reach of sober calculation. We must needs confess that very few precautions, with the view of counteracting the diplomacy of our neighbours, have been taken by the London committee. Indeed, we cannot look back to a single act of that committee, which evinces any thing like wisdom or well-timed activity, in the operations which it professes to direct for the promotion of the Greek cause. The only expedition it sent out failed. The two loans which have been contracted under its auspices, and which have been chiefly administered under its controul, have served only, from the mode in which they have been applied, to inflame and bring into mischievous collision the elements of discord, which were already too abundant in Greece. The money thus raised has been wholly lost, not only to those who supplied it, but, what is still more to be regretted, to the great object for which it was destined. We accuse the committee, however, of no intentional errors in its conduct it is composed of many honourable men; but we believe it would be difficult to select any number of individuals less fitted for the purpose for which they constituted themselves a committee, than the majority of those who have taken an active share in its proceedings.

The letters of their representative' Mr. Bulwer, as he styles himself, are no unfaithful reflection of the character of the committee itself. They are written in an ambitious and desultory style, and contain beneath a world of words and professions very little practical information. The remarks which are subjoined to them by a late resident in Greece, are still more pompous, and furnish us with no information at all. The work called An Autumn in Greece' we shall therefore take the liberty of passing over, in order to come to Mr. Emerson's journal, which is by far the most vivid and the most intelligent portion of these volumes. Count Pecchio and Mr. Humphreys do little more than corroborate the evidence which Mr. Emerson has given, while in picturesque description and conciseness as well as importance of detail they do not affect to rival him. Indeed, the Count, with true Neapolitan facility, seems ready for any form of government in Greece, which might advance his fortunes. General Roche is his particular friend,' and accordingly he insinuates, with great politeness, his wishes for a monarchical constitution, which might unite the Greeks under one head, -who perhaps might give some employment to Count Pecchio. Italy and Spain have witnessed his fruitless heroism in the cause of liberty; hitherto he has been equally unhappy in Greece; and the only decree of fate that could be propitious to him would be the establishment of a Bourbon and a standing army in the Morea. Mr. Humphreys writes under feelings of considerable irritation; for the only compensation which he received for his services in the Greek cause, was imprisonment and permission to escape on board a British frigate. It is very natural, therefore, that he should paint the Greeks in the most odious light,

6

-he certainly does so, though not to the extent that his unmerited treatment would seem to justify.

2

Mr. Emerson, who seems to have visited Greece without any defined purpose of mixing himself up with its affairs, landed in the Morea in the latter end of March, 1825. The winter had been spent by the Greeks in a state of discord among themselves, and consequently of inactivity. This spirit of disunion, which has produced such disastrous consequences, is sometimes referred to jealousies existing between the Moreots and the Roumeliots, the government being supposed by the former too partial to the latter. We apprehend that the real source of their evils lies among the leaders, each of whom,' as Mr. Emerson observes, seems to have a separate interest of his own; and this, whether it be popular fame or personal aggrandizement, has always preponderated and been the cause of dissension.' One of the worst effects of this petty rivalry of the chieftains was the insurrection of Colocotroni and his sons, assisted by the Moreots, against the government. Their rebellion was not effectually quelled till towards the latter end of 1824, and it thus prevented any attempt on the fortress of Patras, still in possession of the Turks, which might have been easily taken in the winter. During this period, Mechmet Ali, the Viceroy of Egypt, was making his preparations in concert with the Porte to reduce the Morea. The troops of the Sultan it would seem were to penetrate it by the north, while those of the Viceroy were to. invade it at the south. The Egyptian squadron commanded by his step-son Ibrahim Pacha, and consisting in all of thirty sail, anchored off Modon on the 24th of February, 1825, and disembarked 6000 soldiers, infantry and cavalry, well armed and disciplined, and, to their dishonour be it spoken, commanded chiefly by European officers. Here Ibrahim waited until he was joined by a reinforcement from Candia, and on the 20th of March he encamped with 14,000 soldiers before Navarino, one of the best protected ports of the Morea. The acknowledged Greek leaders in the Morea at this period were Conduriotti, president of the executive body, and his first secretary of state Mavrocordato, who without any right to such a rank assumed the title of Prince. Colocotroni and his immediate followers had been imprisoned in a monastery in the island of Hydra. The famous Ulysses, who was suspected of aiming at the sovereignty of Greece, had prepared for himself a place of refuge in a singular cave in Mount Parnassus, which nature and art conspired to render inaccessible to an enemy, and having drawn off his forces from the united army of Greece, confined his attentions to his own province and possessions in Livadia, While in this situation he held an intercourse with the Pacha of Negropont, which gave rise to suspicions of his fidelity to the cause of Greece. The motives of his conduct on this occasion are involved in mystery, which can only be solved by supposing that he was ready to make use of any instrument for the purpose of gratifying his ambition.

Such was the state of affairs when Mr. Emerson landed in the latter end of March at Clarenza, whence he proceeded through Elis, Arcadia, and Argolis, to Napoli di Romania, that is to say, from the western to the eastern coast of the Morea, without meeting a level valley of more than a mile in circumference, with the exception of the little mountain-plain in which Tripolizza is situated.' There are no roads in the Morea, a deficiency which may be felt by the invading army, while the wildness of the country and the innumerable mountain-passes afford the Greeks many natural advantages, if they have the prudence and the courage to profit of them. Neither are there bridges in the Morea; every river must be forded or passed in ferries, another serious obstacle to the Egyptian army. To a traveller of taste, such as Mr. Emerson appears to be, the country, however, presents many charms. From Clarenza to Gastouni he observes:

The ground, even at this early season, was covered with a profusion. of wild and beautiful flowers, which, with the immense beds of thyme, that grew in every direction, loaded the air with fragrance: the only shrubs or trees were now and then a solitary olive, springing up amidst thickets of myrtles and lentiscus, which grew in abundance, and round their roots sprung a luxuriant crop of crocuses and acanthus. In every direction were browsing extensive flocks of sheep, the tinkling of whose bells, joined to the chirruping of grasshoppers, and the picturesque dress of the shepherds, who still bore the classical crook, told us, at once, that we were approaching Arcadia.'—pp. 47, 48.

Pursuing their way from Gastouni, nearly along the shore, Mr. Emerson and his companions were ferried over the muddy and. turbulent stream of the Alpheus,' and then began to enter the mountain-country, the scenery of which he paints with considerable strength and beauty of colouring.

'Our route now, as far as Cristena, was very fine. Hitherto we had. been passing almost constantly along the shore, with no variety of prospect, and nothing to diversify the dull, endless plain around us: now turning to the left, we commenced penetrating into the heart of the country, by a pass in the mountains, which commanded a splendid prospect of the plain and villages we had just left, as well as the romantic hills which we were entering. These hills were covered with magnificent forests of pines, echoing with the song of a thousand birds, the lively chirp of the grasshoppers, and the hum of crowds of bees which flew wantoning from flower to flower, amidst the beds of thyme and aromatic shrubs that covered the ground. The peaceful character of the scene was occasionally diversified by the scream of an eagle, as he rose from the wild rocks that raised their hoary summits above the surrounding pines, and soared through the sluggish clouds that lay lagging on the sky far beneath his flight. After descending those delicious hills, we entered upon a valley equally beautiful; along which a little branch of the Acheron wound, like a silver thread, through groves of pines and olive-trees; and on this delightful spot, on a small eminence covered with lentiscus and fruit-trees, we gained the first sight of Cristena. Even this retired little valley had lately been undergoing its share of the miseries of war. A party of Greek soldiers, on their

march from Patras, had committed such ravages a few days before, that, on our arrival, we found the town almost totally deserted; only a few of the inhabitants having as yet returned from their retreats in the adjacent mountains, whither they had removed their familes for security, till the tide of terror should have swept past.

The following morning, after having, as usual, spent the night in the vacant apartment of a cottage, we set out for Andruzzena, which was about twenty-four miles distant, or as the Greeks calculate it, eight hours; their reckoning generally allowing three miles to an hour. Our route still continued through the same magnificent scenery as the day before, the wildness of the scene and the peculiar character of the mountains strongly resembling the singular valley of Mallaverne in Savoy. The country, however, became gradually richer, and produced a greater variety of trees and plants; olives, oaks, and acacias were mingled in greater numbers with the hardy branches of the mountainpines, and the ground was thickly covered with mastics and myrtles, through natural arbours of which the road frequently wound under a shade totally impervious to the sun-beams.'- pp. 60-63.

As they proceeded towards Andruzzena (the ancient Trapezus), the country presented a different aspect. Their road lay along the rocky beds of winter-torrents, through hills heaped together in the most promiscuous confusion. After a tedious and fatiguing journey, they arrived at Andruzzena, to which distance had lent enchantment, but which, on a nearer view, turned out, like most of the Greek towns, to be the abode of filth and misery. The travellers, however, had the good fortune to be received in the most hospitable manner by the Exapxos, a fine young man, of whose appearance and manners Mr. Emerson has given a highly graphic description.

His house, which was situated near the entrance of the town, consisted of two stories, the better Greek houses seldom exceeding that height. The lower of these was now fitted up as a prison for malefactors; and to the upper we ascended by a balcony, which ran along the entire front of the house, and served as a corridor to the several apartments, which had no internal communication with each other. On entering, we came into the apartment of the chief, which composed one half of the extent of the mansion, the remainder being divided into his bed-room, kitchen, and apartments for his suite.

During the few days which bad weather obliged us to remain with him, we had sufficient leisure to make some observations on his character and manners. The latter, like those of the higher orders of his countrymen, were decidedly Turkish. The room in which he received us was fitted up in complete Ottoman style, with stained-glass windows, inlaid ceiling, splendid carpets, mats, cushions, and numerous vases of gold and silver fish. On taking our seats, we were, as usual, presented with a chibouqué and some coffee; whilst our news was eagerly inquired after by our obliging host. He was about twenty-five years of age: he had formerly enjoyed a confidential situation under the present government, viz. the disposing of the forfeited Turkish lands in his province, and on the expiration of his commission, had obtained from the government his present eparchy. His dress was accurately national, but formed of the most costly materials, and covered with an abundance of braiding and

embroidery; whilst his pistols and silver-mounted ataghan were of exquisite design and workmanship. Though his conversation was lively, his manners were indolent and oriental: he reclined almost the entire day on a velvet cushion, surrounded by his attendants, smoking his chibouqué, sipping coffee, or counting over and over again the polished beads of his amber combolojo. Of his dress he was particularly vain, and received with evident pleasure all the praises which we bestowed upon it. On such occasions, he usually arose, set forward his elbow, turned out his heel, and surveying himself from top to toe, replied with evident complacency, “Ναι, το φόρημά μας είναι αρκετον καλον, Why, yes, our costume is certainly pretty.'

Our fare, during our stay, consisted of lamb, fowls, milk, eggs, and vegetables; and though it was Lent, our accommodating host made no scruple to join in our uncanonical repast. Our breakfast was, generally, made up of curds and eggs, with a little milk and cheese; but the dinner was a somewhat more perplexing affair. Our table was a small round board, raised half a foot from the floor; and round this we were obliged to squat tailor-wise; as to have stretched our limbs would have thrown us at rather an incommodious distance from our provisions. In this posture, by no means an agreeable one to the uninitiated, we were obliged to remain during the tedious process of a Grecian repast, which seldom occupied less than an hour. Our first course consisted of boiled rice, mixed up with yaourl or sour curds, eggs fried and swimming in olive oil, and a mixed dish of boiled vegetables, chopped leeks, spinage, sorrel, and mustard-leaves. The second, a stewed fowl stuffed with plum-pudding, roast lamb, and cairare, rather an odoriferous dish, composed of the entrails of the salmon and cuttle-fish, fermented and tempered with oil. Our third remove contained milk in all its different preparations of curd, cheese, and runnet, various combinations of boiled, roast, and whipped eggs; the whole washed down with plentiful draughts of Samian wine, supplied by a cup-bearer, who, in proper oriental style, stood constantly behind the cushion of his chieftain. Our desert, as it was winter, consisted chiefly of oranges and dried fruit, figs, dates, and raisins; on the whole, our feasts were not only classical, but palatable; and when all was concluded, a comfortable room, in which to strew our beds, was a favour as acceptable as it was uncommon.'-pp. 67-71.

From Andruzzena Mr. Emerson and his friends proceeded tỏ Tripolizza, which he found in a miserable state of dilapidation. It was, under the Turks, the capital of the Morea; but, during the contest for their expulsion, it has been reduced almost to ruins. It is surrounded by a sort of high garden wall, and its fortifications consist only of a few paltry towers and a weak citadel, badly situated. Having seldom seen those districts of the Morea so well described, we make no apology for presenting the reader with another picture of the romantic scenery through which Mr. Emerson passed after quitting Tripolizza.

'Our road lay over, or rather down, the tremendous pass of the Parthenian mountain; a narrow path, called the Bey's Causeway, wound along the shelf of a terrific precipice, whilst on our left yawned a glen of tremendous depth, with a brawling stream toiling through its centre. After passing this sublime scene, which lasted for about one mile and a half, we entered on a small valley, which contained the ruins of a deso