84 T R A V E L S in A S I A M I N O R :
this country, that it boafted temples, fuch as were pofieffed by
no other region, and many wonders hardly exceeded even in Hellas'or
Greece.
T he city of Ionia next to Smyrna was Clazomene. As this
place was within the gulf, on the fouth-fide, and the diftance
antiently reckoned only twelve miles, we fuppofed ■ the fite
known to the people of Smyrna, and the modern name to be,
as they informed us, Vourla. We refolved therefore to begin
our fecond journey with that town, diftant by computation fix
hours; hoping, if the plague did not ceafe at Smyrna during
our abfence, we might at lead efcape its fury; and expedting
to obtain fecurity and fatisfadtion in proportion as we removed
from the feat of infedtion and of its fure concomitant, mortality.
W e fet out on the twenty fifth of March, and parting through
the lower portion of the city, crolfed the mouth of the dry port
to' a road between the burying-grounds on the hill and the fea.
There, on the right hand, near the end of the graves, may be
feen a piece of telfellated pavement running under the bank.
After going over a bare craggy ridge, we turned weftward
into a wood of olives, in which we remarked many trees with
huge knotty trunks indicating extreme old age. The green level
was enamelled with anemonies and other beautiful flowers. The
fky was clear and ferene, and the breeze gentle and delicioufly
foft. The Europeans refort to thefe groves, on (hooting parties
in boats from the town, or with their families for pleafure and
the benefit o f the air.
W e came now to a (hallow river, over which is a lofty bridge
intended to fecure a paflfage to the traveller when torrents descend
from the adjacent mountain, formerly called Corax. On
this principally the clouds feen from Smyrna refide, when the
wind is foutherly. Nearer the foot are veftiges of an antierit
bridge, of which the piers were rebuilt or repaired before its final
ruin j and in one of them is a maimed Corinthian capital. I once
purfued the dream a confiderable way into the mountain. It
flowed rapid and tranfparent over the rough folid rock, its courfe
deep-funk between (haggy fummits, whofe fides are almoft perpendicular,
and inacceffible even to goats; a crouded flock then
browfing below. We met, befides thefe and their keepers, a
peafant or two by a little over-lhot mill, the wretched tenants of
this folemn and (Iriking recefs.
Some fragments of architedlure, to be feen in the Turkilh
burying-grounds not far from hence, it is likely, belonged, with
the above relique, to the temple of Apollo once feated on the weft-
ern bank of this ftream by the hot baths, which were computed
forty ftadia or five miles from Smyrna, and were called . the
Agamemnonian. It it related, that the Grecian army ravaging
Myfia, was engaged by Telephus near the river Caicus, and that
Agamemnon, with many of his foldiers, was wounded in the battle.
An oracle diredted him for a cure to thefe waters, which
long retained his name; and here he fufpended the helmets
taken from the enemy. The old remains of the buildings are of
brick, the mafonry good, but foil and rubbifh have rifen to the
imports of the arches, which are clofed.
Y o u defcend by fteps to the bath, which is under a
modern vaulted roof, with vents in it for the fleam; and adjoining
to this, is a like room now difufed. The current, which is
foft and limpid, is conveyed into a fmall round bafin of marble,
and runs over into a larger ciftern or refervoir beneath it. Our
thermometer rofe in the vein to 150. Near it is a dudt, which
fupplies a cold ftream, but in January, when I faw it, was dry,
A quantity of coagulated blood lay on the pavement. I was informed
a Iheep had been killed above, and that fubftance ufed
inftead of 'foap in (having, which operation is often performed in
the baths. The warm rill emerges in two or more places in the
bed of the river, and in cool weather may eafily be difcovered, a
thick mift rifing from it vifible afar off.
A fr e&