The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-28 00:00:00

GREEK PIRATES.

Extract of a letter from the agents to Lloyd's at Smyrna,
elated 3tme '2O, 1816
Si it,-11 is Majesty's ships Cambrian, Sef.noapatam. Rose, Me-
dina, and Gannet, are in port. The Cambrian arrived two days
ago from the Archipelago and Napoli di Romania, and has de-
stroyed about twenty boats and small velvet', suspected of piracy,
' on her last critter. Thetieringaparani has just returned, after giving
convoy clear of the Arches to the vessels which wailed on the 10th.
Hit Majesty's ship Brisk gave convoy, to the Dardanelles, to the
Helen anti Diadem, for Constantinople.
The Volusia, from Glasgow, was plundered on the :141 lost., be-
tween Sarpho and Sephante, by a large picots boat, manned a ith
about thirty armed Greeks, of fully 43 packages of manufactures,
part of the crews' clothes. and all their money ; Captain M'Dou-
gal was slightly stabbed, frequently struck, and severely threatened,
for not giving up at once some gold he had in his pockets.
We beg to incluse topics of two letters addressed by the mer-
chants to Mr. Consul Werry, who is most zealous in his endearmin
to further their objects by checking piracy and the traffic in its
fruits in every stage. We would more particularly submit to the
consideration of the Committee the case of the Perielmexplained in
the letter of merchants who had their goods plundered. file Con
sul has actually stopped several mall parcels of British manufac-
tures and cotton twist, which are doubtless part of the plunder, and
the merchants, in recommending such a measure, and in pledging
the goads which may be recovered this way, for payment of ex-
penses, or damage incurred, presume on the sanction and support
of the Committee of Lloyd's, and of the underwriters. who it might
be presumed are the parties most interested in our efforts here on
their behalf being successful. Weber, the honour to be,
Your obedi.nt humble servants,
John Bennett, Esq. Lloyd's. Wii.xEN and Co.
Smyrna, June 9, 1826.
Stn,—Truly sensible that, for the protection of British commerce
in these parts, some more effectual measures than a y hitherto
adopted should be taken against the crying evil of Greek piracies,
anti the goods plundered being openly brought here for sale, to
which you were pleaed to call our attention in your circular letter.
dated a few days b .elt, we have given the subject that deep con-
sideration which it merits, but we hive hitherto been deterred
from addressing you n reply, by the difficulty of suggesting any
feasible plans for defeating this nefarious traffic. The additional
recent cases of the brigs Helen and Diedetn, from London, and the
Volusia, from Glasgow, being all of them plundered of goods to a
very considerable amount, which, in all probability, will come here
for sale, again rouse our attention, however much we may be at a
loss to point out either remedy or redress. We assume, in the first
rive, as a notorious facts that a great part of the goods plundered
from British vessels by Greek pin. -es in the Archipelago have been
imported here, as an extensive and ready market, that they regu-
larly pass at the Turkish Custom-house, on payment of the usual
duties ; and that most of them are sold at such low prices as to
show they could not have been honestly acquired by the apparent
owners. We have consequently, in addition to the pain of seeing
gv,ds stolen lento British remelt., to bear with the further evil of
seeing them sold at prices destructive of all fair trade, it being evi-
dent that the merchants cannot compete in prices with these free-

bootees.
We would first take leave to submit, whether the Drogomai.
whose duty it is to attend at the Customhouse, or some other atten-
tive. vielant, and faithful person, might not most usefully attend
at the histom-house to watch closely the unloading of all vessels
from the islands in the Archipelago ; and whether you could not
direct him to stop or sequester all British manufactures and other
goods suspected of being pirated ; for although it be difficult for
the merchant to show or prove his property in these goods, since
the pirates invariably destroy or leave the original packages on board
the plundered vessels, yet it is too evident they are stolen, and may
be considered RS so much property lost to his Alajesty's subjects,
either merchants or underwriters. The very fact of the existence
of an Motion trade in British goods from the islands in the Archi-
pelago is a conclusive proof of piratical robbery. for hitherto there
leis always been an export trade of this descriptir o from Smyrna.
1 would be a point, we believe, of easy proof to show that in more
than one of the islands of the Archipelago the constituted autho-
rities not only countenance, but participate in the piracies which
we are complaining of; but as, in addition to the niuch-to•besre-
•-stted liberty of search allowed to the Greeks, we believe one
CO in has been considered by his Majesty's Government as war.
ran ed to condemn property, the influence of the authorities in goes-
nun must be limited. If it were but a temporary measure ooly, it
strikes us as one much to bs desired, that British subjects be ap-
pointed agents in those islands near which the piracies have been
committed, and where the pirated property in part is taken for sale.
From such agents much good might result, but our experience
allows us to hope much less, certainly, from the appointment of
people f,otn the country. Apprehending that it will be a work
of much time and difficulty to exterminate pirates in the Levant,
who, on the appearance of his Majesty's cruisers, take every
precaution to remove evidences of their guilt, by concealing their
plunder, and by disarming themselves and their craft, to as-
sume the appearance of quiet, industrious, seafarino melt,
we most earnestly solicit you to represent strongly to his M'ajesty's
Ambassador at the Porte, to the Cottimanders of his Maiesty's
ships, and to other British authorities, how necessary their vigilant
and powerful interference has become to the ptotection of British in-
terests ; and we venture to add, that in the absence of direct evi-
dence to warrant the detention of suspected stolen goods, a variety
of circumstantial and collateral proofs could be adduced to satisfy
every impartial and well-informed man of the necessity of adopting
severer messutes than hitherto—such as obligirg the ostensible
proprietors to prove their title to the goods by the production of in-
voices, if fairly bought, or of certificates of condemnation, if le-
gally adjudged by the Greek Admiralty Court, thus throwing the
onus of proof on the suspected person, instead of requiring the mer-
chant to identify goods he never saw. Without some extraordinary
and vigorous measures of this kind, neither piracy nor this traffic
can be arrested in their origin and progress ; and we may presume
that his Majesty's Government would sanction every step taken to
protect British interests, consistent with public justice and the ho-
nour of the British name, and at a moment like the present, when
on land the Greeks have been driven to their last fortress, and by
sea every kind of subordination seems to have ceased—when the
Greek vessels appear to have abandoned all hope of success, as well
as to have relinquished all efforts against their enemies;---we say, at
a moment like this, with a number of armed Greek vessels, with-
out any chance of existence but plunder them, the prospect is
an awful one for British commerce, in the passage of her shipping
up and down the Archipelago, without the powerful assistance of
every arm which his Majesty's Government can put forward in her
defence.
We beg to recommend your directing the British Agent at
Milo, ream vessels bound upwards usually call for pilots, to ac-
quaint all the Masters of the dangers to be apprehended from pirates,
as a precaution in the first instance ' • and also to desire all the
Consuls, agents in the Ishinds, and other places in the Archi-
pelago, to exert themselves vigilantly in looking after suspected
goods, and to report to you frequently the best information they
can obtain of the manner in which such goods were acquired, for
whence they may be destined, and generally to take every possible
measure to detain the same for the investigation of the Commanders
of his Majesty's ships, and oilier public authorities.
AVe shall be obliged by your transmitting a copy of this letter to
his Majesty's Consul-General, begging him to lay it before his
Excellency the Ambassador, and we recommend its several points
to your own serious and immediate attention.
We have the honour to be, respectfully, Sir,
(Signed by all the Merchants.)
To Francis Werry, Esq. His British Majesty's Consul,
&c. ete. Ike. Smyrna.
Smyrna, June 17, 1826.
Sin,—We, the ttodersigwol merchants, who have lost goods
front shitish vessels pits tiered by pirates in the Archipelago, beg
leave to represent, that ditierent parcels of suspected British goods,
loaded at Sira, on the imperial vessel Pericles, Captain Mario Rigen-
sovirh, and stopped at the Custom-hoar-e in course of landing, by
your orders, have been seen by us, and are, without doubt, part
of the property lost; but these goods having been taken out of the
original packages, and marks and numbers so altered as to make
it extremely difficult to identify them on a first view, we beg
to recommend that you order a safe warehouse to be rented.
to which these and other similarly detained goods may be
removed immediately on landing, there to remain for your
decision, and delivery to the hong plc owners, after deliberate
investigation, the key of this warehouse to be in charge
tif one of your Drogoniatis, or other ;lemons of your appointing.
Persuaded that nruch British property would thus be recovered, we
pledge, whatever part may be forthcoming to ourselves and the un-
derwriters, to bear all expenses incurred in furthering the prosecu-
tion of the just rights of ids Majesty's subjects, who are already
stilf,rets to's considerable amount by piracies, and the shaincless
traffic in plunder to this port, which again imperiously call for
every possible check. and we are convinced that whatever measures
you may deem proper to take will be justified by the event. We
would also suggest your representing to the commanders of his
Majesty's ships on the station, that the pore of Sira is the grand
receptacle and immediate market for sale of plunder taken by
pirates; and to recommend that one of his Majesty's ships be
stationed at that place. where the commander would be enabled to
throw impediments in the waof the rubbers anti receivers, more
-ied b" Englishman, or other faithful