been, as it were, naturalized by refidence; but the pain is much
allayed by lemon-juice. At night they raged furioufly about our
beds, affaulting the gawfe-veil, our defence; which, thin at it
was, augmented the violent heat to a degree almoft intolerable.
Their fondnefs of foreign food is generally but too vifible in
the fwollen and diftorted features of perfons newly arrived.
C H A P . XX.
O f the adjacent country — ’the river Meles — the inner bay —
Old Smyrna-----Antient fepulchres----- Its origin----- Story of
Homer — O f another Poet o f Smyrna — the Aqucedulis —
th e cave o f Homer — the River-God Meles.
SM Y RN A has on the fouth-eaft1 a fine plain, in which are
villages, and the houfes of the principal faótors, who refide in
the country in the fummer. Norlecui and Hadjelar are toward
the eaft. On the north fide is Bujaw, diftinguilhed by tall cy-
prefs-trees ; and, about a league from the fea, Bonavre. In the
way to this village, not far from the road, is a plentiful fource
of warm water, from which a Ream ariles in winter. Some
arches and foundations of buildings have been difcovered near
it, and the fpot is called by the Europeans, the Paths of Diana.
In the middle of the plain are feveral fmall canals, which communicate
with the aquasduds behind the caftle-hill. The bed of
a torrent, which after rains falls into the Meles, is on the fouth
of the plain ; and beyond, or toward the feet of the mountains,
is a village called Sedicui. Wild animals abound; and efpecially
jackalls, which are heard nightly, howling on the hills or in'the
plain. When one begins, the reft join as it were in full cry.
Camelions and lizards are commonly feen about the rubbilh of old
buildings, balking in the fun j and feveral kinds of fnakes are
found, Tome of a great length, which are frequently difcovered
by their mulky fmell.
1 Pocock.
T h e
T he river Meles was antiently the boaft of the Smyrneans.
This moft beautiful water, as it has been ftiled, flowed by the
city-wall, and had its fources not remote. The ftream is clear,
and in fummer (hallow, not covering the rocky bed, but winding
in the deep valley behind the caftle and murmuring among the
ever-greens. It receives many rills from the fides 5 and, after
turning an over-lhot mill or two, approaches the Gardens without
the town, where it is branched out by fmall canals, and divided
and fubdivided into leffer currents, until it is abforbed, or
reaches the fea, at the end of the Frank ftreet, in ditches, unlike
a river. But in winter, after heavy rains on the mountains
or the melting of fnow, it fwells into a torrent, rapid and deep,
often not fordable, or with danger.
O n the north of Smyrna, the fea enters a recefs, in which is
the road, where (hips careen. This inner bay is called by the
Englilh failors, Pegs hole. The Meles, when full, purfues its
way thither, inftead of lofing itfelf in the gardens. There alfo
the firft Smyrna was lituated, about twenty ftadia or two miles
and a half from the prefent, and on the other fide of the river.
O ld Smyrna, which is delcribed asmear the fea, with the
clear ftream of the Meles running by it, exifted in the fecond
century; and perhaps fome veftiges might be difcovered even
now in tracing the river toward the bay, which is lefs wide
than it was antiently, and has been removed from the fite, by
a large acceflion of low land formed of foil walhed from the
mountains near, or of mud and llime brought down by the
torrent.
P ocock 1 has defcribed feveral very antient fepulchres on the
fide of the hill, more to the weft than Bonavre, and near the
corner of the bay, which, I Ihould fuppofe, are reliques of old
' P' 93-
Smyrna