seless of his vessels back to Poros for a fresh
supply, and with an earnest entreaty that some efficient reinforcements
might also be forwarded to him, announcing his intention of waiting in
the neighbourhood in hopes of achieving some better success. "Your
excellencies may rest assured," he said in his letter to the Government,
"that our visit to Alexandria will have a powerful effect in paralysing
the equipment of an expedition, and I have every reason to conclude that
the example made before their eyes of the brig-of-war will deter any of
the numerous neutral vessels from engaging as transports in the
expedition equipping by the Pasha. The sensation created must indeed
have been powerful as two neutral vessels of war made the signal for
pilots before we weighed anchor on the morning of the 17th, under the
impression, no doubt, that a more effectual attack would shortly be
attempted. I am going to make a short tour, with a view, as far as I am
enabled with the inadequate means at my disposal, to distract and
paralyse the enemy."
In accordance with that purpose, being already near Cyprus, Lord
Cochrane conducted his fleet a little further north, and anchored, on
the 23rd of June, off Phineka, in Asia Minor, where, after a brief fight
with the Turks, he effected a landing, and received some much-needed
food and water. Thence he addressed letters, urging the prompt despatch
of the necessary stores and vessels, to the Government, to the primates
of Hydra, and to Dr. Gosse.
From this halting-place, also, he sent a noteworthy letter to Mahomet
Ali, the Pasha of Egypt, a supplement to one which he had addressed to
him nearly a year before, when he was on his way to enter the service of
the Greeks.
"Your employing foreigners in your military and naval service," he had
said in the former letter, which will be best quoted in this place, "the
privilege which you claim and exercise of building and equipping
ships-of-war in neutral states, and of purchasing steam-vessels and
hiring transports under neutral flags, for hostile purposes, and to
transport to slavery a people whom the Ottoman arms have never yet been
able wholly to subdue, warrant a belief, whatever your sentiments may
be, that the civilized, educated, and liberal portion of mankind will be
gratified that succours similar to those which you, unfortunately, have
hitherto obtained from these states are now about to be afforded to the
brave, the oppressed, and suffe
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