istant view of Lord Cochrane's
station at Phalerum and of Sir Richard Church's on the other side.
Finding that Karaiskakes would not join with Church and press on to
Athens, at a distance of about seven miles, Lord Cochrane had urged the
co-operation of all the forces at Cape Colias, whence the way to Athens
was only about five miles long. Karaiskakes, however, refused this plan
also. He maintained that the only safe course was to preserve his
position and strengthen it by the formation of innumerable small
circular earthworks, known as tambourias, within which the soldiers
could crouch by day and lie securely on the bare ground at night. In
this way he hoped to starve out the garrison at Saint Spiridion, the
capture of which he deemed essential before any formidable attempt was
made upon the main body of the Turkish camp, in Athens and around it,
and especially under the walls of the Acropolis. In vain Lord Cochrane
urged that this mode of warfare, tardy and expensive enough at the best
of times, was cruelly reprehensible when they considered the wretched
state in which the garrison of the Acropolis was supposed to be, and the
prospect of its speedy evacuation. Karaiskakes refused to move,
answering each appeal by unreasonable demands upon Lord Cochrane for
supplies of ammunition and provisions, which it was no part of his duty
to supply out of the residue of the insignificant sum of 8,000l.
supplied to him out of the Greek loan for naval purposes.[4] It may be
that Karaiskakes--a bold and shrewd man--was not personally responsible
for his inactivity. His army was little more than a commonwealth of
small bands, of which each leader claimed an authoritative share in all
deliberations, and owed, even to him, only a nominal subjection. But if
we acquit him individually of cowardice, we only throw the greater blame
on the Greek force as a whole. That it was blameworthy is clear. "Your
lordship," wrote Sir Richard Church in answer to the letter just quoted,
"is not aware of all the difficulties I had to encounter in passing our
troops who had all struck for pay. Not one would move. However, that
difficulty is now nearly over and the greater part are passing to the
camp at this moment."

[4] Trikoupes, Gordon, Finlay, and all the other authorities, say that
Lord Cochrane had 20,000l. He had only been supplied with 8,000l; and
nearly all this sum had been already disposed of in fitting out the
fleet at Poros, and payi