14 THE SEVENTH WAR : DON PACIFICO. 



They spoke out indignantly, and smote with dismay the hearts of 

 men like Rajah Brooke, who, in the fancied security of a remote and 

 obscure province, tarnished the honour of the British name. 



With one shout down went the walls of Jericho, and this, what 

 might be termed sanguinary law, was for ever abolished. 



THE SEVENTH WAR: DON PACIFICO. 



1850. 



In 1850 England became involved in a dispute with Greece, 

 which was known as the " Don Pacifico." 



It was in consequence of demands made by a Mr. Finlay for the 

 price of a small piece of land, which had been taken from him by 

 King Otho ; and secondly, of a claim made by one Don Pacifico, a 

 Portugese Jew, for losses through pillage of his house by a mob in 

 Athens. Mr. Finlay had paid ;^io for the land, and he claimed 



Don Pacifico estimated his losses at ;£^3i,534, most of which 

 were imaginative. Neither of these gentlemen, however, had sought 

 to establish their claim in the Courts of Greece, yet reprisals were 

 made by the Government of England, and for a time England and 

 Greece were at War. 



On the 17th January, 1850, the British Fleet appeared in the 

 Piraeus, with a demand for the settlement by the Greek Government, 

 within twenty-four hours, of these preposterous claims ; and this 

 demand not being complied with the Fleet blockaded the Ports, 

 and laid an embargo, i.e., seized the Government and merch'ant 

 ships in the harbour. 



When the absurd nature of the claims were understood, and this 

 high-handed policy of England against a weak state like Greece 

 known, it caused a flutter of excitement, and the man, Don Pacifico, 

 became famous for the moment, as one whose miserable quarrel 

 threatened an European War. 



Greece appealed to Russia and France for support, and Count 

 Nesselrode for Russia, and M. Thouvenel for France, conveyed strong 

 remonstrances to Lord Palmerston ; but they were informed that there 



