Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 12

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S. 12

I at once removed into a new lodging in a Greek house, which appeared

tolerably clean and comfortable but as usual I found it full of fleas,

which tormented me day and night. However, when I went to bed I hit upon

a plan to relieve me at least of a good many of them, which fortunately

proved successful. I placed a number of large plates filled with oil,

having a wick in them; I then lighted the wicks, and the fleas, attracted

by this, leaped into the plates, which in the morning were black with

them, and by this means I got rid of the greatest part, and at length

enjoyed some comfort.

 

I now determined to study the antiquities more at leisure, and set

regularly about it. Every morning, immediately after breakfast, I

proceeded to the Acropolis, and employed myself in drawing and measuring

the Parthenon, Erechtheum, and other buildings until dinner time; and

after, in the evening, I took walks and rides round the adjacent country.

Having finished the Acropolis, I then proceeded to the Temples of Theseus

and Jupiter Olympus, the Temple of the Winds, and the other antiquities,

which occupied me about a month. All these splendid specimens of

architecture have been so accurately described in the elaborate works of

Stuart, Cockerell, Dodwell, Gell, and others, that it is unnecessary to

describe them here. With regard to the Piræus, and the other ports of

Athens, I examined them minutely, and for plans and description of them I

refer to my work on ‘British and Foreign Harbours.’ I also saw a little

of Athenian society. Amongst others, I made the acquaintance of the Maid

of Athens (so celebrated by Byron), who was very pretty, ladylike, and

agreeable. I was also most kindly received by Mr. Gropeus, the Austrian

Consul, Mr. Logotheti, the English Consul, and by the well-known artist,

Mr. Luzieri, who had made some fine views of Athens for Lord Elgin.

 

The Turks treated the Greeks with great contempt and very little

ceremony. By way of illustration, I was present at the arrival of a new

Governor or Vaivode. His Excellency came mounted on a beautiful white

Arabian horse, surrounded by about a hundred well-mounted cavalry, all

in the magnificent Turkish costume of the day; next there followed the

hareem, in crimson-coloured carriages, each slung between two horses,

and escorted on foot by numerous eunuchs and blacks, all splendidly

attired; then the baggage, which was carried on the backs of horses, led

and guarded by Greeks, mixed with Turkish soldiers on foot. The whole

town turned out to witness the sight and welcome their new Governor, who

scarcely deigned to look at them; whilst the attendants going before

cleared the way with sticks, which they by no means used sparingly,

dealing their blows right and left on everyone within reach. A number

of Turkish lads amongst the crowd amused themselves by firing off their

guns and pistols, which were loaded with ball and shot. They took no care

which way they fired; sometimes in the air, sometimes on the ground, and

sometimes straight forward amongst the crowd; of course everybody got

out of the way, myself amongst the number. I saw one Greek who had his

leg broken by a shot from a Turkish lad near me, at which he, the Turk,

and the whole of his companions, shouted with joy, and seemed to think

it great fun: at this I could not restrain my indignation, and being

armed with a good stout stick, I rushed amongst them, striking right and

left: some Greeks tried to stop me, but I stuck to them, and had the

satisfaction of seeing that no more shots were fired except in the air.

Nothing impressed the Turks with so much respect as courage and vigour;

the more you humbled yourself, the more they bullied you, being anything

but fond of fighting. I found from experience that this was the only way

to treat them; for though frequently amongst them, and under the most

trying circumstances, I was rarely molested. Afterwards I witnessed the

entrance of the Pacha of Negropont, which was in the same style, but upon

a more extended scale.

 

I occasionally visited the convents, inhabited by a few worthy monks, who

kindly receive strangers and lodge and board them for a moderate sum. The

situation is excellent, being in the higher part of the town, close to

the beautiful remains of the Temple of the Winds, with a splendid view.

Athens at the time of my visit was a poor miserable place, without an

inn worthy of the name. It was surrounded by a crenellated wall, which

even the artillery of that day would have demolished with a few rounds

of shot. The Ilyssus and Cephisus are trifling streams, which, passing

on the south side of the town, discharge their waters into the sea a

few miles below. During summer there is scarcely any water, as it is

conducted away by different channels for irrigation, so that the beds of

these two rivulets are dry.

 

Having explored Athens sufficiently for my purpose, I determined to make

a tour of the Morea, and accordingly hired a small decked vessel of about

30 tons to cross the Ægean Sea, leaving Athens for the Piræus on the 25th

of March; and after waiting some time on board in the harbour, at seven

on the 25th started, reached Ægina at eight, landed after breakfast, and

proceeded on foot to the Temple of Jupiter, on a hill about a mile from

the shore. We spent here nearly three hours measuring and examining the

remains of this beautiful specimen of Greek architecture, and sketching

the surrounding picturesque scenery; then started for the town and

port of Ægina, whither I had sent the vessel to meet us, and was told

that the distance was only three or four miles, which turned out to be

nearly twelve, over a rough path, so that we did not reach Ægina until

nearly 6 P.M., very tired and hungry, having had no lunch. The Temple of

Jupiter is a fine specimen of the Doric, and is well described in Mr.

C. R. Cockerell’s excellent work, to which the reader is referred. The

small town of Ægina is situated about the middle of the west side of the

island, facing the Morea, from which it is separated by a channel about

eight or ten miles wide. The town and island of Ægina were governed by

a Vaivode, who had a few Turkish soldiers, and was inhabited chiefly

by fishermen and small traders. The surrounding country is hilly, with

fertile valleys producing olives, vines, and grain, and beans of several

kinds; and there are a few sheep and goats.

 

The next morning, the 26th March, I rose early and examined the port,

which consisted of two artificial harbours, formed by two piers, each

carried out from the shore, enclosing a considerable space of water, with

a depth of about 10 or 12 feet. This was made by the ancients, and Mr.

Cockerell gave me a plan of it, which is inserted in my work on ‘British

and Foreign Harbours.’ It was then blowing very hard north-west and

contrary; however, soon after noon the wind abated, when we embarked, and

arrived at the little port or bay of Pilascro, the ancient Epidauros, on

the opposite shore of the Morea, about five o’clock in the afternoon.

Here we disembarked, and walked round the place, and could only

discover what appeared to be the remains of a bath, and some mutilated

figures near it; and a little farther some similar remains, but nothing

remarkable; so that it would require considerable time to make anything

out of them. In Sir W. Gell’s ‘Itinerary of the Morea’ what is there is

well described.

 

We slept on board. On the 27th we rose at daylight, and found that the

baggage horses, Greek servants, and an excellent Arabian horse, which

I bought at Athens, and which I sent round by land, had arrived at

Epidauros. Having disembarked our baggage and discharged the vessel,

we loaded the baggage on the horses, after which we started for Napoli

di Romania, a small town situated on the Gulf of Argos, not many miles

distant from Epidauros, through an undulating, picturesque, and rich

country. On account of the guide taking the wrong road, we were obliged

to stop at the village of Tero, where there are a considerable number of

Roman and Greek remains.

 

On Friday, 28th March, we started at half-past six, and at noon reached

the picturesque fortress of Napoli di Romania, on the east side of the

Gulf of Argos, situated on a lofty hill commanding the entrance to

the gulf. The miserable town lay beneath the citadel, which, as well

as the town itself, was strongly fortified according to the Venetian

system, and was a place of considerable strength, garrisoned by a set

of bigoted Turkish troops, imbued with a thorough hatred of Christians,

so that I was strongly advised not to stop there. There was, however,

no alternative, as there was no other place near. I therefore rode into

the town, and took up my quarters at the English Vice-Consul’s, who

was a Greek. Immediately after my arrival I went out, and tried to get

into the citadel, in order to have a view of the town and surrounding

country, which was very fine, but the Turks refused me admittance in the

most insolent manner, and told me to get about my business as quickly as

possible. I found that it was of no use to attempt to proceed farther,

and returned at once to the town, and after having examined it, and found

nothing worthy of notice, returned to my lodgings. Here the Vice-Consul

came to me in a great fright, and said that the Turks had been much

annoyed at my arrival, and that I must depart directly; strongly urging

me to do so, as he said that he could not protect me, and if I stayed

he would not be responsible for the consequences. I replied that as it

was night it was too late to depart then, but that I would do so the

next morning at daybreak. To this he consented. I accordingly supped,

and went to bed. On the following morning my servant and myself were

in the saddle before daybreak, and were at the gates of the fortress

waiting for them to be opened. In Turkish fortresses at that day it was

the custom to make every foreigner and Greek dismount and walk over the

drawbridge. I thought that this was degrading, and determined not to do

it. As soon, therefore, as the gates were opened, and the drawbridge let

down, I started off at a rapid pace, and told Demetrius to follow me.

In passing the Turkish guard, consisting of three or four badly-armed

men, they called out to me to stop, which I disregarded, and galloped

off as fast as I could. I had scarcely proceeded a couple of hundred

yards when, turning round, I saw Demetrius in the hands of the Turks,

who were belabouring him with sticks, and trying to pull him off his

horse. He kicked and fought with all his might. I immediately rode back

with a loaded pistol in each hand, and dashed amongst the Turks, who

soon released my man, and spurring our horses we galloped off as hard as

possible, never pulling rein for a full mile, and then, finding we were

not followed, stopped and joined our men and baggage, whom I had left

behind in a small Greek house before I entered Nauplia the preceding

evening. Thus I got happily out of this affair, which might have been

rather serious; but I always found the best way was to show a bold front

to the Turks, and not allow them to insult you. After a little halt

we started again, and stopped to examine the ruins of the ancient city

of Tiryns, said to have been built by the Cyclopeans. These are very

curious and interesting, and are supposed to be the oldest specimens of

architecture in Greece. They are constructed of rough, only partially

hewn blocks of stone, rudely put together without cement. We have here

an attempt to construct a Gothic arch; but the stones are not radiated,

the beds being flat, each stone projecting over another until they meet

in the centre. These ruins are extensive, covering a surface of several

acres. They are well described and represented in Gell’s ‘Itinerary.’

 

From Tiryns I proceeded to Mycene, about 12 miles farther northward.

These ruins are also very extensive, and once formed the capital of

Agamemnon, with a small surrounding territory. The chief building worthy