'
The Elba had run her nose on a sandbank. After trying to force her over
it, an anchor was put out astern and the rope wound by a steam winch,
while the engines were backed; but all in vain. At length a small
Turkish steamer, the consort of the Elba, came to her assistance, and by
means of a hawser helped to tug her off: The pilot again ran her
aground soon after, but she was delivered by the same means without much
damage. When two-thirds of this cable was laid the line snapped in deep
water, and had to be recovered. On Saturday, June 4, they arrived at
Syra, where they had to perform four days' quarantine, during which,
however, they started repairing the Canea cable.
Bad weather coming on, they took shelter in Siphano, of which Jenkin
writes: 'These isles of Greece are sad, interesting places. They are
not really barren all over, but they are quite destitute of verdure; and
tufts of thyme, wild mastic, or mint, though they sound well, are not
nearly so pretty as grass. Many little churches, glittering white, dot
the islands; most of them, I believe, abandoned during the whole year
with the exception of one day sacred to their patron saint. The
villages are mean; but the inhabitants do not look wretched, and the men
are capital sailors.
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