m the Morea, and we went to quarters for her. I thought at
first she might be the _Hellas_; but on approaching she stood back to
the mainland, which made me conclude that it was a stranger; the wind
increasing, I could not remain head to wind, and made sail under the lee
of Zante. In the forenoon I saw a large ship under the land far off
steering to the south, which I concluded was a Turkish or neutral ship
of war. The wind abating, I steamed up round the eastern point of Zante,
and not finding the _Hellas_ on the other side of the island, I stood
towards Cephalonia, opening out the two Turkish frigates laying at
Clarenza. In the evening I saw a large ship very far astern coming
northward, and supposed she was the _Hellas_ and the same I had seen in
the forenoon under the land. At sunset I altered course and steered for
Clarenza, and in the first watch we saw a good deal of firing in that
direction. The wind and sea augmenting, I was unable to keep the ship
head to sea, and therefore bore up for the _rendezvous_ of Oxia. Not
finding the _Hellas_ at this station, the wind augmenting, the starboard
wheel being out of repair, and threatening to come to pieces if not
looked to, the water requiring to be drawn off the boilers, &c., all
these things made it necessary for me to search a port. I looked inside
Oxia, but found it unsafe, and therefore bore up for the Port of Petala,
where I put things to rights as well as I could; but found on
examination we had but three days and a half's coals, little water, and
only a few days' bread. Under these circumstances, I felt myself called
upon to return whilst the means were still left me of hoping to
accomplish it. Having obtained an offing west of Cephalonia, I took off
the paddles and sailed, which gave us an opportunity of again repairing
the wheels--again in an unsound condition--and saved our fuel. The wind
and sea calming, I got up my steam; and there being every appearance of
calm weather, I stood within five or six miles of Modon, hoping to meet
the two frigates we saw off there when we passed northward. However, we
saw nothing but a brig inside the harbour, sailing close along the land.
Late on the evening of the 28th, when rounding Cape St. Angelo, a squall
from the high land carried away our fore and second masts, and left us
in a very unenviable situation, considering we had but a few hours'
coals on board. However, a breeze favouring us all night, we arrived
here at ten A