the metropolis ; and it is to be expected that this beautiful harbour 
 will again resound with the din of commerce. 
 
64 ATHENS. 
 
 of the temple of Minerva, boldly showing even in 
 detail the exquisite master-work of Phidias, points 
 out that only in such a climate, and under such a 
 &un, can the Grecian architecture be seen to ad- 
 vantage, and duly appreciated. 
 
 At Athens resided the Hon. F. North, now Lord 
 Guildford, and Messrs Cockerell and Foster, who 
 kindly accompanied us over these classic ruins. 
 To stand on the Acropolis and view the splendid 
 scene around would alone compensate a traveller 
 for a journey to Greece. Within this citadel, 
 anciently called Cecropia, we behold the magnifi- 
 cent Parthenon, that great temple of Minerva, 
 which has been for ages the admiration of the 
 world ; and even now, in its ruins, it is impossible 
 to conceive a more striking object, surrounded by 
 temples, broken columns, and statues of corre- 
 sponding beauty. Beyond its walls the eye ranges 
 over other interesting objects. Amongst these are 
 Hymettus, celebrated for its honey; Pentelicus, for 
 its marble quarries ; the rocks of the Areopagus ; 
 Mount Anchesmus; to the west the Academia, 
 with its road bordered with tombs ; to the south- 
 
ATHENS. 65 
 
 west the Piraeus, and the islands in the glistening 
 waters of the ^Egean sea. Within this circle we 
 have the Stadium, and the course of the lost tlissus, 
 the Pnyx, the Museum, with the tomb of Philo- 
 pappus, the rich columns of Jupiter Olympius, and 
 the theatres of Bacchus and Herodes Atticus. 
 Conceive this space, partly waste and covered with 
 yellow heath, partly interspersed with olive groves, 
 and imagine shafts of columns, and heaps of ruins, 
 ancient and modern, scattered over this surface, and 
 you have a faint idea of the beauty of Athens. 
 Remember also that within this range stood the 
 greatest orators the world ever produced; that 
 here victorious warriors have received the laurel 
 crown, the approving guerdon of their countrymen ; 
 and, with the recollection of the influence the 
 Athenians exercised over the then known world, 
 you cannot fail to possess that absorbing interest 
 which Athens must excite. 
 
 " Where'er we tread 'tis haunted, holy ground , 
 
 No earth of thine is lost in vulgar mould; 
 
 But one vast realm of wonder spreads around, 
 
 And all the Muse's tales seem truly told." 
 
 It was a fine morning when we started for the 
 
66 ATHENS. 
 
 plains of Marathon, and winding round the hill 
 Anchesmus, we soon arrived at the village Ago- 
 los Kipous; the road led through a plain until 
 we came to the foot of the Pentelican mountains. 
 After travelling nearly twelve miles over those 
 rough passes, the plain of Marathon opened to 
 our view; the descent was both steep and danger- 
 ous. This plain is about eight miles in length 
 and two in breadth, enclosed by high mountains 
 on the south, and by the sea on the north. In 
 this small space was fought that memorable battle, 
 in which ten thousand Athenians and one thou- 
 sand Platseans, under Miltiades, defeated the Per- 
 sian army, consisting of one hundred thousand foot, 
 and ten thousand horse. 
 
 "The flying Mede, his shaftless, broken bow ; 
 The fiery Greek, his red pursuing spear; 
 Mountains above ; Earth's, Ocean's, plain below ; 
 Death in the front, Destruction in the rear ! 
 Such was the scene what now remaineth here ? 
 What sacred trophy marks the hallow'd ground, 
 Recording Freedom's smile and Asia's tear ? 
 The rifled urn, the violated mound, 
 The dust thy courser's hoof, rude stranger, spurns around ! 
 
 A mound and a few small columns are all the 
 traces that record this signal victory of the Greeks. 
 
ATHENS. 67 
 
 We returned on the east side of Pentelicus, for 
 the purpose of seeing the quarries from whence 
 was taken the marble which, under the direction 
 of Pericles,, and by the master-hand of Phidias 
 became the pride of Athens and the wonder of the 
 world. These mountains are covered with the fir 
 and the larch tree ; the road was wretchedly bad, 
 but offered some picturesque views. The day had 
 been remarkably fine, but the sky was now over- 
 cast, and clouds in heavy masses rolled over the 
 mountains, the rain came down in torrents, and we 
 were obliged to forego the visit to the quarries, and 
 make the best of our way to Athens. 
 
 Modern Athens, like all Turkish towns, has 
 little to recommend it. The houses are of mean 
 construction, low, with flat roofs, the streets narrow. 
 It contains a population of about ten thousand 
 inhabitants, and is surrounded by a wall. 
 
 Our lodgings were provided for us at a widow's, 
 whose husband formerly acted as British Vice-Con- 
 sul. She had three beautiful daughters, whose 
 contour of countenance was of the description 
 which is denominated the pure Grecian, and that 
 
68 ATHENS. 
 
 in its most perfect beauty. It was one of these 
 girls who attracted the notice of Lord Byron, while 
 lodging in the same house, and inspired him to 
 write the well-known song, in which he has immor- 
 talized her as the ' Maid of Athens.' 
 
 After remaining several days at Athens, we 
 again embarked, and a fair wind drove us speedily 
 through the islands of the Archipelago. These 
 isles, 
 
 " Those Edens of the Eastern wave," 
 
 have received more than their meed of praise ; we 
 should feel little inclination to live on an insular 
 rock, covered with wild sage and balm, to find no 
 flowers or purling brooks, nor any shade from the 
 burning heat of a cloudless sky but from a few 
 scattered olive trees; to have no occupation, but to 
 walk and listen to the whistling of the wind, and 
 roaring of the sea, along an uninhabited coast. 
 
 The next morning we anchored at Medona on 
 the south of the Peleponnesus. Medona is defended 
 by a castle of Venetian construction, inhabited by 
 the Turks, who were sitting around smoking their 
 pipes with that provoking indifference which im- 
 
ATHENS. 69 
 
 plies such a contempt of foreigners, that while we 
 were inclined to give them credit for manly for- 
 bearance from idle curiosity, we, felt it an insult to 
 our personal vanity. 
 
 We sailed again in the evening, and the next 
 morning arrived at Zante. 
 
70 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 GREECE. 
 
 I NOW commenced a journey of considerable in- 
 terest, accompanying an officer with dispatches 
 for our ambassador at Constantinople. We sailed 
 from Zante in 1812, in a small country boat, with 
 the intention of making Patrass, but. the wind 
 changing, and being unable to double Cape Cla- 
 renza, we landed on the west coast of the Morea, 
 under some verdant hills covered with groves of 
 myrtle; we sent our Janissary to Clarenza for 
 horses, but not being able to procure more than 
 were necessary for our baggage, we walked to the 
 village of Leccena. Leaving these hills we de- 
 scended into the extensive plain of Elis, and after 
 a pleasant walk of three hours, arrived at Leccena. 
 Here we were taken to a wretched house, but the 
 best the village afforded. Throwing myself on a 
 
GREECE, 7 1 
 
 divan in a dark room, to escape the importunities 
 of the miserable inhabitants who flocked around 
 us, my reflections naturally led me to the present 
 state of the Peloponnesus. 
 
 The primary cause of the fate of Greece may be 
 traced to the Peloponnesian war ; from that time, 
 disaffection among each other, and jealousies 
 among her states, were the striking features of the 
 Grecian history. In the year 87 B. c., we find 
 Sylla making his appearance in the East, and all 
 Greece following the fortunes of the Romans. A 
 ray of liberty occasionally spread its influence on 
 the fallen republics ; but alas ! their former spirit 
 was lost, their glories decayed, and nothing re- 
 mained but submission to a foreign yoke. 
 
 The Heruli pillaged Sparta, Corinth, and Argos, 
 A. D. 101. During the reign of Claudius II., A. D. 
 269, Athens was taken by the Goths which she 
 speedily recovered ; Alaric however penetrated into 
 the Peloponnesus. In A. D. 846, the Sclavonians, 
 under Michael III., overran Greece. In 1454 the 
 empire of the East was no more, and the last relics 
 of Roman greatness were swept away. Mahomet 
 
72 GREECE. 
 
 II. had entered Constantinople, and in 1460 all 
 Greece was under the power of the Turks. During 
 the reign of Solyman I., the Venetians made them- 
 selves masters of the Morea, and retained it till 
 1715, when it returned to the dominion of the Turks. 
 At the instigation of Catharine II. of Russia, the 
 Greeks, in 1770, made a last and unavailing effort 
 in favour of liberty, which exposed them to an 
 increased and more vigorous oppression on the 
 part of their Turkish masters. 
 
 Such are the deplorable vicissitudes of human 
 affairs, and such the tragic change of human 
 power exemplified in a people once renowned for 
 courage and liberty, celebrated for the arts and 
 sciences which they had invented, and the great 
 characters they had produced ; now oppressed by 
 the most cruel masters, and borne down by the yoke 
 of slavery, their exertions paralyzed, and indifferent 
 to every improvement in agriculture or civilization. 
 In most parts of Peloponnesus the country is barren 
 and cheerless, though its soil is naturally fertile. 
 
 I was aroused from these reflections by a dis- 
 turbance between some Greeks and our Janissary. 
 
GREECE. 73 
 
 They had demanded an exorbitant price for their 
 horses, and which neither his threats nor our 
 eloquence could induce them to abate. The next 
 morning we proceeded over the extensive plain of 
 Elis, which is partly open and capable of the 
 highest cultivation, producing corn, cotton, and 
 tobacco, besides large fields of pasturage; the 
 whole plain is so diversified with some woods of 
 noble oaks as to resemble a continuation of parks ; 
 before us were the mountains Olenus capped with 
 snow. It was getting dark when we forded the 
 Larissus, which distinguished the provinces of Elis 
 and Achaia, and entered Patrass at a very late 
 hour. Patrass, or Patrae, anciently Aroe, is situ- 
 ated under the mountain Cerynea, but conveniently 
 so for the advantages derived from its beautiful 
 bay. 
 
 Leaving Patrass by water, we observed the huge 
 rocks of Calydon, celebrated as the scene of the 
 Calydonian chase, and passed the strait, the two 
 promontories of which were anciently called Rhium 
 and Antirrhium, and sailed into Lepanto. The 
 breeze beginning to freshen, we anchored in the 
 
 E 
 
74 GREECE. 
 
 harbour. This was the site of the city Naupactus, 
 which, after various changes, fell into the hands of 
 the ^Etolians, and was considered the chief city of 
 that country. The next day we entered the gulf 
 of Salona, at the head of which lies the plain of 
 Crissa bounded by stupendous mountains ; 
 
 " Contiguous here, with hallow'd wood o'erspread, 
 Renown'd Parnassus rears its honour'd head." 
 
 We had now arrived at that part of Greece called 
 Phocis, inhabited by a people anciently renowned 
 for their valour : they maintained a war, imposed 
 upon them by the Amphictyons, with a spirit that 
 astonished all Greece; and although they were 
 overcome by superior numbers, their country laid 
 desolate and their cities in ruins, yet their well- 
 known courage recommended them to favour ; and 
 they gradually regained their influence and confi- 
 dence. 
 
 On the road to Salona we passed the fertile plain 
 of Crissa, celebrated for, and still producing, a 
 particularly large and fine olive. The present town 
 of Salona is surrounded by a spacious burying- 
 ground, adorned with cypress trees : the town is 
 
GREECE. 75 
 
 large, the streets narrow, and the houses built with 
 a mixture of mud, wood, and stone. The ruins of 
 a castle have a picturesque effect 
 
 Although the weather was warm when we as- 
 cended Mount Parnassus, we found such an accu- 
 mulation of snow on its top, as to render our pro- 
 gress tedious. 
 
 " Oh, thou Parnassus ! whom I now survey, 
 Not in the frenzy of a dreamer's eye, 
 Not in the fabled landscape of a lay, 
 But soaring snow-clad through thy native sky, 
 In the wild pomp of mountain majesty !" 
 
 Winding round its elevated peaks, fringed with fir, 
 whose green branches were peeping from their white 
 mantle, we were surprised by the distant taps of a 
 drum : this unusual sound in so strange a situation 
 appeared to us unaccountable. It happened that 
 at this moment our Tartar was taken ill, and our 
 servant, a Natolian, who acted as our interpreter, 
 became so alarmed and trembled to such a degree, 
 that to our inquiries as to the cause of these taps, 
 he could only answer, " Vi sono cattivi genti, eccola.'' 
 We began to entertain an idea that there was some 
 danger. A Turk approached, whom we noticed 
 
 *E 2 
 
76 GREECE. 
 
 as having previously reconnoitred us, and he 
 ordered us to stop in a most peremptory manner. 
 A procession soon after passed, more pompous than 
 the situation required. We ascertained it was an 
 Aga collecting the rents, in whose company we 
 afterwards supped in a khan at the foot of the 
 mountain, and who, in spite of his assumed conse- 
 quence, proved a jovial companion. 
 
 In this sequestered vale meanders a little stream, 
 a branch of the Cephisus, where the Graces had 
 their principal abode, from whence they were called 
 the goddesses of the Cephisus. From this vale we 
 rode over mountains covered with the olive tree, 
 but not otherwise cultivated, and arrived at the foot 
 of CEta, where Hercules is said to have erected a 
 funeral pile and burnt himself. The pass of this 
 mountain, on the side towards Negroponte, is the 
 celebrated Thermopylae. It would appear that the 
 sea must have receded, as the pass is now of con- 
 siderable breadth. At this pass the three hundred 
 Spartans under the command of Leonidas resisted 
 for three successive days the repeated attacks of 
 the five millions of Persians, which Xerxes v was 
 
GREECE. 77 
 
 pouring down for the destruction of Greece, until, 
 by treachery, they were surrounded and cut in 
 pieces. 
 
 Leaving this pass we entered the Melian plain, 
 and riding over the marshy lands which impeded 
 the progress of the Persians, and by the hot 
 springs * which give name to the pass, we came 
 to a handsome bridge across the river Sperchius. 
 Peleus vowed to the god of this river, the hair of 
 his son Achilles, if ever he returned safe from the 
 Trojan war. Our road was continued along a 
 causeway through a sedgy marsh, until we came to 
 Zeitune, situated on a gentle eminence. Turkish 
 towns are generally surrounded by more foliage 
 than we meet with in this part of Greece, which, 
 together with the domes and minarets of their 
 mosques, have, from a distance, a striking appear- 
 ance : this, however, is greatly at variance with the 
 filth of the interior, the thin population, and 
 decayed state of their houses. The inhabitants 
 
 * These waters have a sulphureous smell, and a saline taste, at 
 a heat, as near as we could judge, of 130 Fahrenheit. 
 
78 GREECE. 
 
 were principally Greeks, in the most abject sub- 
 jection to the Turks. 
 
 Leaving Zeitune (the ancient Lamia) we 
 ascended some high mountains which terminated 
 with the pass of Thaumacos, from which we 
 emerged upon a plain bounded on one side by the 
 lake Daodi. Another defile brought us to the 
 plains of Pharsalia, and we rested at Satalgia. 
 During this ride we were presented with some 
 magnificent views, but the roads or paths were so 
 wretchedly bad, that they were both difficult and 
 dangerous for our horses. 
 
 We now entered ancient Thessalia, whose inha- 
 bitants were noted for their treachery. The Thes- 
 salians, however, were much celebrated for their 
 cavalry. A short distance from Satalgia is a large 
 bridge of several arches across the Enipeus, which 
 river flows into the Peneus. The ride from hence 
 to Larissa is continued over the delightful plains 
 of Pharsalia. 
 
 It is unnecessary to revert to the decisive battle 
 which has immortalized these plains. In reflect- 
 
GREECE. 79 
 
 ing, however, on its consequences, we cannot but 
 deplore the evils which the ambition of two men 
 inflicted on their unhappy country : we find the 
 same arms were carried on both sides, the troops 
 marshalled in the same manner, the same stand- 
 ards, in short, the strength and flower of one and 
 the same city, turned upon itself; the institutions 
 of this powerful republic were subverted, and 
 anarchy was brought into its government. The 
 defeated Pompey was basely murdered in Egypt ; 
 the victorious Csesar, for his ambition, was stabbed 
 in the capitol. 
 
 Another unsuccessful attempt, made by Brutus, 
 to restore the government to its wonted firm- 
 ness, was the final destruction of this wide-spread 
 republic. 
 
 Larissa is pleasantly situated on the banks of 
 the Peneus, and at the northern border of the 
 Pelasgian plain, and is interspersed with wood: 
 it contains twenty thousand inhabitants, has twenty- 
 two mosques, and was the residence of Veli Pacha. 
 
 Our road continued along the banks of the Pe- 
 neus, which rises at Mount Pindus and falls into 
 
80 
 
 GREECE. 
 
 the Thermean gulf, now the Gulf of Salonica, 
 Ovid, in his first book of Metamorphoses, describes 
 this river as 
 
 " issuing out decrees 
 
 To rivers, his dependent deities." 
 
 The Peneus anciently inundated the plains of 
 Thessaly, where, as the poets tell us, the waters 
 stagnated, until an earthquake separated the moun- 
 tains Olympus and Ossa, and formed the beauti- 
 ful vale of Tempe, through which we had now to 
 pass. 
 
 Isolated spots of great beauty strike the beholder 
 with more than common pleasure. We had before 
 ridden over mountains devoid of wood, and along 
 the vast undulating plain of Pharsalia, and came 
 upon a rich wooded vale watered by a fine river, 
 which struck us with surprise and delight. 
 
 The mild climate and brilliant starlight nights 
 of Greece were well calculated to support their 
 mythology, and this valley was a well-chosen re- 
 sidence for their sylvan nymphs, as Olympus was 
 for the court of their thundering Jove. The two 
 remarkable mountains of Olympus and Ossa are 
 
GREECE. 81 
 
 situated at the commencement of that range of 
 mountains which characterize the kingdom of Ma- 
 cedon. Olympus is said to be six thousand feet 
 in height. It is partly covered with fine woods, 
 and the openings in the rocks presented those 
 caves and grottoes which the poets delighted to fill 
 with beings of their heated imaginations. It was 
 supposed to reach the heavens with its top, where 
 there was neither wind, rain, nor clouds, but an 
 eternal spring; and from these circumstances it 
 was constituted the court of Jupiter. 
 
 Ossa lifts its lofty conical point like a spire. 
 This they peopled with the Centaurs; and to 
 account for its peculiar shape, they affirm that, in 
 the war between the gods and the giants, the 
 latter set the mountain Ossa upon Pelion, to scale 
 the heavens with more facility. 
 
 It was a beautiful, serene day when we rode 
 through the vale of Tempe, a day the Naiades 
 might have delighted in, whose voices may still 
 be imagined in the ripple of the Peneus. We 
 passed this classic river in a ferry-boat, the beau- 
 tiful bridge being destroyed by the overflowing of 
 
 E3 
 
oZ GREECE. 
 
 the river, which, at the same time, did considerable 
 damage to the town of Larissa, and drowned 300 
 of its inhabitants. 
 
 We now entered Macedonia, a country situated 
 between Thrace, Epirus, and Greece, the bounda- 
 ries of which have been altered at different periods. 
 The inhabitants of Macedonia were naturally war- 
 like; and though, in the infancy of their empire, 
 they were little known beyond the borders of their 
 own country,, yet they signalized themselves 
 greatly in the reign of Philip, and under the con- 
 duct of Alexander the Great. The Macedonian 
 phalanx was always held in the highest repute ; 
 and it resisted and subdued the repeated attacks 
 of the bravest and most courageous of its enemies. 
 But no sooner do we enter Macedonia, with a re- 
 collection of all her glories, than we pass that spot 
 where the sun of Macedonian greatness set for ever. 
 I allude to the battle fought before Pydna, and the 
 defeat of Perseus by Paulus JEmilius. 
 
 We entered a marshy plain, and rode through a 
 deep river, the Leucos, which Plutarch informs us 
 was, the second day after the battle, found stained 
 
GREECE. 83 
 
 with the blood of the Macedonians ; and we arrived 
 at the Turkish town Catherina; when,, after a 
 variety of obstructions and adventures, we pro- 
 ceeded to a khan by the water's side, to pass over 
 the gulf of Salonica. When a boat was procured, 
 and we had made sail, the wind changed, and we 
 were obliged to anchor at the mouth of the river 
 Vardari, anciently the Axius. Near this, Pella 
 was situated, once the capital of Macedonia; and 
 in its neighbourhood was the tomb of the poet 
 Euripides. In the evening the wind abated, and 
 we anchored at Salonica. 
 
 Although it was requisite that we should have 
 travelled with all speed, yet such were the difficul- 
 ties occasioned by bad roads, the obstruction thrown 
 in our way by the indolence of the Turks and the 
 rapacity of the Greeks, that it was now sixteen days 
 since we left Zante. Riding day and night when 
 horses could be procured, and sleeping in wretched 
 huts or khans, frequently in the same apartment 
 with our horses, we were happy to visit the British 
 Consul at Salonica, and to experience the luxury of 
 a comfortable ablution and a change of lineu. 
 
84 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 THRACE. 
 
 SALONICA, an abbreviation of Thessalonica*, is 
 built on the acclivity of a steep hill at the head of 
 the gulph ; the domes and minarets of the mosques, 
 which are seen rising from among the other build- 
 ings, environed by cypress trees, give an air of 
 splendour to the place. The city is six miles in 
 circumference, surrounded by a wall, flanked at 
 intervals by towers, and protected by a castle. 
 It contains about seventy thousand inhabitants, a 
 great part of whom are Jews. 
 
 Journeying from Salonica, a few hours' ride 
 brought us to a height which commanded an ex- 
 tensive view. We then descended into a plain 
 scattered with villages, and bounded on the left 
 
 * Therrna was the ancient name of Thessalonica, a name given 
 it in consequence of the warm springs in its neighbourhood. 
 
THRACE. 85 
 
 by a lake. We had nearly accomplished our day's 
 journey, when an accident occurred which greatly 
 distressed us. My brother-officer, in cutting a 
 stick, plunged the knife into his left arm ; the blood 
 gushed out in a torrent, and, as might naturally 
 be expected, created the greatest alarm. I imme- 
 diately applied a tourniquet with which \ve had 
 been provided; but his danger appeared so immi- 
 nent, that I found it difficult to determine what 
 course to pursue. To return to Salonica, at the 
 hazard of finding, after so long a journey, the gates 
 closed, would have been imprudent; I therefore, 
 with the assurance from my Tartars of medical 
 assistance, proceeded to the village Celissa. My 
 friend suffered greatly from pain and loss of blood. 
 In no country is medical aid so scarce, and so 
 unscientific, as in Turkey. A horse-doctor was 
 brought, who applied some simple remedy a 
 mixture of eggs and salt. Little as our reliance 
 was on the skill of this man, it fortunately happened 
 that after some hours the bleeding was diminished, 
 and I was enabled to loosen the tourniquet. After 
 remaining three days in this most wretched of all 
 
86 THRACE. 
 
 villages, and with the utmost anxiety for my friend's 
 safety, it was a great relief to find him able to 
 proceed. 
 
 We again mounted our horses, and passed round 
 a large lake, in a country the most dreary and 
 unpleasant. This suddenly changed, and we en- 
 tered a beautiful valley, on each side of which arose 
 perpendicular rocks ; a fine stream wound its ser- 
 pentine course through this vale, and the scene was 
 still further improved by the picturesque ruins of 
 a castle. From this valley we opened upon the 
 Gulf of Contessa; and the next day we ferried 
 over a beautiful river, the Strymon, and continued 
 along an open country, until we arrived at the 
 brow of a hill which overlooked Orfano, situated in 
 a valley near the sea. Near this spot was the 
 ancient city Stagira, the birth-place of Aristotle. 
 
 From Orfano we again entered a wide valley, a 
 tract of great length, and exceedingly beautiful, 
 from whence we passed over a rugged hill. At 
 the bottom of a rocky glen is situated Prevestan, 
 a walled but inconsiderable town, having a stream 
 flowing through the principal street. Beyond this 
 
THRACE. 87 
 
 glen a plain extends considerably to the eastward, 
 bounded by lofty mountains, which are, by the 
 received opinions, the plains of Philippi. The 
 town is said to have been situated on a mountain 
 to the south. 
 
 There is a melancholy feeling inspired in look- 
 ing on these plains, when we reflect that on this 
 spot was fought the last battle of the Roman com- 
 monwealth, and from this battle we may date the 
 decline of the consulate. Here, also, expired the 
 last of that noble band who united in arms in 
 defence of the liberty of their country against the 
 ambitious designs of Csesar. Cassius, unable to 
 survive the liberty of his country, ordered his freed- 
 man, Pindarus, to cut off his head; and Brutus, 
 when all was lost but his honour, unable to per- 
 suade his friends to perform this last act of kind- 
 ness for him, laying hold of the hilt of his sword 
 with both his hands, fell upon the point, and died. 
 So much had the love of his country occupied 
 the soul of Brutus, that his strong mind was not 
 proof against superstitious feelings ; and he ima- 
 gined, when in Asia, that the spectre of Csesar 
 
88 THRACE. 
 
 appeared to him and predicted his fall. " I am 
 thy evil genius, Brutus ! thou wilt meet me at 
 Philippi." To which he is said calmly to have 
 replied " I'll meet thee there." Accordingly, the 
 night before the battle, the spectre again appeared, 
 and assumed its former figure, but vanished without 
 speaking. 
 
 Leaving Prevestan, we crossed the plain, and 
 passed along the rivulet overhung by cliffs, where 
 Brutus is said to have retired after the battle, and 
 where he intreated his friends to put their hands to 
 his sword, and help him give the thrust. One 
 of them observed, they must necessarily fly. We 
 must fly, indeed," said the noble Brutus, rising 
 hastily, " not with our feet, but with our hands ! " 
 We then ascended a rocky height, from which we 
 beheld the Island of Thrasos, and came to La 
 Cavalla, situated on a promontory ; a handsome 
 town, enclosed with an embattled wall, and 
 crowned by a ruined castle. The water is con- 
 veyed to the town by an aqueduct, consisting of a 
 double row of arches. Our horses drank from two 
 marble sarcophagi. From La Cavalla we again 
 
THRACE. 89 
 
 entered an extensive plain : the roads here were 
 greatly improved. We had to ferry a spacious, 
 shallow stream,, called Kava-sou. It was the an- 
 cient Nestus, and for some time the boundary of 
 Macedonia, in the more extensive power of that 
 kingdom. 
 
 We may now consider ourselves among the 
 Thracians, a nation looked upon as cruel and 
 barbarous, and addicted to drinking and sensual 
 pleasures. Thrace now forms the province of 
 Romania, or Roumelia. 
 
 Our ride from the Nestus lay through an open 
 forest of beautiful glades and stately trees, which 
 was quite a relief from the dreary scenes we had 
 hitherto passed. Here a new method of begging 
 presented itself. A number of poor wretches were 
 collected together under a tent, who, on our ap- 
 proach, began to beat a drum. As we passed, our 
 Tartar dropped a few paras into a handkerchief 
 placed for that purpose. The road was crowded 
 with what appeared to be an armed mob, but who, 
 we were told, were Turkish soldiers, marching 
 against a chief who had resisted the orders of the 
 
90 THRACE. 
 
 Porte. Such is the discipline of the government, 
 that a Tartar, with bags of money for Constanti- 
 nople, passed us on the road without a guard. 
 Caravans of camels were journeying in different 
 directions : the whole scene seemed this day to be 
 totally changed. We arrived in the evening at 
 Yenige, a tolerably good town, pleasantly situated. 
 From Yenige the road led over a fine plain, and 
 a short distance brought us to a marshy swamp. 
 Near to a large sheet of water were the ruins of a 
 castle. In this neighbourhood was situated Ab- 
 dera, the air of which was considered so unwhole- 
 some, and the inhabitants of such a sluggish dis- 
 position, that stupidity was commonly called 
 " Abderitica mens." It gave birth, however, to 
 several distinguished men. From this plain we 
 wound round mountains near the sea- shore, and 
 from a sweet country passed over an open waste, 
 and by several extensive ruins, when we came to 
 the pretty and large town called Cominchini, 
 situated in a grove of lofty trees. Beyond Comin- 
 chini is a dreary heath; and here night obliged us 
 to seek shelter, and we entered a house inhabited 
 
THRACE. 91 
 
 by a blind Turk, and partook of such fare as in 
 this isolated situation could be procured. It con- 
 sisted of a miserable pilau; after which we some- 
 what enjoyed our pipes and a glass of raki ; w r hen, 
 replenishing the fire with a quantity of wood to 
 keep away the damp air of a cold night, we gladly 
 retired to sleep ; but no sooner had we closed our 
 eyes than the roar of fire disturbed our slumbers, 
 and, jumping up, we not only beheld the chimney, 
 but the roof of the hut in a blaze. By our united 
 exertions we allayed the fire ; but our repose was 
 destroyed, and we were obliged to resort to the 
 chiboque and raki for the remainder of the night. 
 
 The road from hence was on the edge of a pre- 
 cipice, shaded by the holly and a variety of wild 
 shrubs, which led to a dismal and terrific chasm. 
 We then ascended some pleasant hills, and came to 
 the beautiful town of Maira, with rich wooded hills 
 on one side, an extensive and well-cultivated plain 
 in its front, and the sea glistening in the distance. 
 
 At no great distance from Maira we observed 
 the Island of Samothracia, which among the an- 
 
92 THRACE. 
 
 cients was considered a sacred isle, and all myste- 
 ries were supposed to have originated there. We 
 next arrived at Feret, where, in consequence of the 
 weather, we stayed four days ; it is a pleasant town 
 and has the remains of an aqueduct, and ruins of 
 old fortifications, monuments of its former import- 
 ance. 
 
 Leaving Feret we passed a hot-spring, and came 
 to a large sheet of water, formed by the overflow- 
 ing of the Maritza, which is probably the Stentoris 
 Lacus of Herodotus. We next ferried over the 
 beautiful river Maritza, the Hebrus, that rolled its 
 waters over golden sands. The modern Greeks 
 have a tradition, that this river took its name from 
 Maritza, the daughter of a wicked queen, whose 
 head was cut off by order of her mother and thrown 
 into it, and they affirm that the gentle gliding 
 stream, if ruffled by the wind, still softly repeats 
 the name of Maritza ! This seems to be the 
 altered fable of Orpheus, who, after the loss of his 
 wife Eurydice, was disconsolate, and the Ciconian 
 women, being offended at his coyness to their amo- 
 
THRACE. 93 
 
 rous passions, cut off his head, and threw it into 
 this river, which still articulated, as it was carried 
 down the stream, Eurydice ! Eurydice ! 
 
 " Soft deadly notes the lifeless tongue inspire, 
 A doleful tune sounds from his floating lyre.'* 
 
 The road was now tolerably good, and we as- 
 cended the low green hills which continue to Con- 
 stantinople. Passing a pretty village, we came to 
 the town of Kassah, characterized by the num- 
 ber of windmills within its walls. Diving into a 
 deep chasm, we again came upon the same pleasant 
 downs to Malgara, also a walled town with two 
 handsome mosques. A few villages diversified the 
 scene until we arrived at Enegeck, with its large 
 and graceful mosque. The khan here was far supe- 
 rior for convenience and neatness to any we had 
 yet seen. Beyond this village we came upon a 
 height, where in extacy we beheld the sea of Mar- 
 mora; so anxious had we been to approach the 
 Propontis ! 
 
 Radosto, situated on the shore of the Propontis, 
 is a large and very superior town, with an indus- 
 trious and civil population, carrying on a consider- 
 
94 THRACE. 
 
 able trade; quite a contrast to the apparently 
 
 deserted towns we had hitherto seen. Passing over 
 
 
 
 an elegant bridge of Turkish construction, we fol- 
 lowed the road which led by the sea of Marmora to 
 Selirria. We now commenced in great spirits our 
 last stage to Constantinople, continuing as before 
 along the coast, and our journey enlivened by the 
 barks floating on the waters of the Propontis, its 
 beautiful islands, and distant shores, beyond which 
 arose the peaks of the stupendous mountains of 
 Asia, crowned by the Mysian Olympus. On the 
 hills to our right were numerous tumuli, which 
 perhaps may have served both as sepulchral monu- 
 ments, and for displaying the banners of Mahomed. 
 We came to a village, called by the Turks Bayuk- 
 Checkmegeh, and passed a chain of four hand- 
 some bridges, and soon after another village, Kout- 
 chouk-Checkmegeh : these are large villages at 
 the termination of an extensive and beautiful lake, 
 covered with a great variety of birds, which being 
 unmolested by the Turks, swarm around every 
 sheet of water. 
 
 Leaving the last village, we ascended the hills, 
 
THRACE. 95 
 
 and how can I describe my feelings of pleasure 
 when the whole of Constantinople appeared in 
 sight ! The domes of the chief mosques were the 
 first things the eye detached from the mass of 
 objects,, then the grim castle of the Seven Towers, 
 and finally, the innumerable minarets interspersed 
 among the shapely cypress and other trees of more 
 cheerful foliage. 
 
 To our right was the small village of Stephano, 
 by the sea, where the Grand Seignior had within a 
 few years established a manufactory of gunpowder. 
 Between this and Constantinople you only meet 
 with three or four farms, the appanage of some 
 eminent place, or possessed for ever by some impe- 
 rial mosque. But, in the words of a former tra- 
 veller, how unlike the approach to a capital where 
 you expect the gay variety of villas and gardens, 
 and the lively emulation of innumerable chariots 
 and horsemen to exhilarate the spirits ! Here the 
 traveller passes on to the very gates of Constanti- 
 nople, irresistibly disposed to moralize on the vanity 
 of human affairs. All is melancholy and silent. 
 The road lies through sepulchres; the walls are 
 
96 THRACE. 
 
 covered with ivy ; the towers are nodding to their 
 fall; and the seat of Ottoman despotism is ap- 
 proached with sadness and awe ! 
 
 On our arrival at Pera, we were conducted to 
 the presence of our ambassador, Sir Robert Liston, 
 who received us with great politeness, and ordered 
 rooms to be provided for us in the palace. We 
 had travelled 700 miles under the greatest incon- 
 venience the horses we had to ride were most 
 miserable creatures the roads wretchedly bad 
 the khans in which we received accommodation 
 were not proof against the wind and the rain- 
 and our provisions consisted of Turkish dishes, in 
 which boiled rice with a little stewed meat were the 
 principal ingredients. 
 
 As the Turks pretend to drink no wine, that 
 which we did obtain was unpalatable from its being 
 mixed with resin to make it keep ; we also obtained 
 a poisonous kind of spirit, drank very much among 
 the Greeks, called raki. From the unfavourable 
 state of the weather, and the difficulty of procuring 
 horses, we were thirty-two days on our journey. 
 
97 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 No capital has been more variously delineated 
 than Constantinople. Many, like myself, have 
 formed their impressions from the boyish recollec- 
 tions of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, and 
 expected to find a fairy city gilded with all the 
 beauty and freshness of enchantment, and the 
 inhabitants clothed in oriental splendour. But 
 we are soon made sensible of our mistake ; for on 
 entering Constantinople we are disagreeably struck 
 to see it so dirty, so ill-built, the streets narrow 
 and crowded with lean dogs, and the houses irre- 
 gular, mean, and constructed with wood. There is, 
 however, something imposing in the majestic figure 
 and manly look of the Turk, which forms a strong 
 contrast to the servile air of the Jews, Armenians, 
 and Greeks. 
 
 F 
 
98 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 Constantinople, from an eminence, presents one of 
 the finest pictures in the world ; its elevated posi- 
 tion, the mixture of trees, houses and minarets, the 
 entrance of the Bosphorus, the harbour and suburbs 
 of Galata, Pera, and Dimitri; Scutari, and the 
 hills which lie behind the Propontis with its islands ; 
 everywhere the fertile and variegated fields of 
 Asia and Europe ; all exhibit a variety of pictures 
 which captivate and astonish. We cannot tire in 
 admiring the natural beauty of the environs of 
 Constantinople and the happy situation of this 
 great city. 
 
 Constantinople has frequently been brought into 
 comparison with Naples. The beauty of Constan- 
 tinople depends much on art, on mosques, minarets, 
 towers, and aqueducts, on the villages on the Bos- 
 phorus, and the contrast of buildings with cypress 
 and other plantations. But the beauty of Naples 
 would be unimpaired were desolation and solitude 
 to extend over all its shores; still the picture 
 would remain lovely and sublime : human events 
 can do nothing on that glorious outline, on that 
 assemblage of mountain, hill, vale, and sea ; it can- 
 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 99 
 
 not obscure the brilliancy of that sky. The atmo- 
 sphere of Constantinople is less favourable, and the 
 clouds and vapours that constantly float down from 
 the Black Sea not unfrequently give it the gloom 
 and dulness of northern climates. 
 
 The marked attention of Sir Robert and Lady 
 Liston, and the extreme hospitality of the English 
 merchants, made the Ottoman capital a delightful 
 residence. Sir Robert Liston had occasion to visit 
 some of the ambassadors residing at Buyuk-dere, 
 and we were permitted to accompany him. In 
 passing through Tophana we were continually an- 
 noyed by the number of lean dogs, which appear 
 to have more particularly taken up their quarters 
 in this neighbourhood. It is said legacies are be- 
 queathed to support the dogs and birds, for whom 
 the Turks have a religious veneration. We em- 
 barked in a ca'ik, attended by a guard of Janissa- 
 ries, and as we rowed from the shore, Constanti- 
 nople appeared in a new feature, situated on seven 
 hills, presenting an affinity to the Eternal City, of 
 which it may be said to be the younger sister, 
 throwing out its edifices to the view as they rise 
 
 F 2 
 
100 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 amphitheatrically above each other, and offering a 
 succession of graceful outlines, relieved by the sky. 
 The lofty and slender minarets of the mosques shot 
 up at the bases of these hills with a magical effect ; 
 the fine harbour, in the exaggerated language of 
 the East, called the Golden Horn, crowded with 
 shipping, and innumerable ca'iks circulating to 
 different quarters of the city. No sooner had we 
 rounded the point at Tophana, than we beheld a 
 lovely tongue of land, called Fanar Bakshi, jut- 
 ting out from the Asiatic coast, and made pic- 
 turesque almost beyond imagination by a group of 
 stately plane trees, which surround a fountain, by 
 a ruined mosque overgrown with ivy, a few scat- 
 tered cypresses, and an ancient light-house on a 
 rock. As we receded from Constantinople, the 
 Bosphorus assumed the appearance of a river whose 
 fertile banks present the most delightful scenery. 
 Near to Terapia, where " Medea gathered the en- 
 chanted herbs that did renew old JBson," is the 
 castle built by Mahomed II., when he was medi- 
 tating the conquest of Constantinople. In this 
 place, Darius, King of Persia, established a bridge 
 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 101 
 
 of boats, in order to carry over his army, when he 
 wished to make war against the Scythians. At 
 this place, too, the Crusaders, animated by a holy 
 zeal, entered into Asia, in order to deliver the Holy 
 Land from the yoke of the Mahomedans. 
 
 We arrived at Buyuk-dere (or the Great Valley), 
 situated on the left or European side, at the broad- 
 est part of the channel, and at the distance of about 
 four miles from the " blue Symplegades :" which 
 classical rocks are concealed under the Thracian 
 shore, whilst the widening expanse of the Euxine 
 beyond meets the eye, and looks nearly always 
 dark, cloudy, and cold. 
 
 The Bosphorus of Thrace is about twenty miles 
 in length from the point of the Seraglio of Con- 
 stantinople to the Cyanean Isles or Symplegades, 
 and not more than two miles in its greatest width : 
 it is so narrow in several places, that some authors 
 assert that a person may hear the birds sing from 
 one shore to the other, and that two men may easily 
 hold a conversation across the channel : its banks 
 are well cultivated, but beyond this nothing is 
 seen but nettles and fern. 
 
102 CONSTANTINOPLE, 
 
 After paying our respects to Mr. Italiski and 
 Count Ludolf, the Russian and Neapolitan am- 
 bassadors, and partaking of an elegant repast, we 
 enjoyed a ramble over the smooth and luxuriant 
 carpet of rich grass of the great valley, to examine 
 the celebrated large plane tree, and returned to 
 our caik. Our row back was most delightful ; on 
 our near approach, the seraglio, the large city, 
 mosque and minarets, gave a magnificent evening 
 scene, 
 
 (t With glistening spires and pinnacles adorn' d, 
 Which now the setting sun gilds with its beams." 
 
 The waters also produced a pleasing exhibition : 
 numerous dolphins were playing on the surface^ 
 and clouds of albatrosses, like wild pigeons, rose 
 from the sea at our approach, and flew to a more 
 distant point, to alight again upon the undulating 
 wave. 
 
 It was an imposing sight to see the Sultan in his 
 procession to and from the mosque, which he is 
 obliged to attend every Friday ; but it has been so 
 often described, that I shall only repeat that the 
 taste, variety, and richness of the dresses, the tur- 
 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 103 
 
 bans, arms, furs, the beauty of the Arabian horses, 
 whose housings were edged with gold and silver, 
 and covered with jewels, altogether formed a spec- 
 tacle no where to be met with but at Constanti- 
 nople. Since the suppression of the Janissaries, 
 and the vilest of all vile imitations of the Frank 
 uniform given to the Tacticoes, or new soldiers, 
 much of the splendor of this procession is dimi- 
 nished, and the old Osmanlis, who cannot com- 
 prehend the Sultan's intentions, and find no cause 
 to depart from the magnificence and glory of their 
 ancestors, look around them with astonishment, 
 stroke their beards, and exclaim " Allah- Keirim ! 
 (God is great !) but what does all this mean?" 
 
 The complexion of Sultan Mahmoud was pale, 
 with a dark flowing beard, his eye thoughtful and 
 penetrating, and his physiognomy indicating a 
 reserved nature : there was a melancholy cast in 
 the general expression of his countenance that was 
 interesting and conciliating. When he left the 
 mosque a faint shout was heard : he looked around 
 at first entering the crowd, without appearing to no- 
 tice any particular object; his eyes were afterward* 
 
104 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 earnestly turned towards the gate of the seraglio, 
 and seemed as if anxious to reach the interior. 
 
 Sultan Mahmoud is allowed to possess an 
 inflexible mind, not averse, when circumstances 
 required it, to deeds of blood or treachery, and 
 being the last of the Ottoman dynasty, his person 
 was sacred in the eyes of his subjects. From these 
 fortuitous circumstances he has effected the great 
 changes already alluded to; their advantages or 
 disadvantages it will perhaps be for a future 
 generation to decide. It is not easy to efface from 
 the fanatic Ottomans the glorious achievements of 
 their ancestors with the scimitar and the lance, 
 and their abhorrence of Frank customs; that na- 
 tional spirit which roused them to great actions is 
 somewhat abated ; and, deprived of their flowing 
 robes, driven from their beloved assemblies in the 
 coffee-houses, and drilled from their ease and com- 
 fort, it is well if they only exclaim " Mashallah ! 
 but what is it for?" An Englishman scarcely 
 knows how to estimate the enjoyments of a Turk : a 
 life passed between the lasciviousness of the harem* 
 and the indolent ease of a richly-ornamented kiosk, 
 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 105 
 
 squatted on soft cushions, smoking his fine-fla- 
 voured tobacco, enjoying the prospects around hinr 
 and the fresh breeze that fans his Asiatic blood- 
 It may not be altogether a life of usefulness, but 
 it is somewhat approaching to what the ancients 
 had selected as the enjoyments for their gods. I 
 must acknowledge I reverence the sober dignity of 
 the Osmanlis ; I consider them the true philoso- 
 phers, and I contrast them with the restlessness of 
 the Englishman, with his continued desire for 
 occupation, with his constant worry for specu- 
 lation, which take from him his boasted comforts, 
 without, perhaps, adding to his riches ; and I ex- 
 claim with the Moslemah, " Mashallah ! but what 
 is it for?" 
 
 Very little is known of the amusements, the 
 pleasures, or the miseries of the Turkish women ; 
 but we observed that in our walks we excited a 
 considerable interest amongst those who were per- 
 mitted to be abroad : they examined us with mi- 
 nute attention, and were particularly attracted by 
 our epaulettes; while we could but cautiously 
 obtain a glimpse of their bright eyes, shining 
 
 F3 
 
106 CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 perhaps with additional lustre from under the 
 mahramah. 
 
 If we are inclined to censure this restriction on 
 the Turkish ladies, we at the same time condemn 
 the fondness for ceremony and etiquette, which so 
 distinguish the ladies on the opposite side of the 
 Golden Horn. The Perotes, who are not celebrated 
 for giving parties, have established stated days to 
 receive the visits of their friends, and on these occa- 
 sions the ladies preside, reclining on their divan, 
 one leg decently crossed under them, the other 
 hanging pendent over the sofa's edge, like idols 
 in a pagoda. There are, however, exceptions to 
 this fulsome mode of receiving company, and I 
 have passed some pleasant evenings with the Pe- 
 rotes, particularly when a little cold weather would 
 admit of the Tandour being introduced. Over a 
 table a quilt was thrown, with a satin covering 
 embroidered with gold an4 silver, under which the 
 legs are placed. Beneath the table was a chafing- 
 dish of coals : this is what is styled the Tandour, 
 exhaling a gentle heat, which communicates itself 
 to every part of the body. It is round the Tan- 
 
CONSTANTINOPLE. 107 
 
 dour that the women work; it is there they play 
 at cards or chess ; it is there they assemble to carry 
 on a conversation, to communicate the news to each 
 other, or listen to some tragical story. I have 
 some pleasing reminiscences of evenings passed 
 under the social influence of the Tandour. 
 
108 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 GREECE. 
 
 AFTER remaining five weeks in Constantinople, 
 living in a splendid mansion, and in a style of 
 princely elegance, and receiving the greatest atten- 
 tions from Sir Robert and Lady Liston, it was 
 with great reluctance we quitted this city of marble 
 fountains and gilded palaces. 
 
 On the 6th of March, 1813, we had provided a 
 large boat to convey us to Rodosto. The weather 
 was delightful; a gentle breeze hurried us from 
 the enchanting city ; our eyes were constantly fixed 
 on the delicate white minarets and more majestic 
 domes, until they disappeared from our sight. 
 Soon after, the wind changed, and we were obliged 
 to make for the harbour of Erecki, the ancient 
 Heraclea, where Alcibiades retired with his fleet 
 after the battle of Cyzicus. 
 
GREECE. 109 
 
 We sailed from Erecki on the llth March, and 
 arrived at Rodosto; from thence we travelled to 
 Salonica by the same road we had taken to Con- 
 stantinople. 
 
 When we arrived at Salonica, we were advised 
 to proceed by water to Trikery. Contrary winds 
 obliged us to anchor for the night on the eastern 
 side of that gulf: these wretched boats, and worse 
 seamen, are ill calculated to contend with a rough 
 sea, particularly at night, and we did not object 
 to this precaution. The mountains around us 
 were stupendous : above these arose Olympus on 
 one side, and the sublime and ponderous Mount 
 Athos on the other; arid, as night closed, these 
 were seen with great effect. 
 
 " How blest the life of godly eremite ! 
 
 Such as on lonely Athos may be seen, 
 Watching at eve upon the giant height 
 
 Which looks o'er waves so blue, skies so serene." 
 
 The next day we reached Trikery. As pirates 
 were infesting the Gulf of Volos, it was only by a 
 large bribe we could induce boatmen to take us to 
 the nearest point of Negroponte. Landing there 
 
110 GREECE. 
 
 on a desolate beach some distance from any town, 
 our Tartars proceeded to a village to procure horses. 
 During their absence, a number of Albanians came 
 towards us, examined our baggage, and picked out 
 various articles which they with the greatest effron- 
 tery stowed within their garments. Our remon- 
 strances had no effect; they only laughed at our 
 feeble resistance. What with these robbers by 
 land, and pirates surrounding us by sea, our situa- 
 tion was by no means enviable. As night was 
 approaching, and our Tartars not making their 
 appearance, an idea suggested itself to take pos- 
 session of a boat lying at the edge of the sea, where 
 we might make a more effectual resistance. Amidst 
 these deliberations, our Tartars, with some mule- 
 teers, came in sight, and the Albanians decamped. 
 We took up our quarters for the night at the village 
 of Exocori. Here we were told that the Governor 
 of Perga, travelling with a numerous retinue, had 
 the night before been attacked, had several of his 
 men wounded, and his property taken from him. 
 
 We have many instances of the daring of these 
 Greek robbers, one of which I shall here relate, as 
 
GREECE. Ill 
 
 received from their chief, no less a personage than 
 Colocotroni, who was once in our service, and has 
 since, as may be remembered, made himself con- 
 spicuous in Greece. He is an Albanian, and, as 
 he acknowledged, a kleftis (robber). 
 
 Colocotroni, when a young man, was engaged in 
 some marauding expedition against the Turks in 
 the Morea. He and his companions (seven or 
 eight), desperate Albanians like himself, were 
 closely pursued by the Turks : they escaped for 
 the moment, and took refuge in an old Greek 
 church, which they barricaded as well as the time 
 would allow. The place was soon invested by a 
 formidable body of Turks; escape by stratagem 
 was impossible ; starvation began to stare them in 
 the face, and they came to the desperate resolution 
 of cutting their way, sword in hand, through the 
 Turks that surrounded them. This they most 
 gallantly effected; and Colocotroni escaped with 
 four of his companions. 
 
 In pursuing our journey the next day, we ob- 
 served a band of these robbers winding round the 
 mountains, and watching the slow progress we were 
 
112 GREECE. 
 
 making with our mules. We had made every pre- 
 paration for defence, but from some cause or other 
 they made no attempt to molest us. We were 
 pleased to find ourselves, in the evening, within the 
 gates of a hospitable convent. This convent was 
 situated amidst lofty mountains, clothed with fir, 
 pine, plane, and oak trees. Through an opening 
 was seen the Euripus glistening in aquatic beauty ; 
 three natural cascades rushed with awful torrents 
 down the sides of the mountains, and formed a 
 stream at the foot of the convent. Monks are 
 generally fortunate in the choice of their situations, 
 but. I never beheld a place where grandeur and 
 picturesque scenery were so happily blended. 
 
 " Monastic refuge ! from thy shady brow, 
 Thou small but favoured spot of holy ground, 
 Where'er we gaze, around, above, below, 
 What rainbow tints, what magic charms are found ! 
 Rock, river, forest, mountains, all abound, 
 And bluest skies that harmonize the whole : 
 Beneath, the distant torrent's rushing sound, 
 Tells where the volum'd cataract doth roll 
 Between those mountain rocks, that shoik yet please the soul." 
 
 In the morning, to our annoyance, we found that 
 part of our mules had been allowed to escape ; we 
 
GREECE. 113 
 
 therefore loaded those we had, and walked to the 
 village of Lymno. Here we found the men who 
 had been wounded by the pirates two days before, 
 without any proper medical attendant, and in a 
 wretched condition. The next day we sailed to 
 the town of Negroponte, where we received the 
 greatest attention from the Turkish Governor, who, 
 after conversing with us for some time on the 
 politics of Europe, provided us with an excellent 
 dinner. 
 
 Having washed ourselves, according to the cus- 
 tom of the Turks, we squatted down in the Turkish 
 style, surrounded by a multitude of attendants. 
 The table was formed of an ornamented stool about 
 a foot high, with a large round bell-metal waiter 
 placed on it. As soon as we were squatted, the 
 attendants threw a napkin over our knees. On the 
 table there was only a portion of bread laid for 
 each person. We were allowed the use of spoon, 
 knife, and fork, though we had but the dish to 
 eat out of which was set before us. We were 
 served with fifteen or twenty dishes in succession ; 
 
1 14 GREECE. 
 
 with fruit in the same way. Having again washed, 
 pipes and coffee were introduced. This Turk 
 was a man of quick conception and of great intel- 
 ligence. 
 
 The town of Negroponte, the ancient Chalcis of 
 the Eubcea, is separated from Boeotia by the 
 Euripus. The flux and reflux of this strait has so 
 puzzled philosophers, that it is said Aristotle threw 
 himself into it because he was unable to discover 
 the phenomenon. The bay, or basin to the south, 
 was the port Aulis, where the Grecian fleet assem- 
 bled to sail against Troy. 
 
 Leaving the walls of Egripo, and passing over 
 a strongly-fortified bridge, we entered Boeotia, and 
 again mounted on post-horses, we pursued our 
 journey to Thebes. After ascending a high moun- 
 tain (Messapius Mons), we descended into a fine 
 plain, and passed a small stream, the Thermodon, 
 on whose banks Philip of Macedon obtained a 
 victory over the Thebans and Athenians. At. a 
 distance we beheld Thebes, the city of Pelopidas 
 and Epaminondas : 
 
G41EECE. 115 
 
 The Theban pair, 
 
 Whose virtues, in heroic concord joined, 
 
 Their country raised to freedom, empire, fame." 
 
 Thebes, like most towns in Greece, has stiil 
 some remains of its ancient glory ; it is situated on 
 a rise, perhaps the Cadmea of that great city, sur- 
 rounded by a fosse, and in an extensive plain which 
 nearly encircles it. The aspect of Thebes is ex- 
 tremely pleasing. As we were enjoying from the 
 khan the mildness and beauty of the evening, the 
 Muzzin ascended the minaret of a mosque opposite 
 to us; it was shaded by a large and venerable 
 cypress; the sun was setting. What a pleasing 
 effect had the Muzzin's call ! 
 
 " Hark ! from the mosque the nightly solemn sound, 
 The Muzzin's call doth shake the minaret, 
 There is no god but God ! to prayer lo ! God is great !" 
 
 Leaving Thebes and travelling a considerable 
 distance along the plain, a small pass led us into 
 a marshy flat, the Copias Lacus of the ancients, 
 and, according to Pausanias, famous for its eels. 
 
 At a short distance from hence was Chseronea, 
 the birth-place of the great biographer Plutarch. 
 To our left, over distant hills, lie the plains of 
 
1 16 GREECE. 
 
 Plataea, where the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, 
 under Pausanias, destroyed near three hundred 
 thousand Persians under Mardonius, and delivered 
 Greece for ever from the continual alarms she had 
 before been exposed to on account of the Persian 
 invasion. Not far from thence is situated Leuctra, 
 where the Boeotians under Epaminondas defeated 
 the Spartans, obtained the empire of Greece, and 
 redeemed the credit of the Boeotians, who had been 
 considered proverbially stupid. 
 
 Riding by the fountain of Dirce, and several 
 towns of Turkish construction, we came to Lebadea, 
 now called Livadia, situated under high moun- 
 tains having a fertile plain before it. Here we 
 entered the cave of Trophonius, but without re- 
 ceiving any oracular admonitions. 
 
 At Livadia we were invited to the house of a 
 rich Greek, Signer Luogothetti, and although his 
 house was splendid, his fare by no means corre- 
 sponded : we were, however, thankful for his hos- 
 pitality, which, in a country like Turkey, is always 
 acceptable to the traveller. 
 
 The road from Livadia was extremely moun 
 
GREECE. 117 
 
 tainous. Leaving mount Cytheron to our left, we 
 passed over Helicon, and refreshed ourselves and 
 horses at the fountain of Hippocrene, and after 
 arriving at the foot of Parnassus, continued on to 
 Delphi, and quaffed from the streams of Castalia ; 
 and here again, instead of receiving any inspira- 
 tion, I was attacked with those pains which accom- 
 pany the indiscretion of drinking cold water when 
 heated by exercise. 
 
 Little is now to be traced of the Delphian riches : 
 it is a lonely spot, an amphitheatre of rugged 
 rocks calculated to inspire melancholy feelings. A 
 little above the present wretched village is a small 
 aperture in a ridge of rocks : this is pointed out as 
 the site of the Temple of Apollo. Continuing 
 through the valley of nearly perpendicular rocks, 
 we observed several large eagles feeding on the car- 
 case of a dead sheep ; our attempts to shoot them 
 were not successful. We next opened upon the Gulf 
 of Lepanto, and crossed over to Patrass : our road 
 now led through the beautiful 'plain of Elis. The 
 next morning we sailed from Clarenza to Zante, 
 April 3rd, 1813. 
 
118 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CORFU. 
 
 IN consequence of the Peace of 1814, the Island of 
 Corfu was ceded to the English, and regiments from 
 Zante were sent to receive it from the French. 
 
 We now, for the first time for many years, met 
 the French as friends. " How much of human 
 hostility," says a graphic writer, " depends on that 
 circumstance, distance ! If the most bitter enemies 
 were to come into contact, how much their ideas 
 of each other would be chastened and corrected !" 
 No sooner did we meet, than the most inveterate 
 enemies discovered a similarity of feeling and senti- 
 ment, and we became the sincerest of friends, and 
 finally parted with considerable regret. 
 
 The ancient name of Corfu was Corcyra, and the 
 revolt of the Corcyreans from the Corinthians, from 
 whom they were a colony, was the first cause of the 
 
CORFU. 119 
 
 Peloponnesian war. To the north of the island, 
 towering above the clouds, " Isthone sternly lifts her 
 head," upon whose rocky height the last dawn of 
 Corcyrean liberty expired. There are many clas- 
 sical recollections associated with this Phaeacia of 
 Homer. Near to a safe and excellent harbour for 
 small vessels, to the south of the modern town, is 
 the garden, of King Alcinous, where the limpid 
 waters from the fountain Cressida are still to be 
 traced. It was here, as Homer tells us, Ulysses, 
 after his shipwreck, presented himself before Nau- 
 sicaa, whom he found sporting with her maids. 
 
 The situation of Corfu, possessing a large and 
 almost impregnable fortress, the citadel being situ- 
 ated on two singular rocks, the te Aerias Phseacum 
 arces" of Virgil, is a desirable military station. 
 So perfectly aware was Buonaparte of its conse- 
 quence, that he provided every means for its safety, 
 and our blockade became unavailing. 
 
 The principal town, called Corfu, is encircled by 
 the walls of the fortress, where 14,000 inhabitants 
 are cooped within a narrow circuit. The large 
 
120 CORFU. 
 
 esplanade, the glacis of the citadel, serves them for 
 air and exercise. Among the inhabitants of this 
 town are many families of distinction, men of 
 wealth and intellect, who would rank with their 
 continental neighbours, did not some peculiarity of 
 local customs lessen, in the eyes of an Englishman, 
 much of their worth and amiability. The island is 
 in general hilly, but fertile and studded with small 
 villages of poor but contented inhabitants, whose 
 houses are but hovels, and who subsist principally 
 'on olive, oil, and black bread, made from the 
 Indian corn, which is abundantly cultivated in this 
 island. 
 
 We were now in a state of peace ; the rigours of 
 discipline were, as far as compatible with a soldier's 
 life, relaxed by that excellent General, Sir James 
 Campbell. We were surrounded by delightful 
 scenery ; hill and dale, rock and groves, diversified 
 our rides ; we enjoyed the gaieties of the town 
 where people from every nation were assembled, 
 the splendid Turk, the silver-cased Albanian, and 
 the fanciful Greek. It was the resort of travellers, 
 
CORFU. 121 
 
 and refuge of royalty*. But how short was our 
 fancied happiness ! We received the sudden alarm 
 that the plague had appeared in the island, and 
 raged with its wonted destruction ; the usual pre- 
 cautions were immediately taken; a cordon of 
 troops was stationed around the infected districts, 
 the strictest orders were enforced, not the most 
 trifling communication could take place, and whole 
 villages were burnt to the ground. It is easy to 
 conceive the distress this must necessarily occasion ; 
 numbers were suffering the most dreadful extremi- 
 ties, deprived of every comfort, and with very slight 
 attendance ; many, in the agony of death, without 
 their relations or friends being able to offer the fos- 
 tering hand to soothe the last moments of life, or to 
 pay the solemn rites when death had terminated 
 their miserable existence. 
 
 " Over the friendly bier no rites were read, 
 No dirge slow-chaunted, and no pall outspread ; 
 While Death and Night piled up the naked throng, 
 And Silence drove their ebon cars along." 
 
 * The Queen of Sicily and her son Prince Leopold, the Arch- 
 duke Francis of Austria, with his Arch-duchess, sojourned some 
 time with us at Zante. Gustavus IV., ex-King of Sweden, sought 
 an asylum at Corfu. 
 
122 CORFU. 
 
 At the time the plague broke out in the country, 
 in the town of Corfu was held the celebrated festival 
 of its patron, Saint Spiridion. The carrying about 
 some old bones, called by this name, in a splendid 
 case, formed an imposing procession ; and the town 
 was on this occasion a scene of great gaiety, 
 crowded with the inhabitants from all parts of the 
 country, who make it answer the double purpose 
 of paying their devotions to the Saint and of visit- 
 ing their friends. Among the many whom this 
 unfortunate occurrence had prevented from return- 
 ing to their own homes was a young married 
 female, who bore her separation from her husband 
 with great impatience. She left Corfu with a 
 determination, if possible, of joining him ; but the 
 cordon of troops having cut off all communication 
 with the infected district, it would have been death 
 to have entered into or departed from it. Her 
 home was near the boundary, and she lingered day 
 and night in the hope of catching a glimpse of her 
 husband. She beheld the blaze of burning villages, 
 and was aware of the misery that prevailed within 
 the devoted district, and her heart ached with the 
 
CORFU. 123 
 
 thought. At length, from an eminence, she beheld 
 the well-known figure of her husband. She gave 
 a scream which echoed around the mountains 
 his attention was attracted it was the voice of his 
 wife he involuntarily rushed forward, but recol- 
 lecting his situation, he stopped, and held up his 
 hands in supplication. The ardent passions of a 
 young Greek girl were not to be controlled. She 
 rushed past the forbidden boundary the musket 
 of the sentinel was levelled the shot was too true 
 they staggered, and fell in each other's arms. 
 
 The inhabitants of Corfu, following the custom 
 general in the Levant, dine about the middle of 
 the day, and retire for their siesta, leaving the 
 streets in all the stillness and solitude of night. 
 It was by them remarked that after midday nothing 
 was seen in the streets but Englishmen and pigs. 
 Wedded to our own customs and habits, we could 
 not reconcile the idea of losing this interesting 
 portion of the day. 
 
 " I love the deep, deep pause that reigns 
 At highest noon o'er hill and plains ;" 
 
 and have frequently taken this period to mark the 
 
 o2 
 
124 CORFU. 
 
 dark shades the sun threw among the masses of 
 rock and mountain in the vicinage of Corfu, to 
 watch the sparkling of the waters, and inhale the 
 gentle breeze which at midday invariably tempers 
 the oppressive heat. 
 
 Seated in the shade of an impending rock, and 
 looking towards the mountains of Albania (Epirus), 
 and in the neighbourhood of Suli, where dwells 
 the 
 
 dark Suliote," 
 " In his snowy camese, and his shaggy capote," 
 
 the brave opposer of that ambitious despot, Ali 
 Pacha, my thoughts would sometimes wander from 
 more pleasing subjects to the extraordinary deeds 
 of that notorious character deeds that we dwell 
 on with a mixture of horror and delight that re- 
 semble many of those Gothic tales in which are 
 blended such barbarous ferocity and romantic 
 gallantry, that we scarcely know whether to attri- 
 bute them to a vivid imagination, or to receive 
 them as truths. The life and character of this 
 Pacha is now familiar to the English reader. I 
 shall, however, record one circumstance that, oc- 
 
CORFU. 125 
 
 curred to a Greek family, which,, from their having 
 been attached to the British service, becomes a 
 tale of greater interest. It was related to me by 
 a friend who knew them well, an appreciated their 
 worth. 
 
 Signer Belasca had been a captain in the Greek 
 corps raised by the English in these islands; he 
 was by birth and blood a true Suliote. He pro- 
 fessed himself devoted to the British, through 
 whose means he one day expected to see his 
 oppressed country freed from the vassalage of the 
 Turks. These professions were not words only ; 
 he endeavoured by every means to approximate 
 himself and family to our habits and customs. 
 
 % 
 
 The Greeks, like the Turks, are inveterate smokers ; 
 this habit Belasca conquered to accommodate him- 
 self to English society. His wife was one of the 
 most amiable and interesting of Greek women : the 
 beauty of her countenance was of that benign cha- 
 racter, that, when fondling her lovely child, they 
 might have been a study for Raphael. She was 
 not less anxious than her husband to assimilate 
 
126 CORFU. 
 
 herself to English manners. On joining the Greek 
 corps, she was, like all Greek women on the conti- 
 nent, ignorant of the rudiments of education, but 
 by applying herself vigorously to study, she not 
 only acquired a perfect knowledge of her native 
 language, but aiso the ancient Greek, and was 
 enabled to read a tragedy of Sophocles. 
 
 Peace came, the Greek corps was disbanded, and 
 Belasca was again thrown upon his own resources : 
 he went to Yanina, and listened to the overtures of 
 the infamous AH Pacha, who gave him some 
 appointment, but would not confirm him in it, 
 unless he brought there his wife and family. In- 
 stead of appreciating the noble spirit of Belasca, 
 and benefiting by the military knowledge he had 
 obtained in the British service, this wily Pacha had 
 thoughts of a different nature : he had heard of 
 the attractions of Belasca's wife, and on his return 
 Belasca was basely murdered, and his wife con- 
 veyed to the harem. 
 
 At this time the news arrived that Buonaparte 
 had escaped from Elba, and was in force in France. 
 
CORFU. }'27 
 
 Preparations were made against the renewal of 
 hostilities, but during this eventful period on the 
 continent we were inactive. 
 
 The final peace of 1815 soon made an altera- 
 tion in our garrison ; Sir Thomas Maitland suc- 
 ceeding Sir James Campbell, and a change in the 
 staff (to which I had been attached as Major of 
 Brigade) taking place, I embarked for England 
 in 1816. 
 
 After eleven years' residence in the Mediter- 
 ranean, in a climate where, during the greatest 
 part of the year, the sky assumes a transparent 
 etherial blue, the air is soft, the hills and the 
 valleys are covered with the vine and the orange 
 tree; where even the peasants in their wretched 
 huts, and living on water-melons, are always gay, 
 and even happy, I could not but have imbibed 
 some pleasing associations. I had watched the 
 bright declining sun, enjoyed the fresh evening 
 breeze, listened to the jocund carol of the lively 
 peasant, and mingled in the Thesean dance, until 
 I became possessed of feelings peculiar to the 
 
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