Travels in Greece, Turkey and the Holy Land, in 1817-18 / by Count Forbin.

  • Forbin, comte de (Louis Nicolas Philippe Auguste), 1777-1841.
Date:
[1820]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in Greece, Turkey and the Holy Land, in 1817-18 / by Count Forbin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    loading two iron guns, the discharge of which was to announce, on the following day, the festival of the Courbam-Beyram, the Easter of the Musulmans.* He seemed quite ashamed of his awkwardness. A Greek who accompanied me, abused him in bad Italian, in the lowest tone of voice, but, in over¬ looking his performance, assumed an air of the most respectful submission. An antique head, in an eroded state, placed over the gate of the ch&teau, seems to have belonged to a statue of Bacchus, or of Apollo, rather than to that of an Amazon, although Tournc- fort points it out as such. From the top of a high tower a deep valley is seen, watered by the Melos, onthebank of which tradition savs Homer drew his first breath, on which account the name of Melesigenes has been bestowed on him. This river, thus ennobled, flows after¬ wards beneath two aqueducts, and, finally, beneath the bridge of the caravans : throughout nearly the whole of its course it is overshadowed by lofty trees. 9 9 M. Mechain, son of the celebrated astronomer of that name, Consul-General of France at Smyrna, gave me a very polite re¬ ception, and provided me with the means of visiting the ruins of Ephesus. Ismael, his head janissary, was ordered to provide horses, to make the necessary preparations for our departure, and to escort us. A young Frenchman, attached to the con¬ sulate, who speaks the Greek, Turk, and Arabic languages with great facility, joined our caravan; and thus, accompanied by a pupil of M. Huyot, who begged to be of the party, and my servant, we gaily took the road of Sediceuil. Count Auchepied, consul of the king of the Netherlands, and one of the richest bankers of Smyrna, inhabits, at Sedi¬ ceuil, a fine house, with gardens laid out in the European style. He hasavery interesting family, and the reception we met with here was truly hospitable. Earlv the next morning our caravan set out from Sediceuil. The road, which was scarcely to be traced, led through a plain surrounded by mountains, and intersected hv the small river Tertulitthai, and the brook Durlikeuil: the latter bears the name of a small village. The banks of the river were lined with cypresses, with theagnus castus, and rose-laurels. [Laurus nobilis.] We fell in with a small Jewish caravan : [tchifout] it was terrified on seeing the approach of a dozen armed men advancing full speed, for this was the ordinary7 pace prescribed to us by Ismael, who led the way. Our horses were full of spirit, the weather was delightfully pleasant, and in a few in- * This festival is celebrated on the first three days of the moon of Sehovral.