Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/356

 326 VOYAGE OF THE ARMADA C H A P. ceived from the invaders. Yet the precaution of ^ ^^' bringing liussian money had been forgotten by the public authorities; and when Mr Hamilton of the Britannia was preparing to land, with a view of endeavouring to begin a buying-and-sell- ing intercourse with the natives, he had nothing to offer except English sovereigns. It chanced, however, that there were two or three English travellers on board the flag-ship, and that these men (foreseeing the likelihood of their having to buy horses or make other purchases from the natives of the invaded country) had supplied themselves with some of the gold Russian coins called ' half-imperials,' which were to be obtained without difficulty at Constantinople. The travel- lers — Sir Edward Colebrooke, I think, was one of them — advanced as many of these as they could spare to the public authorities ; and Mr Hamilton being thus enabled to land with a small supply of the magic half- imperials, and being, besides, a good-tempered, humorous man, with a tendency to make cordial speeches in English to all his fellow-creatures alike, whether Eussian, or Tar- tar, or Greek, he was able to make a merry begin- ning of that intercourse with the natives which was destined to become a fruitful source of strength to the Allied armies. The gains made by the first sellers soon drew fresh supplies into the place from the surrounding country ; the com- missariat afterwards began its operations in the town, and in time a good lasting market was opened to the invaders.