ys assured him of my readiness to aid him, but we cannot be
consuming months after months in the hopes of his receiving supplies. I
must limit the period of his embarkation, and if he cannot then act, I
think I shall be justified in quitting him. I shall try, however, to
destroy the other vessels in the Gulf first. We are in great want of
fire-bars. I am laying in a stock of wood, but we have not yet been able
to succeed perfectly with it. I have taken out the bars and filled the
ash-pits; this we find does better than with any bars in, but we cannot
as yet keep up steam with it. I hope, however, ultimately to succeed--in
fact our coals are nearly finished. To show you how General Church goes
on--his gunboat has only advanced twenty feet from the beach, and yet he
will not send away that swindler Allen, who commands her. I told him I
would not meddle with her until he dismissed that man, and things remain
thus. General Church, while on board, received letters announcing the
unlooked-for destruction of the Turkish fleet; still I have not entirely
credited it, and I am in anxious expectation of some decisive
information about it. I am obliged to your lordship for the fuzes, and
hoped to have had also some rockets. We are beginning to get short again
of provisions, viz., biscuit. The loaded prize is condemned, with a
ridiculous clause for me to pay the crew. They say nothing of the other
vessels. I send Captain Hane to Egina, to hasten the condemnation of the
light vessels and counteract the intrigues which I have no doubt Tombasi
has recommenced. I shall also endeavour by him to have more biscuit; we
have now but for a fortnight.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

F. A. Hastings.

XXIV.

_Karteria_, Loutraki, Nov. 8th, 1827.

MY LORD,

The General Church has at length put himself in motion. Some provisions
and money have arrived on the other side for him (I mean at Calamachi),
and I hope to sail with it to join him to-night. I fortunately received
a fortnight's provisions yesterday, when I had only one day's biscuit on
board. After destroying, or ascertaining that I cannot destroy, the
vessels at Lepanto, I will go outside the Gulf and blockade Missolonghi,
Patras, and the Gulf, hoping the General will blockade them by land. I
fear much, however, for provisions; I will endeavour to get some from
the Ionian Islands; but money and everythin