Carpathian Table Mountain, first appearing upon the latter, and seeming itself insular, as if separated from the rest of the island. Towards the south, midway between the islands of Crete and Rhodes, we saw the Carpathian Isles, at a prodigious distance, and quite surprising, considering the distinct prospect we had of the largest, now called Searpanto. We had favourable breezes the whole night, and the next morning entered the old port of Rhodes, between the two piers, on which it is fancifully asserted, by some modern writers, that the feet of the celebrated Colossus formerly rested(219). The mouth of this harbour is so choked with ruins, that small vessels alone are able to enter: even our little bark ran aground before she came to an anchor. CHAPTER VIII. CHAP. VIII. FROM RHODES TO THE GULPH OF GLAUCUS, Rhodes Climate-Antiquities--Lindus--Inscriptions-Pagan Ceremony-Divers of Syme and Nisyrus-Gulph of Glaucus-Grandeur of the Scenery-Malaria-Genoese Island-Ruins of Telmessus-Theatre-Oracular Cave Sepulchres of the Telmessenssians--Tomb of Helen, daughter of Jason-Other Soroi-Mausoleum-Monolithal Sepulchres-Ruins at Koynûcky-Turbulent State of the Country-Conduct of the Natives upon the CoastNew-discovered Plants-Isle of Abercrombie. R HODES is a most delightful spot. The air of the place is healthy, and its gardens are filled with delicious fruit. Here, as in Cos, every gale is scented with powerful fragrance wafted from groves of orange and citron trees. Numberless aromatic herbs exhale at the same time sueh profuse odour, that the whole atmosphere seems im- CHAP. VIII. pregnated with a spicy perfume. Rhodes. The present inhabitants of the island confirm the antient history of its climate, maintaining that hardly a day passes, throughout the year, wherein the sun is not visible. Climatë. Pagan writers describe it as so peculiarly favoured, that Jupiter is fabled to have poured down upon it a golden shower. The winds are liable to little variation; they are north, or north-west, during almost every month; but these blow with great violence. From the number of appellations it bore at different periods, Rhodes might have at last received the name of the polyonoman island(220). Its antiquities are too interesting to be passed over without notice; but we were hastening to the coast of Egypt, and contented ourselves by taking the few inscriptions found within the town, or its immediate vicinity (221). The streets were filled with English sailors and soldiers, and all other considerations were absorbed in the great event of the expedition to Aboukir. A vessel had returned, and put on shore a few of our wounded troops, who were taken to the hospital already prepared for their reception; but these were men who fell in the first moments of landing, and could give but a very imperfect account of the success of an enterprise destined to crown with immortal honour the Statesman by whom it was planned, and the armies by which it was achieved. All we could then learn was, that, after a severe conflict, the French had retreated towards Alexandria; and, having near relations and dear friends engaged in the enterprise, it is not necessary to describe our feelings upon the intelligence. The principal ruins at Rhodes are not of earlier date Antiquities. than the residence of the Knights of Malta(222). The remains of their fine old fortress are sufficient to prove that the building has sustained little injury from time or barba⚫rians. It still exhibits a venerable moated castle, of great size and strength; so fortified as to seem almost impregnable. A drawing made from it might furnish one of our theatres with a most striking decoration. It appears a complete system of fortification; combining all the paraphernalia of dykes and draw-bridges, battlements and bastions. The cells of the knights are yet entire, forming a CHAP. VIII. street within the works: and near these cells is the cathe dral, or chapel, whose wooden doors, curiously carved, and said to have been wrought of an incorruptible kind of cedar, have been preserved in their original state. The arms of England and of France appear sculptured upon the walls. The Turks have converted the Sanctuary into a magazine for military stores. Lindus. Lascriptions. Of Lindus, now called Lindo, the antient capital of Rhodes, so little visited by travellers, so remarkable by its early claim to the notice of the historian (223), and so dignified by the talents to which it gave birth (224), we collected a few scattered observations from the clergy and surgeons of the British fleet. One of the former, chaplain of the Admiral's ship, assured me that the antiquities he had seen there were very numerous. He spoke of the ruins of a temple, which may have stood on the site of the fane originally consecrated by the Daughters of Danaus to the Lindian Minerva (225). When our countrymen were there, many inscriptions were noticed; and of these, one may be here inserted, on account of the evidence it contains with regard to the real position of the antient city. ΛΙΝ ΔΙΟΙ ΑΓΗ ΣΙΣΤΡΑΤΟΝ ΠΟΛΥΚΡΕΟΝΤΟΣ ΝΙΚΩΝ ΤΑΟΛΥΜΠΙΑ ΠΑΙΔΑΣ ΠΑΛΑΝ Many cities in Asia and Europe celebrated games in imita tation of the four sacred games of Greece(226). Agesis* tratus, who is commemorated in this inscription, was the first of the Lindians who had overcome the Boys in wrestling at the Olympic Games (227). Some vases, of great antiquity, were also dug in a gar den: of these, I procured one with upright handles. Future travellers may therefore expect considerable gratification, and a fund of inquiry, in the due examination of this part of the island. Lindus is not more than one long day's journey from Rhodes, if the traveller makes use of mules for his conveyance. The inscriptions I noticed at Rhodes were principally upon marble altars. These exhibited the cylindrical form. adorned with sculptured wreaths and festoons, supported CHAP. VIII. by rams' heads, common to all the altars of Antient Greece. The first was decorated with wreaths of laurel, and thus inscribed: ΛΥΣΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΛΥΣΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΧΑΛΚΗΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΣ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΟΣ It relates to Lysander and his wife Cleaenis. Upon a second, with the rams' heads, appeared only the name of a person who had placed it as a vow. ΠΥΕΓΟΔ Upon a third, corresponding in its ornaments with the first, was the name of Polycleitus, the son of Polyara tns. ΠΟΛΥΚΛΕΙΤΟΣ From the classical simplicity and brevity used by the Greeks in their inscriptions, we might derive examples for the improvement of our taste in this respect. How much more impressive is the style pursued by them, than our mode of writing upon public monuments, where a long verbose superscription is introduced, relating to things whereof it concerns not posterity to be informed! In other ages, however, the Greeks of the Carpathian Sea and coast of Caria had the custom of adding to such simple inscriptions an hexameter distich; of this I have seen many instances, but shall subjoin one as I found it on the pedestal of a marble column at Rhodes: this had been hollowed, and placed over the mouth of a well in the inner basin of the principal harbour (228). It is very interesting, as it relates to an artist of the country, Amphilochus the son of Ligus, who was probably an architect. R CHAP. VIII. ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΟΥ ΤΟΥΛΑ ΑΓΟΥ Η ΚΕΙ ΚΑΙ ΝΕΙΛΟΥ ΠΡΟΧΟΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΧΑΤΟΝ ΙΝΔΟΝ THE GREAT AND IMMORTAL GLORY OF THE ART OF THE NILE AND TO THE UTMOST INDUS." OF Upon a block of marble, in the street before the Greek Convent, I also observed the following record of an offering to Jupiter the Saviour, by the persons whose names are mentioned: Pagan Divers of Syme and ΤΗΝΩΝ ΝΑΟΥΝΟΥ ΑΡΑΔΙΟ Σ ΠΡΟΞΕΝΟΣ A circumstance occurs annually at Rhodes which deserves the attention of the literary traveller: it is the ceremony of carrying Silenus in procession at Easter. A troop of boys, crowned with garlands, draw along, in a car, a fat old man, attended with great pomp. I unfortunately missed bearing testimony to this remarkable example, among many others which I have witnessed, of the existence of Pagan rites in popular superstitions (229). I was informed of the fact by Mr. Spurring, a naval architect, who resided at Rhodes, and Mr. Cope, a commissary belonging to the British army; both of whom had seen the procession. The same ceremony also takes place in the Island of Scio. From the neighbouring Island of Syme, so famous for its divers, women come to Rhodes for employment. They are the porters and water-carriers of the island; and appear distinguished by a peculiar mode of dress, wearing white turbans on their heads. Their features have moreover, a singular character, resembling those of the Tzigankies, or gipsies, in Russia. In Syme(230), and in the Isle of Nisyrus, now called Nizari, whose inhabitants are principally maintained by the occupation of diving for sponges, the following singular custom is observed. When a man of any property intends to have his daughter married, he appoints a certain day, when all the young unmarried men repair to |