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fountain, with a broken inscription,* and earthern pipes, which convey water down to the city. It is a mean fortress, abandoned, and in ruins. The cannon, it is related, were removed to the Sangiac castle in the gulf of Smyrna. The recompense of our toil, in gaining the summit, was an extensive view of a fine verdant plain, divided by the Hermus shining like silver. Chishull relates, that the needle of a sea compass placed on different stones, after pointing various ways, quickly lost its whole virtue. We tried with our pocket compass, but discovered no such magnetic quality in the rock.

The Romans obtained their great victory over Antiochus, between Thyatira and Sardes, on the banks of the Hyllus, then called the Phrygius. His camp had that river in front, and was strongly fortified. Thyatira is distant fourteen or fifteen hours from Magnesia; and the Hyllus descends by it to the Hermus. The junction of the two streams may sometimes be seen from the castle.†

CHAP. LXXXI.

Our embarrassment-Insecurity at Magnesia-The plague at · Thyatira-We set out for Smyrna-At Hadgilar-At Šedicui -A Greek.

OUR situation was now become very critical and distressing. We were only eight hours north-eastward from Smyrna. We were all sufficiently wearied with wandering,

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and desirous of a respite. Several of our horses were spoiled by the rough service they had undergone; and some of our men were anxious for their families, and uneasy from their long absence. The disabled condition of our little corps, with the general disquietude, and the risque in journeying, as well from the season, as from the distemper, made us ardently wish for a secure retreat, but the difficulty was find one.

The malady, it was believed, had not yet reached Magnesia; but caravans were continually arriving from Smyrna, and it could scarcely fail of being speedily imported. In a khan we were exposed among the foremost to infection. If we obtained admission into the Greek monastery, or a private house, horror and momentary peril would be our portion, as soon as the plague commenced; at a distance from our countrymen, without friends, among people fatally ignorant and negligent; in whom we could place no confidence; and from whom, we, if attacked, could have little room to expect any attention and regard, or indeed even sepulture.

An Italian quack doctor had visited us at the khan, and accompanied us up to the castle. He was just arrived from Akhissar or Thyatira, and assured us, that place was free from contagion. We determined, rather than enter Smyrna without absolute necessity, to extend our tour thither, and to Pergamum; hoping, while we were employed on that side of the Hermus, a favourable alteration might ensue. The janizary and Armenians acquiesced, with some reluctance, and our baggage was loading, when a papas or Greek priest informed one of my companions, that he had recent intelligence from Thyatira, and that the plague was then in the house of the aga. Our whole arrangement was in an instant

overturned; but we agreed immediately to abandon Magnesia; and, fortunately, as the evil presaged, became manifest there very soon after, and the civil Frenchman, our guide, perished among the first victims.

We are now on the road to Smyrna. After riding for some time at the foot of Mount Sipylus, we entered on a track on the left hand, and crossing the mountain, arrived in the plain of Hadgilar, a village two hours from Smyrna. We met a few travellers, whom we passed with caution, enquiring of them at a distance, and hearing a most dismal tale. Our terror and perplexity increased as we advanced. We were assured many of the villages were infected. We were ignorant whether we could be admitted into the house of the English consul, and whether he had remained at Smyrna. Various methods of giving, and procuring the intelligence, necessary for our mutual security were devised, and proposed, and rejected, as unsafe; when, being exceedingly embarrassed, we turned aside from the road to deliberate, and to repose awhile among the olive-trees.

Seeing the village of Hadgilar near us, I rode on, followed by the Swiss, and meeting a peasant, asked him whether any Frank or European lived there; and was answered, Mr. Lee. I galloped up to his house, and was received with his accustomed cordiality. A prudent regard to the safety of his family forbidding our admission within his gate,* he ordered liquors and plenty of provisions for our refreshment, and with Mr. Maltas his partner, and the Abbé D. Giuseppe Icard, who had been educated at the college De Propaganda at Rome, and had attended us as our instructor in the

See a view in Le Brun, p. 400,

Greek and modern languages, accompanied me back to the tree, where joy was already diffused through our tattered and sun-burnt troop.

Mr. Lee had reserved for us the house, which he occupied the summer before at Sedicui. We crossed to it in the evening, leaving Smyrna, where the plague was very furious, on our right hand. The next day we dismissed our men, except the Swiss and an Armenian, our cook, who had a couple of horses, which we kept for some time. The janizary resumed his station at the consul's gate, with the same composure as if unattended with any danger; and the Armenians retired to a spot near another village, where many of their nation were assembled, waiting under tents and sheds until the malady should abate.

We remained five in number, besides a Greek, who had the care of the garden, and had been indulged with the privilege of vending its produce to the villagers; but this occasioning a more free intercourse than was consistent with our safety, a separation followed; after which his place of abode was on some planks, laid over a cistern beneath a shed, at some distance from the house; the furniture a very few utensils, and tools, a coverlet, a garment or two, some dry gourds, and his gun. The danger of infection increasing, he accepted a compensation, and ceased to sell. He was intrusted with a key of the garden door, solely for his own use, but at times admitted other Greeks, and sate drinking with them to a late hour, disturbing us with droning songs, and the melancholy tinklings of a rude lyre.

CHAP. LXXXII.

Of Sedicui-Manner of watering the gardens-An engine— The mountain-Our house-Provisions--Our market manMisconduct of a servant-Our manner of living—The tettixThe weather-An earthquake.

SEDICUI is a small village with a mosque and a fountain.* It was inhabited by a few Turks and Greeks, and by two Franks, with their families; the count de Hochpied the Dutch consul, and Mr. Fremaux a merchant of that nation. It is seated by a flat plain, on which are scattered fig, almond, and olive trees, with some bushes; the surface then parched, no verdure, neither weeds nor a blade of grass. On the west side are mountains, branches of Corax ; and on these the jackalls howled every night, beginning about sunset. We were informed, that an old Turk, with a snow-white beard, had foretold, that Sedicui would not suffer from the plague, for their hunting near it was a favourable prognostic, which in his memory had never failed.

A gentle ascent led from the village to the roots of Mount Corax, through a corn field, in which is a fountain fed by clear rills, carefully conveyed to it along the slopes. Close by is a square reservoir sunk in the ground; from which in the morning and at evening, when the stoppage was removed, a streamlet ran babbling over pebbles down to the village, to water the gardens. We had it in our turn, and the garden

* See a view. Le Brun, p. 29..

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