Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. — a Memoir by Lady Biddulph of Ledbury
page 79 of 274 (28%)
page 79 of 274 (28%)
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enriching themselves. Such was his opinion of this Govt., and he assured
me himself that not one of their heads should be on their shoulders in ten days if they did not distribute this money in such a way as to ensure something like a successful campaign against the Turks. They have however given what I suppose they could not keep from him and what he _had before_; the command in _Livadia_, and pay 5000 men for him. 'I had some very amusing excursions with this Chief and we became great friends, he is in person one of the handsomest and finest men I ever saw, and had Maria seen him manage his horse she would never have forgotten it. I could give very interesting accounts of our picnics and rides, when his Albanians roasted the sheep whole stuffed with almonds and raisins, &c. &c. but it will take more time than I can spare, and I fear by this time you will be nearly tired, but you must bear with me up to the date I write from before I give up. The other Chiefs of Note, Mavrocordato and Colcotronis, are men of perfectly different characters but both by their different means attempting to aggrandize themselves. The former's weapons are his talents and his tongue, the latter's his courage and his sword. Colcotronis rebelled and try'd to overthrow the provisional Government, he blockaded Napoli and was for some weeks fighting with the Govt. Corps in the Plains of Argos, but Odysseus appearing on the mountain, neither knowing which side he would take, they suspended their arms and a reconciliation was brought about. I think of late there has been a little more apparent conduct in the Chiefs than before. I see in our papers great puffs about the fighting in Greece. The warfare, in fact, is desultory and next to ridiculous excepting in the passes of the Mountains, and when Turkish cavalry are caught there the Greeks always kill them all. As yet the campaign is rather against the Greek by the loss of Psara, their chief Naval Island, |
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