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may hereafter visit the same scenes on their cruize to the mouth of the Dardanelles, to say nothing of good taste, would seem to require, that they should write in somewhat smaller characters.

Within the area of the city, several Turkish families had built themselves temporary dwellings, from materials which had formed the palaces of kings. Many of them were engaged in gathering the valani, and a species of large walnut which abounds here. We saw during the day more than twenty of the carts, in which travellers love to recognize the antique form of Homer's time. The wheels are a solid block of wood, supporting a long wicker work basket.

From Esky Stamboul, we then bent our course to the north. Just without the walls, we passed the quarries from whence their materials were drawn. Finding that our efforts to reach Bournabashi, or the tomb of Eysetes, would be in vain, we entered the dry bed of a torrent which led towards the east. This we followed for two miles, until we found water flowing in its undiminished channel. The width was about ten or twelve feet, and the depth five or six. In the fields we discovered several sarcophagi, also many blocks of granite built into the modern houses on the plain without the city. Our approach to one of them caused no small alarm to a Turkish family. The mother called out most loudly, "Haide-begone." I bethought me however to exclaim, "Su var mewater is there ?" remembering that the precepts of their religion required them to compassionate the thirsty. The husband who was beating walnuts from a tree near at hand, directed his wife to hand us the vessel of water. She placed it upon the ground and

then fled to a distance, attempting with her ragged veil to conceal features apparently not the most lovely. Within the enclosure of the city where strangers are more frequently seen, we found the people less timid.

On our return near the shore, and almost directly opposite to the island of Tenedos, we saw several serpents of different colors. Two of them which some

what startled us, were black, and though short, sufficiently large, with the aid of the traveller's lips and the poet's imagination, to correspond to those of which Virgil speaks in the story of Laocoon

"Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta,
(Horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues
Incumbunt pelago, pariterque ad littora tendunt."

We saw also the centipede, and the echinus. The latter was pointed out to me by one of the Greeks, who opened its prickly shell, and ate it raw as he would have done an oyster. Of trees, besides the valani and walnut, the pine was most frequent. The cystus plant was also common.

Many hundreds of granite balls which had been formed from ancient columns for the cannon at the Dardanelles, lay scattered about the plain, as though now of little value. The artificial lake which made part of the excellent harbor of Alexandria Troas, is now mostly filled up with sand. While lingering about this spot, and picking up fragments of ancient pottery, &c., some Turkish soldiers came out of a guard house, and asked from whence we were, and said that we ought to go before the Aga and Bim

bashi. The reason they assigned was that we were not at liberty to carry off antiquities, without payment or permission. As we had nothing of value, we informed them we had not time to stop, and continued our walk towards the vessel. Shortly after a shepherd Turk came to the brow of the hill above us, called upon us to return, and loaded his gun in our sight. I pointed out our vessel, which had its Russian colors flying; shook my travelling firman, and took no farther notice of him. At the place where the boat came off for us, two others approached from a contrary direction. These pointed their guns at one of the young men who was cutting bushes for our live stock, and threatened to fire upon us, if we did not leave the shore. Thinking my Frank dress would afford him some protection, I went and sat down on a rock before him, while he completed his task, and the rest of the party proceeded leisurely to the boat. On reaching the vessel just at night, we found considerable apprehensions had been entertained for our safety, from the length of our absence and the sight of the armed Turks upon the shore.

During the excursion, I had given away a quantity of Greek and Greco-Turkish tracts, to travelling Greeks with whom I met. They are not permitted at present to reside in the immediate vicinity of the coast. I felt gratified here on the plain of Troy, a scene so celebrated in the earliest writings of the Greeks, to distribute among their reputed descendants, books in a language intelligible to them, yet bearing great resemblance even to that in which Homer sung. I have however a higher satisfaction in

contemplating the holier tendency of the humble narratives of the Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, the Dairyman's Daughter, the Young Cottager, &c. which I have circulated. Their object is not to excite, but to allay the violent passions of men; not to stir up the "Sons of the Greeks" to deeds of murderous war, but to enlist them in that good fight of faith whose "warfare is within."

CHAPTER XXII.

SCIENTIFIC NOTICES.

Thermometrical observations in the Atlantic and MediterraneanAt Smyrna and Constantinople-Tribute to a departed friend— Geological collection, and notes on Constantinople and the Bosphorus-Shores of the Marmora-Daghamam-Princes' Islands -Dardanelles-Tenedos-Alexandria Troas-Smyrna-Sepulchral stones-Concluding hints.

Smyrna, Jan. 1, 1828.

THE following summary of my thermometrical journal since I left America, may interest those who are visiting the Mediterranean. You will see, that for the most part, the weather has been of a very agreeable temperature. Occasionally during a calm, the heat was rather uncomfortable, but we have experienced the greatest inconvenience from the cold. Indeed, at almost any season of the year, a good supply of warm clothing is important for a sea-voyage. A temperature which would be grateful amidst active employments on land, causes the sensation of chilliness at sea.

While at sea I made repeated observations on the temperature of the water near its surface. As this varies but little from that of the atmosphere, they seem not worthy of insertion.*

Atlantic.

Average temperature of the air from 17th Sept. to 22d Oct. during voyage from Boston to Gibraltar. 6 o'clock A. M.

12 to 1

6 P. M.

Greatest heat, within two days' sail of the

Azores, Oct. 4th,

67°

703

68°

80

Least heat, near American coast, Sept. 19th, 58
Gibraltar to Malta.

Gibraltar to Malta, including four days at former place, and three in the harbor of Messina, from Oct.

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*The importance of such observations as indicating approach to land, soundings and ice, is acknowledged by all skilful navigators. Passengers do well to supply themselves with one or more thermometers, since masters of vessels often sail without, or are left destitute by accident. On my return to America, the Captain's thermometer being broken, mine proved a great convenience when in a thick fog the mercury suddenly fell more than twenty degrees, to within two or three degrees of freezing. Probably we passed within a mile or two of an ice island.

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