foot of the mountain. The air was fharp; and fnow, recently
fallen, gliftened on the northern fummits. About nine, we came
to three, diftindf, bare rocks, refembling iflets of the fEgean fea,
but furrounded with land in Head of water. On one is a village
named Ofebafha, and on the fide next Priene is a very wide
torrent-bed.
W e went on, and after half an hour were flopped by the
Maeander. Here we were ferried over in a triangular float, with
a rope, in two minutes and a half. The ftream was broad, rapid,
and muddy, biit low within the banks, which were indented by
the gradual finking of its furface. We afcended the mountain,
and enjoyed a delicious view of the river, crofling with mazy
windings from the foot of mount Mefibgis, the northern boundary
of the plain.
W e were informed at the ferry, that the road to Bafi, diftant
from thence four hours, was bad. We met on it a few camels,
which carry their burthens high on their backs, or I Ihould have
defcribed it as only not abfolutely impafiable. It lies over a
branch of Titanus, which mountain is uncommonly rough and
horrid, confifting of huge, fingle, irregular, and naked rocks
piled together ; poifed, as it were, on a point; or hanging dreadfully
over the.track; and interfperfed with low fhrubs and ftunted
oaks. Our horfes differed exceedingly, Aiding down, or jammed
with their burthens, or violently forced from the road, and
rolling over the fteeps; and our men were much jaded with loading
and unloading them, and bruifed by tranfporting our baggage
on their fhoulders at the narrow paffes.
W e were benighted in this wild mountain, when we came to
a ftrait, where the difficulty feemed infurmountable. Three or
four of us at length pufhed through; and leading our horfes into
a vale beneath, committed them to the care of the Janizary. We
then joined our companions in diftrefs, who were perplexed
above; and, lighting candles, began, all hands, to carry down
our
165
our baggage piece-meal. The Greek atoned in fome meafure for
bringing us this way by his laborious activity, in which he was
equalled by our Swifs; but the Armenians are a dull and heavy
race. We pitched our tent near a tree, not far from a rill, on a
green fpot furrounded with brown, naked rocks.
1 O ur toil was renewed in the morning, but about noon we
got clear from the mountain. When near Bafi, we entered a
fmall plain half-encircled with a bare ridge. This avenue had
been barricaded. We pitched our tent foon after upon a pleafant
green area within the city-walls of Myus.
C H A P . L.
O f Myus— T’he file and remains— Graves, & c .— An oratory—-
Another — Ruined churches and monajieries — O f 1 ‘hymbria-—
Gnats and flies.
4
T H E ftory of Myus is remarkable, but not lingular. A
town by Pergamum had fuffered in the fame manner. Myus
originally was feated on a bay of the fea, not large, but abounding
in fifh. Hence, this city was given to Themiftocles to fur-
nifh that article for his table. The bay changed into a lake,
and became frefh. Myriads of gnats fwarmed on it, and the
town was devoured, as it were, from the water. The Myufians
retired from this enemy to Miletus, carrying away all their
moyeables and the ftatues of their gods. They were incorporated
with the Milefians, and facrificed, and gave their fuf-
frage with them at the Panionian congrefs. A writer of the
fecond century relates, that nothing remained at Myus in his
time, but a temple of Bacchus of white ftone or marble.
T he fite of Myus is as romantic as its fortune was extraordinary.
The wall inclofes a jumble of naked rocks rudely piled,
of