CHAP. IX.

Process of dyeing the wool.

four fabrics for dyeing only. Two thousand five hundred bales of cotton (each bale weighing two hundred and fifty pounds) are annually dyed here, the principal produce of the manufacture being sent to Vienna. We visited several of the fabrics: they contain a number of vessels for steeping the cotton. The substance used for the colouring principle is the root of a species of madder (Rubia) found at Churdiz and Bachir, in Asia, which comes to them from Smyrna; but whether or not it differs from the common madder of dyers (Rubia tinctorum) we could not learn. The Ampelákians call this root Lizar, written Aly-zari by Beaujour'. They prepare the dye by pulverizing the root, and then mixing it in a caldron with water; in the proportion of an hundred parts of water to thirty-five of the madder; adding afterwards bullocks' blood. But a principal part of the art seems to consist in the process of preparing the cotton to receive the dye. It is frequently dipped in a saponaceous lye, made with oil and a weak solution of soda. The cotton is trodden in this solution during several days successively; being also carefully rinced and dried as often as it is taken out of the bye. They also use a small portion of sheeps' dung in preparing the lye'. After this, it is dyed in the madder; and lastly,

(1) Ibid. tom. I. p. 265.

(2) Dr. Holland says, the cottons are first exposed to three leys, of soda, ashes, and lime, mixed in nearly equal quantities; then follows a soda bath, and afterwards a process of "galling and aluming :" after this, the dye is given, which is finally perfected by a bath alcalized with soda; the ley being made to boil until the colour takes its proper tint. See Holland's Travels, &c. p. 289 (Note). Lond. 1815.

lastly, to fix and heighten the colour, it is boiled in another lye of soda. The French, who long ago endeavoured to establish a fabric for dying cotton at Montpellier, and who borrowed the art from the Greeks, pretend to have met with success by adopting a process very similar to that which is here described'.

In the course of this evening, the inhabitants shewed to
us several antient medals found about the place and in its
neighbourhood. Many of them were similar to what we had
seen in Larissa, but some were new to us. There was one
with a head full-faced in front, and a horse upon the obverse
side, which we had never seen before; also another with
ATIC
Some curious Cuphic

this legend as a reverse, IPYTA
coins were also brought, that were struck under the Caliphs.
We had seen similar coins in silver at Platea, and neglected
to buy them, thinking they had been Turkish: the same
were also observed at Larissa, and at Marathon.

Thursday, December the twenty-fourth, we were an hour occupied in descending from Ampelákia into the Vale of Tempe. Having regained our route, as soon as we began to proceed through the defile, we observed that the river Penëus was much swoln, and very muddy; but we could perceive no appearance corresponding with Pliny's account of the unmingled waters of the Eurotos, probably owing to the flooded

CHAP. IX.

(3) Tableau du Comm. de la Grèce, p. 287. Note (1).

(4) "Accipit amnem Euroton, nec recipit, sed olei modo supernatantem (ut dictum est Homero) brevi spatio portatum abdicat: pœnales aquas dirisque genitas, argenteis suis misceri recusans." Plinii Hist. Nat. lib. iv. c. 8. tom. I. p. 212. L. Bat. 1635.

CHAP. IX.

flooded state of the river. Such appearances are common to many other rivers; and therefore there is every reason to believe Pliny's account to be correct. The river called by him Eurotos, is the Eurotas of Strabo; who says, that it is named Titaresium by Homer. Lucan calls it Titaresus'; and by Strabo's epitomiser, it is denominated Europos. The Penëus here occupies the whole of the valley, from side to side; with the exception only of the narrow pass afforded by the old paved causeway of the military way, which extends along the right bank of the river. Fragments of the Atracian marble appeared in different parts of this pavement; to make room for which, even the solid rocks were cut away from the side of the Penëus. Here the scenery possesses the utmost grandeur. The precipices consist of naked perpendicular rocks, rising to a prodigious height; so that the spectator can scarce behold them from below without giddiness. Livy's description, therefore, in addition to its intrinsic grandeur, has all the majesty of truth: RUPES UTRINQUE ITA ABSCISE SUNT, UT DESPICI VIX SINE VERTIGINE QUADAM SIMUL OCULORUM ANIMIQUE POSSIT.

TERRET

(1) See the beautiful and valuable description of the rivers in the sixth book of Lucan's Pharsalia. The account of the unmingled waters of the Titaresus and Peneus is borrowed from Homer. Οὐ δ' ὅγε Πηνειῶ συμμίσγεται, κ. τ. λ. It is thus given by Lucan: