nt, he asked for instructions as to the
position and work that he should assume; but he could never receive any
definite answer. During one interview which he had with Prince
Mavrocordatos on board the _Mercury_, in the port of Poros, on the 1st
of December, the anniversary of the coronation of the Emperor of Russia,
he announced his intention of hoisting his flag on board one of the
national vessels as a public compliment to that sovereign, and asked M.
Mavrocordatos to inform the President of that intention; but he received
no answer. He had during this period received numerous letters from the
Government addressed to him as First Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of
the Naval Forces of Greece. He afterwards went to Egina with Messrs.
Trikoupes and Mavrocordatos, to receive a part of the money due to him,
and to hand over to the Commission of Marine the steamboat _Mercury_.
That done, he was embarked in a national vessel, a miserable brig which
had been seized as contraband, badly repaired, which had been sent to
convey him to Navarino, Zante, Toulon, or Marseilles. This vessel was
under the orders of a Hydriot brulotteer, an ignorant and coarse man,
who, long before, at the expedition against Alexandria, had acted in
direct violation of the admiral's orders; and the crew was on a par with
the captain. Lord Cochrane was insolently received by these people. No
place of safety was found for his baggage and his money; no food was
provided even for the voyage from Egina to Poros, where Lord Cochrane
wished to take leave of the President. At Poros the captain repeated his
insults. Lord Cochrane requested the President to dismiss him, but
received no answer. M. Trikoupes even came on board and declared that
the captain should continue his voyage and proceed to his destination.
Lord Cochrane then said that he would be master on board a vessel from
whose mast floated his admiral's flag, and that he would yield to
nothing but the written orders of the President, in order, as he said,
that he might protect himself from the insolence of servants of the
Government who sought to annoy him by their exhibition of paltry
jealousy, or to force him into a quarrel with the President. The day
before yesterday, in the afternoon, he had an interview with the
President, and, Messrs. Trikoupes and Mavrocordatos being present, he
openly pointed out to him the intrigues of these officials and the
dangers of the course in which they were leading him