Adventures of an English Officer in Greece. No. II.New Monthly Magazine[William Henry Humphreys] Markup and editing by David Hill Radcliffe first draft February 2010 WiHumph.1826.NMM2 Center for Applied Technologies in the Humanities Virginia Tech
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Adventures of an English Officer in Greece. No. II.New Monthly MagazineHumphreys, W. H. (William Henry)LondonSeptember 1826NS 17201-08
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THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. SEPTEMBER 1, 1826. ORIGINAL PAPERS. ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH OFFICER IN GREECE. NO. II.
On the 15th of June, I was informed that there had been a serious quarrel in
the fortress; that Trelawney was dangerously
wounded, Fenton shot, and Whitcombe detained a prisoner! I determined instantly to
go there; Vangeli proposed to accompany me, and Goura was to send an escort with us. To this I could make
no objection; though I afterwards found that Goura’s captain
expected to gain admission in the cave, by his asking me if I thought “we” should succeed in getting in. This was a fortunate hint. I
pushed on with all possible speed: it rained in torrents, which rendered the rugged and
stony paths still more difficult. As night came on, it thundered and lightened
tremendously. My party consisted of Giuseppe, one soldier, and a lad,
my pipe-bearer; Vangeli’s, of about ten men. It was proposed to
halt at the village at the foot of the mountain; but I determined to lead them on to the
Church of San Georgio.
Giuseppe had heard them say they would oppose my going in, if they
were not admitted too. In the temporary dispersion of our party as we crossed the defile
and mounted the steep ascent, I desired my pipe-bearer to tell
Giuseppe I was gone on, and immediately dashed into a thick
underwood, making my way alone towards the cave, which I reached before daybreak. Fearing
to disturb Trelawney, I entered a peasant’s
rocky dwelling at the foot of the battlements, and waited till morning, when I found my
friend supported on a couch with his wife and mother by his side. “Ah, H——, how are you?” he said on seeing me.
His wounds were indeed severe, so much so, that had he not possessed the strongest
constitution, he could not possibly have survived them. One ball had entered the back of
the neck, and turning upwards, came out of his mouth, being stopped by his teeth, one of
which it knocked out. The other ball entered lower, and lodged in his right breast. It was
now the fifth day since he had received the wounds, and he was looking much better than
could be expected, although in great pain and unable to sleep. His voice was still strong,
and he spoke without great difficulty, though his lungs were evidently affected. To obtain
medical assistance, became the main object; and I resolved to go myself to Napoli, in order
that I might procure a surgeon on whom we could rely. Kariaskaki had despatched a message to say he would send the only surgeon
then in the camp; but he had not arrived, and had he done so, we could not confidently rely
on his good faith. A practitioner in the healing art (a caloyer of a neighbouring
monastery) declined attending, from fear of incurring Goura’s displeasure.
On inquiry, I learnt that there had been no quarrel; on the contrary, since
Whitcombe’s arrival, the time had passed
in feasting and merriment. Fenton,
Whitcombe, and Trelawney,
had all dined together the preceding Saturday; and after dinner, proposed firing at a mark,
and accordingly fixed one at one end of the battlements, and posted themselves at the other
close by Trelawney’s house, who was sitting on the veranda,
looking on. They asked Cameron to join them, who took
one shot with his rifle, and then left them and went to the upper part of the cave. They
were then alone with Trelawney: they were firing with carbines.
Trelawney said, laughing, “I would beat you both with my
pistol;” and placed himself to take his aim. Fenton and
Whitcombe stood close behind him. On drawing the trigger of his
own pistol, he received two balls in his back, when he staggered to the wall without
falling, and exclaimed “Whitcombe, or somebody, has shot
me!” Fenton, with the greatest apparent anxiety, came up
and supported him, saying, “Do you think he did it on purpose?—I’ll
shoot him;” and offered to draw Trelawney’s other
pistol from his belt. Luckily, Trelawney put his hand off.
Whitcombe ran instantly from the spot, and locked himself into
Ulysses’s house, then occupied by
Fenton, which hung immediately over the landing-place of the
ladders. The soldiers now came up, and Trelawney was borne to his
house. Fenton still continued his attentions, and Tre-lawney had not any suspicion of him.
Whitcombe’s carbine was found discharged.
Fenton’s fate was at hand. As he left
Trelawney to go towards his own house, Cameron and the Turk, Mustaphao, fired
at him from the upper part of the cave, and killed him on the spot! He died without a
groan; one of the balls having passed through his breast. “Round be spun, and down be fell, To the last an infidel.” It now was discovered that Whitcombe had made
his escape, having, by means of his turban, which he untwisted and fastened to the bars of
a casement, lowered himself to the ladders; and had got down the mountain as far as the
Church of San Georgio, where he was overtaken by a lad who had been in
Fenton’s service, and by whom he was brought back without
resistance. The men now fastened a rope round his neck, and, with guns presented to his
breast, desired him to make his confession. He asserted his innocence; said it was a plot
concerted between Kariaskaki,
Fenton, and myself; that he had nothing to do with it; and,
finally, begged his life. On seeing Fenton’s body, he threw
himself down and wept over him.
Cameron was the most single-hearted fellow in
existence. I was amused at his explaining his perplexity at the supposition I could have
been concerned in such a transaction; though it must be confessed that my unexpected
appearance at the cave, my being now a government captain, and my correspondence with
Fenton while with
Kariaskaki, all tended to make Whitcombe’s assertion very plausible, and the men naturally suspected
me. Had Trelawney been killed, there was some chance
I might have been shot on my arrival. The two notes Fenton had written
me were in my havresack at a village on Mount Parnassus, where our baggage had been posted.
We looked over Fenton’s things for my answers, but could not
find them.
Cameron had long suspected Fenton’s intentions: he had been employed for two days before in
beating down balls of a larger calibre to fit a smaller gun; which he was doing, he said,
to fit Whitcombe’s carbine. When
Cameron joined these two worthies in firing at the mark, he
observed them both, particularly Whitcombe, looking pale and agitated.
I asked him why he had not mentioned his suspicions to Trelawney. He answered, “that Trelawney would
not have credited them; and he should, most probably, have had his brains blown out for
his pains.” Besides the chief’s family and
Trelawney, the only constant inhabitants of the cave, were
Fenton, Cameron, Favori,
Mustaphao, an Albanian Turk, and another old retainer of Ulysses, and two lads in Fenton’s service.
Trelawney and Cameron out of the way, the
others, who all dreaded Fenton, would not have offered much
resistance.
Fenton’s previous intrigues with Mavrocordato, of which the death of Ulysses and Trelawney
was the avowed object, naturally fixed suspicion on that Fanariot as the instigator and
primum mobile of the entire transaction.
It remains, however, in some degree a mystery. Fenton, who might have
solved it, lies buried beneath the battlements of the cave—his crimes his monumental
stone.
Young Whitcombe had written a letter
to me, which I read to Trelawney. It contained
chiefly protestations of innocence, avowing that Fenton had done every thing to poison his mind against
Trelawney. I now went to the young prisoner, who was in Ulysses’s house. He was lying asleep in his capote;
but, as I approached him, he awoke, and, on recovering himself, his first words were,
“See what you have brought me to, by advising me to come to the
cave.” (I certainly did not advise him to accept
Trelawney’s invitation, to make such use as he had of his
hospitality.) It appeared that Fenton had told him he considered
Trelawney a traitor to Ulysses, and that he
had sent messengers to Athens to inform the chief of his suspicion, and that he only waited
for authority from him to shoot Trelawney for a traitor. To young Whitcombe he held out brilliant
prospects of the influence they would have in commanding the fortress, and in possessing
its treasures and women; and thus he artfully made him the dupe of his purpose.
Three days after the above event, Ulysses, who might yet have saved Greece, fell a victim to the treachery
and inveterate malice of his enemies: he was basely assassinated at Athens, with which
place Fenton had been recently in repeated
communication.
The day now drawing to a close, I took leave of my wounded friend, in full
expectation of soon bringing him a surgeon, which then appeared the only hope of saving his
life. Trelawney had said I was like his vampyre. I
had, indeed, brought him nothing but misfortunes. Before I knew him, I lost his money,
which was carried away in the Gefuri river: my English servant Martin,
whom I had left with him, disappeared, on being sent to Hydra, with his baggage and papers;
and my visiting the cave, prevented Fenton from joining the Turks, as
on that very day he intended to have done. In the evening of Thursday, the 16th of June,
1825, I left Trelawney.
It still rained, and the day was nearly at a close, as I joined Signor
Giuseppe, who, with my two men, had been anxiously awaiting intelligence
from me at the church of San Georgio, where I had left them the night before.
Captain Vangeli and his party had retired to the village; but
though they did not seem pleased at my having stolen a march on them, very little had been
said. At the village we found Vangeli with his brother. I gave them a
very favourable account of Trelawney’s state of health, and told
them I proposed going to Napoli. I trusted to the celerity of my movements to avoid any
obstruction on the part of Goura; and having
procured a mule, by Trelawney’s order, from
the protos of the village, I left Vangeli, and took the road to
Dystoma, leaving our camp about a day’s march to their right. But the rain, which now
fell in torrents, and the extreme darkness of the night, rendered it next to impossible to
make our way through such execrable paths; and after about two hours’ march, we
sought shelter in a ruined church, where we attempted to make a fire, but found the smoke
unbearable, which, added to more than usual swarms of vermin, fairly dislodged us. We were
lying down, for an hour or two’s sleep, outside the walls, when we heard the sound of
voices and approaching footsteps. A party of Turks, we thought, beyond doubt. Our guns were
quickly ready; and, posting ourselves near the entrance of the church, we prepared to
receive the new comers, whether friend or foe. “Ποίον
είδας;” the Greek challenge of, “Who goes
there?” was now given, and answered by the same query repeated by the
stranger party. A Greek possesses intuitively the most acute and ready perception: and
Demo, one of my men, instantly pronounced them Greeks; and though
that did not completely establish them as friends, yet finding they had the advantage of
numbers I bade them welcome, making a merit of what was rather a matter of necessity. They
said they were a foraging party of Kariaskaki’s, but their knapsacks (not like those of our soldiers,
strapped in due order on their backs, but bags slung and carried under cover of their
capote, over one shoulder) indicated they had another destination; and they could have no
other object but to desert to the Turks, the way they were taking. There were fifteen of
them, and a most ruffian-like band, and we were but five; the odds were, therefore, three
to one in numbers, had they any hostile intentions. Having now more hands, we collected
wood enough to light a fire in the rain, at which I posted myself with them, forming the
usual cross-legged circle round it; and after entering gaily into conversation with this
amiable coterie, I slept an hour or two on a heap of stones, and then, with the first
glimpse of dawn, we continued our march. On reaching Dystoma, now nearly deserted by the
inhabitants, I learned there was a caique at Aspra Spitia, where we gained the sea-shore.
There were no other boats to be obtained but those which crossed the gulf laden with
supplies of corn for our camp, and we were obliged, which I would rather have avoided, to
go to the magazines where the commissariat was carried on. The wind was not fair, and there
were no hopes of sailing that day.
Saturday, 18th. The whole day passed before the boat would sail, as there
were numbers of soldiers and people going over; and when our caique put off, we had only
room to stand on deck, while the sides of our fragile bark were nearly on a level with the
water. A breeze springing up, caused a scene of perfect confusion, as half of the men began
wringing their hands, insisting on returning, and imploring all the saints in the calendar.
The sudden squalls coming from the mountains, make the gulf of Lepanto, at times, really
dangerous; and once before, crossing with a party of Ulysses’s soldiery, we narrowly escaped, and only by running our boat
on shore, which we were fortunate enough to make. The wind dying away, we proceeded slowly,
by help of oars, along the bay of Corinth, and it was past mid day, on Sunday when we
landed. The first thing I heard was, that Ulysses was dead. At first I
doubted the dismal tidings; but, on going to the commandant’s, I learned there was no
room for doubt. Ulysses’s death was as true as I believe the
reported manner of it was false.* Ulysses was murdered at Athens,
three days after Trelawney’s attempted assassination; and curse
on him who bears the guilt! It was evening ere I could get horses, and during the night we
lost our road.
Monday, 20th. On entering Napoli, almost the first person I met was
Jarvis the American. The affair of the cave was
known. I told Jarvis I was going on to my house at Gastouni; for I
knew him as an agent of Mavrocordato, to whom he
would not fail to report my arrival. I could not find Doctor
Tyndall for some time. We then agreed to leave Napoli the next day, as it
would be requisite for the Doctor to obtain a passport to leave the town (a new regulation
since I had been at head-quarters, or I would not have ventured within the walls.) I again
met Col. Fabvier, and he was amused at my
appearance, for my fustinella was black with dirt, and, to an European eye, contrasted
ridiculously with my gay gold-laced jacket and silk turban. I dined with him and Count Pozzo, and the time passed quickly in recounting our
adventures since we had parted at Malta. Fabvier was then waiting the
tardy and procrastinating determination of the government to appoint him to the command of
the skeleton, or rather embryo, of the solitary existing regiment of regulars.
21st. The next day, having made purchases of different articles for
Trelawney, which were necessary to aid his
recovery, I prepared to depart, and went out of the town. After passing the guard, I missed
Tyndall, and returning, found him detained by
the sentinel, who had been ordered to stop him by Adam
Ducas, minister of war, who happened to be walking on the ramparts above the
gate, at the very moment of our passing. I went instantly to speak to him, and following
him to his house, where he had retired, demanded the reason of Doctor
Tyndall’s detention, who was leaving the town with me. He begged me to
remain there a few moments, when he left the room. After some time I was requested to go to
the police-office, which was crowded with soldiers, and I was there told I was myself
arrested, by order of the Government, for having left the camp without leave. Leave a Greek
camp without leave! There was not a shadow of excuse in such a here unheard-of proceeding.
I cocked and drew a pistol from my belt. Had there been a gesture made to attack me, I
should have used it; but the minister of police coming up to me, implored me to surrender.
I really saw no use in taking the lives of the wretches who surrounded me, or of losing my
own without any reason, and I threw the pistol down; and then, for very vexation, burst
into tears; and then, enraged at having done so, I again thought of forcing my passage; but
on Tyndall’s coming in I remembered the first object was to
procure Trelawney a surgeon. I myself could be of no use to him, or I
should not have left the cave when I was there. Tyndall therefore went
to Mavrocordato, and represented
* See “Picture of Greece,” vol. i. p. 256.
the injurious treatment he had received, as a foreigner, in being
detained from going to aid his countryman, who had fallen a victim to private treachery;
Mavrocordato of course very politicly agreed with him, and said it
was natural he should go pour sauver son
compatriote. He professed, instead of wishing to impede his progress, to
be willing to render him every facility, and assured him that the government would afford
an escort for his journey; which amicable disposition was greatly called forth by
Tyndall’s hint that he might be able to negotiate with
Trelawney to give up possession of the cave.
Tyndall also begged to have at least one of my men to accompany
him, not placing implicit faith on the government escort. Even that was at first denied;
but it was finally settled he was to go the next day, while I was to remain in durance
vile, solacing myself, however, that I had succeeded in procuring a surgeon for
Trelawney. I now amused myself in venting, in most unqualified
terms, my indignation, at being confined on so frivolous a charge; and desired the minister
of police to tell Mavrocordato I fully expected some attempt on his
part to make me his next victim. Having written him a letter to the same effect, I demanded
of the government to be either tried or set at liberty. Had they (considering Ulysses as a rebel) arrested me on the suspicion of
favouring his party, they would have been nearer the mark. I was now in a novel situation,
a prisoner in a little stone room, looking into a walled court-yard. My companions were a
man confined for a murder he had just committed, another for a robbery, and the third was a
captain of Ulysses, who had joined the Turks. The minister of police,
no thanks to the government, had indeed the politeness to send me a mattress of his own;
but the host of fleas that infested the room made it useless, and I slept out in the yard,
which was not so far any great hardship to me, as I had so long been used to make the
ground my couch. I now applied to the minister of war to demand rations for myself and men;
and on their being refused, I wrote to Mavrocordato, to ask how he
reconciled the inconsistency of my being arrested and detained as an officer in their
service, on a charge of a breach of discipline, at the same time that I was refused
rations. Several of my friends taking up my cause, Emanuel
Kalergi, chiefly through Colleti’s influence, obtained leave for me to quit my prison for his
house, he making himself responsible for my appearance. As every thing depended on
Tyndall’s arriving, without obstruction, at the cave, I did
not hesitate an instant to go on my parole, as my not doing so would evidently indicate an
intention to attempt to regain the cave, which was what they were resolved to prevent. Any
endeavour to do so, before Tyndall had seen
Trelawney, would have afforded Mavrocordato a
plea for preventing his rendering any assistance. With this idea I accepted
Kalergi’s kind offer, but which I afterwards greatly
regretted.
——23d. I was now in more comfortable quarters than I had been
for some time; Kalergi’s room being fitted up
m the Franc style. Signor Giuseppe had found some of his countrymen,
so we were better off than on the mountains of Parnassus; but chains, however slight,
fetter and gall the very soul. Monsieur le Capitaine Derinais,
commanding a French frigate in the Porte, very politely sent me word, that if Captain Hamilton, whom he knew was on the point of
arriving, had not been on the spot, he should have been happy to afford me protection. I
wrote also to my friend Captain Maclean, at Zante,
to free myself as soon as possible from arrest, which, on the grounds stated, was most
unauthorised and unjust.
——24th. The Egyptians were now at Tripolizza, and the greatest
consternation prevailed in Napoli. The streets were crowded with armed soldiery and the
populace; while there was not, in case of a siege, a week’s provision within the
walls. The only preparations for defence were carried on by a few Turkish prisoners in the
arsenal, under the direction of Colonel Fabvier and
his officers, to whom they still hesitated to give the command of the only regiment of
regulars, consisting of about three hundred men. Prince
Demetrius Ipsilanti occupied the position of the Mulos by the seaside, in
the plain of Argos. The poor families, flocking from Tripolizza, were
now necessarily refused admittance within the walls, and remained at the gates, not knowing
where to seek safety.
——25th. The Arabs attacked the Mulos, and we could hear and see
the fire. St. George and merry England! I was as badly off as
Ivanhoe, and had no lovely Rebecca to answer my question, “How speeds the fight?”
——26th. The Arabs were repulsed yesterday, and continued their
march on Argos. Oh for an English vessel I fettered feet are the worst of ills. Colonel Fabvier went out on a reconnoisance.
——27th. The Turkish cavalry rode under the very walls of the
town, and captured some camels. A party of about thirty Greeks, chiefly Bulgarians, went
out excellently mounted, Kalergi, who was
responsible for my appearance, joining them: I accompanied him. Taking the lead, with four
others, we fell in with a party of about fifty Mamelukes; but, fearing we were supported,
as we debouched from behind a hill, they did not charge us; and, after exchanging a few
pistol-shots, they retired. On returning, we fell in with our main body, who were also
skirmishing with a strong party. My horse was a fine Arab, but very unmanageable. Charging
alone, and presenting my pistol, which missed fire, and wheeling à la Turque, he turned restive; which being perceived, the
Turks singled me out, and their shots whizzed right and left: some Greeks then coming up, I
got off. I strove to the utmost, to make the Greeks form and charge in a body, but in vain;
and the Turks charging, drove us back. I turned on one who had advanced before the rest,
and who checked his horse till joined by his comrades; and then, being left quite alone, I
reined back in my turn, and followed the others. It is impossible to effect any thing with
men who will neither follow nor support you. We had only three horses wounded, and no men.
It was a pretty sight enough, and the whole town was on the ramparts looking on. On
entering the town I found that a massacre of the few remaining prisoners was going on. One
poor fellow, who was in the service of a Greek captain, was dragged along the streets just
under my windows, followed by a young Cretan soldier; who, on overtaking him, buried his
ataghan in his body. The Turk, he said, had exulted at the sight of his countrymen carrying
their victories to the walls of Napoli.
——28th. The Turks had, to all appearances, evacuated the plain,
after setting fire to the town of Argos and the surrounding villages. Our party of cavalry
the next day taking the field to reconnoitre, I again joined them, and we advanced towards
Argos. Being now well mounted in the plain which opened towards Corinth, I deeply regretted
I was prevented, by my parole to Kalergi, from
attempting to regain the cave; but I could not break that pledge. Three only of our party
rode into Argos with me; and we galloped through the smoking ruins, uncertain whether some
detachment of the enemy might not remain there. I recollect a Greek, who had attached
himself to me, rode immediately to two different houses, one of which I remembered having
been quartered in once with Ulysses. He told me they
belonged to him. They were the best in the town, and both were left unpillaged. Ibrahim Pacha, I have heard, had a party in the garrison
of Napoli, and expected the gates to be treacherously opened to him. This fellow, it would
seem, must have had some understanding with the Pacha. The Turks had all retired on
Tripolizza, and we rode back again to Napoli without any encounters.
——29th. Captain Hamilton
arrived last night in his pinnace, and had a long interview with the Government. The Cambrian came into the bay in the morning; a yacht of Mr.
Penley’s in company with her. I requested Kalergi to mention that I proposed going on board the frigate to speak to
Captain Hamilton: which he did to Mavrocordato, who answered, my affair would be settled the next day. In the
evening, Mr. Mason, Mr.
Emerson, and one or two other Englishmen, arrived from Hydra, where they had
witnessed a horrible massacre of a hundred and fifty Turkish prisoners; and Mr.
Emerson and Mr. Tenant resolved on leaving Greece, and
afterwards went on board the Cambrian.
——30th. “What villainy! Doctor Tyndall has been detained at Corinth, and not allowed to go to
the cave.” Finding these words noted in my journal, I went to Mavrocordato’s house, resolved on seeing him at
least. He was not there. He was with the President, and I could not gain access to him. I
went instantly on board the Cambrian, no longer considering myself
bound by any promise, where they acted with such barefaced treachery. My interview with
Captain Hamilton was satisfactory. He talked of
sending a surgeon from the ship to Trelawney, if he
could possibly arrange it.
July 1. Friday. I find I have accused Mavrocordato wrongfully, in charging him with detaining Tyndall. I received a note from him to-day; wherein it
appears he had been detained by contrary winds, and surprised by a party of Turks; having
lost his baggage, and being without money, Tyndall gave up going, and
went to the island of Cerigo, where my servant, whom I had sent with him, left him and
returned to me. So there is no chance of my getting a surgeon here for Trelawney; nor can I get back to the cave, having given my
parole not to leave Napoli without leave of the Government; nor could I, indeed, have
marched, for my horse had wounded me in the foot at Argos, which rendered me completely
lame—though that alone would not have prevented my making the attempt. Finding a
soldier going to Roumelia that I could rely on, I wrote Trelawney a
hasty note. The Rose sloop of war, commanded by the Hon. Captain Abbot, was to sail the next day for Zante;
and I asked for a passage in her, which was accorded me, Mavrocordato
telling Captain Hamilton they only wished me to
leave the country; which, indeed, I had resolved on doing:—but with the full
determination of seizing the first opportunity to return from the Ionian Islands, and
rejoin Trelawney, I took leave of Col.
Fabvier, whom I left suffering from a severe attack of fever; and I well
remember, though unhappily I have been induced to neglect, his admonition, not to publish
any thing about Greece; for telling the truth is an unpopular mode of writing: but be it a
merit or a demerit, I lay claim to have undeviatingly adhered to it; and what I am now
scribbling I do most unwillingly, and worse than Falstaff, “by compulsion,” though of my own creating.
On going on board, and being again welcomed among my countrymen, the change
appeared indeed delightful. It gave me a perfect attack du
maladie du pays, to see so many English faces around me, while every
thing looked so thoroughly comfortable; and at night I felt quite awed at lying down on the
snow-white sheets in the hammock prepared for me, having been so long a stranger to such
luxury. On describing Trelawney’s wounds to
Dr. Porteus, surgeon of the Rose, he pronounced his death would
either take place soon after I last left him, or, had he survived to the present time, he
would be no longer in such imminent danger; and that the ball remaining without being
immediately extracted, would not be of material consequence. The die then was either cast,
or there was no immediate fear for his life. Our first lieutenant, Mr.
Gregory, was an intimate friend of Whitcombe and his family, and I gave the most favourable colouring I
possibly could to the transaction, which I had not time, indeed, thoroughly to investigate,
for I was then inclined to think Whitcombe had not himself fired at
Trelawney. After a pleasant sail, we made Zante on the 9th of
July, where, taking leave of my kind friends on board, as Captain Abbot was to proceed immediately to Corfu, I again entered the
Lazzaretto off Zante, where, three years before, I had, when reduced to the last extremity
by a severe fever, nearly finished my career. Captain
Maclean and Dr. Porteus, with their usual attention and
urbanity, called to make every offer for my accommodation. I wrote to Sir Frederic Adam to request his interference in behalf of
Trelawney and Whitcombe, as being two
Englishmen; and determined to wait the result.
——12th. The resident, Sir Charles
Sutton, called with Captain Maclean
they had heard from Sir Frederick, who replied he
could not officially inter-fere, though he had no objection to any
vessel that happened to be near the spot, extricating them. My best plan then will be to
apply again to Captain Hamilton. A French merchant
of Zante, who had just come from the Turkish camp, and was with me in quarantine, said
there was an English doctor whom he expected over from Prevesa, who would, he had no doubt,
engage to go to the cave; and as the Turkish fleet, blockading Missolonghi now occupied the
Gulf of Lepanto, it was the only remaining chance, unless one of our vessels would
undertake to go.
——13th. Mr. Manly Power
of the 85th, who had been on a cruise with Captain Hamilton, came into
quarantine, which made our time pass as pleasantly as a state of forced confinement could
allow. Having come to Zante on board a ship of war, the days we passed at sea were counted,
and we had only nine days captivity to endure.
There was a captain of a Tribacalo, an adventurous fellow, whom, if I
determined on going up the Gulf, I could engage; and I wrote to Captain Maclean, to ask, as I had now left the Greek service, if I was not
entitled to a passport, as a trusty, loyal, and well-beloved subject of Great Britain. To
redeem my losses, I purposed commencing trader, and forthwith to hire a good ship to go up the Gulf of Lepanto, there to
freight what goods might prove most advantageous; for which voyage I requested a passport
to pass unmolested through the sublime Sultan’s dominions. Captain
Maclean answered, he did not think the colonel would feel himself at liberty
to give me a passport for those parts; for, as I was so well-known a character, I could not
pass without being recognized; but that he would speak to Captain Hamilton, who was then outside the bay, about the cave affair. I
also wrote to Colonel Napier, who was known to
Trelawney, to request his influence. The most
effectual means of accomplishing my object to aid Trelawney, was
certainly to get an English vessel to undertake his rescue, though not so perilous and
dashing a manner of effecting it, as if, at all hazards, I attempted to accomplish it by
myself; but success was too uncertain not to determine me, in common prudence, to wait
first the event of what Captain Hamilton might determine to do.
The 21st was the day of our emancipation from quarantine, and, accepting
Captain Maclean’s offer to take up my
quarters with him, I once more entered into civilized society, after so long a period
passed in adventurous life. I exchanged my gay Albanian for the demure Franc dress. On the
3d of August, I learnt last, that the Sparrowhawk had gone for
Trelawney, and Major
Bacon, who had visited the cave soon after I had left it, accompanied them;
there was then no longer a doubt of their succeeding. When British tars put their hand to a
work, one is sure that what man can do will be done.
I was now requested to accompany Captain
Demetrius Miaoulis on his mission to England, and I willingly embraced the
opportunity of returning so advantageously; and on the 15th, leaving Zante again, to cross
over to the Morea, as the admiral’s brig Cimone was then
lying off Clarenza,—on the 16th we sailed for England, and arrived on the 3d of
October at Portsmouth.
On Mr. Emerson’s and
Mr. Tenant’s arrival in England, I learnt of Trelawney’s safe arrival at Cephalonia. They had
been with him on board the Cambrian. Whitcombe is now with Goura, in high
favour. I know not whether he finds, like Marmion, that
in the hour of battle, “sinful heart makes feeble hand.”