ing a loan on the
credit of the revenues of the islands, which your excellencies had
authorised me, jointly with others, to collect. I have now the pleasure
to inform you that when I left Syra yesterday everything seemed to
promise a favourable result; but in order to attain this important
object it became necessary that I should take upon myself the
responsibility of intimating to the prefect of police, who had assumed
despotic authority, that it was essential to the public good that the
magistrates should resume the functions that they exercised previous to
his arrival. I am convinced that your excellencies will perceive as
clearly as I do, that it will be impossible to preserve harmony amongst
the islanders, if strangers are sent to exercise over the natives an
authority that is not acceptable to them. Indeed, the character of these
natives demands at all times prudence and circumspection on the part of
the Government."

Unfortunately, the miserable triumvirate to which the direction of Greek
affairs had been assigned until the arrival of Count Capodistrias was
wholly wanting in prudence and circumspection. After vainly trying to
maintain a show of authority, and to use it to their own aggrandisement
at Damala and at Poros, they had, on the 4th of July, removed to
Nauplia. There, however, they only found themselves more embarrassed
than ever. While the last hopes of Greek independence, to be secured and
maintained by Greeks themselves, were rapidly dying out, the leaders
were amusing themselves and gratifying their petty jealousies and
ambitions by conduct more despicable than ever. Nauplia was the seat of
civil war between two military factions, whose joint contempt of the
worthless Government would have been, at any rate, excusable, had not
the interests of the whole nation been thereby injured. The triumvirate
was driven from the town, and taking refuge in a little island in the
Bay of Nauplia, wrote in despair to Lord Cochrane, asking him to come to
its aid and devise some means of preserving, or rather of constructing,
its authority.

To Nauplia he accordingly went on the 19th of July. "I am now at the
anchorage of this place," he wrote thence to Dr. Gosse on the 22nd. "The
town is evacuated by the inhabitants and abandoned by the Government.
The latter are in the little island in the bay in the most deplorable
condition, trembling like Sancho when invaded in his dominions of
Barataria, and not knowing which w