traced a confiderable way along the brow, from its jundion with
the north eaft angle of the caftle. It is then loft ; but in the
Armenian quarter, by The three corners or near the Frank ftreet,1
are remnants of a thick and maify wall, which has a large V cut
on each ftone. Going in 1675 from the fea along by it, you came
to foundations of a great and folid fabric, probably the gymna-
fium; but thefe are not now vifible. Beyond the deep valley, in
which the river Meles winds, behind the caftle, are feveral portions
of the wall of the pomoerium, which encompafled the
city at a diftance, but broken. The facings are gone, and mailes-
only of hard cement and rubble are left.
_ T he antient fepulchres were in the pomoerium, without the
city. One, which has been abfurdly fuppofed a temple of Janus,
remained in 1675, in the way to Effiekleer, or beyond-
the river Meles and on the left of the road leading toward Mag-
nefia. It was then among olive-trees, in a field. The infcriptions
of feveral have been preferved and publilhed. At the houfe of a
Turk occupied by Mr. Purnell, an Englilh gentleman, was
a farcophagus, of which a very exadt drawing is given by Le
Brun. 1
T he antient city has fupplied materials for the public
edifices ereaed by the Turks. The Bezeften or Market, which
was unfiniiheifin 1675, and the Vizir-khan, were both raifed
with the white marble of the theatre. The very ruins of the
ftoas and temples are vaniflied. We faw remains of one only ;
fome ftiafts of columns of variegated marble, much injured, in
the way afcending through the town to the caftle. Many pedef-
tals, ftatues, infcriptions, and medals, have been and are ftill
difcovered in digging. Perhaps no place has contributed more
than Smyrna to enrich the colledtions and cabinets of the curious
in Europe.
A n d here we may remark on the ftory of St. Polycarp, the
firft biihop of Smyrna. It is related, that he was burnt in the
amphi-
.amphitheatre. The Afiatic cities ufed the ftadium for the diver-
lions of the Roman amphitheatre; and that, it is probable, was
the fcene of his martyrdom. His fepulchre, which the Greek
chriftians are faid to have revered and to have vifited annually on
.the day of his feftival or on the twenty third of February, is ftill
to be feen, as travellers have reported, by a fpreading tree
below the caftle; but this is an idle tale, and deferves to be exploded.
I examined the fpot, and made particular enquiries,
.but could obtain no fatisfadtory information. I f his reliques were
.interred, and the place once venerated, the knowlege of it has
long fince perilhed. The early tradition, if true, mull have been
often intercepted in its courfe downwards. The race of citizens,
among whom it was moft likely to be preferved, has
.been extirpated by war, plague, fire, and earthquakes, and
Smyrna has been deftitute of Greeks. Even now, under a more
fettled government, the fame family feldom fubfifts there more
than three generations.
C H A P . X IX .
Smyrna a great mart — The people — Dre/s o f the women —
Buildings— Pleat, earthquakes, and plague-—Burying-grounds—
Provijtons -— Mofquitoes or gnats.
THE devaftations committed in Afia Minor, and the changes
effected, as will be (hewn hereafter, by the rivers on the coaft,
have rendered Smyrna the only confiderable mart by the fea fide,
and, in confequence, the principal center of the traffic of the
country. One lucrative branch of its commerce failed during
the troubles in Perfia, when the throne was ufurped by
Nadir Shah. The accuftomed communication by caravans was
then interrupted; and trade, meeting with obftrudtions in the
old courfe, which it had held for ages, turned away into new
channels. But, with this lofs, Smyrna continues a .large and
flourilhing city. The bay, befides numerous fmall-craft, is daily
I frequented