ussia had, in the spring of
1827, openly renewed their arguments with the Porte in favour of Greek
independence. These arguments having been rejected, the two Christian
powers were in consultation as to the next course to be pursued, when
France, partly urged thereto by her schemes for the acquisition of
Algiers, then a Turkish dependency, offered to take part in the defence
of Greece. The result was a treaty signed in London, on behalf of the
three states, on the 6th of July, having for its object the enforcement
of the St. Petersburg protocol of the 4th of April, 1826. It insisted
that Greece should have internal freedom, though under vassalage to
Turkey; and provided that, if the contending parties did not agree to an
armistice within a month, there should be a forcible intervention.

The Greeks welcomed the proposals made to them in consequence of this
treaty; but they were rejected by the Turkish Government,
notwithstanding the appearance of English, French, and Russian warships
in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Reshid Pasha and Ibrahim
continued their efforts to bring the whole insurgent district into
thorough subjection, and accordingly the patriotic Greeks and their
foreign supporters continued to act on the defensive. Lord Cochrane and
a few others, indeed, were eager to secure action bolder than ever,
considering that, when the settling-time arrived, the limits of
independent Greece would be augmented if a larger area was then the
scene of zealous opposition to the Turkish power. This it was that
chiefly induced the efforts to quicken the revolt in Albania, and when
Lord Cochrane was prevented by Sir Edward Codrington from persevering in
his work in that quarter, he lost no time in sailing round to the
eastern side of Greece, there to do his utmost towards rousing the
people of Candia and other islands into an assertion of their
independence, in order that they too might have a claim to be included
in the liberation of the Greeks.

The message from Sir Edward Codrington to Lord Cochrane, which has been
quoted, was dated the 25th of September. It was written immediately
after an interview of the English commander and Admiral de Rigny, who
was in charge of the French squadron, with Ibrahim Pasha. To him they
had formally announced that they were instructed to insist upon a
cessation of hostilities, and that they should promptly act upon their
instructions. Ibrahim answered that he had orders from the Su