us at night, intending to sail in the morning, was detained some time longer by foul weather.

We soon found that the old religious parties still subsist with unextinguished animosity, each sect cherishing insuperable hatred, and intriguing to ruin its adversary. We saw the Latins at their worship in the chapel of the vice-consul of the French nation, which was very neat, well filled, especially with women, and handsomely illuminated. The English consul, who served some other European powers, was much haunted by priests of that church, and had a patent of knighthood from the pope.

The wines of Scio have been celebrated as aiding digestion, as nutritive and pleasant. They were much esteemed by the Romans. Hortensius hoarded them; and Cæsar, who was as generous as magnificent, dispensed them freely to the people at his triumphs and sacrifices. It is related, that the culture of the vine was introduced by a son of Bacchus, called Enopion, or the Wine-Drinker, whose sepulchre remained here in the second century; and that red wine, with the method of making these liquors, was invented by the Chians. A rugged tract, named Arvisia, was particularly famous for its produce, which has been extolled as ambrosial, and stiled a new nectar. Mr. Bracebridge, whom we visited at his house near the town, treated us with a variety of choice specimens ; and it may be questioned, if either the flavour or qualities, once so commended, be at all impaired. In several we found the former truly admirable.

To the peculiar possession of the Arvisian vine, now no longer talked of, has succeeded the profitable culture of the lentiscus, or mastic-tree. This employs, as we were told, twenty-one villages, which

are required to provide as many thousand okes1 of gum annually, for the use of the seraglio at Constantinople. They procure it by boring the trunks with a small sharp iron, in the summer months. In October their harvest is conveyed with music into the city, and lodged in the castle. The cadi and officers, who attend while it is weighed, have each a certain portion for their perquisite. The remainder is delivered to the farmer or planter, to be disposed of for his own advantage. The Greeks of these villages have a separate governor, and enjoy many privileges. In particular, they are allowed to wear a turban of white linenm, and their churches have each a bell to call them to prayers, an indulgence of which they speak with much glee. The Asiatic ladies are excessively fond of this gum, which they chew greedily, believing it good for the breath, and attributing to it various other excellent properties.

Prosperity is less friendly to antiquity than desertion and depopulation. We saw no stadium, theatre, or odeum; but so illustrious a city, with a marble quarry near it, could not be destitute of those necessary structures, and perhaps some traces might be discovered about the hill on which the citadel stood. A few bass-reliefs and marbles are fixed in the walls, and over the gateways of the houses ". We found by the seaside, near the town, three stones with inscriptions, which had been brought for ballast from the continent of Asia. The Chiote, our attendant, was vociferous in his inquiries,

An oke is a Turkish weight of about two pounds three quarters avoirdupois.

m Cotton or calico. R.

n Inscript. Ant. p. 4.

but to little purpose. We were more than once desired to look at a Genoese coat of arms for a piece of ancient sculpture; and a date in modern Greek for an old inscription.

The most curious remain is that which has been named, without reason, the School of Homer. It is on the coast at some distance from the city, northward, and appears to have been an open temple of Cybele, formed on the top of a rock. The shape is oval, and in the centre is the image of the goddess, the head and an arm wanting. She is represented, as usual, sitting. The chair has a lion carved on each side, and on the back. The area is bounded by a low rim or seat, and about five yards over. The whole is hewn out of the mountain, is rude, indistinct, and probably of the most remote antiquity. From the slope higher up is a fine view of the rich vale of Scio, and of the channel, with its shining islands, beyond which are the mountains on the mainland of Asia.

• Pococke has metamorphosed the goddess and the two lions on the sides of the chair into Homer and a couple of the muses. The three figures, instead of certain parts only, were, I should suppose, supplied by the fancy of the drawer. The reader may have a much better idea of the original from a relief among the Oxford Marbles, n. cxv. The image, it is likely, held in the hand, which is missing, either a patera, or tympanum. See n. cxiii. cxiv.

CHAP. XVII.

SET SAIL FROM SCIO-MOOR IN A CREEK-WEATHER CAPE KARA-BORNU-THE INBAT-VIEW OF SMYRNA FROM THE SEA-THE FRANK STREET-THE CONSUL'S HOUSE-LIVE CHAMELEONS.

THE inconveniences under which we had laboured for some time rendered us impatient to get as fast as possible to Smyrna. We had been advised not to carry servants with us from England, and had made our way thus far alone. Besides the want of proper attendants, we were without our bedding, which, in our hurry at quitting the Anglicana, had been left on the quarter-deck. The weather was unfavourable to our departure from Scio. Thick clouds covered the mountains, and the southerly wind called sirocco prevailed. It thundered very much, with lightning, and rained hard in the night. We had hired a boat manned with Greeks, and our baggage was carried to the customhouse to be inspected; but it blew so violently, we were advised not to go on board. The next day the wind still continued high and contrary; but as it seemed not likely to change, and our boat was stout, we resolved to venture, and accordingly about noon embarked with a rough sea.

Leaving the mole of Scio, we buffetted the waves across to the continent, where we took in more ballast. We then stood to and fro the whole afternoon, but made little way. Our boat carried a large unhandy sail, which, when we tacked about, did not readily clear, and once we barely escaped being overset. In the evening we entered a small creek, and moored by two other vessels. In the rock close by These afford shelwere caverns black with smoke.

ter to mariners and fishermen, in dark nights and tempestuous weather, when the sea is not navigable. We landed very wet from the salt spray, and halfstarved with hunger. We had endeavoured, when we stopped before, to make the crew understand, that our keen appetites required present gratification, but did not succeed. Some of them now made a fire on shore, and boiled the fowls which we had provided. We supped in a manner sufficiently disgusting, and retired to the boat, where the fresh ballast was our bed.

We were under sail again as soon as the morning dawned; plying between mount Mimas on the continent and the Spalmadore islands, called anciently Œnussæ. They belonged to the Chians, who had refused to sell them to the Phoceans. About two we weathered the southern promontory of the gulf of Smyrna, formerly called Acra Melæna, or Black Point. The Turkish name, which now prevails, signifies nearly the same. It is Kara-bornu, or Black Nose.

Smyrna is situated in the latitude of 38a. 40m. at the end of a long bay. As soon as we had gained the mouth of this gulf, the wind called inbat began to waft us pleasantly along. This, which is a westerly wind, sets regularly in, during the hot months, in the daytime; and is generally succeeded by a land-breeze in the night. The city was in view before us, when evening came on, and the gale died away.

We arrived at the Frank Scale, or key for Europeans, early in the morning, and beheld Smyrna, no longer remote, spreading on a slope, the summit of the hill crowned with a large solitary castle; domes