Lord Byron was fully satisfied as to the correctness of this description. He said, however, that he felt so deeply interested in their cause from admiration of the ancient glories of their race, that he had determined to place himself and all his means at their disposal. As to the manner, however, in which he could best accomplish his object, he was desirous of receiving advice. The general opinion was that he should raise a permanent force, to be regularly paid and trained, to be always held at the disposal of the central Government. Some time previous to this, the Suliotes, an Albanian tribe of Greeks, obtained information that Ali Pasha of Yanina was preparing to burn their villages as a punishment for some outrage they had committed; the whole population, therefore, abandoned their homes, and took refuge in Cephalonia. The small Peninsula of Asso was assigned for their temporary residence, and there they encamped. Their number, including women and children, was about 2,000, and they could muster above 400 fighting men. These readily entered into Lord Byron’s service, and formed the nucleus of the force he afterwards placed at the disposal of the Greek Government. They were remarkably fine men, and their costume was quite picturesque. Dr. Kennedy, the staff surgeon at Cephalonia, was very desirous of delivering a course of lectures on the “Evidences of Christianity” in the presence of Lord Byron, who accepted his invitation for that purpose; and Colonel Napier offered one of his rooms for the occasion. There were only eight persons invited to be present—namely, Colonel Napier, Lord Byron, Dr. Kennedy, Colonel Duffy, Lieutenant Kennedy of the Royal Engineers, Dr. Cartan, a Commissariat Officer, and myself. The Doctor’s lectures were most interesting and valuable, and Lord Byron occasionally argued on various points. He did not believe, however, in prophecy, in miracles, or in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; and at the conclusion of the third lecture he excused himself from further attendance, complimenting Dr. Kennedy by saying that _he was the most gentleman-like Christian with whom he had ever held a discussion upon the subject_. The other persons named continued their attendance to the end of the course of eight lectures. At this time I obtained leave of absence to England, and Lord Byron entrusted me with the manuscript of the last portion of any poem he ever wrote, namely, the three last cantos of “Don Juan,” to be delivered to Sir John Cam. Hobhouse. I had a handsome portable brass bedstead which Lord Byron was desirous of having, and on that bedstead he died, in the fortress of Missalonghi, opposite the coast of Cephalonia, which withstood a long siege by the Turks.