14
and it entered the fea between Dardanus and Abydos. The remnants
of marble, which we faw in the burying-grounds about
the town, have been removed thither chiefly from the ruins of
thefe cities, particularly of the latter, which was the moft con-
fiderable. The conful fhowed us a head of an image of the Virgin
Mary, which was found in the rubbilh of a church there.
On the European fide, oppofite to the Rhodius, was Cynoffema
The Barrow o f Hecuba, which is ftill very confpicuous, and within
or clofe by the caille,
W e returned, when we had finifhed our furvey, to our lodging,
where we fupped crofs-legged, about funfet. Soon after,
when it was dark, three coverlets richly embroidered were taken
from a prefs in the room, which we occupied; and delivered*,,
one to each of us; the carpet or fopha and a culhion ferving,
with this addition, inftead of a bed. A lamp was left burning
on a Ihelf, and the conful retired to his family, which lay in the
fame manner in an adjoining apartment. We pulled off our coats
and fhoes, and expedted to be much refrelhed by fleeping on
fiiore. We had not been apprized of a nightly plague, which
haunts the place, or perhaps rather the houfes of the Jews. Two
of us could not obtain reft for a moment, but waited the approach
of dawn with a degree of impatience equalled only by
our bodily fufferings, which cannot be defcribed.
C H A P . V.
We pafs down the Hellefpont — Land in the cherronefe o f f brace —
The town antiently Eleus — Civility of the governor — fhe bar-
row &c. o f Proteflaus.
W E had agreed in the evening to vifit fome neighbouring
places on the continent, with the principal illands near the
mouth of the Hellefpont. Early in the morning the conful alked
for
for money to purchafe provifions, which, with other neceffaries,
were put into a fcheick or wherry. He embarked with us, between
the hours of eight and nine by our watches. We had fix
Turks, who rowed; a Janizary, and a Jew fervant. The two
latter, with the conful, fate crofs-legged before us, on a fmall
carpet j as the rais or mafter of the boat did behind, fleering with
the handle of the helm over his Ihoulder.
W e foon crofted the Hellefpont, and coafting by the European
Ihore, faw feveral folitary king-fifhers, with young partridge,
among vaft Angle rocks. The winter torrents had worn
deep gullies, but the courfes were dry, except a ftream, which®
we were informed, turns a mill. A narrow valley, or two,
was green with the cotton plant and with vines, or flowed with
grain.
A f t e r palling the mouth o f a port or bay called antiently
Coelos, we landed about eleven on the cherronefe of Thrace*
near the firft European caftle, within the entrance of the Hellefpont
; and attended to the miferable cottage of a poor Jew in
the town. Here a mat was fpread on the mud-floor of a room
by the fea-fide, and the eatables we had provided, were placed
on it. The noon-tide heat at this place was exceffive. The
conful retired, as ufual, to lleep; while we alfo refted, or were
amufed with the proflpedt from the window. Beneath us was the
flhining canal, with Cape Maftufia on the right hand; and oppofite,
the Afiatie town and caftle, with the noble plain divided
by the Scamander; and the barrows mentioned before, two
Handing by each other not far from the Ihore, within Sigeum*
and one more remote.
T he antient name of this town, which is exceedingly mean
and wretched, was Eleus. The ftreets or lanes are narrow and
intricate. It is on the north-fide of the caftle, and ranges along
the brink of a precipice.
W hen