“P.S.  Mr. Turner says that the swimming from Europe to Asia was ‘the easiest part of the task.’  I doubt whether Leander found it so, as it was the return; however, he had several hours between the intervals.  The argument of Mr. Turner, ’that higher up or lower down, the strait widens so considerably that he would save little labour by his starting,’ is only good for indifferent swimmers; a man of any practice or skill will always consider the distance less than the strength of the stream.  If Ekenhead and myself had thought of crossing at the narrowest point, instead of going up to the Cape above it, we should have been swept down to Tenedos.  The strait, however, is not so extremely wide, even where it broadens above and below the forts.  As the frigate was stationed some time in the Dardanelles waiting for the firman, I bathed often in the strait subsequently to our traject, and generally on the Asiatic side, without perceiving the greater strength of the opposite stream by which the diplomatic traveller palliates his own failure.  Our amusement in the small bay which opens immediately below the Asiatic fort was to dive for the LAND tortoises, which we flung in on purpose, as they amphibiously crawled along the bottom. This does not argue any greater violence of current than on the European shore.  With regard to the modest insinuation that we chose the European side as ‘easier,’ I appeal to Mr. Hobhouse and Captain Bathurst if it be true or no (poor Ekenhead being since dead).  Had we been aware of any such difference of current as is asserted, we would at least have proved it, and were not likely to have given it up in the twenty-five minutes of Mr. Turner’s own experiment.  The secret of all this is, that Mr. Turner failed, and that we succeeded; and he is consequently disappointed, and seems not unwilling to overshadow whatever little merit there might be in our success.  Why did he not try the European side?  If he had succeeded there, after failing on the Asiatic, his plea would have been more graceful and gracious.  Mr. Turner may find what fault he pleases with my poetry, or my politics; but I recommend him to leave aquatic reflections till he is able to swim ’five-and-twenty minutes’ without being ‘exhausted,’ though I believe he is the first modern Tory who ever swam ’against the stream for half the time."[32]

[Footnote 32:  To the above letter, which was published at the time, Mr. Turner wrote a reply, but, for reasons stated by himself, did not print it.  At his request, I give insertion to his paper in the Appendix.]

* * * * *

LETTER 414.  TO MR. MOORE.

     “Ravenna, February 22. 1821.