"Scrofer (or some such name), on board a
Cephaloniote Mistico, Dec. 31. 1823.
"My dear Stanhope,
"We are just arrived here, that is, part of my people and I, with
some things, &c., and which it may be as well not to specify in a
letter (which has a risk of being intercepted, perhaps);--but Gamba,
and my horses, negro, steward, and the press, and all the Committee
things, also some eight thousand dollars of mine, (but never mind, we
have more left, do you understand?) are taken by the Turkish
frigates, and my party and myself, in another boat, have had a narrow
escape last night, (being close under their stern and hailed, but we
would not answer, and bore away,) as well as this morning. Here we
are, with the sun and clearing weather, within a pretty little port
enough; but whether our Turkish friends may not send in their boats
and take us out (for we have no arms except two carbines and some
pistols, and, I suspect, not more than four fighting people on
board,) is another question, especially if we remain long here, since
we are blocked out of Missolonghi by the direct entrance.
"You had better send my friend George Drake (Draco), and a body of
Suliotes, to escort us by land or by the canals, with all convenient
speed. Gamba and our Bombard are taken into Patras, I suppose; and we
must take a turn at the Turks to get them out: but where the devil is
the fleet gone?--the Greek, I mean; leaving us to get in without the
least intimation to take heed that the Moslems were out again.
"Make my respects to Mavrocordato, and say that I am here at his
disposal. I am uneasy at being here: not so much on my own account as
on that of a Greek boy with me, for you know what his fate would be;
and I would sooner cut him in pieces, and myself too, than have him
taken out by those barbarians. We are all very well. N. B.
"The Bombard was twelve miles out when taken; at least, so it
appeared to us (if taken she actually be, for it is not certain); and
we had to escape from another vessel that stood right between us and
the port."
Finding that his position among the rocks of the Scrofes would be
untenable in the event of an attack by armed boats, he thought it
right to venture out again, and making all sail, got safe to
Dragomestri, a small sea-port town on the coast of Acarnania; from
whence the annexed letters to two of the most valued of his
Cephalonian friends were written.