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numerous, ranging along above a mile on the slope of the mountain. They are built with a slaty stone, and perhaps were white-washed, as their aspect is now mean. They consist mostly of a single camera or vault; but one has a wall before it, and three chambers, which have been painted. Many of them have a small square stone over the entrance, inscribed, but no longer legible. In examining these, I found half of an inscription,* which was copied in 1673, and has been published incorrectly. This remnant was in a fair character, on a marble lying on a rock. Below the sepulchres are broken arches, and pieces of wall, among which is a massive coffin or two of marble standing on their basements.

A marble by the isthmus records an Iasian, who was victorious at Olympia, and the first conqueror in the Capitoline games at Rome. We found there likewise a piece of inscribed architrave, on which, when more entire, a stoa or portico, and Diana Civica, or the tutelary goddess of the city, were mentioned. By a wall, which seemed the remnant of a sepulchre, is a long inscription closely, but handsomely engraved on a slab of white marble, in which the theatre is mentioned, with the Prytanéum or town-hall, and the temples of Jupiter and Diana. While I was copying it, a Greek priest came, and displaced me somewhat roughly. I was then informed that was a church; and the stone the holy table. I had given offence by sitting on it. The priest was wretchedly ignorant, and among his other absurdities, told me they had a tradition, that at the last day St. Paul will rise there, shewing the place with his foot.

A vessel from the island of Stanchio was at anchor in the

* Inscript. Ant. p. 26.

+ Ibid, p. 19. + Ibid, p. 20.

bay, with some small craft, with fish or laden with tobacco, figs, and cotton, the produce of the country. These often carry stones away for ballast. We had paid a piaster at Scio for leave to transcribe three marbles, which lay on the shore, and were transported from this place. They contained honorary decrees made by the Iasians.* One is of the age of Alexander the Great, and remarkable for the extreme beauty of the characters, which were as finely designed and cut as any I ever saw. These stones were part of a square pilaster before the senate-house.

On our first arrival here, a Greek, who lived in the ruin of a large sepulchre by the isthmus, declared he was comanded to suffer nobody to enter Assyn-kalesi without a written order from the aga of Melasso, to whose district the castle belonged. We offered to purchase his permission, but in vain. He knew we were going to that city, and was afraid to accept a bribe. After a short stay, finding him inflexible, we continued our journey, intending to return in a few days, as we did, with authority. This sepulchre was then our abode, and we lay in it, covering, with the Greek family, the whole floor. We were guarded by two large and fierce dogs, which were continually in motion round about, barking furiously at the jackalls, and then looking in upon us, with an attention as remarkable, as friendly and agreeable.

*Inscript. Ant. p. 19.

CHAP. LV.

Increase of land--Hillock in a plain-Booths of the Turcomans -Site of Bargylia-Of Kindye-Of Caryanda-We arrive at Mylasa-The Turkish play of the Jarrit-Our visit to the aga.

THE frequent accessions of new land along the coast of Asia Minor will often perplex the classical traveller, especially if not aware of the alteration; and will render him suspicious of the ancient geographers, whom he consults, as of false guides, on whom he cannot depend. The cities Iasus and Bargylia were situated in the recess of the same bay, which was called the Iasian, or, more commonly, the Bargylietic ; yet I inquired for the latter, as a place on the coast, without obtaining any information.

We set out from Iasus at half an hour after one; and, crossing the plain, ascended a very high mountain. At a quarter before three we had in view, beneath us, an extensive plain, in which was a Turkish village; and at the mountainfoot, a lake, which communicated by small meandering channels with one opposite, and that with the bay of Iasus. Within was a hillock, resembling one of the rocks by Osebashá, with ruins on it.

We led our horses down the mountain by a steep track, on the left hand, into a field, in which the tall stalks of Turkey wheat were standing; and, leaving behind us the distant summits of Mount Titanus, came at twenty minutes after three to a level green, occupied by Turcomans. Their

flocks and cattle were feeding round the scattered booths; and cotton, recently gathered from the pods, was exposed on the ground to dry, or on the tops of the sheds, which are flat and covered with boughs. Beyond these we passed a wide water-course; and had the hillock again in view, through an opening on the right hand.

I wish to have my omissions supplied, as well as my errors corrected, and therefore recommend this hillock to the notice of future travellers into these countries. I have no doubt, but there was the site of Bargylia, and there a recess of the bay, since converted into a plain, which is almost inclosed with mountains.

The Iasians had a famous statue of Vesta, which, it was the general belief, neither rain nor hail would touch, though standing in the open air. A temple of Diana near Bargylia was supposed to be distinguished, and treated with like reverence by falling snow and showers. It was at a place named Kindye.*

After Bargylia on the coast were Myndus and Halicarnassus, colonies from Troezen; and between Bargylia and Myndus was the lake Caryanda, with an island in it and a town, the birth-place of Scylax, a very ancient geographer. The traveller, who shall examine the coast of Caria, will discover Caryanda, it is believed, encompassed in like manner with Bargylia, and in a plain.

Three inland cities of Caria are recorded as worthy notice, Mylasa, Stratonicea, and Alabanda. Our road to the former place lay between the mountains, branches of Grius; and by pleasant cultivated vales. The sun had set when we

Strabo, p. 658. Polybius, p. 1108.

arrived, and the khan was shut. A Swiss, who has been mentioned more than once, happened to be there, and looking out at a window, saw our hats; and some Greek or Armenian merchants of Smyrna, whom he informed that we were Franks, prevailed on the keeper to open the gate, though the khan was full. The Swiss had been in London, and had served in an English privateer in the war with France. He was now, after many adventures with an Hungarian, an itinerant quack-doctor. The bazar, or market, was closed, and we were distressed for food. He presently killed and dressed for us a couple of fowls, and the merchants permitted us to partake of their apartment, in which we all slept on the floor, as many as it could contain.

The merchants had free access to the aga as traders, and the Hungarian, as his physician. We delivered to them the letter from the aga of Suki, to be presented to him, and in the morning went to pay our visit. He was fond of the national and warlike diversion called the Jarrit, and we found him, though in a bad state of health, engaged in this violent. exercise, with several Turks of distinction, in a large area, or court, before his house. The beauty and tractability of the horses, which had very rich trappings, was as surprising as the agility and address of the riders. They were gallopping from all sides at once, with a confused regularity; throwing at each other the jarrit, or blunted dart; and recovering it from the ground, at full speed, with amazing dexterity. The music sounded, and acclamations, when any one excelled, filled the air.

We waited in the gallery with the Hungarian, and other spectators, until the game ended. We were then introduced into a spacious apartment, with a sofa, on which the aga was

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