February xviii.
We begin to bend our course more directly towards the Hellespont, and in order thereto proceed over a tract of gentle mountains, which Homer calls πόδα νείατον Ἴδης[99]; now frequented with wild beasts, but pleasant for the prospect they afford us on our right hand, whilst we pursue with our eye the whole course of the Aesépus almost as far as Mihalíck, where it enters the sea. In three hours we pass by an old village and adjoining castle called Minyás, which name it likewise lends to the neighbouring plain and lake; the former of which I take to have been antiently called the plains of Zelia, and the latter the λίμνη Δασκυλίτις[100]. Not far from hence flows a river by the modern name of Mulvetelée, passing into the adjoining lake; after which are small hills and pleasant villages, till in five hours we descend into the plains of Zelia, which are pleasant, fertile, and well cultivated. Here we pass thro large fields of wallnut trees, which bring us in five hours and a half to the banks of a fair and broad river; which I take to be the Tarsius of the antients, and by the Turks is now vulgarly called Tarza. We were here obliged to ferry over with our horses three together in a boat, the stream being not securely fordable. In one hour and half from thence, thro a level and verdant campain to the left of the above mentioned lake, we come to Humumlée, and there conáck. The lake we leisurely viewed from our conáck, and could compute it to be about thirty miles in circumference, being always full of water, and stored with plenty of fish, among which it then furnished us with delicious pikes. We were here informed, that the river, we lately passed, empties it self into this lake, from whence by a new chanel it takes its course to Mihalíck, where together with the Aesépus it soon after falls into the sea. And directly beyond this lake we then beheld the fair exalted hills of Cyzicus, and the Peninsula Cyzicena.