■of altar, and a wretched belfry. The pallors would more readily
infpire fear than devotion, i f the good nature o f the nation
did not fecure a ilranger who meets them,
C f the City «/'Cherso.
The city o f Cherfo, about a hundred and fifty miles diflant
from Venice, is fituated on the weilern part o f the iiland, long.
32. 25. lat. 45, 8. at the bottom o f a large harbour, capable of
containing any fleet; it lies at the foot o f a chain o f hills, which
extend along the fea fide, forming many finuofities. The governor
refides here; and ufually, at leail for feveral years pall,
the biihop alfo, who fcatters, at a diftance, paternal benediflions,
and fpiritual fuccours, on his unhappy, lick'iy, and hungry flock
at OJero. The number o f inhabitants in the city o f Cherfo, is
above three thoufand. Its ancient name K/jsiJ'«» Crepfa, is not
found mentioned by any author before Ptolemy; Pliny calls it
Crexa, or at leail the Crexa o f Pliny is thought to be Cherfo by
many writers; which I ihall neither contradidl nor affirm.
Among the gooo.inhabitants which it contains, there are about
120 ecclefiailicks, including a covent o f friars, and a monailery
o f nuns; too large a number indeed, in a country where hands
are fo; fcarce. Among the houfes , too, there are an exorbitant
number of little churches in the Greek faihion. It were to be
wifhed, that tbefe ferved at leail for lodging to ilrangers, as they
do * in the Archipelago. In that cafe they would bpcome much
more ufeful than they are at prefent; as there is no publick
place of lodging in the city, and ilrangers are obliged to diilurb
fome courteous inhabitant, whole civility they can hardly hope
to
* V . Tournefort, Voyages du Levant? T . 1. p. 336.
to return. In the whole iiland there are, I fuppofe, above two
hundred of thofe chapels, ruinous for the moil part, naked, mi-
ferable, and officiated rarely or never. Their titular faints are
venerated under the moil ugly afpedts that can be imagined.
They are reprefented either by ilatues of tough ilone, or o f wood,
worked out of all proportion and human likenefs. Ye t ilill the
low people pay the greateil devotion to thefe deformed monilrous
figures, and it would be dangerous to endeavour to deprive them
n f thofe objedts o f fuperilition.
Thofe who cannot reliih this grotefque taile o f popular fuperilition,
will be pleafed to fee a very fine pidture in the great altar
o f the cathedral of Cherfo. Andrea Vicentino, who painted here
the miracle of the ihow, has made an excellent work, and far
fuperior to his others. The glory, in particular, is highly fiaifli-
ed, and full of expreffion.
The ilreets o f Cherfi are generally narrow and dirty, which
not only does difhonour to a town o f fome confideration, but is
alfo prejudicial to the inhabitants. Though the air is very good
and wholefome, the itench o f the common fewers not properly
minded, and the introdudlion o f a iballow bafon of fea water
within the city, called the Mandrachio, exhale fuch fetid vapours,
as may eafily become pernicious in the hot feafon. T o thefe
two nuifances may be added the two ilinking pools called Raz-
ziza and Cruffa, kept open by the people, notwitb Handing their
corruption, becaufe in former times, they were fountains o f good
water. It would be a great benefit to the city, i f the government
ordered the Mandrachio to be deepened and cleanfed ; and a trial
to be made i f the two pools could again be rendered ufeful; or
i f not, to be ihut up.-