P. 192: “I shall now say a few words on the navy. The
modern Greeks excel in the building of brigs, schooners, and small craft, which
are principally adapted to sailing in the Levant. It is wonderful how they
contrive, without docks, or indeed accommodations of any kind, or even the
requisite instruments, to set good vessels afloat. The address with which they
manage their vessels in the most squally weather is astonishing: for in the
Archipelago the winds are so partial, that two vessels have been known to be
sailing in opposite directions at half a
p. 193: mile distance, with stern sails set; which in
more intelligible language would mean that there were two winds exactly
contrary within the distance of half a mile, and that they equally favoured the
two vessels in their course. Steam-boats would be extremely applicable to the
Archipelago; for such are the land winds, and the eddies between the various
islands, that no wind can be depended on for an hour together. The three
islands of Hydra, Spezzia, and Ipsara, have furnished ships for the Greek navy.
They had risen to wealth and importance previous to the revolution, by their
mercantile speculations, and they were as free as they could possibly be. No
Turks resided among them ; they paid a slight tax, and were suffered to govern
themselves, on condition of furnishing a stated number of sailors to the
Ottoman navy. Spezzia and Ipsara joined the revolution at its first
commencement. Hydra was more backward; but the sailors being unemployed, forced
the ship-owners to espouse the cause of liberty. They lent their vessels to the
Government, and in the first year the fleet was commanded by Tombasis, a brave
and worthy patriot, who obtained great successes. Hydra furnished at that time
about sixty vessels, and the other two islands thirty each. Miaulis was the
next admiral, and
p. 194: has continued to be so until the present period,
He is a respectable old man, a good patriot, and a man of courage. He was once
possessed of great property, but lost a vessel on the coast of Spain, which
with its cargo was his own, and this reduced his fortune to mediocrity. He is
indifferent to politics, meddling in no other party but that of his own island,
where he is popular. The sailors were at first paid by the chiefs of the
islands, who made great sacrifices on this account. When the loans came, they
were in part reimbursed; and a great proportion of the sums which reached
Greece, were devoted to the navy. The national vessels are now, a frigate,
built in America from the produce of the English loans, and three steamers
built in England, a corvette (the Hydra,) taken by Lord Cochrane from the
Turks, some brigs, and about forty boats of all descriptions, armed with from
one to four guns.”
p. 196: “Trees for the building of ships of war are
scarce in Greece. I have been informed that they are only to be met with in
those parts of Greece in the immediate vicinity of Arta, Negropont, and south
of Zeitouni. At one time the French drew from the neighbourhood of Arta
supplies for their navy. At Leondari, in the Morea, trees applicable to
ship-building may be found, but it would be difficult to transport them to the
sea-side.”
Source
Thomas Alcock. Travels Russia, Persia, Turkey
and Greece 1828-1829. London, printed 1831. Digitized by Google.
