aving insisted that
the Greek vessels should do nothing but watch their own coasts within a
distance of twelve miles from the shore, he proceeded to the southern
part of the Morea, making only a short tour, in order to meet the
primates of Samos, Naxia, Paros, Candia, and other islands, and
ascertain from them the condition of the people and their power of
resistance to the Turks and to their piratical enemies of their own
race. The information gained by him was not satisfactory. He found that
here, as in the mainland and the nearer islands, patriotism was weak and
misrule oppressive. Everywhere the people were the victims of their own
want of patriotism and of the tyranny of foes, both Moslem and
Christian.

He was off Cerigo on the 15th of November. There, having heard that the
residue of the Turkish and Egyptian fleet was preparing to put to sea
with all the available force, apparently to carry on the war in Candia,
he at once sailed on to the south-eastern promontory of the Morea, and,
during a fortnight, maintained the blockade on both sides of Navarino,
between Coron and Prodana. There also he was able to carry on his war
against pirates. "The _Hellas_ being off the island of Prodana, a few
miles to the north of Navarino," he reported to the Government,
describing an important adventure of the 21st of November, "I sent two
boats for the purpose of procuring wood from the island. The boats,
being fired upon from persons near to some vessels in a cove, returned
with a report that there were Turks upon the island. In consequence of
this report, the corvette _Hydra_ was directed to enter by the northern
passage, whilst the _Hellas_ entered to the southward of the island, and
both vessels anchored opposite to the place where the supposed Turkish
vessels were at anchor. It was immediately perceived, however, that the
vessels were not Turkish, and, on examination, one proved to be a
schooner under the Greek flag. It was soon discovered that a Dutch
vessel at anchor in the same port had been seized, without the slightest
pretence, by the schooner and plundered of almost everything that could
be removed, and, moreover, that the captain and crew had been most
barbarously flogged, for the purpose of ascertaining where the proceeds
of the outward cargo were deposited."

Lord Cochrane wrote to the same effect to the Governor of Zante. "I have
left the piratical vessel with a petty officer and sufficient crew to
blockade Prod