nd the navy as well
as the army; and although I have given him one or two rather rough
lessons, he, the other day, captured with a boat of his a spy of mine,
on his way to me, and carried him off without mentioning a word of it to
me. The man merely came here the other day, supposing Vasiladhi about to
surrender, that he might say he took it. God knows there is no merit
due, unless to the boats blockading inside. I have received letters
to-day from the Gulf, and I find the expedition at Trisonia is in alarm
of being blockaded by the Turkish vessels at Lepanto. The loss of the
gunboats from the Gulf is almost irreparable. If your lordship could
send them round here with a brig, it would be of infinite service. I am
so in want of ammunition, provisions, fuel, &c., that I hardly know what
to do, but if possible I will re-enter the Gulf to assist them there. I
wrote by Mr. Finlay, announcing to your lordship that if the whole
squadron was to come round here, I am satisfied that Missolonghi,
Patras, Lepanto, and the Castles might be taken. They are much
straitened for provisions at all, but particularly at Missolonghi and
Lepanto, and the Castles could be taken by force. Patras is now
provisioned daily by one of Church's generals, Neneka, from Zante, _via_
Clarenza. Dr. Gosse informs me how much you are in want of money. I
trust, however, if you obtain any, I shall not be forgotten. I have only
received six hundred dollars from General Church, and my expenses have
been enormous, for fuel, provisions, &c.

I have the honour to be, &c.,

F. A. HASTINGS.

XXX.

_Karteria_, off Vasiladhi, Dec. 29th, 1827.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to inform you that, after having transported the
troops of General Church from Cape Papas to Dragomestre, I undertook the
blockade of Vasiladhi, for which purpose I put in requisition the small
craft after-mentioned, and employed them to intercept all communication
with Vasiladhi. This flotilla I placed under the orders of my first
lieutenant, M. Falanga; and on the night of the 16th they entered, and
commenced the blockade, which has been so strictly observed up to this
day, that nothing had entered Vasiladhi. One boat, with a letter and
fresh provisions, was captured by our flotilla. I anchored, the gunboat
_Helvetia_ in company, outside Vasiladhi. Your lordship is aware that
the _Helvetia_ was armed with a lo