114
alfo were ruins on a hill. A wide paved way led through cultivated
fields to the mountain-foot, toward the left, whfere they
halted to reft about noon in a wood. They had feen fragments
of columns and other remains of Metropolis. They proceeded
at three, and fooa had the Cayfter on their left, and the caftle
on the precipice in view. This was then called Kezel-hiffar,
The Gajlle o f the Goats, perhaps as fcarcely acceffible but to
thofe animals. They turned, as we did, weftward j and at fix
arrived at Aiafaluck in thirteen hours from Smyrna.
C H A P . XXXIII.
Aiafaluck — The evening — 'Remains — The cajlle — The mofque—>
The aquteduSl — An antient bridge.
AIASALUCK is a fmall village, inhabited by a few Turkifh
families, Handing chiefly on the fouth-fide of the caftle-hill,
among bulhes and ruins. It was dulk when we alighted, lamenting
the filence and complete humiliation, as we conceived,
of Ephefus. The Caravanfera, to which we had been directed,
was exceedingly mean and wretched. A marble farcophagus,
freed from the human dull, ferved as a water-trough to a
well before it. From the infcription, which has been pub-
lilhed', we learn that it once contained the bodies of a captain
of a Roman trireme, named the Griffin, and his wife. Clofe
by, fome tall camels, juft arrived, flood penfive; or, with their
knees tied to prevent their riling from the ground, mildly waited
the removal of their burthens.
T he Caravanfera being full, we were diftreffed for a place to
lodge in, but after fome time a Turk offered us a Ihed by his
cottage. The roof ahd fides were black with fmoke, and fome
martens had made tneir nefts againft the rafters. Our horfes
1 See Heffelius.
were
were difpofed among the walls and rubbilh, with their faddles
on ; and a mat was fpread for us on the ground. We fate here,
in the open air, while fupper was preparing; when fuddenly,
fires began to blaze up among the bulhes, and we faw the villagers
colledted about them in favage groups, or paffing to and
fro with lighted brands for torches. The flames, with the liars
and a pale moon, afforded us a dim profpedt of ruin and defola-
tion. A lhrill owl, named Cucuvaia from its note, with a
night-hawk, flitted near us; and a jackall cryed mournfully, as
i f forfaken by his companions, on the mountain.
W e retired early in the evening to our Ihed, not without fome
fenfations of melancholy, which were renewed at the dawn of
day. We had then a diftindt view of a folemn and molt forlorn
fpot; a negledted caftle, a grand mofque, and a broken aquas-
dudt, with mean cottages, and ruinous buildings interfperfed
among wild thickets, and fpreading to a confiderable extent.
Many of the fcattered ftrudtures are fquare, with domes, and
have been baths. Some grave-ftones occurred, finely painted
and gilded, and fairly emboffed, as the Turkilh manner is, with
characters in relievo. But the caftle, the mofque, and the
aqusedudt, are alone fufficient evidences, as well of the forme*1
greatnefs of the place, as of its importance.
T he caftle is a large and barbarous edifice, the wall built
with fquare towers. You afcend to it over heaps of ilones intermixed
with fcraps of marble. An out-work, which fecured
the approach, confifted of two lateral walls from the body of
the fortrefs, with a gate-way. This is fupported on each fide
by a huge and awkward buttrefs, conftrudted chiefly with the
feats of a theatre or ftadium, many marked with Greek letters.
Several fragments of infcriptions 1 are inferted in it, or lie near.
Over the arch are four pieces of antient fculpture. Two in the
middle are in alto relievo, of moft exquifite workmanlhip, and
1 See Heffelius.
P 2 part*