Our passage to the Piraeus occupied a long time.  There was not a breath of wind, and the sailors were obliged to row; we did not land at our destination until nearly 8 in the evening.  We were first visited by the health-officer, who read through the certificates which we brought from the quarantine very leisurely.  There was unfortunately nobody among us who was inclined to make it more understandable to him by a few drachmas.  Of course we could not neglect going to the police-office; but it was already closed, in consequence of which we dare not leave the town.  I went into a large fine-looking coffee-house to look for night quarters.  I was conducted to a room in which half of the window-panes were broken.  The attendant said this was of no consequence, it was only necessary to close the shutters.  In other respects the room looked very well but I had scarcely laid down on the bed when certain animals compelled me to take to flight.  I laid down upon the sofa, which was no better.  Lastly, I tried an easy chair, in which I passed the night, not in the most agreeable position.

I had already been told in AEgina of the great dirtiness and number of vermin prevalent in the Piraean inns, and had been warned against passing a night there; but what was to be done? for we could not venture to leave the town without permission of the police.

22nd October.  The distance of the harbour of the Piraeus from Athens is thirteen stadia, or six English miles.  The road leads through olive-plantations and between barren hills.  The Acropolis remains continually in sight; the town of Athens does not appear till afterwards.  I had intended to remain eight days in Athens, in order to see all the monuments and remarkable places of the town and environs leisurely; but I had scarcely got out of the carriage when I heard the news of the breaking out of the Vienna revolution of October.

I had heard of the Paris revolution of the 24th February while in Bombay; that of March in Germany, at Baghdad; and the other political disturbances while at Tebris, Tiflis, and other places.  No news had astonished me so much in my whole life as that from Vienna.  My comfortable, peace-loving Austrians, and an overthrow of the government!  I thought the statement so doubtful, that I could not give full credit to the verbal information of the Resident at Baghdad; he was obliged to show it to me in black and white in the newspaper to convince me.  The affair of March so delighted and inspirited me that I felt proud of being an Austrian.  The later occurrences of May, however, cooled my enthusiasm; and that of the 6th of October completely filled me with sadness and dejection.  No overthrow of a state ever began so promisingly.  It would have stood alone in history if the people had gone on in the spirit of the March movement; and then to end in such a way!  I was so grieved and upset by the result of the 6th of October, that I lost all enjoyment of everything.  Moreover, I knew my friends were in Vienna, and I had heard nothing from them.  I should have hastened there immediately if there had been an opportunity of doing so; but I was obliged to wait till the next day, as the steamer did not start till then.  I made arrangements to go by it, and then took a cicerone to show me all the objects of interest in the town, more for diversion than pleasure.