in tow to steer by, keeping pace with, and going as fast to windward, as the Clyde frigate, and several crack vessels of the Boulogne squadron. Having fitted a temporary rudder in the Downs, she proceeded from thence to Plymouth, where all her defects were made good, and from whence she finally sailed for the Mediterranean, with a fleet of merchantmen under her protection.
After touching at Malta and Messina, the Seahorse joined Lord Collingwood, near the entrance of the Dardanelles, and found Sir Arthur Paget (who had been sent out on an embassy to Constantinople, after Sir John T. Duckworth’s failure), making an unsuccessful effort to restore peace between Great Britain and Turkey. In August, 1807, Captain Stewart was despatched to examine the ports in the Cyclades; to report as to their capacity, means of refreshment, &c.; and to offer such of the islands as had shipping, and where commerce might be introduced, every facility for carrying on a trade with Malta. On the 15th Nov. following, he wrote to a friend as follows:–
“I have been very busy chasing vessels of all descriptions, and, of course, too much engaged to think of writing – it is only to-day that we are quite idle, and nearly becalmed. After staying about a week with the fleet at Imbros, Lord Collingwood moved us all over to Tenedos, as it was near the season when we might expect southerly winds, and that island afforded better shelter than the other. Sir Arthur Paget went at the same time in the Thetis, with a flag of truce, to get a final answer from the Turks, and returned on the fourth day, when war seemed perfectly certain. Lord Collingwood determined to sail with half the fleet, and ordered me to proceed again through all the Cyclades, to put all their governments into the hands of the old Primates; and to drive from amongst them all the vessels that had been privateering under the Russian flag, but who, being Ionian islanders, now lived on the defenceless inhabitants, and in short were pirates. I sailed on this service, Sept. 17th, and continued going from island to island until the middle of October, by which time I had nearly put them all in order, and had effectually performed the last part of my instructions; for as soon as I made known, by a circular paper, the service I was come upon, it spread like wild-fire – the Greeks finding it to be their interest to frighten the banditti; and though I only remained three days at Miconi, where I published the paper, I found that the Ionians had every where got on board their vessels, and had set off as fast as they could, after having committed the greatest devastation in several islands.”
