A fmall portion of the year yet remained not unfit for travelling.
Finding our Englifh bedding far too cumberfome, we
purchafed thin mattreffes fluffed with cotton, fome.tin kettles,
plates, and other like neceflaries; and hired a-janizary, with
two grooms and a cook, Armenians. One horfe carried our baggage.
We fet Out on the thirtieth of September, and were ab-
fent until the twenty ninth of O&ober. The weather, which
had favoured us, then became rainy and bad, but foon changed
again to mild and agreeable.
T he happy temperature of the climate of Ionia in general
has been much celebrated by the antients. At Smyrna, the
houfes, except thofe ereded by the Europeans, have feldom
chimnies or fire-places in the rooms. In cold weather it is ufuar
to place a pah of charcoal beneath a table, over which a carpet or
handfome counterpane is fpread, the fides reaching to the floor.
This is called a Tendour. The family fit round, warming, their
legs and hands under the cover.
A s winter advanced, the fky, which in fummer is moft re-,
mark-ably clear and ferene, varied; and we had alternately fun-
flline and rain. Southerly winds chiefly prevailed, bringing
clouds on the mountains, from which proceeded thunder and
lightening. The fhowers renew the verdure, which in the middle
of December was as fine as I ever faw, with- marigolds and ane-
monies fpringing fpontaneoufly from the turf beneath the olive-
trees in great profufion. At the fame time thickets of myrtle in-
bloffom adorned the wafte-; and in the gardens the golden fruit
glittered among the deep-green leaves of the orange-trees. The
fbutherly quarter is warm as well as wet ; but the flowers; which
it produces, kiftantly droop and wither before the northerly and
eafterly winds. Thefe in fummer are hot, coming over parched
plains and naked mountains expofed to the fun ; but at this fea-
fon are extremely bleak and penetrating, and bring fnow on the
diftant hills, that or fleet rarely falling in the champaign country
or
or vallies. The north-eaft is often attended with heavy rain,
without thunder. In the coldeft day we felt, our thermometer
was at forty nine ; but in December the fun at times was powerful,
and^he air fultry : and once in that month, the fame
thermometer rofe to eighty in the fhade, We had plenty of
daffodils and hyacinths. Early in February the almond-trees
bloffomed, and rofes and carnations were common and fold about
the ftreets. Upon the whole, we enjoyed, except fame few intervals,
an azure Iky, with exquifite foftnefs, fuch as cannot be
defcribed.
A company of cranes, returning from their winter quarters,
flew in orderly array over Smyrna, on the ninth of March, northward.
Another foon followed, and then many; fome by day,
when they are feen changing their figure and leader; fome by
moon-light, when they are heard, high in air, repeating their
noify fignals. At the fame time the bees were obferved to be in
motion. Thefe were regarded as fure figns that winter was at
an end, and as foretelling fettled weather.
- I had began early to prepare for another journey, and ftudied
to remove or remedy, as far as poffible, the inconveniences we
had before experienced, by providing a tent and increafing the
number of our attendants and horfes. It was thought proper
not to move until the Ramazan or Lent of the Turks, during
which they are often four and chuflifh, was over; and the general
change or re-appointment of the governors, which is made
in March, had taken place.
A rumour, that the plague had appeared in Smyrna, was current,
but not credited ; it often happening that fuch ftories are
propagated to ferve a private purpofe, or to diftrefs the trade
of a rival faftory. It was now again afferted, that a perfon was
ill or dead of the difeafe; and an Englifh fhip left the bay only
half laden.
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