Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 11

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 11

Having got all my baggage on board, attended by my servant Demetrius,

we started early on the following morning, the 27th, at seven. The day

was unfortunately very rough, with violent gusts of wind, heavy rain,

accompanied by thunder and lightning; notwithstanding which we started

on our journey, and when we got into the gulf there was a heavy swell

(which threatened at times to overwhelm the boat and all in it), with

baffling winds, which materially retarded our progress. We struggled

on all day: at last our boatmen said that it was impossible to proceed

farther; we therefore determined to run ashore, and finish our journey

the next day. We accordingly did so, and landed in a small bay, the only

safe one on the south side, near Vostizza, at about four o’clock in the

afternoon, two hours before sunset. Then came the question, where were we

to sleep? Vostizza was about one or two miles distant, and there were no

means of transporting our baggage there; and to leave it in the boat was

to expose it to being plundered, as the boatmen said they would not be

responsible for it, in consequence of the numerous bad characters lurking

about, pirates, robbers, &c. As there was no possibility of getting our

things to Vostizza, and there were the remains of a convent (which had

been ruined by an earthquake) close by on the shore, on a cliff about 50

feet above the gulf, I proposed at once that we should place our things

there, and sleep, to which my companion, who was very tired and sick of

the voyage, readily consented. We got the boatmen to land the things, and

place them in the convent; but when we got there, to our great surprise

and mortification, found that it was uninhabited and half in ruins.

There was no alternative, however, as there was no other building near

us; so we made the best of it, and prepared to pass the night there. We

went upstairs, explored the ruined building all over, and at length we

discovered one large room tolerably perfect, and capable of keeping out

the rain. This we chose for our night’s quarters, placed the baggage

in order, and then commenced to prepare our supper. Upon examining our

provisions, such as we had, we found them considerably damaged by the

wet and unfit for use. I then decided that Demetrius and myself should go

to the bazaar of Vostizza, and purchase what we could get, whilst we left

M. Prevot in charge in the convent; and I gave the boatmen some money on

account to provide themselves for the night where they could: the boat,

everything having been taken out, was firmly moored to the shore.

 

Demetrius and myself went to Vostizza, and returned to the convent just

after dark, laden with a bag well furnished with wine and provisions, the

best we could get, and immediately set about preparing our mattresses

for beds, and lighting a good fire to cook the supper. Demetrius was a

capital cook, and about nine o’clock had got ready an excellent repast.

Having had scarcely anything all day, and being miserably wet and cold,

after having washed, and dressed in dry things, with a roaring wood fire

before us, we enjoyed our supper excessively, forgot all discomforts, and

about eleven lay down upon our mattresses for the night. Before doing

this, warned by what our boatmen told us of the insecurity of the place,

we fastened the door of our room as well as we could with an English

padlock, and placed our heavy baggage and the table against the door,

examined the priming of our pistols, which were well loaded, and lay

down to sleep. My mattress was placed immediately opposite to the door,

Demetrius was in the other corner, and M. Prevot near the fireplace, with

an understanding between us that if any noise occurred during the night

we were not to leave our berths, for fear of mistaking each other for an

enemy. We slept tolerably sound until about two o’clock in the morning,

when I awoke and thought I heard the movement of footsteps on the landing

outside our door. We had kept a light burning all night. I listened

again attentively, and thought I heard voices outside, then something

like a push against the door. I awakened my companions, and told them

to be ready with pistols, but not to fire until we were attacked, and

then if possible to keep our positions. I had scarcely done this when a

violent attack was made against the door, which in a moment was burst

in, the table, portmanteaus, &c., being hurled into the middle of the

room; this was immediately followed by a rush of several armed men. I

instantly fired into the midst of them, Demetrius seconded me by another

shot, and I repeated mine. We then heard a shriek as if somebody was

wounded, and the whole of our assailants precipitately beat a retreat,

scampering down the stairs as rapidly as possible. I reloaded, and we

jumped up, rushed to the stair-head, and were going to follow them, but

upon second thoughts we considered it best to remain where we were. We

then secured the door again and tried to sleep, but in vain; we therefore

lay watching until daylight, when our boatmen called us, and we prepared

to depart, rejoicing heartily at our lucky escape from being robbed and

murdered, as we assuredly should have been if we had not been armed and

defended ourselves so stoutly. Before leaving, we examined the landing

and stairs, and discovered some traces of blood, so that some one must

have been wounded. Our boatmen told us that we had a very narrow escape;

they said that they would not have slept there, and indeed told us before

that we had better not, as there were numerous pirates and rascals in the

vicinity, who waylaid all travellers, and seldom allowed them to escape

even with their lives.

 

Early in the morning, which was very fine after the storm, we set

sail with a fair wind, and bid adieu to Vostizza, with a remembrance

of its inhospitable shore not likely to be soon forgotten. We had a

delightful voyage, and enjoyed the beautiful mountain scenery on both

sides of the gulf with much satisfaction, and reached the custom-house

of Corinth, three miles from the town, before the close of the day.

We then discharged our boatmen, and finding no horses, were obliged to

stop at this nasty, wretched place, and passed a most miserable night.

Next morning, the 29th, having got horses, we started at eight and

reached the caravanserai at Corinth at nine, and having breakfasted and

dressed, called upon the Bey, who received us very civilly. We wandered

about all day examining the place and its antiquities. I arose early in

the morning, awakened by the Muezzin as he was calling the faithful to

prayers from the galleries of the minarets attached to the mosques. I

had not heard this at Patras, having slept too late, and therefore it

appeared to me for the first time most novel and singular. I listened

to it with peculiar interest, as the contrast was so different to our

own, where this office is performed by bells. On the same day, after

breakfast, I examined the town, a poor miserable place domineered over by

the Turks, with no trade, and the wonder was how the people lived. There

was nothing worthy of examination except the beautiful remains of the

Temple of Venus, of the simple, severe, yet commanding Doric order. A few

columns only were left, surmounted by the cornice and entablature; these

have been so often measured and engraved, that it is unnecessary to say

more about them here, except that they are eminently beautiful, and an

excellent specimen of that bold and expressive style of architecture. I

was anxious to mount the Acropolis, crowned by an old fort and garrisoned

by Turks, but this was not permitted: I regretted it much, for, seated

as it is on a commanding eminence, eighteen hundred feet above the level

of the adjoining gulf, the view over the sea and the fine mountainous

surrounding country must be magnificent; but the Turks in those days were

so proud, insolent, and domineering, that the sight of a Christian was an

abhorrence to them, and one was glad to get out of their way, although

even then they had considerable respect for the English, more indeed

than any other nation; for we had saved them from the French and had

protected them against the encroachment of the Russians, who had already

begun to be very troublesome. Having nothing further to see, we were

anxious to get away as early as possible.

 

There were two routes to Athens, to which we were destined, one entirely

by land over the isthmus, the other by sea, after crossing the six

miles of isthmus which separates the Corinthian Gulf from the Ægean

Sea. We determined therefore to take the latter, and on the 30th March,

having engaged the necessary number of horses, and loaded them after a

considerable wrangling and noise with their keepers, started at 1 P.M.

for Recrees Ceneres, on the borders of the Ægean Sea. At 3 P.M., in

crossing the isthmus, we came upon the remains of the wall said to have

been built by the Venetians for preventing the incursions of the Turks

into the Morea. Here we dismounted, and engaged one of the boats of the

country and embarked. However, as there was little or no wind, we were

out all night, and did not reach the Piræus before four o’clock in the

afternoon of the 31st. This is a fine natural port, but the town was

then a miserable place, surrounded by a few wretched buildings, at the

head of which was a Turkish custom-house, where the authorities at first

made considerable opposition to our landing. However, I soon silenced

them with a respectable backshish, or present, when they became as civil

as possible, and not only allowed us to land with our baggage, but did

not subject us to any examination; we therefore at once inquired for

horses to take us to Athens, but finding none to be had, were obliged

to remain that night in a wretched plastered room at the custom-house.

Next day, 1st April, having got horses, we started at six, with no end

of wrangling with muleteers, which the Turks soon silenced by laying

about right and left, to our great amusement. I at once interfered, and

rewarded the Turks with another backshish, when they heartily saluted

me, and we started without further molestation, and reached Athens, six

miles distant, over a miserable road, within an hour and a half, at

half-past seven o’clock. There were then no hotels, so we took up our

quarters at the house of a respectable Greek, Toagrafos, with but poor

accommodation. I by this time had become so accustomed to bad fare and

lodging that I did not mind it, but my friend, the French artist, was

not so easily satisfied; we therefore parted, and he endeavoured to find

better apartments elsewhere. I never met him again, and consequently do

not know how he succeeded with his panorama, or whether he ever completed

it, but I heard that about a year afterwards a panorama of Greece had

been exhibited at Paris with considerable success. I hoped that it was

that of my friend, for he appeared to be an excellent person, and was

certainly a very pleasant companion, with all the characteristic ardour

and enthusiasm of his countrymen. He had never been out of France before,

and therefore felt the _désagréments_ of the journey a great deal more

than I did; nevertheless, by the time he reached Athens he had become

tolerably well accustomed to it, and, with the usual French _sang froid_,

made up his mind to it, and enjoyed the journey as much as myself.

 

We arrived at Athens on Friday, the 1st April, in the midst of spring;

the weather was delightful, the sun shining brightly, the sky cloudless,

the vegetation bursting into full luxuriance, the plain and mountains

covered with flowers and shrubs of the most brilliant and varied hues.

Nature seemed to be in all her glory, and man to sympathize with her. I

was in most exuberant spirits, and was pleased with everything around me.

The beauty of the country, and the very idea that I was in Athens, which

from my boyhood I was most anxious to see, and which I scarcely ever

expected to behold, aroused me to such a pitch of enthusiasm that I could

scarcely believe my eyes; which was not extraordinary, considering the

brilliant and memorable scene which burst upon my sight, and by which I

was surrounded. I soon sallied forth again, called upon the English and

Austrian consuls and delivered my letters, and hurried about all day,

taking a hasty view of the Parthenon, the Temple of Theseus, Jupiter