Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice Admiral R.N. by Lady Biddulph of Ledbury

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'I remain, my dear Father,

'Your most affectionate son,

'C. P. YORKE.'

* * * * *

Aug. 14.

'I imagined that the packet was just going to sail, but I am happy to
say I am disappointed because I have a little news to tell you. I am
just returned from a cruise of rather a curious sort. I have been sent
along the coast with a party of armed men to take some smugglers who ran
from the _Leander_. I landed at Chester, and marched and rode just
as I could to Lunenburg, but without success, and then back, and so
about twenty miles to the eastward. It gave me a good opportunity of
seeing the country, and made it very pleasant, from the kindness and
hospitality of the inhabitants. I have no doubt I shall have many of
these trips from being in the admiral's and captain's notice. This
letter I send by Moorsom, whom you may recollect when I was at college.
Now I shall conclude with love and best wishes to all.'

* * * * *

H.M.S. 'LEANDER,' HALIFAX: Novr. 12, 1817.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'I received both your most kind letters by the _Forth_ and packet,
which as you may suppose, gave me great pleasure and satisfaction. I
return you my most grateful thanks for your great kindness in attending
to my little wishes, and hope the things will arrive quite safe. I have
written as you wished to Lady St. G. and told her all the news I could
think of, which I shall now relate to you.

'We have not been out of harbour since the cruise to the east, so I got
leave of absence and accepted the invitation of Judge Wilkins (Lumley's
friend) to go and spend some time with him at Windsor, a small town
about forty-five miles N.E. of Halifax, where I assure you, I passed my
time very pleasantly in shooting, fishing, &c. In that part of Nova
Scotia the country is beautiful, completely cleared of wood, very well
cultivated, and yields to its owners immense crops of grain. I am now
returned to the ship, and we sail for Bermuda in about a fortnight or
three weeks. This I am rather sorry for, for Halifax is very pleasant
during the winter, and Bermuda always very much otherwise. But Sir David
Milne dreads the cold, so we go.

'I am remarkably well in every point, and find the climate agrees with
me very well indeed. I am glad to hear Urania made her _debut_ with
so much _eclat_ in the _beau monde_ at Winchester, pray let me
also hear of her in town. I am glad to hear all the boys are well and
getting on so fast in their respective schools. Agneta [Footnote:
Agneta, afterwards Lady _Agneta Bevan_.] by this time must be a
very fine little girl; does she ever talk of me? I really have no news
to tell you worth mention, but the service is very stale for want of
war, every day the same story. Adieu, my dear Father.

'Your most affectionate son,

'C. P. YORKE.

'Tell my uncle Mr. Yorke I will write to thank him for his present as
soon as I have it in my possession.'

* * * * *

H.M.S. SLOOP 'JANE,' BERMUDA:

Jan. 23, 1818.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'I sit down to write to you after rather a long silence, but I have been
quite well and by no means ill employed. I did not hear from you by the
last packet, so by your silence I consider all is well and right in
England.

'I have the satisfaction to communicate to you I am honoured by the
command of the _Jane_ Sloop on this station, which command I shall
in all probability keep till my return to England. The young man who
commanded her before and whom I superseded, was obliged to invalid from
her after he brought her from Halifax. She sailed in company with us and
we experienced a heavy gale of wind, and the poor _Jane_ was nearly
lost, but escaped with the loss of her bulwarks. She really is a
beautiful vessel; was a Yankee clipper in the war; 80 tons and 12 men. I
am remarkably happy in her, as you may suppose. I anticipate much
pleasure going up the St. Lawrence in her next summer. I am sure you
will be happy to hear of my good luck, but pray do not have any more
dreads of my inability to command. I positively would not accept it if I
thought myself in the least inadequate to undertake it. I have now again
fitted her at the dockyard at Ireland where I saw much of your friend
Commissioner Lewis, who really is to me a very kind and affectionate
friend; I like him exceedingly.

'The packet is just arrived, and I have received your letter of the 26th
ult, and likewise one from Lady St. G. You may believe your letter gave
me sincere gratification to find that I am giving you all satisfaction;
it is the first wish of my heart to be a credit to my friends and an
honour to my country. It is not my wish to be expensive in the least
beyond what it is necessary for a gentleman to be, to pay my debts, have
a good coat on my back, and sufficient in my pocket never to be made
look foolish. Now that I keep house for myself I shall, I fear, be a
little more expensive, for reasons which you must well know, and the
first fit out is the worst and greatest, after that all is regular, and
I am sure you do not wish me to live on His Majesty's own altogether.
Bermuda is a terrible dear place.

'This vessel you may know something of by hearsay, Mr. Brett, the 1st
Lieut. of the _Wye_ had her up the Bay of Fundy.

'You may rely on it I will express your gratitude to Lord Dalhousie for
his attentions to me the very first time I have an opportunity. I need
not express to you how much I regret the loss of your departed friend
Mrs. Rattray, but her great sufferings in this world made it rather a
blessing than otherwise, especially to one I believe to have been so
truly good. Your advice of the prudence of keeping a ship's head off
shore when near the land at night is a point of my profession I have
long seen the absolute necessity of, especially on the coast of Nova
Scotia where the fogs are so intense, and the shore so dangerous. But if
ever there was in my humble opinion a lubberly series of accidents from
the time she got on shore to the time she was on her beam ends alongside
the wharf, it was on board H.M.S. _Faith_. The first thing she did
after getting on shore was to anchor in Halifax harbour with her B.B.
anchor without a buoy on it, slipped her cable and never buoyed it, took
in moorings, unshipped her rudder and let it go to the bottom; slipped
her anchors without a buoy on them, and to cap the whole, let three of
her guns fall overboard in getting them out alongside the wharf. Sir D.
Milne was furious, no wonder. I am sure I can with pleasure meet you
halfway in your wishes to establish a free intercourse of sentiment
between us, for I am perfectly sure, my dearest Father, I can nowhere
find a better friend and adviser.

'I am exceedingly happy to hear so favourable accounts of the
youngsters, and of Lady Clanricarde and her fair daughter.

'Bermuda is a dull place. I am perfectly at my ease and my own master,
and the only things which annoy me are the tremendous gales of wind
which blow here, and which I, of course, feel much in the _Jane._
The admiral did think of sending me to the West Indies for a cruise, but
I believe that is dropped, as he now and then uses me to sail him about
for his health. I am a very good pilot for Bermuda, what with the
schooner and sloop _Jane_.

'Remember me most kindly to all; I shall answer Lady St. G. immediately.

'Adieu, my dear Father,

'Your affectionate son,

'C. P. YORKE.'

* * * * *

'JANE,' HALIFAX: June 16, 1818.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'... I am still in the _Jane,_ and continue in every way to give
satisfaction. I brought her from Bermuda, parted company from the
squadron in a fog, and got in before the admiral; you may suppose I was
not a little pleased with my navigation. I have pretty often the honour
of presiding at my own table, as Sir David often takes trips with me
along shore, on fishing excursions, &c. &c., which makes it exceedingly
pleasant.

'... I have been somewhat uneasy about some drafts upon you--heavier
than usual--and I fear you will be led to think I am getting into an
extravagant turn, but it is not so, I assure you. In this vessel I am
obliged to find everything, and Bermuda charges are so extravagant that
nothing can equal them. At any time you please to call for my bills and
receipts they are at your service, but mark, I have no debts. I never
leave a port that I do not pay every shilling. Pray let me know what you
wish; if Sir D. Milne goes home, shall I return with him or not? I have
not quite a year more to serve; or shall I remain with Ld. --- who I
understand will supersede him?...

'C. P. YORKE'

* * * * *

'JANE,' HALIFAX:

Aug. 19, 1818.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'It is with the greatest pleasure I received your most kind and
affectionate letter from St. James's St. I am delighted to see by your
letter you are recovering your spirits and that you have been elected
for Reigate, for I should have been very sorry for both you and my uncle
to give up.

'I am happy to inform you that I am in perfect health and enjoying all
the happiness that that invaluable blessing brings, and all the little
comforts which your bounty affords me, together with the happiness which
the perfect approbation of my superiors and respect of my inferiors can
alone give a man. I feel your great kindness and generosity more than I
can express; by the way you speak on money matters I hope to God I never
may offend you by an absurd extravagance.

'I am excessively delighted with all you say of my kind family,
particularly Lady St. G. who I am truly rejoiced to hear is so much
better. Say everything that is kind from me to her, and my apology for
not writing is that my right hand is very weak, as you may see from my
writing, from an inflammation I have had in it occasioned entirely by a
slight scratch on the knuckle of the fore finger; but it is now quite
well, but still weak.

'You are now enjoying the sweets of Sydney Lodge and its appendages, the
_Urania_ by no means the smallest of the inanimate sort, on board
of which ship I hope your 1st Lieut. that gallant officer Mr. H. Yorke
continues to give perfect satisfaction, and also the mate of the decks,
Mr. E. Y. mid. continues to improve his mind in those studies which a
young gentleman of his abilities should attend to. I am very happy to
hear Urania is grown up so fine a young woman; I most sincerely hope
that all the wishes of her fond and amiable mother may be perfectly
fulfilled. Pray give my love to her, if I may say so much now, if not,
my esteem and regard. Pray give my love to Lady C. and tell her that I
look forward with extreme pleasure to the time when I shall see her and
all the family. Among my remembrances do not forget Nurse Jordan.

'Now I will tell you the little or nothing I have been doing since I
arrived. I sailed on the [ ] of June on a cruise of pleasure having the
honour of the company of Sir D. Milne and Col. Duke. We sailed up the
Muscadobit, or Bank's Inlet, to fish, in which river the pilot ran us
ashore three times; each time obliged to shore up, being left almost dry
at low water, and on one night about eleven, all in bed, down she came
bumpus on her bilge; in consequence of our shores being made of trees
with the bark on, the bark and lashings went together. We returned to
Halifax where I refitted, and have not been out since, but sail on
Monday on a cruise to the eastward in company with _Leander_ and
_Dee_, which will be very pleasant, as we touch at every harbour
where there is lots of sport. Oh, I quite forgot to thank my uncle and
yourself for the books that are coming....

'C. P. YORKE.'

* * * * *

'JANE,' HALIFAX:

Octr. 19, 1818.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'... We had a very agreeable cruise of six weeks and on my return I am
now fitting for Bermuda, to which place we sail next Sunday in company
with _Leander_ and _Belette_. I have not time to give you an
account of our cruise, so I must defer it to my next; suffice it to say
I have enjoyed most perfect health and my little command now in high
order and beauty....

'C. P. YORKE'

* * * * *

My father got his first promotion as acting lieutenant on the
_Grasshopper_ early in 1819 at the age of twenty, and was confirmed
in that rank by commission bearing date of August of the same year. In
the following October he joined the _Phaeton_ frigate, on which
vessel he served during the rest of his service on the North American
station until 1822, when he got a second step.

There is no doubt he learned his profession very thoroughly during those
years in the North Atlantic; he deplores the absence of the excitement
of war in one of his letters, but he had ample opportunity of graduating
in the details of seamanship, which, like other professions, can be best
learned at an early age, and by those whose hearts are in their work and
are diligent in their business. In those qualities my father was
certainly not lacking, though he managed to procure a share of
enjoyment, which is the privilege of youth and high spirits. There are
many anecdotes told of him at this time. On one occasion he swam across
the harbour at Halifax, a feat which, in the circumstances, I have heard
described with great admiration. On another, a lady giving a ball and
wishing to prolong the pleasures of the evening, consulted Lieutenant
Yorke as to the best way. She suggested putting back the clocks, but he
advanced a step or two on that proposal, and while dancing was going on
vigorously, stepped away and hung all the ladies' cloaks on a large tree
not far from the front door. Imagine the confusion and merriment! I have
often heard him tell the story.

His next appointment, in 1822, was to the command of the brig
_Alacrity_, where I shall be able to follow him in some interesting
and important service on the Mediterranean station.

CHAPTER IV

GREEK PIRACY. 1823-1826

Charles Yorke, having attained the rank of commander in May of 1822, was
in August of the same year appointed to the command of the sloop
_Alacrity_, and in her sailed to the Mediterranean in the autumn,
anchoring at Gibraltar on November 29. He was dispatched to that station
to take up some important duties in the Greek Archipelago, which arose
out of the Greek War of Independence, then in full progress.

Until the year 1821, the Greeks, though often ready to rebel against the
Turkish government at the instigation of the agents of foreign Powers
like Russia or France, had shown little capacity for any really national
movement. But the gradual spread of liberal ideas which followed the
French Revolution; the bravery which distinguished the resistance of
certain sections of the Hellenic peoples, such as the Suliotes, and
Spakiots of Crete; the aspirations of Ali Pacha, who conceived the idea
of severing his connection with the Sultan and assuming the independent
government of Albania; the impunity with which the Klephts or pirates
pursued their calling in the Levant, all combined to demonstrate the
real weakness of the Turkish rule, and at last brought about a national
rising.

This is not the place to enter into any detailed account of the War of
Independence which followed, but its main events must be mentioned in
order to make clear the letters which my father wrote from the scenes of
the disturbance. The insurrection was begun in 1821 by Prince Alexander
Hypsilantes, who crossed the Pruth in March of that year, but his
efforts failed and he fled to Austria three months later; and other
movements in the northern provinces had a similar fate. But the rising
in the Peloponnesus under Germanos, the Archbishop of Patros, was more
successful; his forces drove the Turks before them, and the independence
of the country was proclaimed in January of 1823. The Greeks, however,
displayed little power of combination, and their partial success was
followed by internal dissensions which greatly weakened their cause.
Mavrocordato was elected president, but the aspirants for honours and
leadership were numberless, the various factions were continually
quarrelling with each other, and there was at length open civil war
inspired by Colcotronis.

Meanwhile the aspirations of Greece had excited great sympathy
throughout Europe; a Greek Committee was formed in London; the
Philhellenes became very powerful in most countries on the continent, as
well as in America, and many volunteers, of whom Lord Byron was a
notable example, enlisted in the cause of Greek liberty.

The Greek fleet, led by Miaoulis from 1823 onward, was exceedingly
active; the Greek seamen inspired the Turks with great terror, and did
immense damage to their fleets. The Turks retaliated by taking vengeance
on the unprotected islands of the archipelago, and committed unspeakable
atrocities on the inhabitants of Chios in 1822, and two years later upon
those of Kasos and Psara. In 1824 the Sultan invoked the aid of Mehemet
Ali, Pacha of Egypt, whose stepson, Ibrahim, landed in the Peloponnesus
and with his Arab troops carried all before him, when the Greeks lost
most of what they had acquired. The war, however, was continued for many
years; Lord Cochrane became admiral of the Greek fleet and Sir Robert
Church took command of the land forces. The action of Navarino, which
occurred in 1827 almost by accident, had a great effect upon the
fortunes of the struggle. The fleets of England, France, and Russia were
cruising about the coasts of the Peloponnesus to prevent the ravages of
the Turkish fleet on the islands and mainland, and selected a winter
anchorage at Navarino, where the Turkish and Egyptian fleets lay. The
Turks thinking they were menaced opened fire upon the combined fleets,
and were annihilated in the engagement which followed. In the following
year the Greeks had the aid of the French, who cleared the Morea of
Turkish troops, and by the end of the year Greece was practically
independent. Some anarchy followed the assassination of the President
Capodostrias in 1831, but at length Otho of Bavaria was crowned king,
and in 1832 a convention was signed by which the protecting Powers of
Europe recognised the new kingdom and assigned its limits; and Greece
attained an independence which she has since maintained.

Among the results of this long period of anarchy and insurrection was an
outbreak of piracy among both Greeks and Turks. Individual chieftains
called their followers together, established their head-quarters in out-
of-the-way creeks, and preyed upon the commerce of the Levant without
any interference from their Government. As in the case of the Barbary
Powers, the depredations of these pirates became at length so
intolerable that the Governments of Europe were obliged to interfere for
the protection of their subjects.

Commander Yorke's part as representing his country in the mission he
undertook, to put down this state of things, appears fully in the
letters written to his father at intervals, which follow, and we there
see the important position he had to fill. He was, as he says, in those
eastern waters in the double capacity of warrior and diplomatist, or in
other words to command a neutral armed vessel, act impartially between
Greek and Turk, and protect trade from the piracies of both nations.
This was no easy task, and it appears that though his sympathies were
with the Greek cause, of the two he preferred the Turk as by far the
best to deal with.

It will be seen that he had to go round visiting the chief islands,
Corfu, Cephalonia and Zante, and ascertain from the governors if they
had any grievances to be remedied. He had no positive orders for his
guidance, but only 'act as you think most fit.' Often he found himself
in difficulties without even an interpreter, and so obliged to make
himself understood, if he could, in French. His short but graphic
description of Lord Byron at Missolonghi and his rencontre with Colonel
Leicester Stanhope will interest many readers.

From a journal kept by Commander Yorke during this service, which he
heads 'A few Miscellaneous Remarks. H.M. Sloop _Alacrity_,'
beginning in 1823, and now with the Hardwicke MSS. at the British
Museum, I find a few facts which supplement those of the letters. He
records receiving much civility from Lord Chatham at Gibraltar, and
sailed from that port on December 2 in company with the _Sybella_
for Malta, a passage which occupied about fourteen days. After ten days
at Malta refitting, he was ordered to proceed to the Ionian station. He
describes with great admiration the beauty of the scene at sunrise on
New Year's Day of 1824 as the _Alacrity_ made the coast of Epirus,
the snow-covered mountains of Albania contrasting with the green and
fertile shore of Corfu with its olive gardens reaching down to the
water's edge. At Corfu he dined with commissioners, generals, and at
messes; and records meeting Lord Byron's 'Maid of Athens,' 'who is now
rather _passee_, but certainly has remains of a fine face and a bad
figure; large feet, of course, that all the Greeks have,' he writes.
There are accounts of other diversions, including a week's shooting with
a Mr. P. Steven and the officers of the 90th Regiment, which he
describes as 'a marvellous slaughter of woodcocks,' after which he
sailed to Missolonghi, where he arrived on January 23. The letters
describe his further experiences.

* * * * *

H.M.S. 'Alacrity,' Gibraltar:

Nov. 29, 1823.

'My dearest Father,

'I this morning at six o'clock anchored under the cloud-cap't top of
this extraordinary rock, and found that _Alacrity_ had made a
better passage by some hours than either _Ganges_ or _Sybella_
who are all here. I paid my devoirs to Lord Chatham who asked after you,
also your old Teetotum G--- who I found in the very act of entertaining
the ladies of Gib with breakfast, music and a trip to Algeciras in the
_Tribune's_ boats to spend the day. He seems in great force and
sorry to leave this part of the world, indeed, they say that love has
much to do in the case. I afterwards paid my devoirs to the American
Commodore, Jones, who is here in the _Constitution_, and went over
his ship; I felt proud to see the ship that had captured our frigate--
she is enormous. Her cable and rigging in inches the same as the
_Ganges_ by level measurement, for they have taken the pains to
examine, but she is now in what I should call a state of nature as bad
as I could wish to see a Yankee in, with 450 men on board who look as if
they were tired of their work, and the officers say so.

'I have met a very intelligent man just left Cadiz, and have seen and
conversed with some of the Spanish Constitutionalists. Spain is in a
dreadful state; anarchy, confusion, highway robbery and assassination
daily take place. The game is up, if France has got and will keep
military possession of Cadiz. The French are disgusted with the whole
thing--the country and the people.... Officers and nobles are on the
highway.

'I shall sail for Malta on Monday. I am engaged in taking big guns up.
_Alacrity_ is the most comfortable vessel I have ever been in.

'Adieu. Love to all.

'Your affectionate and dutiful son,

'C. YORKE.

'I sailed without my Government chronometers, they were so bad I would
not take them, but the one C--- has on board is capital and we made the
rock to a mile.'

* * * * *

GIBRALTAR:

March 9, 1824.

'MY DEAREST FATHER,

'It is a long while since I have had an opportunity of putting pen to
paper to address you, not having been in any Christian Port for some
time, nor have I received a single line from any one since I left you.

'I am just arrived at this port having brought Convoy from Malta, and
now I am here I think I had better begin at the other end of my story,
and so come down to the present time, instead of going back; relating
all the little matters just as they are and how H.M. sloop and her crew
have been employ'd since I last address'd you from the same place.

'I sailed from Gibraltar to Malta in company with my friend Capt.
Pechel, and after remaining at that Island for ten days to put a little
to rights I proceeded to the Ionian Islands and there, as I believe I
before told you, to act in the capacity of warrior and diplomatist, or
in other words, as an arm'd neutral vessel between the Turks and Greeks,
to protect our trade from the piracies of both Nations, I assure you no
very easy task, but certainly of the two the Turk is the best by far to
deal with. I visited the Islands of Corfu, Cefalonia and Zante,
inquiring of the Governors and if they had any abuses to be remedied,
and I soon had over ten Petitions from Merchants whose boats had been
plundered and pillaged by both parties.

'Now we are on this station placed in rather awkward circumstances,
having no positive orders how to act in cases of refusal and obstinacy
on the part of these People, but only, _to act as you think most
fit_; how the Government would bear us out in any act of violence
such as taking by force that which they will not give up I know not;
even with justice on your side, I question much whether they would
support you.

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