I t happened, that our paflage up and down the gulf was in
the night $ but when we failed from Smyrna, the Inbat met us
near the entrance, and we fleered our boat into a fmall creek on
the north fide, below the Hermus, and an hour from Phoggia,
or Phocea. We had there a view of the extremity of the plain,
which is wide, low, and level, encircling the rocks once called
the Myrmeces, and a fmall mountain or hill with a fmooth top.
This, it is believed, was the ifland and promontory. It has now
a long (pit, running out into the fea.
O n the coaft, after Leuce, was antiently the city Phocea,
and oppofite to it the mouth of the river Hermus. Beyond Pho-
£ea were the boundaries of Ionia and Aiolia, lefs than two hundred
ftadia or twenty five miles diftant from Smyrna. Phocea
was fituated in a bay, the city oblong, the wall inclofing a fpace
o f two miles and five hundred paces, the fides then meeting and
forming as it were a wedge, which they called Lamptera, where
it was one mile and two hundred paces wide. A tongue of land
then running a mile out into the lea, and dividing the bay about
the middle, formed two fecure ports, ohe on each'fide of the
Ifthmus ; that toward the fouth called Nauftathmos; the other,
■ which was near, Lamptera. The prefent town1 is feated on the
tongue, within the Ifthmus, and the antient fite is called Palaea-
Thoggia or Old Phocea. It has on the north four illets, one
named St. George, lying before the harbour.
T he river Hermus, by its influence on the gulf, has already
effedted great changes, and will gradually accomplilh fome fignal
alterations, of which the progrefs deferves to be accurately marked.
The flats before Smyrna will mutually approach ; and leaving
only a narrow ingrefs, the city be on a lake. This will be
fed by the Meles and by torrents, and in time become frelh.
The plague of gnats will then, if pofiible, be multiplied at
1 See Views in L e Brun p. 166.
Smyrna.
79
Smyrna. The land will continue to increafe, until it is in a line
with the mouth of the gulf, when the fite of Clazomene and
the iflets within Kara-bornu, will be encompafled with foil •,
and, if no current intervene, Phocea will be deprived of its harbour.
The fea within the gulf will by degrees give place to a
noble plain created and watered by the Hermus. Commerce will
have then removed to fome more commodious mart, and Smyrna^
be, if not utterly deferted, defolate and forlorn.
C H A P . XXII.
Our firhman — Firjl journey from Smyrna — A tendour -— Mildnefs
of the winter at Smyrna---- Return o f the cranes-----We
prepare fo r another journey — Rumour o f the plague — Confirmed
— Our embarraffment — Our fecond journey — Method.
O N our return to Smyrna in the evening of the eighteenth
of September from a fmall excurfion with a party of our countrymen,
we were agreeably furprized to find the Anglicana arrived
in the bay from Conftantinople. The captain brought with
him a firhman or 'travelling Command, obtained for us from the
Porte by the Englifh embaffador. This inftrument enjoined all
the governors, the judges, the officers of the janizaries and of
the revenue, to whom we flhould prefent it, not to moleft us
or our European fervants, on any pretence, nor to exadt tribute
from us, but to protedt and defend us, and permit us to profe-
cute our journies without obftrudtion, as they refpefted the
imperial Signature. It was dated about the middle of the moon
Rebiulevvel in the year of the Hegira 1178 j or of September
*764-
A finall