Voyage to Cephalonia--Letter--Count Gamba's Address--Grateful
Feelings of the Turks--Endeavours of Lord Byron to mitigate the
Horrors of the War
Lord Byron, after leaving Argostoli, on the 29th December, 1823, the
port of Cephalonia, sailed for Zante, where he took on board a
quantity of specie. Although the distance from Zante to Missolonghi
is but a few hours' sail, the voyage was yet not without adventures.
Missolonghi, as I have already mentioned, was then blockaded by the
Turks, and some address was necessary, on that account, to effect an
entrance, independent of the difficulties, at all times, of
navigating the canals which intersect the shallows. In the following
letter to Colonel Stanhope, his Lordship gives an account of what
took place. It is very characteristic; I shall therefore quote it.
"Scrofer, or some such name, on board a
Cephaloniate Mistice, Dec. 31, 1823.
"MY DEAR STANHOPE,--We are just arrived here--that is, part of my
people and I, with some things, etc., 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 sun and charming 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, 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. We are very well.-
-Yours, etc.
"N. B.
"P.S. 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 in between us
and the port."
Colonel Stanhope on receiving this despatch, which was carried to him
by two of Lord Byron's servants, sent two armed boats, and a company
of Suliotes, to escort his Lordship to Missolonghi, where he arrived
on the 5th of January, and was received with military honours, and
the most enthusiastic demonstrations of popular joy. No mark of
respect which the Greeks could think of was omitted. The ships fired
a salute as he passed. Prince Mavrocordato, and all the authorities,
with the troops and the population, met him on his landing, and
accompanied him to the house which had been prepared for him, amid
the shouts of the multitude and the discharge of cannon.
In the meantime, Count Gamba and his companions being taken before
Yusuff Pasha at Patras, expected to share the fate of certain
unfortunate prisoners whom that stern chief had sacrificed the
preceding year at Prevesa; and their fears would probably have been
realised but for the intrepid presence of mind displayed by the
Count, who, assuming a haughty style, accused the Ottoman captain of
the frigate of a breach of neutrality, in detaining a vessel under
English colours, and concluded by telling the Pasha that he might
expect the vengeance of the British Government in thus interrupting a
nobleman who was merely on his travels, and bound to Calamata.
Perhaps, however, another circumstance had quite as much influence
with the Pasha as this bravery. In the master of the vessel he
recognised a person who had saved his life in the Black Sea fifteen
years before, and in consequence not only consented to the vessel's
release, but treated the whole of the passengers with the utmost
attention, and even urged them to take a day's shooting in the
neighbourhood.
The first measure which his Lordship attempted after his arrival, was
to mitigate the ferocity with which the war was carried on; one of
the objects, as he explained to my friend who visited him at Genoa,
which induced him to embark in the cause. And it happened that the
very day he reached the town was signalised by his rescuing a Turk
who had fallen into the hands of some Greek sailors. This man was
clothed by his Lordship's orders, and sent over to Patras; and soon
after Count Gamba's release, hearing that four other Turks were
prisoners in Missolonghi, he requested that they might be placed in
his hands, which was immediately granted. These he also sent to
Patras, with a letter addressed to Yusuff, expressing his hope that
the prisoners thence-forward taken on both sides would be treated
with humanity. This act was followed by another equally
praiseworthy. A Greek cruiser having captured a Turkish boat, in
which there was a number of passengers, chiefly women and children,
they were also placed at the disposal of his Lordship, at his
particular request. Captain Parry has given a description of the
scene between Lord Byron, and that multitude of mothers and children,
too interesting to be omitted here. "I was summoned to attend him,
and receive his orders that everything should be done which might
contribute to their comfort. He was seated on a cushion at the upper
end of the room, the women and children were standing before him with
their eyes fixed steadily on him; and on his right hand was his
interpreter, who was extracting from the women a narrative of their
sufferings. One of them, apparently about thirty years of age,
possessing great vivacity, and whose manners and dress, though she
was then dirty and disfigured, indicated that she was superior in
rank and condition to her companions, was spokeswoman for the whole.
I admired the good order the others preserved, never interfering with
the explanation, or interrupting the single speaker. I also admired
the rapid manner in which the interpreter explained everything they
said, so as to make it almost appear that there was but one speaker.
After a short time it was evident that what Lord Byron was hearing
affected his feelings; his countenance changed, his colour went and
came, and I thought he was ready to weep. But he had, on all
occasions, a ready and peculiar knack in turning conversation from
any disagreeable or unpleasant subject; and he had recourse to this
expedient. He rose up suddenly, and, turning round on his heel as
was his wont, he said something to his interpreter, who immediately
repeated it to the women. All eyes were immediately fixed on me; and
one of the party, a young and beautiful woman, spoke very warmly.
Lord Byron seemed satisfied, and said they might retire. The women
all slipped off their shoes in an instant, and, going up to his
Lordship, each in succession, accompanied by their children, kissed
his hand fervently, invoked, in the Turkish manner, a blessing, both
on his hand and heart, and then quitted the room. This was too much
for Lord Byron, and he turned his face away to conceal his emotion"
A vessel was then hired, and the whole of them, to the number of
twenty-four, were sent to Prevesa, provided with every requisite for
their comfort during the passage. These instances of humanity
excited a sympathy among the Turks. The Governor of Prevesa thanked
his Lordship, and assured him that he would take care that equal
attention should be in future paid to the Greeks, who might fall into
his hands.