the north-west, with a beautiful range of richly-feathered hills, joining the high and rocky Pantokrator, which rises into two conical summits of equal height, from which the coast of Italy near Otranto, is visible in clear weather. This mountain is known to the Greeks by the name of Pantokrator, from its commanding situation. It is called Saint Salvatore by the Italians.

The side of the mountain is speckled with villages, and interspersed with wood. Beyond this, in the direction of the Adriatic, the commencement of the Acroceraunian crags is distinctly seen, forming a rugged outline, with their precipitous tops shooting up into the clouds.

Turning eastward, the grand chain of the Chaonian, Thesprotian,1 and Cassopæan mountains are discovered, overtopped by loftier ranges of the Molossian summits; amongst which the distant Tomaros is distinguished, glittering with snow. The Epirote mountains assume a great variety of forms, some are covered with wood, cultivated towards their bases, and peopled with a few Albanian villages; amongst which, Konospoli and Leopsi are the chief. The ancient ports of Cassiope, Posidion, and Pelodes are visible: near the latter, the ruins of Buthrotons are distinguished across the channel, at about eighteen miles* distance from Corfu. The pass and grand precipices about the river Thyamis, with the islands and port of Sybota, form a varied and beautiful part of the picture, which is considerably enriched by the two insulated rocks and forts, rising from the Esplanade, breaking the line of the Epirote coast. The Cheimerian promontory is seen faintly fading towards the port of Glykis, the river Acheron, and the gulph of Arta. More to the south is the open sea, the islands of Leucadia, the low land of the Leukimnian promontory, and beyond it the island of Paxos. The picture is closed by the mountains of Corfu, which rise behind the town, above the old port.

'Scylax says, that in his time the Thesprotians lived in villages (kara kwμas). Peripl. ? Now Pelodi. 3 Now Butrinto. Pliny, Nat. Hist. b. 4. c. 12, says twelve.

Strabo says that in his time Epiros was thinly inhabited, although it was once extremely populous, and citing the authority of Theopompos, he informs us that it contained at one period fourteen nations. We are at first inclined to doubt the veracity of historians, who tell us that the proconsul Paulus Æmilius destroyed seventy cities in Epiros, and took 150,000 prisoners! not that Roman ty would when it could destroy; but that it appears unlikely there should have been so many cities in that mountainous region. Some travellers however, who have lately visited that country, have discovered the remains of numerous cities and castles in high preservation, which denote an early period of architectural knowledge, Livy is the best and almost the only guide through this country.1:

ranny

spare

We were detained longer than we had expected at Corfu, from the inability to obtain a boat, in the crew of which we could sufficiently confide. Our distrust was excited by the intelligence, that a physician, with his wife, child, a servant, and two Turks, had been lately murdered on their passage from Ithaca to Corfu. It was supposed that they had a large sum of money on board; and this circumstance appears to have excited the crew to put them to death during the night. Their bodies were cast into the sea. One of the boatmen, stung with remorse, soon afterwards revealed the horrid atrocity, and the perpetrators were apprehended.

TO SANTA MAURA. (LEUCADIA.)

The canal of Santa Maura, through which we had to pass, is looked upon as a most dangerous place for pirates, who conceal themselves

'Mons. Pouqueville, who is lately returned to France after a long residence in the dominions of Aly Pasha, informs me, that he has seen the remains of sixty-five cities in Epiros.

amongst the rocks, and spring upon their facility.1

prey

with the greatest

We quitted Corfu on the 9th, in a decked boat, with five sailors ; the evening soon closed, and the wind being unfavourable, we found ourselves the next morning not twenty miles from the town of Corfu, and just leaving the canal which terminates at the white Leukimnian promontory. We saw the islands of Sybota, which retain their ancient names, and are near the Thesprotian shore. Opposite these islands is a port on the continent, which was also anciently called Sybota. After the naval battle between the Corcyreans and the Corinthians, near this coast, the former erected a trophy on one of the islands, and the latter raised another on the continent at the port of Sybota. Strabo3 says there are other small islands on this coast, not worthy of mention.

The shore of Epiros is composed of high hills, of a parched and dingy aspect, except towards their bases, which seem well laid out with olives, vineyards, and cultivation. At a distance, towering above the lower hills, was seen the lofty range of Paramathea. The town of Paramathea, which we could not distinguish, contains about 14,000 inhabitants. It stands upon the site of an ancient city, the name of which is doubtful; but where the fine arts were carried to perfection, if we may judge by some beautiful bronzes1 found upon the spot a few years ago: it was probably Pandosia. We passed near the islands of Paxos, and Antipaxos; the former is about five miles east of the Leukimnian promontory. Polybius and Dion Cassius call them ago, and Pliny, Paxæ. Ptolemy places Ericusa between Corcyra, and Cephallenia. Pliny enumerates several other islands on the coast of Epiros, the names of which are now so changed, that they are not identified. Besides Ericusa, he mentions Marate,

• Some years after my first tour in Greece, the son of our consul at Corfu was taken by the

pirates in the canal of Santa Maura, and robbed of every thing.

Thucyd, b. 1. c. 54.

B. 3.

3.B. 7. p. 324.

Now in the possession of R. P. Knight, Esq. 6 Nat. Hist. b. 4. c. 12.

Elaphusa, Malthace, Trachie, Pytionia, and Tarachie. Little notice is taken of these islands in ancient history. Polybius1 relates the naval engagement which took place near the Paxoi, where the Achaians and Ætolians were conquered by the Illyrians, under Demetrios Pharios. Plutarch, in his Cessation of Oracles, tells the story of his friend Æmilianus the rhetorician, sailing at night near the Paxian islands, and hearing a voice louder than human, announcing the death of Pan.-Some authors give Paxos a circumference of twenty-five miles; others of twelve; the latter is nearest the truth. The inhabitants live chiefly by fishing, and trading with the neighbouring islands. Here are two villages, and one good but small port, dedicated to St. Nicolo. It produces oil, wine, almonds, figs, and a scanty pasture. In summer there is no running water in the island and the cattle sometimes drink sea water. Ælian' tells us, that in the island of Cephallenia, the goats did not drink for six months in the year; which must mean, that the rivers were dry in summer, as in the island of Paxos. It contains a vast number of serpents, which are said to be of a harmless and inoffensive nature.

A senator of the republic resides here.

Here are no antiquities or traces of any ancient city.

;

Antipaxos is about two miles from Paxos; it is uninhabited, producing only a meagre pasture for sheep and goats, which are placed there by the Paxiotes.

In the vicinity of Paxos there are four other small islands or rocks, uninhabited and nameless. In the evening we landed at Parga, a considerable town, on a bold precipitous rock rising from the sea. One of our passengers being of this place, he took us to his garden, and gave us some remarkably fine oranges.-Parga has been attached to the Ionian islands during their vicissitudes, and at present forms part of the septinsular republic. The inhabitants are

B. 2. p. 98.

2 De Animal. b. 3. c. 32.

Greeks, and have been able to resist both the open force and treacherous cunning of Aly, the Pasha of Joannina, who has for several years, endeavoured to attach this important post to his dominions. Some of the principal Pargiotes, hearing we were English travellers on our way to Constantinople, begged us to present a petition to our ambassador at the Porte, requesting to be taken under the English protection, in order to avoid the consequences of the threatened invasion of the powerful Pasha of Joannina. We however thought proper to decline the proffered honours. Parga is curiously built, and stands on so steep a rock, that most of the houses are seen rising one above another. The streets are narrow and dirty. I observed but one church. The fort is in bad order, but might be made a place of some strength and importance. The Pargiotes are a remarkably handsome people. Most of the women were sitting before their doors, industriously occupied in spinning or knitting; and every one had something civil to say to us, as we passed through their streets. There are no remains whatever of antiquity at this place.

We were in hopes of finding in this vicinity the port Glykis, and the mouths of the Acheron and Cocytos; but these infernal rivers probably enter the sea nearer to Corfu; for we see in Thucydides1 and Strabo, that the Acheron entered the sea at the Cheimerian promontory below the town of Ephyra. The other cities mentioned by Strabo on this coast are Kichyros, the same as Ephyra, Phoenice, Bouchetion, and inland Elatria, Pandosia, and Batiai; the four latter in the territory of the Cassopæi.

A small stream about five feet broad, enters the port of Parga; the mountains from which it runs have a bold and savage aspect, and contain scenes of a wild and gloomy character, though their base is mottled with verdure and cultivation, cottages, vineyards, and orange groves, which, with the view of the town and its rock-bespangled bay, form a beautiful and curious picture. The sea which washes this coast is the Thesprotian gulph.3

'B. 1. c. 46.

2 B, 7. p. 624.

3 Livy, b. 8. c. 24.