TALBOT1616

Malta
November 18^th 1827

My dear Henry -

Several letters of yours have reached me here; one from Carlsruhe of a very old date, but as it contained only a joke it was just as good as new. I see you are very anxious about roots. I did not forget you anywhere, but you have no conception how entirely destitute of every species of flower are the Grecian islands in August & September. You might as well dig up the pavement in Piccadilly to look for bulbs as search in many of them. In general the Velani oak, the Pistacia lentiscus, dwarf cedars & Oleanders cover the country where it is not burned by the peasants, with an impenetrable thicket and though I collected occasionally whole sacks of bulbs, I do not think there is a single variety among them, for they have all shot forth a spiked flower which I take to be squill & however close they are kept in drawers &c, they will persist in germinating. I have a few cyclamen roots from Paros & Nauplia but I fear they will not live to England - The soil of Greece is dry beyond belief & frequently you will see hundreds of acres without a living vegetable on them. Some of the islands may be compared to vast brick-kilns. The views are often extensive & grand, but very seldom picturesque. I think it is Lord Byron ¹ remarks that had Virgil seen Argos he never would have written 'moriens dulcis reminiscitur Argos' ² and I fully agree with him, yet this is one of the finest views in Greece - the fact is it is the sublime not the sweet or beautiful which interests the traveller in these parts, and I never in the whole course of my voyage saw anything so stupendously magnificent as the sinus Messiniacus, backed by the Mountains of Taygetus. This I saw during a heavy gale of wind, with the combined Squadron lying too [sic] in every part of it, and the tout ensembl ³e was quite sublime. You have heard long since of the action at Navarino. ⁴ I waited seven days in hopes to see it, & actually went in with the Admirals ship & anchored along side an Egyptian 64, but it was no go then, and I never imagined the poor infatuated Turks would have shewn so much pluck I counted ninety three sail some of them beautiful ships. I called on the Pasha of Egypt ⁵ the day before I left Alexandria - he talked very proudly about his ships, and was much pleased that I admired them. poor man, in a few days he must have heard of their wretched fate. I tremble for the English at Smyrna & Constantinople, but they will be safe in Egypt. The Pasha is a very enlightened man, and spoke of the Turks as being beasts animals with only instinct. yet I do not think he will throw off his allegiance to the Grand Signor, nor do I see that he would gain anything by it, as he only pays a nominal tribute. As for the Egyptian collection, I found it almost impossible to deal with the rascals. Everything of value is collected and kept for the different consuls, & for the refuse which they will not take, an extravagant price is asked. M^r Salt ⁶ died while I was in Egypt

Ever yours truly
C R M Talbot.

W. H. F. Talbot Esq^r
31 Sackville Street
London
[illegible deletions]
England
Lacock Abbey ⁷
Chippenham
Wilts