A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Body of volume 2 · Chapter 5

A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages · Volume 2 · Body of volume 2 · Chapter 5

p. 18CHAP. V.

Of ſome Beasts and Mechanick Trades at Conſtantinople.

NEar the Hippodromus at Conſtantinople I obſerv'd ſome rare Animals, which the Turkiſh Emperors are much delighted with, as the Onager, the Hyſtrix, the Lupus Cervarius, the Lynx, the Ponticus Mus, or Ermine, many rare Weaſils, and odd Cats.

The Turks not uſing the Printing Trade, they levigate and poliſh their Writing Paper in Box Frames, by rubbing it with the Chalcedony and Jaſpar-ſtones put at the end of Sticks. They damask their Cymeters with a blewiſh colour, by macerating Sal Armoniac and Verdigreaſe in Vinegar, and ſteeping the Blades in this Mixture, often pouring freſh upon them, this acts upon the Steel, and renders it of that colour upon poliſhing. They granulate Leather for Scabbards. In the Cutlers Shops one ſees great variety of Horns, Teeth, &c. as of Bufalo's, Gazels, Morſe-Teeth, and other Tusks. They colour their Linnen with great variety, and with many Figures, which they cut in Wood and there paint, p. 19afterwards ſtamp and preſs it upon the Linnen or Silk, as in printing upon Paper, they firſt poliſh their Linnen or Cottons with Paſtes of fine Flower. The Inhabitants on theſe Streights gather abundance of a broad-leav'd Alga, which they mix with a fat Earth, and ſo cover their Houſes with it: The Current running ſo ſtrong, caſts out great variety of Marine Productions, as Alcyonium or Arkeilli, Antipathos (a ſort of Coralline.)

Mr. Francis Vernon's Letter, written to Mr. Oldenburg, Jan. 10. 1675/6, giving a ſhort account of ſome of his Obſervations in his Travels from Venice through Iſtria, Dalmatia, Greece, and the Archipelago, to Smyrna, where this Letter was written.

SIR,

I Muſt beg your Excuſe for not having written to you in ſo long a ſpace: The little reſt I have had, and the great unſettledneſs of my Condition is the reaſon. Neither have I now any great Curioſities to impart to you; only ſome ſmall Circumſtances of my Journey I will run over.

From Venice I ſet out with thoſe Gallies which carried their Ambaſſadour that went for the Port. We touch'd at moſt of the conſiderable Towns of Iſtria and Dalmatia by the way. In Iſtria we ſaw Pola, an ancient Republick. There remains yet an Amphitheatre entire; it is of two orders of Tuſcan Pillars, placed one over another, and the lower Pillars ſtand on Pedeſtals, which is not ordinary; for, commonly they have nothing but their Baſes to ſupport p. 20them. There is, beſides a Temple dedicated to Rome and Auguſtus, a Triumphal Arch, built by a Lady of the Family of the Sergii, in honour of ſome of her Kindred, which commanded in theſe Countries; beſides ſeveral Inſcriptions and ancient Monuments, which are in divers parts of the Town.

In Dalmatia I ſaw Zahara, which is now the Metropolis of the Country. It was anciently called Jadera. It's now very well fortified, being encompaſs'd on three ſides with the Sea, and that part which is toward the Land extreamly advantag'd by all the contrivances of Art, having a Caſtle and a Rampart of very lofty Baſtions to guard it. I found here ſeveral ancient Inſcriptions, by me copied, which will not find room in the compaſs of a Letter. We paſs'd in ſight of Zebenico, and ſaw three Forts, which belong to the Town, St. Nicolo, St. Gioanni, and la Fortezza Vecchia; but we went not aſhore. That which is moſt worth ſeeing in Dalmatia, is Spalatro, where is Diocleſian's Palace, a vaſt and ſtupendious Fabrick, in which he made his reſidence when he retreated from the Empire: it is as big as the whole Town, for the whole Town indeed is patch'd up out of its Ruines, and is ſaid by ſome to take its Name from it. The Building is maſſive; there is within it an entire Temple of Jupiter, eight-ſquare, with noble Porphyry Pillars, and Cornice, worth any bodies admiration. There is a Court before it, adorned with Aegyptian Pillars of that Stone called P…repeiciles, and a Temple under it, now dedicated to S^ta Lucia; and up and down the Town ſeveral fragments of Antiquity, with Inſcriptions and other things, worth taking notice of.

p. 21Four miles from Spalatro is Salona, which ſhews the ruines of a great Town. About as much farther from Salona ſtands Cliſſa, upon a rocky Hill, an eminent Fortreſs of the Venetians, which is here the Frontier againſt the Turk, from whence they repulſed him in their late Wars with great Honour. I was at Leſina, where is nothing very remarkable; but Biondi, that hath written our Engliſh Hiſtory, was of it. Trau is ancient, and hath good marks of its being ſo. Here I ſpoke with Doctor Staſileo, who put out that Fragment of Pe…ronius Arbiter, and I ſaw his Manuſcript.

I was in the Harbour of Raguſi, but not in the Town, becauſe we made no ſtay there. From hence we paſt the gulph of Budua, and ſaw the Mountains of Antivari, the Plain of Durazzo and Apollonia, and came to Saſſino a ſmall Iſland, from whence we could ſee the Town of Valona, and the Mountains Aeroceraunii, which are very near, and are now called Mountains of Chimaera.

I ſtay'd a fortnight in Carfu, and had time to view all that was conſiderable in the Iſland, particularly the Gardens of Alcinous, that is, the place where they are ſuppoſed to have been, now called Chryſida, a moſt delicious ſituation: The ancient Port, now called foreign, and ſeveral foundations of ancient Fabricks. In Zante I was likewiſe a fortnight, where I ſaw but little of Antiquity: What is modern is very flouriſhing, and the Iſland rich and plentiful.

I went from Zante to Patras, a Town in Achaia, of good note among the Ancients. Near it is a great Mountain, mention'd by Homer, by the name of Petra Ol…nia. In the Town are ſeveral maſſive Ruines, which few there p. 22know how to give any account of. There are the Remains of a large Church, dedicated to St. Andrea, who, they ſay, was martyr'd there. This is the firſt Town I ſaw on the Continent of Greece. The Plain about it is very fruitful, full of Springs and Rivolets; finely wooded with Olive-trees, Cypreſſes, Orange and Lemon-trees. The Citrons here are counted among the beſt of the Turkiſh Empire, and are ſent for Preſents to Conſtantinople. So are all their Fruits in very good eſteem.

In Athens I have ſpent two months. Next to Rome I judge it moſt worthy to be ſeen for Antiquities of any I have yet been at. The Temple of Minerva is as entire as the Rotunda. I was three times in it, and took all the dimenſions, with what exactneſs I could; but it is difficult, becauſe the Caſtle of Athens, in which it ſtands, is a Garriſon, and the Turks are jealous, and brutiſhly barbarous, if they take notice that any meaſures it. The length of the Cella or Body of the Temple without ſide, is—168 Feet Engliſh.Theſe Meaſures you may rely on, as exact to half a foot. The breadth—71 Feet Engliſh. The Portico of the Dorique Order, which runs round it, hath 8 Pillars in front, 17 on the ſides; the length of the Portico is 230 feet Engliſh. I have taken all the dimenſions within, with thoſe of the foreign and Portico's; but they are too long for a Letter. The fuſte or ſhaft of the Pillars is 19½ feet in circumference: The Intercolumnium 1¼ of the diameter of the Pillars.

The Temple of Theſeus is likewiſe entire, but 'tis much leſs, though built after the ſame model. The length of its Cella is but 73 feet, the breadth 26. The whole length of the Portico, which p. 23goes round it, 123 feet. 'Tis a Dorique Building, as is that of the Minerva. Both of them are of white Marble.

About the Cornice on the outſide of the Temple of Minerva is a baſſo relievo of men on horſeback, others in Chariots, and a whole proceſſion of people going to a Sacrifice, of very curious ſculpture. On the Front is the Hiſtory of the Birth of Minerva.

In the temple of Theſeus, on the Front within-ſide the Portico, at the Weſt-end, is the Battel of the Centauri, and at the Eaſt-end ſeems to be a Continuation of that Hiſtory: But there are ſeveral Figures of Women, which ſeem to be P…rithous's Bride, and thoſe other Ladies which were at the Wedding. On the outſide the Portico, in the ſpaces between the Triglyphi, are ſeveral of the Proweſſes of Theſeus, moſt in Wreſtling with ſeveral perſons, in which he excelled: All his poſtures and locks are expreſt with great art. Others are Monſters, which he is made encountring with, as the Bull of Marathon, the Bear of Calydon, &c.

There is a Temple of Hercules, a round Fabrick, only of ſix feet diameter, but neat Architecture. The Pillars are of the Corinthian Order, which ſupport an Architrave, and Friſe, wherein are done in relievo the Labours of Hercules. The top is but one Stone, wrought like a Shield, with a Flower on the outſide, which riſeth like a Plume of Feathers.

There is yet ſtanding the Tower of Andronicus Cirrheſtes, which is an Octogone, with the Figures of eight Winds, which are large, and of good workmanſhip; and the names of the Winds remain legible in fair Greek characters, (where a Houſe, which is built againſt it on one p. 24ſide, does not hinder) as foreign. Each Wind placed againſt its quarter in the Heavens: And the Roof is made of little Planks of Marble, broad at bottom, and which meet all in a point at top, and make an obtuſe Pyramid of ſome 32 or 36 ſides.

There is a delicate Temple of the Conique Order in the Caſtle, whether of Pandroſos, or whom, I cannot tell, but the Work was moſt fine, and all the Ornaments moſt accurately engraven:

The Length of this Temple was 67 Feet.

The Breadth — 38 Feet.

Theſe Pillars which remain of a Portico of the Emperor Adrian, are very ſtately and noble: They are of the Corinthian Order, and above 52 feet in height, and 19½ in circumference: They are canellate, and there are now ſtanding ſeventeen of them, with part of their Cornice on the top. The Building, to which they belonged, I meaſur'd the Area of, as near as I could conjecture, and found it near a thouſand feet in length, and about ſix hundred and eighty in breadth.

Without the Town, the Bridge over the Eliſſus hath three Arches, of ſolid Stone-work: the middlemoſt is near 20 feet broad. There is the stadium yet to be ſeen, whoſe length I meaſured, and found it 630 feet, near to what the preciſe meaſure of a stadium ought to be, viz. 625.

Towards the Southern Wall of the Caſtle there are the Remains of the Theatre of Bacchus, with the Portico of Eumenes, which is near it; the ſemi-diameter, which is the right Sine of the demi-circle which makes the Theatre, is about 150 feet, the whole Body of the Scene 256. Monſieur de la Guilliotiere, in that Book he hath p. 25written of Athens, hath made a Cut of a Theatre, which he calls that of Bacchus, which is a meer fancy and invention of his own, nothing like the Natural one, which by the Plan he has drawn of the Town, I judge he did not know. I give you this one hint, that you may not be deceived by that Book, which is wide from truth, as will appear to any body who ſees the reality, though to one who hath not ſeen it, it ſeems plauſibly written. I have dwelt long on Athens, but yet have ſaid nothing. This town alone deſerves a whole Book to diſcourſe of it well, which now I have neither time nor room to do: but I have Memorials by me of all I ſaw, which one day, if it pleaſe God, I may ſhew you.

Thebes is a large Town, but I found few Antiquities in it, excepting ſome Inſcriptions and Fragments of the Old Wall, and one Gate, which, they ſay, was left by Alexander, when he demoliſh'd the reſt. It is about ſome fifty miles diſtant from Athens, as I judge.

Corinth is two days Journey diſtant: the Caſtle or foreign is ſtanding, which is very large. The main of the Town is demoliſh'd, and the Houſes, which now are ſcatter'd, and a great diſtance from one another. So is Argos, which to go round would be ſome four or five miles, as the Houſes now ſtand; but if they ſtood together, they would ſcarce exceed a good Village. Napolo della Rumilia is a large town, and full of Inhabitants, and the Baſ…a of the Morea reſides there: It is but very few leagues diſtant from Argos.

p. 26Sparta is quite forſaken, and Meſtra is the Town which is inhabited, four miles diſtant from it: But one ſees great Ruines thereabout; almoſt all the Walls, ſeveral Towers and Foundations of Temples with Pillars and Chapiters demoliſh'd: A Theatre pretty entire. It might have been anciently ſome five miles in compaſs, and about a quarter of a mile diſtant from the River Eurotus. The Plain of Sparta and of Laconia is very fruitful, and long, and well watered. It will be about eighty miles in length, as I judge. The Mountains on the Weſt ſide of it very high, the higheſt I have yet ſeen in Greece; the Maniotes inhabit them. But the Plain of Calamatta, which anciently was that of Meſſene, ſeems rather richer. Corone is very abundant in Olives. Navarrino, which is eſteemed the ancient Pylos, hath a very ſtrong Caſtle, fortified by the Turks, and is the beſt Port in all the Morea. Alpheus is much the beſt River, and the deepeſt, and with great reaſon extolled by all the ancient Poets, and choſen for the Seat of the Olympick Games, for it's very pleaſant. The Plains of Elis are very goodly and large, fit to breathe Horſes in, and for hunting, but not ſo fruitful as that of Argos and Meſſene, which are all Riches. The beſt Woods I ſaw in Peloponneſus are thoſe of Achaia, abounding with Pines and wild Pear, the Ilex and Eſculus-trees, and, where there runs Water, with Plane-trees.

Arcadia is a very goodly Champain, and full of Cattel, but is all encompaſs'd with Hills, which are very rough and unhewn. Lepanto is very pleaſantly ſeated on the Gulf, which runs up as far as Corinth; and without the Town is one of the fineſt Fountains I ſaw in Greece, very p. 27rich in Veins of Water, and ſhaded with huge Plane-trees, not inferiour in any thing to the Spring of Caſtalia on Mount Parnaſſus, which runs through Delphos, except in this, that one was choſen by the Muſes, and the other not; and Poetical Fancies have given Immortality to the one, and never mentioned the other.

Delphos it ſelf is very ſtrangely ſituated on a rugged Hill, to which you have an aſcent of ſome two or three leagues, and yet that is not a quarter of the way to come up to the Pique of Parnaſſus, on the ſide of which Hill it ſtands: It ſeems very barren to the Eye, but the Fruits are very good, where there are any. The Wines are excellent, and the Plants and Simples, which are found there, very fragrant, and of great efficacy.

About Lebadia, and all through Baeotia, the Plains are very fertile, and make amends for the barrenneſs of the Hills which encompaſs them: But in Winter they are apt to be overflown for that reaſon, and to be turn'd into Lakes, which renders the Baeotian Air very thick, and ſo were their Sculls too, if the Ancients may be believed concerning them; though Pindar, who was one that ſublimated Poetry to its higheſt exaltation, and is much fancied and imitated in our Age, as he was admired in his own, was born there: And Amphion, who was ſaid to be ſo divine in his Muſick, that he raviſh'd the very Stones, had skill enough to entice them to make up the Walls of Thebes: So that not every thing that is born in a dull Air is dull. Theſe Vales I found much planted with Cotton, and Seſamum, and Cummin, of which they make great profit, and a great Trade at Thebes and Lebadia.

p. 28I went from Thebes into the Iſland of Eubaea or Negropont, and ſaw the Euripus, which ebbs and flows much after the nature of our Tides, only the Moon, and ſometimes Winds, make it irregular. The Channel, which runs between the Town and a Caſtle which ſtands in an Iſland over againſt it, is ſome fifty feet broad; and there are three Mills on it, which ſhew all the changes and varieties that happen in the Current. Near the Euripus, and oppoſite to the Town, they ſhew a Port, which they ſay was Aulis, and it is not improbable, for it muſt be thereabouts. Between Negropont and Athens is a high Hill, called foreign, formerly very dangerous, but now guarded by Albaneſes. It is part of Mount Parnaſſe, and near it on the left hand lies Mount Pentelicus, from whence the Athenians anciently fetch'd their Stone, and now there is a Convent of Caloieri's there, one of the richeſt of all Greece.

In going from Athens by Sea, I embarqued in a Port, which lies juſt by Munichia. That which they call Porto Pyraeo lies behind it a mile diſtant, which is a large Port able to contain 500 Veſſels. There are the Ruins of the Town yet remaining, and of the Walls, which joyn'd it to the City of Athens. I ſailed by Porto Phalero, the ancient Haven of Athens, which is rather a Road than a Port. I ſaw an Iſland called foreign, where the Athenians had anciently Mines. I went aſhore on the Promontory of Sunium, to view the Remains of the Temple of Minerve, which ſtood on it. Hence I ſailed among the Iſles of the Archipelago, Macroneſia, Thermea, Serphanto, Siphanto, till I came to Melo. From Melo I ſailed through the Cyclades to come hither. I paſs'd by Andros, Tenos, Mycone, Delos: Nuxia and Paros I ſaw at a p. 29diſtance. We ſailed near the Northern Cape of Scio, and the Southern of Mytilene or Lesbos, and ſo came into the Gulf of Smyrna. Within this Gulf ſtands Burla, near ſome ſmall Iſlands, which is judged to be the ancient Clazomenae: Foja, which is the ſame with the ancient Phocaea. Near this the River Hermus diſcharges it ſelf into this Gulf.

In this my Journey I had ſome miſadventures. My Companion Sir Giles Eaſtcourt died by the way. At Sea I was plunder'd by the Serphiotes, where I loſt all my Letters, and yours among the reſt, which you ſent to my Lord Ambaſſador at Conſtantinople, and Conſul Rycaut, whom I find here a very civil and knowing Gentleman, and am much obliged to him for his Favours.

I have been as curious as I could in taking the Latitudes of ſome remarkable places: As I find them, I ſhall give them you.

I deſire you to preſent my humble Services to the Gentlemen of the Royal Society.

I am, &c.