H y f s il e is a fmall village. The name, which is Greek,
denotes its lofty fituation. It was the ftrong-hold, to which
Cineis, whom we have mentioned in a preceding chapter, retired
before the army of Sultan Morat, and which he maintained
gallantly, until his men began to mutiny. After furrendering,
he was murdered here, fleeping in his tent.
C H A P . XXX.
Hot waters — 'Their reputation--- Some ruins — Lebedus---- The
ifland Afpis — The Dionyfiajis.
W E left Hypfile at eight in the morning, and in about an
hour defcended into a narrow bottom, which was filled with a
thick fmoke or mift, occafioned, as we difcovered on a nearer
approach, by fleam arifing from a fmall tepid brook, called
Elijah, which fupplies two mean baths on the margin j one
with a large crofs carved on a flone in the pavement, and chiefly
ufed by the Greeks. The bed is of a deep green colour. The
current, which tailed like copperas, is confined in a narrow
channel below, and turns two over-lhot mills, falling foon after
into a llream, then fhallow, but flowing from a rich vale between
the mountains, in a very wide courfe, the bed of flone
and white fand.
W e are now in the territory of Lebedus, which was noted
for its hot waters beyond any on the fea-coafl. They are recorded
as equally plentiful and falubrious, as beneficial to the
human raee, and at the fame time exciting its admiration.
F rom the baths we were conduced to fome ruins called Ec-
clefia, The Church, about half an hour drfiant, on the fame fide
of the river, and beneath the mountain, we had defcended,- or
Myonnefus. They confifled of naked mafies of flone and of
brick.
rog
brick, with cement, befides a very few marble fragments j and
a bafement, with the entire floor, of a fmall temple ; the whole
environed with bufhes, I rode on about a quarter of a mile to
the fea, but found no port or other vefliges of buildings.
W e returned to the road, and croffing a cultivated plain,
with a llream or two, came in an hour and a half to the fea,
and a little peninfula fown with wheat. It has a fair beach,
and probably is the fpot on which Lebedus flood. By the rocky
edge are traces of antient wall; and within it, befides rubbifh,
are fome pieces of doric columns. This city enjoyed a fertile
territory, but was fubverted by Lyfimachus, who removed the
inhabitants to people Ephefus. It furvived long as a village,
and became, as it were, proverbial for its folitude. It is now
untenanted, and not even a village.
St r a b o has mentioned an ifland called Afpis, and by fome
Arconnefus, between Teos and Lebedus j that, I fuppofe, which
bore by our compafs 68m. weft of fouth from this fpot, and
which Pocock defcribes as a long ifland, about the middle of the
bay, ftretching to the fouth-weft, and now called Carabafh, The
black Sajh, from fome imaginary refemblance. It is omitted in
D’Anville’s chart of the fea-coaft of Alia Minor.
T he Teians fent an embafiy to the Romans, requefting them
not to fuffer the Myonnefus to be fortified by the Dionyfiafts,
who then removed to Lebedus, where they were received with
joy. It was the cuftom of their Synod to hold an annual Pane-
gyris, or General AJfembly, at which they facrificed to the gods,
and poured libations to their deceafed benefactors. They like-
wife celebrated games in honour of Bacchus. The crowns,
which any of the communities had beftowed as rewards of
merit, were announced by heralds ; and the wearers applauded.
It was the bufinefs of the prefidents to provide fplendid entertainments,
and the meeting was folemnized with great pomp
and feftivity. This congrefs, it is probable, was held at the
ruins