was the battle of Navarino. "I have the honour to inform you,"
wrote Sir Edward Codrington to the Greek Government, "that, according to
the decision of my colleagues, Count Heyden and Rear-Admiral de Rigny,
and myself, the combined fleet entered this port at two o'clock on the
20th, that some of the ships of the Turko-Egyptian fleet first began a
fire of musketry, and then fired cannon-shot, which led very shortly to
a general battle, which lasted till dark, and that the consequence of
this has been the destruction of the whole of the Turkish fleet, except
a few corvettes and brigs. Most of the ships of the allied fleets have
received so much injury that they must go into port; but if the Greek
vessels of war are employed against their enemy instead of destroying
the commerce of the allies, they may henceforth easily obstruct the
movements of any Turkish force by sea."

CHAPTER XXI.

THE FIRST CONSEQUENCES OF THE INTERFERENCE OF THE ALLIED POWERS AND THE
BATTLE OF NAVARINO.--LORD COCHRANE'S INTENDED SHARE IN FABVIER'S
EXPEDITION TO CHIOS.--ITS ABANDONMENT.--HIS CRUISE AMONG THE ISLANDS AND
ABOUT NAVARINO.--HIS EFFORTS TO REPRESS PIRACY.--HIS RETURN TO THE
ARCHIPELAGO.--THE MISCONDUCT OF THE GOVERNMENT.--LORD COCHRANE'S
COMPLAINTS.--HIS LETTERS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ALLIED POWERS,
ACQUITTING HIMSELF OF COMPLICITY IN GREEK PIRACY.--HIS FURTHER
COMPLAINTS TO THE GOVERNMENT.--HIS RESOLUTION TO VISIT ENGLAND.--HIS
LETTER TO COUNT CAPODISTRIAS EXPLAINING AND JUSTIFYING THAT
RESOLUTION.--HIS DEPARTURE FROM GREECE, AND ARRIVAL AT PORTSMOUTH.--HIS
LETTER TO M. EYNARD.

[1827-1828.]

Heartily rejoicing at the benefit conferred on Greece by the battle of
Navarino, Lord Cochrane could not but be troubled to think that the
overthrow of the Turkish and Egyptian fleet, which he had laboured so
zealously to effect, and which, had he received any adequate support
from the Government or the people, would have been a work as easy for
him as the enterprises in which he had been so notably successful in
former times and other countries, had to be done by the officers and
ships of foreign nations instead of by him and the native fleet of
which, by name, he was commander-in-chief. The battle being won,
however, he tried, with no flagging of his energy, to complete the
triumph that had been thus begun, and, if anything was easy to a people
so wanting in patriotism, made easier.

He was at Poros at the time of the battle.