Travels in Southern Europe and the Levant, 1810-1817: The Journal of C. R. Cockerell, R.A.Cockerell, C. R. (Charles Robert)
History
Travels in Southern Europe and the Levant, 1810-1817: The Journal of C. R. Cockerell, R.A.
Cockerell, C. R. (Charles Robert)
Cockerell, C. R. (Charles Robert), 1788-1863; Europe -- Description and travel; Middle East -- Description and travel
A curious fact about the journey is that they brought away with them a
German of Darmstadt of the name of Carl Rester, who appears to have been
a fugitive slave, of whom more hereafter.
The party was joined by a Mr. Tupper. This young gentleman had been
lodging at Madame Makri's, and had fallen in love, as it was the
indispensable fashion for young Englishmen to do, with one or all of the
charming daughters. He left them in tears, vowing to return, but it does
not appear that he ever did.
The diary of this journey is kept in a sketch-book in pencil, and is not
everywhere legible. The country was one well traversed by tourists and
minutely described by Gell. There were no discoveries to be made or new
impressions to be felt. They had no adventures. The weather was odious.
The entries consist largely of the kind of information--estimates of
population, accounts of products, and possibilities--which for the
modern traveller is "found" by Murray or Baedeker, and would never
figure in his diary. At the mouth of the Alpheus he remarks how well
suited the situation would be for a naval dockyard, close to vast
forests of oak and fir--forests, all of which must have disappeared in
the devastations of Mehemet Ali, for there are none there now.
The route taken was by Corinth, Argos, Tripolizza, Caritzena, Phigaleia,
which they found buried in snow, Olympia, Patras, Ithaca, Corfu,
Otranto, Lecce, Bari, and Foggia. The Pass of Bovino, between Foggia and
Naples, was considered exceedingly dangerous, on account of banditti,
and perhaps the most interesting thing in the whole diary is the
extravagant size of the escort considered necessary to see the
travellers through it. It consisted of no less than sixty men--thirty
cavalry and thirty infantry.
But on the whole the diary of the journey, which was through interesting
places and at an interesting moment, could hardly be duller. It may be
due to Cockerell's having been in poor health, or to Tupper's having
been a stupid, unstimulating companion.
They arrived at Naples on the 14th of April, 1815.
FOOTNOTES:
[46] General Sir James Campbell, Bart. (1763-1819), Governor of the
Ionian Islands till 1816.
[47] Sir William Gell (1777-1836), traveller, author of the _Itinerary
of Greece_, _Pompeiana_, and other works. The Augustus Hare of his day.
[48] This foot was presented to the Glyptothek at Munich.
CHAPTER XIX
NAPLES--POMPEII--ROME--THE GERMAN RESTER GOT RID OF--SOCIAL SUCCESS IN
ROME--LEAVES FOR FLORENCE--BARTHOLDY AND THE NIOBE GROUP--LADY DILLON--
THE WELLINGTON PALACE--PISA--TOUR IN THE NORTH--MEETS STACKELBERG
AGAIN--RETURNS TO FLORENCE AND ROME--HOMEWARD BOUND--CONCLUSION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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