108

NAPOLI-GREEK SOLDIERS.

of pistols, a sabre, ataghan or dagger, with a long gun in addition; in short, each of them, as Churchill pleasantly observes on another

occasion,

*

"Seemed to be

A little moving armoury."

The pistols are often very richly chased, and their skin capotes, or cloaks, turbaned heads, (for many of them adopt the Turkish costume) and gay sashes and garters give a picturesque and pleasing air to their appearance. I felt that I was in a strange land more forcibly than ever I had done before; all was new and exciting. Passing through the gates of the city, having the fortress of the Palamedes on the right, we noticed upwards of twenty soldiers on guard. The feeling produced by regarding our own regularly organized troops in contrast with the grotesque body before us was very striking; yet they had a martial cast of countenance, and could not, with all our prejudices in favour of a more advanced state of civilization, be held contemptible. A little beyond the town

*The Ghost.

NAPOLI TURKISH CEMETERY.

109

is the remains of the Turkish cemetery before alluded to the walls are thrown down, the tombs destroyed, and the stone turbans usually placed above a Mussulman's sepulchre are scattered in every direction-here lay a broken Turkish inscription, there the Athanaton (a tree of considerable size) torn up by the roots, with the aloe still flourishing. Amongst the ruins was a Greek woman collecting herbs, which grew with mournful fecundity. Up the ascent of the rocks appeared a number of caves, which I took to be the shelter of goats or sheep, but they proved to be the abodes of human beings: in one a kettle boiled over a charcoal fire; a small quantity of woollen cloth was rolled up in a corner, which, with an earthen dish, completed the arrangement. It was unoccupied, but the tenant, I presume, was tending the flock at no great distance. I noticed a good deal of squills in these parts.

It

On returning I was more than ever struck with the height and curious appearance of the rock which forms the basis of the citadel. is nearly perpendicular, and jagged in an extraordinary manner; it seemed as if thus left by the pickaxes of the Cyclops, who are said

to have been marvellously busy in this neighbourhood; as if the hands of giants had di→ vided the mountain, and worked it into an everlasting monument, while a race of pigmies had succeeded to their habitations, and endeavoured, with feeble and abortive efforts, to emulate their labours.

After a walk of two or three hours it was necessary to return to the ship. The yawl had already gone, and I found some difficulty in engaging a boat to carry me out, for the wind had risen, and there was considerable swell. Former travellers complain of the extortion of the Greeks: what they might have been I know not, and I have as yet had small opportunity to ascertain what they are at present; but I was told a horse might be had at Napoli to convey me to Argos, (a distance of twelve miles) for a quarter of a dollar; and for a like sum, a large boat and two men brought me to the ship. It was necessary to make four tacks, the spray dashed over us every minute, and the man at the helm must have been wet through.

I heard on board the ship, from some of the passengers, who, not having engagements, were

enabled to get round to Argos, that a rebel, the son of Notara, had, as I before hinted, been seized and led a prisoner to the fortress of St. Theodore. He was described to me as a finelooking man, and the importance of the prize may be estimated by the number of men who composed his guard: these amounted nearly to a hundred-a motley company, who would fain have ridden along in some order but for their ignorance of what the word signified. They had a band, and amongst the instruments was a sort of guitar with two strings. I should like to have seen this was it the remains of the ancient KIOAPA? Whilst we were at din ner the principal senator of Napoli came on board to pay his respects to the captain. papas, or Greek priest, accompanied by another of the authorities was with him. I offered the papas a number of Romaic and Italian Testaments; on examination he found that he possessed many more copies than he knew how to dispose of. I hope I am not unjust, but this fact clearly proves to me the little judgment with which the "Bible Society" distribute their volumes. The books, which this person had the charge of, were lying uselessly in his coffers,

A

exposed, in all human probability, to inevitable decay and yet, every month immense packages are forced into the country-what becomes of them we may partly conjecture by the present instance.

Sunday, 26th Dec.-Early this morning we left the Gulf of Napoli. It rained heavily, but, during a cessation, the scenery displayed a singularly beautiful diversity; the mountains, forming part of the chain upon which the citadel is built, were enveloped in thick mist; the sides of the rocks upon our left were covered with green foliage, except upon the verge of the water, which presented a long white line intermingled with red tinges. Over the projecting promontory which terminated these rocks, a rainbow was finely suspended, while the opposite coast of mountains exhibited an intense blue, which reached along the whole line like a lowering thunder-cloud. As we were advancing a solitary sun-beam broke through the density of the atmosphere, and these dark appearances assumed, in detached parts, an auburn tint-the tint of an autumn leaf. The summits were crowned with fleecy clouds, and in the offing a little bark, with its