LORD,

On my arrival here I wrote to Hydra to request the local authorities
there to send me the necessary coals, since you do not wish the last
cargo to be used. I have received no answer, and upon inquiring
yesterday from persons arrived from Hydra, I find they are not taking
any measures to forward them to me. My officer wrote me under date of
the 15th from Napoli that he hoped to be able to cast the bars there, in
which case I shall have to wait for the coals from Hydra. The
impertinence of these shopkeepers has at length attained a pitch that is
scarcely endurable--it is to be hoped your lordship will make them send
the coals--[The remainder is lost.]

XVI.

_Karteria_, Poros, August 20th, 1827.

MY LORD,

I am delighted to find you have an expedition in progress. This vessel
shall be ready to accompany your lordship, whether I can get the bars
cast at Napoli or not. The ones we now have can be made to answer for
twenty-four hours. I shall write to Napoli to order the engineers to be
here by the 23rd, whether they succeed in casting the bars or not. The
coals I wrote for from Hydra are Government coals; and it is well they
should be used the first, as I have been informed they are greatly
diminishing without our consumption. I should like to complete as
speedily as possible, and there is no time to spare between this and the
24th for shipping 100 tons of coal from Hydra.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

F. A. HASTINGS.

XVII.

_Karteria_, Poros, August 22nd, 1827.

MY LORD,

I am making a sail according to your lordship's plan, to becalm the hull
of the ship, but want sailcloth for completing it. I understand M.
Koering has some in store; would your lordship be kind enough to allow
me to take a hundred piques? I have a good deal of very bad French
powder on board, and even of Turkish, I suspect, put into French
barrels, which I received from Methana--could your lordship permit me to
exchange it against English powder? It is of very great importance that
our cartridge powder should be good.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

F. A. HASTINGS.

XVIII.

_Karteria_, Gulf of Lepanto, Sept. 27th, 1827.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to transmit you a report of my proceedings from the
day I left you till this moment. C