r
W e were received on the fflore by the Engliffl conful', a.fat
well-looking Jew, who, after bidding us welcome in broken
Italian or Lingua Franca, conducted us through the town to his
ho Ufa in the quarter affigned to that nation. We afcended fome
flairs into- a room, which had a raked floor covered with a carpet.
Round- three (ides was a low fopha with, cufflions for leaning.
The cooling breeze entered at the wooden lattices of the
Windows. Their law not permitting the Jews; to touch, fire on
their fahbath, our hoft was in- diftrefs about our entertainment.
However we were foon prefented with the citftomary relrefli-
ments, a pipe of lighted tobacco j a fpoon&I of fweet-meat, put
into our mouths-j and coffee in. & China cup, which- was placed
iu one of filligree-work to prevent it from burning our fingers.
The conful then introduced to us a young man his brother, and
his wife and daughter j the latter a girl in a long white veft,
with a zone about her middle, her feet naked, her nails dyed
red, her hair platted and hanging down her back. She came
to-us, and taking the right hand of each, feparately, killed and
gently, moved it to her forehead.
| W e found fome difficulty in complying .with the oriental
mode of fitting crols-leggpd, but at dinner it was ireceflary, the
table being only a large low" falver, placed on the carpet. A variety
of difhes were ferved up in quick fucceffron, and we were
fuppfied as rapidly with cups o f wine. We had no plates, or
knives and forks, but ufed our fingers. The whole repaff and
the apparatus' was antique. It concluded with fruits of who!-
fome quality and exquifite flavour, figs and melons fuch as are
peculiar to hot climates, and grapes in large and rich duffers
frefh from the vineyard. The conful ate with us, while his brother
waited, with another Jew. When we had ftnrlhed, we
waffied, one of our attendants bringing an ewer, a bafbn and a
towel, and pouring water on our hands. We then received each
a cup of coffee, and our hoft, who was much fatigued with bis
fultry walk to the beach and afterwards to the governor to inform
*3
form him of our arrival., retired with the whole family to fleep,
as is the univerfal practice toward noon, when the heat becomes
exceedingly intenfe.
■ I n the evening we went with the conful to view the town.
We found the houfes numerous, mofily of wood and mean, and
the ftreets very narrow. We few the manufactory of earthen
ware, which is eonlkterable; and we foppofed the fafflion had
never altered, the jars and veffels in general retaining the old
ftiapes, and feeming formed by antient models. The fituation of
the place is low and fubjeCt to epidemical diforders. Befides
thefe, the plague, which commonly vi-fits the inhabitants every
year, is remarkably deftruCtive, and- feldom fails to make a long
flay. The eeemeteries are fweled to a great extent round
the town» and filled with broken columns, pieces of granate,
and marble fragments, fixed as grave-ftones.;, fome carved
with Turkish characters in relievo, gilded and painted. In the
Armenian burying-ground we difcovered a long Greek infcrip-
tion on a flab of white marble, but not legible. On a rocky
eminence on the fide next the Propontis is a range of windmills.
T hb town and caftle has on the fouth a river, which defcends
from M. Ida. Its fource, as we were told, is feven hours up in
the country; and its violence, after fnow or rain upon the fum-
mits, prodigious. A thick wall has been ereCted, and plane-
trees difpofed to keep off the torrent, and protect the buildings
from its affaults. At the mouth, like the Scamander, it had
then a bar of fend. The bed was wide, ftony, and interfered
with green thickets, but had water in the cavities, at which
many women, with their faces muffled, were bufy waffling linen,
and fpreading it on the ground to dry.
T his river enables us to afcertain the fite of the inner cafttes,
a point of fome confequence in the topography of the Hellespont.
Its antient name, as appears from Strabo, was Rhodiusj
and