Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-31
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING, MAY 81, 1855


TRELAWNEY CONCERNING BYRON.
The Boston correspondent of the New York
Times writes as follows ON the subject OF By
rou's deformity:
"As some fault has been found with Mr..
Tselawney for bis havi & ascertained by &C.
cular proof, after the poet's death. that both
of Byron's legs were withered to the knee,
fas mentioned in his recent work, | may
state that the fact is by no means new. A
gentleman who knew Byron at Missolonghi,
and who saw him both in life aud death, told a
friend of mine, years ago, Substantially what
Mr.. Trelawney has published, adding that
the legs were so small that it was almost
POSSIBLE to make the thumb and first finger
of the hand meet around either of them close
to tn. knee, which it would not be possible to
do with the leg of healthy child; unless the
thumb and ipger should chance to be oil enoI-
NOUS length.
MIR. Trelawney mentions Mr.. Hamilton
Brown as sailing with himself and Byron to
Greece; and il may be new to some OF your
readers that Mr.. Browne published a very in
teresting account Of the journey in Black
wood, 1884 which is not less readable than
MIR. Trelawney's book. HIS details are sin-
Rularly corroborstive of the latter's state
nents on some points; but Mr.. Browne men
tions that Mr.. Trela@ney undertook to swim
on q wager from Ithaca to Cephalonia, but
failed because Of the lateness OF the hour
The distance is si4 miles. but it was thought
to be considerably less. from the height Of
the land and the transparency OF the atmcs-
pbeIe. Byron badgered his friend on what
be called his failure.
Sno IN
and in my Coosul Plaucus days, that is, when
Andrew Jackson was President, would have
tried it, barring sharks and cramp. 10 fact
there is hardly any limit - the swimming
powers of q strong, broad chested young man,
with good wind and eyesigbt, the latter be-
ing indispensable. 1t is not until one gets
out of the water that fatigue is felt, and then
il is extreme, the swimmer, as the English
saw, being knocked up for a week perhaps.
"Mr. Browne mentions that Byron was
measured every day with tape he kept
for the purpose, aud be also caused the girth
round the loins of his fellow passengers to be
taken, with a view to ascertaining how far
thew approached the ideal proportions usually
assigned by artists to the standard Of perfec-
ton. To GAMBIA was adjudged the palm, and
Byron claimed to be second; although for
manly appearance; in my opinion, Trelswney
Infinitely surpassed both lie says that
Trelawney assumed the Albanian or Suliote
costume, which wonderfully became him,
being tall in statureand of a dark complexion,
with fine commanding physiognomy.'-
Trelswney's Adventures of Younger Son,
il the best novel ever written.
capt Chamier, W BIO was midshipman on
board the Salsette when Byron was pas
seuger, and who was 10 the boat that accom-
penied him when be swan the Hellespont,
and saw him in state Of utter nudity, does
not state that Byron's legs were ~ithered.-
The deformty Of limb be says, which al
noyed him through life, was conspicuous to
any man with eyes in his head. and it was
perfectly impossible for aoy shoemaker to
disguise his clump foot | really can scarce
ly credit that bis lordship was go mortified
at this visitation of Providence, when l have
seen him thousands of times setting on the
traffrail aud swinging bis legs about with
unrestrsined freedom. The tame which in
sured his lordship in after life made me anx
ious to remember his person and manners
aud am qnite satisfied that on board the
Salsette be never took any particular pains
to disguise bis feet. He certainly did no
swim across the Hellespont in Hessisn BOOTS
and be dressed himself in the boat when ht
failed in the first attempt"