448 ANNUAL R E G I S T E R, 1816. 



lency and to his secretary, and 

 tlie artists employed by liiii), tlie 

 most extensive peiniissiunto view, 

 draw, and model the ancient tem- 

 ])les of the Idols, and the sculp- 

 tures upon them, and to n)ake 

 excavations, and to take awav 

 any stones that might apfiear in- 

 teresting to them." He stated 

 further, that no remonstrance 

 was at any time made, nor any 

 displeasure shown by the Turkish 

 government, either at Consianti- 

 nople or at Athens, against tiie 

 extensive interpretation which 

 was put upon this fermaun ; and 

 although the work of taking 

 down and removing, was going 

 on for months, and even years, 

 and was conducted in the most 

 public manner, numbers of native 

 laboiuers, la the amount of some 

 hundreds, ht-'mg frequently em- 

 jiloyed, not the least obstruction 

 was ever interposed, nor the 

 smallest uneasiness shown after 

 the granting of this second fer- 

 maun. Among the Greek popu- 

 lation and Inhabitants of Athens, 

 it occasioned no sort of dissatis- 

 faction ; but, as Mr. Hamilton, 

 un eye-witnes?, expresses it, so 

 far from exciting any unpleasant 

 sensation, the people seemed to 

 feel it as the means of bringing 

 foreigners into their country, and 

 of having money spent among 

 them. The Turks showed a total 

 indifference and apathy as to the- 

 preservation of these remains, 

 except when in a fit of wanton 

 destruction, they sometimes car- 

 ried their disregard so fai- as to 

 do mischief by firing at them. 

 The numerous travellers and ad- 

 mirers of the arts committed 

 greater waste, from a very diflcr- 

 ent motive J for many of those 



who visited the Acropolis, tempt- 

 ed the s(d(!iers and other people 

 about the fortress to bring them 

 down heads, legs, or arms, or 

 whatever other pieces they could 

 caiiy off. 



A translation of the fermaun 

 itself has since been forwarded 

 by Dr. Hunt, which is printed in 

 the appendix. 



H. Upon the second division, 

 it must be premised, that antece- 

 dently to Lord Elgin's departure 

 for Constantino])le, he communi- 

 cat.ed his intentions of bringing 

 home casts and drawings from 

 Athens, for the benefit and ad- 

 vancement of the fine arts in this 

 country, to Mr. Pitt, Lord Gren- 

 villr. and Mr. Dundas, suggesting 

 to them the propriety of consider- 

 ing it as a national object, fit to 

 be undertaken, and carried into 

 effect at the public expense ; but 

 that this lecommenelation was in 

 no degree encouraged, either at 

 that time or afterwards. 



It is evident, from a letter of 

 Lord Elgin to the Secretary of 

 State, 13 January, 1803, that he 

 considered himself as having no 

 sort of claim for his disburse- 

 ments in the prosecution of these 

 pursviits, though he stilted, in the 

 same despatch, the heavy expenses 

 in which they had involved him, 

 so as to make it extremely incon- 

 venient for him to forego any of 

 the usual allowances to which 

 ambassadors at other courts were 

 entitled. It cannot, therefore, be 

 doubted, that he looked upon 

 himself in this respect as acting 

 in a character entirely distinct 

 from his ofliicial situation. But 

 vhether the Government from 

 whoiu he obtained permission did, 

 or could so consider him, is a 



question 



