llect a band, or forlorn hope, of volunteers to lead
with, and he is to have five hundred dollars for himself and five
hundred for his band. Had it not rained--however ridiculous it may seem
to say so--I am sure that a storming party would have advanced yesterday
evening, and I hope it will do so to-day. In fact, the rain yesterday
almost dispersed the whole camp, and many of our outposts were quite
abandoned. If the Hydriots will advance, I will order the others away
immediately. You have no idea of my anxiety to move on, and I cannot
express it. Karaiskakes is at this moment going round his outposts. As
soon as he returns, I shall send for him and combine with him, _bon gre
mal gre_, an advance for to-night or to-morrow. I will let you know as
soon as we have had our conference. I think, my lord, that if the
weather clears up, we shall be able still to storm, and perhaps a little
firing again would have the effect of rousing the fellows."

Soldiers who could only fight in fine weather were hardly fit to rescue
Greece in the heaviest pressure of her misfortunes. On the previous
night something like a mutiny had been occasioned by Lord Cochrane's
complaints at their inactivity. Even Karaiskakes sympathised with his
captains. "We shall not go well with these English," he said; "I fear
they will ruin us by their impatience. They cannot restrain themselves.
But we must make the best we can of them." Sir Richard Church, fired
with Lord Cochrane's ardour, would not be made the best of, according to
the views of Karaiskakes and his followers. The letter from him last
quoted was followed within an hour by a brief one:--"My lord, I have the
honour to inform you that I have given over the command to General
Karaiskakes."

Karaiskakes and the Greek officers were thus left, at about ten o'clock
in the morning of the 28th, to work out their own devices. At eleven,
Lord Cochrane received orders to cease the firing which he had reopened
from the guns of the _Hellas_. The movements which, through his
telescope, he saw in process within the convent walls and at its gate
induced him to send strict orders to Major Urquhart to withdraw his
Hydriot marines from their post near the convent, and station them on
the summit of Munychia.

The Turks had again sent offers of capitulation, and Karaiskakes, now
uncontrolled by Lord Cochrane or General Church, and in contempt of his
positive assertion, made two days before, that the garrison had n