/&•£ / a^^- •^ • NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY THROUGH GREECE, IN 1830. WITH REMARKS UPON THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. BY CAPTAIN T. ABERCROMBY TRANT, AUTHOR OF " TWO YEARS IN AVA." LONDON: HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1830. I on DOK : PRINTED BK SAMUEL BENTLF.Y, l>ois. | Sin • i. Fleet Strei I. PREFACE. So many works have been published lately relative to Greece, that I fear my adding an- other to the already overstocked list may be considered a superfluous task ; but Greece hi- therto has only been described as she appeared during the Turkish rule ; and whilst her strug- gle for independence was still undecided, her condition at the termination of an eight years' war is not generally known ; and it is in the hope of supplying some information on this point, that I venture to publish the accompa- nying notes. They are hastily, and, I grieve to say, carelessly written : my absence from England until the present moment having pre- a 2 iv PREFACE. vented my preparing them properly for the press ; but I hope my readers will bear in mind that I am sensible how open my style is to criticism ; and I only urge in extenuation of my faults, that the circumstances I have narrated are undoubted facts ; and that those incidents which did not come under my own observation are related on the authority of others, in whom I place implicit reliance. As I am perfectly unconnected with Greece, and Grecian politics, I trust that my remarks upon the President's Government may be 'con- sidered unprejudiced. I went to Greece rather biased in favour of his proceedings, but a nearer view of his policy dispelled my illusion ; and the manner in which he since succeeded in in- fluencing the decision of the Prince nominated to the throne of Greece, is a proof how deep are his designs. The remarks upon the Ottoman Army and Xavy were drawn from correct sources of in- formation at Constantinople; and the English were in such high favour with the Turks when PREFACE. V I was there, that I was enabled to examine se- veral of the public establishments, which had hitherto been closed to strangers. I cannot conclude these observations without expressing my renewed thanks to many of my countrymen, to whose hospitality I was much indebted during my travels in the East ; and although I abstain from mentioning their names, yet I trust that they will not suppose me un- mindful of their kindness, T. A. T. London, 25th Oct. 1830. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Chiarenza. — Land at Katacolo. — Pyrgos. — Olynipia. — Tri- potamia. — Plain of Dara. — Mount Artemesius. — Pass of Portes. — Plain of Argos . . Page 1 CHAPTER II. Count J. Capo d'Istrias. — Parties in Greece. — Arrival of the President. — His ambitious views and bad Government. — Counts Viario and John Capo d'Istrias. — Assembly at Argos. — Greek Oratory. — State of Finances.' — Argos. — Hydra. — Spezzia. - Ipsara. — Scio. — Vourla . . 40 CHAPTER III. The Cyclades. — Cape Colonna. — Temple of Minerva. — ^Egina. — Tombs. — Palicari. — Orphanotrope. — Museum. — Temple of Jupiter. — Panhellenium. — Temple of Venus. — Quarantine. — Prince Demetrius Ypsilanti. — Ipsariot boat- men. — Poros. — Russian squadron.— Greek fleet. — Commerce. — Damala.— Troezen . . . 73 Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. Ruins of Troezen. — Grove of iEsculapius. — Theatre. — Mo- nastery of Agios Demetrios. — Argos. — The Citadel. — Ancient Theatre. — Temple of the God Cephissus. — Monastery Rejoicings on Christmas Day. — Fount of Erasinus. — Marsh of Lerna. — Jocrisse's Cave.— Cyclopian Tower. — Ruins of Mycenae. — Tomb of Agamemnon. — Temple of Juno. — Tiryns . . . . .109 CHAPTER V. Napoli di Romania. — The Palamide. — Colocotroni at- tacks Griva, and is repulsed. — State of society at Napoli. — Greek ladies. — Deficiency of education. — Greek troops. — Regular forces. — Infantry. — Cavalry. — Pay of the army. — Leave Napoli. — Plain of Argos . . 140 CHAPTER VI. Plain of Tripolizza. — Mantinea. — Tripolizza. — Turkish Prisoners. — Concealed wealth. — Battle of Navarino. - We enter Laconia. — Greek marriages. — Source of the Alpheus. — Village of Bruliah. — Sparta. — Mistra. — Logotheti. — The Epiphany. — The Curfew bell. — Ancient marbles at Mistra. — Ruins of Sparta. — Sarcophagus at Cologonia 167 CHAPTER VII. Ceremony in the Metropolitan Church. — Revenues of the priests. — Present state of the Greek Church. — Mavromi- chalis, or Petro Bey. — Remarks on the necessity of colo- nizing Greece — We leave Mistra. — Cypress-tiee at Tra- pse. — Fount of the Eurotas. — Sleep at Spaneika. — Lon- dari. — Megalopolis. — Caritena. — Character of Colocotroni. — Temple of Apollo, at Bassae. — Khan in the plain of Tri- polizza. — We reach Argos . . 203 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER VIII. Nomination of Prince Leopold to the Sovereignty.— Dis- appointment of Capo dTstrias. — Opinions of the Greeks. — Discussions relative to the Frontiers. — Epidaurus. — Arrival of the Duchess of Plaisance at iEgina. — We proceed to Athens ; anchor in the Piraeus. — Karaskakai. — Enter Athens.— Bey's Palace . 242 CHAPTER IX. Ruins of Athens. — Monument of Lysicrates. — Temple of Jupiter Olympius. — Fount of Callirhoe. — Temple of Theseus. — The Pnyx — The Parthenon.' — The Erectheion. — Bey of Athens. — Ypsali and Padishah. — The Maid of Athens. — Va- lue of Land. — Sieges of Athens — Operations of Sir Richard Church. — We sail for Salamis . . . 262 CHAPTER X. Salamis. — Vasso. — Colouri. — Departure of the President. — Irregular army. — Origin of the Palicari. — Their conduct during the war. — Instances of broken faith. — Marco Bot- zaris. — Skirmish in Albania. — We leave Salamis, and land at Kenchrae. — Isthmus of Corinth. — American Colony at Hexamilia. — Proceedings of the American Committee — The Acro-Corinthus. — Corinth. — Sicyon.— Gulf of Corinth. —Pass of Acrata.— Defeat of the Turks . . 291 CHAPTER XI. We proceed towards Megaspileon. — Arrive at the Con- vent. — Remarks of the Monks upon religion. — The Church. — Picture of the Holy Virgin painted by St. Luke. — Origin X CONTENTS. of the Monastery. — Wealth of the Priests — The Library. — Ibrahim repulsed from Megaspileon. — Vostizza. — Lepanto. — Castles of the Morea and Roumelia. — Patras. — Hadgi Christo's irregular Cavalry. — Society at Patras. — Embark for Zante. — Remarks . . 322 Remarks on the Actual State of the Naval and Military Power of the Ottoman Empire . 351 ILLUSTRATIONS ENGRAVINGS. Page Castle of Calavrita* Frontisfiece Jocrisse's Cave, near Argos . 130 View of Mistra . 191 Temple of Apollo, at Bassae . 238 Megaspileon .... 322 The Dardanelles . 433 WOODCUTS. Harpy . 88 Gate of Lions, Mycenae 135 Torso of a Persian or Caryatides 272 This should be Castle of Caiitena. NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY THROUGH GREECE. CHAPTER I. Chiarenza. — Land at Katacolo. — Pyrgos. — Olympia. — Tri- potamia. — Plain of Dara. — Mount Artemesius. — Pass of Portes. — Plain of Argos. The month of October 1829 had nearly terminated when I embarked in His Majesty's ship Ferret, Captain Hastings, on rny way from Corfu to Pyrgos, a small town on the western coast of the Morea, which of late years has been the principal point of communication between the Ionian Islands and Greece ; and from thence it was my intention to proceed to Napoli di Romania and Constantinople. 2 STA. MAURA— LEUCAS— ITHACA. At this moment both Greece and Turkey offered plentiful sources of amusement to the traveller, a nine years' contest having at last restored to the first her independence, whilst the latter, after seeing her Northern enemies at the gates of Istamboul, was, for the first time, undeceived as to her power, and forced to ac- knowledge that victory had passed away from the standard of Mahomet. To Greece, however, my attention was particularly directed ; for not only was I strongly tinctured with a classical enthusiasm for the country which had been the scene of such celebrated deeds in early times, but I also felt anxious to see those sturdy moun- taineers who, emulating the fame of their an- cestors, had for so many years successfully defied the power of the Porte, and who, whatever may be their failings, deserve much credit for the many sacrifices they made in the cause of liberty. 1 was however prepared to meet with some difficulties and much inconvenience dur- ing my projected tour ; and experience proved to me that I was not mistaken. The day after leaving Corfu, we saw Sta. Maura and the promontory of Leucas, whence Sappho cast herself into the sea; we then pass- ed the rocky island of Ithaca, and ran close to ZANTE— CEPHALONIA, 8cc. 3 the precipitous shores of Cephalonia, which to the northward are bleak and dreary ; but on doubling the western point, the scene improves ; groves of olive-trees -and whitewashed houses are scattered along the slope of the mountains, and above them rises the black mountain, which is said to be five thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea : but the most beau- tiful of the Ionian Islands is Zante ; and when I first saw it, I could not but coincide in the remark of a Zantiot who was standing near me, and exclaimed with great fervor — " Zante ! Zante! Fior di Levante ;'' for such is the attribute bestowed upon it by the Ionians : Corfu, with much less justice, is styled the " Fior del Mundo." In the evening, when the sun set, the view from our ship was delightful. To seaward were Zante, Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Sta. Maura; the bold mountains of Western Greece, Parnassus, Mount Olenos, and the plains of Gastouni, or Elis, occupied the opposite line of the horizon ; and to the southward, Cape Katacolo stretched far out to sea, and almost hemmed us within a circle of land ; but the bright tints of a Medi- terranean evening were wanting to render the b 2 4 CHIARENZA. scene more characteristic, — already had the hea- vens assumed the cold hues of winter, and the distant mountains were capped with snow. On the coast of Greece, one of the most pro- minent objects was Castel Tornese, an old Vene- tian fort, now a ruin, but in former days afford- ing protection to the town of Chiarenza, or Clarentza, which by a strange decree of fortune has given the title of Clarence to our Royal Family. It would appear that, at the time when the Latin conquerors of Constantinople divided the Western Empire amongst their leading chieftains, Clarentza, with the district around it, and which comprised almost all of ancient Elis, was formed into a duchy, and fell to the lot of one of the victorious nobles, who trans- mitted the title and dukedom to his descend- ants, until the male line failed, and the heiress of Clarence married into the Hainault family. By this union, Philippa, the consort of Edward the Third, became the representative of the Dukes of Clarence; and on this account was Prince Lionel invested with the title, which has since remained in our Royal Family. It is certainly singular that a wretched village in Greece should have bestowed its name upon the British Monarch. Baffling winds and adverse currents prevent- QUARANTINE. 5 ed our reaching Cape Katacolo until the third day of our voyage ; and although this point is ten miles distant from Pyrgos, yet I was obliged to land there, the coast opposite to the town being dangerous from the surf which beats upon it. There is a small wooden house at Katacolo, used as a clogana ; and when I landed there, having by chance touched a bale of cot- ton, I from that moment was cut off from all communication with my companions in the boat, and by a penance of three weeks' strict seclusion could alone hope to rejoin civilized society. I felt as if I were outlawed, for the very name of quarantine is disagreeable ; the plague, sickness, death — all are allied to it, and one never hears a person speak with much satisfac- tion of the time he passed when immured in a Lazaretto. Yet this is one of the necessary evils to which a traveller in the Levant must submit without repining, convinced as he is of the inestimable benefits these establishments have conferred upon Europe. The custom-house was occupied by a Greek, who promised to procure horses for my con- veyance to Pyrgos ; and until they arrived, I tried to look with admiration on the classic ground around me: I called to mind that I was treading on the land which had produced those 6 THEODORE. great and virtuous men whose exploits and glo- rious deeds had been the theme of my early lessons; that this was the country where first civilization dawned upon Europe, and from whence we derived our first lights of science ; and that within a few miles of me was the cele- brated Olympia, where, in former days, the fiery youth of Greece were seen eagerly contending for the prize, and displaying an emulation which too often ripened into rivalry and hatred : but there was nothing in the scene before me to call forth corresponding ideas, — the country was uncultivated, and apparently uninhabited ; I could not see a single house, and, instead of viewing any of the fancied forms of ancient heroes, I perceived a tattered, dirty-looking wretch driving before him three miserable little horses, which I understood were the animals provided for my service ; so, after placing my baggage on one, my servant and I mounted the others, and sitting sideways like the Greeks, we commenced our journey. My servant Theodore, by the by, was a L r reat character in his own way, and seemed quite transported with delight on having again touched the shores of Greece. At the com- mencement of the Greek Revolution he gave up his place at Corfu, and taking with him REMAINS OF PYRGOS. 7 vvliat little money he had saved, proceeded to join the Patriot army ; when having levied a few men, and thus transformed himself into a sort of officer, he, according to his own account, spent all his money, fought like Leonidas, and at last, finding that he had no chance of gain- ing either pay, rank, or even food amongst his kindred warriors, was glad again to become a servant at Corfu. His visit to Greece with me seemed to have revived his warlike feel- ings, and a couple of human skulls which were whitening on the road-side called forth the remark — " Ha, Sir ! look at those rascally Turkish heads : the Greeks fight like lions, and shoot the Turks same as lambs." The road from Katacolo to Pyrgos is over a plain capable of being profitably cultivated, though now covered with weeds and brambles ; the sea bounds it on the west ; and inland runs a range of rocky hills, where I observed a fortified cavern which had served as a tempo- rary refuge to the inhabitants of an adjacent village, during the inroads of the Turkish ca- valry. A little beyond this we came to the remains of what had once been Pyrgos, but which now merely presented a dreary assemblage of roof- less mud walls: the merciless troops of Ibrahim 8 INHABITANTS OF PYRGOS. had here deeply imprinted the marks of their talent for destruction, the bare walls of two churches and a half- demolished tower being the only indications that a town formerly stood here. Pyrgos once contained about four thousand inhabitants, who being mostly Greeks, the town had not experienced any injury from the contests which took place during the four first years of the war; and in 1825 it was in a flou- rishing state, and had a considerable trade in the small manufactures of the country; but its open and unprotected situation in the plain left it an easy prey to the Arabs, who in the follow- ing year reduced it to the state in which I saw it. This was the first proof I remarked of Ibra- him's deadly hatred to the Greeks. I had yet to learn, that from Cape Matapan to the Gulf of Corinth, not a single town had escaped the flames, nor a solitary house remained uninjured. The inhabitants of Pyrgos, who, during the war, fled to the most inaccessible spots in the mountains, where many perished from the in- clemency of the weather and scarcity of food, had now returned and recommenced building their dwellings, and two or three houses and several huts had already arisen amidst the ruins. A GREEK BEAUTY. 9 To one of the former I was directed, as the residence of Signor Pasqualigo, the British Vice-Consul. All the travellers who had lately visited this part of Greece returned deeply im- pressed with the beauty of one of his daughters, whose fame appears to vie with that of the maid of Athens of former days. On my approaching the house, a pair of sparkling black eyes, which I saw peeping from behind a window, and the succeeding chatter of female voices, assured me that the lady in question was within ; and when I ascended the steps, a very pretty young girl in her national costume, with arched eyebrows, Oriental eyes, and an European complexion, stepped forward to welcome me, in the absence of her father. Amidst the squalid wretchedness which Pyrgos presented, the apparition of such a pretty person was quite gratifying, and I most cordially subscribed to the received opinion respecting her attractions. Katrina and her sister Euphrosyne having ushered me into the house, and invited me to rest upon the sofa until the arrival of their father, com- menced preparing a dinner for me ; and when it was ready, they brought it in themselves, and waited at table ; not from necessity, for they had many servants, but merely in pursii- 10 A GREEK BEAUTY. ance of the ancient custom, which appears to have remained firmly rooted in Greece since the days of Homer. A person who is unaccus- tomed to Greek habits finds these attentions irk- some, and feels inclined every moment to request the lady not to give herself any trouble ; but when we reflect that, not many centuries since, our noble dames performed almost equally me- nial offices, and that in the heroic ages even the daughters of kings scrupled not, when fulfilling the sacred rite of hospitality, to wait upon the stranger, we set aside our modern notions of de- votion to the weaker sex, and are perhaps not sorry to find that, for once, it is our turn to take the lead. Pretty Katrina had however one great defect in common with her country- women ; her eyebrows were painted, and her cheeks were rouged ; but this is so customary among the Greeks, that they scarcely attempt to disguise it. They perhaps still think, as did the Athenian ladies in the time of Pe- ricles, that they are not dressed unless their countenances are covered with paint. If paint. ing is excusable at any time, it is when people have had a fit of the Morea fever; and this was the case with the Vice-Consul and his family, who were just recovering from the insi- dious attacks of their annual foe. The marshes TRAVELLING IN GREECE. 1 1 between Pyrgos and the sea cause most noxious exhalations, and the wan, sallow complexions of the inhabitants betoken how much they are in- jured by them ; indeed, scarcely any part of the Morea is quite exempt from this curse ; and as cultivation and cleanliness are the only remedies for the evil, it is to be feared that many years must elapse ere it is eradicated. Fresh horses having been brought to the door, I bade the young beauties and their father adieu, and, under the especial guidance of an active young Greek, named Anastasius, and two of his countrymen, resumed my jour- ney over the mountains. Travelling in Greece is conducted in so dif- ferent a manner from that of any other country, that a person who does not make up his mind to experience every kind of hardship and annoy- ance will be much disappointed. Bad horses, a scarcity of food, no inns, and, what is worse, no roads, are only a few of the troubles a traveller has to encounter. Until very lately, he ran the risk of being fired at from behind a tambour, or robbed by some marauding sol- diers ; and although no danger of this kind is now to be apprehended, the exposure to the extremes of heat and cold — to the burning rays of the sun in a valley, and the piercing blasts of ]2 TRAVELLING IN GREECE. wind on the summit of the mountain, is ex- tremely trying to the constitution. In the space of one hour I have been panting with heat and shivering from cold. At night, with the earth for a bed and his saddle for a pillow, a person feels happy in sharing the fire-side of some peasant, whose filthy mansion he views in the morning with feelings of utter disgust ; and when he awakes, and prepares to pursue his journey, he is still heated, feverish, and unre- frcshed. In spring and summer travelling is more agreeable, as it is then unnecessary to sleep beneath a roof; but at this time of the year shelter is indispensable. From there being no roads, or at least mere pathways, it is impossible to travel beyond the rate of two or three miles an hour ; and thus, after passing the whole day on horseback, a traveller finds that he has not ridden more than twenty or thirty miles ; and in winter he will not be able to perform more than half that distance. My journey from Pyrgos to Napoli will give a tolerable idea of what travelling is, in the pre- sent day, in Greece. The sun had nearly set when I rode out of Pyrgos ; but time was of importance to me, and 1 determined to hasten onwards, leaving Olympia and the vale of the Alpheus to the right, and following a path OLYMPIAN PLAINS. 13 leading- towards the mountainous district of Lalla. At the moment when I was quitting the town, an officer and a detachment of French soldiers entered it, escorting some waggons laden with statues and antique marbles, the spoils of Olympia, which the French " savants'' 1 had rescued from obscurity by excavating on the supposed site of the temple dedicated to Olympian Jove. The discoveries they made there were not very great ; but the Alpheus during this win- ter having been much swollen by the rain, car- ried off a considerable portion of the soil near where the excavations had been undertaken, and has brought considerable remains to light. Pouqueville, whose first " Voyage en Grece" is just as fabulous as the stories related by that ingenious person Mendez Pinto, gives a detailed description of w r hat he did not see at Olympia. A gentleman of my acquaintance, some years afterwards, chanced to visit the Olympic plains in company with the author of the " Regene- ration de la Grece," who was preparing materials for his second work ; and whilst they were walking over it, he begged Pouqueville to act as cicerone. "Eh! — but, my dear friend," said the other, " I know no more about it than you do : I have never been here before." 14 VILLAGE OF LANZOI. M How !" said the interrogator, affecting sur- prise, — " have you never been here before, — you who, in your work upon Greece, say that ' at every step we made, we trampled bronzes and inscriptions under our feet?' " Bronze helmets have been repeatedly found in the bed of the Alpheus ; and I have seen two, which were apparently votive offerings, one of them having the name of the donor (Dionysius) inscribed upon it : they had been purchased here from the peasants for a few piastres. After leaving Pyrgos, we rode for some hours through an uneven country, until the barking of dogs, and the glimmering of lights amidst the trees, 'warned us that we were approaching a village, which my guide called Lanzoi. Here it was resolved that we should rest for a few hours, and Anastasius accordingly knocked at the door of a miserable hovel, where we hoped to obtain admittance. An aged couple presented themselves; and by the light of the fire, which blazed in the middle of the tenement, I could perceive that the distrust which was manifested on their countenances did not cease until they ascertained that I was an Englishman ; for so shamefully did the armed Greeks tyrannize over the peasants, that they were almost as much A FIRE-SIDE PARTY. 15 dreaded as the enemy. A spot by the fire-side was cleared for my reception, where I spread out my cloak as a bed ; and a few eggs having with difficulty been procured in the hamlet, these, with some brown bread, formed my sup- per. Whilst I ate this, my host and hostess, their daughter, a pretty black-eyed maid, some wild bandit-looking Greeks, with fierce coun- tenances and large black moustachios, and dress- ed in the Albanian garb, formed a circle round the hearth, and after eliciting from my servant all the information they could respecting me, began to tell their own tales, which related mostly to the events of the last war, and were strongly tinctured with the spirit of exaggeration, or, in other words, lying, for which Greeks both of the olden time and present day have alike been justly famed. One of them declared, that when Ibrahim's troops advanced in this direction, se- venty-five Greeks, including himself, had en- trenched themselves in a small monastery near the Alpheus, where, for three successive days, they resisted the assaults of seven thousand Arabs, who tried to breach and blow up the walls, but without success ! At last, their water having failed at midnight of the fourth day, they formed themselves into a compact body, and, uttering an inspiriting hurrah, dashed into 1G MARVELLOUS FEATS. the midst of their foes, slew three hundred of them, and succeeded in regaining their moun- tain-wilds without the loss of one man. An- other of my companions, afraid lest his valiant deeds should be unheard of, declared that he one day killed seven Arabs, and had an oppor- tunity of shooting Ibrahim himself, but was afraid to do so, as he must have paid the forfeit of his life. A third then took up the conver- sation ; and so they continued praising them- selves, until I was weary of listening. Theo- dore, who acted as my interpreter, did not fail to remark, when he translated these tales, " You see, Sir, Greeks shoot Turks same as lambs." I certainly thought, that we're I to credit all the marvellous feats related to me, I should have some reason to be of his opinion. The poor people with whom I lodged had been considered wealthy, but they were involved in the common ruin of their village, and now had barely sufficient clothes to shield them from the inclemency of the weather; their daughter, a girl of seventeen, must once have been beau- tiful, but hardship, starvation, and severe work, had bronzed the tints of her cheeks, and destroyed the delicacy of her features. Notwithstanding their fall from affluence to poverty, they were quite cheerful and happy. THE NABURA. 17 To re-occupy their village, after many months' wandering in the mountains or concealment in caves, was comparative bliss ; and they hoped by assiduous industry, in a few years, to regain their former state of prosperity. I requited the hospitality of these people with a gift, which, however trifling, far exceeded their expectations. The old man shook me by the hand, and then performing the Greek saluta- tion, by resting his right hand on his heart, wished me happiness and blessings innumerable. The path we followed in continuation of our journey, ran along the banks of the Na- bura, a brawling stream which eventually empties its tributary waters into the Alpheus. On either side rose rocky hills, diversified by shrubs and patches of verdure ; and here and there a few oak-trees spread forth their knotty branches in solitary grandeur, or were clustered in beautiful groups, intermixed with the pine, cestus, and dark-leafed cypress. The glen was singularly wild and romantic, and there were no symptoms of habitations near : the only living creature we perceived being a huge wolf, who, when the morn- ing mist cleared up from the valley, was dis- closed to our view, on the brink of an over- hanging precipice, from which he peered down c 18 A ROMANTIC GLEN. upon the dale below. We continued gra- dually ascending the stream until we reached a spot where it was hemmed in by two pre- cipitous rocks, meeting above the river, and forming a natural bridge, below which the tor- rent rushed at the depth of many fathoms :* the track of a footpath denoted that this sin- gular communication was often crossed by the fearless Arcadian shepherds. Some of the oaks here appeared to have stood unmolested for ages past, and, although winter was fast ap- proaching, were still clad with verdant leaves ; the earth, covered with nutritive grass instead of being parched by the heats of summer, was refreshed by numerous rills which trickled down the mountain sides ; and when w r e emerg- ed from the glen, we discerned around us nu- merous flocks of sheep and goats, tended by shepherds clad in sheepskin capotes, armed with guns, pistols, and ataghan, and attended by stout dogs of a noble race peculiar to this country, and who are so fierce and pow- erful, that they fear neither man, or the beasts of the forest. After passing a small village, the only one we had seen during a ride of some hours, we emerged from the wooded glen, to * At the baths of Pfeffers in Switzerland is a similar kind of bridge. LALLA, 1 9 an elevated table-land, overlooked by the lofty peaks of Mount Olenos, and commanding a view of the plain of Lalla, the ruin of which town we could see at a couple of miles' distance. The Lalliot Turks, at the commencement of the Revolution, although famed for their courageous disposition and hardy habits, shared the fate of the other Mahommedan inhabitants of the Morea, and after a sharp skirmish with the insurgents, by whom they were defeated, retired with their families and effects to Pa- tras, and contributed to defend the fortress, until it was surrendered to Marshal Maison. Lalla, therefore, is now merely occupied by a few Greeks, who cultivate the Turkish lands, as the tenants of government. From the open ground near Lalla we descended the mountains towards a romantic valley, through which the Dogana, or Erymanthus, flows, pre- vious to uniting with the Alpheus, near Olym- pia. The road, if such it could be called, was the worst, without exception, that I had ever passed, — it was a mere sheep-track, and having never been cleared from either the shrubs or rocks which encumbered it, could only have been traversed by the little ponies on which we were mounted : thev scrambled from rock to rock with the agility and sagacity of a goat ; c 2 20 IMPASSABLE ROADS. and although my steed fell with me twice, I found that the safest plan was to leave the bridle hanging on his neck. Anastasius led the way, and the horse followed as closely as would a dog; stopping when he did, and turning right or left as his master's steps dic- tated. It was impossible to advance quicker than a walk, and my attendants on foot had therefore no difficulty in keeping up with me. Two deep ravines that we came to were crossed by bridges of either Venetian or Turk- ish construction ; from which circumstance alone I judged that we were moving upon a regular road. To the Greeks, the difficulty of communication between one town and another is a source of exultation, as they very rightly deem, that a spot which is no.t easily acces- sible can be defended with but little difficul- ty ; but however correct this reasoning might have been when applied to the time that their country was invaded by a merciless enemy, there is no reason why it should be suffered to operate for the future. A person unaccustomed to mountain scenery would have viewed the road we crossed this day with a pardonable de- gree of alarm, as one false step might have hurled him down a steep declivity of several hundred feet : but this does not appear of im- MOUNTAIN-BANDITS. 21 port to the Greeks ; and I think it will require some time before the peasantry are made to comprehend, that a safe road would be more conducive to their interests. Some of the dells we passed were exceed- ingly wild, and fit spots for the scenes of those atrocities which at various periods have been perpetrated in Greece. I was prepar- ed to see a band of Klephts start from be- hind the masses of rock which at times ob- structed our path ; and occasionally a passing herdsman, armed at all points, was the perfect representation of a mountain-bandit. Anasta- sius, who was well versed in traditionary lore, had a gloomy tale for every nook we passed ; and at one little defile he pointed out to me a low stone wall, or tambour, which being constructed with loose stones, was scarcely to be distinguished from the rocks around ; here two determined ruffians had taken post some months before, and from their concealed posi- tion were enabled to take unerring aim at the unwary traveller, who, however well armed, could not but fall beneath the blows of his unseen foe. These wretches were at last seized ; but in those days, when might was better than right, it is most probable that they escaped pu- nishment, or were merely confined in a prison 22 A TRUANT RELEASED. whence they could escape whenever they pleas- ed. Anastasius, though an amusing cicerone, seemed however not to be quite free from the predatory habits he had acquired during the war. He had been expatiating with an un- usual flow of eloquence upon the hardships the peasantry had experienced during that period, both from friend and foe ; — " but now," said he, " we respect each other's property." Scarcely, however, had he uttered these words, when a lamb which had strayed from its flock ap- proached the road-side ; in an instant Anasta- sius had seized it, and having cautiously looked around to see if he were observed, he drew his knife, and was about to plunge it into the ani- mal's throat, when I protested against this act of rapine. Anastasius had forgotten his newly acquired morality, and in answer to my remon- strances replied, " that if we did not eat him, the wolves would." I however held firm, and the little truant was released, and disappeared among the bushes. A few yards farther on we met the shepherd and his flock; but although we acquainted him with his loss, and offered to purchase a sheep from him, he turned sulkily away, and would scarcely deign to answer us. The shepherds in these districts of Arcadia are a wild, uncouth race, and as far removed ARCADIAN SHEPHERDS. 23 from civilization as it is possible for man to be ; their lives, for ever passed amongst these se- cluded mountains, are devoted solely to the care of their flocks ; and when the pasturage is exhausted in one tract of country, they move onwards to another: their huts may be seen occasionally near an in closure of brambles, in which the young lambs are left to the care of the faithful dogs, who sedulously guard them from danger, whilst the master is superintend- ing the wanderings of his flock in another di- rection. The women are employed in spinning cotton for their own and husbands' garments, and in making the coarse millet-bread and small cheeses, which are their sole articles of food : but their wants do not extend beyond the mere necessaries of life. Though uncouth and bru- tal in his manners, the shepherd who calmly looks on whilst his enormous dog is tearing you to pieces, will gladly offer what hospitality his hut can afford to the weary traveller who seeks admittance, — for hospitality is a virtue which generally is to be found amongst people in a savage state ; but his churlish manner and un- civilized habits render him the fit representa- tive, not of those Arcadians of whom the poets have sung, but of the rude tribe of Cynastheans who occupied this part of the country, and were 24 ANCIENT CITY OF PSOPHIS. famed for their contempt of the observances of civilization. Towards sunset we descended from the high land, and came to a spot where two streams unite with the Erymanthus, whence the name of Tripotamia, by which it is known. Here formerly stood the ancient city of Psophis, the ruins of which I could perceive around me : the line of walls in one part were sufficiently per- fect to show that they had been constructed with care, during the best period of military architecture ; and the position of Psophis, at the entrance of three valleys, rendered it a post of military importance ; it was also famed in the heroic ages as having been the scene of Hercules' conflict with the Boar of Eryman- thus. Near a platform, which was probably the site of a temple, is a small Greek monastery, at this time only containing one monk, his brethren having been massacred by the Egyp- tians. A high Avail encircled the building, which comprised a small church and a range of buildings for the Caloyers ; several marble co- lumns were lying on the ground in the yard ; some fluted ^and others plain, but none were of a large size ; and a Doric capital which was near them appeared to have been a work of the lower ages ; the pillars that supported the entrance to the church were likewise antique, and above KUAN OF TRIFOTAMIA. 25 them, two heads in basso-relievo were fixed in the wall ; but both the columns and the sculp- ture had been scraped and quite disfigured by the ignorant architects of the church. The at- tendant priest informed me that the columns had been found in digging near the monastery, which, as is almost universally the case, must have arisen upon the ruins of a Pagan temple. The fertile valley around Psophis is capable of supporting a numerous population, as there is abundance of water for the purposes of irriga- tion ; but this part of the country having been Turkish property, it is now in the hands of Government, and is cultivated by peasants, who, allured by the superiority of the soil, left the mountains and have taken it on lease, the rent being thirty per cent, of the produce. From hence the road turns off to Calavrita ; but in- stead of proceeding thither, I crossed the Ery- manthus, and rode to the eastward. Near the ruined khan of Tripotamia were some miserable huts, occupied by families who had settled there, and were now busily employed in collecting their harvest of Indian corn ; they seemed to be in great misery, and the women and children were barely clad ; but the fruitful- ness of the valley they inhabit promises them future years of prosperity. Shortly after dark, I agreed with my guides 26 BIVOUAC OF PEASANTS. that it would be advisable to stop at the first habitation we should see : my horses were com- pletely exhausted, and the Greeks who accom- panied me, after a march of seventeen hours, did not feel capable of proceeding farther. A light which we perceived at a short distance from the road, and towards which some shepherds were driving their flocks, led us to hope that we should find a village there ; but, after fighting our way through a host of barking dogs, we perceived that there was merely a bivouac con- structed by peasants, who had descended from their mountain-village into the plains, for the purpose of gathering the harvest. We were instantly surrounded by the rustics, who, with eager curiosity, inquired what were our wishes. Food and lodging were wants easily under- stood, and which they hastened to gratify ; the half of a hut was cleared out for my reception, and the trifling sum of one dollar enabled me to purchase a sheep, which was forthwith placed whole before a fire to roast. My lodging for the night, though not exactly what a person unacquainted with hardship would have deemed habitable, to me appeared a comfortable refuge from the cold blasts of wind which rushed down the chasms of the mountains. A large fire blazed in the middle of the hut; and the maize A COMFORTABLE REFUGE. 27 with which it was partly filled having been cleared away, sufficient room was obtained for me to spread my cloak on the ground, and, by lying down, defend myself from the smoke, which, rising to the roof, escaped through the openings of the leaves. The zone or girdle of my hostess, ornamented with silver bosses, hung against the walls, and the richly ornamented arms beside them indicated that my enter- tainers were not of the poorest class ; all pre- tension to finery having been swept away by the events of the war. When the husband was superintending the roasting of the sheep, his wife and another pretty young woman came into the hut, and placed themselves opposite to me, and then taking the distaff and spindle in hand commenced working. Whilst they ca- techised my servant as to my quality, some handsome though dirty little urchins crept in, one by one, and slunk behind their mothers, staring at me all the while with undisguised amazement, and, when I spoke to them, roar- ing most loudly, and seeking refuge in the lap of their parents, from the strange looks of the Frank. By degrees they were pacified, and then in return for Theodore's communications, mine hostess told her own tale of sorrow. Through her coarse attire and sun-burnt face I could 28 A NARRATIVE. trace the remains of great beauty ; her full black eye still sparkled with the fire of youth, al- though hardship had impressed upon her fea- tures the stamp of age ; and, whilst she re- counted the narrative of her sufferings, I ob- served tears gushing down her cheek. There was no affectation in this — she spoke what she felt — and I therefore believed her, and will relate the substance of her narrative, not as peculiar to herself alone, but as one which might apply to almost every mother in the Morea. Marriages are contracted early in Greece : although only twenty -five years of age, she had already been ten years a wife when I saw her, and until the year 1825 she had lived in the retired village of Dacouni, unmolested by the contending parties, and only knowing that war existed by the occasional absence of the male in- habitants, and their return with the spoils they had plundered from the Turks ; but at that pe- riod a fearful change took place in the position of the Moreots ; — Ibrahim Pacha landed at Nava- rin. With such a foe as this upon their thres- hold, it might have been supposed that the Greeks would have smothered their intestine feuds, and have made common cause against the enemy ; but his arrival seemed only to add fuel FATAL SECURITY. 29 to their discord ; — no regular system of opposi- tion was offered, — each chief fought or with- drew his troops as he judged most beneficial to his private welfare, and thus the interests of the nation were neglected. The small isolated villages depended on their own inhabitants for defence; and distant as they were from the actual scene of war, and without one person amongst them capable of maturing a proper plan of defence, it is not sur- prising that they should often have been attacked unawares by the troops of such an enterprising chieftain as Ibrahim. Whilst the Moreots fondly supposed that they had an army in their front, the Egyptians were laying waste the country with fire and sword ; and when the pea- sant who had been absent on a distant expedi- tion returned to his home, he too often found but the smoking ruins of his house, and the slaughtered bodies of his dearest relations. Such was the case at Dacouni. I have already spoken of the monastery on the banks of the Erymanthus at Tripotamia. On the evening of one of those numerous holidays cele- brated by the Greek Church, the women and chil- dren of Dacouni and the adjacent villages had has_ tened from their homes to offer up their accustom- ed prayers at the shrine of the Panagia ; they were 30 A SUDDEN ATTACK. quite fearless of an attack ; more than two hun- dred men from the canton having some days before proceeded down the valley of the Ery- manthus, on the only road by which an enemy could approach. Thus, not above a score of armed Greeks were mixed with the women, and these had proceeded to the monastery, not with the view of protecting the females, but from mere feelings of devotion. So perfectly unsus- picious were the peasants of any danger, that they had left no scouts outside of the building to warn them if an enemy should approach, nor had they even closed the doors of the monastery, which, in addition to its own wealth, had been made the depository of the little possessed by the villagers ; they falsely supposed that their absent band of soldiers would ward off evil from them. The sun was setting : with that superstitious devotion characteristic of the Greeks, the mem- bers of the congregation were humbling them- selves before the altar, when, on a sudden, other sounds than the chants of the priests burst upon their ears : the clattering of horses' hoofs, the appalling shout of Allah, Allah, Allah ! resounded through the building, and in an in- stant the sanctuary was invaded by a host of Arabs. A dreadful scene ensued : the mingled (mils upon Jesus and Mahommed were soon CONFLAGRATION OF DACOUNI. 31 indistinctly heard — and the name of the Pro- phet was alone audible. The priests were in- humanly massacred at the altar where they had been officiating ; and the few Greeks who des- perately attempted to defend their shrieking wives and children were instantaneously but- chered. The women, and boys under twelve years of age, were reserved for a fate still more dreadful — hopeless slavery ! My hostess chanced, at the first alarm, to be near a postern-gate ; and availing herself of the opportunity, she rushed through it with many others : but when she had gone some distance, she found that her child was missing— he had become a slave to the Moslems ! Her agony may be conceived : at one moment she thought of turning back, but in time recollected that she would only render herself a captive, with- out the least chance of being united to the boy ; and she saw, that her only hope of saving him was by paying a heavy ransom. The conflagration of Dacouni, which imme- diately followed the sack of the monastery, en- abled her to rescue but little of her property from the hands of the Arabs ; having how- ever, by the sacrifice of all that she possessed, procured a thousand piastres, (about fifteen pounds,) she followed the bloody traces of his captors to Patras, where the Turks offered the 32 A BENEFICIAL CHANGE. child for sale, and the poor mother was enabled to redeem him. The boy, who was resting his head in his mother's lap, seemed little to feel the pain he had given her, and which even now called tears to her eyes ; but the woman her companion was much affected, and said that she should never see two of her children again, for they were slaves at Alexandria. These villagers were loud in their praises of the change in the government, to which they attributed the present quiet state of the coun- try, whereas they ought rather to thank their own good dispositions. Previous to the year 1828, the whole country was ravaged by bands of armed men, who, although unable to cope with their national enemies, had power enough to oppress their country people : the roads were infested with robbers ; the peasant, when following his plough, never for a moment laid aside his arms ; and those persons who were obliged to travel across the country, were hourly exposed to the attacks of banditti. But these evils had been so long and deeply felt, that the very actors in them sighed for the return of peace ; and when the President, as a preliminary measure towards quieting the Morea, directed that no persons should appear armed, except those employed by the Govern- CAPO D'lSTRIAS. 33 ment ; he was instantly obeyed. The exhaus- tion which necessarily followed an extermi- nating war of seven years' duration, placed great moral power in the hands of Capo d'ls- trias, and, without the employment of a single soldier, he, by a simple mandate, at once al- layed the intense fermentation of the country ; a chief was appointed from amongst the elders of each village, to collect the rents for the Government, and these were fixed at ten per cent, of the produce of private property, and thirty per cent, for the lands held upon lease from the Government. Since then, two successive years of peace have enabled them to collect their harvests, and at least place themselves beyond the chance of starva- tion, and they now look forward to an undis- turbed possession of the lands for which they so long contested, and in many instances have dearly bought. The frankness of manner, and apparent cordiality, manifested towards me by these mountaineers, inspired me with such confidence, that I slept as soundly amidst them as if I had been surrounded by guards ; and al- though my baggage might have offered some temptation to people who had been leading an unsettled life, yet I was convinced that the rights of hospitality would be observed. D 34 PLAINS OF DARA. Long before the day dawned next morning, I resumed my ride, and in five hours reached a small plain, through the midst of which me- andered the clear and copious stream of the Landona, or Ladon, which flows into the Al- pheus near its junction with the Erymanthus. It was on the banks of this river that Daphne was metamorphosed into a laurel, that she might escape from the pursuit of Apollo. The stream was shadowed by the trees which bent over it, but I could not see whether amongst them the laurel was conspicuous ; the young maidens of an adjoining village had, however, but little pretension to the fatal beauty of the unfortunate nymph. Two hours beyond this we came to the plain of Dara, in the midst of which were the ruins of a large khan, which had been destroyed during the war. Se- veral villages were visible on the slopes of the hills around, and the plain was covered with flocks of sheep, tended by rustics bearing the true pastoral crook in their hands : this then was a real Arcadian scene, — but how different from what the poets describe ! Instead of being covered with shady forests and watered by mur- muring rills, the mountains were bare, parch- ed, and rocky ; the plain, in lieu of a verdant turf enamelled witli aneinonies and daisies, LAKE OF ORCIIOMENOS. 35 barely afforded a scanty and withered herbage for the sheep which were browsing around ; and the shepherds, who ought to have been seated under some majestic tree, playing the flageolet to their coy and beautiful shepherd- esses, were ugly, miserable wretches clad in sheepskins, and so bronzed by the sun and by dirt, as to resemble in complexion the tints of an Ethiop. Thus at every step a stranger makes in Greece, the veil of romance is for- cibly rent from his eyes ; all that in childhood he read of as grand and imposing, gradually fades in his estimation ; the delightful fictions of the poets, after playing upon his imagina- tion for years, are suddenly denuded of their charms, and exposed in all their deformity ; and the visions of goddesses, demi-gods, and he- roes of former ages, becoming gradually less distinct, are at last, if not forgotten, divested of the romantic mystery which hung over them, and degraded by comparison with what exists in the present day. On leaving Dara, we again crossed some hills, and then traversed the plain of Lebid6, having on our left the lake of Orchomenos. The sce- nery around was wild and barren : we had been imperceptibly ascending until we had reached the level of the plain of Tripolizza, some thou- d 2 36 A PARSONAGE. sand feet above the level of the sea : there was snow on the mountains, and the glens we passed were destitute of verdure, and seemed as if they had been desolated by the mountain torrents, which had torn large masses of rock from their foundation, and hurled them into the bed of the ravines. So cheerless and gloomy was this part of the country, that I was not sorry when we approached Sangeh, a small village at the foot of the pass of Portes, by which we were next day to cross Mount Mallevo (Artemesius), the loftiest point of the range of mountains se- parating Arcadia from Argolis. Sangeh was one of the few villages which had not been burnt by Ibrahim's troops, and the house of the Pappas, or priest, was pointed out to me as the best, and where I should be sure of reception. This sounded well ; and although I did not expect to see a pretty whitewashed parsonage, ornamented with woodbine and jessamine, and presenting the image of comfort and cleanliness, yet I thought that the priest would have occu- pied a mansion somewhat more respectable than those which I had hitherto seen. Vain hopes ! The parsonage contained neither chimney, bed- stead, table or chair: in one corner of the one room was a vat full of wine, some laro-e bins REASONS FOR REFUSING ADMISSION. 37 for the reception of corn, a pile of fire-wood for the winter's consumption, and various agricul- tural implements, whilst on a shelf were a few dusty books, a musket, and pistols. Through the cloud of smoke I could dimly perceive an old beldam squatted near the embers of the fire, and by her side two ragged dirty children, looking more like imps of darkness than human beings; a sow, and an interesting family of pigs. This hag I found to be the lady of the house ; the boys were her children, and the pigs their companions. She however gave me shelter, and a place near the fire, where, in this goodly company, I passed the night. I had applied at another cottage for admission ; but was refused, on the plea that the woman of the house was dying. I looked in, and seeing a heap of something resembling a human form near the fire, I supposed the story to be true ; however, shortly after my instalment at the parsonage, a woman came in to sell some eggs, and confessed that it was she who had feigned sickness, as she feared that we should have taken whatever her house afforded and not have paid her in return ! The next morning we scrambled up the moun- tain ; but in the darkness we lost the track, and stumbled from one rock to another in the most 38 ACROPOLIS OF ARGOS. disagreeable manner. When we at last attained the summit, we waited until the daylight would enable us with safety to descend the rocky road leading to the opposite valley, for the ridge on which we stood was only twenty feet wide, and terminated on one side by a perpendicular precipice of great depth, along the summit of which a narrow path three feet wide had been cut ; the descent was not unaccompanied with danger to our horses ; on one side rose a wall of rock, on the other there was no parapet, and the eye looked down upon valleys and chasms which through the medium of the morning mists ap- peared to be immeasurably distant. At the ex- tremity of a long valley the rising sun disclosed to us the Acropolis of Argos, and, as it gradu- ally appeared above the horizon, the silvery va- pours which floated around insensibly melted away, and displayed beneath us a beautiful valley, whilst to the southward the view extended as far as Tripolizza. Twenty men might have defended this pass against an unlimited number, yet in the hands of the Moreots it was useless, and they allowed Ibrahim to occupy it without opposition. From hence we proceeded down the valley along the banks of the Charadrus, and after passing several PLAIN OF ARGOS. 39 ruins which appeared to date from the early ages, we reached the confines of the celebrated plain of Argos, and shortly afterwards entered the straggling streets which wind amongst the ruins of that ancient city. 40 COUNT CAPO D'ISTRIAS. CHAPTER II. Count J. Capo d'Istrias. — Parties in Greece. — Arrival of the the President. —His ambitious views and bad Government. — Counts Viario and John Capo d'Istrias. — Assembly at Argos. — Greek Oratory. — State of Finances. — Argos — Hydra. — Spezzia. — Ipsara. — Scio. — Vourla. Almost the first person whom I chanced to see when I arrived at Argos was Count John Capo d'Istrias, the president of Greece. He was calling upon a gentleman at whose house I stopped, and from his dress I at first mistook him for a Russian officer, and was much pleased with his exceedingly gentleman- like manner and winning address. His fea- tures are handsome and dignified, his figure erect and well-proportioned, and his prepos- sessing appearance is not unsupported by his conversational powers, which are those of a well-informed, well-bred man of the world. Such is the appearance of the man who now PARTIES IN GREECE. 41 presides over the interests of Greece ; and be- fore I continue my personal narrative, it may be as well that I should cast a cursory view over the events of the last two years since he has held the reins of government. The campaign of 1826 had terminated un- favourably for the Greek cause. Ibrahim Pasha, with his Egyptians, occupied or devastated at his will every part of the Morea, except Na- poli di Romania and Epidauria: the citadel of Athens was closely invested by the Visir Kutayieh, and the dissensions which existed amongst the Greek chieftains raged with greater violence than ever. The common danger, instead of uniting, made them but cling with more tenacity to what little power they still retained ; and distrustful as they were of each other's intentions, it was fruitless to expect even the semblance of union amongst them. During the first years of the revolution, three factions rent the country with their eter- nal disputes : each grasped at power, and in turn exercised it ; each waged civil war against the others ; and thus, when the invasions of an enemy should have been the signal for calling the Greeks to arms, those who ought first to have answered the summons were imbruing their hands in the blood of their countrymen. 42 PARTIES IN GREECE. The first of these parties was headed by the Primates, or great landed proprietors ; a set of men who owed their influence to the situa- tion which they held under the Pashas, for they acted as an intermediate body betwixt the Turkish authorities and the people; they were generally selected by the Pashas from amongst those Greeks possessed of most landed property in the districts, and to them they looked for the payment of the haratsch* and other taxes imposed by the government. Un- der the plea of enforcing the orders of the Pasha, the Primates were guilty of the most arbitrary conduct; the unfortunate Rayah, who should have looked up to his countrymen for support, knew that even the Turk was merci- ful compared to him ; and the intimate know- ledge which the Primates possessed of the re- sources of every Greek who resided within their district, rendered all subterfuge on the plea of poverty unavailing. He who did not submit to be plundered illegally by his Primates was sure to be ruined on some legal pretext by the satellites of government. The Primates, though better educated, formed probably the most vitiated class in the Morea: domineered * Capitation tax. PARTIES IN GREECE. 43 over by every petty Turk in the country, they soothed their pride by tyrannizing over their wretched tenants ; and the acts of rapine, fraud, and oppression, by which their sway was distin- guished, were more grievously felt and bitterly complained of than those emanating from the will of their imperious masters. The Turk go- verned Greece as a conquered country, from which he had a right to extract what wealth he could — he had no feelings in common with the Rayahs whom he ruled over ; but the Primates knew well what pangs they inflicted, and those deeds which when committed by a Turk might be excusable as the force of habit, in a Primate could only be considered in the light of a crime. The next faction comprised those persons who, as captains of Armatoii, or leaders of bands of Klepths, had possessed themselves of the military power, and who, as long as affairs remained in an unsettled state, were sure of retaining influ- ence ; but these chieftains were all divided amongst themselves, and the Moreots and Roumeliots hated each other as cordially as they did the Turks. The third, or constitu- tional party, comprised all the most enlighten- ed characters in Greece, — men who to natural talents united the advantages of an European 44 PARTIES IN GREECE. education, and in some cases what is rarely to be met with in Greece — probity and disinte- restedness. The Greek chieftains looked upon each other mutually as a set of " intriguants" who were constantly trying to undermine and supplant each other ; and self-interest being the latent motive for all their actions, they would swear an alliance with the opposition faction one day, and have no scruple in breaking it on the next, should there be an opening for them to join the ruling party. Each person acted as a spy upon the actions of the other, and he who professed to speak with the greatest frankness was sure to be masking some deep design. The perfect knowledge they possessed of their mutual cha- racters placed them so completely on their guard, that even in the most trivial occurrences they withheld their confidence, unless their mutual interest tended to the same point, — then the greatest enemies hesitated not to coa- lesce, and apparently act in concert, each flatter- ing himself that the other was a dupe of whom he made use, with the firm intention of casting him aside whenever it suited his convenience; and thus the cleverest man, or most accom- plished hypocrite, was sure to gain the upper- hand. Those who found themselves thrown PARTIES IN GREECE. 45 out of office rallied round some leading person, whose interests they professed to identify with their own, until, as was not unfrequently the case, government deemed it prudent to buy them off; — if not, they at all events formed a party ready to avail itself of whatever advan- tages might present themselves, and which, by keeping the country in a state of ferment, they hoped to obtain. Whilst professing great pa- triotism, ambition and the desire of gain were all that actuated them, and those who exclaim- ed most loudly against bribery were always the easiest gained.* These were the people amongst whom the executive and legislative power of Greece was divided. Mutually hating and fearing each other, their proceedings were characterised by a tissue of fraud and villainy difficult to unravel ; and it was to be feared that, unless prompt mea- sures were taken to terminate their dissensions, the nascent liberties of Greece would be crush- ed for ever. It was therefore proposed to call a national assembly, and accordingly in 1827 * The President duly estimated the characters of the peo- ple he had to rule; and one day that he was enraged at some of their proceedings, he exclaimed, — " You are a canaille, — I know you; but you will not impose upon me, for I am one of your own cloth !" 46 COUNT CAPO D'ISTRIAS. the delegates of the people were convened at Trcezen, where, amidst the relics of departed grandeur, they debated upon the means to be pursued for the salvation of their ruined coun- try. To all it became evident that unanimity must be the basis of their actions, and to obtain this, General Sir Richard Church was nominated commander-in-chief of the army, and Lord Cochrane placed at the head of the maritime force of the country. At the same time, Count J. Capo d'Istrias was invited to Greece, and, as President, requested to assume the government of the country. Count J. Capo d'Istrias is a Corfiot by birth; and his family, which is of ancient descent, is possessed of considerable property in that island. Count John, who is the second brother, brought himself to the notice of the Russians at the time when they held possession of the Ionian Islands ; and having since entered their service, he became well known to the world as a diplomatist, and received credit for a consi- derable share of talent. At the congress of Vienna he is reported to have called forth from Prince Metternich the remark, " Ce jeune homme h) nous a fait la barbe a tons" whilst an- other eminent statesman, Sir T. Maitland, in expressing his opinion of Capo d'Istrias's abili- HIS ARRIVAL. 47 ties, said that he was a mere " political pup- pet." Which of the two sentiments was correct, his conduct since his elevation to the Presi- dency of Greece will best determine. In the year 1819, a visit which he made to Corfu was supposed to have been in connexion with the views of the Hetairists, whose cause he was known to advocate; but when the revolution burst forth in Wallachia, and that Greece was called upon to arm by Prince Alexander Ipsi- lanti, Capo d'Istrias was urgent in his endea- vours to check the progress of an insurrection which, being premature, he foresaw threatened destruction to those concerned in it ; he is said to have strongly assured the Greeks that they had no assistance to hope from Russia ; and however he may secretly have been connected with their party, he overtly disavowed their proceedings ; and, until he was summoned by the nation, did not offer to join the patriot cause ; - but there can be no doubt that he had from the commencement looked forward to the supreme command. In the month of January 1828, Capo d'Ist- rias arrived at Napoli di Romania in a Bri- tish line of battle ship ; and Griva, who was at that time at war with Colocotroni, opened the gates of the fortress to him, and thus placed the 48 VIEWS OF COUNT CAPO D'ISTRIAS. key of the Morea in his hands ; the other re- fractory chieftains hastened to show their pa- triotism by acknowledging the President, who, without any exercise of force, found him- self at the head of the nation. At this period the fears of the Greeks, as to their political existence, were hushed ; the decided part taken by the allied powers, the battle of Navarino, and the results to which it led, had paralysed the movements of their most formidable oppo- nent Ibrahim Pasha ; and although it is true that the fatal battle of Athens had been followed by the surrender of the Acropolis, the last strong- hold possessed by the Greeks in Eastern Hellas, the Turkish army had not been able to pene- trate through the denies of the Geraunian mountains, or force the position taken up by Church for the defence of the Isthmus of Co- rinth. From the enemies of Greece the Presi- dent had therefore comparatively little to fear, and his whole attention ought to have been oc- cupied in allaying the irritation caused by the factions I have before alluded to, and in restor- ing quiet to the unhappy peasantry. To fur- ther his views, all parties were willing to con- cur. Those men who had hitherto been fore- most in opposing the established government, when the member of a native cabal was at its A PROCLAMATION. 49 head, hesitated not to support a person who, it was hoped, would prove a stranger to the intrigues of party and to the spirit of fac- tion. The reputation for talent he had ac- quired when forming one of the Russian cabi- net, fostered the opinion that he was so well ini- tiated in the secret of legislation, as to become a rigid protector of the interests of the infant nation. His arriving in a British man-of-war, at a time when the Allies had announced their intention of interfering in favour of Greece, seemed to imply that he came as the dictator chosen by the allied powers ; and all classes, anxious to manifest their gratitude for the pro- tection of the allies, hastened to promise sub- mission to the President. Greece lay prostrate at his feet. How he availed himself of this disposition towards him, will hereafter appear. The first step taken by Capo dTstrias was to issue a proclamation, dated from on board of the Revenge, calling upon the Greeks to acknowledge his authority, and directing them to lay aside their arms. The alacrity with which this edict was submitted to, is highly creditable to the Greek peasantry ; and the result of the measure w r as the internal pa- cification of the country : those people who had hitherto derived the means of existing E 50 THE PANHELLEN1UM. from rapine and extortion, were obliged to seek a more peaceable mode of subsistence ; the in- dustrious classes were enabled to till their land and reap its fruits ; the highways were no longer infested by a lawless banditti ; and peace and se- curity were restored to the interior of families. This great point being gained, it was now hoped that the President, when selecting his subordinate ministers, would have made the choice without any reference to their party feelings, and have merely allowed talent and integrity to be claims upon his notice ; but the result did not justify this impression. Having abolished the preceding form of government, he proceeded to nominate a council, called the Panhellenium ; but though nominally possess- ing some power, this assembly was virtually merely used by him as a convenient mask to the really despotic authority that he reserved in his own hands. The contributions of France and Russia replenished his treasury, and gave him a force more irresistible in Greece than the employment of a powerful army ; and armed with these weapons, he no sooner saw himself in possession of the supreme power, than he began to prosecute his insidious designs, tend- ing to the aggrandizement of himself and his family ; to effect which, he hastened to form POLICY OF THE PRESIDENT. 51 a party, upon whose subserviency he could with certainty depend. To maintain himself in his post, as chief of the Greeks, was no doubt the object of his ambition ; and whilst he tried to cajole England and France by an appearance of liberality and candour, he really rested his hopes upon Russia, who having at all times looked upon Greece as a country she coveted, would no doubt prefer to see her governed by a man Russian in heart and edu- cation, and in whose hands she would be no- thing more or less than a Russian province, than to find her influenced by the liberal policy of France and England. Having fixed upon his plan of operations, the President's first care was to disgust, or otherwise get rid of, all those men whose integrity of prin- ciple and patriotism were bars to his personal views, and to replace them by members of his family, and Ionians, upon whom he could place implicit reliance. Prince Mavrocordato, Tricou- pi, and many other persons of merit, were forced to retire from office ; and the President's two brothers, Counts Viario and Augustin, were summoned from Corfu, where they had hither- to passed their days in obscurity, and called upon to assist in presiding over the destinies of Greece. Viario, the eldest, was forthwith e 2 52 THE PRESIDENT'S BROTHERS. placed at the head of the war and marine de- partments ; and no sooner did he assume the office than his incapacity and ignorance became manifest : from that day the President's popu- larity began to decline; and so well has Viario followed up the system he commenced, that he is now utterly detested, and not only receives credit for his own misdeeds, but is also sup- posed to instigate his brother, Count John, to perform those acts which have called down upon him the hatred of men who once were his firmest friends and supporters. Count Augus- tin is a very young man ; he had been educated for the law, but made no progress in his pro- fession, and was idling at Corfu when his bro- ther was nominated to the Presidency of Greece. In him, Capo d'Istrias discovered some latent sparks of military talent, (acquired no doubt by watching the drill of our regiments on the esplanade,) and the experience thus learnt suf- ficed to point him out as the leader of the Greek army in Acarnania. Measures were there- fore taken to thwart and disgust Sir Richard Church, who, as Generalissimo of the Greeks, had been successfully employing himself with his nominal army in clearing Western Greece from the Turks ; and by refusing him supplies SYSTEM Ol ; MISRULE. 53 of money and provisions, this object was soon attained ; Church resigned, and Augustin was appointed General, and nominated to the va- cant post. His conduct in his new situation was exactly what might have been expected from such a puppet ; he remained at Lepanto, providing for future contingencies, by availing himself of whatever opportunities occurred for improving his fortune, instead of taking effec- tual steps to pacify that part of the country which, though now two years in the possession of the Greeks, is in as unsettled a state at present as it was during the war. The subordinate offices, in like manner, were distributed to persons whose only merits and claims were a blind subserviency to the will of the Dictator ; the Ionian islands poured forth the refuse of their population upon devoted Greece, and every lucrative office or situation of trust was confided to the islanders : they viewed Greece as vultures would a carcase on which they hoped to gorge themselves, even unto satiety ; and so well have they employed their time, that there is little now left but the skeleton. To those persons whose accession he deemed advantageous to his party, the President dispensed the French 54 SYSTEM OF MISRULE. and Russian subsidies with a liberal hand, on the plea of indemnity for losses sustained during the war, and the celebrated Coloco- troni, who possesses great influence amongst the peasantry of the Morea, by this means was firmly bound to the President's party ; the ig- norant Moreots were led to believe that Ibrahim had been expelled from the country by Capo d'Istrias, and that they owed their present security entirely to him ; and as he abstained from taxation, they were easily induced to ac- quiesce in any measure proposed by the Presi- dent's satellites. Thus the country was ruled with a tyranny not the less severely felt, though masked under the garb of liberty ; the bright dreams of the well-wishers to Greece were dis- pelled by the conduct of him to whom they had looked as a preserver ; factions which they supposed were quelled, like the heads of the Hydra, sprung up more formidable than ever ; the demoralization of Greece advanced with rapid strides, and as a final blow to the happiness of the country, a system of espionage was esta- blished, unequalled perhaps in the most despo- tic country in the world. The child was set as a spy upon the actions of the parent, the brother upon the brother ; the privacy of families was invaded, letters were opened, and on one oc- THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. 55 casion the goverment mail was actually robbed by the orders of the President, who was anxious to examine its contents.* Such were the leading characteristics of the President's rule during 1828, and part of the following year ; but the Protocol to the Treaty of London having then become public, and struck a death-blow to his ambitious hopes, he resolved, by a great political stroke, to impress the Allies with the idea, that in removing him from the government of Greece, they would act in direct opposition to the wishes of that nation, which, as he would prove to the world, he had so ably governed. For this purpose he resolved to convene a National Assembly ; and his emissaries were immediately directed to secure the election of such men as had no opi- nions of their own, or would presume to differ from the directions they would receive for their future guidance. Circular letters of the Pre- * A gentleman, whose name I have forgotten, in a letter to a friend, written shortly after the pnblication of the Pro- tocol, made some judicious remarks on the subject, but without in the least reflecting on the government of the Pre- sident. The letter was intercepted, and was made the ground of an accusation against him. He was found guilty by the subservient judges, and sentenced to one year's im- prisonment ! 56 NOMINATION OF THE DEPUTIES. sklent's own composition were sent to the elec- tors and deputies, wherein he warned them that they were to assent to all his measures, " et en rien changer la position actuelle du Presi- dent" under pain of being ejected from their employments ; and as he was afraid that, even with these precautions, he should not be able to obtain the overwhelming majority he wished for, he nominated deputies from Candia and other islands belonging to the Turks, as well as from the armies of the Morea, and Eastern and Western Greece ! Satisfied with these precau- tions, and with the knowledge that the igno- rant clowns deputed from the Morea were mere machines he could move at will, he summonsed the States of Greece to assemble at Argos, and the ancient theatre, at the foot of the Larissa hill, was cleared out for their reception. A better spot than this could not have been se- lected, observed the editor of the Smyrna Ga- zette, " pour jouer la comedieT The proceedings of this assembly were such as might have been foreseen. The resolutions they entered into were all prepared by the Pre- sident, who, in receiving their thanks and com- munications, merely heard repeated what he had himself composed. He opened the sitting dressed in a Russian uniform, and wearing OPENING OF THE SITTINGS. 57 Russian orders, and uttered a speech explana- tory of the leading points of his government, and of the manner in which the finances of the state had been disbursed ; adding, that to them he had devoted " les derniers restes" of his fortune. Every measure he proposed was carried by acclamation. An income of 30,000 S. dollars was offered to him, which he, with great apparent disinterestedness, refused ;* and he was requested to continue the line of conduct that he had hitherto pursued with so much advantage to the nation. In an assembly thus constituted, there was of course but little oratorical display ; and those who did venture to adorn their language with a few classical quotations, were listened to with astonishment by their less accom- plished comrades. Their ignorance gave rise to an amusing scene. There is a very common expression amongst Eastern nations, implying, " May you eat dirt !" which in Greek is signified by the words, " Na to fas." It chanced during * Count John Capo d'Istrias cannot be taxed with ever having tried to increase his private fortune at the expense of the Greeks ; in money matters he is perfectly disinte- rested, although his brothers are less scrupulous. The 30,000 dollars were offered to him at his own instigation, that he might have the merit of refusing them. 58 THE SENATE. the sittings of the assembly, that one of the de- puties, who was better informed than the rest, wishing to make a display of his erudition, in- troduced in his speech the Latin quotation, " Fas, aut nefas," and when he uttered it, acci- dentally fixed his eyes on one of the Moreot de- puties seated opposite to his. The other think- ing that the speech was addressed to him, and hearing a word resembling the expression above alluded to, instantly sprang from his seat, and shaking his fist at the astonished orator, roared out, " jVci to fas I na to fas yourself." A slight change was made by the President in the form of government ; he found that the Panhellium was not always inclined to submit to his dictation, and he seized this opportu- nity of forming a new council, to be styled the Senate. It was composed of twenty-seven members, twenty-one of whom were to be chosen by the President from a list of sixty presented by the Congress, whilst the remain- der were entirely at his nomination ; and what- ever vacancy might occur was likewise to be filled up by him. But this council, though so completely at the disposal of the President, was allowed only the semblance of authority ; it merely had to approve or negative the " pro- jets de loUF submitted to it by him, and which THE REVENUE. 59 in either case could be carried into effect on his own responsibility. In financial arrangements alone was its consent required. The Assembly likewise gave its sanction to a new coinage, bearing the emblem of a Phcenix on one side, and the name of the President on the other ; and also to the in- stitution of an order, to be called St. Saviour, with the insignia of which all those who con- tributed to the liberation of Greece were to be decorated ; but although the first mentioned resolution has been carried into effect, the lat- ter has not been acted upon. A law was also passed authorizing the Government to take pos- session of the church lands. The revenue for the past year, as laid before the National Assembly, did not appear to be in a very flourishing state ; the taxes only pro- ducing 8,539,969 piastres, (or 116,711/.) which with the French and Russian subsidies, and some other funds, formed a total of 350,940/., to which the expenditure nearly amounted, only 30,000/. being left in hand for the expenses of the current year. The following is the state- ment published in the Government Gazette.* * The Government Gazette is published in the French language, at iEgina. GO RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. Receipts from January 1828, to April 1829. PiMtres. Revenue 8,539,969 Funds of the National Bank . . 2,034,660 Prizes not liquidated . . . 233,414 *Owing to several by the State . . 455,845 Funds given by his Excellency the Pre |l,706,i sident French Subsidies .... 8,265,000 Russian ditto .... 4,383,200 Total • 25,618,664 Expenditure. Land and sea service . 13,647,214 Sundry establishments . 684,335 Civil List . • . . 1,879,864 Orphanotrophe 38,779 Charitable Donations . 356,880 Paid to Creditors of the State 281,771 Unpaid by the farmers of the Public Revenue . 658,948 Paid to Lord Cochrane . 159,510 Value of cargoes paid to Admiral Dandol a 115,831 Cash in hand * * 2,129,022 Total piastres 25,618,664 15 piastres are equal to one Spanish dollar — 73 piastres 1/. sterling. The obedient representatives of Greece had now performed all that their Chief required from them ; they had enabled the President to * The original expression is " Du a divers par l'Etat." PRESIDENT'S DESIGNS FRUSTRATED. (jl impress upon those who viewed these proceed- ings at a distance, that the welfare of Greece centered in his person, and that he alone was capable of governing her. By his apparent at- tention to the progress of education, he exhi- bited his judicious care of the interests of the rising generation, and this he knew was a bait which would be seized with avidity by those who were not able to examine the truth of his statements ; and by renouncing any salary for himself, he hoped to gain the credit of being actuated solely by disinterested motives in all his proceedings. But, unfortunately, his words and deeds have been at variance. In his efforts to obtain the sovereignty of Greece, he pursued an underhand, intriguing course, which alienated from him those persons who, at one time, would have supported his cause ; and this circumstance alone suffices to prove that his talents have been overrated. Of him may be justly said, " Tel brille au second rang, qui s'eclipse au premier." He made an excellent Russian minister, but his mind has too long pursued the tortuous path of diplomatic cunning to be capable of viewing affairs in a straight-forward, undis- guised manner ; and he possesses not the inde- pendent, high-minded principles which should 02 PLAINS OF ARGOS. characterise the sovereign of a free nation. His views of government are contracted ; and it will be a happy day for Greece when he is called upon to lay down the power which he has so much abused. The assembly being dissolved, Capo d'Istrias transferred the seat of government from Mgina to Napoli; and thus were affairs situated when I entered Greece. The various accounts I had heard of the beauty and richness of the plains of Argos, caused me much disappointment. A per- fectly level plain, of about forty square miles, in idi versified by trees or hedges, and hemmed in by a barren and rugged range of moun- tains, was not calculated to excite much ad- miration ; and the very few hamlets which are scattered over it being composed of mere mud huts, did not appear as striking ob- jects ; but when I passed the hill of the Acro- polis, and that I beheld before me the town of Argos, and in the distance Napoli di Ro- mania, with its impregnable Palamede, the spacious gulf bounded by the bold mountains of Laconia and Epidamia, the marsh of Lerna, and the site of Mycenae, my classical recollec- tions induced me to view the scene with much interest. Argos appeared to be a large strag- gling village, interspersed with ruins of Turkish GULF OF NAPOLI. 63 Pyrgi, Christian churches, Turkish mosques, and masses of Roman brickwork ; but how- ever uninviting the first coup d'ceil may have been, it was not in the least improved upon a closer examination. Alternately de- voted to the flames by Greeks and Turks, Argos was now literally rising from its ashes ; but, unlike the phcenix, not with renovated beauty, — three houses, belonging to the Presi- dent, Mr. Dawkins, and Colonel Gordon, being the only mansions that were habitable ; the rest were mud hovels. It contains 5000 inhabi- tants, most of whom are cultivators of the sur- rounding plain. I stayed so short a time at Argos that I was under the necessity of deferring my visits to its antiquities until my return, and I there- fore proceeded four miles onwards to the Gulf of Napoli, where I embarked on board H, M. S. Favourite, Captain Harrison, for Vourla, where the British squadron was anchored. In sailing out of the gulf, there was nothing to attract attention until we came opposite to the small islands of Spezzia and Hydra, which have become so celebrated by the part the inhabitants took in the naval struggle be- tween Turkey and her revolted provinces. Previous to the Revolution, these islanders were 64 THE IIYDRIOTS. the most favoured subjects of the Porte; no Turks ever resided on their islands, the tribute they paid was merely nominal, and in return for these indulgences, the Sultan hoped to ob- tain a supply of experienced sailors to man his fleet. Both parties were satisfied with this ar- rangement; the Hydriots and Spezziots devoted their attention solely to commerce, every male inhabitant became a sailor, and these barren rocks, at the commencement of the war, mono- polized all the carrying trade of the Levant. Their wealth became proportionately great ; and of all the subjects of the Porte, whether Christian or Moslem, they had least felt its des- potic system of government, and were, in fact, quite independent. But when the wrongs of their less favoured countrymen called aloud for redress, the restless and enterprising spirit of the Hydriots induced them to join the patriot cause, and foreseeing that, should they remain neuter, the Turks would nevertheless punish them for the sins of their fellow-ray all s, they felt convinced that not only patriotism but policy were in favour of their hoisting: the flaw of in- dependence. The fame of their exploits under the gallant Miaulis and Tombazi resounded through Europe. With their little brigs, they feared not to encounter the numerous squadrons IMPROVIDENCE OF THE HYDIUOTS. Q(j of the Ottomans, and many a line-of-battle- ship destroyed, many a fleet consumed by the flames, established their character for courage and skill, and struck terror into the hearts of their enemies. But these advantages were not gained without severe sacrifices on their parts. As their prosperity was solely owing to com- merce, so when trade became stagnated, the sources of their wealth dried up, and their rocky islands being perfectly barren, they were obliged to expend their hoarded wealth in pur- chasing supplies for their numerous population. It is true that both Hydriots and Spezziots were paid by the Government for their services ; but the emoluments they received were a poor remuneration for the wealth they acquired when their vessels were employed in trade. During the campaign, which lasted six months, a first- rate sailor received from seventy-five to one hun- dred piastres monthly, with which he had to support his family during the year ; and when by a lucky capture an islander chanced to obtain an unexpected supply of money, like the gam- bler, who rolling in riches one day, is a beggar the next, so did the Hydriot think only of the present moment — the money he received was squandered in senseless profusion ; and when all was expended, he felt a disgust for the plain F 66 Condi ( r OF THE SPEZZIOTS. habits of life to which he had been hitherto ac- customed. Every Hvdriot sailor had a share of the vessel in which he served ; and not un- frequently the loss of a ship entailed ruin upon several families : -thus when the war termi- nated, the Ilydriots discovered that their sacri- fices and devotions, instead of benefiting their interests, had only reduced them to the brink of poverty ; and that their political situation was infinitely worse than when they were under the Turkish government, for that now they had no privileges apart from the mass of the nation, and were obliged, in common with the conti- nental Greeks, to contribute their share to the exigencies of the state. Disgusted with this result, and despairing of obtaining employment under their own flag, more than eight hundred Hydriots have, I understand, left Greece with the intention of entering the service of Mahom- med Ali ; and whilst their own vessels are rot- ting in the harbour of Poros from a want of sailors to man, and cargoes to freight them, the navy of the Egyptian Pacha will receive an invaluable accession of strength from the men whose country he has laid waste and desolated. The Spezziots, during the war, always act- ed with great circumspection, and have been ISLAND OF IPSARA. 67 gainers, instead of losers, by the contest ; for when they found that commerce was at a stand, they made war upon the world one day, as pirates, and, as patriots, fought the Turks the next, and by uniting these two capacities, have managed to obtain the character of good citizens, and to render themselves masters of great riches. They likewise are discontented, and wish for the return of former days ; but their fate is seal- ed, and they must for the future compete with others in conducting the trade of Greece, and forget that they ever monopolized it. We passed close under the rocky hills of Hydra : they were destitute of vegetation, and unadorned by a single tree ; but several white houses were perched on the summits of the crags, where they served as look-out posts to warn the inhabitants of the town, should dan- ger be approaching. It seemed a melancholy, dreary spot. From hence, a fair breeze carried us rapidly onwards : we passed the Bocca Silota during the night, and next morning ran close under Ipsara, which, like Spezzia and Hydra, contributed largely to the maritime successes of the Greeks, but unfortunately escaped not unscathed from the conflict. The Ipsariots were among the first who declared themselves independent, and with their fleet joined the F 2 (38 SLAUGHTER OF THE [P8ARIOTS. Hydriot squadron ; the most daring feats of the naval campaigns were executed by their sailors ; and the intrepid Canaris was a native of Ipsara. The proximity of the island to the Asiatic coast exposed it, considerably more than Hydra or Spezzia, to the attacks of the Turks ; and the injury the Ottoman fleet constantly experienced from the Ipsariot sailors, called aloud for vengeance ; but during three years the Ipsariots were unmolested by the Turks; and it was only in 1824- that the Capital! Pasha, at the head of a numerous fleet, attacked the devoted island. The inhabitants were overpowered by numbers ; many, in mak- ing a useless defence, perished sword in hand, and others were slaughtered whilst attempting to escape ; but the greater part of the Ipsariots succeeded in reaching their ships with their families, and sought for shelter in Greece. Many of them are now at Napoli, JEgina, Poros, and other maritime towns of Greece; some few have returned to their desolate island. The town was sacked and burnt by the Capital] Pasha ; but, when viewed from a distance, with the sun shining on the white walls of the houses, seemed still perfect and habitable : however, on approaching it, we perceived that the houses were roofless and ISLAND OF SCIO. (39 empty ; the harbour, without even a fishing- boat upon it ; and that not a single wreath of smoke was rising from the town to betoken the presence of an inhabitant. Ipsara will never again be occupied by its exiled children ; they are determined to live under the protec- tion of the country in establishing whose in- tegrity they have suffered so much ; and when the Government shall have allotted to them a territory in lieu of that from whence they have been expelled, they purpose calling it by the name of Ipsara, that their descendants may re- member how dearly they paid for their liberty. A southerly gale filled our sails : under dou- ble-reefed topsails we cut through the water at the rate of ten miles an hour ; and Scio, now capped by a sheet of clouds which seemed rushing down the hills, appeared rapidly more distinct. None of the islands I had hitherto seen equalled the expectations I formed, and which were undoubtedly too highly wrought. I hoped to see Greece's sunny isles interspersed with forest and mountain scenery, and vying with the Caribbees in beauty. Here, on a frowning promontory, the majestic ruins of an ancient temple, below a cheerful village, embo- somed in orange and olive groves ; the bright 70 FATE OF THE SCIOTES. blue sky unchequered by a cloud ; and the yEgean barely agitated by a gentle breeze. I beheld barren rocks, against which the foaming waves dashed with fury, scattering their spray high in the air ; the soil, apparently unpro- ductive and parched, barely affording nou- rishment to a few solitary, unhappy-looking trees bending beneath the fury of the blast ; the towns, which deceived the eye from afar, proving to be in ruins, and the heavens dark- ened by the tempest. So did the Isles of Greece display themselves to me ; but Scio was a favourable exception. It used in happier days to be called the Garden of the Archipe- lago : the hills were clad with forests of oak, and the valleys were bright with cultivation ; the women were the most lovely of the East, the men, the best educated and most refined ; and the inhabitants were renowned for their wealth and prosperity: but, in 1822, fifty-five thousand of the Sciotes either fell before the scimitar of the Turks, or were condemned to slavery. It is unnecessary to repeat the sad tale, which was heard and listened to with commiseration in every part of Europe. Suf- fice it to say, that Scio has not, nor ever will recover from the blow. A few inhabitants still occupy the island ; but all that render- GULF OF SMYRNA. 71 ed Scio valuable has been swept away, and this ill-fated spot is comparatively a desert. The wind rushed through the chasms of the mountains with unparalleled violence when we sailed under their lea ; and as the scud flew ra- pidly along, and for an instant obscured the face of the sun, the various tints of light and shade thrown upon the island had a most beautiful effect, and displayed to great advan- tage the romantic glens of the wooded moun- tains. The next day we beat up the Gulf of Smyrna, and anchored at Vourla in the midst of the British squadron. From thence, on the 31st of October, I pro- ceeded to Constantinople. So many books have been published relative to that city, that I am not presumptuous enough to undertake a new version of an oft-told tale. I will only say, that I had the honour of playing at Ecarte with the Capitan Pasha ; that I saw the members of the Sultan's cabinet drinking the health of the King, and of Charles the Tenth, in bumpers of champagne, at the supper-table of Count Guil- leminot, on which a large ham was placed ; that I was present when Avney Bey, Lieutenant- Colonel of the cavalry of the guard, and first Aid-de-Camp to the Sultan, requested a lady to waltz with him, and continued dancing during 72 CONSTANTINOPLE. the whole evening ; that the Turkish ladies have lowered so much of their veil, that the infidels are now permitted to see part of the forehead, and even the nose ; and that Sultan Mahmoud wears boots, spurs, trowsers, and gloves, just like a Christian ! THE CYCLADES. CHAPTER III. The Cyclades. — Cape Colonna. — Temple of Minerva. — JEgina. — Tombs. — Palicari. — Orphanotrope. — Museum. — Temple of Jupiter. — Panhellenium. — Temple of Venus. — Quarantine. — Prince Demetrius Ypsilanti. — Ipsariot boat- men. — Poros. — Russian squadron. — Greek fleet. — Com- merce. — Damala. — Troezen. On the 24th December, His Majesty's cutter Hind, in which I returned from Constanti- nople, sailed between Andros and Negropont, through the Bocca Silota, on her way to iEgina. The island of Andros is not remarkable for its beauty, and the opposite coast of Negro- pont is likewise sterile and desolate; the mountains we passed were partly concealed by dense vapours floating round their sum- mits ; and the chasms into which they have been rent by some convulsion of nature, are quite destitute of herbage. In the distance, as we emerged from the narrow passage, we saw the grey land of Syra, My cone, Tino, and Zea, 74 CAPE COLONNA. better known under its ancient name of Cos, and as being the birthplace of Hippocrates, Apelles, and Simonides; and to the north-west we sought to catcli a glimpse of Marathon, but w r ere too far distant. The day had already nearly closed before we passed Cos ; and we eagerly looked towards the west, in the hopes that we might see " Sunium's marbled steep" before dark. The setting sun had brightened the western hori- zon with a ruby tint; and when we doubled the south point of Long Island, we saw Cape Colonna stretching to the sea, and the seven columns which are left of its beautiful Temple strongly pencilled in the glowing sky, whilst all the land around was dark. For a few mo- ments, the illuminated horizon continued to throw the Cape into strong relief; but, when the sky lost its borrowed light, the scene gradually became less distinct, and soon was concealed in darkness. I w r as unable, from personal examination, to ascertain what mutilations had been inflicted on the Tem- ple of late years by various antiquarian ama- teurs ; but I understand that the damage is irreparable, and leading to no useful result ; for public museums have not benefited by its spoliation, and the fragments taken from the TEMPLE OF MINERVA. 75 ruin are now lost to the world in the insignifi- cant museums of some private persons. One of our own countrymen first set the example, by carrying off a few of the marbles, and he was successfully imitated by the captain of an Austrian frigate, who also caused the name of his ship to be painted in large red letters on the frieze of the Temple.* Whilst people were lamenting that time should have made such rapid ravages in this work of art, the beautiful columns were quietly borne away to other lands, and no one knew how they had disappeared ; but the rage for antiquarian destruction has now ceased, and we may hope that the few remnants of Minerva's fame, which still act as a landmark to the sailor, and as a national me- mento to the Greeks, may for the future be left unmolested to war solely with the elements, whose influence they have withstood during so many centuries. * A friend of mine who passed through Venice two years since, when visiting the Austrian buildings, observed some columns lying on the ground, which he recognised imme- diately as being of Grecian architecture. In answer to his remarks, the officer to whom he addressed himself, assented, and said that he had brought them from Cape Colonna; an English officer having first set the example. Thus it is, that the civilized moderns are inflicting greater injury upon the antiquities of Greece, than they received during many cen- turies exposure to the ravages of barbarians. 76 CAPE COLONNA, The weather had been so gloomy this day, that I tried in vain to recognise in the scenes before me those " blessed isles," which, when seen from " Colonna's height," are said to be so beautiful ; and I felt convinced, that a person who visits Greece with the hope of not finding his juvenile enthusiasm damped, and who would wish to retain a romantic impression of the classic soil, should never travel in winter. Our spirits are affected by the weather, as is a baro- meter. A brilliant sunshine not only gilds the scene before us, but likewise casts its exhilarating influence over our minds, — we view every thing under the most favourable colours ; the lights and shadows cast upon the mountains create a thousand imaginary beauties, which, if divested of their splendour, would be dismal and chill- ing — decked with the rosy tints of a setting sun, the most terrific, sterile rocks are not defi- cient in beauty ; we allow full play to our imagination, and the first impression remaining engraved in our memory, we always recur to that scene as representative of the distant spot. But if, instead of a bright summer's day, a person views the shores of Greece in bleak December, the sea foaming around, a dense mass of clouds above, and the cheerless land appear- ing in all its nakedness, bis feelings will be A.G1NA. 77 very different. Such has been my case : with the exception of one kind gleam from the sink- ing sun, which fell upon the ruined temple, the day had been dark and dismal, and I shall always feel more inclined to think of Cape Colonna as the scene of Falconer's " Shipwreck," than as a spot remarkable for the beauties of its situation. The next morning (Christinas Day) the clouds disappeared ; the sun shone out brightly ; we were sailing close under the land of iEgina, and Athens, Salamis, and Poros, were in sight. The slopes of the hills of iEgina are laid out in ter- races, on which a scanty vegetation is percep- tible, and a few olive trees are scattered here and there, but rock is the principal feature of the island. We expected to find the Bri- tish squadron here ; but the harbour was only occupied by a French brig of war, Sir Pulteney Malcolm having sailed for Poros. A road, or rather receptacle for mud and rain, made under the direction of Count Viario, leads from the anchorage to the town, situated in a small plain, on the site of the ancient city. It is a wretched spot, notwithstanding that some pains were taken to ameliorate its appearance during the time it was the seat of govern- ment ; but, with the exception of the Presi- dent's house, and the Orphanotrope, a large 78 If. IN A. building lately erected for a public school, it contains scarcely a single habitable mansion. In the main street are several shops, and the port, which was full of small trading vessels, is adorned with a well-built quay : there is like- wise a quarantine establishment, and a church. The inhabitants, who are mostly refugees from Attica, Ipsara, and other places in the power of the Turks, are about five thousand in number ; at one time the island was crowded to excess with fugitives from the continent ; but these are gradually returning to their native villages ; and when Attica is evacuated by the Turks, JEgina will sink into comparative insignificance. The dwellings of these unfortunate people are most wretched ; and many of the unhappy Athe- nians and Ipsariots, unable even to procure a miserable hut, are content to dwell under- ground, in the ancient tombs of the iEgineta?, or of the fugitive Athenians. The rocks around the town are full of these sepulchral chambers, which have been opened in search of antique vases. They are entered by steps ; and the roof and sides, being covered with cement, protect those who inhabit them from the weather. A strange coincidence this, that the tombs of the Athenian dead, who were here buried at the time when they fled from their Persian inva- THE TOMBS. 79 ders, should, twenty-two centuries afterwards, receive and shelter their descendants, like them, fugitives, and escaping from the despotism of an Eastern lord. The numerous vases, of exquisite design and workmanship, daily found in the tombs, induce us to think that they were most probably the work of the Athe- nians during their stay here; for, although iEgina was once of considerable importance previous to its conquest by Pericles, it seems improbable that the population of so small an island should have been either sufficiently nu- merous or wealthy to excavate such number- less tombs, or place in them so many beautiful vases. At all times, iEgina has afforded a re- fuge in the hour of danger to the Athenians. Once, during the Persian war ; a second time, when Attica was ravaged by the Goths ; and more than once since the commencement of the Revolution. I had some difficulty in procuring lodgings. I was refused admittance at a place called the Hotel cles Trots Puissances, because, it being Christmas Day, the landlord was absent feasting with his friends ; but, after rambling through the town,' I obtained a comfortable apartment in the house of an Athenian lady. She had fledlfrom Athens at the commencement of the 80 MY LANDLADY'S HISTORY. Avar, and, sacrificing an excellent house and its furniture, was happy to escape with her hus- band and two pretty daughters, with what por- table property they possessed, to Hydra. She there hired a boat to convey them to .Egina ; and having embarked all their valuables, await- ed in a friend's house until a change of wind would enable them to sail. But the boatmen had other intentions ; a boat full of baggage was a prize not to be often met with, espe- cially without a little fighting; they therefore thought that it would be exceedingly wrong to miss such an opportunity of carrying off some booty ; and when it was dark, they set all sail, and stood out to sea. Several hours after their departure, my landlady and her daughters proceeded to the beach with the intention of embarking ; but when they reached the spot where the boat had been moored, none was to be seen ; and she learnt, when it was too late, that there were as many miscreants among her countrymen as in the ranks of the enemy. She was now pennyless, her husband died broken- hearted, and her young daughters had no guar- dian but her ; so she struggled with her misfor- tunes, and managed, with the assistance of her relations, to live respectably, and educate her children, who were Learning French and Ita- A SUNDAY SCENE. 81 lian. Her case is a common one ; almost all the Athenians have been reduced from wealth to penury, and are utterly ruined. On Sunday I had an opportunity of viewing the inhabitants in their best attire, and many varieties of costume were to be seen ; but the gaudy finery of some of the dresses suited ill with the filth and wretchedness around. There were women of Ipsara with Turkish veils, con- cealing part of their faces; HydriotSjWith dresses like those of the Swiss peasantry, Albanians, Moreots, and Athenians, who might be recognis- ed by their braided hair. Some of the latter had beautiful faces, brilliant black eyes, arched eye- brows, and delicate red and white complexions; but almost all were painted. Their figures I cannot praise ; for they are never seen ; their clumsy gowns, with waists as high as the shoul- ders, destroy the symmetry of their form, and so disfigure them, that when their backs are turn- ed, it is impossible to distinguish sixty from sixteen. The difference of dress amongst the men is not so striking, there being only two costumes — the island and the Albanian : the former is very unbecoming ; the loose Turkish trowsers being substituted for the handsome white fustanella (phillibeg). iEgina, at this moment, contained some of G 82 M. DE RIBEAUPIERRE. the leading characters in Greece. The President had arrived for the purpose of communicating with M. dc Ribeaupierre, (who was on his way to Constantinople,) and persuading him that the welfare of Greece depended upon his be- ing retained at the head of the government. He therefore directed a deputation from the Senate (apparently unconnected with himself) to wait upon the Ambassador, and, in the name of the Greek nation, request that his Majesty the Emperor of Russia would interfere to obtain the nomination of Capo d'Istrias as chief of Greece ; that he would be pleased to grant them a pecuniary supply ; and, moreover, use his influence with the Sultan to remove the restrictions upon Greek commerce in the Black Sea. To these solicitations M. de Ribeau- pierre could return no direct answer : and late events have proved that the Emperor of Russia paid but little attention to the first of their de- mands. Whilst, however, the President strains every nerve to obtain his nomination to the sovereignty of Greece, he affects publicly an ardent desire to return into private life, and says that he will be most happy to serve as prime minister to the sovereign nominated by the allies, if the employment of his talents can in any way be of use to the nation. These ARMY AT SAJLAMIS. 83 expressions have been repeated by the Ger- man papers ; and those persons whose only means of information are derived from the public press, are led to believe that he is a disinterested patriot ; but a glance behind the scenes would speedily undeceive them, and show the crafty politician in his true colours. Prince Ypsilanti was expected at JEgina, and Prince Mavroeordato, Sir Richard Church, Tri- coupi, and the heads of the opposition, usually resided here, taking no interest in public af- fairs, and waiting quietly until the fiat of the allied powers should be made public. The movements of Capo d'Istrias were watch- ed with much interest, as he had just returned from Salamis, whither he had proceeded in the steam-boat, in the hopes of allaying the clamours of the irregular troops, who thought proper to demand nine months' pay that was due to them. The force stationed at Salamis amounted to five thousand Roumeliots, under the command of their Capitani, amongst whom were Grisiotti, Vasso, Hadgi Christo, Metaxa, and others, whose names were celebrated during the war. As an army they were perfectly useless, they had no enemy to oppose, and it is impossible to divine what object was to be gained by keep- ing them imbodied. During several months g 2 84 DISCONTENT OF THE TROOPS. they had been stationed in and around Salamis, doing literally nothing ; and as there was not a superabundance of money in the hands of Government, many considered that it would be advisable to disband them. The President was of a different opinion ; they were kept in arrears ; and then, on finding that their pay was not forthcoming, they threatened to march into the Morea, and remunerate them- selves by the plunder of the country. This storm, which Capo dTstrias had himself raised, he found it no easy matter to dispel. Having assembled the leaders of the Palicari, he at- tempted at first to amuse them with promises; but finding that this was unavailing, he ad- dressed one of the captains in terms of abuse, and threatened, should he not submit, to send him to his native forests to feed pigs, as he had used to do. The other, looking him full in the face, exclaimed, " Excellency ! He who dares send me to feed pigs is a man of dirt." — This conversation only increased the discontent, and the President found himself under the neces- sity of granting half their demand ; but as the Palicari would listen to no compromise relative to the remainder, fears were entertained lest they should put their threats into execution ; and it is more than probable that, if the French troops at Navarin had not at this time received a tele- THE ORPHANOTROPE. 85 graphic dispatch from Toulon, directing them to delay their embarkation for France, the Morea would have been invaded by this lawless militia. The only claims that ttgina, possesses on the attention of the antiquarian, are the Tem- ples of Jupiter Panhellenius, and of Venus, and a small Museum within the Orphano- trope. The last is a large square building, con- structed under the direction of Capo dTstrias, for the purpose of affording an asylum to more than six hundred fatherless children. Their education is superintended by some priests ; but I regret to say, that more attention is paid to their marching and saluting, than to their morals or intellects. A large yard, in the interior of the building, affords ample space for exercise, and in it were leaping-bars and poles for gymnastic exercises, in imitation of the ancient Spartans. The rooms were well aired and clean, and if proper care were taken to teach the boys, much good might be expected from this institution ; but they are sadly in want of better instructors than those they now possess. A gentleman of my acquaintance told me, that a very intelligent Greek boy, whom he had sent there during six months, returned without knowing his alpha- bet ; and that this backwardness did not pro- ceed from stupidity was evident, for after a few weeks' instruction at home, he made a SG NATIONAL MUSEUM. most rapid progress. The school is on the Lan- castrian system, — and Greece has to thank the benevolent feelings of the Dowager Empress of Russia for its establishment; she contri- buted the funds necessary for its construction, amounting, it is said, to 1,706,576 piastres, (or 23,377/.) from her private purse; it is, how- ever, quite impossible, that the paltry building at Migma could have cost such an enormous sum. A room in the Orphanotrope is allotted to the ancient marbles which have lately been discovered, and are intended as the commence- ment of a National Museum. There are several votive tablets, some basso relievos of no great merit, a mutilated colossal statue of Juno or Ceres, and an unfinished but remarkably spirited statue of a Harpy seizing a vase. This piece of sculpture is cut out of a block of dark-coloured marble three feet high, and although it is un- polished, and that the knobs from which the sculptor measured his proportions protrude here and there, it must be considered a very clever performance, and from its singularity invalua- ble, — for, if I mistake not, it is the only repre- sentation extant of those obscene birds. Several Greeks came into the room, and seeing me mak- ing a sketch of this figure, crowded round me. "What is it/' said one,— "is it a woman ?" — A REMARKABLE STATUE. 87 " No ! it is a man," replied a second. — " It must be the devil," said a third. Milordo was appealed to; but my explana- tion, that it was the figure of a Greek lady, who once upon a time lived in an island near Zante, and was very fond of other persons' dinners, and who moreover had wings and claws like a bird, did not appear to be quite intelligible ; they were puzzled to make out the truth of my tale, and renewed their examina- tion of the monster, with an air of stupid won- der. I since heard that not only the lower classes, but others who pride themselves upon their antiquarian knowledge, have been unable to decide what the statue was intended to repre- sent ; and Count Viario, Doctor , a friend of his, and the gentleman who related this to me, proceeded to examine it. "There," said the Doctor, pointing to the knobs which, as I before observed, protruded from the statue, — " there are proofs that this figure was intend- ed to represent disease; these are evidently pus- tules ; and such was the vivacious imagination of the ancients, that they wished to signify the deformity occasioned by the Elephantiasis in these claws and mis-shapen limbs." " But the wings ?" said my friend. " Why, they are likewise the efforts of ima- gination." 88 A REMARKABLE STATUE. " However, the beautiful countenance and matted locks are the attributes of Harpies ?" " The contrast only shows more powerfully the horrors of the disease." " But why does she grasp the vase, evidently seizing upon it with avidity ?" " That is immaterial ; the figure is an Ele- phantiasis, and can be nothing else."* He said : — but notwithstanding his degree, those Sphinx. * The French savants who have been making a scientific tour in Greece, likewise decided that the statue represented an Elephantiasis. The accompanying sketch will enable peo- ple to judge for themselves. TEMPLE OF JUPITER PANHELLEN1US. 89 whom he considers ignorant persist in believing it to be a Harpy, and have the presumption to laugh at the Doctor's decision. If proper care be taken to form a Museum, there is every reason to hope that Greece, in- stead of having fewer beautiful sculptures than any other country, may possess more. Excava- tions properly conducted would bring a great many interesting marbles to light; and a law having lately been passed that no works of art shall henceforth be exported, she secures to her- self those pieces of sculpture which are daily appearing ; but when the government is finally organized, persons should be allowed to exca- vate on condition of resigning to the nation whatever it thinks worth retaining. From hence I proceeded to view the Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, distant from iEgina about six miles. The road runs through a rocky tract of country, occasionally interspersed with cultivation, the mountains having been formed into terraces, which prevent the rain from washing the soil into the plain ; but how- ever necessary they may be to the agricultural interests of the island, they bestow a formal and unnatural character upon its features, which must at all times have been very deficient in beauty. Half-way from iEgina, we saw on our 90 SITUATION OF THE TEMPLE. left an isolated rocky hill, and on its summit were the walls and deserted houses of an exten- sive town, still perfect in their external appear- ance, but so desolate that one might fancy they had lately been depopulated by the plague- fiend. These were the remains of the town of iEgina, as it existed during the period that the Venetians held the Morea. Infested as the seas then were by bands of daring pirates, who used to land on the coast of Greece, and, after plun- dering the villages, carry off the inhabitants as captives ; the natives of the small islands were obliged in self-defence to construct their dwell- ings on some naturally strong position inland, whence they might be able to repel the attacks of these marauders ; and it was only about sixty years ago that the ./Eginetaj left their strong- hold, and established themselves on the sea- shore, where they were enabled with less diffi- culty to follow their commercial pursuits. Af- ter passing the deserted town, we proceeded over hills and dales, amongst rocks and stunted fir- trees, until Mount Panhellenius and its Temple became visible. The Temple is on the ridge of a hill, on one side commanding a view of Megara, Sa- lamis, and Athens; and on the other, of the Mge&n and part of A&gina, which appears RUINS OF THE TEMPLE. 9 J below the spectator, as if on a map. The scene must be lovely during one of the sunsets for which Mgma is so celebrated, when the vene- rable columns would be gilt by the various tints of evening, and the Athen shore in like manner be brilliant and distinct ; but I saw it to disadvantage, a gale of wind was blow- ing, and the horizon was enveloped in a mist. Twenty-three columns are still erect, and the rubbish having been lately cleared away, the pavement around the temple, and the steps leading to it have been brought to light : a cu- rious water channel was discovered at the same time, conducting to an opening, or well, per- haps connected with a cavern in the rock beneath ; or still more probably, merely a sink to carry off the blood of the victims sacrificed at the altar.* The temple is said by Pausanias to have been consecrated by iEacus, King of the iEginetse, and father of Telamon, whose son Ajax led the troops of Salamis to the Trojan war. This spot has therefore been sa- cred to Jupiter about 3064 years, but it can- *The basso relievos which adorned the frieze of this Temple are now in the Museum of the King of Bavaria ; and it was reported that his Majesty, who is a great Philhellenist, had expressed his intention of restoring them to Greece whenever her government is established. — This, however, seems pro- blematical. 92 TEMPLE OF VENUS. not be supposed that the ruins we see date from so distant a period. Telamon, the son of jftacus, was banished from JEgina as a punish- ment for the murder of his brother ; but having obtained the king's permission to plead his cause, he erected a mound of earth, whence he delivered his justification, which however proved fruitless. A large tumulus is now to be seen on the sea-shore near the port alluded to by Pausanias ; and this may possibly be the identical mound raised by the exiled Te- lamon ? Tumuli are the most durable monu- ments raised by the ingenuity of man ; and if belief is attached to the supposition, that those visible on the plains of Troy conceal the ashes of the heroes who perished in the ten years' siege, — why may not this mound be viewed as the work of the same period ? Of the other temples in this island, only that of Venus still presents any remains; it is situated on an elevated point of land near the port, and one solitary shattered column marks the spot where the worshippers of beauty once poured forth their vows. The foundation has been taken away lately for the erection of various public works, and exca- vations made for this purpose are continued to the depth of twenty feet below the peribolus, QUARANTINE. 93 where large blocks of stone fitted together with the greatest nicety form the base of the edi- fice. This height, up to the pavement of the temple, had been filled with earth, so as to pre- sent the appearance of a natural hill. Not far distant from the Temple of Venus is the Lazaretto and health -office, constructed by order of the President, who has nominally commenced a system of quarantine which may hereafter be improved upon, as the communi- cation by land between Greece and Turkey can be easily prevented, though it is unlikely that much intercourse will hereafter take place with the frontier provinces. At present, mer- chant vessels coming from the East are subjected to a quarantine of fourteen days. Hereafter, the amelioration of the quarantine system ought strongly to attract the attention of Govern- ment ; and although it may, at first, be difficult to persuade the Greeks what benefits are to be derived from it, they will gradually learn to prize the establishment of regulations which, however they may interfere with the conve- nience of individuals, tend to guard the nation from that curse, the plague. The greatest diffi- culty towards carrying this plan into execution will be the facility of communication between the Asiatic coast and the Cyclades. The Greeks 94 QUARANTINE. of those islands are inured to the sea from their infancy, and think nothing of sailing from island to island in small boats, which would easily elude the vigilance of Government. Per- fect safety from the plague cannot therefore be insured ; but at least such precautions might be taken as would put Greece on the same footing as the Ionian Islands, with regard to pratique. At Syra, the inhabitants have long been aware of the advantages of a quarantine, and once prevented the plague from being com- municated to the whole country. A mer- chant-brig arrived at Smyrna from Egypt, and, upon inquiry, it was ascertained that her crew was infected. Now, although the Turks considered this immaterial, a French man-of-war stationed there obliged the brig instantly to leave the port. She then bore up for Syra, where the local authorities, having ascertained that a man had died on board, not only placed her in quarantine, but would not allow her to leave the harbour until forty days had expired, when they ordered her to depart without communicating with the shore. In the mean time, her character had been spread abroad : at whatever harbour she presented her- self, admittance was refused ; and, after wander- ing about the Archipelago like the demon-ship, DEMETRIUS YPSILANTI, 95 she was obliged to proceed to Malta, and there perform a second quarantine. About two years ago, an infectious disease, not unlike the plague, manifested itself in Greece ; but by the precau- tions taken, it was prevented from spreading, and in a short time disappeared. At iEgina, I hired a caique to convey me to Poros, — not one of those light caiques that skim the surface of the Bosphorus, and glide along the water as lightly as if they had wings, but a large clumsy boat without a keel, and carrying a huge unwieldy sail, which, although picturesque in its appearance, seemed to me badly calculated for this season of the year, when squalls are of such frequent occurrence. When we were leaving the harbour, a boat, containing several gentlemen in European attire, ran foul of us. We were soon extricated, but this occurrence gave me an opportunity of re- marking the countenance of one of the party, a pale, sickly-looking man apparently about fifty years of age. This person was one of the few men of honour that Greece possesses — one who, during the whole of his political career, maintained an unspotted reputation ; was al- ways ready to encounter personal risk in the defence of his country ; and who, after holding important situations during seven years, is still 9C A TREMENDOUS SQUALL. as poor in purse as when he landed in Greece. This panegyric, which no other military chief- tain deserves, is due to the integrity of Deme- trius Ypsilanti. My boat was manned by Ipsariots, whose reputation as sailors is uncontested ; but the day was so fine, that I hoped I should have no opportunity of seeing it put to the test. A fair wind accompanied us until we had sailed half- way across ; but then, a cloud appeared on the high land of Methana, and a white ripple visible on the distant water, created a violent discussion among the crew. One wanted to lower the sail ; another laughed at his fears ; and all were giving their opinions as loudly as they could: — but the question was soon settled. A furious gust of wind fell suddenly upon us : in an instant the boat was half-filled with water ; and but that the prudent sailor had let the sheet fly, we must have gone down in a few seconds. The sea rose, and became a sheet of foam ; and without any sail set, we were obliged to scud and seek shelter under the lee of Moni. I seldom witnessed a more tremendous squall. A Russian seventy-four, close to us, with top-gallants sails set, let all her sheets fly, and drove before the wind in the most slovenly manner; whilst H.M.S. Infernal, which like- A BRULOTIKH. 97 wise was in sight, and crowded with canvass, took in every thing in excellent style, and ran along under her foresail. These squalls, though of exceeding violence in the onset, are never of long duration ; and we were enabled, without risk, to run back to iEgina, whence I again sailed on the following morning. Amongst the passengers was a young lpsa- riot, who had served during the war as a Bm- lotier, but was now out of employment, and consequently much discontented. He talked about Leonidas and Miltiades, whose deeds, he said, were graven in his heart and head : but notwithstanding this show of patriotism, it was easy to perceive that he bitterly repented his self-devotion. Such is the case with many of the Greeks : they entered headlong into the spirit of revolt, from the erroneous supposition that they would become their own masters, have no taxes to pay, and either act as robbers by land, or pirates at sea, whenever it suited their convenience. By these, a change in the government is looked forward to as a remedy for their grievances. "All," said my companion, "anxiously await the decision of the allied powers as to their future sovereign. Some think the choice will fall upon young Napoleon ; others, that Greece will be H 98 A BRULOTIER. ruled by an English or Russian Prince. His ar- rival is to settle every thing. They are to be paid for their losses, and become rich. Greece is to equip a fleet of fifty sail, in which her sailors will find employment, and a regular army is to be organized. These occurrences are to happen immediately, and then every one will be con- tented." The Brulotier, when he recapitulated these advantages, spoke with the fire and anima- tion of an ancient orator, his black eyes sparkled, his long hair fell wildly over his shoulders, his gesticulation was forcible, and he summed up his speech by tearing off his shoes, stamping on the deck, and exclaiming, " I had a father, mother, and sister — they have been murdered ! I had a home — I have been driven from it for ever. T had a ship — I devoted it to the service of my country. I once was rich, and now am a beggar, — and the Government of the country, for whom I made these sacrifices, refuses to grant a mise- rable pittance to keep me from starving." I have often heard similar complaints; but it is impossible for the Government, with its trifling resources and exhausted treasury, fully to re- munerate the sufferers by the Revolution. The President might have given those situations to Greeks, who fought during the war, which are now filled by his eight hundred Ionians ; but the HARBOUR AND TOWN OF POROS. 99 upper classes, who were gainers by the Revo- lution, alone met with his encouragement. As for the rest, notwithstanding that they have lost their all in the struggle, they have the right to call themselves free ; and although the poor wretches think this but a trifling compensation for their sufferings, the world will tell them that liberty is a blessing never too dearly pur- chased, and that they will hereafter reap its fruits. We were nine hours in crossing to the har- bour of Poros, which is exceedingly beautiful. The entrance is narrow, and when passed, is con- cealed by the land, so that the harbour appears as a small lake. To the southward, the lofty mountains of Epidauria hem it in, their summits describing a bold, rocky outline, and their slopes becoming gradually more fertile as they ap- proach the shore, where they are planted with orange groves, olive-trees, and vines, interspersed with gardens and meadows. Damala, the ancient Trcezen, overlooks the harbour ; to the westward is the promontory of Methana ; and to the north the island of Poros forms a crescent, completely inclosing the lake. On a steep hill, separated from Epidauria by a narrow channel, at present impassable for large ships, is the town of Poros ; the white, flat- H 2 100 THE RUSSIAN SQUADRON. roofed houses rise one above the other until ter- minated like a pyramid, and on the sea-shore are several storehouses constructed by the Rus- sians, and on their departure, to be given up to the Greek Government, whose naval depot is established here. Secure within this basin, the Russian squad- ron of five line-of-battle ships, (three bearing admirals' flags,) and ten smaller vessels, was at anchor; and no inlet being visible, it seemed wonderful how these floating masses could have entered this retired spot. Many boats were plying about ; several parties of sailors were on shore, cutting wood, or procuring water, and the scene was so animated, that I quite forgot I was in Greece. The Russian squadron appeared to be in ex- cellent order; the ships had been refitted prepa- ratory to their return homewards, and now that they were at anchor, looked almost as well as British men-of-war ; but the comparison extends no farther ; when at sea they are still very clumsy in their manoeuvres, and in bad weather their inferiority is still more apparent ; but the im- provement which lias taken place in the Russian ships since they first entered the Mediterranean, is, I am told, wonderful ; and this is owing to their haying remained so long in company with THE GREEK FLEET. ]01 our fleet; they watched our proceedings, and faithfully imitated them ; and although a Rus- sian sailor with his military uniform is a very dif- ferent being from Jack Tar, the progress they made is much greater than might have been ex- pected. A small corvette, the only ship cap- tured from the Turks during the late war, was at anchor with the Russian colours flying, and near her was a large frigate which a short time before had lost her three top-masts in a squall. From there being only one outlet, the diffi- culty of sailing in and out of the harbour is such, that Sir P. Malcolm was detained here with his squadron for several days ; but when the eastern channel is cleared, it will be immaterial from what quarter the wind may blow. For lay- ing ships up in ordinary, careening, or refitting, no spot in the world can be better calculated ; and the Greeks have acted wisely in fixing their naval establishment here ; but at present this exists but in name. The arsenal contains a few old guns, but is not capable of equipping even a small brig with the stores requisite; and the vessels composing the Greek fleet (mostly pri- vate property) are moored to the shore with their masts and rigging standing, and are already so rotten as to be scarcely sea- worthy. There is 102 STATE OF COMMERCE. one fine brig carrying eighteen guns, belong- ing to Miaulis, and a ship of Tombazi's, likely to share the same fate. The other vessels are rigged as brigs, polaccas, and schooners, and now have nothing warlike about them but their names of Leonidas, Epaminondas, Xenophon, &c. painted on the sterns. The owners of these vessels are too poor to pay the crews they require ; they have not capi- tal enough to begin trade ; and they can find no purchasers for their ships, which are therefore a dead loss to them, and will soon only be fit for firewood. Thus Greece, who, from her beauti- ful harbours and situation, is eminently calcu- lated for a commercial country, who possesses within herself a host of hardy and experienced sailors, and is not deficient in shipping, is in such a morbid state as to be unable to profit by her advantages. Commercial spirit was para- lized by the war, and has not yet revived ; the interests of the mercantile class have not been consulted ; and such are the imposts * now laid upon exports and imports, that unless some change is made, commerce, which alone can call * During the Turkish rule, Franks paid 3 per cent., and Rayahs, 5 per cent, upon all exports and imports. The Greek Government has increased the tax to \2 percent. ; and the cod- sequence is, that trade 1ms ceased ' A LEARNED LANDLADY. 103 f'ortli the latent enterprise of the Greeks, will receive its death-blow. The town of Poros is disgustingly filthy ; and the few good houses in it were occupied with billiard- tables for the recreation of the Russians. I heard the unceasing rattle of balls when 1 walked down the quay ; and the town was full of the fair-haired Muscovites. There was room for me, however, at the miserable inn, where, in an adjoining room, a crowd of Rus- sians were smoking, swearing, and playing at bil- liards : the landlady, as she informed me, could speak seven different languages ; and, after trying her luck as an innkeeper at Constantino- ple, was now cheating the Russians of as much as she could, previous to their departure. I was seated quietly at dinner, when this naval Moll Flaggon rushed into the room, and, in her dialect — for it was impossible to say that her words belonged to any particular language— she screamed out — " Is it true — is it true ?'' I felt rather amazed at this visitation, and begged her to explain herself; when she said, that she had just heard that the President had gone to Mgi- na ; that he was proclaimed King ; and that he was to be crowned in five days ; and if sufch was the case, she would start for iEgina next day with all her household, in the hopes of 104 DEMOSTHENES' ASYLUM. making a little money. Reports like these were constantly circulated. ( Granges and lemons used to be exported in great numbers from Poros to Constantinople, and one or two cargoes were shipping for that port : these appear to be its principal articles of trade. It is considered unhealthy during the summer months, and the heat is excessive ; but we ought not to think this surprising, for the Peloponnesians supposed that the nearest road to the infernal regions, and by which Pluto bore Proserpine to his kingdom, was only twelve miles from Poros, near the ancient Hermione. Poros, known in ancient times by the names of Sphaeria and Kalauria, was given by Apollo to Neptune, in exchange for Delphi. A tem- ple of great sanctity, dedicated to the Ocean God, stood on the summit of the highest hill, but it is now a mere heap of ruins. On that height, Demosthenes sought an asylum from the persecution of his enemies ; and when he found that even Neptune's protection was of no avail, he swallowed poison, and was buried within the bounds of the temple. The morning after my arrival at Poros, I purposed to continue my journey towards Ar- gos ; and whilst my servant was packing up, I strolled into the principal coffee-house, accom- AN UNBELIEVING CAPTAIN. 105 panied by a man who stated himself to be the Vice-Consul of England and of all the maritime powers, though he was self-constituted as such. At this early hour, the only person in the coffee- room was an old man with grey mustachios, who was introduced to me as the captain of one of the Greek man-of-war brigs, and, like them, thrown aside and forgotten. He spoke Italian ; and after deploring the state of the wooden Avails of Greece, compared them to the fine Russian ships which were at anchor in the harbour. " Yes," said the universal Consul, anxious to impress him with an idea of his im- portance, " they are fine ships ; but you have not seen the Brittania which has just arrived from England, and is pierced for one hundred and forty guns." " Corpo di Dio !" replied the old captain, " I cannot believe that ! I believe that a ship may carry eighty guns, for I see the Russian admiral's ; but you will never convince me that a ship can carry more :" and so saying, he sagaciously shook his head, drank his coffee, and departed. The road from Poros to Trcezen passes through a beautiful country, with high verdant mountains on one side, and the harbour on the other ; and the level ground, extending between the high lands and the sea, is planted 100 GREEK TOWERS. with vines, lemon and orange-groves. The fruit of the latter was hanging in golden clus- ters upon the branches, and had a striking effect; the surface of the plains was bright with young giass ; some fields of wheat were already green, — in others the peasants were employed in ploughing ; and the season, which would have been winter in other countries, here bore the attributes of spring. On the slope of a moun- tain, we saw a square tower with turrets and battlements, like a feudal castle, and around it were the houses of the tenantry, who sought for safety under the protection of its walls. It had evidently been constructed as a fortress in for- mer days, and still retained its importance ; the smoke rising from its chimneys betokened it to be inhabited ; and it formed, I should think, an apt representation of a military post in the feudal days. But some ignoble Greek was most probably the proprietor of what may have pertained to a Latin count or Venetian noble. Many of these towers arc to be seen in Greece ; some are of ancient date, whilst others were constructed by the Turks, who feared to live amongst the Greeks without having the power of controlling them. Their origin dates, no doubt, from the year 11310, when the Latins conquered Constantinople, and divided the em- DAMALA. 107 pire of Greece amongst their leading chieftains, who, being called upon to govern a people in every way averse to them, whose religion was different, — whose manners were polished, whilst theirs were warlike, and who, although effe- minate, were dangerous from their numbers, — could only maintain their ascendency by establishing fortresses in various parts of the Morea, similar to those they had possessed in their native country. But, notwithstanding this precaution, the Latins soon lost their power in Greece ; and the means they had taken to enslave the country, were copied by the Greek despots. They built castles on the sum- mit of hills, and collected their tenants around them ; and it is worthy of remark, that all the Greek towns which do not stand upon the site of ancient cities, have been built on the slope of hills surmounted by fortresses. The Turks, in 1455, swept away the chieftains who had tyrannized over the serfs, and became the mas- ters of their strongholds ; when, finding that the same measures were necessary to control a hostile population, they placed garrisons in the larger castles, and fortified themselves in the villages where they settled. At about four miles' distance from Poros, we came to Damala, which is romantically situated 108 RUINS OF TRCEZEN. on the slope of the mountains. In itself, the village is not remarkable ; but the orange-grove near it is the spot where the Greeks, in 1827, held their national assembly ; and in the plain around are to be seen the ruins of one of the most ancient Grecian cities — Trcezen. A REMARKABLE TOWER. ] ()9 CHAPTER IV. Ruins of Troezen. — Grove of iEsculapius. — Theatre. — Mo- nastery of Agios Demetrios. — Argos. — The Citadel. — An^ cient Theatre. — Temple of the God Cephissus. — Monas- tery — Rejoicings on Christmas Day. — Fount of Erasinus. — Marsh of Lerna. — Jocrisse's Cave. — Cyclopian Tower. — Ruins of Mycenos. — Tomb of Agamemnon — Temple of Juno — Tiryns. Trcezen formerly contained numerous tem- ples and other public buildings; but the only vestiges that now remain, are a lofty tower and some ruined baths, and walls of Roman construction. The lower part of the tower dates from a very early period, and the stones it is built with are almost of Cyclopian size : but the upper story has been constructed at a later epoch. The peasants have converted the tower into a sheep-fold : below it are the ruins of a small vaulted edifice, constructed princi- 110 RUINS OF A TEMPLE. pally with fragments of ancient columns and marbles ; and a fresco painting, still visible on the wall, denotes it to have been dedicated to St. George, who is represented on a white horse, spearing the dragon. In this chapel stands an altar, which appeared to have been the pedestal of a statue erected by the people to one of the Roman Emperors. I copied the inscription ; but, as was the case with most of those I gave myself the trouble of decyphering, it had been already repeatedly published. Near the banks of the Damala (Chrysorrohcs), fragments of walls are to be seen, probably intended to check the inroads of that mountain stream, and for a great distance around the plain is strewed with tiles. A conspicuous ruin beyond the river excited my curiosity ; but instead of an ancient edifice, it proved to be the remains of a church dedi- cated to the Panagia, and burnt by the soldiery during the war. It now affords a shelter to the shepherds who tend their flocks in the plain. Several marbles which had been built in the walls were lying on the ground, and two of them were pedestals of statues. The temple they belonged to must have stood a little above the church, where a stone enclosure seems to mark the space occupied by the peribolus ; PROMONTORY OF METHANA. HI the ground is also elevated above the surround- ing country by terraces which can be distinctly traced. I viewed these few remains of Trcezen with great interest ; for many of the romantic tales of the heroic ages w^ere connected with this town. Here it was that Theseus was born : through two apertures in the earth, which are no longer to be seen, Bacchus brought Semele from Hell* and Hercules dragged forth Cerberus. Orestes remained here until he had appeased the manes of Clytemnestra ; and in the plain the unfortu- nate Hippolytus met with his untimely death. " There are many people," said a foreigner to me, " who having read Racine's ' Phaedre et Hippolite,' would hasten on their arrival in Greece to view the ruins of Trcezen in pre- ference to those of Athens and Sparta." The promontory of Methara is of volcanic origin, and intercepts the view of the Saronic Gulf from Trcezen. On the neck of land con- necting it with the continent, Fabvier con- structed some fortifications, where he entrench- ed his regular troops — at the time when Epi- dauria was the only part of Greece. under the control of the national government ; but the Turks did not offer to attack them. Leaving 112 GROVE OF .KSCULAPIUS. Troezen, we ascended 'mountains, covered with the rododaphne, arbutus and myrtle, and slept at Potamia, on the brink of a romantic glen. The scenery during our ride next morning was pleasing, but the country seemed quite deserted ; the villages we passed were roofless ; and but for the tinkling bells of the flocks feeding in the mountains, we might have concluded this dis- trict to be uninhabited. This part of Epidau- ria was peculiarly sacred to iEsculapius, to whom a temple and grove were dedicated near the present village of Lygourio. There were also baths supposed to possess peculiar virtues, and to this spot invalids resorted from every part of Greece. None were allowed to die within the sacred precincts ; and the reputa- tion of the God thus escaped uninjured du- ring several centuries. The theatre is stated by Pausanias to excel every other that he iiad seen, in chasteness of design and architectural merits. The grove was in a small plain hemmed round by lofty mountains; and when we approached the spot, I looked around in search of the majestic oaks with which my fancy had decorated the plain ; but the country here was even more destitute of trees than that we had previously passed. On de- scending, I however soon perceived that I was THEATRE OF EPIDAURUS. 1 13 treading on sacred ground. Ruins and blocks of stone were scattered in every direction ; along the road-side ran an ancient water-course, and where it terminated were the ruins of a bath. Beyond these, on the side of a hill, are the re- mains of the theatre, which being much over- grown with shrubs, are not at first remarkable. It must indeed have been a beautiful structure. Fifty ranges of marble seats rise in a semicircle, one above the other, and are capable of contain- ing several thousand spectators ; and although a few seats have been forced out of their places by shrubs springing up, the theatre may be con- sidered almost perfect, as with but little trou- ble the fallen stones might be restored to their original position. I could not but reflect, when standing on the summit of the Theatre, and looking down on the vacant seats, how different was the scene when last the hills resounded with the shouts of the multitude, — then the plain below presented a busy sight. Near those heaps of stones was the stadium ; and that which now seems a mis- shapen mass of brick-work, was a handsome building, erected by the Emperor Antoninus for the use of those w r ho sought the aid of iEsculapius ; beyond were the baths, and to the left a fountain. A magnificent temple stood I I 4 MONASTER? OF KG105 DEMETRIOS. not far from the theatre, but it has long since been razed. The sacred grove has likewise dis- appeared ; and now, in the plain around, my at- tendants were the only living beings.* Amongst the few ruins worth seeing in Greece, the Theatre of Epidaurus must be class- ed as one of the first. I have since seen many others ; but none of them made such an impres- sion upon my mind as this. We passed close to Lygourio shortly after leaving the plain, and prosecuted our journey through the same irregular scenery ; now cross- ing a mountain torrent, next ascending a hill : but although we hoped to reach Argos that evening, our delay at Iero had rendered this im- possible, and we determined to take up our abode for the night at the monastery of Agios Deme- trios, which we understood was not far distant. We accordingly struck off to the right, and on attaining the crest of the hills, beheld the con- * This spot owed its celebrity to the birth of iEsculapius, who was exposed by his mother Coronis on one of the Epi- daurian mountains. A shepherd who had lost one of his flock returned to seek for it, and on the road beheld a beau- teous boy with a bright glory round him. This was the future God of Medicine. He passed for the son of Apollo; in time became celebrated for his knowledge of the healing art, and finally was deified. A MAGNIFICENT VIEW. H£ vent close to us. The view from hence was magnificent :— in the foreground stood the mo- nastery on the brink of a glen, planted with orange and olive trees ; near it were the pictu- resque ruins of an ancient church, with the last rays of the sun striking through its arches. Far below us, in the distance, was the lofty Palamide, Nauplia, the Citadel of Argos, the Gulf of Na- poli ; and the plain bounded by a mountainous range, above which rose Mount Artemesius co- vered with snow. The tints cast on this by the setting sun were of every hue, and of the most brilliant colour. At one moment they were like gold ; then they changed to crimson, and next to pink ; and long after the sun had set, and that the plain of Argos and the surrounding hills were grey and indistinct, the pinnacles of the snowy mountains still retained their brilliant painting. A Caloyer received us at the convent gate, and hastened to prepare a room, and offer such hospitality as was in his power, not only to me, but also to several muleteers, who likewise craved admittance and lodging for the night. It is the bounden duty of these monks to afford shelter and food to those poor travellers who demand it from them ; but since the war, they transgress their rules by receiving money in i 2 ] 1G a RUINED CHURCH, compensation for their hospitality. This mo- nastery was a very different building to the su- perb convents of Spain and Italy. The walls were high and loop-holed, and the few small windows that looked outwards were raised high above the ground. In the middle of the inner yard was the church : the ground-floor w r as used as store-rooms or stables, and along the upper story ran a wooden gallery, communi- cating with the cells of the Caloyers. This dis- tribution of the building calculated it to become a strong military post ; and during the Revolu- tion, the monks having armed themselves, and taken fifty Albanians into their pay, were enabled three times to repel the attacks of detachments from the Turkish army. The monastery is said to be rich in landed property ; and the two hun- dred monks belonging to it, were at this time absent in various parts of the country, tilling their land for the ensuing year. On a little green knoll adjoining the monas- tery stands the ruined church before alluded to, which the monks informed me was de- stroyed in the old times before the Venetians left the Morea. Part of it is so well constructed with alternate layers of brick and stone, that I should think it must have been constructed during the times of the Greek Empire. Two ARGOS— CITADEL OF LARISSA. 117 marble Corinthian capitals, lying within the church, are of superior workmanship to that we generally see in these buildings. Argos is only three hours distant from Agios Demetrios, and next morning at an early hour I walked there through the plain, no longer adorned with the illusive beauty of the pre- ceding evening, but quite saturated with the rain that had fallen, and converted the ploughed fields into as many quagmires. I made Argos my head-quarters for several days, and employed myself in visiting Mycenae, Tiryns, Napoli di Romania, and other interest- ing objects in and around the town. * * * * On a hill, overlooking Argos, is the citadel of Larissa. Seen from afar, it has the appear- ance of an extensive fortification, with lofty towers and commanding battlements; but upon ascending the hill, it presents a miserable spec- tacle : fallen towers, crumbling walls, and other symptoms of decay, are visible; and the only part likely to defy time for a much longer period, are some walls of Cyclopian construction : the enormous stones they are built with will not be easily displaced, after having retained their posi- tion nearly three thousand years. The remainder of the fortress is partly of Roman, partly of 118 VIEW FROM THE CITADEL; Venetian construction, and is capable of con- taining a numerous garrison ; but having been unoccupied for many years, the tanks by which its defenders were supplied with water are now useless. One of these in the upper citadel is of a singular construction, and being coated with ancient cement, may probably have been formed when the citadel was first erected. Prince Ypsilanti gallantly threw himself into this fortress, in the hopes of checking the ad- vance of the Turkish army under Kourdschid Pacha, in 1822 ; but, having neither water nor provisions, he could only maintain himself there during a few days. The view from the citadel is very extensive. On the side of the hill be- low the citadel is the theatre, the seats are cut out of the solid rock, — there are seventy ranges ; but, although the most ancient, it is the least beautiful of all the Grecian theatres. It had lately been cleared out for the reception of the National Assembly. Very extensive brick ruins adjoin the theatre ; they contain some curious subterranean passages and a tes- selated pavement. Veli Pacha caused an ex- cavation to be made here, and was rewarded for his labour by the discovery of some ancient statues ; but as a great part of the ruins are still unexplored, more might possibly be extracted ])K. CLARKE IN ERROR. 1 19 from them. In this direction are also to be seen the remains of a small octagonal temple. A few yards to the north of the theatre is the building called an oracular shrine by Dr. Clarke ; but there is every reason to believe that he is mistaken in his supposition. Dr. Clarke mentions a ruined wall below the ci- tadel, which he concluded formed part of the ancient fortifications ; but it appeared to us that, the town being defended by the fortress, these were unnecessary ; and they proved to be the remains of an aqueduct. Curiosity induced us to trace its course ; and we found that it ter- minated in the concealed passage of the oracu- lar shrine, which Clarke imagined was intended for the reception of the priests who delivered the oracles : in the other direction, the aque- duct may be traced to the banks of the Inachus ; it then winds along the sides of the mountains for five or six miles, until it crosses the Cha- radrus in the valley near Katubeles, and from thence the direction it takes is towards a glen in the mountains, whence rushes a stream of water, which undoubtedly used to be conduct- ed by means of the aqueduct to Argos. This rivulet must be the Cephissus, and the supposed shrine is most probably the temple of that God, thus described by Pausanias. 120 TEMPLE OF THE GOD CEl'IIISSUS. " In going thither, you leave on your right a temple dedicated to the river Cephissus, who, the Argives say, was more than once destroyed by Neptune, although they know very -well that this river flows underneath the temple. I saw there, I believe, a head of Medusa, made of marble, and which is said to have been the work of the Cyclops. Behind the temple is a spot even now called the Audience Cham- ber, because Hypermnestra was tried there after she had been accused by her father Da- natis. The theatre is not far from thence." The Cyclopian wall in front of the building must have supported the ancient temple, and the niche for a statue most probably contained that of the river Cephissus, there being suffi- cient space for a recumbent figure. That part of the temple which is cut out of the rock may be the chamber alluded to by Pausanias. In speaking of this shrine, Clarke dilates with much satisfaction upon the proof that it afford- ed of the manner in which the impostures of the priests were concealed from the people : but the termination of the aqueduct in this pas- sage is a fact which will unfortunately militate against his conclusions. A monastery, built on the brink of a pre- cipice half-way up the Larissa hill, is supposed A MONASTERY. 121 to mark the site of a temple of Apollo ; but although I examined every part of it with the greatest attention, I did not see a single stone that appeared to have pertained to an ancient edifice. The Pappa pointed out to me a small bas-relief of a man on horseback ; but it was such a wretched performance, that it can only have been meant for their patron saint, St. George. Below the convent is an enormous cavern, forming a striking object from the town, and now affording shelter to several poor families. These are the few remains that Argos still can show as proofs of her former grandeur, and they have been so often mentioned by former travellers, that my enumerating them is almost a work of supererogation ; but as one of the great links between the present and past ages is formed by the monuments of ancient days, it may be interesting to know what still remains uninjured by the events of the last nine years. Henceforth, the safety of the works of art will, I hope, be guarded with a jealous eye, and their decay, though rapid, not be acce- lerated by thoughtless injuries. At Argos there is, however, nothing to care about ; the theatre will last as long as the Larissa hill, and the other ruins are already scarcely worth remarking. 122 REJOICINGS ON CHRISTMAS DAY. The 6th of January is the Christinas Day of the Greek Church, and for forty days previous they keep a striet fast. On this day, Argos offered a busy scene : every one was dressed in his best attire, and a great variety of costume was to be seen. Some were preparing kids, or pork, for the evening's repast ; others assem- bled round the wine houses ; all were laughing, talking, or singing ; and before noon there were many who had lifted the wine cup once too often. The young women of Argos has- tened to the side of the Larissa hill, and there, in front of the " Oracular shrine," they joined hands, and singing their national airs, commenced dancing the monotonous but graceful Romaika. I sat within the ancient temple, on the spot where once stood the image of the God ; and when I looked down upon the circling group before me, I pictured to myself a similar dance performed on the same spot twenty centuries before, then in honour of an idol, now in com- memoration of the birth of our Saviour; and I could not refrain from thinking that custom might have consecrated this place as the site of the dance and revelry, and that it was not mere chance which had caused its selection. As the women whirled round and round in the COSTUME OF THE WOMEN. 123 mystic dance, now gently chanting a song, then elevating their voices in full chorus, some voung men sprang into the circle and joined the girls ; others followed ; and at last I counted fifty-six persons dancing together, and revolv- ing round a centre in a double circle. The pivot was a little child barely able to stand ; some older children were next to him, then came the maidens, after them the matrons, and finally the men. The costumes of the women were varied, and had apparently been transmitted from mother to daughter for many generations ; but it was rather incongruous to see a rich dress of crimson velvet and a fur tippet thrown over a ragged petticoat; and a poor girl, whose entire wardrobe consisted in what she had on, bedizened with a tawdry handkerchief wrapped round her hair. The sturdy peasants were likewise decked with their best clothes ; and it was a truly pleasant sight to see them enjoying themselves after their preceding toils. But, alas ! I saw not one pretty female face ! Ladies of Argos, where is your beauty? — where the arched eyebrows, fair complexions, and rosy cheeks of your Athenian sisters ? In the rugged countenances of the men, I could trace the reckless audacity 124 PERSONAL Al'l'EAUAV I. AND of the Klepth, the careless habits of the Paliear, and the patient disposition of the hind, and in eacli there was an expression not devoid of manly beauty ; but the women, I regret to say, were ugly — their features were coarse, and bore the appearance of premature old age ; their com- plexions were bronzed; and many girls, not twen- ty years of age, seemed care-worn and faded. The theatre was not far distant, and I sat down on one of the ancient seats whence I could embrace at one glance the various scenes that were taking place. Whilst thus occupied, I was accosted by a respectably dressed young man, who, after the first salutation, begged that I would explain to him what the ruins were which he saw below ns. " We are at present," continued he, " in a very backward and igno- rant state ; but I hope that before long we shall be better acquainted with every thing belonging to our own country. I feel ashamed that a stranger should have given me the his- tory of such a ruin as this, when I, a Greek, ought to have been able to explain it to him ; but I am labouring to make up for my defi- ciency. " I was pleased with the intelligent man- ner of this youth, and upon questioning him ascertained that his brother was master of the s hool at Argos, and that lie who so candidly DEBASEMENT OF THE WOMEN. 125 confessed his want of knowledge, was one of the teachers ! The remainder of the day was devoted by the Argives to hilarity and feasting ; and as I walked through the town, I could hear in one house the boisterous tones of a merry group singing their national songs, and in another the shrill sounds of a bagpipe, and the beat of a small drum ; but in all their amusements the men kept quite distinct from the women. In the dance, the men held each other's hands, and did not intermix with the females, — the male and female spectators likewise sat apart. In the outskirts of the town, I saw one or two festive parties of men who were merrily enjoying the luxurious fare presented by a sheep roasted whole, but no women were near ; and their poor wives and daughters were probably feeding on their usual coarse fare in the solitude of their houses. Man here looks down upon woman as an in- ferior animal, who is to minister to his plea- sures and to his wants ; and the peasant merely marries to obtain a household drudge, and save himself from labour. Women are constantly to be seen carrying enormous loads, whilst their husbands are sauntering idly along ; and I have more than once met Greeks on horseback, when their unfortunate wives, with their chil- 126 FOUNT OF KRASINUS. dren at their backs, and heavy bundles on their heads, were toiling along on foot. A gentle- man of my acquaintance witnessed a still more forcible illustration of this feeling. He was walking in the country, when he found his progress stopped by a mountain torrent of con- siderable depth running across the road ; and at the same instant a Greek and his wife arrived at the opposite bank and prepared to cross it ; but instead of the man assisting the woman, he jumped upon her shoulders, and made her carry him over. The women, how- ever, do not complain : and once when I asked an intelligent little person why she worked so hard whilst her husband was idle, she answered that it was " her duty." * * * * At three miles' distance from Argos is a spot called the Fount of Erasinus, where that river, which is supposed to be connected with the Lake Stymphalus, terminates its subterranean course, and gushes from a mass of rock. The body of water is very considerable, and so much above the level of the plain of Argos, that it might with ease be made applicable to the pur- poses of irrigation, though at present it merely is of use in turning some mills. An aque- duct had been kept in repair by Greeks, Romans, MARSH OF LERNA. 127 and Venetians, and used to supply the town with water from hence ; but now the stream loses itself in the plain below, near the Marsh of Lerna, about a mile distant : immediately above the source are two enormous caves, and one contains a small chapel. A miserable Pappa was the guardian of this shrine, and in the adjoining cavern, of sufficient size to contain two or three hundred people, I per- ceived by the uncertain light of a fire at its ex- tremity, several poor women and children who had made this den their home. Here it was that Colocotroni, in June 1822, took up a po- sition with the few troops he had hastily assem- bled, and, aided by Ypsilanti, kept the Turks in check until they were obliged to retire through the defiles near Corinth, where they met with their memorable defeat from the Greeks under Niketas. The ground is very strong, the left being defended by a precipi- tous mountain, and the right by the various trenches of the Erasmus, and the Marsh of Lerna. The latter retains the bad reputation it had in the olden time, and the Hydra's hundred heads still infect the country with their pesti- lential breath ; but, in the progress of civili- zation, a remedy may be found for this evil. The waters now stagnating in the marsh might 128 T '1E RIVER INACH1 S. be led into the sea, and much fine land would no doubt be recovered. The evil has of course been much magnified during the last few cen- turies, when the population, instead of increas- ing in the same ratio as in other countries, has diminished, and that consequently less ter- ritory is necessary for its support. Beyond the marsh, on Mount Pontinus, are the ruins of a Venetian fort ; and on the shore a village and some mills (whence the name of Myla?) have been rendered celebrated by the gallant oppo- sition offered there by Ypsilanti and some other chieftains, to the advance of Ibrahim's army in 1825. My next excursion from Argos was to the west, along the banks of the Inachus, which, to judge by the depth and width of its bed, should be a river of some importance ; but even now, in the midst of January, it was quite dry — the fall of the ground is so rapid, that the water col- lected by the melting of the snows or rain in the mountains is carried off in a very few hours; and as it rushes down with great violence, a channel is formed quite disproportionate to the body of water it conveys. Our principal object for proceeding in this direction, which is not possessed of any classical interest, was to view the cave in which a celebrated Greek chief, THE CAVE OF JOCKISSE. J 29 named Jocrisse, had taken post with his band during the war. Jocrisse, who was one of the Capitani of Greece at the commencement of the Revolution, undertook with the men under his command, assisted by the Argives, to de- fend the town against the attack of a corps of Turks advancing from Corinth. The position he occupied was strong : the dry but deep bed of the Inachus covered his front, his flanks were protected, and a long wall, erected to prevent the overflow of the river, afforded a secure shelter for the greater part of his men. The remainder threw up tambours, be- hind which they concealed themselves, and their wives and children assembled on the Pho- roneian hill, in the fond expectation of seeing their countrymen triumph over the Moslems. The Turkish force slowly advanced over the Argolic plain, on the road leading from My- cenae : it was composed solely of cavalry, and approached the Greek position with the cau- tion that experience had taught them was re- quisite ; but on this occasion prudence was needless. The Greeks, instead of reserving their fire until the Turks were within a certain range, fired a random volley when the enemy was still distant— the Turkish horsemen in- stantly charged, before the Greeks had time to K 130 THE CAVE OF JOCRISSE. reload, the position was forced, and an indis- criminate slaughter took place of all those whose flight had not been successful. Jocrisse, with two hundred of his immediate followers, hastened towards the cave he had already pre- pared as a place of refuge, and it being only three miles from Argos, he reached it in safety. Towards this spot we walked ; and when we entered the wild valley, formed by the rugged mountains bordering the Inachus, my compa- nion pointed to a tremendous cliff, quite per- pendicular, and four or five hundred feet high : above it rose a rocky peak; whilst below, a rapid slope led to the banks of the Inachus. Mid- way up this gigantic wall, I saw a small black speck like an opening in the rock, such as would be a fit place for the eagle to build his nest, quite secure from the intrusions of men, and this proved to be the cavern. As we climbed up the mountain, and approached the base of the precipice, I could more distinctly per- ceive a flight of steps leading to the cave, an olive-tree grew at its mouth, and a wall partly closed the entrance. At the foot of the preci- pice were the remains of some huts which had afforded a temporary shelter to that portion of the Argives who claimed the protection of Jocrisse, and some small cavities in the adjoin- THE CAVE OF JOCKISSE. [31 ing rocks had likewise been used as dwelling- places. When I gazed upwards at the cave, I felt that my wish to ascend was fast evaporat- ing : the steps were extremely narrow, and had no parapet ; and half way up there was a bro- ken ladder. One false step would have been destruction : I however ran up the first range of steps, and reached the ladder, part of it was gone, and I already felt giddy from the effect of my elevated situation. The second range of steps was not so difficult ; but when I saw the third, my resolution almost failed — they were not above two feet wide : on my left rose the precipice, to which I tenaciously clung ; and on the right, one glance assured me that there was nothing to protect me. I feared to look again, and springing up- wards, reached the projecting ledge of rock in front of the cavern. Here was an open space of about twenty feet long and as many broad, and built round with a parapet ; at one end grew the olive-tree, under it was a pile of howitzer shells, and in the opposite corner a small house for the reception of the chieftain. A recess closed by a door appeared to have been the powder magazine ; and the interior of the cavern was spacious, and said to be supplied with a sufficiency of water. k 2 132 THE CAVE OE JOCUISSE. In this singular spot, two hundred men, with women and children, established them- selves : they succeeded in hoisting two brass guns into their airy fortification — they sup- plied it with three months' provisions : their commanding situation, embracing a view of the Argolic plain and valley of the Inachus, rendered a surprisal impossible ; and if they were attacked, they could draw up the ladder, shut the upper gate, and destroy the assail- ants by a desperate fire from above. No- thing can give a better idea of the determina- tion with which the Greeks avoided all com- promise with their persecutors, and of the pri- vations they endured, than the sight of this cavern. Driven as they were from their valleys, their houses destroyed, and their crops tramp- led under foot, the poor peasants felt hap- py in obtaining a refuge in their mountain caves : they thus also rescued their flocks of sheep from the grasp of the enemy ; and al- though they were exposed to the chill air of the mountains, and to the extremes of heat and cold — although their aged people fell victims to the hardships they encountered, and that their offspring were, in like manner, the victims of misery, freedom, even thus qualified, was bet- ter than slavery. The various mountains of the CAVERNS \:y,) Morea are full of caves, which at times have been the home of the population; and even now the smoke that sometimes is seen curling above their dark entrances, and the human figures standing near, point them out as the residence of shepherds whose flocks are feeding in the valleys beneath. In the earliest ages, before the Egyptians sent their colonies to Greece, and that the rude inhabitants were instructed in the social arts, these caverns formed their dwelling-places; and when the minds of men became refined, and that they gave a loose to the play of their imagination, they peopled these dens with the fertile creations of romance and superstition. Each cave had its Faun or Dryad, — each foun- tain its Nymph. I viewed the descent from the cave with some degree of trepidation ; but when I recollected that the Greek women were daily in the habit of going up and down the steps with their children on their backs, I was ashamed of my alarm, and by refraining from looking downwards, reached the bottom in safety. On our return we crossed the Inachus, near the ruins of the aqueduct, and on the present road to Tripolizza observed where the tracts of ancient chariot wheels are deeply worn in the rock. Near this, Mr. Dawkins disco- 134 CYCLOPIAN TOWER. vered a small square tower of Cyclopian con- struction, which had hitherto escaped the re- marks of travellers: it is a perfect specimen of that style of architecture, and is twenty feet square. One side of a door, seven feet from the ground, is still standing, but the remainder has fallen, and the interior is so completely filled up by the soil washed from the mountains, that it is impossible to say whether we see the base of the tower or not. It must have been intend- ed for the defence of the road from Argos to Man tinea. The ruins of the ancient city of Mycenae, the capital of Agamemnon, are only five miles to the northward of Argos, on the verge of the plain, where it is terminated by a steep range of hills. On our way thither we crossed the Inachus and Charadrus, and, to our right, left the remains of the Haeroiim,- or Temple of Juno, which, after being fruitlessly sought for by Gell, Leake, and Dodwell, have since been discovered, and two columns are still erect. Mycenae is a most interesting sight: its situa- tion is romantic ; the bed of a mountain torrent defends one side, on the other is a deep valley, and the steep hill girt round with the massive walls of the citadel commands the entrance of a desolate defile. We first examined the prin- KUINS OF MYCEN/K. 135 ^&cifner^ Gate of Lions, My cense. cipal gate, known as the " Gate of Lions :" it is formed of one enormous stone fifteen feet long, supported by two others, of almost equal size, but partly covered by the rubbish that has fallen. Above this rises a triangular block sculptured with two figures of leopards, or lions, resting upon a pillar which it is sup- posed was terminated by a triangle emble- matical of fire. On either side are the walls, 13G RUINS OF MYCKNT. formed of huge stones placed one upon the other, without cement ; their magnitude is surprising ; and the ancients, on learning that they were constructed by people called Cyclops, were justified in believing that the architects must have been of greater size than the gene- rality of mortals, for in later ages the construc- tion of such works as these would have been regarded as an endless labour. History in- forms us that Mycenas was founded three thou- sand years ago ; and when we consider what the nations of Europe were at that time, we cannot but feel a certain degree of respect for those people who, at such an early period, could con- struct works like these. Mycenae was destroy- ed by the Argives ; 568 B. C. ; since then, it has been uninhabited, and this circumstance ren- ders still more surprising the perfect state of its walls. Three ranges of these can be traced; and there is a second gate on the north-west face of the citadel, in good preservation. A few hundred yards from Mycense, on the slope of a hill, is the entrance to the extraor- dinary tomb that has so much excited the cu- riosity and doubts of antiquaries, and been known as the treasury of Atreus, but is now called the tomb of Agamemnon. The en- trance to this sepulchre, like that at Mycenae, TOMB Ol' AGAMEMNON. | 37 is formed of one enormous stone resting upon two others, and is wider at the base than at the top : the upper stone is twenty- seven feet long - , seventeen feet wide, about four feet and a half thick, and weighs one hundred and thirty-six tons ! The interior of the sepulchre consists of a chamber built in the form of a cone, from the apex of which to the ground, measures more than fifty feet. The walls are built with stones carefully fitted together, and were formerly covered with brass plates, fastened by nails of the same me- tal. We caused a fire to be lit in the interior of the tomb, and. were enabled to see a smaller chamber cut out of the rock, and commu- nicating with the tomb by a small door. Here it was supposed that the treasures of Atreus were concealed, being defended from danger by the sacredness attached to the abode of the dead. That the tomb should have contain- ed the remains of the " King of Men," seems liable to doubt, as three similar edifices are to be seen not far distant, but they are all in ruins. Who the wonderful Cyclops were that rais- ed these extraordinary edifices, is still unde- cided; and the only information transmitted by ancient authors is, that they were supposed 138 CITADEL OF TIRYNS. to have fortified Mycena? and Tiryns, 1379 years H. C. The citadel of Tiryns is in the plain on the roadside from Argos to Nanplia. Though of much less extent than Mycenae, the enor- mous walls, their height and durability, are equally calculated to excite astonishment. In one place, where a tower is nearly perfect, the wall is about forty feet high, and instead of being perpendicular, inclines outwards, as if to prevent an assailant from availing himself of the interstices of the stones to climb up to the rampart. A road wound round the tower into the upper citadel, but there are no gates now visible. Two extraordinary galleries have been brought to light by the destruction of a part of the walls; they ran round the north and eastern sides of the citadel, and were probably intended as places of concealment, but they are particu- larly singular as representing the first approxi- mation made by early architects to the form of an arch : the upper stones meet, but instead of being square, are cut on one side so as to have almost a triangular shape, giving to the gallery the shape of a cone. The citadel of Tiryns could never have been taken by assault during the infancy of the art of war, but was most probably starved into a surrender: it fell CITADEL OF TIRYNS. 139 at the same time as Mycenae, and its inhabitants were transported to Argos.* Two miles be- yond Tiryns, at the extremity of the plain, is Napoli di Romania. * I lately heard that the Greek Government, notwith- standing their pretended love of the fine arts, have been throwing down part of Tiryns, with the view of employ- ing the stones in a wall round a government farm. If true, this act is most disgraceful ; for every one who has been in Greece, well knows that there is no lack of stone in the country. To think that Greeks should wilfully destroy what even Turks had respected, does not say much in favour of their pretensions to civilization. 140 NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. CHAPTER V. Napoli di Romania. — The Palamide. — Colocotroni attacks Griva, and is repulsed.— State of society at Napoli. — Greek ladies. — Deficiency of education. — Greek troops. — Regular forces. — Infantry. — Cavalry. — Pay of the army. — Leave Napoli. — Plain of Argos. Napoli di Romania (by the Greeks still called Nauplia) was the capital of the Morea during the Venetian rule ; and its excellent harbour, commanding position, and strong for- tifications, rendered it the maritime key of the Peloponessus during the late wars. Its posses- sion generally conferred the control over the rest of the peninsula; and thus it was a constant source of contention between the hostile par- ties. The Turks only surrendered it when a strict blockade left them no alternative but to submit or perish by famine, which had already made such havoc in their force, that when the Greeks escaladed the Palamide, they NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. 141 found only a few miserable wretches still alive, and these had been feeding on the corpses of their comrades ! Napoli is six miles distant from Argos, and built on a rocky point of land jutting into the gulf, and surrounded with strong fortifications of Venetian construction : it has only one assailable point, where a nar- row isthmus connects it with the main land, and this is overlooked by a rocky precipice surmounted by the citadel of the Palamide, which, like Ehrenbretstein, is defended on three sides by perpendicular rocks, and on the fourth by extensive fortifications. When I approach- ed the gates of Napoli, I observed that, as at Corfu, the winged lion of St. Mark, fixed in different parts of the walls, formed a record of the fallen power of Venice; and when I passed through the gate, I found myself in a narrow, dirty street full of people, and from whence the sea breeze is excluded by the upper stories of the houses projecting one above the other, until they almost meet. Some of these are of Venetian construction, but the greater part are Turkish, and very dif- ferent from the light, well-built houses of Con- stantinople. A mosque and its taper minaret likewise remain, in evidence that the Turks were once masters here, and one or two marble 142 NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. fountains, such as the Turks are in the habit of placing in their streets and market-places, are still unhurt ; but these probably are the only monuments which twenty years hence will remain to show that, during four centuries, Greece was the slave of Turkey. No other nation, after ruling a country for so long a space of time, left such slight traces behind them as the Ottomans. I traversed the whole of Greece, without seeing a single public work that would hereafter say that such peo- ple were. Far from improving the countries they governed, they scathed every thing that came within their influence ; and, to use the words of an accomplished observer, " they may be compared to flights of locusts eating up and destroying whatever they came near, con- ferring no benefits in return ; and at last, when swept from the face of the earth by some kind- ly blast, only remembered from the havoc they had committed." Since Napoli became the seat of Government, a few improvements have been made in the town. The most influential, and therefore richest Greeks, have constructed some good houses : Colocotroni has established himself there. An excellent barrack for the troops is building; and a respectable mansion has been NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. 143 erected for the President. But that which, above all things, is necessary to render Napoli habitable, and to secure it from disease — a common sewer, is neglected ; and the filth col- lected in the town is so abominable, that I can- not think of it without abhorrence. I am too old a traveller to be very fastidious ; but I must say, that Napoli is the most impure, offen- sive town I ever entered. It is proverbially unhealthy ; and this is, perhaps with justice, partly ascribed to the exhalations from the ad- joining marshes ; but even if these were not to act upon the health of the inhabitants, the germs of disease must exist in a crowded town, with narrow streets, shut out from the sea breeze, and never cleansed from the accumu- lated filth of its uncleanly population. Napoli contains about five thousand inhabit- ants ; and although this number is not equal to what it formerly held, it is more than commen- surate to the space of ground contained within the fortification. As a commercial town and military post, Napoli will always retain its im- portance ; but it is not in the least calculated ever to become the capital of Greece : its cir- cumscribed extent, and its unhealthiness, are alone sufficient to prevent its being selected as the capital of a rising nation. During the rule 144 NAPOLI DI ROMANIA. of the Venetians, when their sole object was to protect the country from external foes by mari- time fortresses, and render the succour of their navies available, should they have to repress a popular insurrection, Napoli di Romania was a well-chosen post; and Modon, Coron, and Nava- rin were constructed for the same purpose ; but these reasons cannot actuate the Greek rulers. Their views must be more expansive : they must take into consideration the future pro- spects of Greece — that she possesses an enter- prising people, a fertile soil, excellent harbours, — every thing, in fact, that Nature can bestow to make a flourishing nation ; and the capital must be chosen with reference to the Greece of fifty years hence. It is amidst the ruins of Athens that the sovereign of Greece should erect his throne. The ancient name of Nauplia has been ab- sorbed in its modern appellative. It was con- structed by Nauplius, the son of Neptune, some years before the siege of Troy ; and the extensive Cyclopian walls, intermixed with the Venetian fortifications of the upper town, are proofs of its just claims to antiquity. The town is supplied with water by a stream issuing from the celebrated fountain Canathos, which THE PALAMIDE. 145 however no longer possesses the virtues it was famed for in the heathen time. The Palamide is of Venetian origin, and is ascended on the town side by several flights of steps cut in the rock. I gave myself the trouble of climbing up to the gate, but, in consequence of the absence of the command- ant, I was not admitted ; I however consoled myself with the magnificent view of the sur- rounding country. The works are capable of containing a numerous garrison, and against the irregular Greek troops might be easily de- fended; so that when Griva, the Roumeliot chieftain, obtained possession of them in 1827, Colocotroni, who was at the head of the Moreot party, finding it impossible to drive him thence by force, had recourse to treachery. Colocotroni was at this period quartered in Argos with his retainers, and conceiving that Griva's lieutenant could not resist the tempta- tion of a large bribe, he sent to sound him whe- ther, in consideration of a certain sum, he would deliver up the citadel. The officer acquainted Griva with this proceeding, and was directed by the chief apparently to acquiesce in Coloco- troni's proposition, to make the best bargain he could, and cheat the Moreot out of as much L 146 COLOCOTRONI'S ATTACK, money as possible, but to acquaint him with all the plans agreed upon. The lieutenant instantly professed to enter into Colocotroni's views, but gave him to understand that his good-will must be dearly purchased ; and twenty -five thou- sand piastres, and a pair of diamond-mounted pistols worth as many more, were sent to him! The lieutenant and Colocotroni then arranged their plot. The gates of the Palamide w r ere to be left open, and the men withdrawn by Griva's deputy, on a certain night at a fixed hour. Colocotroni's troops were to advance and take possession of the works ; and when their success was complete, five guns were to be fired from the fortress, as a signal that Colocotroni might then send to occupy the town. Griva meanwhile made his preparations : his troops were all concealed ; the night, which was dark, hid his position ; he threw open the gates, and shortly afterwards Colocotroni's detachment entered the Palamide. The stillness, the absence of Griva's men, and the easy manner in which they had been allowed to enter the works, crea- ted a suspicion that all was not right ; some of the men hesitated to advance, and others spoke about a retreat, when Griva's voice was heard aloud, calling upon his Palicari to fire. Then from every quarter around, the fire of musketry AND SUBSEQUENT DEFEAT. 147 opened upon the invaders, who turned too late to fly ; the gates were closed upon them, some were killed, many were taken prisoners, and a few escaped down the hill. Griva, not content with having thus over- reached his adversary, wished to complete his triumph ; and Colocotroni, who was anxiously looking for the signal of victory, saw the five guns as agreed upon fired from the Palamide. Certain of success, he sent his eldest son with a strong detachment to take possession of the town. Here also the gates were open ; and young Colocotroni, unsuspicious of what await- ed him, marched his followers in ; but instead of being master of Napoli, he found the gates closed upon him, and his troops surrounded by Griva's whole force. He had only two hun- dred men, and with these he threw himself into an adjoining house, where he swore he would defend himself to the last, and sell his life dear- ly. To Griva's summons, and threat to burn the house, he returned a contemptuous reply ; knowing that, were he to fall into Griva's power, that chief would demand all his father's fortune as a ransom ; and the two bands of Greeks, who ought to have been combating the enemies of their country, prepared to decide the quarrel by arms. Fortunately for the town of Napoli, l 2 148 SOCIETY AT NAPOLI. several people of influence waited upon Griva to request that he would allow young Colocotroni to depart ; and after much entreaty he consented ; but so little did Colocotroni rely upon Griva's word, that he would not stir from his fortified house until Griva's son came, and walked arm in arm with him out of the gates, at the head of the Moreot soldiers. Such were the contests which agitated the Greek chieftains, when al- most the whole of their country was in the power of the enemy. The little society that Greece can boast is assembled at Napoli, where there are about thirty ladies, some of whom speak French, and the others Italian ; but they are still far behind the rest of the world in accomplish- ments ; their natural tact and shrewdness of character enables them, however, at once to perceive in what they are deficient, and they strive as much as is within their power to correct their faults ; but a different tone must be given to society, before the ladies can acquire the degree of influence they ought to possess over the minds of the men. It will be a gratifying task for the future princess of Greece to en- lighten the minds and form the manners of the rising female generation ; and a very few years will suflice to create a great change for the bet- DEFICIENCY OF EDUCATION. 149 ter. Were a school to be formed on the model of that at St. Petersburg, where young ladies of noble family are educated with the greatest strictness, and where merit is always rewarded, the spirit of emulation acting upon the natural quickness of the Greeks, would bring forth all the good qualities and talent now latent in the minds of the " beau sexe" overpowered by sluggishness, bad habits, and a hopeless feeling of inferiority. I consider the education of the women to be one of the first steps towards the regeneration of the men, who will not willingly resign the control which, in imita- tion of their Turkish masters, they have gained over their countrywomen ; but when the latter are gifted with a superior education, talent and acquirements must give them the ascendency. Pride will then urge the men to place them- selves at least on a par with the weaker sex ; and they will be able to acquire knowledge at home far more beneficial than if they were to be entirely educated abroad. Foreign edu- cation, unless there is something to counter- balance it in Greece, injures rather than im- proves them. After a long absence, they return to their country with European feel- ings and acquirements, and finding themselves in the midst of an ignorant and presump- 150 GREEK LADIES. tuous people, they with little difficulty, by hu- mouring their passions, render them subservient to their superior talents. Thus they acquire an ascendency which fosters their innate genius for intrigue : their vices increase with their success ; personal aggrandizement, at whatever cost, is their object ; they lose sight of their country's welfare ; and, instead of becoming ornaments to it. they keep it in a constant state of mental conflagration. The Greek ladies were so unaccustomed to society, that they at first looked upon the chance of meeting a number of strangers, with dread : the young girls were never seen. So little did they understand the unmeaning attentions which common politeness induces a well-bred man to pay unto a lady, that they always suspected him of some sinister design. " He is a dissembler," they said v " he is trying to conceal his real pro- jects by flattery ; he is a politico.' And even now they are often so strongly impressed with the sense of their deficiency in polite acquire- ments, that they are ashamed to dance, because they think they will be laughed at, and do not like to converse in a foreign language from a similar reason ; refinement having made so little progress in society, that they dread the sneers and criticisms of each other. "I would rather," GREEK LADIES. 151 said a young lady to me, " speak French to you, or to a Frenchman, than to one of my own nation ; for although the mistakes I make are of course more apparent, yet you either pretend not to remark them, or else assist me. A Greek would laugh in my face." So completely are the Greek ladies thrown in the shade, that even in such an important event of their lives as marriage, they are not consulted, and the bridegroom and parents of the bride settle every thing without her participation. I once called rather late in the evening upon a clever, well-educated Greek gentleman who had passed a long time in Eu- rope, and on entering the small room he oc- cupied, I found a young lady his sister in bed, and the brother preparing to slumber in the same apartment. She, however, gave her handkerchief an extra tie, arranged her hair, and began to converse with us, whilst he threw aside the huge capote in which he had been sitting, and entered into conversation. The young lady was rather accomplished ; she could speak French and Italian ; played the guitar, and thought that every custom import- ed from Europe ought to be immediately fol- lowed. I therefore supposed I might venture •to sound her opinion relative to a subject which 152 A DISCUSSION ON MARRIAGE. had undoubtedly often occupied her thoughts, and I asked her whether she approved of the custom of " betrothing," or whether she did not think it much more natural that a person should select a husband for herself? But, civilized as she otherwise was, on this point, barbarism still predominated. " It is much better," said she, " that our parents should choose for us ; our partiality for any one person would induce us to overlook his faults ; and then, when they became apparent, we should blame ourselves for our blindness." " But then you have no affection for the person to whom you are united for life ; and instead of confiding in your husband, you find him a perfect stranger ?" " Not so," interrupted the brother ; " my sister is. right, — we are often betrothed to each other from our infancy ; and although it is true that the youth is never allowed to speak to his intended, and that he does not even see her but by accident, yet she learns through their mutual acquaintance what are the leading traits of his character, and on them models her efforts to please ; whilst he, on the other hand, knowing himself to be already en- gage d, never allows his fancy to stray in search of ;i mistress." A DISCUSSION ON MARRIAGE. 153 " But," answered I, " if the young lady deems it necessary that she should study her husband's character, and try to please him, why should she not do so from her own experience ? why not judge for herself, instead of trusting to the reports of others ?" " Such is the established custom; and we see no reason to alter it." " Sometimes, however, she may chance to love another person ?" " We never love," said the sister, — '• we know not what love is." There was no replying to the last argument, which convinced me that the Greek ladies were indeed very backward in the scale of civilization* * Apropos to marriage, I must relate an instance of a lu- dicrous nature, which occurred just before I arrived at Argos. Colonel G had two Moslem servants ; the one his groom, and the other a negress. Whether it was sympathy or love, it is impossible to say ; but in such wise did the swarthy charms of the latter act upon the mind of the stable-keeper, that he offered himself in marriage, and was accepted. But how were the necessary formalities to be gone through ? they were the only Mahommedans in the country ; they had no friends of their own religion to invite to the feast. In this dilemma, they resolved to be united by a Greek priest, and Colonel G promised to furnish the bridal supper. The knot was duly tied ; the happy couple sat down to the feast provided for them, and (hear it, Mahomet!) they ate as much 154 GREEK WOMEN. In fact, I believe that there are few countries where woman is less respected than here ; her situation, generally speaking, being little better than that of a slave ; not of such slaves as adorn the harem of a Turk, and who are nursed with the tenderest care, and pampered with every luxury, but of those who toil and drudge in the fields of an unfeeling barbarian. I have seen se- veral parts of the world ; but amongst theCaribs, the CafFres, or the various nations of the East, I do not recollect to have witnessed a stronger line drawn between the male and female sex than in Greece. This evil, though fast disap- pearing amongst the upper classes, is still deeply rooted in the populace, and may be traced to the state of subjection in which they were kept by the Turks. The Greek who cringed beneath the imperious commands of his tyrant, acted in a despotic manner, within his own house, to those dependent on him ; and provided that, in imita- tion of his masters, he . could sit cross-legged smoking his pipe, he cared not how much his wife and daughters might toil ; but where the Greeks were less exposed to Turkish influence, the women were better treated ; and in Maina pork as would have contented four Greeks after a forty (lavs' fast, and drank such a quantity of wine, that they amply r< |'< i'l themselves fur years of previous abstinence. SECLUSION OF THE FEMALES. I55 they are said to be considered as the equals of the men. The degradation of the sex appears in a very forcible light to an Englishman when first visiting Greece, with his head full of the romantic images pictured by Byron in his vivid poems. He expects in every face to see the fea- tures of a Zoe or a Haidee, and every youthful form to be sylph-like and angelic. He travels from one end of Greece to the other, and he finds that his expectations are visionary. I do not say that Greece possesses no beautiful countenances amongst her maidens, for I have seen some exceedingly pretty ; but they are so completely disfigured by the bronzing of the sun, filth, and excess of labour, that at twenty years of age they already bear the appearance of old women. To the upper classes this remark does not of course apply ; but then the young ladies are kept so secluded, that it is almost impossible for a stranger to see them. A Greek gentleman assured me that there were several persons he was intimately acquainted with, whose unmarried daughters he had never seen. At Smyrna and Constantinople, the Greek la- dies are at present most to be admired. Scio was the spot where all that was lovely in Greece might be met ; but that Scio is no more. The Turkish women, who are supposed to be 156 SECLUSION OF THE FEMALES such prisoners, enjoy a degree of liberty which is little understood in Europe : they walk out whenever they please, they are perfect mis- tresses of the house, and can, if they choose, exclude their husbands from their apartments. Many of the Greeks have but little more simi- larity to European habits. I have often met arobas* full of laughing young Turkish ladies, driving outside of Con- stantinople, unattended by a guardian — they were going to enjoy a party of pleasure on the banks of the Bosphorus, or perhaps were merely taking exercise ; but during the whole time that I was at Constantinople, I do not re- collect seeing any Greek ladies walking or rid- ing about: — they remained shut up in their houses, their sole occupation being that of look- ing through the jalousies of their windows to see what was going forward, and who was pass- ing in the dirtiest street of a place which has not improperly been called " Uegout dc T Europe."' An English gentleman, who had taken a house in a retired part of Pera, was remonstrated with by a Greek lady—" Your wife will never be able to bear that stupid house," said she ; " it does not look out on the street." A few Greek ladies may be met at the * Covered carts. THE FANA11I0T GREEKS. 157 houses of the different ambassadors at Con- stantinople, but they are mostly the wives or daughters of persons attached to the embassies, and cannot be considered as genuine samples of the Grecian fair, who live quite amongst them- selves within the precincts of the Fanar.* One advice I would give the Greek ladies is to take care that the Turks do not overtake them in the march of civilization. This is an event which once would have been deemed im- possible ; but when I left Constantinople, the Capitan Pacha was going to give a ball, where they were to be present in galleries ; and Mr. Calosso assured me, that when he asked the Sultan whether they were to join in the dance, he only laughed, and said, " It is not time yet.'"' At Napoli, society is improving : balls have been given, at which the ladies danced ; and in the course of time, 1 suppose, they will en- tirely divest themselves of their antiquated prejudices. * The Fanariot Greeks are well educated. The principal families fled to Odessa at the commencement of the Revolu- tion, and are now hastening to Greece ; and as they have for the greater part retained their property, their arrival will create a great change for the better in society. Prince Ma- vrocordato has lately married a lady belonging to one of these families, who is highly accomplished — it was quite a love match : so all the Greek ladies are not quite as insensible to he influence of the tender passion as was my little friend. 158 GREEK TROOPS Napoli is at this moment the head-quarters of the regular army, and it likewise eon tains a school for military instruction, containing about fifty scholars. Generals Traezel and Gerard, both very distinguished French officers, are now at the head of the Greek regular force, but this force only amounts to fifteen or eigh- teen hundred men, and though so few in num- ber, they are badly paid, and worse clothed ; — that such should be the case, reflects much upon the conduct of the President, who being well aware how perfectly useless the irregular forces are to Greece at the present moment, persists in keeping a force of several thousand men under arms.* What his object is, no one can say. France and England have pledg- ed themselves to defend the integrity of the Greek state; and with such powerful protectors, he well knows, that he has nothing to fear from external foes : the Palicari, who, if dis- banded, would probably resume their agricul- tural pursuits, find that it is much more agree- able to remain idle, and be well paid ; and feel- ing that they possess the power of enforcing * The Euhoeans have a right to expect pay and employment from the Government, whilst their country is occupied bv the Turks; but this case does not apply to the inhabitants of other districts. REGULAR FORCES. 150 their just claims upon Government, they set its threats at defiance. France, whose genero- sity to Greece is not sufficiently valued, or in- deed known by the Greeks, who thank the President for the gifts of Charles, — France, who supposes that her liberal contributions were ex- pended in raising a regular army, will be sur- prised to hear that the regular troops, though organized into regiments and battalions upon paper, are actually not above one thousand eight hundred strong. Yet such, I regret to say, is the manner in which the laudable inten- tions of the French Government have been act- ed up to; and at this moment the Greek regu- lars are scarcely more efficient than they were two years ago. Several edicts have been issued by the President directing the enrolment of ten thousand men ; but as long as an irregular force exists, twice as numerous as it should be, in proportion to the population, and more- over free from discipline, he can never dream of filling the vacant ranks of the regular ar- my. Had he directed his attention in the first instance to the destruction of the bands of Palicari, he would have found less difficulty in raising a disciplined force ; but now the im- pression has circulated amongst the people that the regulars, or Tacticoes, as they are called, are 1G0 DRESS OF THE SOLDIERS. an inferior class to the Palicari, and that a man who once enlists is a slave for life : such erro- neous impressions, indeed, appear to exist rela- tive to the regular troops, that it is evident no pains whatever have been taken to organize them. The manner in which the regulars are clad, and their general appearance, certainly is not likely to impress the mind of a peasant with the same feeling of respect as when he sees a Palicar with his J'ustanella, pistols, and tophaic. The soldiers are dressed in the Eu- ropean style, but so shabbily, that they have not a martial bearing, and appear to great dis- advantage near one of the common peasantry. The anxiety of the Greek government to intro- duce European customs into Greece, made them commit an error in the equipment of their troops, which, however trivial it may ap- pear, has great weight in the eyes of that class from whence the soldiers must be recruited. I allude to their not having dressed the regulars in the fustanella, or philibeg. It is the na- tional costume and favourite dress of the war- like class of Greeks. Nothing can be more sol- dier-like, and at the same time better adapt- ed to the mountainous country in which they have to act; it leaves their limbs free, and we well know, by the example of our Highland GREEK OFFICERS. 10 1 regiments, that it does not fetter their courage. Many Greeks confessed to me, that one of their principal reasons for disliking the Tacticoes, was the abandonment of the national garb ; — there certainly exists a strong prejudice against them. With the exception of a few French offi- cers, who are intermixed with the Greeks, and whose military mien only makes the others appear to still greater disadvantage, the officers of the regular regiments are a motley crew, even more in want of instruction than the men ; — they are dirty, badly dressed, and when commanding their troops, apparently quite ignorant of their professional duties. The fact is, that with the exception of the French, the officers of these regiments have no claim whatever to military rank ; they have never served — have evidently never been drilled — are not gentlemen, and are composed principally of a crowd of applicants whom the President, not knowing otherwise how to dis- pose of, nominated to commissions in batta- lions where there were no men. I believe that, if well, that is to say, strictly commanded, the Greeks would make excellent soldiers and of- ficers ; but the whole management of the army must be changed ; and unless the command of the different battalions is given to French or M 162 I'AY OF THE ARMY. English officers, with full powers to eject all those useless beings who now possess commis- sions, Greece will never have an army. It is not however force alone that must be used with Greek soldiers; persuasion and flattery judiciously administered, will have far more effect ; for, whatever may be their failings, they have much personal pride, and deeply feel an insult. A private soldier in the regular army receives one piastre (three-pence halfpenny) per day, and a ration of two pounds and a quarter of flour ; he is supplied with a jacket, a cap, and three pair of trowsers, by the Government ; but for his shoes, and other equipments, he is obliged to pay out of his miserable pittance ; so that his pay is almost nominal. The few troops at present composing the regular force are scattered throughout the for- tresses of the Morea: some are at Patras, others occupy the Morea Castle, Corinth, Napoli, Mo- don, and Coron. The army is to consist of ten thousand men, which is a larger force than Greece, with her present population of seven hundred and fifty thousand, is capable of sup- porting. One regiment of cavalry has been formed, under the command of Colonel Pelion, a French officer, who in the Peninsula, and at COLONEL PELION. 1 63 Waterloo, served with much distinction, and has now accepted promotion in the Greek service. His regiment does him credit; not so much from its outward appearance — for that depends upon the arrangements of Government — but from the excellent system he has enforced in his internal arrangements, deferring, until a later period, the more easy task of drilling his men. His chef d'escadron, Mr. Touret, meet- ing me accidentally one day, asked me to look at the barracks ; and although they were not prepared for show, they were in excellent order ; the arms well cleaned and stacked, and the rooms as comfortable as they could be made. Colonel Pelion was anxious to introduce a sys- tem of messing amongst his officers, in imita- tion of that followed in the British army ; for he felt the necessity of creating in the man " esprit cle corps," and of teaching them regular habits ; but I fear, that paid as are the Greek officers, he will find his intentions difficult to be realiz- ed ; a lieutenant does not receive above forty pounds sterling pay, per annum, and no rations except a pound of bread. I however gave him an explicit account of the manner in which the " messing" was managed in the British army. The horses of this corps belonged to the third light cavalry, and were generously given with m 2 IG4 ROAD FROM NAPOLI TO ARGOS. their equipments by the French to Greece, but they are mostly old ; and when unfit for service, I know not how they can be replaced, for there are no horses fit for cavalry in Greece at pre- sent. There are one hundred and seventy horses in the regiment, formed into two troops of lancers, and two of dragoons. As long as Greece merely raises troops to carry on a de- fensive war, a couple of cavalry regiments will be quite sufficient, the ground her armies would have to combat in being mountainous and easily defended against cavalry; but when she feels herself strong enough not only to repel aggression, but to pursue her foes into the plains of Thessaly, it will be necessary for her to strengthen this arm. A corps of artillery is organizing. The road from Napoli to Argos runs through the plains on the brink of the sea shore, but the ground being here extremely marshy, there are times, after a fall of rain, when it is barely pass- able. The Venetians had constructed two paved causeways through the swamp, but they are so full of holes that it is dangerous to ride over them ; and thus the communication between the two most populous towns in Greece, though only six miles in length, is almost obstructed. As all the produce of the plain of Argos finds PLAIN OF ARGUS. ] f,5 a mart at Napoli, it is surprising that a little trouble should not have been taken to amelior- ate this wretched road. The Greeks, however, do not care how bad the roads are ; and an- swered my remark relative to this one, with — " True, it is bad now, but you should see it in summer ! " Before leaving the plain of Argos, I must enumerate its various capabilities. The plain contains about forty square miles of arable land, and a great portion of it may be irrigated. The soil is not very rich, and requires to be left fal- low after a crop of wheat ; but as it is never manured, this is not surprising. Tobacco, rice, maize, wheat, and cotton, are produced ; but so very ignorant are the Greek husbandmen of the improvements which have taken place in the agricultural system, that they do not derive half the advantages they ought from their pro- perty. Their plough is the same kind of im- plement that it was in the days of Triptolemus; and the ground is so easily worked, that their ingenuity has not been exerted to improve it. They have no hedges or fences, and dung lies in heaps in their houses and streets, but is never employed as manure. A vegetable garden is seldom seen : provided, indeed, that they grow sufficient provision for their families 166 PLAIN OF ARGOS. they care not about the other resources their ground offers to them ; but this proceeds, I think, more from ignorance than sloth. Silk used to be made at Argos, and a few mulberry trees still remain ; but the orange groves and orchards surrounding the town, were used as fuel, or wantonly destroyed during the war. A great part of the plain of Argos is now go- vernment property. LEAVE AUGOS. 107 CHAPTER VI. Plain of Tripolizza. — Man tinea. — Tripolizza. — Turkish Prisoners. — Concealed wealth. — Battle of Navarino. — We enter Laconia. — Greek marriages.-— Source of the Alpheus. — Village of Bruliah. — Sparta. — Mistra. — Logotheti. — The Epiphany. — The Curfew bell. — Ancient marbles at Mistra. — Ruins of Sparta. — Sarcophagus at Cologonia. On the 11th January, Captain the Honourable J. Gordon and I left Argos, with the intention of visiting Sparta and the southern part of the Morea. We were forewarned by all our acquaint- ance, that to make a tour in the Morea at this season of the year was next to impracticable, for that the falls of snow on the mountains, the violent rain, and the overflow of the rivers, would throw so many impediments in our way, that we should be quite disgusted at the termination of a few days. But we determined to brave all these difficulties ; and being well provided with 1C8 PASS OF TSIPIANA. cloaks and blankets, did not anticipate much in- convenience from the cold, although the snowy tops of Mount Artemesius declared that the temperature would be more chilly in that vici- nity than in the sheltered plain of Argos. We were anxious to visit Mantinca, in the plain of Tripolizza, and wished to proceed thither by the Tsipiana pass ; but our guides declared that the snow rendered it impassable, and we then fol- lowed the road to Fortes. The day was fine when we left Argos ; but wc had not proceeded a couple of miles before the rain fell in torrents. Mount Artemesius, which we were to ascend, was covered with clouds, and we began to fear that the predictions of our Argos friends were about to be verified. We sought shelter at Ka- tubeleis, a small village which had escaped from Ibrahim's incendiaries, and there the Fappas received us in a comfortable cottage — lit an ex- cellent fire, and enabled us to dry our saturated clothes. He consoled us for our misfortunes, by declaring that the morrow, being New Year's day, (old style)* we were sure of having fine weather ; and his prediction was fortunately verified. We ascended the pass I have before describ- * The Greeks have not adopted the new style in comput- ing their years. THE FOUNTAIN OF ARNE. 169 ed, and on our way met an old Greek armed with a wretched gun, with which he was going to shoot partridges. The unblushing poacher showed us the manner he approached a covey unseen : he had two sticks with him, fixed crossways, and covered with a brown cloth : this he carried before him, and when he came near enough to the birds, he used it as a screen, and then aiming through a hole made for that pur- pose, sometimes, as he declared, slaughtered fifteen partridges at one shot. We had no difficulty in ascending the pass ; the snow had almost all melted from the ridge, although higher up it covered the mountains; and the fog clearing away, enabled us to en- joy the magnificent view, and to congratulate ourselves upon having such a fine day to cross the mountains, which at this season are often impassable. We left Sangeh on our right, and entered a small plain, for the time converted into a swamp by numerous springs issuing from the mountains, and which, having no out- let, are here collected. One of these, where a stream of pure water gushes from the earth, is the fountain of Arne, the spot where Rhea was delivered of Neptune, and having concealed him in a sheepfold, persuaded Saturn that she had brought forth a colt, which she gave him to 170 RUINS OF MANTINEA. devour. On the mountain bounding the plain to the eastward, we saw the monastery and large village of Tsipiana, and a little beyond it we came to the plain of Tripolizza. It is about two miles wide in this part ; and the mountains rise from it abruptly, and are desolate and cheer- less. The plain was cultivated, but there was little verdure to be seen, and no wood, and the scene altogether was dreary in the extreme. It has been called the Yorkshire of Greece ; but I do not see in what the similarity consists. We entered the plain near the ruins of Man- tinea, which, in common with many other an- cient ruins, has received the indefinite name of Pala?opolis. The walls are to be distinctly traced, although only rising a few feet above the surrounding country ; and at every thirty yards are the remains of a tower. The river Ophis, although quite full, was so narrow that w r e jumped over it : it divides into two branches on reaching the walls, and after encir- cling the city, reunites, and finally disappears in a chasm. At this point, various travellers have supposed that they coidd trace a small mound raised by Agesipolis to stop its course ; but if ever such existed, it could not have answered the purpose intended. The interior of the walls is strown with bricks and stones ; but with the RUINS OF MANTINEA. 171 exception of the ruins of a small theatre, no- thing can be distinctly traced. A few heaps of stones here and there appear to mark the site of some building of note, but we could only find the fragment of one column. Adjoining to the theatre there was a small stone enclosure used by the Greeks as a chapel during the revo- lution. Many of the stones had formed part of some ancient building, and amongst them Cap- tain Gordon discovered a small marble statue of Cybele, represented sitting between two lions: the goddess was so much disfigured, that we did not think her worth bringing away, but placed her on the altar of the Panagia, where perhaps she may once more have divine honour rendered to her by some clown who may chance there to say his prayers. On the Tegean side of Man tinea, at one hun- dred yards from the walls, a square marked with large stones, agrees with the position as- signed by Pausanias to the Temple of Neptune, under which it was said there was a passage communicating with the sea, and a little to the right is an upright stone, apparently the base of some monument; perhaps the trophy erected by the Mantineans to commemorate the vic- tory gained by their general Aratus over Agis, king of Sparta. i'l TRIPOLIZZA. On leaving Mantinea we traversed part of the plain through vineyards and corn-fields which were completely flooded : the rain of the pre- ceding day had filled the springs ; the rivulets had overflowed, and we experienced the greatest difficulty in wading through the water and mud, until we arrived at part of the plain where a hill juts into it, and considerably diminishes the width. This was the site of the memorable battle of Mantinea, and the slope of the moun- tain was probably the spot where the great The- ban expired —justly exclaiming that he left two immortal daughters, Leuctra and Mantinea. Tripolizza is seven miles from Mantinea: we reached it at sunset ; and having letters to the governor, obtained a comfortable house for the night. Misery, filth, ruined walls, crumbling houses, and muddy streets, were the prominent characteristics of Tripolizza. At the doors of a few new houses, we saw some pretty women dressed in holiday clothes, in honour of the new year, and sounds of merriment issued from many wretched hovels. Mirth, however, amidst the surrounding desolation seemed quite fiendish, and we could not but remember with horror the dreadful massacre which took place here in 1821. We walked round the ruins of the town, and saw mosques and churches, harems and TRIPOLIZZA. 173 towers, all mixed in one indiscriminate mass. What the Greeks had spared, Ibrahim, when he evacuated the town, literally demolished — the fortifications, that they might not be of service to the Greeks ; the mosques, to prevent their being defiled by the infidels. When we reflect upon the massacre of Tri- polizza, it displays forcibly the similarity in the character of the ancient and modern Greeks ; and whatever may be said to prove that the Greeks of to-day are not descended from those of early times, at least, it is impossible to deny that they possess the impetuous passions of the ancient Peloponnesians. How often in ancient history do we not read a tale of broken faith, rapine, murder, and violation ! how often do not the historians of old speak with compla- cency of the murders and atrocities committed by their countrymen ! Not a single tree is to be seen at Tripolizza — not even one dark cy- press, the usual ornament to the last homes of the Mahommedan dead ; nor did I see one tur- baned pillar marking a Moslem's tomb : these memorials of the Turks, light as they were, had also been swept away.* * An anecdote was related to me which proves that there was some pity shown by the Greeks at Tripolizza. A gen- tleman who was travelling in Greece, and trusting to the in- 174 AN ANECDOTE. The ruins of the Pekul Pasha Mosque were full of marble fragments, most probably the spoils of the Temple of Minerva, at Tegea ; and habitants for hospitality, on stopping at a little village near Caritena, asked his entertainer to sit down and partake of his dinner; at the same time requesting him to relate what adventures had happened to him during the war. The other complied ; and having waited until the room was cleared of listeners, he exclaimed, " I am a Turk ! When Tripolizza was stormed, I shut myself up with my master in his house : we fought for some time; my master was killed,- and at lust I surrendered my sword to a Greek : he likewise begged for my pistols — I gave them ; and then he requested that I would give him what money I had : it was a request I took good care not to refuse. * Now,' said the Greek, ' do not be alarmed, for I will take care of you :' he kept me by his side during the slaughter that occurred ; and when urged by some Capitani to put me to death, he steadily refused to tlo so — I followed him to his village. Five years afterwards, Ibrahim's troops approached it, and amongst them were some Turks who knew me of old. ' Ha ! Mustapha,' said they, ' what are you doing amongst those Giaours ? come and join us:' however, I reasoned with myself, and said, these Greeks are masters of the land now — I shall do wiser to remain where I am ; besides which, I had taken a liking to the prettiest girl in the village: so, all things considered, I resolved to stop where I was. My Turkish friends went away ; and I went to the church to be baptized. I entered it Mustapha and a Mussulman, — and I came out of it Spiro, and a Chris- tian; and when I am a little richer, I intend to get married." POPULATION OF TRIPOL1ZZA. 175 part of a marble column, fourteen feet in cir- cumference, hollowed out as a reservoir for water, must have pertained to the same edifice. Near the Mosque, a new building was prepar- ing as a school-room ; and on each side of the door I observed marble slabs with ancient inscriptions. One of these was very long, but in some parts so much defaced, that it would require a long time to decypher it : the other was of no importance. The school is to contain one hundred scholars. We called on the governor, who had for- merly served in our Greek regiments : he said, that w^hen he came to assume his com- mand the year before, not one house was stand- ing in Tripolizza, but that now the number of inhabitants amounted to seven hundred and fifty; — in the Turkish time there were fif- teen thousand souls; but Tripolizza will never again be a place of importance — its situation in the most inclement district of the Morea, and its difficulty of access, conspire to render it of no consequence to a civilized government. The Turks who held the Morea by right of conquest, viewed it in the light of a possession from whence the chance of Avar might again ex- pel them. They governed as conquerors, and all 176 PLUNDER OF TRIPOLIZZA. that they required was a military control over their subjects ; this Tripolizza, from its central position, afforded them, and thus they made it their capital. Great wealth accrued to the chiefs by the plunder of Tripolizza. The peasants, who knew not the value of precious stones, offered diamonds for sale at one or two shillings each ; and a pair of diamond-mounted pistols worth fifty thousand piastres, was sold for six thousand. Coloco- troni amassed an immense booty here ; and from being a pennyless Kleptli has become the richest man in Greece. The plunder the Greeks at various times acquired not having been drawn from the country, it is evident that there must be a great deal of capital now concealed in Greece ;* but the Greeks are so afraid of appearing rich, that when they do amass a little money, they immediately bury it, and hide even from their dearest friends where it is concealed. The Turks, also, buried their money ; and the Palicari used never to en- ter a house without running their ramrods into the floor, in the hopes of finding treasure. * During the two years that Ibrahim possessed the Morea, the Greeks were obliged to expend their wealth in purchas- ing provision ; but there is undoubtedly a great deal still left. TRAITS OF CHARACTER. 177 A Turkish gentleman, at the commencement of the war, buried a large sum of money in a certain part of his house, which was destroyed during the contest. Being afraid of trusting himself in the power of the Greeks, he was unable to seek for his treasure; but when hostilities ceased, he wrote to some European officers who were stationed near his house, of- fering them half of his wealth provided they would dig it up, and transmit the remainder to him. The bargain was made; the officers easily found the spot indicated, but the money had al- ready been taken. " Fool that I was," said the Turk, when he heard of his misfortune—" I entrusted my dearest friend with my secret !" The Greeks are more cautious in keeping a secret, for not even the fear of approach- ing death will induce them to disclose the site of their hoarded wealth ; as an instance which occurred lately near Argos will testify. There was an old Greek, apparently in the greatest misery, who was taken very ill, and in a few days his life was despaired of : his friends assembled round him ; and when they acquaint- ed him that there was no hope, said, that he ought to make what arrangements he wished, relative to his property, and declare whether he had any money concealed. " Money !" exclaim- N 178 CONCEALED WEALTH. ed the wretch ; " I am so poor, that 1 have not enough to pay the expenses of my funeral — I am not worth a single para. How should I get money ?" — The relations still urged him to confess, but he resolutely refused compliance. Next day he became worse, and on the follow- ing morning, finding that death was at hand, he called one of his relations, told him " to search near the large olive-tree in the garden," and shortly afterwards expired. Not far from the olive-tree a jar was found containing two hundred dollars ! We had no inducement to prolong our stay amid the ruins of Tripolizza, and on the 13th resumed our journey ; but we had only ad- vanced four miles, and reached the banks of a small lake called Taca, into which the Al- pheus flows, when the mountains became dark- ened by clouds, the thunder pealed, and we had barely time to seek shelter in a miserable hut when the storm burst ; snow fell on the moun- tains, and sleet in the plain; and we saw that we must resolve to pass the day where we were, in company with bipeds, quadrupeds, and fowls of every kind ; in fact, the hut contained not only the family, but the rightful inhabitants of the cow-house, pig-sty, and stable, who how- ever seemed to be firmly united witli their mas- BATTLE OF NAVARIN. 179 ters by the bond of good fellowship. The inhabitants of the small villages in this plain are in the most abject state of ignorance, and can scarcely be considered otherwise than as sa- vages ; but they possess, in common with all the Greek peasants, many good qualities, which only require cultivation : they are hospitable to the stranger, extremely obedient and submissive to the will of their superiors, and apparently not deficient in gratitude for benefits conferred upon them : but their extreme ignorance of what had taken place in their country is really pitiable. In the course of conversation, I asked the people here if they knew who fought the battle of Neocastro ? (Navarin.) " Capo d'Istrias," was the reply. " But who expelled Ibrahim from the Mo- rea ?" " Capo d'Istrias, who wrote a letter to him, saying, ' that if he did not embark for Alex- andria in twelve days, he would make him do so!"' " And to whom do you attribute your pre- sent quiet ?" " Capo d'Istrias ! blessings on his name !" I thought when I heard this, that if some of the gallant English and French sailors who fought at Navarin were to know how lightly N 2 180 ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEASANTS. their services are estimated, it would effectually cure their Philhellenism. Some of the Moreot peasants carry their en- thusiasm in favour of the President to rather an extraordinary excess, if we may believe an anecdote related to me. A print-seller at Napoli received a number of engravings from France, which he exhibited at his shop win- dows for sale ; there were likenesses of the Kings of England and France, the Emperor of Russia, and Capo d'Istrias. A country hind, who had entered Napoli for the purpose of ex- pending a few piastres in purchasing clothes, having stopped at the shop to gaze at the pic- tures, inquired who they were intended to re- present, and a bystander informed him. No sooner did he hear the President's name men- tioned than he rushed into the shop, paid six piastres for the print, and forgetting his intend- ed purchases, ran out of the town, exclaiming, 1 The Turks beat and robbed me, the Roume- liots plundered and maltreated me, and my prayers were of no avail: but Capo d'Istrias came, and my troubles ceased! — He shall be my God — him will I worship.'" It is not sur- prising that the peasants, who have scarcely been taxed, and have in fact been quite their own masters during the last two years, should GREEK MARRIAGES. 181 speak in favour of a person who has made them believe that the liberation of Greece was owing to his exertions. Only a portion of the arable land in the plain of Tripolizza is now cultivated, there being such a scarcity of cattle in the country that they have not oxen enough for agricultural purposes : its principal produce is corn ; and there are likewise a few vineyards in the vici- nity of the town. The wants of the peasants are but few, and these easily supplied : their food is generally coarse bread, and cheese ; and three or four times a year they gorge themselves with fat pork, and drink as much wine as they can procure ; thus by their occasional excesses rewarding themselves from their previous abs- tinence : the clothes they wear are all worked by the women of the family. The marriages of the peasants are conducted on the same system as those of the better classes. The contract is first entered into between the parents, and when the preliminaries are arranged, the bridegroom sends his intended spouse a ring tied to the end of a handkerchief— this consti- tutes the betrothal; from that moment the man is debarred from her sight, and the doors of her father's house are shut against him until the termination of from six to twelve months, as 182 source or THE alpheus. may have been agreed upon, when the marriage takes place, and all the family attend the wed- ding. Our hostess had four sons and three daughters : two of the latter were married ; but the third, though twenty years of age, not be- ing yet provided with a sufficient wardrobe, her marriage was deferred until the ensuing year, when they hoped, by manual industry, to have equipped the young lady as became a bride. She was to have four chemises, two coarse cloth dresses, and one fine wedding gown — the latter, after being worn on all holidays, would be trans- mitted as a legacy to the daughters. Until the young lady was disposed of, her four brothers were obliged to remain single, the ladies of a family being always married off first. At daybreak on the 14th we hastened from the pig-sty where we had passed the night, and rode along the bank of the Saranda Potamo, which we crossed repeatedly : this river often swells so rapidly as to endanger the lives of those who are travelling near it : after a heavv fall of snow or rain, a vast body of water rushes down it, and disappears in a chasm at the end of the plain of Tripolizza : it continues a sub- terraneous course, until it unites with the Taca Lake, when it again sinks, and finally emerges from the ground in the plain of Megalopolis, VALLEY OF THE El' ROTAS. 1$3 where, as the Alpheus, it receives numerous tributary streams, and joins the sea near Pyr- gos. The high land near the river was co- vered with snow ; and we found ice in all the pools. Fahrenheit's thermometer fell to 37°. The aspect of the country was not inviting ; but after we passed Cria Vrissa, where stood a Turkish fountain, and that we crossed the ridge dividing Arcadia from Laconia, the see- nery improved at every step. The ground was beautifully broken into hills and valleys ; a small river ran by the road side ; and the arbu- tus, the wild olive, and the fir, adorned the face of the mountains with their various tints of green ; but there were no villages or habitations, and the only traces of houses we saw dur- ing a ride of eight hours, were the walls of the Khan of Krabata ; but towards evening, on issu- ing from a small glen, a view of unequalled beauty presented itself. The whole valley of the Eurotas was displayed before us : immedi- ately in front were the lofty and precipitous peaks of Mount Taygetus rising like a wall of rocks from the plain below, and half covered with snow, which by its intense brightness threw the craggy outline of Pentydactylon strongly in relief. On the borders of the valley we could see Mistraand numerous villages . we 184 VILLAGE OF BIULIAII. traced the winding course of the Eurotas during many a mile, and looking towards the spot where Sparta stood, tried to distinguish its ruins: to the X. E. we saw the hills above Londari. and to the southward, in the extreme distance, the highlands of Cerigo. Bruliah, a romantic village with its houses scattered over the slopes of the hills, and intermixed with olive trees, oc- cupied the foreground ; and all around the country was broken into ravines and glens well wooded with a variety of trees. After leaving the bleak, inhospitable plain of Tripolizza, this transition from gloom to cheerfulness was most pleasing, and the scene amply repaid us for our preceding day's misery. Our reception by the inhabitants of Bruliah was very hospitable : a young woman conducted us to her house, and prepared it for our recep- tion — she had beautiful features, fine black eyes, and a pleasing address, but her misfortunes dur- ing the war had left a melancholy impression on her countenance. When Ibrahim invaded the country. Bruliah was one of the most flou- rishing villages in the Morea, but one night it was surprised by the Arabs; sixty persons were carried into slavery, and many were killed, amongst whom was the husband of our hostess : such <>f the inhabitants as could escape, fled IBRAHIM'S CRUELTY. 185 to the impenetrable recesses of Maina; and when, after three years' exile, they ventured to return, sad must have been their feelings on contem- plating the wreck of their homes, and they bitterly lamented the slavery of their kindred.* A poor woman came to us with a present of fruit, and she told us, with tears in her eyes, that her four children had been carried away by Ibrahim, and that she was now childless. Ibrahim certainly did not pursue a vacillat- ing system : he said he would destroy Greece ; and fearfully did he redeem his promise : yet this wretch, to whom the shedding of inno- cent blood is as nought, — who could calmly look upon the burning villages, devastated fields, and mangled bodies of those whom he doomed to destruction, — this man is considered one of the most enlightened chieftains in the Turkish empire. If the curses of the childless, the widowed, and the fatherless be of any avail, Ibrahim has a dreadful weight of malediction hanging over him. * We had not been long seated, when a handsome little boy entered the room with his present for the Milordos : when told to shut the door, he answered with truly Spartan brevity, " I won't," an d then strutted forward to offer us a small bird he had just killed and prepared for the spit — showing even at his early age a spirit that would not brook control ; and that he possessed a proper sense of hospitalitv. 18G RIVER BUROTAS. The road from Bruliah down to the banks of the Eurotas was varied and beautiful. After ascending and descending several small hills, we came to one overlooking the Eurotas, where it is hemmed in by an opposite ridge of hills, and rushes through the glen with great rapidity. Over it there is a curious bridge of Venetian construction, consisting of one large arch, stretch- ing from bank to bank, and four smaller ones. The banks of the river are lined with shrubs, and several masses of rocks rise above the bridge, and give it an air of peculiar wildness and beauty. When we advanced beyond this, we entered a cultivated track : the left bank of the river seemed populous and fertile, and we saw several groves of olive and mulberry trees. Our road led along the right bank of the Euro- tas, which is bounded by the hilly ground fall- ing from Mount Taygetus ; but it having ap- peared to us that we were not proceeding in a direct line towards Mistra, we inquired the rea- son of our deviation from the established track, and were informed by Theodore that he had brought us by a circuitous route, in order that we might see an old fort called Magula; we therefore continued following the banks of the Eurotas, until we came to a small rivulet run- ning into it , and having then turned to the SPARTA.—MISTRA. 187 right, saw on a steep hill in front some ruined walls. " There," triumphantly exclaimed Theo- dore — "there is the Palaeo Kastro — there is Magula." We rode up to it, and in the mass of brick and stone scattered around, recognised the ruins of Sjiarta. We deferred until a later period examining the site of the city, and continued our journey towards Mistra, the modern representative of Lacedsemon. The appearance of the intervening country was high- ly flourishing : there were on either side of the road vineyards, olive and orange groves, mul- berry-trees, and fields, which, although now fallow, had been highly cultivated ; whilst the ruins of many excellent houses showed that there had once been a numerous population. Mistra at a distance had an imposing ap- pearance. On a nearer approach, it proved to be a mass of ruins. Ibrahim had been there ! Amidst the blackened walls around, there were several new houses, and one street lined 'with shops, forming the bazaar. Whilst we remained here, until our servants found a lodging, we were accosted by a young man dressed in the island costume, who told us in French that he considered himself under great obligations both to the French and English, and that if we would do him the honour of ac- 188 DISINTERESTED HOSPITALITY. cepting the slielter his house afforded, lie should feel most happy in conducting us thither. We gratefully availed ourselves of his offer, and were soon installed in a small house contain- ing but one room. On the door we observed an ancient basso relievo, which induced us to think favourably of the degree of civilization to which our host had attained, and his speaking French and Italian were proofs that he was su- perior to the class of men we had been in the habit of meeting; but he was so inquisitive, that I did him the injustice of supposing that he was a mere employe of the police : his sub- sequent conduct proved, however, that his ques- tions emanated from a desire to improve him- self, and that he acted towards us with disinte- rested hospitality. His father and brothers held situations under government : in their absence he was master of the house ; and as such, he said that he felt happy in affording us a home during our stay at Mistra. He offered to act as our cicerone; and as he was versed in the legends relative to all the ruins around, and that, moreover, the few ancient sculptures which Mistra possesses were likewise known to him, we found him an extremely useful person. The rain fell so violently during the first day of our stay at Mistra. that we were obliged to M. TIIEODORAKI. lg(J remain within doors ; the whole country was en- veloped in a mist, and we could not even distin- guish the citadel, so we amused ourselves by con- versing with Mr. Theodoraki. " Ah !" said he, "lam so anxious to see England ! I wish so much to improve myself! and yet I am obliged to re- main here amongst an ignorant people who are a prey to superstition, whilst in England alone true philosophy is to be found. I, however, try to acquire information, for I am convinced of the benefits of education ; and you may see that I possess books." He produced them ; they were the Confessions of Rousseau ! " But tell me,'' continued he, " is it true that you choose your own wives, and converse with them before marriage? we consider it very malhonnete : — and do you really believe in Jesus ?" We replied in the affirmative. " Ah ! is it possible ! I have heard that people die from disappointed love, if their parents refuse consent to their marriage ; but I cannot understand it. Do men look upon women with respect, in England ? Do you think that the passion of love, such as it is described, is conducive to the happiness of mankind?" We tried to explain some of these mystical points which so much puzzled him ; and then he showed us a little book written by Tri- coupi, in Greek, and published at iEgina : the 190 UU1NS OF MISTRA. contents, lie informed us, were the history of an English Milordo, who was very rich, and died at Missolonghi. This was the Life of Byron. Notwithstanding his abuse of the su- perstitious rites practised by his countrymen, I observed that he certainly judged it prudent to follow them. At night, a painting, repre- senting the Panagia, was illuminated by a lamp ; and before he retired to rest, he made as many genuflexions before it as would have done for a Mahommedan in the holy temple at Mecca ; and crossed himself with such rapidity, during a full quarter of an hour, that I became tired of count- ing the number of his signs. His servants after- wards came forward and performed the same ceremony ; and then, under the protection of the Panagia, we all laid down in the same apart- ment, and resigned ourselves to sleep. Mistra has a most striking appearance ; and Captain Gordon, who had lately been travelling in Spain, found a great similarity between it and Granada. It is, or I should say was, built on the side of a precipitous mountain, and the summit is crowned by a fortress with towers and turrets in the ancient style, which form- ing a black mass, relieved by the snowy peaks of Pentydactylon, has a magnificent effect : be- low the castle the ruins of the town commence »~. t . ■' 4 RUINS Or MISTRA* 191 — dilapidated towers, broken arches, hanging gardens, or rather terraces which once supported them, present a scene of desolation, that seems to have been effected by some supernatural power, instead of by the will of man. One or two gloomy cypresses here and there contrasted their black foliage with the dazzling whiteness of the distant snow, but no smoke rising from the town bespoke its occupation ; not a single being moved amidst its blackened and crum- bling walls : it was a perfect solitude. On the southern side of the castle the mountain is se- parated from its natural range by a tremendous chasm, apparently formed by an earthquake : the mountain is literally rent asunder, leav- ing a perpendicular precipice several hundred feet high ; and below runs a plentiful stream, separating the old town from what was for- merly a suburb, but is now the only inha- bited part of Mistra : a curious bridge of one arch connects the two banks. At some distance beyond this is another suburb, surrounded by orange groves ; the trees were in full bearing, and the golden fruit hung in beautiful clusters on their branches, but the gardens they belong- ed to were overrun with weeds, and the houses were in ruins. Four times did Ibrahim enter Mistra, and on each occasion the inhabitants 192 CASTLE AND CHURCHES OF MISTRA. fled to the mountains, and he set fire to what- ever houses had escaped from his former con- flagrations ; but the castle, defended by a few Greeks, always resisted his efforts to capture it. The weather having cleared up a little, we resolved to stroll amongst the ruins of the old town, and climb up to the castle. Most of the houses were built upon arched foundations, which being now disclosed, looked like the mys- terious recesses of a feudal castle, and the tow- ers intended for the defence of the street, with loopholed walls, contributed to give the town the semblance of an ancient fortress. There are several old Greek churches in the town, con- spicuous from their numerous domes and quaint style of architecture : that called the metropoli- tan church, near where the Bishop of Sparta resides, is a strange old building, apparently constructed during the lower empire. The pavement is partly tesselated, the pillars are surmounted with capitals of various designs, neither Greek, Tuscan, nor Gothic, but truly barbarous ; and on some are inscribed, in the in- comprehensible Greek of the middle ages, the names of those persons who granted donations to the church. Higher up the hill are the ruins of an extensive palace, in which are many traces of irothic architecture ; and here it must have FORTRESS OF MISTRA. 193 been that the ancient despots of Sparta resided, when they transferred the population of Sparta to the more secure military position of Mistra : the tradition relative to this building amongst the Mistriots is, that it formerly was the resi- dence of a great queen in the time of the Vene- tians. It must be observed that the common Greeks, in speaking of any event that occurred more than a century past, always say that it took place during the time of the Venetians. We had stopped for a short time at an open spot, and were looking upon the beautiful view of the plain of Sparta, when a Palicar, who was ascending the hill, accosted us, and asked if we wished to see the fortress. He led the way, and we followed, until within hail of the ramparts, when he called out in a loud tone; a voice answered from within, and the gates were opened by a young lad, who, with the Pa- licar, composed the garrison of Mistra's citadel. A cloud swept over the hill at this moment, and prevented our seeing all the magnificence of our situation ; but we could perceive that we were on the summit of the peak, and that the castle, though badly fortified, yet in the pos- session of brave soldiers, would be impregnable, save by famine. At the breaking out of the Revolution, the Turks fled from Mistra with- o 194 LOGOTHETL— THE CURFEW BELL. out attempting to defend the citadel, and the Greeks immediately occupied it, and restored the fortifications. Mistra, in 1821, contained 20,000 inhabitants, but has now no more than 1500; the rest were mostly Turks, who fled at the breaking out of the Revolution, and their property is in the hands of Government. Logotheti is at pre- sent the commissary extraordinary of this district ; and although he received us very gra- ciously, yet I could not forget that to his un- principled ambition was owing the dreadful massacre at Scio. He it was who, with a small body of Palicars, landed in the island, and tried to excite the inhabitants to revolt ; and then, having succeeded in making them rise against the Turkish authorities, was the first to fly and desert them when danger became imminent. He was surrounded by numerous armed Mai- note retainers, who amused themselves in the evening by discharging their pistols in the streets, in honour of the Epiphany ; but al- though they are not famed for the urbanity of their manners, none of them passed us without saluting and wishing us good day. We re- marked, indeed, that all the Mistriots were very respectful. At seven o'clock in the evening the curfew bell sounded: and after that warn- THE EPIPHANY. 105 intr, none of the Mistriots dared to leave their houses, as any persons found strolling through the streets would be taken up by the guards. This regulation appeared to be just the same that existed in our country eight centuries ago, and was quite in character with the ruins we had been examining in the morning. The 17th was the Epiphany of the Greek church, and early in the morning, whilst we were dressing, six Pappas entered the room, bearing in their hands a crucifix, a basin of holy water, and a bunch of flowers, with which they sprinkled the water about the room : Mr. Theo- doraki and his servants then advanced, and the priests made the figure of a cross on their fore- heads, and pronounced a benediction, which was requited by the gift of a few paras : an- other detachment, armed in a similar manner, came shortly afterwards, and renewed the cere- mony ; but, as we were heretics, they did not offer to bless us. This ceremony, in commemo- ration of the Baptism of Our Saviour, is per- formed once annually by all the priests of the town ; but, in addition to this, the priests of the parish pay a monthly visit to their flock, and having purified their mansion with holy water, receive some trifling remuneration, which, however inconsiderable, is their princi- o 2 19G ANCIENT MARBLES. pal source of revenue. After this we proceeded, under the guidance of Mr. Theodoraki, to see the few ancient marbles discovered here. We hoped that, amongst the ruins of the old town, we might have discovered some of the spoils of Sparta, but our search was fruitless. Our cicerone first pointed out to us, at the foot of the walls of the old town, a beautiful marble sarcophagus, now used as a cistern. It was six feet long, and three wide : one face represented a dance of Bac- chanalians ; but the figures, though well execut- ed, were much mutilated. On the opposite side were two winged dragons resting their claws on a spiral ornament standing between them, and at the extremities of the sarcophagus were two sphinxes. At another fountain there is a basso relievo representing three boys supporting a garland ; and I likewise saw a head of Bacchus, ten inches high ; but the Turks, in their reli- gious zeal, had dreadfully mutilated it. These, and a few fragments of marble columns, here and there built into the walls, are all the relics that Mistra possesses of the ancient arts. The rain that hitherto detained us at Mis- tra having ceased, we mounted our horses, and proceeded through the beautiful plain to revisit the ruins of Sparta. Near the banks of SPARTA. 197 the Scattias river, at the village of Magula, our guide showed us some marbles collected in a yard, until they could be transmitted to the national museum. They were half hidden in a dunghill, and consisted of a mutilated female head, and a basso relievo well executed, repre- senting the combat of a naked warrior with two Amazons, one of whom he is holding by her long hah*, and, with his sword uplifted, prepar- ing to strike ; whilst the other is hastening to her assistance. There was also a small but clever bas relief of a naked youth armed with a sword, and having on his head the Phry- gian cap. Sparta is not above two miles from Mistra ; and a few minutes' ride from Magula brought us to the hill of the Theatre, from whence we had an excellent view of the ruins, consisting for the greater part of brick walls, constructed during the Roman government, and so exten- sive, that I am surprised it should ever have been said that of Sparta nothing remained. The situation of the ancient city was in every respect admirable : to the east, the plain of Sparta is terminated by a steep declivity ; the ground is broken into several small hills, and on the most elevated are the ruins of the 198 RUINS OF SPARTA. Theatre. At their base flows the Eurotas, and around them is the fertile plain of Mistra. On these hills the eity was built; and although the walls could not have embraced the whole of the ancient town, yet they enabled us to trace its probable outline. They are evidently the work of the lower ages, in many places upon a Greek foundation, and are formed of brick mixed with fragments of columns, marble tab- lets, &c. In one part of the walls, we saw the headless statue of a man clad in the toga ; and near it were several marble slabs with inscrip- tions, but so mutilated, evidently by design, that it was impossible to decypher them. These are probably the remains of the Abbe Four- mont's destructive labours, as described by Dod- well. We likewise saw in another part of the ruins an inscription apparently recording some act of the city ; the letters were six inches long, but half of the slab was broken off. Several elevated spots indicate the site of temples, from whence the stones had been taken to build the walls : on one of them were two entrances formed of three enormous stones, us at Mycenas, and leading into an open space in front of the temple : the steps of the temple still remain. On the south side of the town is an enclosure in the shape of a parallelogram, RUINS OF SPARTA. 1 91) having on one side a range of vaulted chain- bers : this must have been one of the public institutions connected with the exercises of the Spartan youth, perhaps the Hippodrome ; but there is no possibility of ascertaining positively what its purposes were, as Pausanias does not mention any similar edifice; — however, the French savants who have lately examined Spar- ta, may be able to throw some light on the sub- ject. Outside of the walls is a square building constructed with ancient fragments, and near it an edifice supposed to be the tomb of Pausanias and Leonidas. These ruins are all that is to be seen at Sparta ; but there must be a mine of an- tiquarian wealth not far below the surface, else how can we account for the disappearance of the enormous columns which supported the ancient temples ? We saw some broken shafts of co- lumns of so large a size, that they would not be removed for the purpose of building a dis- tant town, when more portable materials were procurable; and we may therefore suppose that when Sparta was deserted, the houses (being most probably in great part built of mud) form- ed, when they fell, an extra layer of soil to the depth of many feet, and thus concealed the prostrate remains of the public edifices and tem- ples. We know that at Athens the soil has 200 SARCOPHAGUS OF COLOGONIA, accumulated to the depth of thirty feet. From Sparta we rode towards a village called Colo- gonia, near the junction of the Scattias with the Eurotas ; and close to a clump of poplars, on the banks of the river, we were shown a bro- ken marble sarcophagus, discovered accidentally a year ago. The sides are sculptured ; but so much of the upper part is broken, that we could only distinguish the lower extremities of the figures. On one side we traced warriors fighting, a river god, some females, and the base of an altar ; and at the end is a spirited figure of a horse. What renders this sarco- phagus very singular is, that on two sides the sculpture has been finished, whilst on the other it is merely sketched. The spot where the sarcophagus was found, agrees with the site of the Platinistas, and it may have pertained to some of the monuments mentioned by Pausanias as existing there. Mr. Gropius told me that near Amy cite, at Leftka, there is a tomb simi- lar to that of Agamemnon ; but we had not time to proceed thither. I was highly gratified with what we saw of Sparta : not only was there much to admire in the surrounding scenery, but there was also in the ruins of Sparta more to be seen than I had anticipated, and witli the aid of fancy I supplied RETURN TO MISTRA. 201 the rest : so distinct indeed is Sparta still, that I should have been sorry if the Mistriots were allowed to put into execution a plan they meditated. After supposing for many years that they were occupying the site of Sparta, they latterly discovered their mistake, and be- fore they commenced rebuilding at Mistra, pre- sented a petition to the President, requesting permission to establish themselves on the ruins of the ancient city ; but the project was not approved of by Capo d'Istrias, — one reason being, that the plain close to the Eurotas is not considered healthy — this evil may be con- quered by cultivation, as the malaria is ge- nerally caused by the stagnate waters left in the fields, in consequence of a bad system of irrigation. Mistra is also unhealthy in sum- mer, when the inhabitants are subject to at- tacks of fever and ague ; and this is accounted for by the situation of the town : it is exposed to the burning rays of the sun, reflected from the mountain, and also to the chill currents of air rushing down from the snowy summits of Taygetus, which, checking the perspiration, of course produce fevers. When we returned to Mistra, we found the streets decked with orange branches, in honour of the President's fete, which happened to be 202 POUQUEVILLE. on the ensuing day, and in the evening the inhabitants were called upon to illuminate.* * Pouqueville's account of Mistra is a tissue of lies : it is a pity that the Modern Traveller should have given him a place in his well-selected pages. He speaks of Sparta as being on the same spot as Mistra, and calls the Scattias the Eurotas. THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH. 203 CHAPTER VII. Ceremony in the Metropolitan Church. — Revenues of the priests. — Present state of the Greek Church. — Mavromi- chalis, or Petro Bey. — Remarks on the necessity of colo- nizing Greece. — We leave Mistra. — Cypress-tree at Tru- poe. — Fount of the Eurotas.— Sleep at Spaneika. — Lon- dari. — Megalopolis — Caritena. — Character of Colocotroni. — Temple of Apollo, at Bassae. — Khan in the plain of Tri- polizza. — We reach Argos. On the morning of the Epiphany, we accom- panied our landlord to the Metropolitan Church, to witness the ceremony of the Baptism of the Cross, as emblematical of that of Our Saviour. The whole population of Mistra had assembled here, and the church was crowded to such an ex- cess that many of the congregation were oblig- ed to remain round the door without the hopes of getting in ; they however had the kindness to make way for us, and we obtained a place near the altar. As is usual in Greece, the women were 204 A RELIGIOUS CEREMONY. separated from the men ; the latter stood in the aisle bearing tapers in their hands ; but the for- mer, who, I regretted to observe, wore Turkish veils, were sitting in the galleries. The scene was one of peculiar interest, as it enabled us to see the wild mountaineers of these regions in a different light to what is generally expected from them. Here they came to humble them- selves before their God : we had generally heard of them as robbers and murderers. The service was long ; and, at one part of it, prayers were recited for the sovereigns of Eng- land, France, and Russia, as well as for the Pre- sident; and to these it appeared that the peasants listened with more attention than to the remain- der of the service. A lad twelve years of age, dressed in the garb of the church, then stepped forward, and hurried through a sermon ; and the bishop and his attendant priest, after receiving the sacrament, advanced from behind the screen, which in Greek churches separates the congre- gation from the altar, and proceeded to sanctify a vase full of water placed in the middle of t lie church. During the ceremony, the image of a dove bearing a piece of paper in its beak, inscribed with the Word of God, was low- ered from the ceiling, and three times dipped in the water, to the edification of the gaping REVENUES OF THE PRIESTS. 205 peasants. Thus far, great decorum had been observed; the men stood uncovered, with their long black hair flowing on their shoulders, every head was bowed, and each person crossed himself ; but the moment that the Bishop had uttered the last words of the blessing, there was a general rush towards the holy water, each man hoping to obtain some of it to drink : there was such a clattering of cups and pans, such shouting and confusion, that I should have sup- posed myself witnessing a bacchanalian revel, instead of a Christian ceremony: the Bishop with difficulty escaped from the fray : some men triumphantly swallowed the holy draught they had succeeded in obtaining; and the table supporting the vase having been upset, quiet was at last restored. The Bishop now placed himself in the episcopal chair, and the members of the congregation proceeded one by one to kiss his hand and receive his benediction, at the same time offering him a pecuniary gift, amounting in all to about five hundred pi- astres. Twice yearly does he make a similar collection ; and this small sum, together with fees upon marriages and burials, composes the whole revenue of the Bishop of Sparta. From the church lands he derives likewise some assistance, but has no control over them, for 20G STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH. they are at present in the hands of Govern- ment, and their produce is to be employed in furthering the improvement of education. The Pappas, in like manner, depend upon the gene- rosity of their parishioners for support. The debased state of the Greek Church at the present moment, may, I think, be considered a fortunate circumstance, as it will enable the fu- ture government to model and arrange their church establishment in the manner best suited to the interests of the country. The ignorance of the clergy is deplorable ; and even the peo- ple feel less respect for their pastors than in any other Christian country. Their education has never been attended to; and it sufficed, if a person wished to take orders, that he should be able to perform the mummeries practised by the church, and recite a few prayers.* Their income being of a precarious nature, they are all cultivators and landed proprietors ; and although after or- dination they may no longer marry, their being married before does not prevent their admission within the Church. Formerly, Greece was over- run with ignorant priests and monks; and in several towns there were almost as many churches as houses ; but the Revolution has * A seminary lias been established at JEgina, which con- tains ten or twelve scholars. STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH. 207 considerably diminished this evil ; and the pre- sent Government having prohibited the ordina- tion of priests for the present, it is to be hoped that this useless, ignorant race will gradually disappear. Education, which is so much talked about, and so little attended to in Greece, should commence with the clergy. A seminary ought to be established solely for the instruction of the candidates for holy orders, and the ex- penses might easily be defrayed by the lands of the Church. The superintendence of such an establishment ought not to be placed in the hands of the priesthood ; for, in that case, it would become a mere nest of superstition ; but there should be a controlling power exercised by the Government, and a liberal system of edu- cation enforced, and no priests should be ordain- ed until they had passed a strict examination, not only in theology, but in foreign languages, and subjects of general information. They then might be appointed to churches, where their learning would enable them to superintend the education and morals of their parishioners, nei- ther of which have hitherto been thought of; — indeed, it says much in favour of the Greeks, that none of their virtues are the result of in- struction, — they are indigenous, and the growth of their own good dispositions. 208 STATE OF THE GREEK CHURCH. The Government has acted wisely in seizing the church lands ; and hereafter it ought to ac- knowledge no priests but those of its own nomi- nation ; by this means a reform may probably be effected in the ecclesiastical system, enabling the peasant to devote that time to labour, which is now absorbed in the holidays of the Church. There are not less than one hundred and eighty- two holidays kept by the Greeks, when they are perfectly idle. If we consider what a dread- ful loss of time this is, we cannot but hope that, with the progress of education, it will become apparent that a system so monstrous in its de- tails is not calculated for the interests of a rising nation ; and as the diminution of the Festas can- not interfere with the prerogatives of the clergy, they perhaps may lend their sanction to a change in their number. This alteration might be effected by adopting the new style, and seizing that opportunity to throw three or four saints' days into one. An ecclesiastical court, composed of three bishops, at present superintends the affairs of the Church ; but, although they disclaim the right of the Patriarch of Constantinople to interfere with the temporalities of the Church, they still refer to him on all spiritual matters. Even this nominal interference ought, if pos- THE PRIESTS. 209 sible, to be shaken off; for it is surely incon- sistent with the liberties of a free people, that they should, in any way, be subject to the control of a Patriarch nominated by the Sultan * Many years must elapse before the clergy are placed on a respectable footing ; and to obtain that desideratum, it will be necessary to root out several nests of ignorant monks, whose monasteries have gradually be- come possessed of immense property. Ignorant as are this class of people, yet armed with wealth and the weapons of superstition, they might become dangerous opponents to the pro- gress of civilization ; and as they confer no be- nefit on the country, in return for the riches it * I was one day speaking to a Greek gentleman respect- ing the deficiency of their education. — " To show you," said he, " the estimation in which they are held, I will relate to you a story current among the people. ' There was a merry fellow once who, wishing to expose the ignorance of the priests, led an ass up to the Bishop, and respectfully begged that he would confer ordination upon him.' — ' Out upon you !' said the bishop in a rage, • how dare you insult the mysteries of our holy religion by such a proposition? — away with you !' The man turned round, and was leading the beast away, when the bishop perceived a purse full of gold hanging to his tail. ' Stop, friend,' he cried out, ' I was wrong; bring your ani- mal back ; for, although only an ass in front, I see that he will make an excellent priest behind.' " P 210 THE PRIESTS. bestows upon them, the government need feel no compunction in proscribing their vitiated communities. It is already contemplated by the liberal Greeks to effect a reform in their churches, and emancipate themselves from the authority of the Patriarch, but much opposition is manifest- ed by the bishops and principal dignitaries of the church, who affect to view any innovation on their religion as sacrilege. Although so perfectly ignorant themselves of what their re- ligion is founded upon, that they only know it by the ceremonies that they perform, they pro- fess to consider any attempt at reform as an heretical invasion. The President having ju- diciously taken possession of the church lands, disgusted many of the bishops, who view with jealousy any encroachment upon their preroga- tives, and are anxious still to hold their investi- ture from the Patriarch, as it only requires a well-furnished purse to ensure their nomination. It however is evident, that nothing can be so injudicious as to allow a Patriarch nominated by and in the interest of the Porte, to have the spiritual control of the Greek nation ; and en- lightened men are all of opinion that the Greek Church ought to have its chief in Greece, as it is undoubtedly contrary to the canons of the MA"VROMICHALIS. O] 1 Church, that their Patriarch should be nomi- nated by an infidel. On the other hand, it is feared that this will create a schism, there being three million two hundred and fifty thousand Asiatic Greeks who would recognise the Patri- arch, whilst Greece could only number seven hundred and fifty thousand. We felt considerable regret at not having it in our power to visit the territory of Maina, the highlands of Greece ; but even if our time had not been limited, at this season of the year, it would have been far from pleasant to travel amongst the snowy ridges of Mount Taygetus : but the Mai notes are already ceasing to form a distinct class from the rest of the Greeks ; and old Petro Bey, (Mavromichalis,) who has ceded his power over them to the government, and lives quietly at Napoli di Romania, upon be- ing asked whether he thought they would change their habits, replied, " Do you think that we will continue to live amidst our barren mountains, now that the plains are open to us? No, — we loved Maina, because it was the land of liberty! but, now that freedom is to be en- joyed in a more productive part of Greece, we shall gradually descend to the valleys." Not- withstanding the distinguished part that Mav- romichalis took in the revolutionary contest, he P 2 212 MAVHOMK IIALIS. is strongly suspected of looking back with re- gret to the good old times when he was Bey of Maina, and possessed of sovereign authority. His official functions are now merely those of a senator, and, instead of having any weight in the government, he is considered as a cypher. His own words will best describe his senti- ments. A friend of his paid him a visit one day at a new house he had constructed, and remarked to Mavromichalis, that he thought it extremely comfortable ; — " Yes," answered the chief, " but you should have seen me in my Beyship of Maina." — " How !" said his friend, "do you regret former times? What then induced you to rise against the Porte ?" — " Why the fact is, that although I was already powerful and rich, I wished to become more so ; a crowd of agents surrounded me, and promised that I should be made Prince of Greece; so I threw myself headlong into the Revolution. — What has been the result? Mj son was killed. I was used as a tool until mj services were no longer required ; and now I am a mere man of dirt." An excursion to Maina being out of the ques- tion, we resolved upon proceeding to Londari, in the plain of Megalopolis, and therefore turned away from the beautiful valley of the Eurotas. NECESSITY OF COLONIZATION. 213 Of the various parts of Greece I had seen, none appeared to me so well adapted to colonization as the plain of Mistra ; and a person wishing to purchase lands in Greece would act wisely in se- lecting this spot for his residence. The best ground, having formerly belonged to the Turks, is now in the hands of Government, and will eventually be offered for sale — and the best land already planted with olives, mulberries, oranges, and vines, and capable of being irrigated, may, at the present moment, be purchased for five hundred piastres the strema. No measure could possibly be more conducive to the interests of Greece than encouraging fo- reigners to become purchasers of government property, on the condition of actual residence. The population of the Greek kingdom being- only 750,000, is so inadequate to its extent of territory, that to do justice to the fertility of the soil, and natural advantages of the coun- try, it is absolutely necessary that coloniza- tion should be resorted to ; but that this sys- tem may not tend to the prejudice of the actual proprietors of land, and to prevent the nation being burthened with the support of strangers, it must be carried on solely at the expense of individuals. Foreign purchasers of government lands should pledge themselves to supply a suf- 214 ADVANTAGES OF COLONIZATION. ficicnt number of labourers for their cultiva- tion, and this arrangement would entail but little difficulty upon them, as the island of Matra could easily supply several hundred in- dustrious families ; and after the first year, the produce of the land would be sufficient to sup- port them. An English speculator, instead of seeking in America the means of increasing his capital, might here invest it in the purchase of property in one of the most favoured countries in Europe ; and the distance from England is so slight, that a person might come out in four- teen days, view the different parts of the coun- try, select a spot calculated to meet his views, (weighing well the possibility of irrigation, and the facilities offered for the disposal of his pro- duce,) and, having possessed himself of the ne- cessary information, return to England within three months. It would be unnecessary for him to enter into any extraordinary expenses for agricultural implements, those used in the country being sufficient until a year's expe- rience had taught him what would be most useful. Tobacco, wheat, oil, cotton, wine, silk, are but a few of the articles produced in Greece, which in able hands might be turned to the greatest advantage ; and the first cost of his es- tablishment would be trifling, as the price of CHARACTER OF THE PEASANTS. 215 building is inconsiderable : the houses are of fragile materials, — but, for the first few years, this would be immaterial. A house calculated for a small family may be built for fifty or sixty pounds, and those for his tenantry would not cost one-third of that sum. The advantages that would accrue to Greece by the introduction of monied men amongst the agricultural class are manifold. The Greek peasants at present, in many respects, are not undeserving the name which their ancestors bestowed upon the polished. Persians — "Bar- barians." They pride themselves upon being distinct from Europeans * Their manners are still Asiatic — they have no idea how to employ their money ; and when by their industry they have succeeded in saving a few dollars, instead of laying them out in the purchase of land, in improving their houses, or educating their chil- dren, they bury their treasure in the ground, * They always call the inhabitants of Christendom Europeans, as if they were themselves Asiatics. A Greek gentleman belonging to one of the ancient families of the Fanar was visited by an old Moreot, who expressed him- self delighted to see him ; but, on remarking that he was dressed in the Frank costume, observed — " Why do you wear those clothes just like an European ? recollect that you are a Greek !" 216 CHARACTER OF THE PEASANTS. and only occasionally spend a portion of it in purchasing a fine dress for holidays. A man whose house is not worth ten dollars, will spend a hundred in purchasing an embroidered dress. The first symptoms of civilization in a barba- rous nation is a demand for the conveniences and luxuries of life, and to this state the Greek husbandman has not yet attained : by following the path of his fathers, he secures to himself provisions and clothing, and he looks not be- yond them : he is content to live in a miserable hut, amidst his pigs and poultry, rather than, by calling his energies into play, rise from his de- graded state. He cultivates the lands that his ancestors cleared; but, although he has sufficient time to plant a great deal more, he will not do so. He is content to wallow in filth, and wear his unwashed clothes until they literally fall off him, provided that three or four times a year he can appear decked out in finery ; he is, in fine, but little removed in his wants and habits from a savage ; and I have seen many nations whom we stigmatize as uncivilized, that were not more so than the Greeks. Now, were FAiropeans to settle in the country, and avail themselves of the capabilities of the soil, the Greeks, who at first would be surprised at their strange customs, yet on viewing the benefits FOREIGN SETTLERS DISCOURAGED. 217 they produced, would not fail to imitate them : they would gradually see that the sickness to which they are subject during the summer months, proceeds less from the climate than from their own filthy habits ; they would feel anxious to pursue the improved manner of farming followed by the colonists ; they would learn that money is a useless drug when hoard- ed up, but that when in circulation it constantly increases its value ; and thus by degrees would fresh vigour be infused in the social fabric. With the increased demand for articles of lux- ury would follow a proportionate employment of shipping ; and the islanders, instead of seeking service with the Turks and Egyptians, might find employment under their own flag. It ap- pears, however, that the present Government is quite averse to the introduction of either French or English settlers ; and the President wished to enact that none but Greeks should become purchasers of land, but this the National As- sembly had the good sense to negative. He however refused to grant letters of naturaliza- tion to an English gentleman who has settled in Greece, and whose unpaid services during the war gave him a claim to this indulgence. The sale of the national lands, if left open to competition, will more than liquidate the debt 218 CYPRESS-TREE AT TRUPiE. of 1,800,000/., for which they now stand pledg- ed to the holders of Greek bonds ; and the na- tional purse, delivered from this dead weight, would derive an increased revenue in proportion to the augmented produce of the ground. On the 19th we took leave of Mr. Theodo- raki, who obstinately refused to accept any re- muneration for the trouble we had given him, but expressed a hope that we would sometimes remember the young Spartan. We however gave his servants some money ; and when he heard that we had done so, he ran after us, appa- rently much annoyed, and exclaimed, " Mon- sieur, vous avex deshonore ma maison" Previous to entering the road to Londari, Ave went to see a magnificent cypress-tree situated in a romantic glen a mile from Mistra, at a place called Trapse. Through the glen ran a torrent, and among the rocks were pine and fir-trees, but above them all the cypress raised its head. The ruins of a small mosque were near the tree, and here, under the shade of its drooping branches, the Mistriot Turks were wont to smoke their chibouques, and regale themselves with sherbet. The trunk of the tree, at three feet from the ground, is thirty-four feet in circumference. From Trapse we descended to the Londari road. It winds along the banks of the Euro- FOUNT OF THE EUROTAS. 219 tas, which is hemmed in by mountains on ci- ther side. The oleander, arbutus, and mul- berry tree, were growing in abundance, and in spring must render the scene very beautiful. There were, however, no habitations, and it was only at the termination of four hours' ride that we reached Paravadyes, where our breakfast afforded great amusement to the sur- rounding rustics. We looked for the nume- rous traces of antiquity said to be visible on this road, but saw none ; and the only object possessing any claims to notice was a small hill, well adapted for an Acropolis, and supposed by Gell to have been the ancient Belemina. Here we left the plain, and ascended the hills form- ing the western boundary, between Laconia and Arcadia : for some miles they were arid and barren, until we reached a spring issuing from the hill side, and near it were the ruins of an ancient building. This was the fount of the Eurotas, though it appeared to me that many other mountain streams had a better claim to the honour of giving birth to that classic river. We had been informed that Londari was only nine hours distant from Mistra ; but after a fa- tiguing ride of twelve hours, we were still far from the town. A pyrgo, with its dependent village, on a distant hill, was the only shelter 220 A VILLAGE CHURCH. that offered itself to us, and we therefore re- solved to continue our journey ; but our mule- teers mutinied ; they declared that their animals could proceed no farther, night had set in, and we were obliged to stop at a small hamlet on the summit of the ridge separating Arcadia from Laconia. There did not appear to be more than four huts in the village, and to these we sent Theodore as an ambassador; but at all he was refused admittance. At last his reite- rated knocks brought out a savage-looking wretch, with pistols in his belt, who flatly re- fused to give us a lodging. We said that we were Franks, and that we would pay him ; but he did not credit our assertions, and we had the unpleasant prospect before us of passing the night in the open air, exposed to the frost and to a bitter north wind. We fortunately had remarked near the village a small building, appa- rently ruinous and untenanted — this we pro- posed to occupy; and although it was the village church, the man offered no objection. The roof was partly broken, earth and rock formed the floor, and the only symptoms that we ob- served of its being a church, were two paintings of St. Athanasius, to whom it was dedicated, and who, decked in blue and gold, and holding a A BIVOUAC. 221 pastoral crook, seemed to view our intentions with dismay. We were glad to take possession of this miserable tenement : a broken column, which stood upright in the middle of the church, served as a candlestick : wood was procured ; we made a tremendous fire, and spreading our blankets on the ground, with muleteers and ser- vants, formed a circle around it. The villagers, finding that we did not intend to plunder them, brought us some wine ; we had provisions, and managed to make ourselves very comfort- able.* Two young savages came in to stare at us. They had never seen Franks before, and looked with astonishment at our proceedings. * Comfort is so comparative, that none but those who have been wanderers on the face of the earth can tell in what it really consists ; and a person unaccustomed to hardship would smile on hearing a house without a roof, and a bed formed with a cloak, called comfortable ; but a traveller soon learns to moralize upon his situation, and thinks less upon his actual position than what it might have been if he had neither shel- ter nor covering, as may probably have occurred to him be- fore: he consoles himself for his present discomfort, by recol- lecting the time when he slept under a tree, exposed to all the violence of the storm, without fire to warm, or cloak to shield him : he remembers how often he has been hungry and thirsty, without the power of satisfying either want ; and when he looks upon a scene such as that which we formed, he considers it, compared with what he has known, one of great comfort. 222 SPANEIKA.— LONDARI. H Here, Hellenes !" said Theodore, as he threw them the bones we had left ; and forthwith they seized and began to gnaw them with the great- est delight : they were quite wild. After turn- ing thein out, we barred the door, placed our pistols beside us, and did not fall asleep without some expectation of a fight before morning. Day however broke without any intervening occurrence, and we pursued our way. This was the only time that we met with inhospita- lity in Greece, and I therefore record the name of the village, — it was Spaneika. A ride of two hours brought us to Londari, now a mere heap of ruins : there were only eight houses occupied, although once it had been a town of some importance : it is situ- ated on a hill at the extremity of Mount Tay- getus, and commands a magnificent view of the plain of Megalopolis, which is partly covered with woods of oak, and partly cultivated : the Alpheus winds through it, and a tall, black cy- press, the only one in the plain, marks the site of Sinano, the ancient Megalopolis. Londari was defended formerly by a citadel, and the walls still remain, and appear to be the work of the Venetians : there is also a curious old Greek church, which the Pappas assured me was built by the Emperor Andronicus. We examined S1NANO. 223 tlie interior, in hopes of finding an inscription, but only saw the name of a French traveller scribbled on one of the columns. The remains of a minaret showed that the church had once been sacred to Mahomet, whilst some antique remains betokened that a heathen God had likewise been adored in the same spot. The supremacy of different religions in turn, is often exemplified in Greece. Almost every Greek chapel was built on the ruins and with the mate- rials of an ancient temple ; — then came the Ma- hommedans, who converted the churches into mosques ; and now the Revolution has again restored them to their original functions. An inscribed marble lying near the church appear- ed to have been the pedestal of a statue, but the only words I could distinguish were, Pont, and Cos. A school, on the principle of mu- tual instruction, adjoined the church, and the dirty little wretches who were playing about began chattering their lessons as loudly as possible, when they saw us approach, hoping to impress us with a high opinion of their learning. Sinano, where we breakfasted next day, is inhabited by an Albanian colony, and in a more prosperous state than most of the villages we had passed. Colocotroni's standard-bearer seemed to 224 RUINS OF MEGALOPOLIS. be the principal person in the village, and his house stood close to the ruined pyrgo of the Turkish Aga, to whose expulsion he had no doubt contributed. His son accompanied us to the ruins of Me- galopolis, which are a quarter of a mile be- yond Sinano. The theatre, being the largest in Greece, is considered an object of curiosity; but after seeing that at Epidaurus, this had few claims upon our admiration. The other vestiges of temples are numerous. Megalopolis, though founded by Epaminondas, and the birth-place of Philopcemon, has but little historical fame : it was built for the purpose of counterbalancing the power of Sparta, and being unequal to the task, fell as rapidly as it had risen. All great cities derive their size and power cither from their situation in the centre of a state, or from their local advantages being such as to avail them for the purposes of trade; but Megalopolis had none of these. The inhabi- tants were gathered from the various districts of Arcadia, and thrown together without pos- sessing interests in common ; and after its foundation, the Arcadians (who were always quarrelling amongst themselves) did not sup- port Megalopolis, and thus it soon sunk into insignificance, and now is scarcely to be dis- CARITENA. 220 tinguished from the plain around. It shared the fate of its rival, Sparta, — over both the plough has passed. From hence to Caritena the distance is three hours ; but we found the road to be so much cut up by the rain, that we were much longer in performing it. Caritena is on a hill, commanding the entrance to the plain of Me- galopolis ; the hills of Messenia and Arcadia stretch across the valley, and would close it, but that the Alpheus has forced its way be- tween them, leaving on each bank a tremen- dous precipice ; whilst on the left rises Mount Lycaeus, partly covered with wood. The hill, surmounted by the castle, rises abruptly from the bed of the Alpheus, and forms a most imposing military post : on its slope the town is built, in the manner of the feudal times, when the serf sought for protection under the ramparts of his baron's castle. The view from the castle is superb, and the outward appearance of the for- tress realizes those pictures of feudal strong- holds, which Mrs. Radeliffe presents to her readers. Around us were lofty mountains, some covered with snow, others remarkable for their bold, rocky features; below us was the town, so completely commanded by the castle, that we only wanted an Asmodeus to have un- Q 226 CASTLE OF CARITENA, roofed the houses, and we should have seen the interior of all. Far beneath the town there ap- peared a rent in the mountain, and at the bot- tom of this chasm flows the Alpheus, but it is only seen when it emerges from the glen lower down the valley. The castle appears to be of Venetian origin, and was repaired by Colocotroni during the war: it contains tanks for water, granaries, and two ranges of barracks, as well as a house for the chief. A few guns are mounted on the ram- parts ; but its best defence would be from a good fire of musketry. Caritena was the spot where first the Revolution blazed forth in the Morea ; and when the Greeks armed themselves, the Turks fled to the castle, (then in ruins,) where they held out until the arrival of succours, when it became the turn of the Greeks to fly ; the Turks burnt the town ; but when Colocotroni advanced with his troops, they retreated to Tri- polizza ; and Colocotroni, being sensible of the advantages offered by the castle as a military post, repaired it as I have above stated, and held it during the remainder of the war. When Ibrahim made his first visit to Caritena, the in- habitants abandoned the town to the flames of the Egyptians. As soon as he retired, they re- built their houses ; — he came a second time, CARITENA. 227 and again set fire to their dwellings ; a third time they rebuilt them, and the persevering Ibrahim once more marched his devastating bands to the town. There are now about one hundred houses, containing six or seven hun- dred inhabitants, who appear to be less impo- verished than most of the Moreots ; our host, for instance, had a comfortable house with pa- per windows, and the w f alls of our apartment were decorated with two brace of pistols, three silver-mounted muskets, and two ataghans, captured from the Turks. All the men had served under Colocotroni, who is a native of Caritena ; and in the plunder of the Turks they w r ere amply recompensed for the destruction of their houses. There were several shops in the main street, but the most conspicuous were a blacksmith's and an armourer's, bespeaking the ruling pursuits of the inhabitants to be war; indeed, the armed retainers of Colocotroni, strolling about, gave quite a military appear- ance to the town. Of all the people produced by the Revolu- tion, no one has been more conspicuous than Colocotroni. His career was extraordinary, and, like many other events in Greece, reminds us of the feudal era, when personal strength and cou- rage were qualities which often conferred power Q 2 228 CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI. and nobility on the possessor, and transformed a bandit into a baronial chieftain. George Colocotroni, the father of the pre- sent chief, was well known and much dreaded thirty years since, as the leader of a numerous band of robbers, or klepths, who infested the vicinity of Caritena, and in the mountains around found a safe retreat from the pursuit of the Turkish cavalry. In those days, the pro- fession of klepth was looked upon by the Greeks as one redounding to the credit of the oppressed nation ; — instead of viewing the rob- beries committed by the kelpths with alarm, they felt proud that a small body of independ- ent men should laugh to scorn the power of the Porte, and within the heart of its dominions inflict daily injuries upon the wealth or persons of the Osmanlis : — they forgot the robber in the patriot ; they fancied that the hardy klepths kept alive a spark of liberty in their breasts, which, sooner or later, would kindle into a flame, and as the event proved, they were partly right in their conjectures. There were many of these lawless fraternities scattered throughout Greece, where they con- tinued to defy the power of the Turks, at times appearing in large bodies when a par- ticular object was to be gained, and at others CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI. 229 living peaceably with their families, as if no- thing was farther from their habits than a life of Avarlike adventure. In his father's band, composed of the materials above described, Co- locotroni commenced and finished his educa- tion; and when he had attained the age of man- hood, there was not a path in the Morea un- known to him. At this time, however, we find that, forsaking his early haunts, he crossed over to the Ionian Islands, and enrolled himself in one of the Greek corps then raised by the Russians in those islands; and when the sove- reignty of the septinsular state was vested in Great Britain, he entered our service, and, if I mistake not, became a non-commissioned offi- cer, or a subaltern, in Sir Richard Church's Greek light infantry. The Greek corps were subsequently disbanded, and Colocotroni set- tled at Zante, where he entered into a contract to supply the island with cattle from the Morea. He thus kept alive his influence amongst his Moreot countrymen ; and when the intrigues which had for years been maturing, with the view of effecting a Revolution in Greece, were confided to him, he entered at once into the scheme ; and knowing that his influence would enable him to assemble a numerous band, fore- saw that the career now offered would gratify 230 CHARACTER OF COLOCOTRONI. alike his love of power and avaricious propen- sities. It is unnecessary for me to detail his proceedings during the war ; suffice it to say, that his ambition has been completely gratified. His influence over the Moreots is uncontested; he has made Capo d'Istrias feel this, and obliged him to pay dearly for his friendship, or else find him a bitter and troublesome enemy ; and he has filled his coffers with the plunder of Tri- polizza and other parts of Greece. Thus has the robber transformed himself into the chief- tain ; and already, no doubt, does he look for- ward to the arrival of his sovereign, that lie may be decorated with the insignia of chi- valry, and transmit his name ennobled to his children. Colocotroni was absent from his castle at tms time, and we were consequently not so for- tunate as a friend of mine, who, passing through Caritena two years ago, was most hospitably received by the chief. The conversation they had will give a tolerable idea of the patriot- ism innerent in Colocotroni's character. Capo d'Tstrias had just landed at Napoli, and Mr. R observed, that it was a fortunate cir- cumstance for the Greeks, as they would now be able to live in quiet " Ah !" said the old klepht, " these new LEAVE CAR1TENA. 231 times are very bad indeed; formerly, if I want- ed half a dozen sheep, I sent to the first flock I saw, and took them with or without leave : I never had to buy a horse ; there were plenty in the country. I did just as I pleased, and no- body dared remonstrate ; but now that this President is come, I cannot take a few sheep or fowls, but the rascally villagers go and make a complaint, and then I am written to by Go- vernment about them ! Bad times, these !" Colocotroni has two sons: the eldest distin- guished himself during the war, and obtain- ed amongst the Greeks a high reputation for courage; the character of the second is quite the reverse ; his education has been more ci- vilized, and he is looked down upon as being effeminate. The weather was now so fine, that we did not anticipate many obstacles in our visit to the Temple of Apollo at Bassse, six hours distant from Caritena, which we left on the 22nd, and descending to the Alpheus, crossed that river by a bridge of singular construction, from whence the view of the castle,* and of the * In the sketch of this scene, a mistake was made, either by the engraver or myself. It is called Castle of Calavirta, instead of Caritena. — (See plate.) 232 A VALUABLE RELIC! Alpheus, is superb. We then ascended the mountain, and at every step enjoyed some va- riety in the scenery : our road was the same described by Dodwell, and we had some diffi- culty in persuading our muleteers to follow it, as they were bent upon proceeding to Andriz- zena, and thereby gaining an extra day's pay. A peasant armed with a musket, met us on the road, and after the usual salutation, called us aside with a great air of mystery, and first look- ing cautiously around to see that our muleteers were not observing him, he drew from his vest a small packet carefully tied up. This we hoped might contain some ancient coins ; and we anxi- ously awaited until he had unfolded several coverings, and at last produced a little bit of shrivelled wood with two glass beads in it, so that it seemed like a monkey's face. — " Look!" said the man : we looked, but could not com- prehend what he meant us to do. — " I gave," said he, " one hundred dollars for this, to a doctor in Anatolico; and I would not part with it for any sum that you could offer." — We again examined this valuable relic, but could not discover its virtues ; and at last he told us, that whether it came from God or the devil he could not say, but that it was an infallible charm against wounds of every kind ! TEMPLE OF APOLLO. 233 We left the fool glorying in his purchase, and proceeded up the mountain through wild scenery, interspersed with masses of rocks, and oak forests, and having passed a village called Ampelione, halted at Skleru. The latter is a small hamlet in one of the sequestered glens of this mountain range, and the white slate the houses were roofed with, and the patches of snow on the rocky peaks above, made the scene very wintry. We here left our baggage, and hastened on foot to climb the hill of the tem- ple, and during forty minutes that our walk lasted, we were constantly looking to the sum- mit, in hopes of seeing " the columns," but it was not until within a few yards' distance that we perceived them. To see the ruins of a handsome temple in so lone a spot as this, surrounded on all sides by lofty mountains, and far away from any habita- tion, creates an interest in the scene which would not be felt were the ruins near a town, but here there is no disgusting object to con- trast between the present and past : the Greek, your guide, who leans against the columns, is probably attired in the costume worn when this temple was resorted to; and the wreck around ap- pears to have been caused by the jealousy of some rival power, rather than by the hand of Time. 234 TEMPLE OF APOLLO. Thirty-five columns are still erect, the pave- ment is perfect, the marble ceiling is scattered in fragments around, as if it had just fallen in, and there is no miserable habitation of the pre- sent day near enough to defile the spot ; the temple is grand in its solitude. To its secluded and inaccessible situation we may attribute its preservation; and it might have been hoped that, after combating successfully against time, during 2200 years, its remains would have been respected in the present day — Not so: the man in whose hut we lodged at Skleru, boasted that he had thrown down two columns in order to extract the lead from their fastenings ; but there was an excuse for this, as the lead so pro- cured was cast into bullets, and expended in successfully defending the village against a party of Ibrahim's troops. The temple was dedicated to Apollo Kpicurius, and constructed by the architect of the Parthenon : its discovery was accidental, the persons who first saw it hav- ing been led to the spot by a hare they were pursuing. The frieze of the temple had fallen, and was covered with rubbish ; but this hav- ing been cleared away, the sculptures now to be seen in the British Museum, under the names of the Phigalean marbles, were discovered, and brought to England by Mr. Cockerel!. The TEMPLE OF APOLLO. 235 view from the temple embraces the sea, Modon, Arcadia, Messene, Mount Taygetus, and count- less hills and valleys in the foreground; and our situation was so elevated, that the cold was piercing. The thermometer fell below freez- ing point, and a northerly wind was blowing, which made us feel it very sensibly, and in- duced us to hasten down towards Skleru. The cold was such, that I could not hold my pencil. The inhabitants of Skleru are a robust set of beings, and well adapted to the wild spot they reside in, for they appeared to have no wishes beyond what their valley could gratify. Their household utensils were all of the plainest kind ; the trunks of trees hollowed out, formed the receptacles for their winter's store of corn ; the women made the clothing, and the valley sup- plied them with a sufficiency of food : they were free from the Morea fever and the excessive heats of summer, but they could not escape the greater plague — Ibrahim. The women also ap- peared to possess more influence over the men, and to be more independent than in any of the villages I had yet seen. We procured a guide at Skleru, who agreed to take us to Sinano by a different road from that we came by. He kept his promise ; and instead of moving through the valleys, we fol- 230 DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER. lowed the ridge of the mountain, and passed some fine oak forests, where, however, we re- gretted to see that many venerable trees had been wantonly burnt. The shepherds are the greatest enemies of the old trees in the Arca- dian forests. The annual fall of the leaf causes an accumulation of rich soil under the tree, which, if exposed to the sun, throws forth the best grass imaginable : the shepherds, in order to secure this, set fire without remorse to the trunks of the oldest trees in the forests, and thus, for a few hours' profit, destroy what it has taken ages to mature : formerly there were trees in the vicinity of villages, but these hav- ing become the scene of insult to the females from the Turks, the Greeks seized every op- portunity of felling them. The destruction of timber is advancing so rapidly, that unless the Government interferes, the] Peloponne- sus will ere long be bare. Pausanias speaks of ranges of mountains covered with forests, which are now without a single tree, and the soil that was held on the high lands by the woods has been washed into the plains, leaving the hilly ground barren and unprofitable. Greece pos- sesses such treasures within herself, that, under proper management, she need not be depend- ent upon Venice for her timber : some of her AN EXTENSIVE VIEW. 237 mountains abound with fir and pine, and the torrents rushing from them into the plain may easily be made the means of transporting the fallen wood. The road gradually ascended, and we found ourselves near Mount Lycaeus, where Jupiter was nursed. I climbed to the summit, and was rewarded by one of the most extensive views I ever beheld. At one glance, I saw the Ionian Islands, and two-thirds of the Morea. Elis, Arcadia, Messenia, and Laconia, were before me, girt round by the Mediterranean, and the snowy range of Mount Olenos. I could dis- tinguish the situation of Modon, Messene, Arcadia, Pyrgos, Olympia, and Chiarenza ; and not far distant was the plain of Megalopolis, and the winding Alpheus. There was snow on the mountains, but the clear blue sky was un- speckled by a single cloud, and the morning sun shone brightly. On descending from hence towards Sinano, w r e came to a valley between the two peaks of Mount Lycams, where are the ruins of a temple and hippodrome, sacred to Pan, in whose honour games used formerly to be held here. After a ride of two hours more, we arrived at the banks of the Alpheus; the water was not more than three feet deep in the middle of 238 KUAN IN THE PLAIN the stream, and we had no difficulty in fording it, preceded by a guide mounted on stilts. Eight or ten women and girls were standing on the bank, preparing to cross over to the village of Bromasera, with the bundles of wood they had been cutting in the mountains; and without in the least heeding our presence, they tucked up their garments, and like as many Naiads, plunged into the stream. AVe slept at Sinano ; and having promised our muleteers three days' pay if they would take us to Argos in two, we next morning crossed the plains of Tripolizza, and stopped for the night at the khan of Ayiruithica, at the foot of the pass leading to the Lake of Lerna. A khan is the humble representative of an inn ; and, previous to the war, khans were to be found on every road ; some were erected by rich Turks, who entertained travellers gratis, whilst others were built upon speculation. This one where we halted had lately been re-established, and consisted of a stable for the cattle, and a lono- room with an earthen floor : one end was fdled with provender, and at the other was the bar, where aquadente, wines, and provisions, might be purchased. We congratulated ourselves upon obtaining such a refuge from the bitter cold, and having OF TRIPOLIZZA. 239 lit a fire in the middle of the room, prepared our provisions for supper, but we were not long the sole occupants : presently came in three Greek gentlemen, with a pretty little girl, and their attendants, and these made another fire ; and having cooked their meat, commenced pull- ing it to pieces with their fingers. Several merchants next entered, laden with sacks full of figs and cotton, and skins of oil, they were bringing from Calamata ; whilst other traders who were on their way thither were carrying bullocks' hides for sandals. They came in one by one, and deposited their loads on the ground; and then, without ceremony, invaded our circle, and squatted before the fire, where they cate- chised each other as to the success or failure of their speculations. We succeeded at last in reconquering our hearth, and, lying down, tried to sleep ; but in the middle of the night I was awoke by a chattering near me, and I saw that our friends had very quietly placed themselves between us and the fire, and were enjoying its warmth at our expense. Then when morning dawned, the uproar was deafening: — one fel- low had a horse-load of live fowls ; these began to crow : the men bustled about, removing their sacks and loading their mules ; and the landlord and half a dozen of his lodgers were •240 JOURNEY RESUMED. screaming and swearing at the full extent of their voices about one para, the fortieth part of threepence halfpenny. By degrees the tumult subsided, each party pursued its way, and we resumed our journey. The morning was so cold, that we wrapped ourselves in great coats, shawls, &c, as if we had been in England ; but we could not keep ourselves warm ; the water which had spread over the road was frozen, and the pools were full of ice. A good fire at a khan where we breakfasted had the effect of thawing us ; and whilst we were there, the three Greeks whom we had seen the preceding evening likewise came in and breakfasted, but the little girl was not with them ; and when we were going away, we observed that they had left the poor child sitting outside near the ice, exposed to the piercing north wind, and looking so cold and unhappy, that we felt quite indignant at the conduct of her protectors, who, however, took no notice of her misery. The road from hence was good ; we entered Argos at an early hour, and were delighted to find ourselves once more within the sphere of civilized life; and the comforts of a well-regu- lated English establishment made us doubly feel how much inconvenience our love of the ItKTURN TO AKGOS. 241 classics had induced us to support. In truth, travelling in Greece, at this season of the year, can scarcely be called pleasant : — bad roads, bad horses, wet baggage, dirty hovels instead of houses; vermin, cold, and countless other plagues, are what a traveller must expect, who undertakes a winter's tour in the Morea. April, May, and June, are the proper months ; and then travelling is delightful. 242 NOMINATION OF PRINCE LEOPOLD. CHAPTER VIII. Nomination of Prince Leopold to the Sovereignty. — Disap- pointment of Capo d'Istrias. — Opinions of the Greeks. — Discussions relative to the Frontiers. — Epidaurus. — Arri- val of the Duchess of Plaisance at YEgina. — We proceed to Athens ; anchor in the Pirseus. — Karaskakai. — Enter Athens — Bey's Palace. Shortly after our return to Argos, the no- mination of Prince Leopold to the sovereignty of Greece became publicly known, and this in- telligence caused as much dismay to the parti- sans of the President's family, as it did pleasure to the liberal minded and intelligent portion of the inhabitants, — the Routneliots, the Islanders, and the constitutional party, formed the latter; whilst the ignorant Morcots, who were entirely at the beck of Colocotroni, composed the for- mer party, backed by the council miscalled Se- nate, which, as I before observed, contained a body of illiterate men quite devoted to the will of Capo d'Istrias: — his words were their words, his wishes their wishes ; and in parodying the STATE OF PARTIES. 243 words of Napoleon, he might with justice ex- claim, " What is the Senate ?— the Senate is me!" Weighty reasons had been urged to bind Colo- cotroni to the cause of Capo d'Istrias; and many of the Moreots, who were favoured beyond all the other Greeks, lent their wishes to the Pre- sident. On the other hand, the Roumeliots and Islanders, who were the only Greeks that fought during the war, and merit any praise for their patriotism, having had their services disregarded, and even treated with derision by the President and his parasites, and for months been kept under arms without an os- tensible motive, and without pay to save their families from starvation, until in their despair they threatened to remunerate themselves by the plunder of the more fortunate Moreots ; — who saw no hopes of improving their con- dition but in the arrival of a sovereign, whose first duty would be to act with justice towards his subjects — these hailed the nomination of Prince Leopold with unfeigned delight. The constitutional party also at last found their wishes gratified : all that they required was a Prince, who, setting himself above the spirit of faction, would devote his talents solely to the amelioration of their unhappy country; and (without being too subservient to Eng- land and France, or, like the President, the R 2 244 PROFESSIONS OF CAPO D'ISTIIIAS. mere slave of Russia,) maintain Greece on a footing with the Allied Powers, which would evince her deep feelings of gratitude for their exertions in her favour, and not militate against her independence. When the nomination of Prince Leopold was first publicly talked of, the President af- fected to treat the report with contempt ; but when the fact became subsequently known, he expressed himself delighted with the decree of the Allied Powers, and said, " that from the commencement of his government, he had been constantly impressing upon them the ne- cessity of placing a foreign prince on the throne of Greece ; that, for his part, he had long been tired of public life, and wished to pass the remainder of his days in retirement ; but if his dear country required that he should still de- vote his talents to her cause, he would willing- ly serve under Leopold as minister, or in any other capacity." To those who were acquainted with Capo d'Istrias's character, these professions seemed of dubious import ; in the exaggerated and ma- licious reports subsequently circulated amongst the people, it was easy to perceive that some deep counterplot was in agitation ; and so well were his subordinate engines worked, that he succeeded in maturing his projects, and (as the HIS DEEP DESIGNS. 245 result proved) threw imaginary difficulties in the way of the sovereign, which caused his resignation, and delivered Capo d'Istrias from the fear of English influence. Capo d'Istrias well knew that if a British Prince ascended the throne of Greece, his power would terminate ; he had long since given up all hopes of impos- ing upon the clear-sightedness of the British Government, who had pierced through the flimsy veil he cast over his designing policy ; he knew that the false patriot appeared to them in his true colours, and by an under- hand intrigue could he alone hope to counteract the fate which he foresaw awaited him. The senate was called ; he pulled the strings of his puppets; and whilst he uttered the words, the obedient machines performed whatever the showman required. I was speaking one day to an extremely clever Greek gentleman relative to the change likely to ensue in Greece on the arrival of Prince Leopold, who, he hoped, would hasten his departure from England; and by a strange though just comparison — "The first seven years of the Revolution," said he, " may not unaptly be termed our hell ; the last two, our purgatory ; and we now, in the acces- sion of Prince Leopold to the throne, hope to realize our paradise. Those who have really 24G PRINCE LEOPOLD. the welfare of Greece at heart, view the no- mination of the Prince as the measure, of all others, that they could most have desired. Greece, in his appointment, sees that not only the wishes of the Allied Powers, but also her own feelings, have been consulted ; and that, far from having a sovereign imposed upon her, she has, in fact, been a party in his se- lection ; for, in 1825, when first she sought the protection of Great Britain, she requested that Prince Leopold might be sent to pre- side over her interests. — Under his govern- ment, in five years we may hope to see Greece a flourishing country: the wounds caused by the Revolution are already partially healed ; and although the spirit which should animate and fully awaken the energies of Greece is still dormant, it is not from there being a deficiency of materials to work upon, but because there has been no controlling power to call it forth and direct its first impulse. That being once given, and life infused into the weakened frame of this country, its prosperity will increase most rapid- ly. The recent events in Greece may be com- pared to those fires which, in consuming the withered herbage of the mountains for a time, cause the land to seem bleak and desolate; but after the first beneficent shower, the verdant grass springs up, the shrubs sprout forth anew, OPINIONS OF THE GREEKS. 247 and it appears that the flames did but clear away the noxious weeds and enable the young- plants to shoot without resistance. So it is with Greece. The fire of the Revolution destroyed every thing, and converted the country into a de- sert ; the President's rule checked the farther progress of the flames ; and we may now hope to see them extinguished, and that our devastated country will again spring into existence." Although the question as to whom the Greeks were to receive as a sovereign was now considered as almost set at rest, the minds of the people were still agitated by the desire to learn what were to be the limits of the new state, the moderate parties feeling convinced that a small territory with absolute indepen- dence was most advantageous to their interests ; whilst the others, wilfully forgetting the small- ness of their population, and the difficulty they had even in making good their ground in a corner of the Morea, deprecated any curtail- ment of the ancient Greek territory, and said that it ought, at least, to include Mount Olym- pus, as that was the abode of the Greek Gods, and all the country between it and Corfu ! The Suliots wished for Epirus, the Thessalians for Thessaly, the Eubceans for Eubcea, the Can- diots for Candia ; and I even heard some Greeks say, that they considered the Allies had behaved 248 RELATIVE POSITION OF ill in not giving them Constantinople. The exact boundary was not generally known when I left Greece ; but it has since become a mat- ter of discussion, as being coupled with the resignation of Prince Leopold. Let us see what claims the Greeks have to the territory which has been so artfully demanded for them by Capo dlstrias. To whom does Greece owe her indepen- dence? Not to herself; since, but for the interference of the Allied Powers, there would not have been at this day a single Greek alive in the Morea. In 1827, Ibrahim Pasha was in full possession of the whole country, excepting Napoli di Romania and the small district of Epidauria : he had an unbounded command of men, money, and ships : he was flushed with victory, and fixed in his determination to slay or capture every Christian he could meet :— and what had the Greek Government to oppose to this power ? A pennyless treasury ; a navy without equipments ; a dispersed army ; and divided councils ! In Eastern and Western Greece, their position was not more flourishing. The Vizier Kutavieh, after defeating their army, was in quiet occupation of Attica, the greatest part of Boeotia, and Euboea. The fortresses in Western Greece were occupied by Turkish garrisons; and the Greek forces were nominal. THE GREEKS AND TURKS. 249 In the islands, the Greeks had been rather more successful : they still held Samos ; but in Can- dia, the great object of their ambition, the Turks had the upper hand. Greece was at the last gasp, when the Allies stept in betwixt her and destruction. The French army landed : — Ibrahim was forced to forego his advantages ; and the Morea, being under the protection of Maison's force, Church was enabled to clear Western Greece from the enemy ; so that, when hostilities ceased, the relative possessions of the contending powers were as follows : — GREECE. TURKEY, The Morea. Attica. Acarnania. Bceotia. ^tolia. Eubcea. Samos. Candia. The Cyclades. This position of the two states rendered it difficult for the Allied Powers to decide as to the future boundary of Greece, without infringing upon territory belonging to either party. With what appearance of justice, then, could they possibly say to the Porte— You must cede to us Attica, Bceotia, and Eubcea, as they are required for the new state ; but we will not 250 EXERTIONS UK THE ALLIES offer you an equivalent : and what would Greece be without Athens, and how useless Attica, unless its right flank were rendered secure by the cession of Bceotia and Eubcea? The Greeks themselves had undoubtedly no claim to a voice in the debate ; they owed every thing to the Allies : without their interference, they would still have been slaves, and the victims of a tyrannical persecution ; but this interference was not set forth for the purpose of gratifying the pride of the most vain-glorious people upon earth ; it was not with a view to heap additional insult on the head of our ally the Sultan, nor to form a kingdom with his provinces, because they bore names endeared to us by classical recollec- tions. The mere wish to pacify Europe, and the dictates of humanity, induced us to side with the Greeks as a suffering Christian nation, and obtain for them a resting-place. We first used arguments in their favour, but were unsuccess- ful ; we then appealed to arms, and shed our blood in their cause when they deemed it hopeless ; and surely the Greeks had no right to interfere in the arrangement of the territory they could not defend, and which was w r on for them by the Allies. In the line of demarcation pointed out by the Protocols lately published, the Allied Powers have acted with a due regard to the in- terests of Greece and Turkey. The latter cedes ON BEHALF OF GREECE 251 Attica and Boeotia, and receives in return Acar- nania; the Cyclades remain to the Greeks; but Samos, being an Asiatic island, reverts to the Sultan, who gives up Eubcea, and retains Can- dia. The Grecian state thus forms a compact body, comprising an extent of territory capable not merely of supporting the seven hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, at which its popula- tion is now estimated, but also the whole of the Greeks scattered throughout the Ottoman em- pire. There is no doubt but that the natural boundary of the Greek state exists in the moun- tains running from Arta to Volo ; and if the Allied Powers, with any show of justice, could have demanded that line, in its full extent, from the Porte, it would have rendered the frontier apparently more secure ; but it is already safe ; and those who adduce the chances of invasion in support of their argument, why the Aspropo- tamo should not be the western boundary, for- get that there is more safety to Greece in the guarantee of the Three Powers, than in the most formidable frontier she could select ; and that it is improbable an attack should be made in that direction, whilst Great Britain occupies the Ionian Islands with a strong military force ready to act at a moment's notice, and that the troops of France are garrisoning the Morea. The question as to the hardship of obliging 252 GREEK FRONTIER CONSIDERED. the Acarnanians (who are undoubtedly the best of the Greeks) to leave their native pro- vince, is one of minor importance. The finest lands in Greece are now at the disposal of the Government, and will prove an ample remuneration for the barren soil of the coun- try they leave behind them ; and, as they have their houses yet to build, it is immaterial whether they construct them in Acarnania or in iEtolia. If it be asked, why the Allied Powers changed the line of frontier originally allotted to Greece, the answer is easily found, by their having released the Greek states from all alle- giance to the Porte, as was contemplated when first Arta and Volo were pointed out as the limits of the two countries ; and the most ardent friends of Greece cannot possibly object to the cession of a barren district like Acarnania, in lieu of an odious tribute, which, whilst it wounded the national pride of the Greeks, left an opening for the future intervention of the Porte in their affairs. From what I heard in Greece, I am convinced that the enlightened class in that country is perfectly satisfied witli the arrangements of the protecting Powers ; and, although the Acarnanians may grumble, and Capo d'Istrias still wage a paper war against Europe, there is not much reason to suppose EPIDAURUS. 253 that their arguments will effect any alteration in the plan now settled upon. ***** At the end of January I left Argos for Epi- daurus, on my way to iEgina, where I expected to meet Captain Gordon, who had sailed for Paros, purposing to visit Athens on his return. The ancient town of Epidaurus stood on a point of land projecting into the sea, and form- ing on either side a sheltered bay, admirably adapted for the vessels of the ancients; but few ruins are now visible. On the road-side is a headless statue of a male figure, in a recum- bent posture ; and on the summit of the hill, a number of sepulchral chambers are to be seen cut in the rock. It appeared to me that many of these had not been opened ; and there is every probability that their contents would repay for the trouble of excavating them. Pidavro, the modern village, contains about thirty houses, and a wine shop, which acts as an inn for those who are delayed here by con- trary winds. This was my case. I was oblig- ed to remain a whole day in this den, in com- pany with some Greeks from Salona, one of whom assured me, that in excavating near Delphi many inscribed marbles and other curio- sities had been discovered in a cavern, which may perhaps be the celebrated cave where the 254 THE DUCHESS OF PLAISANCE. oracle was delivered. However, upon such authority as this, it is impossible to form an opinion ; and although I subsequently wished to verify his report, by sailing from Corinth to Salona, the weather was so bad that I could not fulfil my intention. When Athens is the capital of Greece, Pidavro, being the point of communication between it and Argolis, will become a place of some importance. I reached /Egina in time to witness the de- parture of the Russian fleet for the Baltic. During my absence, the Duchess de Plaisance and her daughter selected /Egina as their place of residence. These ladies, who are extremely well versed in classic lore, came to Greece with the determination of spending the remainder of their lives amidst the ruins of Athens ; and as they are possessed of a large fortune, Greece may feel much obliged to Themistocles and Leonidas, for having inspired them with the Philhellenic mania. It is to be feared, how- ever, that disgust may induce Madame de Plaisance to leave Greece sooner than she at first intended; for she has been terribly undeceived in her classic dreams. She expected to find " Hotels Garnis" in Greece ; and she has been obliged to occupy a most wretched mansion ! Should she remain, it will be in her power to do PROCEED TO ATHENS. 255 a great deal of good ; but she must turn her attention to the living, not to the dead. On the 2nd February, Captain Gordon and I, accompanied by Mr. Gropius, whose long resi- dence, as Austrian Consul at Athens, enabled him to acquire a perfect knowledge of the antiquities of that spot, embarked for Athens. The day was lovely ; and the Gulf of Corinth, scarcely agitated by the breeze, hemmed in by beautiful mountains, and studded with islands, presented a most beautiful and pla- cid scene, enhanced by the recollection of many a classic tale. A light wind wafted us gently round JEgina ; and as we gradually ap- proached the coast of Attica, the Parthenon, which at first appeared a mere white speck upon the distant grey mountains, assumed a more decided shape, and at last we could distinguish its columns and adjacent buildings. We then passed Salamis ; and when we ar- rived opposite to Psytalia, a gleam of sun- shine fell upon the hills where Xerxes sat when he viewed the discomfiture of his fleet, and enabled us to distinguish the spot where his throne is supposed to have been placed ; but a little Greek mistico was the only bark that moved upon the water. Shortly afterwards we sailed through the 256 ANCHOR IN TI1K PIRJECS. narrow entrance of the Piraeus, having the tomb of Themistocles on one side, and the remains of the trophy erected by the Athe- nians, after the battle of Salamis, on the other ; and anchored opposite to a ruined convent, which had been warmly contested by the Greeks and Turks in 1827. The Albanians, who de- fended it, at last capitulated to the Greeks, with the proviso that they should be permit- ted to rejoin the Turkish army ; but when they were marching out, the accidental discharge of a pistol was construed by the Greeks into an act of hostility ; and, notwithstanding the entreaties of their officers, they attacked the prisoners, and began to massacre them. The Turks, in the hopes of saving the Albanians, opened their batteries upon the mass of com- batants, and killed many, both friends and foes ; but, nevertheless, the Albanians were exterminated. The battle of Athens took place soon afterwards ; and the Greeks being defeated, the Acropolis surrendered to the Turks, and is now the only fortified post they possess in Greece. A small body of irregular troops, under the command of a Bey, forms the garrison, and the chief is very civil to stran- gers ; but, unfortunately, will not allow any one to enter the Acropolis, from the foolish idea that they wish to spy the nakedness of the land : KAKASKAKAI. 257 we, however, hoped that Mr. Gropius, being an old acquaintance, would induce him to relent. We lost no time in landing, and bent our steps towards the town. On our right, at the termination of the high land forming the Piraeus, the spot was pointed out to us where Karaskakai, one of the best of the Greek generals, received his death-wound. — Karaskakai was a Thessalian by birth, and klepht by profession ; and his mother, who was attached to a band of Klephts, had nur- tured him in the manner which best became one whose future life promised to be of a stormy nature. His early habits inured him to fatigue, and accustomed him to war ; and no stigma was attached to his profession by the Greeks. The klepths, as I have before observed, were considered in the light of in- dependent soldiers ; and as the Turks were the chief sufferers by their predatory attacks, the Greeks viewed them with feelings of re- gard, and identified their cause with that of the nation. Undaunted courage, considerable talent, and unbounded generosity, were qua- lities which soon raised Karaskakai above his comrades ; and his own ambition prompted him on every occasion to take the lead. Prodigal alike of his money and his person, sharing the fatigues of his men, and participating in their s 258 KARASKAKAI. privations, he succeeded in obtaining an un- bounded control over the soldiery, who viewed him as their idol ; and his early experience of the Turkish and Greek mode of fighting', ren- dered him capable of employing his men to the best advantage. He was, therefore, emi- nently suited to the times in which he lived ; and those qualities which would have rendered him a dangerous and troublesome man under a settled government, were of use during the stormy period of the llevolution. Karaskakai's death was deplored as a na- tional misfortune, especially as his life was thrown away in an insignificant skirmish, at a time when his talents were most required. At the commencement of 1827, he had taken post in the vicinity of Athens, where he watched the Turks who, under Kutayieh, were besieging Fabvier in the citadel ; and when Lord Cochrane and General Church re- solved upon giving battle, lie united his forces to theirs, and stationed himself near the lull I have alluded to. Three days previous to the battle of Athens, some Palicari who had been drinking too freely, proposed to rush forward and attack a small Turkish entrenchment in their front ; and, without officers or system, they ran up to the Tambour ; but the Turks resolutely held their ground, until supported ENTER ATIIKNS 259 by fresh troops. More Greeks advanced to the aid of their comrades, and by degrees the skirmish became general. Karaskakai, who had been ill, and was in bed, upon hearing the fir- ing, mounted his horse and galloped to the scene, with the intention of calling off his men ; bat having been separated from his followers, he was attacked by three Turkish spahis, one of whom wounded him in the abdomen with a pistol shot. He was carried back to his tent; but the wound bled inwardly, and he died next day. ***** A walk of an hour and a quarter, on a road along the foundation of one of the long walls connecting Athens with the Piraeus, brought us to the modern gates of the city of Minerva, when the Turkish officer on duty asked us to enter the guard-room and perform the ceremony of drinking coffee and smoking a pipe : and when he thought that his civility had made a due impression, he asked for some English gunpowder. It was moonlight when we entered Athens, and the white columns of the Parthenon shone brightly above us. We could also see the venerable Temple of Theseus ; but the rest of the town seemed a mass of ruins. We advanced cautiously through the silent and deserted streets, betwixt crumb- s 2 260 THE BEY'S PALACE. ling walls and tenantless houses ; and the voices of our party were the only sounds that broke in upon the stillness of the night — we then came to a part of the town which had been converted into a bazaar, and found ourselves amidst a number of dirty Albanians and Turks, who were lounging about near the only mosque still left to the followers of Mahomet in the " land of the free." The Bey's palace was not far distant, and had formerly been occupied by Mr. Gropius, who must have felt a little annoyed at being a sup- pliant for hospitality at the gate of his own man- sion. It was an extensive building, and gave us a good idea of what modern Athens contained when she existed. There was a square court inside, and in the middle of it from a fountain spouted a plentiful stream of water. A large open gallery, communicating with all the rooms in the house, looked over this ; and the apart- ments, though now dirty and dilapidated, had been adorned with gilding and painting. The Bey was absent on a hunting-party; but his secretary, an old Turk with orthodox beard, and (according to Mahmoud) heterodox turban, ushered us into the presence-chamber, gave us pipes and coffee, and, whilst supper was prepar- ing, occasionallv offered us rum and water. At TURKISH SUPPER. 261 eight o'clock supper was announced, and an at- tendant presented us with a towel, and poured water over our hands ; and then a round copper table or tray, two feet high, was placed before us. Some pieces of bread were thrown on this, a wooden spoon was given to each person, and a long napkin spread over our knees, and then we were regaled with soup, and six other dishes in succession, from which we helped ourselves with our fingers. * A cup-bearer stood behind, and poured out wine for us ; and an Albanian soldier in his martial costume held the lamp in one hand, whilst the other rested on his pistols. Around were crowded a number of Turks and Albanians, who stood motionless, with their hands grasping their ataglians and pistols, as if but awaiting the nod of the chief to use them. It was a truly Eastern scene, and more charac- teristic than any thing that I saw at Constanti- nople. Notwithstanding the strangeness of the dishes, and the disagreeable operation of eating with our fingers, we did ample justice to the Bey's hospitality ; and after being again dosed with coffee and tobacco, spread our blankets on the divan and slept. * I once asked an Albanian woman why she did not use a fork in eating. She held up her hands in answer, and said, You have only one fork; I have ten ! 262 RUINS OF ATI 11 N^ CHAPTER IX. Ruins of Athens. — Monument of Lysicrates. — Temple of Ju- piter Olympius. — Fount of Callirhoe. — Temple of Theseus. — The Pnyx. — The Parthenon. — The Erechtheion. — Bey of Athens. — Ypsali and Padishah. — The Maid of Athens. — Value of Land. — Sieges of Athens. — Operations of Sir Richard Church. — We sail for Salamis. Athens has been so fully described, that in mentioning its antiquities, I do not pretend to cast any new light upon the subject, but merely to point out what has been injured, and what has escaped during the war of the Revolution. Mr. Gropius led us in succession to every thing that was remarkable ; and we could not have had a more excellent cicerone. The destruction of the town has also exposed to view all the an- cient buildings, -which still tower in conscious superiority above the modern ruins that lie around them. "We first proceeded to the wall and seven Corinthian columns forming one side of the Pantheon of Adrian, and since answer- ing as a support to the Yaivode's palace ; and from thence to the octagonal building known as RUINS OF ATHENS. 263 the Temple of the Winds, which having been cleared from the surrounding houses, appears to greater advantage than it ever did before ; but the fall of the adjoining walls has increased the accumulation of soil, and there are now at least eight feet of the building concealed by the rubbish. It had formerly been a Tekke, or cell of dancing dervishes, but they have long since disappeared ; and it is now unoccupied, unless perchance the owl should choose to rest there. We saw many of the sacred birds winging their way over the ruins of the city, and uttering doleful cries, as if wailing for its destruction. We walked round the base of the Acropolis, and looked wistfully at the forbidden ground above us ; below, our glance wandered over a mass of ruins. We went next to the Theatre of Bacchus, and examined the cave behind it running under the Acropolis, but the Chorasgic monu- ment of Thrasyllus of Decelia, which adorned the entrance, was destroyed during the war. Below the Theatre is the monument of Ly- sicrates, better known as the " Lantern of Demosthenes." The convent within which it was built is now level with the ground, and the monument rises above the rubbish that formerly concealed the greater part of it. Mr Gropius caused it to be strengthened in some 2G4 MONUMENT OF LYSICKATES. places where it threatened to fall, but his care has been rendered almost nugatory by the de- predations of the Turks, or of mi-dixant ama- teurs, who, since last May, have not only muti- lated several figures of the beautiful bas-relief, but also wantonly thrown down one of the Co- rinthian capitals, and deprived that side of the building of its necessary support. The mania for destruction which actuates all those who vi- sit Athens is incredible. Every youngster who obtains leave to have a cruise on shore, thinks it necessary to cany off a piece of marble as a relic : if the head or leg of a statue, so much the better. A stone is seized and applied as a hammer to one of the finest bas-reliefs ; off flies a fragment, and on board starts the midshipman with his prize. Some years since, a letter was picked up at Athens, written by one of the midshipmen of a man-of-war stationed at the Pirasus, to his mess- mate who was at Athens, requesting him to knock off another piece from the Caryatides, as he had lost the marble he took with him ! . After deploring the damage inflicted by the ignorant in this direction, we bent our steps towards the banks of the Ilissus ; where sixteen Corinthian columns of the magnificent temple dedicated to Jupiter Olympius are to be seen. The enormous size of these,* their beautiful 1 Sixty-eighl reel high. TEMPLE OF JUPITER OLYMPIUS. 265 proportion and exquisite workmanship, strike the beholder with astonishment ; the chaste severity of the Doric temples pleases the eye, but these ruins surprise it ; and if so few co- lumns have such an imposing effect, what must it not have been when one hundred and twenty were standing ! Upon the summit of two of the columns, a fanatic, who wished to emulate the fame of Simeon Stylites, constructed a her- mitage, where he passed his life, depending upon the charity of the righteous or supersti- tious for support ; but the tenant is long since dead, and the ill-cemented mass of stone form- ing his airy habitation, threatens at every gust of wind to fall from the place it has usurp- ed, and mingle with its kindred rubbish. On following the banks of the Ilissus, here a mere rill, we came to the ruins of a bridge leading across it to the Stadium, in shape a parallel- ogram, between two high embankments, where in former days the multitude assembled to see the prize of swiftness of foot contended for : on one side was the Temple of Victory, where the successful candidates were crowned ; and by a strange coincidence, its ruins were converted into an entrenchment, either by Turks or Greeks, during the last war : the Goddess, however, en- raged at her worship having been so long neglect- ed by the Greeks, lent her aid to their adversaries. 266 FOUNT OF CALURHOE. The fount of Callirhoe, whither the Athe- nian maidens used to resort for water, next attracted our attention — two dirty half-clad Albanian women washing their rags in the stream, were but poor substitutes for the con- temporaries of Lais and Aspasia. All indeed that we see in Greece is directly in opposition to classical romance. Trajan's gate is still un- injured, but is no longer used as an entrance to the town, whither we returned through a wretched Turkish gate, having as lintel a large piece of inscribed marble taken from the ruins of a temple constructed by one of the Roman Emperors. Spon gives the inscription, one half of which he found here, and the other at Ve- nice. On our return to the Bey's palace, we examined an old Greek church, almost entirely built of sculptured stones ; another was point- ed out to us as having been once a Lutheran church, then a Catholic chapel, next a Greek church, latterly a school on the Lancasterian system, under the direction of the Philomuse Society,* and now a stable or pigsty. Athens * The Society of the " 4>lAOMOTSOI" (Friends of the Muses) was instituted at Athens previous to the Revolution, and intended for the purposes of disseminating knowledge in the Romaic language, furthering education, and restoring the tine arts. The annual subscription was three or four dollars, and all travellers were invited to become members. TEMPLE OF THESEUS. 267 is full of churches: where one ought to have sufficed, there are six or seven ; and their roofs being all arched, they are the only buildings appearing to be still uninjured by the alternate ravages of the Greeks and Turks. A tower built by Lord Elgin for the reception of a clock, intended perhaps as a peace-offering for the in- juries he inflicted on the Parthenon, is also a conspicuous object. Of all that Athens presented worth seeing, there was nothing that pleased me so much as the Temple of Theseus, still almost perfect, although twenty-two centuries have elapsed since its erection, still an incomparable model for chasteness of design, and solidity of con- struction. How lamentable it is to relate, that a building which withstood the shock of earthquakes, and the barbarous spoliations of its barbarous possessors until the present cen- tury, should within these few months have had its eastern pediment destroyed irreparably by some Turkish wretches, for the sake of a shilling's worth of honey ! A swarm of bees, unhappily for the temple, not content with the security of their domain on Mount Hymettus, established their hive within the crevices of A donation was expected from them in lieu of the annual subscription, and they received a diploma, and a gold ring having on one side the head of Minerva, and on the other the owl with the letters A0E. 268 THE AREOPAGUS. the pediment. The Turks discovered the spot ; they climbed to the roof; and finding that the honey could not be extracted without over- throwing a portion of the building, they with considerable difficulty hurled down one-half of the pediment, which now, instead of its chaste outline, presents a broken and rugged breach. Some of the figures in basso-relievo have also been lately mutilated : here, one of the Lapithse has had a leg knocked off; there, a Centaur has been beheaded ; but these injuries are the works of virtuosi. The western end of the temple was severely injured by a flash of lightning, in 1821, which threw down a part of the cornice, and shattered one of the columns ; but, notwith- standing this, the Theseion is still the most perfect temple in existence. The interior had been a Greek church, and is now a stable for the Turkish cavalry ; under the dung we saw some inscriptions marking the site where an Englishman named Watson was interred. We next walked to the Areopagus, and then to the Pnyx,* where the assemblies of the peo- ple used to be held. The stand of the orators, and the seats of the magistrates, being cut out * The Pnyx was excavated by the orders of Lord Aber- deen, when he travelled in Greece, about twenty years ago : but lor him, it would have been undiscovered. THE PNYX. 269 of the solid rock, there is no doubt as to the identity of the scene ; and although not inclined, like Chateaubriand, to rhapsodize about every old stone that I chanced to see, I could not but feel a little enthusiasm when recollecting that I stood upon the exact spot where Themistocles and Aristides had so often agitated the multi- tude by their debates ; where Alcibiades had misled them by the brilliancy of his oratory ; where Pericles had first taught them to feel a distaste for the simplicity and poverty of their ancestors ; and where Demosthenes had thun- dered forth his philippics : but of those who spoke, and those who listened, not even the modern representatives were to be seen ; " another race, Another generation fills their place !" The remnants of entrenchments, a broken gun, and the voices of Turkish soldiers warning us not to approach their post on the hill of the museum, recalled to our memory that Asiatic barbarians were still the lords of Athens. Once more T hope that the Pnyx may be trod by the representatives of Greece, and that the sovereign will there make his first speech to his people. In this vicinity some curious sepulchral cham- bers are hewn in the rock, and one of them has received the name of the tomb of Cimon ; 270 THE PARTHENON. whilst another, with still less probability, is called the prison of Socrates. From the Pnyx we had an excellent view of the Parthenon, and saw with regret that the columns and pediment had been dreadfully shattered by the camion from hence, and from the batteries at the monument of Philopapus. What, in fact, was supposed to be the safeguard of the Parthenon has caused its ruin ; the strength of the Acropolis, as a mili- tary post, having exposed it to a siege on every occasion that war raged in the country around. The first and severest injury it suffered was inflicted by the Venetians of Morosini's army, in 1697, a shell from their batteries having fallen upon the powder magazine form- ed by the Turks within the temple, and caused an explosion which overthrew many of the columns on both sides. From that period, until Lord Elgin commenced his depredations, it sustained little injury; but in extracting the Metopes, his Lordship's agents, to save themselves trouble and expense, destroyed a great portion of the frieze unnecessarily ; and during the last siege, the cannon of the Turks has contributed to the work of demolition, and also shattered the left wing of the Propyhea. The Krechtheion has not escaped unhurt. A Turk of rank, who fled from the town at the time of the first insurrection, placed his wife THE ERECHTHEION. 271 and harem within the temple, supposing that its massive architecture would secure them from the shot of the enemy ; and in order farther to ward off danger, he caused a quantity of earth to be heaped on the roof. The weight was evidently too great for the dilapidated build- ing; but reckless of this, and, like a true believer, trusting to Providence, he retired with all his family to rest there. During the night the temple fell in, overwhelmed all those who were beneath it, and caused the death of eight persons. Spon relates a story about St. Demetrius the bombardier, who once upon a time destroyed a cruel aga in the Acropolis, by exploding his powder magazine. Had the Greeks of the present day been versed in the history of their country, they might with equal justice have supposed the suffocation of the poor Turkish women to be a punishment in- flicted by their ancient gods, indignant at the profanation of their temple. The Theatre of Herodes Atticus, below the Acropolis, is a fine specimen of ancient architecture ; but we could not see the interior, it being comprised within the fortifications of the citadel. The remaining antiquities that Mr. Gropius showed us were the columns forming the por- tico of the Agora, and dedicated to Augustus ; and near them, on the road-side, is a marble 272 A MAGNIFICENT T011SO. tablet Which bad hitherto been immured in a house, but now stands alone, and is inscribed with numerous regulations of Hadrian's, relative to the sale of oil. Not far from this is a hand- some marble sarcophagus ; and at the door of a Greek church are two marble chairs, ornament- ed in basso-relievo, and so made as to form a semicircle when placed together. The fall of a house has lately disclosed a mag- nificent Torso of a Persian or Caryatides. The figure is that of a man nine feet high ; his legs ARRIVAL OF THE BEY. 273 terminate with a fish's tail, turning up the back, and resting on the shoulders ; the head and arms are broken off, but the rest of the figure is per- fect ; and half-buried in the earth near it is a simi- lar statue, having only the head and shoulders at present visible. An excavation here would probably bring some curious pieces of sculpture to light; but the trouble will be considerable, the earth having accumulated over ancient Athens to the depth of twelve feet, and in many places nearly thirty. The houses being built with earth instead of mortar, every ruin continues to increase the accumulation of the soil ; and the last demolition of Athens raised it more than a foot. Whilst we were walking round the town, discussing with Mr. Gropius where the new city ought to commence, and building nume- rous castles in the air, we observed a body of cavalry advancing at a gallop on the plain : — this was the Bey and his escort ; and when we returned to the house, he was already installed on his divan. There was nothing in the appearance of the Bey to point out his superiority in rank : his dress indeed was shabby ; and, instead of con- forming to Mahmoud's costume, he wore the proscribed turban and pelisse. His eyes were T 274 RECEPTION BY THE BEY. still red from the excesses of the preceding night, for, like many other Osmanlis, he deem- ed it no sin to swallow the contents of a few bottles of rum ; and this pernicious habit had stamped his features with the marks of dissi- pation. He, however, received us courteously, and spoke two or three words of lingua Franca, acquired, as he said, during a voyage to Leg- horn, which, in his opinion, was at the other end of the world ; but his travels had not added to the dignity of his demeanour ; and I soon per- ceived that he was far inferior in manners to the members of the court circle I had seen at Con- stantinople. His rank, in point of fact, was not very exalted, as his real office was that of selic- tar, or sword-bearer, to his cousin the Pasha of Negropont, whose authority extended over At- tica and the other portions of Eastern Greece still held by the Turks. His page, a handsome young Cretan, with the features of an Anti- nous, stood beside him, dressed most gorgeously in the Albanian garb ; and the other end of the apartment was filled with his armed retainers, a worthless crew, composed of indolent wretches, who, for food and lodging, are content to swell the train of a great man, and add to his appa- rent importance. HIS RANK AND DEMEAN01 R. 275 At Athens, the Bey affected the rank of a Pasha ; and each person who entered the room bent low before him, and made numerous obei- sances in the most servile manner ; whilst at Egripo, the Bey would demean himself in a similar way before the Pasha. In his hand, the chieftain held a rosary composed of ninety- nine beads, for each of which a good Moslem must utter one of the epithets of God ; and with this he played whilst he entered into conversation with Mr. Gropius, who informed him that a Prince had been nominated by the Allied Powers as sovereign of the Morea. " Well," said he, " and now I suppose that the English and French are coming to drive me from hence. The English want Greece for themselves ; they have already got Corfu ; and now they are anxious to obtain possession of the Morea. You will not make me believe that they lent the Greeks money, and attacked our fleet at Navarin, merely from affection to the Hellenes ! — No, no : they are wiser than that: — they gave money, because they knew that the Greeks could never repay it ; and thus they w r ould have a pretext for seizing the coun- try. However, God willing, as soon as we have recovered from the last war, we will conquer t 2 276 CONVERSATION 01 THE BEY. Greece again. We asked for peace now: not because we were afraid of the Muscovites, but that we were weary of the long continuance of a war which had separated us from our families, and made us even as strangers to our children. You do not think that we were deficient in soldiers? The Sultan had only to issue a fir- man, and lie could raise as many thousands, or tens of thousands, as he pleased : they would come from every part of the empire, from one thousand, two thousand, three thousand miles distant !" Rum and water was now offered to us by the page, and the Bey took repeated draughts, gra- dually forgetting to mix it with water, until at last it was almost pure spirit. We were quite surprised that he should be so w r ell supplied with this beverage ; but the source of his wealth became accidentally disclosed to us. Mr. Gro- pius proposed that we should visit a small kiosk at the top of the house, whence there was an excellent view ; and when the secreta- ry conducted us thither, we discovered that it had been converted into a spirit store ; shelves full of lemons were ranged round the room ; several loaves of English sugar were piled up in one corner, and some dozens of bottles la- THE BEY'S LEVEE. 277 belled with the word " Rhum," in large let- ters, were on the floor. It is fortunate for the Turks that Mahomet was ignorant of the various uses of the sugar-cane ; but as the Prophet had never heard of rum, and that his guardian angel did not reveal its future ap- pearance to him, that spirit was not excluded from the beverage of the true believers, who, availing themselves of the omission, drink rum to excess. Captain Gordon increased the Bey's stock by a present which we knew would be most acceptable to him. A supper, similar to that of the preceding evening, closed our evening's entertainment ; and the Bey, whose eyes were beginning to glisten, having stretch- ed his mattress on the floor, and retired to rest, we followed his example. Before daybreak next morning, the Bey commenced smoking his pipe; and shortly afterwards, the officers under his command came to attend his levee — each making a humble salam, and then squat- ting in a circle on the floor, or at the extremity of the divan where we were sitting, coffee and pipes being the succedaneum for conversation. A Greek also came into the apartment, and read a letter he had received from the chief of a vil- lage, in Bceotia, seven hours distant, acquaint- 278 A REQUEST DENIED. ing the Bey that four Delhis had been attack- ed by a (-reek banditti in the mountains, and three of them murdered. This intelligence, though listened to with great calmness, did not please him much ; he declared that Vasso and the other Greek chieftains at Salamis connived at these attacks, and participated in the spoil ; and it is very probable that he was right in his conjectures. Men were forthwith dispatched to bring the heads of the delinquents, but their errand seemed likely to prove fruitless. We had hitherto deferred asking the Bey's permission to enter the Acropolis, in the hopes that, as we became better acquainted, he might be induced to grant it ; but we could no longer delay ; and Mr. Gropius, in a whisper, made the important communication, begging the chief not to decide in a hurry, but to deliberate well on the subject. This he certainly did : for more than an hour he kept us seated on the divan doing nothing ; and at last, when we hoped that our patience would bt rewarded, he denied our request. " It was," he said, " be- yond his power; for that he was surrounded by a set of scoundrels, who would avail themselves of the slightest opening to misrepresent his con- duct, and effect his ruin. Were he to grant the desired permission, it would be said thai Cap- YPSALl AND PADISHAH. 279 tain Gordon had bribed him ; and the loss of his head would be the consequence. He had hitherto denied admission to every one; and although he much regretted that he could not meet the wishes of the Elchee Bey's brother, still he had no alternative." Thus all our nego- tiations were at an end : we perceived that he was firm in his resolution ; and so, contenting ourselves with what we had already seen of the Parthenon, we walked out of the town, to look at the remains of the once beautiful gardens and villas in the environs of Athens : — on our way, we passed a heap of human skulls, piled up by Kutayieh, after the battle of Athens, when he caused seventy Greek prisoners to be brought to this spot and beheaded. The villages of Ypsali and Padishah, formerly the resort of the Athenians in summer, have been completely demolished, and thousands of olive, orange, and other fruit trees, cut down for fuel, or wantonly destroyed. The destruction of a fine old tree is, to me always a source of regret ; it is robbing Nature of her brightest garment, and leaving her naked and miserable ; and here the havoc is particularly to be deplored, for it will require many generations to restore to the plain of Athens the wood it has been deprived of by Greeks and Turks. Amongst the crumbled 280 THE MAID OF ATHENS. walls at Ypsali we were shown the house occupied by the Maid of Athens, in her bright days, when her beauty was such as to call from Byron the praises contained in those lines commencing — " Maid of Athens, ere we part, Give, oh give me back my heart !" But twenty years have made some change in her appearance : she has exchanged her youth- ful appellation to that of Mrs. Black ; and when I was at iEgina, had just presented her husband with a son. When her father's house was destroyed at Athens, she fled with her sister to Corfu, and I believe excited much interest there ; a considerable subscription having been collected to enable her to return to Greece. To the westward of Padishah, near two mounds of earth called Kolonos, is the spot for- merly appropriated to the Grove of the Acade- my : it is now planted with olive trees ; a small chapel on one of the hillocks occupies the site of a temple dedicated to Neptune, and another is supposed to stand on the ruins of Plato's house. * * * * * As Athens must undoubtedly become the capital of Greece, not only in consequence of THE RUINS OF ATHENS. 281 her classic fame, but also because her central position and excellent harbours eminently qua- lify her for that post ; it is to be hoped that, in re-establishing the town, due attention may be paid to unite beauty and cleanliness. The ruins of the town at present form such a mass of rub- bish, that it seems a fruitless task to attempt rebuilding on the same site, especially as the ground to the westward of the walls presents a more desirable position, open both to the land and sea-breeze, and commanding a fine view of the Piraeus and surrounding country. The late town stood at the foot of the Acropolis ; the object of the inhabitants being to seek protec- tion under its walls ; and thus the houses were crowded one upon another, in a manner preju- dicial not only to the comfort but to the health of the inhabitants. This may easily be reme- died ; and the miserable wall built round the town by the Turks fifty years ago, can be le- velled without difficulty. The ancient ruins should have a clear space left around them : a large square, or market-place, ought to be form- ed on the site of the ancient Agora, with wide streets leading from it to the outlets of the town ; and then the Athenians, who chose, might build their habitations amongst the ruins ; but the strangers attracted by commerce 282 VALUE OF LAND. or fancy, the members of the Government, and the Prince himself, ought to fix their dwell- ings to the west of the present walls. Athens would then be one of the best situated cities in the world. Men of capital wishing to settle in Greece, might find in, the plains around Athens many inducements to build. Ground uncultivated, but capable of being planted with vines, may be purchased at fifteen piastres a strema;* but this cannot be irrigated, and would not be productive before five or six years. Garden ground at Padishah is worth about seven hun- dred piastres the strema, and the proprietor is entitled to nine hours of water weekly. The water is private, or Government property, being brought in a channel from the Cephissus, and then distributed through the lands of those who choose to pay for it ; but, although not abundant now, if proper measures are pursued, water enough may easily be conducted to the city. Building is not expensive at present ; and for one thousand eight hundred or two thousand piastres, a person may build a house quite good enough for the actual circumstances of the country ; ample materials are to be found f Ten thousand square feet. ATHENS BESIEGED. 283 among the ruins ; and it is only necessary to procure the boarding and window-frames from Venice or Smyrna. Athens has stood three sieges since 1821. The first was formed by the Greeks, who, having stormed the town, enclosed the Turks within the citadel, where they were closely blockaded until the advance of the Pasha, at the head of four thousand men, induced them to abandon their enterprise, and fly with the Athenians to Salamis and iEgina. The Pasha, however, at the end of two months, having left Athens to the defence of fifteen hundred men, the Greeks again ventured to attack the town, and succeeded in obliging the Turks to seek re- fuge in the citadel, which they forthwith deter- mined to besiege, and accordingly placed a thirty- six pounder carronade in battery, at eight hun- dred yards' distance, hoping to effect a breach ! They had only sixty balls, and whenever one of them chanced to strike the walls, the Greeks shouted out victory, expecting every moment to see the fortifications demolished. However, their ammunition was expended, and the wall re- mained as high as ever. What was to be done ? They determined to try a mine ; so, having made a hole near the bastion, which they wished to breach, they placed six hundred pounds of 284 SURRENDER OF THE TURKS. powder in it, set fire to a slow match, and then ran behind a hill, fully a mile distant, where they waited to see the Acropolis flying in the air. The explosion took place, four or five stones were moved, but the Acropolis was still there, and the Turks on the walls bade them defiance; they therefore concluded that the mine had not exploded, and that only the match had taken fire ; and for a whole day they remained quiet, awaiting the grand result ; they then ventured to look at the mine, and were undeceived. An attempt was next made to carry the Acropolis by storm; but this failed, with the loss of forty men ; and it was only when they obtained possession of the well which supplied the ci- tadel with water, that the Turks agreed to capitulate, on condition of being forthwith em- barked and sent to Asia. The Acropolis then was delivered up, and the Turks, with their fa- milies, were quartered in the town; but, instead of fulfilling the capitulation, the Greek chieftains from day to day delayed embarking them, and this decision was fatal to the prisoners. The Greek chiefs one day received intelli- gence that a large Turkish force was advancing upon Athens, and had already reached Thebes, and this news they instantly promulgated to the people, directing that each person should AN INDISCRIMINATE MASSACRE. 0^5 take care of himself. An indescribable scene of confusion was the natural result. The Greek women and children hurried out of the town, and rushed towards the Piraeus, intending to embark for Salamis ; whilst the Palicari, instead of manning the walls and preparing for a vigor- ous defence, ran in a body to the houses where the Turkish prisoners were confined, and com- menced an indiscriminate massacre, in which the young and beautiful inmates of the harem, the aged and infirm, and the brave but defence-- less spahis and janissaries, fell alike beneath the ataghan. Mr. Gropius, as Austrian Consul, had sheltered three hundred of these unhappy beings within the walls of the consulate,* and succeeded in saving their lives ; but many hun- * Mr. Gropius, on one occasion, threw away his hospitality upon some Turks, whose conduct deserves recording. At the time when the Ottoman troops were in possession of Athens, two Turks came to Gropius, and begged as an espe- cial favour that he would allow them to leave a quantity of corn in one of the spare apartments of his house, where it would be safe from the rapacity of the Pasha. Leave was granted, and the corn deposited in the apartment, which was carefully locked up, and the key given to the owners. The Turks then took up their abode in a house adjoining; and conceiving that Mr. Gropius's residence would afford them rich plunder, they set to work, made a hole in the wall dividing the two houses, and penetrated into one of the 28G ATHENS AGAIN BESIEGED. dreds perished ; and the Greek chieftains had great difficulty in restraining the soldiery, even after it was ascertained that the report which had given rise to these excesses was false. The third siege was laid by the Turks, in 1826. The Athenians, afraid of trusting to the mi- serable wall that encircled the town, once more fled to Salamis, but left a strong garrison in the Acropolis, with provisions for several months ; and a spring of water having been dis- covered in the cave of Pan, and enclosed with- in the defences of the citadel by Odysseus, there was no danger of its being starved into a surrender. The Turks established batteries rooms. To their great disappointment, they found that it contained nothing but some old books and furniture; but their cupidity being excited by the facility of piercing through the wall, they resolved to make an opening into the lower apartment, and they were rewarded for their trouble by dis- covering a large store of wheat: this they forthwith carried off and sold; and then, fearful of their iniquity being dis- covered by Mr. Gropius, they hastened to his house, and beg- ged that he would allow them to take away their corn. " Certainly," said Mr. Gropius, who immediately accom- panied them to their granary, and had it opened in his pre- sence; but to his surprise the corn was no longer there. The Turks also were stupified ; but the case was soon elucidated. The rascals, without being aware of it, had been robbing themselves! THE BATTLE OF ATHENS. 287 near the Pnyx, and on the hill of the Museum, and drew a line of trenches round the citadel, with the view of intercepting all communi- cation between the besieged and the Greek army ; but Fabvier, with great gallantry, land- ed at night near the Piraeus, with five hundred men, and a supply of ammunition, and by a rapid march reached the Turkish lines undis- covered. He instantly dashed through them ; and the Turks being taken by surprise, he was enabled to enter the citadel with his whole de- tachment. To raise the siege was now the ob- ject of the Greek chieftains, and ten thousand men, commanded by Sir R. Church, landed at the Piraeus, with the intent to give battle ; but, instead of advancing through the mountains, they allowed themselves to be surprised by the Turkish cavalry in the plain, and were com- pletely routed, with the exception of a corps under Colonel Gordon, who made a very gallant and successful attack on an entrenched position near the Pirasus. The loss of the battle of Athens was one of the most unfortunate events of the war, and entirely attributable to the dissensions existing among the leaders, some of whom wished to attack, according to European tactics, whilst the more prudent were of opinion that it would be better 288 DISPERSION OF THE ARMY. to follow the advice of the capitani, and adapt the plan of attack to the characters of the men composing the army, who, being always accus- tomed to fight behind their tambours and en- trenchments, were not only incapable of effectual- ly combating in the plain, but were actually afraid of the Turkish cavalry, whose prowess they had often experienced. General Church concurred in the latter plan, but he was overruled ; and a night march through the plain was resolved upon. Daylight broke whilst the Greeks were still in motion : the ground was extremely fa- vourable for cavalry movements, and three thousand Turkish horse advanced upon them at a gallop. The Greeks instantly broke from their ranks without offering resistance, and fled towards the sea-shore ; about six hundred being cut down by the Turks. The Philhellenes, who attempted to defend themselves, were over- powered and annihilated, and the dispersion of the army was completed. Shortly after this disaster, Fabvier surrendered the Acropolis. This unfortunate affair caused much blame to be unjustly heaped upon Church, whose services in the Greek cause have never been duly estimated ; for in an army composed of such discordant materials as was that at Athens, a Gcneral-in-ehief had little more than nominal SIR RICHARD CHURCH. 289 authority ; and he certainly ought not to be blamed for proceedings to which he was op- posed. Although General Church was not so fortunate as to have a subsequent opportunity of effacing the recollection of this check by any brilliant affair, he effected with a very small force more than could have been possibly ex- pected, and the Turkish garrisons in Western Greece successively capitulated to him, and left him in possession of that part of the country. Notwithstanding the repeated instances of breach of faith the Turks had experienced from the Greeks, they confided implicitly in the pledges of safety given by Church to their ca- pitulating garrisons ; and the conditions upon which they surrendered having been scrupu- lously fulfilled in every instance, the last inci- dents of the war ceased to be characterised by those dreadful atrocities that had hitherto dark- ened the glory of victory on both sides. Church possessed great influence over his men ; and it was solely owing to this circumstance that he was able to keep up even the semblance of an army; for, instead of being supported by the Government, every possible difficulty was thrown in his way. His soldiers were neither paid nor provisioned, whilst those of other chief- tains, who were unemployed, received both mo- u '290 LEAVE ATHENS. ney and food ; and at last, when he had no ex- ternal foes to oppose in Acarnania, and that he saw how strong a feeling of enmity the head of the government bore towards him, he deter- mined to resign his situation, until better times should dawn, and accordingly returned to the National Assembly of Argos the commission of generalissimo, which had been conferred upon him by the congress of Trcezen. # * * s When we had seen all that Athens presented to our observation, we took leave of the Bey, and, according to the Eastern custom, distributed baakshish* to his attendants. The coffee-bearer, the pipe-bearer, the cook, the assistant-cook, the guards, the grooms, all came in for their share, this being the only pay they receive from their master, and an established arrangement. Mr. Gropius overheard the secretary taxing the cook with his dirty appearance; the other replied that he had no money. " No money !" retorted the secretary, " and what did you do with the baakshish given you by the Russian admiral?" The Bey lent us horses, for which we paid the groom, and we galloped back to the Piraeus, and reimbarked. • Baakshish is the term used throughout the East, to sig- nify a present. It is the same in India as in Turkey. SALAMIS. 291 CHAPTER X. Salamis. — Vasso. — Colouri. — Departure of the President. — Irregular army. — Origin of the Palicari. — Their conduct during the war. — Instances of broken faith — Marco Bot- zaris. — Skirmish in Albania. — We leave Salamis, and land at Kenchrse. — Isthmus of Corinth. — American Colony at Hexamilia. — Proceedings of the American Committee — The Aero Corinthus. — Corinth — Sicyon."— Gulf of Corinth. — Pass of Acrata. — Defeat of the Turks. On leaving the Piraeus we stood into the Gulf of Salamis, passing through the straits where the memorable battle took place. The whole gulf from Megara to Psytalia forms a beautiful harbour, capable of affording secure anchorage to a very large fleet ; and combined with its vicinity to the Piraeus, this circum- stance points it out as the proper place to es- tablish the naval depot of the Greek fleet. The western channel is barely passable for a frigate, H.M.S. Blonde having turned up the u 2 292 VASSO AND HIS WIFE. mud as she sailed out ; but the eastern channel has sufficient water for a line-of-battle ship close to the shore, and the entrance is not so intri- cate as that of Poros, nor is malaria prevalent in the neighbourhood. We were anxious to see the Palicari quartered at Salamis, and therefore landed on the island at Amphelaki, near the ruins of the ancient town, and, under the auspices of Mr. Gropius, pro- ceeded to the house of Vasso, a Greek general* who commanded one of the irregular bands during the war. It was a miserable cottage : the walls were hung round with arms of va- rious kinds ; and at one end of the apartment sat a tall, handsome man, who was presented to us as the general, and a pretty little woman, his wife. Here we were obliged again to drink coffee, and eat sweetmeats, to our great disgust, — for during the whole day we scarcely had the coffee-cup out of our hands ; and, notwith- standing its supposed merits, were quite sick of the beverage : but there was no possibility of refusing the proffered cup. The lady, who * The title of General, during the Greek war, was assumed by almost any one who chose. In Candia alone, there are six field-marshals, who may be seen driving their horses to market, making oil, pruning vines, &c. ; the generals in the same island are innumerable. VASSO AND HIS WIFE. 293 monopolized all the conversation, and had evi- dently the upper hand of the chieftain, pos- sessed better manners than might have been expected from the consort of this bandit; but it appears that she acquired these when wife to a consul in one of the Greek islands. The consul had married her for the sake of the " beaux yeux de sa cassette ;" and during the revolutionary war, Vasso and his gang being in the island, he invited him to his house, and treated him hospitably, in the hopes that the presence of such a redoubtable chief would se- cure his property from spoliation ; but the poor consul, in avoiding Scylla, fell into Chary b- dis ; for, one evening that the general, his wife, and himself, were seated at the supper table, the lady rose from her chair and left the room. Vasso remained drinking with his friend for a couple of hours ; and wishing him good night, likewise retired. The consul then called his wife, but received no answer: he sought for her all over the house, but she was not to be found. He hastened to consult his friend Vasso, but he likewise had disappeared ; and, to crown his misfortunes, he discovered that his wife had not forgotten to carry off her jewel- case. Much as he grieved for his spouse, still more deeply did this loss weigh upon his mind ; 204 TOWN OF COLOURI. and when, after the divorce, Vasso claimed his wife's landed property, the poor consul could not resist this accumulated demand upon his happiness, but fell sick and died. Vasso, as the Bey of Athens observed, is strongly sus- pected of conniving at the robberies commit- ted by the Greeks ; at one moment threaten- ing to punish the offenders, and at the next receiving his share of the spoil. He possesses no talent, and is so ignorant that he can scarce- ly read or write. Two letters were brought to him whilst we were there ; but after looking at the superscription, he gave up the attempt to read it, and handed them to a person whom we supposed to be his Grammaticos, — that is to say, one who knows how to read and write, and is generally to be seen attendant on these ignorant chieftains. An hour's walk across the island brought us to the opposite town of Colouri,* the head- quarters of the irregular Greek forces under * In speaking of Salamis, the Greeks make use of the modern name Colouri ; but in dating a letter, they would call it Salamis. A wish exists throughout Greece, to re- store the Hellenic names to the towns and provinces that are found in history : but the force of habit induces them still to use the corrupted denominations in conversation, although they studiously avoid doing so in writing. Thus the Morea is now divided into its ancient provinces'. IRREGULAR ARMY. 295 Grisiotti, Hadji Christo, Metaxa, and others. The President left Colonri only the day before, having succeeded in pacifying the clamour of the Palicari, by settling their arrears of pay ; and he had also directed that they should be organized in battalions of five hundred men each, and subdivided into companies, by which means he hoped to check the dishonesty of the chieftains. Most of the chiefs assented to this arrangement ; but Grisiotti and Vasso withheld their consent to a plan tending to restrict their authority and diminish their illegal profits. The troops now assembled at Salamis were mostly Roumeliots from Acarnania, /Etolia, Doris, Phocis, and Eubcea ; and the last rem- nant of Suli's band, amounting to about one hundred men. The greater part of them had fought during the war, and were indeed the only troops that successfully exerted themselves against the common foe ; the Moreots having generally left the laborious part of the contest to the Roumeliots, whilst they enjoyed the fruits of it ; and this circumstance engendered in the minds of the northern soldiers a feeling of contempt towards their southern brethren, which, whilst it often prevented their acting in concert against the Turks, contributed to keep alive the factions of their chieftains. — 296 THE AR.MATOLI. They also had this advantage over the Mo- reots, that whereas the latter were unacquaint- ed with the use of arms, until roused from their passive subjection, the lloumeliots had at all times been acquiring a knowledge of the military profession, by their constant employ- ment as Armatoli, in the passes of Northern Greece. The Armatoli were formerly a kind of mili- tia instituted during the Byzantine Empire, for the purpose of acting as a local police, and performing the military duty of such parts of Greece as were approached by mountain-passes likely to afford shelter to marauders, or impede the military communications of the empire. — The mountains connected with Mount (Eta, and separating Greece from Thessaly and Epi- rus, especially called for the maintenance of a strict police ; and the Ottomans, contrary to their usual system of disarming the rayahs, deemed it necessary to retain the Armatoli on the same footing as during the Byzantine Empire. The inhabitants of the country were made answerable for the safety of the passes, and obliged to maintain a body of Armatoli for that purpose ; and as these soldiers were con- nected by the tics of birth and affection with the villages whence they were drawn, the Turks. THE ARM ATOLL 297 instead of assuring their authority, were gra- dually undermining it, by forming, within the heart of Greece, a body of brave, indefatigable, and independent soldiers. So long as the Ar- matoli were called upon to repress the violence of Turkish freebooters, or to resist the pressure of an aga's extortion, they were useful to the Government that employed them ; but when their services were required to exterminate a band of Klephtes, it more frequently happened that they made common cause with the robbers, and perhaps shared in their spoils. The slightest dispute with the Turkish authorities sufficed to drive them into open rebellion, and they too well knew their own strength and the fastnesses of the country, to doubt their power of obtaining the terms they pleased : their chieftains, or capitani, (a title which must have been assumed during the Venetian time,) possessed great authority, and were at the head of small or numerous bands, according to the reputation they acquired ; and although at times, when in the pay of a Pasha, they were obedient to his commands, it more frequently happened that, uniting with the Klephtes, they led a life of freedom in the mountains, and supported themselves by levy- ing " black mail" upon the inhabitants of the plains. In Northern Greece, the passes had all 293 ALI DECLARED A REBEL. been placed under the control of one person ; and the celebrated Ali Pasha, as Dervendjee Bashee, having been appointed to this important post, the greater part of the Armatoli were placed at his command. With Ali, power was never nominal, and he soon succeeded in esta- blishing his authority amongst these moun- taineers, to whom at a future period he looked for succour in resisting the will of the Porte, should his misdeeds at last arouse the ire of the Sultan ; and although some districts of North- ern Greece were never quite subservient to his authority, he may be said, in 1820, to have possessed the virtual control of all the Greek soldiery. It was in this year that the Porte declared him a rebel ; and Ali's first step was to assemble his Armatoli, and urge them to assist him against the Porte ; whilst, on the other side, the Seras- kier deputed by the Sultan to attack the Vizir, resorted to the dangerous expedient of calling upon the Greeks to take arms against Ali Pasha. Meanwhile the spirit of the Hetaria had been at work amongst the Greeks ; the seeds of liberty began to germinate ; and the Armatoli and Greek peasantry, instead of obeying the sum- mons either of the Porte or its vassal, united their forces, and seized their arms in assertion of their A STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY. 299 rights as men and Christians. The Armatoli and Klephts had now a wider and more glo- rious field for the display of their warlike qua- lities ; and in the expulsion of their pseudo-mas- ters, they hoped to satisfy their love of liberty and spoil. Ulysses, (Odysseus,) Griva, Karaska- kai, and many other chiefs of note, assembled their bands in Northern Greece, and were joined by the peasantry. Colocotroni headed the Mo- reots, and Marco Botzaris placed himself at the head of the exiled Suliots. Each captain acted quite independently ; and the history of the war points out many instances where the oppor- tunity of striking a great blow was lost from want of concert in the leaders. They however succeeded in clearing Greece from the Turks ; and then commenced the struggle for supre- macy amongst themselves : in one thing only did they agree, and this was to draw as much pay as possible from their weak and impoverished government. If a captain had one hundred fol- lowers around him, he would boldly demand pay for a thousand, and pocket the surplus ; and when the hour of attack arrived, Greece, instead of the numerous army she relied upon, disco- vered that a mere handful of men were assembled under her banners. In all the proceedings of the Greek soldiery, the habits of the Klepht 300 GALLANTRY OF THE GREEKS. predominated ; and seldom, during the Greek war, was there an instance of their behaving well, except when allured by the prospect of plunder. They however deserve credit for the cheerful sacrifice they made of their homes, and for the hardships they endured, and saw their families suffer during the contest ; some allow- ance also must be made for their love of plunder, when it is recollected, that with the produce of their spoil alone could they save their families from starving, — for, during nearly eight years, the fields of Eastern and Western Greece were uncultivated, or, when ready to reap, seized upon by the Turks. It is difficult to offer an opinion as to the courage of the Greeks. I conversed with many persons "who served during the war, and were competent judges ; but from what they said, I should consider the gallantry of the Greeks much overrated. Individual instances of the most daring courage have been known ; but when- ever the Greeks were brought to act en masse against the enemy, they did not distinguish themselves ; each man seemed more anxious to ascertain whether his comrade was going to run, than to display his own bravery. Their victories over the Turks were seldom gained in an open, hand-to-hand manner, the enemy having INSTANCES OF BROKEN FAITH. 301 generally been conquered by famine, or over- powered by superiority of numbers; and the feeling of patriotism which we suppose incited the Pali car to battle, was not half so pow- erful a passion in his breast, as the desire of spoil. On many occasions, the Greeks evinced a mercenary spirit that did them no credit ; and at all times their savage cruelty to the Osman- lis who fell into their hands was disgraceful to men who called themselves soldiers and Chris- tians : — real courage does not prey upon the de- fenceless. As an excuse for this conduct, it has been stated with much plausibility, that they only retaliated for injuries received ; but it was undoubtedly the Greeks who first threw away the scabbard, and told the Turks that the war was " al cuckillo." The slaughter at Tripo- lizza may be extenuated, as the place was, in some measure, carried by storm ; and every man must know how impossible it is to restrain a soldier in battle, when all the worst feelings of his disposition are let loose. But what can be urged in favour of those who, at Hydra, drew two hundred Turkish prisoners from the prison and deliberately slew them ? — who at Athens murdered the prisoners taken in the Acropolis, after having attested heaven and earth to wit- ness that their lives should be saved ? — who at 302 ATROCITIES OF THE TURKS. Corinth, in like manner, massacred the garrison after its capitulation, and who, in despite of the exhortations and prayers of their officers, put to death the brave Albanians, whose capitulation at the Piraeus they had all assented to ? Their individual acts of cruelty were countless : they never granted quarter: theTurks followed a simi- lar system ; and the war was one of individual extermination, instead of producing great results. In thus pointing out the faults of the Greeks, I am far from wishing to exculpate the Turks ; for what can be worse than the legal murder of the Patriarch of Constantinople, or the massa- cres of Scio and Ipsara ? — or what moi-e dreadful vengeance could have fallen upon the Greeks, than the visitation of Ibrahim Pasha ? But I mean to observe, that the Greeks, who were claiming the rights of civilization, should have proved themselves deserving of the boon, by displaying a knowledge of its first dictate — hu- manity ! and that, since they acted like tho- rough savages, they must thank themselves for being treated as such by the Egyptians. The spirit of exaggeration inherent in the Greek character gave rise to such ridiculous reports during the war, that it was impossible ever to place confidence in the intelligence re- ceived from Greece. It was not uncommon to hear of a battle lasting nine hours, in which the A SANGUINARY CONFLICT. 303 Greeks had slain two thousand Turks, and lost only two men themselves ! and then, when we expected to find that this affair had been fol- lowed up by some important manoeuvre, it would appear that the Turkish force was just as strong as ever. Sometimes, however, the Greeks really did succeed in gaining an advantage over their enemies with but a very trivial loss, if we may credit the accompanying details of an affair in which the person who narrated it to me was engaged. Karaskakai was stationed in the vicinity of Mount Parnassus, with one thousand five hun- dred men, when he received information that two thousand Turks were about to advance through the mountain passes : he instantly assembled his Palicari ; said that the enemy was only six hundred strong; and having in- spired them with confidence, advanced towards the ground occupied by the Turks. The lat- ter were unprepared for an attack, and had halt- ed in a village near an isolated hillock, form- ing a strong military position ; and when the Greeks appeared, they retired to this, leaving in the abandoned village all their provisions, which were soon seized by the Greeks. Rein- forcements joined the Greeks ; whilst the Turks still remained inactive, though exposed to the inclemency of the weather: the ground was 304 MARCO BOTZARIS covered with snow ; they had no wood ; and could only light a fire by burning their saddles. At the termination of eight days, being ex- hausted with hunger and cold, they resolved to cut their way through the Greeks, and accord- ingly sallied forth ; but so perfectly were they unnerved by their suffering, that they could offer no resistance, and one thousand were kill- ed the first day, and eight hundred the next, whilst the Greeks lost only four men ! This was a mere massacre. An European force would have made the Turks prisoners. One action fought by the Greeks does them infinite credit, and may without doubt be compared to the battle of Thermopylae. I al- lude to the attack by Marco Botzaris, with three hundred Suliots, upon the army of Mus- tapha; an attack, fatal it is true, to the chief who led it, but which lias conferred immor- tality on his name. The defence of Missolon- ghi is another fine feature of the war ; and the destruction of the Turkish army in the defiles near Corinth, and the surrender of Dramali's force at Acrata, are also events redounding to the credit of the Greek generals ; but the rest of their operations present a chaotic mass of marches, countermarches, and skirmishes, which it is almost impossible to understand. PALICAUI. 305 The vagrant, independent life led by the Palicari of late years, has, I should say, un- fitted them to become useful members of society; but the experiment ought most un- doubtedly to be tried, for, in their present state, they are a heavy drain upon the re- sources of the country, and are perfectly use- less as soldiers. The longer that they remain imbodied, the more difficult will it be to dis- perse them ; and it is not unlikely but that some of the old Klephtes may reform themselves into predatory bands, and carry on a border war highly detrimental to the interests of the na- tion ; but as the Allied Powers purpose granting a military force to the Sovereign of Greece, there will be little trouble in exterminating them. Men who have been accustomed to rule by the sword, must in turn be governed by it ; and a few severe examples of what a well organized and powerful government is capable of doing, would have a great effect upon these freebooters. Turkish punishments, though severe and san- guinary, lost their effect, because they weighed equally upon the innocent and the guilty ; but when the Greeks understand that crime can never escape from the vengeance of the laws, whilst innocence in them will find protection, x 306 SKIRMISH IN ALBANIA they will cease to look upon the Klephtes in the same light as formerly, and assist the Go- vernment in putting them down. On the con- fines of Albania, the Palicari have already given a specimen of what may be expected from them hereafter, the troops appointed to defend the frontier having had a serious affray with the Albanians. It appears that the Greeks could not withstand the temptation offered by some flocks of sheep browsing within sight of their post, and, forgetting that a truce existed, they amused themselves by carrying off a great number of the sheep. The Albanians would not allow this outrage to pass unpunished, and, having assembled in considerable force, attacked the Greeks when they least expected them, and killed or wounded one-fourth of their number. There the matter ended : the Greeks having been the aggressors, could not complain, and the Al- banians had revenged themselves sufficiently. There were between four and five thousand men at Colouri ; but as they were all quartered in the town, we had no opportunity of seeing them to advantage; not that they ever have drills or parades, their sole tactics being how best to hide themselves behind a rock or tambour; but that the scene woidd have been more cha- racteristic, if they had been in bivouac. The MONASTERY OF PHANEROMENE. 307 Palicari, whom we met in the streets, only dif- fered from the dirty peasantry, in being armed with pistols and tophaic. We occasionally saw a man whose gaudy dress and valuable arms proclaimed him to be a chief; but had we not been aware to which cause he belonged, it would have been impossible to say whether he was Greek or Turk. The turban, the Albanian jacket and Justanetta, the arms, were alike. It was certainly strange for us to step at once from a Turkish garrison to a Greek army, and such an opportunity is not likely to occur again, as the Turks must soon evacuate Athens, and the irregular Greeks return to their homes. The payment of their arrears seemed to have put the soldiers in good humour, and, during the whole night, we heard the sounds of music, and occasionally the discharge of pistols. We parted with Mr. Gropius at Colouri, and walked to the monastery of Phaneromene, where the cutter was anchored. On our way, we saw but little to interest us, the island being extremely barren, and incapable of supporting a large population, though of late years the number of its inhabitants has been increased by the unfortunate Athenians, who, in imitation of their ancestors during the Persian war, here sought a refuge from slavery. Phaneromene is x 2 308 PROCEED TOWARDS H EXAM I LI A. a large building, calculated to resist the attacks of a piratical band, and commanding a view of Eleusis and a great part of the Gulf of Salamis. Within the walls, there is a church decorated with a profusion of paintings, and around it was a bivouac of the Greek soldiery, who were stalk- ing about wrapped up in their huge capotes. We here embarked, and having sailed through the narrow channel where the Persians blocked up the Greeks during the battle of Salamis, passed Megara, and in the evening anchored at Kenchrae, the eastern port of Corinth. In the morning we landed, and proceeded towards Hexamilia. On our way we passed the ruins of the Temple of Neptune, and the Stadium, where the Isthmian games were cele- brated. The remains of the temple are very extensive, but no columns are now erect : near them runs the wall dividing the Peloponnesus from Greece, which, after being repeatedly re- stored, and as often found useless, is now quite neglected. The real defences of the Isthmus are in fact to be found in the Geraunian moun- tains, stretching across from gulf to gulf, and having only three passes, which may be easily held against a superior force ; but, notwithstand- ing this, the Greeks always allowed the Turks to penetrate as far as Corinth, before they offered RECEPTION AT IIEXAMILIA. 309 any effectual resistance. Even in the lowest part of the Isthmus there are many excellent positions. The canal commenced by Nero on the west- ern side was to have terminated at Kenchrae ; but this undertaking was soon abandoned, and that portion of it already commenced shows how tremendous the labour must have been, as it was necessary to cut through the solid rock almost the whole way. The osten- sible motive for discontinuing the work was, that the engineers supposed the sea on one side of the Isthmus to be at a higher level than on the other, and that consequently, by its rush- ing in, the country would be overflowed. At Hexamilia we'were hospitably received by Dr. Howe, the gentleman who has charge of the colony formed there by the American Phil- hellenist Committee, and redounding much to the credit of our Trans- Atlantic brethren. At the time that England was contributing large subscriptions in favour of the suffering Greeks, the Americans likewise collected a sum of money for the same benevolent purpose ; but, having seen the manner in which the English subscriptions were squandered, without the Greeks deriving any benefit therefrom, they resolved to keep the money in their own hands. 310 AMERICAN COLONY AT IIEXAMILIA. and issue it in such manner as the agents of their Committee in Greece should determine. Dr. Howe commenced his operations at iEgina during the time that the island was crowded with fugitives from every part of Greece, many of whom were literally starving. These he re- lieved : but, instead of giving the money he was entrusted with to the idle and dissolute, he obliged those he succoured to employ them- selves in building the quay at JEgina — thus in a double sense benefiting the country: and when the Turks evacuated this part of the Morea, he entered upon his plan of forming a colony. The original intention of the American Com- mittee was, that one hundred of the poorest families should be located on this spot, in houses built for them at the expense of the Ameri- cans ; they were, in like manner, to be provided with seeds, cattle, and agricultural implements, and, in return for their labour, were to pay half the annual produce to the American fund. The Government granted the land to them rent- free during five years, at the termination of which they were to hold it on the same terms as the other lessees of Government. But some difficulties thrown in the way of this scheme by the President prevented Dr. Howe from act- ing up to the full extent of his original plan, THE ACRO-COKINTHUS. 31 1 and only forty* families are now settled here. They are already free from want ; and we can- not sufficiently admire the judgment which prompted the American Committee to dis- pose of their funds in so praiseworthy a man- ner, instead of following the pernicious exam- ple set by the London Committee, who dis- bursed their money with perfect imbecility. Many hundred pounds were expended in the purchase of mathematical instruments, (which no Greek could use, and were finally sent back to England) ; in printing-presses, for a people who knew not how to read, and were calling for bodily, not mental food ; and in artillery, which burst upon the first discharge. From Hexamilia there is a view of both gulfs; in front the Geraunian mountains, and to the west the Acro-corinthus — " the tower capp'd Acropolis, That seems the very clouds to kiss." The latter is only one hour's walk from Hexa- milia, and, notwithstanding the rain, we has- tened towards it, and at the foot of the hill passed through the village on the site of Corinth ; but in the miserable huts that here and there have arisen from amongst the mass of ancient and modern ruins, I should never have recog- 312 CORINTH. nised the Corinth so famed for its luxury, re- finement, and wealth. Some ragged, wretched- looking people were lounging about the streets, and there were not more than one hundred cot- tages standing, — in truth, it appeared to be the most miserable of the ruined towns I had seen in Greece. Exposed to every irruption of the Turks, and alternately possessed by them and the Greeks, it was one of the first towns destroy- ed, and last rebuilt ; and its citadel, the strong- est in Greece, and the bulwark of the Peloponne- sus, constantly attracted the hostile armies. The Turks, who held it in 1821, surrendered by ca- pitulation to Ypsilanti, and were almost all mur- dered by his unruly soldiery. The Greeks then placed a small garrison in it ; but the chief in command, on hearing that the Turks were ad- vancing, deserted his post without even await- ing their arrival, and the Turks immediately took possession of the works, and held them until the defeat of their army in the defiles near Nemea, when a rigorous blockade having reduced them to great straits from want of pro- visions, they again surrendered. We climbed the precipitous Acropolis, and during our walk were completely drenched by the rain, which fell in torrents, and deprived us of the magnificent view from the citadel. After passing through three ranges of formidable for- CORINTH.— sicyon. 313 tifications, which however did not prove strong enough to repel the Turks of former days, we entered the body of the fortresses. The area was full of ruined houses. Near the house oc- cupied by the commandant were some broken columns, and statues of white marble found within the works ; and some parts of the inner wall were of Cyclopian workmanship. What we saw of the Acro-corinthus did not recom- pense us for the labour of ascending to such a height ; and as we could obtain no shelter there, we were obliged to descend without ob- taining a sight of the country beneath us. In the town are seven columns of a Doric tem- ple supposed to have been dedicated either to Venus or Neptune : they bear the marks of great antiquity, and are singular, as the shafts are formed of but one piece. A few ruins of Roman brick are likewise to be seen. On our return to Dr. Howe's, Captain Gordon and I wished each other good-b'y, very much to my regret ; he being on his way to Constan- tinople, whilst I intended proceeding to the westward. Basiliko, a wretched hamlet, six miles from Corinth, occupies the site of Sicyon, the ca- pital of the most ancient kingdom in Greece. The ancient theatre is perfect, and from the seats there is a magnificent view of the Gulf 314 SKVON. of Corinth, Parnassus, Mount Helicon, and the Acro-corinthus : the Stadium is also curious, being lengthened from the mountain by a projecting bastion of Cyclopian workmanship. The sight of these two ruins scarcely compen- sated me for the wretchedness of my night's lodging in a peasant's hut, where, however, the rude hospitality of its inmates was ex- erted to render me comfortable. One of the young men had been summoned to enter the Tacticoes, and his family were loud in exclaim- ing against the cruelty of separating chil- dren from their parents in their old age ; and declared that it would be better to fly to the mountains on the approach of the Turks, and wage, as before, a war of extermination. They seemed to believe that a man who enter- ed the regular troops would be for ever lost to his family ; and the wife of one of the speakers was vehement in her remarks upon the subject. " So then," said I, " instead of having the Turks kept away from you by an army of Tacticoes, you wish to see them back again ?" " See the Turks ! — When hair grows on the palm of my hand, then shall I wish to see a Turk !" was her indignant answer.* • If the weather had been more favourable, I intended to have proceeded from hence to the Lake of Phonia, one of the INQUISITIVE HOST. 315 The rain fell violently next morning, and I could not proceed beyond Kato, where I was received in a good house within ten yards of the sea. My host, an inquisitive, cunning man, passed for wealthy, his annual income being two thousand dollars ; and it was amusing to hear him cross-questioning me, in hopes that I would give him some political intelligence which might tend to increase his fortune. " AVho is to be our King ?" said he : and when I told him that Prince Leopold was nominated — " And where do you think he will live ? Will Corinth ever become a great town again ? Tell me how you would recommend me to employ my money? Shall I act wisely in building two large houses at Corinth ? for I hear that the Government is going to cut a canal through the Isthmus, and then Corinth will become a most romantic spots in the Morea, and celebrated in Mytho- logical history, as connected with the labours of Hercules, who opened a passage for the waters from the lake, to prevent their overflowing. A prophecy however existed, that the Greeks would obtain their liberty whenever the waters ceas- ing to flow, the lake rose to the ancient level ; and by a most extraordinary coincidence, this event has actually taken place. In 1820, the outlet became accidentally stopped ; during the succeeding years the obstruction increased, the lake gradually filled, the water has reached the ancient level, and Greece is free ! 316 DETAINED AT KATO. great port." I gave the answers called for by these questions ; and then he entertained me with an account of his currants. Currants form the principal produce of this part of the Morea, and a strema of currant land is worth about five hundred piastres ; the returns are very great; but at the present moment there is no demand for them ; and all the peasants complained that the storehouses were heaped full of currants which they could not dispose of. A peasant here brought me a lachrymalia in such preservation, that I offered him half a dollar for it. My landlord winked to him to ask more ; and as I did not choose to be im- posed upon, I walked away. In the evening it was again shown to me; but when I increased in my offer, the man refused to sell it, and I since ascertained that the landlord, supposing it to be of great value, had bought it for a few paras, and was convinced by my anxiety to pur- chase it that I had not offered the real value. He hopes to sell it for a large sum to some English Milordo. The scirocco, with its attendant rain, detained us one day at Kato, but in the evening a change of weather was notified to us, not by the wind, for all was still, but by the roaring of the sea. The air was not in the least agitated, the clouds BEAUTIFUL SCENERY. 317 still floated round the mountains, and the sea had been equally tranquil; but suddenly break- ers began to roll upon the shore, and the waves sounded as if disturbed by a gale of wind. Theodore came joyfully to acquaint me that the maestro was going to blow, and that we should have a fine day on the morrow, and several hours afterwards the north wind rushed down from the opposite mountains with tremendous gusts, and, when morning broke, had cleared away all the vapours of the scirocco. The scenery near the road along the sea- shore, from. Kato towards Patras, is of un- equalled beauty : on one side there is the Gulf of Corinth, hemmed in by Mount Helicon, and the snow-capped Parnassus ; and on the other ranges of mountains fall abruptly to the sea, and are covered with magnificent pineasters, cy- press trees, arbutus, and myrtle, growing down to the edge of the surf. Numerous torrents rush from the mountains, and often render the road impassable after a fall of rain ; and the water of the gulf is discoloured for a great distance by the mud they carry with them, and which must gradually cause the land to gain upon the sea. Although so beautiful, this district is not considered healthy ; and dur- ing a ride of four hours, we saw no habitations, 318 VILLAGE OF ZACHOLI. but we then came to some currant plantations, where two new houses had been erected of such good materials, that they betokened the owners to be in affluent circumstances. Khans have also been established at short distances along the road : at one of these we slept, and the people told me that at the village of Za- choli, a short distance further on, a peasant, when digging in his currant ground, had dis- covered some ancient marbles, and that on the hill above were the ruins of a Palaso Castro, built with enormous stones. On my way to Zacholi I met all the villagers, male and female, hurrying forth to prune their currant vines along the shore, and from the ruddy complexions of the women, and the stout forms of the men, it was evident that at least this beautiful spot was free from the Morea fever. The marbles shown to me consisted of five small columns of bad workmanship ; but from the large stones in the vicinity, it would appear that they belonged to some ancient temple. Beyond this, where the mountains running down to the sea caused a narrow pass, were some ancient vestiges, and the modern entrench- ments occupied by the Greeks when they cut off the retreat of the Turkish army advancing to the relief of Patras in 1822. PLAIN OF AC RATA. 319 The plain of Acrata, which we entered after- wards, forms a semicircle, bounded on one side by mountains, and on the other by the gulf, the high road from Corinth to Patras passes through the centre, and, on leaving it, runs along one of the strongest and most beautiful passes that can be conceived; the mountain slopes to the sea, and is wooded with mag- nificent fir and cypress trees: the day was clear, and we saw Parnassus and its kindred mountains unobscured by their wonted canopy of clouds ; and below, appearing at intervals through the foliage, were the clear blue wa- ters of the gulf. The scene was one well calculated to arrest the attention ; and I had reined in my horse for a moment, when my muleteers pointed to some tambours thrown across the road. " Here," said one of them, " we took post to arrest the advance of the Turks upon Patras. We placed parties upon all the surrounding hills, and allowed the enemy to enter the plain without showing ourselves, or firing a shot ; but when their rear-guard had passed the first defile, we seized it, and com- pletely hemmed them in: — they were three thousand strong, mostly cavalry, and, without being aware of the fate that awaited them, rode onwards to this spot, where we knelt behind 320 DEFEAT OF THE TURKS. our tambours, with our muskets levelled, ready to fire: — they did not perceive us until within sixty yards' distance, when they rushed forward at full speed, with their heads bowed low on their horses' necks, and making the rocks re- sound with the shouts of 'Allah, Allah, Allah !' We fired — down fell the foremost ; some, in the confusion of the moment, rolled over the preci- pice ; many were killed ; and the main body retired to the centre of the plain, whence they sent detachments to force the other passes, but found that all were closed against them ; reinforcements had joined us, and there was not an accessible point in the surrounding hills unoccupied by our comrades. The Turks now, with sullen apathy, retreated to the ex- treme verge of the plain, and crowded toge- ther out of reach from our musketry ; — in two days they consumed their small stock of provisions ; on the third they slaughtered their horses, and for some time existed upon this food ; at last this resource failed them, and they preyed upon one another ! There we saw them, lying upon the ground in the agonies of death, and call- ing out to us, 'Effendi! Rayah! have pity, give us food ;' but we heeded them not until they of- fered to surrender; and then three hundred liv- ing skeletons were all that remained out of the three thousand gallant horsemen who attacked SURRENDER OF THE TURKS. 321 us. ' Eh Fanagia ! Panagia !' " said the narra- tor in terminating his tale, " the Turks will mo- lest us no more. I hear that a king is coming with ten thousand men, and we shall have no- thing more to fear from them." Who but Osmanlis would have submitted to be starved in this manner, whilst they had arms in their hands ? But, as a writer justly observed of them on a similar occasion, they fell " the victims of destiny." 322 PROCEED TOWARDS THE CHAPTER XI. We proceed towards Megaspileon. — Arrive at the Convent. — Remarks of the Monks upon religion. — The Church. — Picture of the Holy Virgin painted by St. Luke. — Origin of the Monastery. — Wealth of the Priests. — The Library. — Ibrahim repulsed from Megaspileon. — Vostizza. — Lepanto. — Castles of the Morea and Roumelia. — Patras. — Hadgi Christo's irregular Cavalry. — Society at Patras. — Embark for Zante. — Remarks. The road towards the celebrated monastery of Megaspileon strikes inland from Acrata ; and after ascending the mountains for a couple of hours, we were soon made sensible of the diffe- rence in the temperature betwixt the high land andthe plains ; the snow was lying on the ground to a considerable depth, and yet I had bathed in the gulf the evening before. The scenery was varied and imposing, and the inhabitants were apparently as wild as their country. At an open glade, near a pine forest, MONASTERY OF MEGASPILEOtf. 323 were three boys, with shepherds' crooks in their hands, tending a flock of sheep. I was in front of my Greeks ; and when the little people saw me, they uttered a wild shout of alarm, and ran away as fast as they could for a hundred yards ; they then ventured to look again, the two smallest boys hiding themselves behind their taller companions, and occasion- ally peeping on either side. I called out to them ; but my voice, instead of soothing their fears, only created a greater panic, and off they ran again, screaming most piteously, until an old shepherd came to their assistance ; and he, though not more civilized than the children in his appearance, explained to them that I was neither the devil nor a Turk. After emerging from a gloomy glen that re- minded me of the Alps, we crossed a ridge whence there was a view of the valley of the Calavrita river, and midway up one of the mountains I saw some buildings near Megas- pileon, which was as yet concealed from our view. The muleteers, as they looked towards it, crossed themselves, and uttered a short prayer, and then we descended the mountain. It was not, however, until we had passed two entrenchments thrown across the narrow road, and turned round a precipitous rock, that we obtained a sight of the convent, which is cer- y 2 324 APPROACH THE MONASTERY. tainly one of the most extraordinary spectacles I ever beheld. In front of the spectator is a perpendicular wall of rock, several hundred feet in height, surmounted by the buildings I had first remarked, which were intended as fortifica- tions. Immediately under the precipice there is an immense cave, entirely concealed by the convent, a singular structure eight stories high, and full of windows and galleries. A great part of the building runs back under the cave, and the summit of the precipice projects so much, that when the Albanians, in 1780, at- tempted to destroy the convent by hurling rocks from above, they all fell clear of it. Near the monastery are some smaller edifices, and in front the ground is laid out in terraces, planted with vegetables and fruit trees ; in the glen beneath rushes the turbid waters of the Cala- vrita river, and around are lofty mountains clad with pines and cypress trees, and their summits covered with snow. Near the ancient gate of the convent, many of the monks, clad in black garments, were seated enjoying the evening breeze; and, as a contrast to their peaceable occupation, I ob- served a piece of field-artillery pointed down the pass. When we approached, a monk stepped for- RECEPTION AT THE CONVENT. 325 ward to enquire our errand, and then asked us to sit down, whilst he submitted my passport to the examination of the Hegoumenos (or prior), who shortly afterwards sent permission for us to enter. He was seated in a vaulted gallery looking out upon the valley, and around were several of the principal monks : his long white beard, resting on his black robes, had a striking effect ; and in his hand he bore a wand, I sup- pose the badge of office. His manners were courteous ; and he directed one of the brethren to conduct me to the apartment reserved for the reception of strangers, on the upper story of the building. I had always formed a very high opinion of the hospitality shown by these religious frater- nities to the stranger; and when I recollected the feast I once witnessed in a Portuguese convent, I could not help supposing, that in such a wealthy establishment as this, I should have no reason to complain of my fare. A twelve hours' ride had made me sensible of a troublesome appetite; and it was therefore with much pleasure, when, proceeding to my room, that I espied a fat sheep hanging up in the larder. " Would you like to eat some- thing?" said the priest who had shown me the way to my apartment. " What will you have ?" 326 PARSIMONY OF THE MONKS. The proposition delighted me, and I request- ed that he would prepare some mutton. " We have not a morsel of mutton in the convent," replied my interrogator. " How ! no mutton !" (very strange this, thought I) " well then, let me have a fowl." The priest shook his head. " It is now too late to kill one," said he ; " but you shall have some meat to-morrow." I began to feel alarmed, and begged him to recollect that I had eaten nothing all day. " You shall have some eggs," replied the Pappas. In this arrangement I was obliged to acqui- esce : and after waiting an hour, a table was brought in with great ceremony ; and the sub- prior, a fat, sleek, comfortable-looking man, who evidently did not like fasting often him- self, however he may have prescribed it to others, placed himself at one end of the table, whilst I sat at the other. Some bread and wine were put upon the board, and presently a Caloyer came in bearing a covered dish. I lifted the cover, and beheld six poached eggs, intended as a dinner for three hungry men ! Theodore, seeing dismay pictured on my coun- tenance, said that he had brought some small fish, and would send them to be fried : and shortly afterwards he returned, exclaiming, that the monks had kept half of them below! PARSIMONY OF THE MONKS. 327 The sub-prior took a fancy to the remainder, and I found myself in the situation of Sancho at Barataria, starving in the midst of plenty. To conceal the badness of the dinner, my com- panion continually urged me to drink the wine presented by an attendant, whilst his own glass was replenished with wine of a superior quality. Mine was execrable ; I therefore hinted that I should like to taste the old wine his convent was famed for. " We have very good wine," said he, " the best indeed in Greece : some of it is fifteen years old, and our cellar contains four hundred thousand okas." But he was deaf to my hints, and continued praising the sour wine I had been drinking. I was more amused than annoyed by the parsimony of my hosts ; and, after dinner, was still farther entertained, when the priest, after asking for my tobacco and filling his pipe, stretched himself upon the divan, and entered into conversation. " Well," said he, " and so the Allied Powers are going to give us a King ; but what have they done for us? Why did they not take Constantinople from Sultan Mahmoud, and give it to Greece ? I have fought against the Turks during the whole war, and been twice wounded," (at the same time displaying a hide- ous scar on his leg) " and I would willingly take 328 It K.MARKS ON RELIGION. up arms to drive the Turks out of Europe. If the Allied Powers would allow us, we could conquer the Turks ourselves. What are they, the infidels ! See then," continued he, " what Capo d'Istrias has been doing. Before he came, we were a poor, ignorant set of beings ; and now we have instructors to teach us the French, Italian, and English languages !" I was indeed surprised at this intelligence, and expressed a wish to see these professors, but was told that they would be presented to me in the morning ; and when morning came, the learned masters were still invisible ; the whole story being an invention of the priest's to impose upon my credulity. A book was next brought to me that had been sent them as a present by an Englishman ; and although it was the Bible, not one of them had looked into it beyond the title page. This brought on a discussion relative to religion, in which the Pappas displayed profound erudi- tion, as may be inferred from his final remark : " The English and French," said he, " are good Christians, although they differ a little from us in the forms of their religion ; but as for the Italians and the Patriarch of Rome, eh ! Panagia ! the damnable heretics ! they are worse than the Turks ' PICTURE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN. 309 The next morning, at an early hour, the bell rang for matins, and I went to the church where high mass was performing. It is a gloomy, dingy place, with a curious tessellated pavement ; and, like other Greek churches, be- dizened around with daubs, representing the various saints of their creed. The lamps and ornaments are all of silver; and the greatest treasure is a rich silver case ornamented with precious stones, and containing the original picture of the Holy Virgin, by St. Luke ; but although " painters always, more or less, Flatter the features they express," the Apostle cannot be taxed with having fol- lowed the general example. Instead of being a painting, as its name implies, this relic is a kind of basso relievo, cut in black wood ; it remind- ed me of an Otaheitan God, and is far inferior in personal charms to Our Lady of Loretto, who is not remarkable for her beauty. When the priest opened the case, some Greeks who were present rushed forward to kiss the frame, and stare at the idol with genuine credulity — it ap- peared to me, that notwithstanding the abhor- rence professed by the Greeks for images, this representation of the Virgin ought certainly to be considered one ; and therefore that, with- 330 ORIGIN OF THE MONASTER V. out acknowledging it, the worshippers at this shrine are in the daily habit of sinning against the fundamental rules of their Church. The tradition relative to the foundation of the monastery is, that in the fifth century, some holy men fled from Salonica to avoid the persecution of the heathens, and finding this extraordinary cave, and the painting of the Virgin near the fountain, resolved upon re- maining here during the rest of their lives. But they first had a dangerous enemy to en- counter, in a winged serpent, who had taken up his abode in a cleft of the rock : this was the Evil One ! However, the hermits were resolved not to give up the point ; and having piled some dry bushes at the entrance of the cave, they set fire to them, and obliged the dragon to fly away. The religious reputation of the cave soon became established, and the Emperors Cantacuzene and Constantine Palafologos be- stowed great privileges upon it ; since then it has yearly increased its territory and influence, both of which are now very great, notwith- standing that the monks expended much money during the war, and profess at the present mo- ment to be very poor. The monastery contains two hundred bre- thren, of whom eighty are priests, and their WEALTH OF THE PRIESTS. 331 community is divided into three sections, the Hegoumenos, the Priests, and the Caloyers. The Hegoumenos is elected annually from the class of priests, who ballot amongst themselves ; and when a vacancy occurs in their number, it is supplied by one selected from the Caloyers ; the latter are replaced by youths, who act as servants and in other capacities to the monks. A man of property wishing to become a priest, is admitted instantly without any examination ; and although he is allowed the use of his land during his lifetime, at his death it becomes in- corporated with the other domains of the con- vent. In this manner, the monastery of Me- gaspelion has gradually been acquiring an im- mense property ; and unless a stop is put to its insidious acquisition of land, it will, ere long, possess the best parts of the Morea. If the monks, in return for their wealth, diffused in- struction among the peasantry under their con- trol, and tried to lead them into the path of civilization, no objection could be offered to the continuance of the establishment ; but when we see a large revenue devoted solely to the support of a number of illiterate, pampered, and bigoted monks, we cannot but wish for its suppression. The territorial wealth of the priests gives 332 IGNORANCE OF THE PRIESTS. them a great influence over the surrounding peasantry, and averse as they must be to all in- tellectual improvement amongst their tenants, as prejudicial to their own authority, we may feel certain that their power will always be ex- erted to counteract the views of an enlightened government, and still preserve the darkness that hangs over the minds of the peasantry. Me- gaspelion ought to be converted into a national college. The President has tried to impose upon those who are interested in the affairs of Greece, by giving them to understand, that his attention is much devoted to the furtherance of public education ; and for this purpose the Go- vernment paper is filled with correspondence betwixt him and various schoolmasters ; but, in fact, nothing has been done. Where the priests have been appointed masters of the schools, they are scarcely less ignorant than their pupils ; and it is with them that education should com- mence. This would be an excellent spot for an university, and the revenues of the convent would defray the expenses. The monks showed me their library, in the smallest room of the convent; but it contained merely a few Greek and Latin books upon theological subjects ; the latter had never been icad. and were only known to he Latin from THEIR LIBRARY AND CELLAR. 333 report ; and the dust which had gathered on the Greek volumes appeared likewise to have been long unmolested. I enquired whether they possessed any manuscripts, and was shown an illuminated Psalter, which they had the impu- dence to say was written one thousand three hundred years ago ; perhaps they believed so. I was next conducted to the cellar, said to con- tain four hundred thousand okas of wine, in large casks, each holding thirty-two thousand okas.* The refectory, where, on certain occa- sions, the priests dine together, had not a very social appearance ; on ordinary days, each monk receives a loaf of bread and quart of wine, which he takes to his cell. Their cells are very comfortable ; and, although they profess to lead a life of celibacy, I saw sundry female forms gliding through the gloomy passages : so it would seem that they do not consider their sacred building polluted by the presence of the sex. During the war, the monks of Megaspelion were not backward in joining the cause of in- dependence ; and the cross in one hand, and Tophaic in the other, they slew infidels, and ab- solved Christians in the most orthodox manner. * An oka, equal to two quarts. 334 IBRAHIM REPULSED When, however, Ibrahim commenced his de- predations, they limited their exertions to the defence of the monastery ; they fortified the ap- proaches to it with great judgment; two field- pieces were placed in battery at the most assail- able point, and above them rose a huge cross, which, planted on the brink of a precipice, had a very imposing effect, and was well calculated to remind the combatants, that the cause for which they fought was that of religion as well as of liberty, and that the war with the Moslem was one of extermination. Some hundred Albanians, who had no objec- tion to the good wine in the cellar, or to the pias- tres of the priests, were taken into pay ; and the neighbouring peasantry, with their families and moveable property, sought refuge within the walls ; so that when the advanced-guard of Ibrahim's columns debouched from the moun- tain pass of Calavrita, the number of combat- ants within the entrenchments of Megaspileon amounted to one thousand men, well resolved to hold their ground, and defend all that they held most dear on earth — the monks, their riches and the Panagia ; the Albanians, the cel- lar ; and the peasants, their live stock and fami- lies. On the other hand, Ibrahim was insti- gated by the hope of seizing the reported wealth FROM MEGASPILEON. 335 of the brothers ; and likewise conceived, that by exterminating this herd of " horned pigs," he would obtain military possession of the dis- trict. He brought, it is said, three thousand men to the attack ; but against such a strong position as that of Megaspileon he had no chance of succeeding without artillery ; and af- ter ten hours fruitlessly spent in endeavouring to force the southern defile, he withdrew his troops, having killed only three of the Alba- nians. " Was it likely that an infidel Turk should prevail against St. Luke's Panagia?" — " And how many men did you kill ?" said I to the Hegoumenos. " Forty were left dead on the spot," answered the old man, " and about two hundred and fifty were wounded." — " For- ty !" exclaimed another ; " there were at least three hundred killed outright." — " Yes," said a third, " he lost, I am certain, more than seven hundred men.'* Which to believe ? I should say, the Prior. Previous to my departure from Megaspileon, I begged permission to deposit a few piastres in the poor-box of the monastery. " I am the poor-box," said the Sub-prior, whose sleek ap- pearance, however, belied his words ; but his *The monks had never read Shakspeare ; but they evident- ly possessed more than one Falstaff in their community. 33G vostizza. confession was so candid and quaint, that I placed thirty piastres in his hand, as a requital for his poached eggs and sour wine ; and then, having received his benediction, or more pro- bably curse, I issued through the convent-gate, and gladly bent my steps down the hill. The road to Vostizza crosses a ridge of moun- tains, and enters the plain on the sea-shore, near where the Vostizza river, a rapid, and, at this season of the year, dangerous stream, runs into the gulf a little on the east side of Vostizza : seventeen persons had been drowned in attempt- ing to cross the stream at different times during this winter; but I effected the passage without much difficulty, and reached Vostizza on the morning of the 11th of February. The town contained a few good houses ; the country around was highly cultivated ; and in the har- bour a large English merchant brig was an- chored. Previous to the Revolution, Vostizza contained several wealthy inhabitants, and was possessed of a brisk trade ; but since then, the enormous duties imposed by the Greek Govern- ment has caused a stagnation in commerce, and the brig was the only vessel that had come to this part of Greece for a cargo during the last year. Two hours' distance beyond Vostizza, we came to the ruins of a large khan on the XEPANTO— THE HELLAS FRIGATE, 337 banks of the sea ; myrtle bushes grew around, and the mountains were beautifully wooded. The gulf here becomes narrower ; and on the opposite shore we saw Lepanto, which, being built on the side of a steep hill, is quite ex- posed to the sea. It was in this part of the gulf that the naval power of the Turks received its memorable check from the united fleet of Christendom, commanded by Don John of Austria; and now, opposite to the town, the naval force of independent Greece was anchor- ed — for so the Hellas frigate may be considered. This superb ship is kept in commission at an enormous expense, although her services are no longer required; and for several months past she has been anchored off Lepanto, serving merely as a tender to Count Augustin Capo dTstrias, who, as Commander in Chief of the forces in Western Greece, has fixed his head- quarters at Lepanto. She bears the flag of Ad- miral Miaulis. As she is fir built, and conse- quently not calculated to last many years, the Greeks ought now to sell her to Mahommed Ali, who would, in all probability, become a will- ing purchaser. In her present state, Greece on- ly requires a few gun-brigs to protect her mer- chant vessels from the depredations of pirates. A few miles beyond the Khan, a beautiful cas- 338 CASTLES OF KOREA AM) ROUMELIA cade falls from a perpendicular height of several hundred feet ; and it is remarkable as being almost the only waterfall in the Morea. We next obtained a view of Capes Rhium and An- tirrhium, two low points of land stretching out from the opposite shores, and forming a barrier to the Gulf of Lepanto. The castles of Morea and Itoumelia are built at the extremities of the capes, and completely command the en- trance to the gulf. When the French army, commanded by Marshal Maison, landed in Greece for the purpose of expelling the Turks, the Morea Castle was garrisoned by one thou- sand five hundred men, who refused to surren- der ; and the French were obliged to besiege it in form, whilst his Majesty's ships JEtna and Blonde bombarded. The greater part of the Turks escaped to the coast of Itoumelia; and when the remainder agreed to capitulate, only three hundred men laid down their arms, in presence of a besieging force of ten thousand. The castle is not more than two hours' distance from Patras ; but it was so late when we reach- ed it, that we were obliged to pursue our jour- ney in the dark. The country was intersected by ravines and ditches, and the darkness mag- nified every danger so much, that we were lite- rally obliged to feel our way— now plunging PATRAS. ;j;j;) into the mud, and the next moment scrambling out of a water-course. At last, wet, dirty, and sulky, we entered Patras, and were glad to find an untenanted room in a coffee-house, which, though full of a set of ruffians and spies drink- ing and gambling, appeared nevertheless a most desirable residence. Patras during the Turkish rule was the town of the greatest commercial importance in the Morea, but it shared the fate of the others ; and although the Turks always held the citadel, yet the town was completely destroyed. Merchant vessels of various nations used here to take in the produce of the adjacent country, and the consuls of the maritime powers, and many merchants, resided at Patras. It now contains seven thousand inhabitants, and the new town is daily increasing in size, and has been laid out in regular streets running at right angles with each other. The town is planned for a hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants : it is to be sur- rounded by a boulevard ; and the projectors of the scheme are already debating which is the most eligible spot for a theatre, when they have not funds enough to macadamize the only street they have commenced. The plan of improving the town is no doubt meritorious ; but comfort and cleanliness should be attended to before z 2 340 HADJI CHRISTO AND luxury and amusements ; and a cloaca maxima would be a more praiseworthy work than the most magnificent theatre in the world. Patras is just as dirty as any other Moreot town ; and that is saying every thing. Last year, the prevalence of fever in the lower town, in consequence of the accumulation of filth and stagnate water, was so great, that three hundred children died there, whilst in the upper town, which was better drained, only eight were vic- tims to the malady. The citadel is garrisoned by a battalion of re- gular troops, and quartered in the town were two hundred irregular cavalry, commanded by Hadji Christo, a chief who distinguished himself at Navarino, where he was taken prisoner by Ibrahim. The men were mostly Bulgarians, who had served in the Turkish army, and de- serted to the Greeks ; and a field-day they had whilst I was at Patras, gave me a good oppor- tunity of seeing them. The drummer of the troop, dressed like a Turkish Delhi, rode through the town, beating two small kettle-drums, and presently the men came riding in to the place of rendezvous ; they were dressed in all ways : some wore the Emir's turban of green ; others had shawls wrapped round their heads, with the ends flying in the wind ; and some were in Greek cos- HIS IRREGULAR CAVALRY. 341 tunie ; they were for the most part well mounted upon Turkish horses, with Oriental housings ; and with pistols in belt, and scimitar in hand, made rather a gallant show. When the muster was completed, Hadji Christo's lieutenant led the way to a plain near the town ; where, having separated into two parties, they commenced a mock fight, now galloping out and attacking singly, or throwing the djereed, and then skir- mishing in groups, all the while abusing each other as Turks and Giaours. One party then charged the other in line, and was met at speed with such spirit that three horses were over- thrown ; and I expected to see the sham fight converted into a real battle. The arrival of these men, who are notorious for their predatory and unceremonious habits, created great consterna- tion at Patras, and it was rumoured that they came for the purpose of arresting Zaimi, the ex- president, a person whose influence and liberal views afford much uneasiness to Capo dTstrias ; but as he has had the sense to remain perfectly quiet, the Government have no excuse for seiz- ing his person. Capo d'Istrias either believed, or affected to believe, that a masonic association had been formed at Patras, composed of the French and English, and those Greeks who are disaf- fected to him, and that the conspirators even 342 SOCIETY AT PATRAS. aimed at his life. His object in circulating these infamous reports is obviously to render the French and English odious to the Greeks ; but his measures betoken so much meanness and lit- tleness of mind, that they will only redound to his own discredit. He feels that the measures pursued by him will not stand the test of dis- cussion ; and as he knows that he has exposed himself to the criticism of the world, he winces under the slightest lash of satire. A small society has been formed at Patras, and the Greek ladies there seem determined to take the lead in civilizing themselves. There had been two masked balls just before my ar- rival ; and, what is a convincing proof of their progress, and that they are beginning to think for themselves, — an elopement ! The lady, daughter of the llussian Vice-consul, and the lover a lieutenant, whose sole income amounted to forty pounds a-year, ran off to the Morea castle ; whence the bride very properly sent to beg Mamma's pardon, promised never to do so again, and asked for some clothes. Mamma, who was accustomed to the good old Greek mode of betrothing a year or two before the marriage-day, was scandalized at the proceedings of her daugh- ter. To dare fall in love without her sanction EMBARK FOR ZANTlv 343 — infamous conduct ! Instead, therefore, of sending the repentant girl a gown, and her bless- ing, she gave her a breviary, a crucifix, and her curse. I was present at an evening party at Patras, where the young Greek ladies danced country- dances, waltzes, and the romaika. The latter was very well performed by a young Greek, who had been a General during the war, and a girl in the national costume, with a truly Grecian countenance, who glided along at the head of the circle in so graceful a manner, that I scarce- ly recognised the figure to be the same as that danced by the peasantry. There are few antique remains at Patras ; and indeed my love of classical ground had now quite evaporated. The fatigue of travel- ling during the winter months, amidst the rain and snow of this mountainous country, can be better felt than described. I had felt it, and my curiosity being satisfied, I resolved upon embarking for Zante without delay. Even Theodore, who was so enthusiastic on first landing, now changed his sentiments. The muleteers had tried his patience too often ; and during our passage across, he was violent in his abuse of the Greeks. " They are a ca- 344 ARRIVAL AT ZANTE. naille" said he ; " and if I had the power, I would hang a few dozen of them daily. Look, Sir, at the way the English act towards them," continued he, pointing to the four men hanging in chains upon the Zante hill. " Unless the government treat the Greeks in the same man- ner, they will never be good for any thing !" On the 16th I arrived at Zante, and was de- lighted to enter the Lazaretto, and undergo a quarantine of twenty-one days. Although a prisoner, 1 had a house to cover me, and what was a still greater luxury, and one that I had not enjoyed for three months — a bed ! * * * ■* I had seen enough of Greece to convince me, that although she possesses great capabilities, yet that the future ruler will have a most arduous task to perform in bringing her within the bounds of civilization. Inveterate habits and prejudices must be weeded from the minds of the people, and their irascible passions calmed ; a new impulse must be given to the enter- prising spirit of her mariners ; a lawless soldiery is to be disbanded and thrown loose upon the country ; taxation must be enforced ; roads made, and justice administered ; and to effect these objects, the new Sovereign must be sup- REMARKS. 345 ported by a foreign army, and resolve to go- vern his subjects with a " Main de fer et gant de velours." The proceedings of Capo d'Istria's assembly at Argos sufficiently demonstrate the incapacity of the Greeks generally to understand the ad- vantages of a representative government ; and, therefore, previous to throwing any power into the hands of the delegates from the people, it would be necessary to form municipalities, and thus initiate them in the secrets of election. Municipal power would be so immediately felt by the persons interested, that they would learn to didy estimate the value of having a voice in the nomination of those authorities ; and when this feeling becomes generally un- derstood, it will be time to form a represen- tative assembly. In the present state of af- fairs, the Greek people are so unfit to take any share in the proceedings of the govern- ment, that it would be an act of folly to grant them at the onset the constitution which may hereafter be requisite for them. Their debates would only be the efforts of one faction trying to undermine the other ; and the partisans of the President's family, anxious to throw 346 REMARKS. every impediment in the way of the new sove- reign, under the pretext of demanding consti- tutional rights, would try to counteract all the measures of the Government. The misrule of the President, during the last two years, has placed the sovereign in a more difficult posi- tion than that of Capo d'Istrias in 1827, inas- much that, in addition to the vices of the Turk- ish administration, and to the abuses crept in during the war, he has also to unravel the web of Machiavellian texture with which Capo d'Istrias has entangled the country ; and so difficult, or rather hopeless, is this task, that his only chance of succeeding will be in sever- ing it at one blow. It is rather amusing to hear some persons, who know nothing of the Greeks except by hearsay, expatiating on the propriety of granting to them at once a consti- tution similar to our own; they either know not, or wilfully forget, that for four centu- ries the Greeks have been slaves to the most despotic power in the world ; and that, accus- tomed to be ruled with a rod of iron, it is morally impossible that they should be prepar- ed for a democratic government — the transition is too rapid to be attended with a beneficial result : the materials for a constitution arc still in too crude a state to be rendered available REMARKS. 347 for present purposes; and the vicious habits acquired from the Turks are so deeply rooted in the hearts of many, that there is no room for the birth of truly patriotic sentiments. But in the course of a few years, when the steady march of an enlightened government has re- stored the component parts of the nation to their true equilibrium ; when the refractory have not only been told what is right, but obliged to act up to it ; when the revenues of the state, instead of being absorbed by a few needy adventurers, flow through the various chan- nels of industry and commerce, until they return to the source from whence they started, again to renew their vivifying course, — then indeed may the Greeks consider themselves an independent people, and claim their right to have a suffrage in state affairs. At present, Greece is like a wayward child, who, attempting to run before he can walk, falls, and hurts himself in the effort; and, by his watchful guardians, is again put into lead- ing-strings, until age shall have ripened his mental and bodily faculties. To the good qua- lities of the Greeks are added many vices ; but as the latter are most apparent among those who have mixed much with the Eastern world, we may believe that their virtues are their own, 348 REMARKS. whilst their vices are those of example and education. Many writers upon Greece have been lavish in their abuse of the Greeks, and have not hesitated to stigmatise them with every vice that can disgrace mankind ; whilst others, with equal prejudice, have represented them as being so many suffering angels, groan- ing under the scourge of a tyrant. Both pic- tures are overdrawn : the Greeks have many more faults than their advocates are led to be- lieve, and fewer vices than their enemies are willing to admit: and a person going to Greece, prejudiced either one way or the other, will find himself much undeceived. Whilst they were a suffering people, they were meek, cring- ing, and submissive ; and when success attended their arms, they became vindictive, cruel, and rapacious : but such are the characteristics of man in an uneducated state, and are applicable not to the Greeks alone, but to many other nations. The whole bent of their learning, during the Turkish rule, was to afford them an opportunity of exerting their talents for in- trigue to the best advantage : morality, virtue, honour, were terms the signification of which was obselete ; of what use could they be within the precincts of a Pasha's court ? Religion had been absorbed in superstition ; and it is a matter REMARKS. 349 of surprise, that the Greeks should possess any virtues whatever. The merits or demerits of the Greeks will, however, soon cease to be a matter of discussion ; their regeneration is about to commence ; they will soon be united with the great European family ; and in the course of a very few years we may hope to see them rapidly approximating to the state of civilization at- tained by the other nations of Europe.* * Since the foregoing pages were written, the abdication of Prince Leopold has been made public ; and one cannot but regret that the Greeks should have been deprived of a Sove- reign who, whatever Capo d'Istrias may say to the contrary, would have been well received by the nation. Capo d'Istrias was anxious to free himself from British influence and a Bri- tish Prince, and hopes, no doubt, to direct the councils of the future Sovereign. REMARKS ON THE ACTUAL STATE OF THE NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER OTTOMAN EMPIRE. ON THE NAVAL AND MILITARY POWER OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE. The changes that have taken place of late years in the government of the Porte, and the various innovations made by Sultan Mahmoud on the customs and prejudices of the Ottomans, caused the attention of all Europe to centre in the East; and the thirst for information relative to Turkey is still far from being as- suaged. Never was there a people so often de- scribed, and yet so little understood, as the Otto- mans: the rapidity and splendour of their con- quests in early days called for the admiration as well as alarm of Christendom ; the causes of their prosperity were in vain sought for ; they were considered to be endowed with supernatu- ral courage and enterprise ; and the difference 2 A 354 RISE AND PROGRESS. of manners existing betwixt them and the rest of Europe, prevented a thorough inquiry into their real power. Sultan suceeeded sultan, and each was supposed to mount a throne power- ful and firm as that of Suleiman ; but, in the course of time, it was discovered that this un- changing position was, in fact, undermining the stability of the empire ; for whilst civilization advanced in other nations, in Turkey it remain- ed stationary. The science of war, which the Turks in the first instance improved upon to their advantage, had now attained such perfection in Christen- dom that the Ottoman tactics were of but little avail: the innate courage of the Spahis and Janissaries was rendered nugatory by the well- directed operations of a numerous artillery ; and in the beginning of the eighteenth cen- tury, the victories of Prince Eugene of Savoy first opened the eyes of Europe as to the real character of the Turks, and proved that it was as easy to defeat them as any other nation. Reverse followed reverse ; Russia and Austria yearly encroached upon the Ottoman Empire ; and yet no effort was made by the Porte to correct the vicious organization of its forces, and place itself on a par, in scientific advance- ment, with the other European states. Europe OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 355 was no longer imposed upon by the imaginary strength of the Porte ; she saw that the early successes of the Ottomans were owing, not so much to their own intrepidity, as to the weak- ness of those opposed to them, and in time she felt that science and union had placed in her hands the power once wielded by the Porte. Luxury and ostentation had long since been ba- nished from her armies, whilst amongst the Turks they held their wonted place ; and grown wise by experience, she knew that wealth in a camp acted but as a bait to the enemy. The martial spirit of the Turks also suffered a chill : so long as the armies of the Crescent rolled westward, and wrested lands and wealth from the Giaours, ambition and avarice spurred the Moslems on- wards ; but, when checked by the barrier of united Christendom, there was a revulsion in the warlike stream, a change took place in the national feeling, and the Turks only fought to defend their former conquests. Atthebeginningof thenineteenth century, Sul- tan Selim awoke to a sense of his own inferiority: he saw that the decay of his military power had commenced, and that, unless he hastened to re- medy the evil, the fall of his empire would ensue : yet, so convinced were the Ottomans of the effi- ciency of their system, so elated with the recol- 2 a 2 356 RISE AND PROGRESS lection of past victories, and confident of future success, that his attempts at reform were fruit- less, and ultimately caused his dethronement and death. Mahmoud then appeared upon the scene as a reformer, and hitherto has been able to enforce his wishes ; but he has a people to deal with already chastened by their reverses, and much decreased in numbers. The fanaticism of the Mahommedans has in part disappeared, but their fatalism still remains in full force, and they firmly believe that the end of their European empire is approaching ; they feel that they are no longer conquerors in the field, and that, even when victors, their lau- rels are barren, — the hopes of a place in Para- dise hereafter are not so tempting as were the spoils of Hungary and Austria. The plunder of a Russian camp offers no incitement to their cupidity or sensuality. The talisman contain- ed in the word "home" has no influence on them ; they came as conquerors, have lived and ruled as conquerors, and thus are not in the least identified with the soil. The love of one's family, which converts an European rustic into a hero, cannot be expected to excite those to battle who are sensualists in love, and strangers to esteem. Mere animal passions are therefore the main springs of their actions, and these, OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 357 unsupported by mind, can never be productive of any great result. The Turks are ambitious, but merely because successful ambition creates power, and power enables them to gratify their feelings whether of love or hate. With these materials, Mahmoud has under- taken to form a disciplined army ; and, al- though he has had many difficulties to en- counter, he has hitherto triumphed over them, and prosecuted the advancement of his favourite scheme. The remodelling of the maritime force has also attracted his attention : and in the follow- ing pages I will try to point out the progress he has made in his undertaking. A residence of several weeks at Constantinople afforded me ample opportunities of inquiring into the establishments of the Porte ; and the Turkish officers showed themselves extremely anxious to oblige and assist me. 358 liISE AND PROGRESS OTTOMAN AllMY. At the period when the Ottomans first be- came formidable to Europe, they may be said to have composed one immense army ; each Osmanli was a soldier, and could not refuse his services to the common cause, as long as he was able to bear arms ; and from the age of sixteen to sixty they held themselves at the disposal of the state. Their unpaid services were not, however, unrequited ; a third of the conquered land was distributed amongst them, and held on tenure of military service, which was limited from April to October. The con- quered peasantry cultivated the lands thus ceded to the soldiery, and paid the rents to the landlords; and the larger grants, called Ziamets, being of more than five hundred, and the lesser, or Timars, of from three to five hundred acres, the Osmanlis, thus provided for, received ample remuneration for their services. But this sys- OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 359 tern, although placing a large numerical force at the disposal of the chief, was attended with many disadvantages : it was impossible to keep an army together during the winter months ; and a series of operations was often paralyzed by the soldiers returning to their homes before the termination of the campaign. The only mode of obviating this evil was by raising a body of mercenaries, whose services would be at all times available; and in furtherance of this idea, Amurath's Vizier suggested to him the plan of claiming, as his right, the fifth part of the Christian youth captured in Bulgaria, Albania, Servia, and Bosnia, and, after instruct- ing them in the law of the Prophet, inuring them to arms. The advice was listened to with attention by the Sultan, and soon acted upon : a new body of soldiers was formed, uncon- nected with the rest of the empire by ties of birth ; and Hadjee Bectash, a holy man, whose reputation for sanctity was unequalled, deli- vered his blessing to the assembled proselytes.* " Let them," said he, " be called Yenghicherl (or new soldiers) : may their countenances be ever bright, their swords keen, — may their spears always hang over the heads of their ene- * Cantemir Hist, de l'Empire Ottoman. — Gibbon. 3G0 RISE AND PROGRESS mies, and, wherever they go, may they return with a white face!" At this time, there was not a single power in Christendom that maintained a regular body of troops in its pay : the Christian armies were raised at the will of the nobility, who brooked no superior, and seized the first pretext to leave the armies of their sovereign, and return with their vassals to their strongholds ; the advan- tages of union against a common enemy were not sufficiently felt ; and victory declared in favour of those troops who to courage and en- thusiasm united discipline and a blind subser- vience to the will of their rulers. Such were the Janissaries : they swept all before them ; and whilst the capture of Christians furnished slaves to supply the vacancies in their ranks, so long did fortune smile upon them ; but when the Janissaries ceased to form a separate class from the mass of the nation, when they were allowed to marry and enrol their children, and that the Odas* were encumbered with men who prefer- red an inglorious life, in the retirement of their families, to the dangers of a hard-fought field ; the Janissaries ceased to be formidable to their enemies, and, like the Praetorian guards, were only dreaded by their Emperors. * The companies, or regiments, were so called. OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. SGI Yet on this class of men did the Porte depend for defence against her foes ; and al- though their inefficiency became daily more apparent, no reform could be effected in the system. In vain did Selim attempt to remo- del them ; his life paid the forfeit of his teme- rity. In vain did Mahmoud, on his accession to the throne, wish to enforce the strict regu- lations of " Suleiman the Magnificent." An insurrection was the consequence, which, dur- ing three days, inundated his capital with blood, and obliged him, in self-defence, to command the execution of his brother. The stern dis- position of Mahmoud was not, however, daunt- ed by this failure : he now saw that nothing less than the entire destruction of the Janissaries would enable him to improve the situation of his empire; and he patiently waited until he could strike a blow with the certainty of suc- cess. In 1826, the Janissaries again mutinied; but they found the Sultan prepared, and they gave but the signal for their own destruction. The artillery-men and other troops faithful to the Sultan surrounded them in the Etmeidan. They attempted to defend themselves, but without success, and twenty thousand perished. It is not within the limits of this book to give the details of an occurrence which has already 362 RISE AND PROGRESS been well described ; and I merely allude to the circumstance, as connecting the modern military system of the Turks with that of ancient days. The suppression of the corps of Janissaries having left Mahmoud at liberty to remodel his army in such manner as appeared best suited to the times, he hastened to supply the void occasioned by the destruction of the only force in the empire ; and orders were issued, direct- ing the enrolment of a certain number of men from every province, with the exception of Albania, Bosnia, and the African states. But the Sultan found more difficulty in raising his new troops than had been anticipated ; for although the law existed in full force, placing the services of every Moslem at the disposal of the Sultan, this only applied to a period of war; and no instance occurred formerly of the present system of enrolment, which was consequently viewed with suspicion by the populace. Another drawback to the speedy formation of an army, was the necessity of ex- cluding from the new corps all persons sus- pected of Janissarism ; and as it had been cus- tomary for every Moslem, on attaining the age of manhood, to inscribe his name in the odas of the Janissaries, the only method by which .Mahmoud could hope to secure his troops from OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 363 the contamination of that sect, was by enrolling none but boys in his army. There was, con- sequently, a proportionate difficulty in filling the ranks; and twelve months only had elapsed since the introduction of the new system, when Russia declared war against the Porte. The regiments of the Ottoman army were still in- complete ; and the unpopularity of the contest, and dread of the Russian arms, acted as an ad- ditional check to the enlistment of the villagers, who, on the approach of a recruiting party, used to fly from their villages in the greatest alarm. The new troops were, however, brought into action ; but they were as yet too ignorant of the advantages of discipline to benefit by the instructions they had received. Their ma- noeuvres served but to confuse them ; the offi- cers were superior to the men only in name ; and the generals were equally destitute of talent. The interior organization of the army was not understood ; the men felt no confidence either in their officers or themselves ; and the regular troops were, on most occasions, easily overcome by the disciplined Muscovites. The campaign of 1829 commenced more favourably for the Turks : they were command- ed by the Grand Vizir, who to undoubted courage was supposed to unite considerable 364 PRESENT STATE military talent ; and the forty thousand regu- lars who served under him were certainly better troops than had yet been led into action ; but the battle of Kuleftscha inflicted a final blow on the spirit of the army ; part of it dispersed, and only twenty thousand men retired with the Grand Vizir to Shumla. The result of that campaign is well known, and I shall therefore proceed to detail the condition of the Ottoman army at the commencement of this year. * * * * The Ottoman army is composed of regular and irregular cavalry and infantry, a corps of artillery, and a regiment of bombardiers, or miners. REGULAR ARMY — INFANTRY. The Assakiri Mansurei Mohamediyes, (vic- torious troops of Mahomet,) or regular infantry, are said to amount to fifty thousand men, and ten thousand of these compose the Imperial guard, quartered in and around Constantinople. The latter were the troops I had an opportunity of seeing, and are similar in their organization and equipment to the troops of the line. They are recruited from the mass of the people, with- out distinction ; and although the Sultan did not oblige the children of his nobility to enter OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 365 the service, yet, at the beginning of the war, many voluntarily enlisted ; and even some of the Ulemas, or expounders of the law, forsook their peaceable profession, and enrolled them- selves. The black and white subjects of the Sultan are alike received as soldiers ; and one may see in a regiment the various shades of the human countenance, from the jet black complexion of the Ethiop to the fair-faced in- habitant of Roumelia. " Ah !" said an ex- janissary to me one day, " what kind of soldiers are these? You see every race, and every colour on the earth, amongst them !" — The mixture has certainly a grotesque appearance. Once enrolled, a soldier is obliged to serve for life ; but it often happens that discharges are granted. ORGANIZATION OF THE REGULAR, INFANTR.Y. The regular troops are organized on the mo- del of the French army, and are divided into corps d'armees, divisions, brigades, and regiments. The corps d'armee is commanded by a Seraskier; the division by a Pasha of three tails ; the bri- gade by a Pasha of two tails ; the regiment, consisting of three battalions, by a Miri-alay ; and the battalion by a Bimbashee. A regiment is thus divided : — 3GG PRESENT STATE (v»io) d n*!s - : : : - (UlE|dK(|3) uinKui] ~ : : : - ji'ifiV uinjQ ~ : : : - S3JBAIJJ o c o G< ©{ Oi t^ »-- I— H (S|RJ0dj0j) 3Jl|S>a QO 00 CO X | -3< ^i ^i -^i 1 ^ a 3 9i|.»no>m(oj. • C> C-{ t-J o Efl (jOEnainai']) . y= O O 00 CO (niRidRQ) oo oo oo P J- <1 *ssm|3v loo |o$, CO Assri|3 V |u3 (|3ks : — - w Ed O (4 (tioip-NRg 3 p ja«|0) : co E- H aa W (•jofBK) Xuiaig A'B|y - : : :|~ U H (pno|03) •/Ch|h-u ( iv ~ : : : - SB BQ ~~ -4-) Oi E 'c c 2d Battalion •4-i e2 OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 367 The prejudices of the Mahommedans are so inveterate relative to the employment of Euro- pean officers in their service, that Mahmoud has not attempted to place any foreigners in command of his troops, and they have hitherto been disciplined by those officers who served under Sujtan Selim in the Nham Djedid, and by persons sent from the Egyptian army. The only footing on which an European officer can be tolerated by the Turks is as instructor ; and a Mr. Calosso has been employed by Mahmoud to superintend the discipline of his cavalry ; but the infantry have not been equally favoured, and are consequently labouring under great disadvantages. Several adventurers presented themselves at Constantinople, in the hopes of being nomi- nated to a command in the Turkish army ; but they were men without talent or reputation ; and it was fortunate for Mahmoud that he did not avail himself of their services. The only difference between the officers and men of the Turkish army lies in their rank : they are drawn from the same class of society, and have had the same means of acquiring education, which, however, is limited to reading and writing ; but something more than this is required to form an officer. The science of war is not to be acquired by instinct, nor are the details of ;W$ PRESENT STATE the military profession to be learnt by hearsay, in an European army ; the causes of a mili- tary movement are explained, and the neces- sity of internal discipline made apparent to all : — but in the Turkish army there is no one to look up to ; the same ignorance pervades all ranks ; and, unless they have the benefit of ex- ample, we cannot expect them to make a rapid advance in their discipline. The Turks appear to think, that performing the manual and platoon exercises with a tole- rable degree of precision, marching in companies instead of independently, and wearing a peculiar kind of dress, is sufficient to class them with dis- ciplined troops ; but in their anxiety to perfect themselves they overlook the only means by which perfection can be attained. The soldier is placed in the ranks before he knows how to march : provided that he goes through the exercise, it matters not whether his carriage is steady or not. When in the ranks, the men talk and laugh without restraint, and even address themselves to the officers ; and the latter, instead of reprehending their soldiers, join in the laugh. The line drawn betwixt the privates and subal- tern officers is not sufficiently distinct, although the field-officers are treated with the most obse- quious respect by their inferiors ; and it is easy OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. SG9 to perceive throughout that the hand of a mas- ter is wanting to combine all the elements of discipline, which are now but imperfectly un- derstood, and to impress upon the higher ranks, that, before they are capable of commanding, it is requisite for them to study their profession, and make up by their theoretical knowledge, for their want of experience. I was not so fortunate as to witness any grand review of the new troops, but often saw them marching in small bodies, when, although a military formation was adhered to, their move- ments were so unsteady that they did not offer a favourable sample of the proficiency they had made in discipline. They went through the firelock exercise much better than I had expected. It would be unfair, however, to blame the Ot- tomans for a laxity of discipline at present, when so short a time has elapsed since their armies were in a complete state of insubordination ; and it may be prudent, in the onset, to allow the troops a little latitude, whilst the Janissaries are fresh in their recollection, and gradually to tighten the reins hereafter. There however appears to be a good feeling in the army at present : the men seem capable of being made excellent soldiers ; to the undoubted courage of 2 B ;370 PRESENT STATE their race, they unite sobriety and obedience to their superiors ; and, to judge by their cheerful, careless manner, are free from the gloomy fana- ticism of the Janissaries. These good qualities may partly be attributed to their youth, many of the recruits not being more than twelve years of age; and although this circumstance was disadvantageous to them during the war with Russia, yet if the Porte is allowed a few years' peace, these boys will form a body of men well affected to the Government, and sufficiently numerous and powerful to lead the opinions of the conscripts who from time to time may be added to them. DRESS OF THE REGULAR TROOPS. The dress and equipment of the army, which in other countries would be considered in a se- condary point of view, has presented more dif- ficulties to the Sultan than any other of his un- dertakings ; for so perfectly were the Turks wedded to their ancient costume, that any alte- ration was viewed with disgust by the nation. No dress could certainly be more graceful than the flowing robe and shawl-turban of the Os- manlis ; but it was badly adapted for an infantry soldier : it impeded his movements in advancing, OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 371 and often fatally delayed his retreat. It was im- possible to have a proper command of the mus- ket, when embarrassed by the capacious sleeves of the Turkish robes ; and this dress was there- fore one of the first objects that attracted Mah- moud's attention. He issued a decree prohi- biting his subjects from wearing either the tur- ban or pelisse, and directed them to substitute a round cloth jacket for the latter, and the red cap, or Fez, (formerly worn inside the turban) instead of the entire head-dress. He set the example to his subjects by appearing dressed in the simplest manner ; and the uniform chosen for the troops was of a similar fashion. Although having the merit of uniformity, and being far more serviceable than the ancient military dress, there are still many objections to be urged against the new costume. Thejez is especially liable to be condemned, as it nei- ther protects the soldier from the sun or the rain, and is quite useless as a defence against a sabre-cut. It is made of red cloth ; and, as the Mahommedans all shave their heads, is pulled down over the forehead as low as the eye- brows ; a blue silk tassel hangs from the top, and the front is sometimes ornamented by a star and crescent. Mahmoud, at one time, directed the officers to wear peaks to their caps, 2 b 2 372 PHESENT STATE but they came forward with one accord, and declared that they would not submit to be dressed like Europeans. Since then there has been a change in their sentiments ; and I have no doubt but that, before long, we shall see the Turks wearing the European chaho. The uniform of the guards is a round blue jacket with red cuffs and collar ; but the jackets never fit the men, and have consequent- ly a very slovenly appearance. In summer, a white cotton jacket is substituted for the other. The trowsers are blue cloth in winter, and white cotton in summer ; they hang in large slovenly bags down to the knee, where they are gather- ed in, and fit close to the leg, as low as the ankle. (They remind one forcibly of the ne- ther garments of a Dutch burgomaster in the time of Van Ostade.) Another great innovation has been made, by obliging the soldiers of the guards to wear Eu- ropean shoes fastened with buckles, instead of the clumsy Turkish boots. A coarse brown great coat, with hood like that of a monk, completes the dress of a Turkish soldier. The accoutrements of the guards are made of very bad materials. They consist of a pouch and belt of black leather ; the former contain- ing fifty rounds of ammunition. A belt of OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 373 similar materials is worn round the waist; and the bayonet, which has superseded the ataghan, is carried in a frog attached to this. Fifty years ago, the Turks refused to admit the bayo- net amidst their weapons ; and it was only after the Mufti had publicly pronounced a blessing upon it, and declared that its use would be advantageous to the true believers, that they sanctioned its introduction ! Goat- skin knapsacks contain the cooking utensils and spare clothes of the men ; and their great- coats are strapped on them in a very careless manner. Each soldier is provided with a lea- thern bottle for water. The following articles are issued to a soldier annually, at the expense of the Government : Necessaries issued annually. 1 Blue cloth jacket. 1 White cotton ditto. 1 Pair of white trowsers. 1 Pair of blue ditto. 2 Pair of shoes. 1 Fez (red cap). The uniform of the officers is similar to that of the men, except that they wear trowsers nearly like our own, and European boots. Their 374 PRESENT STATE cloaks also are the same as ours ; and I have seen some of the young men dressed very well, and even wearing gloves. The degrees of rank are denoted by a star and crescent, worn upon the left breast. These ornaments are made of gold or silver for the junior officers, and set in diamonds for the higher ranks. Each regiment has a green standard, with the star and crescent embroidered thereon in gold. PROMOTION. Promotion in the regular army is to take place by seniority ; but although this rule has been laid down, the Sultan frequently advances those officers who brine: themselves to his no- tice by their talent and knowledge of tactics ; and many of the regiments are commanded by very young men, who are not ashamed to ac- knowledge their backwardness in science. In- deed, I met several Turkish officers who scru- pled not to own that they were inferior to the Franks in their military system ; and they seem- ed anxious to improve themselves by inquiry. The older men are more conceited, and fancy their system to be exceedingly good. OF TI1K OTTOMAN ARMY. 375 REGIMENTAL MUSIC. The strangest additions made by Mahmoud to his regiments are the bands ; and it is quite surprising to hear the Turks, who, two years ago, had no correct ideas of music, now playing with tolerable taste some of our most popular airs ; " Malbrook" is a great favourite ; and the drummers and fifers are to be heard practis- ing during the whole day. They play in very good time, and have an excellent ear for music, so that a great source of enjoyment is opened to them ; and they ought to consider them- selves under great obligations to Mahmoud for introducing this art into his empire. The Sultan's band is extremely good, and contains some Italian performers ; but the greater num- ber of the musicians are young Turks, who have already made a great proficiency in their studies, and are capable of executing some of Rossini's pieces of music with brilliancy. A march composed for the Sultan by the leader of his band is a fine piece of music ; and I heard it very well played by his musicians. It has since been introduced to the notice of our regiments, and is well known as the " Sul- tan's March." The dress of the Turkish bands 376 PRESENT STATE differs a little, but not materially, from that of the soldiers. regui.au cavalry. The Turks have been at all times famed for their cavalry ; but their organization was so dif- ferent from that of European dragoons, that the Sultan has hitherto failed in effecting much improvement in this arm. He has himself been indefatigable in learning to ride in an European saddle with long stirrups, and has ac- quired an excellent seat ; but the four squad- rons of dragoons attached to the guard, and composing the only regular cavalry in the em- pire, are not remarkable for their military ap- pearance. Mr. Calosso, a ci-devant captain of dragoons in Eugene's army of Italy, having been obliged to fly from Piedmont, in conse- quence of the part he took during the Revolu- tion, offered his services to the Sultan, and has since been employed as the instructor of his cavalry. Mahmoud was fortunate in meeting with a person of respectability capable of as- suming this office, and he has not shown him- self ungrateful to Calosso for his exertions : the latter has taught Mahmoud to ride, and to manoeuvre a squadron, and the Sultan takes OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 377 great pleasure in watching the improvement of his guard. The men, however, have not kept pace with the Sultan ; they still entertain a great predilection for short stirrups ; their seat is loose and ungraceful, and they not unfre- quently are thrown from their saddle, much to their disgrace and mortification. The horses of this corps are very different from what we are in the habit of considering Turkish horses; they are small and ugly, ill conditioned, and badly groomed, and were pur- chased by the Government wherever they could procure them — in Asia, Roumelia, and Walla- chia; but the greater part came from Widdin. Their equipments are bad and dirty, and the men do not dress well. They wear an embroi- dered blue jacket, trowsers, European boots and spurs ; but the boots are never cleaned, and their trowsers, when they are riding, shrink half way up the leg. That effective weapon, the Turkish scimitar, has been rejected to make way for French light dragoon sabres ; and as neither the scabbard nor hilts of these have been cleaned since their importation, it may be conceived that these dragoons are not very martial in their appearance. The officers of the cavalry are however su- perior to the generality, and some of them pay 378 PRESENT STATE great attention to their dress. Avney Bey, the Lieutenant-Colonel, and Aid-de-eamp to the Sultan, had his uniforms well made, wore a stock, gloves, and well polished boots ; and, but for the Jez, might be taken for an European officer : but Avney Bey was quite a renegade Turk ; half his days were spent amongst the Franks. Whenever he could escape from his duty at Ramah Chiflik, he hastened on board our men-of-war, to join in the conversation, and indulge in the forbidden drink of the unbeliev- ers : he spoke sufficient French to render him- self understood, and he was in a fair way to bring down the displeasure of the Prophet, when, unfortunately for him, he incurred that of the Sultan. Mahmoud, who was extremely partial to this young man, had expressed no disapprobation of his conduct, as long as he kept within the bounds of moderation ; but it ap- pears, that during the Ramazan, Avney Bey was guilty of great excesses. Now, as the Sultan is rapidly undermining the Mahommedan creed by his innovations, he deems it right to affect outwardly the greatest respect for the ceremo- nies of his religion ; and to punish Avney Bey for his want of discretion, he banished him to Nicomedia, where, however, it is not likely that lie will remain long before he is restored to favour. OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 379 PAY DEPARTMENT. The greatest abuses formerly prevailed in the payment of the Ottoman army : the troops and the Sultan were plundered alike : and although it was of the greatest importance not to keep the Janissaries in arrears, yet it often happened that, during many months, the soldiers' pay was with- held, whereas it ought to have been granted quarterly. Of the many thousands of Janissaries receiving pay, not above twenty thousand ac- tually served ; yet a ticket called esscmie insured every man his pay, whether he presented it him- self, or sent it by an agent ; this kind of bank bill was often sold by the owner, and thus it was impossible to restrain the drain upon the public purse. Some of the Janissaries received three aspers a day, whilst others had as many as nine- ty-nine ; and these sums, though apparently trivial, formed in the aggregate a great amount. When the Janissaries were destroyed, this de- partment partook of the general reform; and although the Government is still, in some de- gree, at the mercy of its agents, the soldier is certain of receiving his pay and clothing with regularity. The management of the finance, commissa- riat, and general organization of the army, is vested in the Asker Naziry (superintendent of 380 PRESENT STATE the troops), conjointly with the Seraskier and other official persons. All the army is regis- tered at this office, and to it the soldiers address themselves, if they have any cause of complaint. The troops are paid monthly ; and the follow- ing are the rates of pay and number of rations granted to the different ranks. Miri Alay (Colonel) Caimacan do. (Lt. Col.) Alay Eminy (Major) Bimbashee (Chef de Bat.) . . Sagh Col Aghassy (Adj. Maj.) Sol. Col. Aghassy (Adjutant) Yuzbashee (Captain) Mulazims (Lieutenant) Tchiaoushe (Serjeant) Onbashee (Corporal) Drum-major Clerk Chaplain Private Pay Monthly. Rations per diem. Piastres. Okas of meal Loaves ol bruad. 1500 8 24 1200 6 20 900 5 15 750 4 8 400 3h 3 400 n 3 180 2 2 120 n 2 40 . . 30 . . 40 . . 150 60 . . 20 3 Aspers=l Para; 40 Paras=l Piastre; 15 Piastres^ 1 Spanish Dollar; 73^ to 75 PiastresnrOne Pound Ster- ling. It is supposed that the piastre was originally worth a Spanish dollar, 4s. 4d. ; but the false policy pursued by the Sultans in debasing the coinage has caused its present dimi- nution of value. Even twenty years back, the pound sterling was only worth 12 piastres, and the exchange is now at 73 1 ! An Oka in weight nearlv equals three pounds English. OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 381 Upon taking into consideration the trifling expenses of the Turkish officers, as compared with those of other armies, it would appear that they are extremely well paid : their uniforms cost but little ; their lodging is provided at the public expense ; and they receive a most ample allowance of provisions. By thus appealing to their interests, Mahmoud has made sure of their services ; and although the expense of the new army is very heavy, the money so disbursed has placed a power in his hands which it is not unlikely that he may be obliged to wield, soon- er or later, to defend himself against his people. The annual cost of the regulars is estimated at 40,000,000 piastres, (520,000/.). MILITARY CODE. Sultan Suleiman, when he reformed the corps of Janissaries and restored them to their ancient discipline, issued a code of laws for their guid- ance ; and Mahmoud, finding that many of them were applicable to the present state of his army, grounded thereon his articles of war. The officers are held responsible for the disci- pline and good conduct of their men, and at the same time are admonished not to treat them with harshness. Such, however, are the despo- 382 PRESENT STATE tic habits of the Turks, that the soldier would find himself a mere slave in the hands of his officer, were it not for a clause in the military regulations, authorizing him to complain to the Asker Naziry and Seraskier, should he deem that he has been treated with injustice; and this regulation will, I doubt not, contribute much to ameliorate the moral condition of the Ottoman soldier. Courts-martial have not yet been introduced ; nor is it probable that they will for some time, as they are at variance with the despotism of Mahmoud, and might interfere with the prompt- ness of his measures. Officers of high rank arc punished for neglect of duty by banish- ment or degradation ; the inferior officers are likewise liable to be reduced to the ranks ; and the soldiers are kept in order through fear of the old Turkish argument — the bastinado. If the punishment of death were to be inflicted on those who deserted their colours during the last campaign, it would be necessary to exterminate the greatest portion of the army ; but as the case was so common, it became a fruitless task to punish any of the fugitives, and their miscon- duct remained unnoticed. DF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 383 COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT. The importance of the Commissariat depart- ment is well understood by all military men, although many persons who are not in the service entirely overlook it when watching the operations of an army : they merely think of its numerical force ; they are surprised to hear of the tardiness of its movements, and suppose that, to fight battles and conquer kingdoms, it is solely necessary to collect a number of men, and march them here and there at the will of the leader. Such have hitherto been the opinions of the Turkish rulers : they deemed it but necessary to find the men, and trusted to Allah for the means of feeding them. Sultan Mahmoud has, however, established a kind of Commissariat department, under the control of the Asker Naziry ; but it is yet in its infancy, and the field arrangements are very imperfect. There is no transport train ; and when a column of troops is in motion, it depends, as heretofore, on the resources of the country it is passing through for support ; with this difference, that a Vekil Hardj, or Commissary, precedes the co- lumn, and is supposed to purchase provisions 384 PRESENT STATE for it at the expense of Government ; but the money appropriated to that purpose seldom goes beyond the pocket of the Commissary, and the soldier is then supported by the forced contri- butions of those whom he is sent to defend. There are large stores of provisions at Con- stantinople, and the troops quartered there are always well supplied ; but the farther they are removed from the eye of the Sultan, the more are they liable to be neglected and plundered. The soldiers at the capital receive two meals a-day, consisting of soup, meat, bread, and ve- getables ; and on Friday (the Mahommedan sabbath) they are supplied with a " Pilaff" which may be considered as the national dish of the East. The irregular troops, being obliged to serve at their own expense, are left to feed them- selves as well as they can ; and as they are in the habit of considering all the country north of Constantinople as the source whence they are to draw their supplies, the wretched inha- bitants of Roumelia and Bulgaria, however dis- tant they may be from the actual seat of war, suffer quite as much as if their provinces form- ed the arena for the combatants. Their houses are ransacked, their cattle are driven away, their remonstrances are treated with derision, OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 385 or silenced by a blow ; and when a few years' peace have enabled them to recover from their poverty, another war breaks out — the same scenes are repeated, and the unhappy peasant feels that his only relief from bondage is in death. But it is not alone the country peo- ple who suffer by this marauding system, — the soldiers in turn feel the effects of their wanton- ness. Long before the termination of the campaign, they find the greatest difficulty in obtaining a coarse and scanty provision ; even this often fails. Many of them die literally from want ; and the irregular force ceases to be effective. In the process of time, when Mahmoud, by increasing his regular force, is enabled to dis- pense with the services of the irregulars, these evils, we should think, would in part disappear ; and as the advantages of having a good com- missariat must display themselves to him, in the event of another war, when he will have to move large bodies of disciplined troops, there can be no doubt but. that he will pay more attention to this branch ot his military system. 2 c 386 I'KRSENT STATE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT. The Turks at all times have been ready to acknowledge the superiority of Europeans in the science of medicine ; and, notwithstanding their predestination, there are no people upon earth who place more faith in the skill and knowledge of a physician. It is therefore sin- gular that they should hitherto have depended almost solely upon strangers for the welfare of their bodies, and not have made more progress in the study themselves. The physicians who attend the Sultan and his harem are Europeans ; and there is scarcely a Pasha in the empire who has not some Greek or Italian adventurer at- tached to his court, whose knowledge of medi- cine is acquired much in the same manner as that of the learned Hakim, described in that best of Oriental pictures — " Anastasius." Mah- moud, however, has not allowed the medical de- partment of his army to escape unnoticed; and, in furtherance of its improvement, he has esta- blished a College of Medicine, where young Turks alone are admitted and instructed in medicine and French. The Hakim Bashee has the control of the medical department, and each regiment has a OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. ' 3^7 physician and surgeon attached to it ; the for- mer receiving 150 piastres, or 2/. per month, and the latter 100 piastres. Italians, Germans, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and Turks, now compose the medical body, and from the salary which they think it worth their while to re- ceive, we may infer that their studies were not of a very satisfactory nature. During war- time, field-hospitals are established for the regular troops; but the unfortunate irregulars are not in the least attended to ; and when the poor wretches are badly wounded, all they can do is to lie down and die. The external ap- pearance of the hospitals at Constantinople did not promise much comfort within ; but it is said that the diet and cleanliness of the patients are not neglected. ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT. It is now nearly a century since the Turks first attempted to improve the state of their Ordnance department : the efficiency of Euro- pean artillery astonished them ; they could not comprehend how it was possible to fire with the rapidity of the Austrian gunners; and when they compared their own proficiency with that of the enemy, they were unwillingly obliged to 2 c 2 388 PRESENT STATE acknowledge their inferiority, and seek for a re- medy. This could only be found by borrow- ing- from the infidels those lights which they had acquired, whilst the Moslems slept ; and it was not difficult for the Porte to find instruc- tors in officers belonging to such European nations as were anxious to check the encroach- ments of Austria and Russia upon the Turkish empire. But the great obstacle to improve- ment existed in the prejudices of the Otto- mans ; and Monsieur de Bonneval, a French officer, who was one of the first to undertake the arduous task, failed in his object from ig- norance of the character of the people he had to deal with : his anxiety to succeed led him to expect results when he had not made a begin- ning ; and the artillery remained in their back- ward state until the Baron de Tott, in 1770, offered his services to the Porte. He found every thing in the greatest disorder ; and to fully comprehend the difficulty of his task, it is necessary to read his amusing memoirs. Every obstacle that prejudice or jealousy could invent was sedulously thrown in his way ; and the instances he relates of the schemes planned by his enemies are truly amusing. On one occasion, he brought some field-pieces to exercise before the Grand Vizir ; and in lieu OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 389 of a sponge, substituted hogs' bristles ; and this occurrence was instantly pointed out by his enemies as a wish to insult the religious preju- dices of the people ; but having made them acknowledge that their mosques were painted with brushes made of the same materials, he begged to know what objection there could be to his using them in the service of the country: — and the fanatics, who were preparing to mur- der him, exclaimed, " God is wonderful !" and quietly permitted him to continue. There were some mortars and shells in the arsenal, but the artillerymen knew not how to use them : and when he desired them to try, they placed the shell in first, and the powder afterwards. They knew not how to bore can- non until De Tott instructed them ; and were so careless of the manner in which they obey- ed the orders of the Sultan, that fifty pieces of field-artillery, which were to be sent to the army, were embarked without carriages, and consequently proved useless to the combatants. — The Topejees, or artillerymen, at this time consisting of forty thousand men, were quite devoid of discipline, and, like the Janissaries, scattered throughout the empire; they were not paid with regularity, and but few of them actually served. 390 PRESENT STAT I. To attempt the re-organization of such a body as this at once would have been madness; and De Tott therefore limited himself to the disci- plining of six hundred men, who were formed into a separate corps, and styled saratchis, or diligent. Their pay was issued weekly ; they submitted with docility to the lessons of their master ; and before long, De Tott taught them to tire several times in a minute. This was a won- derful change in people who formerly thought that if they fired a gun once an hour, it was very good practice. De Tott likewise assisted the Turks in their knowledge of mathematics ; and when he departed from the country, left them in a state of improvement. Since then, many French officers were employed in amelio- rating the state of the artillery, until the de- thronement of Selim, when a stagnation took place in improvement, until lately. As it was to the exertions of the Topejees that Mahmoud owed the defeat of the Janissa- ries, he rewarded their fidelity by retaining them on the same footing as formerly, making- only some trifling alterations in their dress ; but it is said that he intends to give them the same organization as the infantry. At the present moment they are divided into three corps — OF THE OTTOMAN AUA1Y. 391 horse artillery ; foot artillery ; and bombardiers, or miners. HORSE ARTILLERY. The horse artillery, though very inefficient compared with ours, has made considerable pro- gress in its discipline : it at present amounts to two regiments, which are thus divided : EFFECTIVE STATE OF A REGIMENT OF HORSE ARTILLERY. No. of Troops. a '3 a. a V a OT3 0) a a > s o X a a O 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 10 10 10 10 Total 4 12 720 720 40 The number of guns attached to each troop is to be diminished to eight : they are generally nine- pounders, and five-and-a-half-inch howitzers. The horses belonging to the artillery average from thirteen hands two inches to fourteen hands in height. The officers are supplied with 392 PRESENT STATE horses by the Government ; and the forage al- lowed to each horse is nine pounds of barley, and twelve pounds of chopped straw per diem. The stables were in very bad order ; the horses appeared to be badly groomed ; and the harness was dirty : the saddles are in imitation of the Cossack saddle, and, though weighing twenty pounds, are not badly adapted for service. The uniform of the horse artillery is a red jacket embroidered, blue trowsers, clumsy boots, and the fez : they are most slovenly and unsol- dier-like in their appearance. FOOT ARTILLERY. The Topejees, or foot artillery, at present are said to be six thousand five hundred strong ; and, although their new organization has not yet taken place, the Sultan purposes before long to form them into regiments. Their pay and allowances are the same as the guards, and their dress is of a similar fashion, except that their jackets are of a brown colour. BOMBARDIERS AND MINERS. This corps amounts to two thousand men; they arc ({iiite undisciplined, and dressed in a OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 393 most extraordinary manner ; but to this attire they are much attached, and I should say, that they retained more of the leaven of former days, than is compatible with the march of re- formation. Of their qualifications, it was not in my power to judge ; but it seems unlikely that they should be versed in the scientific branches of their profession, since even the practical part of it is neglected. Their gun- carriages, platforms, and ammunition carts, were in a shameful state, and quite unfit for service. Until lately, it was customary to leave the same artillerymen quartered for many years in the forts of the Dardanelles and frontier towns ; and the consequences were, that they married and settled themselves for life in those spots, which they with justice might consider their home. Thus a large portion of the artil- lery force was quite nominal ; and when their posts were attacked, no gunners were forth- coming ; but this plan has been abolished by the Sultan ; and his troops are no longer to be kept stationary. The education of the artillery officers was hitherto quite neglected ; but a college has been established, where they are to be instructed. 394 PRESENT STATE CANNON FOUNDRIES. The only foundries established for casting- cannon are at the capital ; they are three in number : one, of two furnaces, is attached to the. military arsenal at Tophana; the second, likewise of two furnaces, is near the naval arsenal ; and the third, of one furnace, is at Hassquiou, the bombardier barracks. The officer who had charge of the foundry near the arsenal was extremely obliging, and conducted me all round the works ; but the establishment was in great disorder, and the artificers had all been discharged, as they had no materials to work with. In the two fur- naces at this establishment, sufficient metal can be melted to cast from five to seven guns at a time ; but the tools are of the coarsest kind ; the labour is all manual, and it requires seven days to finish one gun. Shells also are cast at this establishment, and they can make as many as one thousand four hundred daily : the work- men are Turks and Armenians. When I was leaving the foundry, I offered the officer a present of money, as is customary in Turkey ; but this he declined, and begged me to believe that he felt most happy in having OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 395 an opportunity of obliging an English officer. The copper used in these foundries is procured from mines in Asia Minor ; but for other ma- terials, the Turks are dependent upon foreign supplies. ARSENALS. The military arsenal is at Tophana, and the naval arsenal near the port. The military arsenal contains a large stock of artillery of various calibres. There is one gun eighteen feet long, with a bore thirteen inches in dia- meter ; and I saw a six-pounder twelve feet in length. The field-pieces were in better order than I expected ; but the guns had neither scales nor sights. Near the Seraglio are many of those enor- mous guns carrying stone-balls, like those fired at our fleet when passing the Dardanelles in 1808 ; but these guns can only be discharged when the object passes their line of fire, for they are not mounted on carriages, but fixed in a wall. Some of the guns at the Dardanelles carry balls twenty- six inches and a half in diameter. A manufactory of muskets has existed for some years past ; but, although one hundred 39G PRESENT STATE and twenty can be made daily, the supply is not found sufficient, and the troops are mostly armed with muskets purchased at Marseilles. Sultan Selim first commenced the manufacture of gunpowder at Constantinople ; and there are now two powder-mills, one near St. Stephano, and the other at Azatli ; but the powder is not so strong as that made in Christendom. BARRACKS. There are eight handsome barracks in and around Constantinople, which have been built either by Mahmoud or Sultan Selim : they are equal to any structures of the kind in Europe, and are undoubtedly the most splendid build- ings in Constantinople. They are thus divided : No. Names. No. of Men in i acn. 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 Daoud Pasha . . Ramah Chiflic . . The Seraskiers . . Hassquiou .... 5000 18,000 16,000 5000 2000 24,000 2000 Total 72,000 OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 397 I have given the number of men they were said to be capable of containing ; but I am con- vinced that the statement is very greatly exag- gerated. The rooms in the barracks are small, and their men are more crowded than we should consider healthy ; but the rooms were clean, and each soldier had a wooden stretcher on which to spread the carpet that constitutes his bed. Some of the barracks were much dilapidated, and not half occupied by the reduced garrison now at the capital. COLLEGES. Sultan Mahmoud has lately established four Colleges, or Schools, at Constantinople ; namely, of Medicine, of the Marine, of Music, and of Military Instruction. The first contains one hundred students, who are making a rapid pro- gress ; and between three and four hundred young men are instructed at the Military Col- lege, which is under the superintendence of the chief bombardier : their studies are mathema- tics, the elements of fortification, &c. Some few French works upon military subjects have been translated into Turkish, and such officers as can read are obliged to study them. 398 PRESENT STATE The prejudices of the Turks have hitherto effectually prevented any improvement in the education of their youth, as they deemed that a Moslem who could speak a foreign language was little better than an apostate ; but Mah- moud, at the beginning of the year, broke through this ridiculous fancy, and issued a fir- man by which he authorized his subjects to proceed to France and England for the pur- pose of receiving instruction. When this edict was notified to the students at the colleges, they received it with great delight, and many instantly volunteered to be amongst the num- ber sent. It was said that one hundred young men were to proceed to France, and as many to England ; but it does not appear that this plan has yet been put into execution. Since the Turks will not submit to serve under Christian officers, it is only by acquiring, in a Christian country, the knowledge we possess,* that they can hope ever to ameliorate their condition ; and Mahmoud should therefore hasten to avail * The Turks have made but little progress in the science of fortification since the year 1770, when a Pasha, who un- dertook to fortify the Dardanelles, built the walls of his fort extremely high, and then whitewashed them, in order that the Russians might see them a long way off, and be aware that he was ready to give battle ! OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 399 himself of the favourable disposition evinced by the young collegians : it is, however, most probable, that a want of funds may act as a drawback to his wishes ; for it is not likely that either France or England would be so ge- nerous as to spend 10,000/. a-year on the minds of the young infidels ; and 20,000/. is a larger annual disbursement than the weakened trea- sury of the Sultan could conveniently afford. IRREGULAR ARMY. Under this head, the whole Mahommedan po- pulation of the Ottoman empire may be com- prised ; every Mussulman, as I have before ob- served, being obliged to join the army, if required, during a war. The irregular cavalry is raised by the Zaims and Timariots, who hold feudal grants from the Porte on tenure of military ser- vice ; and the infantry is assembled by the Pa- shas and inferior officers in the provinces. CAVALRY. The irregular cavalry, sixty years ago, formed the most formidable and effective force of Tur- key ; but the country whence she drew this arm having been wrested from her by Catherine the 400 PRESENT STATE Second, her enemies now use it with great effect against her. Thus, during the last campaign, the Turks had always worse information than the Russians ; clouds of Cossacks scoured the coun- try; and this command of the communication gave Diebitsch a vast superiority during the campaign, and enabled him to surprise the Vizir at Kuleftscha, and to mask his march across the Balkan, so that those troops sent to intercept him, always arrived too late. The Khans of the Crimea were most useful tributaries of the Porte, and were ready at all times to take the field with fifty thousand horse. Crim Gueray, in 1769, had three armies of horse, amounting severally to a hundred thousand, sixty thousand, and forty thousand men ; and these troops cost him nothing, as they served without pay, and no preparations were made to supply them with food. Ten pounds of millet, roasted, pounded, and pressed together, suspended to the saddle of every Noguais, furnished the troops with certain provisions for fifty days ; the horses foraged for themselves ; and as they required but little care, many of the Tartars had two or three. When in line of battle, the Tartar force formed twenty deep ; and when in column, they were di- vided into companies, of forty men, four abreast. The Crim-Tartars possessed all the qualities OF THE OTTOMAN ARMY. 4() 1 requisite for an irregular soldier : they were hardy, accustomed to support fatigue and priva- tion, brave, inured to riding from their child- hood, and obedient to their leaders. They were far superior to the Timariots, who had become enervated by peaceful habits; and the loss of the Crimea, and consequently of these troops, in- flicted an irreparable injury on the military re- sources of Turkey. The irregular cavalry is now drawn principally from the Asiatic provinces ; but as the Mahom- medan population has much decreased, this force is consequently less numerous than formerly. The Sultan, during the Russian war, formed several regiments from the irregular cavalry, and when they were partially disciplined, sent them to the army, where they fought with credit, and often proved troublesome to the Russian advanced-guards ; but at the conclusion of hos- tilities they were disbanded, and allowed to return to their homes. War is far from being popular with them, as they are obliged to furnish their own horses and arms ; and it often happens that they return with neither. 2 D 402 ORIGIN AND PRUGIM-.S.N INFANTRY. The irregular infantry called " Seimens" is raised by the Pashas, Ayans, Monsselims, and Vaivodes ; and during the last war some irregular regiments were paid by the Porte : the men were drawn from Roumelia and Asia ; and of thof e who behaved well before the ene- my, the majority were ex-janissaries, but who were not imbued with the maxims and preju- dices of their former corps. I cannot presume to offer an opinion as to the numerical force of the Ottoman Empire, the spirit of Janissarism being still latent in a large portion of the po- pulation ; but there is every reason to believe that it is much less than we have hitherto sup- posed. In the European provinces, the Christian inhabitants are three times more numerous than the Mussulmans ; and in Asia, the country is very thinly peopled. It is unnecessary to enter into any farther details relative to the irregular troops ; they are merely an armed rabble, and their qualities have often been fully discussed by former writers. OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY, 403 OTTOMAN NAVY. Although Turkey has been always essen- tially a military nation, yet her geographical position, commanding the shores of the Medi- terranean, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Mar- mora, and the inviting prey offered by the ill- guarded and fertile possessions of the Vene- tians amongst the islands of the Levant, ren- dered it a matter of necessity for her to or- ganize a maritime force ; and we find that, since the capture of Constantinople, in 1453, the Turkish Sultans paid considerable attention to their navy, and, after much struggling, were enabled at last to cope successfully with Venice, whose sway until then had been undisputed in those seas. But these successes were transitory : the battle of Lepanto for ever checked the as- cendency of the Turkish flag ; and, contented with their victories in Hungary, the Ottomans were compelled to acknowledge that the Pro- phet, who rendered their arms irresistible on 2 d 2 404 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS shore, had still left the Christians masters of the seas.* Mahomet the Second may be considered the creator of the Ottoman navy; but on so small a scale were his first efforts, that when he attack- ed Constantinople, his fleet consisted of only eighteen galleys and some open boats, badly constructed, and manned by sailors who dread- ed the element they were destined to act upon. The approach of five Christian ships bearing succours to the besieged city, afforded the Ot- tomans an opportunity of trying their skill in maritime warfare; but their attacks were ill di- rected, and the defence made by their enemies was so desperate, that after three fruitless at- tempts to carry the ships by boarding, they were forced to retire with the loss of several thousand men, leaving the sea open to their opponents. The capture of Constantinople was however materially aided by the agency of the Turkish flotilla ; and when Mahomet had firmly estab- lished his throne amidst the fragments of that of the Caasars, he found no difficulty in im- proving the condition of his infant marine. His new Greek subjects, or slaves, were forced * Gibbon, & Cantcmir, &c. OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 405 to display the science they possessed for the ser- vice of their imperious master ; and the talent and labour which, if properly employed, might have postponed the downfal of their country, was now made to rivet her chains. The mer- cenary disposition of the Genoese, and their hatred to Venice, rendered them willing allies of the Sultan, with whose aid they hoped to humble the power of their rival republic ; and they foresaw that, without a navy, it would be impossible for the Turks to lop her limbs by seiz- ing Candia and her other insular possessions. Thus, in a few years, the Turkish navy made a rapid progress towards perfection. The Ve- netians were soon expelled from the Sea of Mar- mora ; and, not content with guarding their own coasts, the Ottoman ships ranged the Me- diterranean Sea in search of adventures ; and, by occasional descents on the shores of their enemies, caused constant alarm to the inhabi- tants of the coasts, whilst they remunerated themselves by ample spoils in treasure and slaves. Conflicts occasionally took place be- tween the Ottoman and Venetian squadrons ; at times with a dubious result, but generally terminating to the advantage of the latter ; and it was not until the notorious Hayraddin Bar- 406 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS barossa assumed the command of the Ottoman navy, that it could be considered capable of giving battle to the Christian fleets, with any- certain ty of success. Hayraddin Barbarossa was one of those ex- traordinary beings who, had he been born in another clime, and possessed a mind tempered by education, would have been considered in the light of a hero ; but the courage which made him undertake the most hazardous enter- prises, and the judgment which ensured him success, served but to raise him from the lowest station in a band of pirates, to become their head ; and the natural ferocity of his character, whilst it kept his followers within the bounds of submission, attached such odium to his me- mory, that the deeds of the Ottoman Capitan Pasha are forgotten in the atrocities committed by the corsair. The improvement caused in the Ottoman fleets by the appointment of Barbarossa to the command, may be explained in a few words: he was a sailor! — he had been inured to the sea from his childhood — the waves had no ter- rors for him ; and, whether at sea or on shore, he had still the same bold unflinching heart and decisive judgment. Hitherto, admirals had been appointed to the OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 407 Turkish fleets who had never been on board a ship, and were alike ignorant of navigation and naval tactics ; and subsequently, the same pre- posterous system was followed by the fatalist ministers of the Porte. The subordinate offi- cers were selected with equal disregard to their qualifications ; the men, in like manner, were pressed into a service they detested, without any reference to their previous habits of life ; and the artisans of Constantinople were often torn from their pursuits, hurried on board a ship, and expected intuitively to acquire the skill and habits of a sailor. Naval science was so little understood at this period, that, even amongst Christian nations, it was not uncommon to see an admiral command- ing an army on shore, and a general directing the movements of a fleet ; but this difference existed between them and the Turks, that their subordinate agents were all acquainted with their professional duties, and it only required the genius of a master spirit to form the outline of a naval campaign, whilst they supplied the details. The crews of the Christian ships were all sailors. The Venetians, an amphibious race, were accustomed, from the earliest age, to brave the dangers of the sea, which a series of unin- terrupted success had taught them to consider 408 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS as their own, and upon emergency they could always man their fleets with the hardy inhabi- tants of the Istrian and Dalmatian coasts. The Genoese still retained their predilection for maritime enterprise ; Spain and France like- wise possessed a naval force ; and Malta, ever engaged in war with the Infidels, formed a nursery for the aspiring Christian youth, who in those days used to seek for fame and dis- tinction wherever hostilities were raging. But until the improvement of navigation had abo- lished the use of galleys, a strange anomaly existed in the maritime warfare of the Chris- tians and Turks ; the unfortunate slaves, who were doomed to work at the oar, being, on most occasions, the countrymen of those whom they were accessory in combating ; and the contending parties were certain that every shot they fired was as likely to kill one of their own faith, as to take effect on an Infidel : when, however, the progress of science found a sub- stitute for manual labour, by the adaptation of sails to ships, the Christian fleets ceased to be encumbered with prisoners, although the Turks still retained their slaves, and often chained them to the guns they were to work. The celebrated battle of Lepanto, in 1571, OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 409 formed a great epoch, not only in Turkish naval history, but also in that of the Christian powers connected with the Mediterranean, — it may be considered as the period from whence dates the introduction of heavy artillery into their ships, and the consequent disuse of galleys, the vic- tory having principally been obtained by the continued fire of five large ships, which, like as many fortresses, protected the front of the Christian line. Five hundred ships and gal- leys were on this day engaged ; and, after a tremendous contest, victory sided with Don John of Austria. The Turks, out of two hundred and thirty galleys, had thirty sunk, twenty-five burnt, and one hundred and thirty captured ; twenty -five thousand Turks were killed, eight thousand taken prisoners, and fifteen thousand Christian slaves released. The allies lost fifteen ships, and ten thousand men. When we reflect that, one hundred and eighteen years previous to this, the Turks were quite ignorant of naval affairs, and un- able to compete with five Christian galleys in the Sea of Marmora, we cannot refuse them some praise for the rapidity with which they created a naval force; and their celerity in re-assembling two hundred sail, immediately 410 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS after the battle of Lepanto, proves their re- sources to have been immense : however, from this moment, their maritime power declined, al- though it still was able to compete with Ve- nice, and to wrest from her Candia, in addition to Cyprus, and other Greek islands ; but Venice had already begun to sink under the enervating influence of her degenerate nobility ; and the peace of Passarowitz, in 1718, struck the last blow to her supremacy in the Mediterranean. The Turks now ceased to use galleys as ships of war, and, in imitation of the Christian pow- ers, constructed ships, and armed them accord- ing to modern principles ; but of what service were the mere ships without the hands to work them ? — and what advantage could those derive from the compass, who scarcely knew the car- dinal points, and were perfectly ignorant of geography ? In fact, the same causes which ef- fected the defeat of the Turkish armies on the frontiers of Hungary, at this period, likewise acted upon their naval system. Science had made rapid strides in Europe, whilst in Turkey she was dormant ; and when at last the Otto- mans perceived that they were left in the back- ground, they hoped at once to supply their de- ficiencies by imitating the mechanical improve- OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 41 1 merits of the age, without acquiring the science that dictated them. Thus they built ships without understanding their management, and from helplessness had recourse to their Greek subjects, whom piratical and enterprising habits had inured to the sea. During the half century following the peace of Passarowitz, the attacks of the enemies of Turkey were directed solely to her northern frontier ; neither Austria nor Russia were then maritime powers ; and the attention of her Sultans being attracted to where the danger was most imminent, their fleet was quite ne- glected, and fell into a most shameful state of disorganization. The ships lay rotting in the harbour, half manned, worse commanded, and indeed unfit to sail across the Sea of Marmora, much less to range from one end to the other of the Sultan's extensive empire ; the only ships that ever ventured to sea were those sent by the Capitan Pasha to collect his revenue from the islands of the Archipelago ; and these crept under the shore, from island to island, an- choring if the wind was contrary or blowing fresh, and fearing to sail out of sight of land, lest they should never behold it more. Although the Turks were blind to their mari- 412 ORIGIN AM) PROGRESS time weakness, their bitterest enemy, Catherine, did not overlook the opportunity it gave her of forwarding her interests in the Mediterranean ; and in 1770, the Turks were struck with con- sternation on hearing that a Russian fleet had landed troops in Greece, and sailed up to the Dardanelles. This intelligence roused them from their lethargy ; but it was already too late : the Russian fleet, though nominally command- ed by Count Orloff, was actually directed by Admirals Elphinstone and Greig, experienced English sailors, and the crews were already accustomed to the sea. The Turks had neither officers nor sailors ; and, although treble the strength of the Russian squadron, their fleet, after a sharp engagement, in which the Capitan Pacha's ship blew up, anchored in the harbour of Tchesm6, near Scio, and waited, in a crowded position, the renewed attacks of the enemy. The result did credit to the gallantry and skill of the Russian commanders, who, directing four fire-ships upon the Ottoman fleet, had the satis- faction of seeing it soon enveloped in flames. Fifteen line-of-battle ships were destroyed, be- sides many smaller vessels ; and the Russians on- ly lost the ship bearing Admiral Spiridon's flag, which was blown up with the Turkish admiral's. One man, however, escaped from the de- OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 413 feat, to whom the Turkish navy eventually owed its restoration — -this was Hassan, the cap- tain of the Capitan Pasha's ship, who, although on board during the explosion, escaped un- injured, and succeeded in swimming to the shore. He was appointed to replace the Capi- tan Pasha, who was put to death by order of the Sultan, and in his hands the navy soon as- sumed a more respectable footing; new ships were built, the old vessels repaired, the arsenals replenished, and many of those abuses which had crept into the management of the navy abolished. Hassan's courage was unbounded, and approached to rashness, but it served to restore the confidence of his men ; and a bold and successful attack made by him upon the Russians in the island of Lemnos, served to establish the fame his preceding measures had obtained for him. He was not always equally fortunate ; the Prince of Nassau having defeated his flotilla off Oczakoff, in the summer of 1788, where he lost eight ships and two thousand men ; and in a second engagement, four sail of the line, some frigates, and three thousand men. Hassan was subsequently employed in Egypt and Bessa- rabia, where he displayed considerable talents as a general. After his death, the Ottoman navy again 414 ORIGIN AND PROGRESS became proverbial for its inefficiency ; and we do not hear that it made any figure in the Mediterranean, until the occupation of Egypt by the French, and the subsequent disem- barkation of the British army in 1800, when a considerable fleet sailed from Constantino- ple to further the success of the common cause. But Selim now occupied the Otto- man throne, and this enlightened prince had too much discernment not to perceive the ne- cessity of forming a force capable of co-opera- ting with his armies, and which would render his decrees respected by his distant tributaries, who, in the absence of the means to enforce them, treated the firmans of the Sultan with neglect or derision ; he therefore did not allow his navy to remain neglected. In 1807, when the British squadron effected the passage of the Dardanelles, the Turkish fleet at Constan- tinople alone consisted of twelve ships of the line, two of which were three-deckers, nine fri- gates, and many smaller vessels ; and of these, our squadron burnt or destroyed one sixty -four, four frigates, three corvettes, one brig, and two gun-boats. Enough, however, still remained to encounter the Russian squadron in the Black Sea (which, since the battle of Tchesme, had been the scene OF THE OTTOMAN NAN V. 415 of naval warfare) ; and as England had undis- puted command of the Mediterranean, and was at peace with the Porte, the Sultan had nothing to fear from an enemy in that direction. The termination of hostilities between Rus- sia and Turkey, in 1812, left no warlike occu- pation for the Ottoman fleet, which merely per- formed its annual cruise round the islands of the Archipelago, levying the taxes due to the Capitan Pasha ; but the hour was not distant when its efficiency was again to be tried; the Greeks were already preparing to throw off the Turkish yoke, and cope with their oppressors in a naval war; and in 1821 the Greek revolu- tion broke forth. From that time until the close of 1827, the history of the Ottoman navy presents an uninterrupted series of disgraceful defeats. The details of that war belong to the history of the Greek revolution ; suffice it to say, that many of the Turkish line-of-battle ships were destroyed by the fire-ships of the Greeks, and several smaller vessels were cap- tured, burnt, or driven on shore, until at last the Turks fled on all occasions from the small Greek brigs, and for some time resigned to them the superiority in the iEgean Sea. The battle of Navarin completed the dismay of the Turkish sailors : they fought well, it is true ; 416 PRESENT STATE but their courage did not supply the deficiency of their discipline, and they fell a prey to the well-combined attack of the Allied fleet. The Russian war in 1829, and the following year, had no effect upon the Ottoman navy : they lost a corvette and captured a frigate, but no engagement took place. Having now summed up the leading features of Turkish naval history, I shall proceed to de- scribe the actual state of the Ottoman fleet ; pre- mising, however, that, as a landsman, it is with diffidence that I touch upon the subject of a pro- fession foreign to my own ; and I therefore only pretend to give a slight sketch of its condition. PRESENT STATE OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. It may truly be said of Constantinople, that the whole of the Ottoman empire is concen- trated there ; for, notwithstanding the capabili- ties of its distant provinces, every thing that relates to the army, navy, or civil government, emanates from, and is matured at, the capital. The Sultan is afraid to trust the execution of any plan to subordinate agents, well knowing that, under his own superintendence alone, can he hope to see his projects realized : thus the army, as I have before observed, is to be seen OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 4 17 to the greatest advantage at Constantinople, where its materiel is organized ; and the dock- yards and arsenals of the Ottoman fleet are likewise all established on the shore of the Golden Horn. No situation in the world can be better adapted for the purpose, — the Bosphorus and Dardanelles afford an easy passage to either the Black or Mediterranean Seas, and give the Turks a great advantage over the Russians, if they chose to avail themselves of it, since it is in their power to concentrate their naval force, and attack either of the Russian squadrons with a superior fleet : but they are too igno- rant of their own strength to know how it may be best applied. The harbour of Constantinople, also called the " Golden Horn," is a branch of the Bos- phorus, about five hundred yards in width, and running inland for nearly three miles, when it receives the waters of a small stream flowing from the northward. The right shore of the port is hemmed in by the walls of Con- stantinople, extending from Seraglio Point to where the harbour terminates, and on the op- posite bank are the suburbs of Galata, Pera, the naval arsenal, and Hassquiou. There is suf- ficient depth of water in every part of the port 2 E 418 PRESENT STATE for ships of the largest size ; the sea is always perfectly smooth ; the surrounding heights ef- fectually screen it from every wind, and there is an abundance of fresh water. Nature seems to have made it expressly for a naval depot, and to the Turks, such a harbour is invaluable ; for it has spared them a great deal of trouble, as it never requires to be cleared out or deep- ened. When I arrived at Constantinople, the rem- nants of the Ottoman fleet w r ere anchored in the Bosphorus off Buyukdere, but shortly after- wards they sailed into the port, for the purpose of being laid up for the winter months ; and when I left, in December, they were all moored close to the arsenal, with their cutwaters touch- ing the shore, and their bowsprits projecting over the quay. One frigate anchored in the port as guard-ship, and a frigate and a brig sailed with Halil Pasha, the ambassador to Russia. The Ottoman fleet now consists "of the Mah- moud, 120 guns; Selim, (flag-ship) 80; five line-of-battle ships, mounting 74 guns each ; four frigates, five corvettes, one brig, two steam- boats, at Constantinople: one line-of-battle ship, fourteen frigates and corvettes ; which ships escaped from Navarin, &C. on their way from OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 41U Alexandria. Total — eight line-of-battle ships, and twenty-four frigates, corvettes, and brigs. Some of these ships are so old as to be scarcely sea-worthy, and one of the seventy-four's is broken-backed. The Mahmoud was still un- finished, but they expected to have her ready for sea in spring ; she is the largest ship in the world, and I understand that her proportions are perfect. She has a flush-deck, and is nine feet wider in her beam than the largest of our line- of-battle ships ! Her length is two hundred and thirty-four feet, and her -width sixty -three feet. The height of her lower deck is seven feet ; and her sides are four feet six inches thick. On her main-deck she is to mount long brass 32-pounders ; on her middle deck, 42-pounders ; and on her lower deck, 68-pounders, besides four or more guns carrying enormous stone- balls. I was one day conversing with a Turkish naval officer of high rank, relative to the Turkish fleet, and remarked to him that the " Mahmoud" was the largest ship in existence. " True," said he ; " but of what use is it to us ? we do not know how to manage her ; besides, the English, who form the first naval power, do not build such large vessels ; and all that we now learn in our navy is owing to their example." His 2 E 2 420 PRESENT STATE remarks were correct ; for, in the present state of the Turkish navy, it is impossible to expect that such a ship as the JMalunoud could be properly worked. It must, however, be acknowledged, that the Turks are apt imitators of our system, and have profited much by the example of his Majesty's ships Blonde and Rifleman, which were anchored at Constantinople during six months. Previous to their arrival, the Turkish men-of-war were in great disorder ; but the con- trast presented by the appearance of our frigates induced them to alter the trim of their own ves- sels, and their external appearance latterly was very respectable. The arrival of the British and French men- of-war conveying the Ambassadors was quite an event at Constantinople, many years having passed since a foreign frigate had been seen in the Bosphorus ; and even on this occasion, (to com- ply with the orders prohibiting the admission of men-of-war within the outer castles,) our ships were obliged to conceal their guns, as a matter of form, when passing the Dardanelles ; but after they had anchored at Terapia, opposite to the Sultan's summer palace, they again ran their guns out. At this period the sandjac sheriff, or standard of Mahomet, was in the Sultan's keeping at Terapia ; and when his Highness OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 421 determined upon taking the field in person, he directed that the sacred standard should be transferred from Terapia to the camp at Ramah Chiflic. In former days, whenever a ceremony of this kind occurred, it was dangerous for a Christian to be seen near the holy relic, lest he should cast his profane eyes upon it ; but such is the toleration of Mahmoud, that he felt highly flat- tered by H.M.S. Blonde and Rifleman firing a salute when the ceremonies took place. Cap- tain Hugon's frigate, the Armide, did not sa- lute ; and Mahmoud, having inquired the reason, was informed that her guns pointed towards the palace, and would consequently have in- commoded him. On another occasion, when the Sultan passed our ships in his barge, Captains Lyon and Mitchell manned their yards, and gave him three cheers; a compliment which pleased Mahmoud so much, that he directed a handsome present to be divided amongst the crews. The Capitan Pasha made repeated visits to our men-of-war, and closely examined all their details, with the view of adopting them in his own ships : he is a person of some merit, al- though his education was not such as to qualify him for the important post he now occupies, 422 PRESENT STATE which is tantamount to that of Lord High Admiral; but Fortune dispenses her favours in so capricious a manner in Turkey, that the origin of the greatest statesman must not be inquired into, if we expect to hear either of noble birth or liberal education. The Capitan Pasha is one instance in many of the whimsical selections made by the Sultans for the post of High Admiral. His early edu- cation was limited to the knowledge of slipper- making, and for some years he plied away at his trade, little dreaming that he was destined to occupy the important situation he now fills. He however became weary of private life and papous/ies, and commenced his public career as a subordinate police-officer at Pera and Galata, where he was well known to several of the resi- dents. But although his situation was insignifi- cant, it gave him a share of power, and a footing in the government ; and, by degrees, rising from one post to another, and acquiring his knowledge of naval science from an occasional glance at the merchant vessels anchored off Galata, and his practical experience of the ocean from his voyages in a light caique across the port from Tophana to Istamboul, he at last was consi- dered fit to hold the post of Capitan Pasha, which lie has hitherto filled in a manner ere- OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 423 ditable to himself. He seeks every opportu- nity of acquiring information relative to naval affairs, and is candid enough to admit that his countrymen are very backward in this profes- sion. Either a deficiency of personal courage, or a consciousness that he could not depend upon his crews, prevented his seeking an ac- tion with the Russians in the Black Sea, last year, at times when he might have encoun- tered them to advantage ; but although he made a great display of his squadron once in front of Varna; and that he might have at- tacked the Russians with a superior force, he suddenly changed his course, and bore up for the Bosphorus. The capture of a Russian fri- gate, through the cowardice of the captain, (who has since been tried by a court-martial, and shot,) was not owing to the manoeuvres of the Ottoman commanders ; for they had un- wittingly surrounded her during a fog ; whilst the escape of a small brig (the Mercury), which was in a similar predicament, was perfectly dis- graceful to them. The frigate, however, was brought into the port in triumph, and is point- ed out by the Turks with the greatest com- placency ; for it is the first prize of the kind they have seen there during many years. A 424 PRESENT STATE gentleman who accompanied the Capital! Pa- sha during one of his cruises, described him as passing his time in witnessing the buffoonery of some of his crew. One day, whilst idling in this manner, he inquired how British admi T rals amused themselves. The other replied, that " British admirals devoted that time to the care of their ships and discipline of their crews, which he employed in amusement ;" and this answer surprised and annoyed his Excellency very much. The Capitan Pasha, on his first assumption of office, was a strict follower of the Mahommedan laws, and once directed an attendant, who offered him wine, to be severely punished ; but all that is now changed, and he drinks champagne, and other forbidden juices, with as much zest, and in as great a quantity, as any infidel in Christen- dom. A handsome palace, within the naval arsenal, is appropriated to the use of the Ca- pitan Pasha; and he there transacts business daily, assisted by his kiaya, or lieutenant. The naval arsenal is under his control. * * The Capitan Pasha died lately, and has been succeeded l>\ llalil P.isha, the late ambassador to Russia. OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 425 TURKISH SAILORS. Until lately, a kind of marine corps existed, from whence crews were taken for the fleet ; but the gcdionjees, as they were called, are now abolished, and a new system is about to be or- ganized. Previous to the Greek Revolution, the Ipsariots, Spezziots, and Hydriots, formed the effective strength of the Ottoman navy ; and whilst the work aloft was left to their manage- ment, the Turks did duty at the guns ; but, now that the Greeks have thrown off their allegiance, it has become necessary for the Turks to per- form both tasks, and it is not likely that they will succeed as well as their active rayahs. They, however, work their guns extremely well ; and when Sir Pulteney Malcolm visited the Capitan Pasha's flag-ship at Buyukdere, they fired with a rapidity and regularity not to be excelled : but it must be remembered that the " Selim" was at anchor in smooth water, and that it is probable their practice would not be so perfect at sea. It is the Sultan's intention to form a naval corps, regularly officered, and dressed in an uniform similar in make to that of the land forces ; but these arrangements were not com- 42G PRESENT STATE plete in December last; a handsome barrack adjoining the arsenal is intended for the men, and they are to be well paid and clothed. A naval college also has been established. The Turkish ships are usually too much crowded, and the number of men only serves to embarrass their movements at sea, and cause them a heavy loss when in action : no attention is paid to the cleanliness of the crew ; and the ships are consequently in a most filthy state. There is no doubt but that a rapid improve- ment may take place in the internal arrange- ments of the Ottoman navy, for the materials at Mahmoud's disposal are much the same as those with which Mahmoud Ali has effected so much in Egypt. His navy is in excellent or- der; and a man-of-war brig which came to Con- stantinople with some treasure for the Sultan, was quite perfect in all her details. Her decks were clean, the hammocks * of the men were ranged in the nettings, her yards well squared, and ropes taut, and at sunset she lowered her royal yards very smartly, whilst the Turkish frigate alongside was twice as long in perform- ing the same feat. 1 The Turkish sailors sleep upon carpets spread on the deck. OF THE OTTOMAN NA\ Y 407 Though nominally the property of the Sul- tan, the Egyptian fleet is in fact quite distinct from the Turkish ; and it is most probable that when Mahommed Ali dies, his son Ibrahim will quite withdraw his allegiance from the Sul- tan, and array the Egyptian navy against that of his liege lord. NAVAL ARSENAL. The naval arsenal at Constantinople is defi- cient in almost every thing that ought to con- stitute a depot. There were no stores except a few spare masts, and the blocks for the " Mahmoud" were preparing by only ten work- men, without the aid of machinery. The arsenal is supplied with fir timber from Isnic, (the ancient Nice.) and also from the Asiatic coast of the Black Sea. Copper is pro- cured in Asia Minor, and ropes and canvass are, I believe, manufactured at Constantinople. The celebrated Bagnio, or prison, is enclosed within the walls of the arsenal, and well de- serves the fearful descriptions that have been given of it. Disease, filth, misery, and despair, are its inmates ; foetid vapours exhale from the dirt that has accumulated in the gloomy cham- bers where the prisoners are confined ; the light 428 PRESENT STATE of day barely penetrates into this abode of wretchedness ; and the spectator is impressed with a feeling of utter horror, when he recol- lects that few of the unhappy beings who enter here are ever released, except by the devas- tating influence of the plague, which has often converted this crowded den into a solitude. " Those who enter here must leave all hope behind." The innocent victim of tyrannical persecution is perhaps chained to a wretch whose life may have been disgraced by every crime ; yet he cannot separate from his com- panion, and must remain linked to him until death severs his bonds. There w r ere happily but few prisoners in the Bagnio when I visited it ; but some of these were pitiable objects : they were Bulgarians, who had been imprisoned for attempting to emigrate from their country to Russia — their clothes were in rags, their beards and hair were long and matted, and the attenuated appearance of many betokened that the food they procured barely sufficed to sup- port life. Two of these unfortunate men cast themselves at our feet, and supplicated for our interference ; but we could only pity them — their doom was unalterable. Several of the prisoners were employed on the public works ; but in the chamber some unhappy wretches were stretched OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 409 on the filthy floor, apparently dying. There is a small chapel adjoining, whither we were conducted by two Greek priests, through some dark passages. The light from a taper displayed to us the usual tawdry assemblage of saints paint- ed round the walls, and in their name the priests asked us for charity. The mite thus received from strangers was all they had to live upon; for they were prisoners, and considered themselves fortunate in having escaped from the massacres of their sect. In the yard of the Bagnio are a small mosque, a range of shops, and a bath. At the door of the latter stood a handsome young Moslem, whose person was cleanly, and counte- nance so animated, that we should not have sup- posed him to be a prisoner but for the iron ring round one of his ankles. His cheerfulness cor- responded so little with his situation, that we called him to us, and inquired what had caused his incarceration. He laughed whilst he rela- ted his tale ; from which it appeared, that, in common with all other Turks, he enrolled him- self when a boy as a janissary, and had been marked on the arm, as was customary. He however had no participation in their revolt ; but, happening one day to be very drunk, was discovered by the patrol lying senseless in the streets, and the janissary marks having betrayed 430 PRESENT STATE him as one of the proscribed sect, he was forth- with carried to the Bagnio. When he awoke from his drunken sleep, he found himself in- irons, in this fearful prison, where he had now been confined many months, but hoped soon to be released, as they had discovered him to be innocent of treasonable practices, and, as a preliminary step to his liberation, had knocked off his chains. Near the Bagnio, there is a range of store-houses ; and moored in front of these are a few brigs and polaccas, captured from the Greeks at Ipsara : there is also an old galley of forty oars, said to have been taken from the Knights of Malta ; but this relic of former days is so rotten, that it will before long share the fate of a similar prize, which sunk at its moorings a short time ago. NAVAL ARTILLERY. The Turkish ships are armed with brass guns. The method of casting iron is not yet under- stood by their artificers. The gun-carriages are clumsy, and none of the guns that I saw had sights ; but I suppose that the Turks have now adopted them, in imitation of those they saw on board our frigates. OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 431 THE DARDANELLES. The defences of the Dardanelles are so inti- mately connected with the naval and military power of the Porte, that I may be excused for adverting to a subject so often described by former writers, especially as some changes have lately been made in the batteries, and that they are infinitely more formidable than when Sir J. Duckworth sailed past them in 1807. The Hel- lespont is about sixty miles in length, and the fortifications commence at its junction with the Mediterranean Sea, and terminate at Sestos and Abydos, where the channel becomes very wide. The outer castles of the Dardanelles are built op- posite to each other at the entrance of the chan- nel, where its width is about one thousand four hundred yards ; but a shoal, which runs out from the Asiatic shore obliges vessels to sail close to the " Seetil Bahar," or European castle. This fortress is constructed according to the Turkish system : the walls are high and ex- posed ; there are no flank defences on the land- side ; and a small hill, within half cannon- shot, commands it so effectually, that it might be battered to ruins in a few hours. " Koom Kale," the opposite fort, although not in so un- favourable a position, is very weak towards the land. A quarter of an hour's sail beyond Seetil 4)12 PRESENT STATE Bahar, is a small battery, on a height, and called " Eslri Sarlek? but this work is open to the rear ; and beyond this, on the Asiatic shore, at " Pointe des Barbiers," is the Kippis Boorum battery, likewise undefended towards the inte- rior. From thence there are no works, until where the channel, being not more than five hundred yards in width, is commanded on either shore by the fortresses properly called the Dardanelles. The Killit Bahar, on the European shore, is completely overlooked by a hill that rises behind it, and from whence mus- ketry might be fired upon the garrison of the fortress ; this hill is not fortified, and the pos- session of it would ensure the immediate fall of the castle. The Sultani^ Kalessie, on the opposite bank, is likewise commanded by this hill ; but it may be considered the strongest work of all the fortresses, the country around being level and marshy. It was from the guns of these two forts that our squadron suffered so much in 1807. The distance from the Dar- danelles to Abydos is about four miles, and the intervening coast is lined with batteries, which cross their fire ; whilst those at Sestos and Abydos bear down the stream ; none of these works are, however, susceptible of defence, ex- cept Abydos, which is walled round, but is not capable of making a long resistance. 1 — — ' OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 433 The capture of the Dardanelles by an in- vading force would be a matter of no great difficulty. It would be necessary to land troops at the end of the Gulf of Saros, and to take up a position across the Chersonesus, above Galli- poli, where the peninsula is not more than four or five miles wide, and intersected by a ridge of hills. This would prevent any succour ar- riving by land to the castles from Constan- tinople, and a very short time would suffice to place them in the power of the enemy, and enable the fleet to pass up. If a descent were made during the prevalence of a southerly wind, some days must elapse before reinforce- ments could be sent from the capital by water, and it would require still longer to march round the Asiatic coast. The following is a list of the batteries and number of guns in each. EUROPE. ASIA. Guns. Skarni Kale 15 Mort, Koom Kale Guns. 80 Mort. 4 Seetil Bahar 70 4 Kippis Boorum 26 — Eski Sarlek 12 — Sultanie Kalessie 196 — Killit Bahar 155 — A new battery 50 — Kiamle Bourmie 30 — Kiosse Boorum 46 — Bovalli Kalessie, Nagara Boorum, \ or Sestos 50 — or Abydos Total 84 482 — Total 332 4 4 2 F 434 PRESENT STATE Making an enormous total of eight mortars and eight hundred and fourteen guns. Amongst the latter, at Sultanie Kalessie, there are seven- teen which carry stone balls twenty -four inches in diameter, and one of twenty-six and a half inches. At Killit Bahar there are eighteen, and at Koom Kale sixteen guns of similar size. The accompanying rough sketch points out the po- sition of the batteries between the Dardanelles and Abydos. DEFENCE OF THE BOSPHORUS. The fortifications at the entrance of the Bos- phorus are of a similar construction to those on the Hellespont ; but here there is less danger to be apprehended from an attack. The coast of- fers no facilities for a disembarkation, and the mouth of the Bosphorus is (in sailors' parlance) very difficult to make. Northerly gales are of constant occurrence, and ships could not ven- ture near the shore with that wind, as there is no harbour south of Bourgas. Reinforcements of men and ships might be sent from Constan- tinople to the forts on the Bosphorus within twenty-four hours ; and even if Russia could land twenty or thirty thousand men, they would be overpowered by the armed popula- OF THE OTTOMAN NAVY. 435 tioii of the capital. The only spot where a debarkation might be effected near the castles, is at Kilia Kalessie ; and between that village and the city is a tract of hilly ground, covered with forests, which it would be easy to defend. The Russians, however, are now too well ac- quainted with the road from Yassy to Con- stantinople to trouble themselves about any other mode of approaching that city, when they determine upon finally ejecting the Turks from Europe. In their hands, the defences of the Dardanelles will be more formidable than they are at present. THE END. LONLO.v : PRINTED BY SAMUEL BEMLLV, Dorset Street, Fleet Street.