XXIV.
Athens, Greece, Nov. 28, 1841.
When I wrote you last, from Trieste, I was on the point of embarking by one of the Austrian steamers for this city, with the additional advantage of stopping at three ports on the route, which gives the passenger an opportunity of seeing some interesting sights. Soon after leaving Trieste we were visited with one of those violent gales of wind which so frequently occur on the Adriatic, against which the steamer struggled with difficulty, and all the passengers, except one, experiencing the horrors of sea-sickness, were snugly stowed away in their berths. This man solitary and alone, I noticed in his enviable position, seated at the supper table, whilst the sea was making a complete breach over the deck of the steamer, and the chairs and plates were secured by straps and braces. Within twenty-four hours we made the harbor of Ancona, the principal commercial port of the Pope of Rome, whose dominions extend from the Mediterranean on the west to the Adriatic on the east, and where we remained nearly a day, giving us an opportunity of seeing all that was most remarkable in the town. We next departed for Corfu, one of the most important of the Ionian islands, and the seat of government, and where we arrived after two days. The approach to the island is beautiful, with a fine harbor or bay for vessels. The opposite coast of Albania, the fortifications of the island of Vido, and the citadel of Corfu, built on two precipitous rocks running out into the sea, with the town and the mountains in the distance, form a splendid panoramic view.
The island is in the possession of the British, who have many troops stationed here. Its circumference is said to be one hundred and twelve miles, and the population sixty thousand, that of the city being twenty thousand. We have found the weather delightfully warm and pleasant, and observed many plants and fruits peculiar to the West India climate. On landing I was struck with the gay and picturesque costume of the male population, who mostly wear the Albanian dress, which is the gayest, and in some cases the most fantastic, of any I have seen in Europe. It consists of a red cap of beautiful material, of the form of a hat without the rim, with a large tassel of blue silk suspended from the top; a round jacket and vest, of cloth of various colors, beautifully embroidered with cord, and sometimes with gold and silver lace, which fits to the figure; from the waist is suspended a white frock with heavy folds which hang gracefully, barely covering the knees, with leggings of the same colored cloth as the jacket, embroidered in the same manner, and covering the shoes. The waist is encircled with a sash of red or blue silk, the ends hanging negligently by the side. We remained at Corfu only one day, but long enough to give us time to visit the villa of the governor, beautifully situated on a cliff overhanging the sea; also to visit the esplanade or parade ground, and some of the Greek churches, in one of which rest the remains of Capo d’Istria, the late governor of Greece, who was assassinated in Nauplia.
After leaving Corfu we proceeded to Patras, in Greece, passing the island of Santa Maura, where Sappho made her famous leap, and next the island of Ithaca, the birthplace of Ulysses, which is only eighteen miles long, and presents an air of ruggedness and barrenness, but is said to produce fruit, wine, and honey, of good quality. On arriving at Patras, where we remained part of a day, we found it had the appearance of a new town, and to my surprise I learned that during the last revolution every house was demolished by the Turks, as well as the orange groves, the woods of olives and vineyards; in fact everything was laid waste by fire and sword. There are not many remains of antiquity here. The new streets are well laid out, but the houses are mostly one story high, the country being subject to earthquakes.
On the opposite side of the gulf lies Missolonghi, celebrated for its battles with the Turks, as also for being the spot where Marco Bozzaris fell during an engagement in 1823. It was also the place where Lord Byron ended his career.
On leaving Patras we coasted along with the islands of Cephalonia and Zante in view, afterwards passing Navarino, so memorable for the battle of the allied forces against the Turks in 1827, which in its effects ended the war in Greece. After passing Cape Matapan, the most southern point of Greece, nothing occurred of interest until we arrived at the Piræus the morning of the eighth day from Trieste.
In order to convey an idea of the variety of character one meets on a voyage in this part of the world, I will mention that we had in the main saloon of the steamer sixteen persons, and that the ordinary conversation at table was in six different languages. Among the number a Turk from Smyrna, who had been interpreter to the English embassy in the East, conversed in eight languages. He was dressed in full costume, and wore his turban at meals and on all occasions. His long rich robes of satin, and yellow morocco slippers, presented a novel appearance, his favorite position being a seated one with his legs crossed. On entering the harbor of the Piræus the remains of the tomb of Themistocles were pointed out, looking down on the Gulf of Salamis, the scene of his glory. The modern town has been entirely built up since 1834. The distance to Athens is five or six miles. We took a carriage, and in approaching that celebrated city the ruins of the Parthenon struck our view, rising in all its majesty, one of the finest edifices formerly, and on one of the finest sites in the world.
During the last revolution Athens was entirely destroyed by the Turks, but it has again risen, and now has the appearance of a new city, with a population of twenty thousand. Since it became the seat of government, and king Otho made his public entry in 1834, it is said to have advanced rapidly. Although many houses are of very rude construction, and in some sections of one story high, with tile roofs, still in general the style of building is very good and substantial, and I am only surprised that in such a short space of time they could have advanced so far. Many of the public buildings are well constructed. The palace of the king, now in progress of erection, is of white Pentelic marble, three hundred feet long and two hundred and eighty feet in depth. It will cost an immense sum of money, which might have been better employed in other improvements than in building a palace, while the new government is in its infancy.
As soon as I had located myself at a hotel, I procured a guide to obtain a permission to mount the Acropolis and visit all the antiquities of the city. It is necessary to apply to one of the officers of the city for this, and to pay a small sum, to ascend this celebrated Cecropian Rock, which has been a fortress from the earliest ages down to the last day of the war. The walls form a circuit of two thousand five hundred and thirty yards, and are built on the edge of the perpendicular rock, which rises one hundred and fifty feet above the plain in which stands the city. The area inclosed is about fifteen hundred feet long, and the greatest breadth five hundred feet. On entering the only gate, after winding round the hill, the first subject is the ruins of the Propylæa, which was built during the most brilliant days of Athens. There is little remaining except six fluted marble columns in front, and six in the rear, of the Doric order, with frieze, entablature, &c.; to the right is a high tower, rudely constructed. The Temple of Victory is the next ruin presented to view, with some fine Ionic fluted columns still standing, and quite perfect. Next comes the Parthenon, which stands in the centre of the Acropolis. When perfect the length was two hundred and twenty feet, the breadth one hundred. The front and rear are still standing, and many of the columns on the sides (in all thirty-two) still remain. The columns are sixty-four feet in diameter at the base, and thirty-four feet high, standing on a pavement to which there was an ascent of three steps. The height of the temple was sixty-five feet; parts of the frieze on the exterior still remain; they represent the procession to the Parthenon at one of the grand festivals. The Parthenon was constructed of white Pentelic marble. Within the Acropolis is an immense collection of ruins and antiquities too numerous to detail. The Temple of Theseus, not far distant from the Acropolis, is quite perfect, and the interior is occupied as a museum—all the fragments of marble which have been discovered by the government being placed there. It was built four hundred and sixty-five years before Christ. Thirty-four Doric columns, with the walls, remain entire, all of Pentelic marble.
On ascending the Areopagus, or Hill of Mars, where the council of the Areopagus sat, one finds sixteen steps cut in the rock; above the steps, on the level of the hill, is a bench of stone excavated in the rock. It was here that the judges sat, in the open air and in the dark, that they might not be influenced by seeing and knowing the accuser or the accused. It was here that St. Paul preached, that Orestes was tried for matricide, and Socrates for theism. The prisons of Socrates are four dungeons, cut in the rock at the base of a hill, and there he drank the poisoned cup. The temple of Jupiter Olympus was the largest in Athens. It was begun five hundred and thirty years before Christ, and completed by the emperor Hadrian, A.D. one hundred and forty-five. The only remains of that immense edifice are sixteen Corinthian columns, six and a half feet diameter and sixty feet high. It is supposed the entire circuit was two thousand three hundred feet; the length being three hundred and fifty-four feet, and breadth one hundred and seventy-one; the whole number of columns was one hundred and twenty.
Since I have been in Athens I have made acquaintance with Mr. Perdicaris, the American consul, Mr. King and Mr. Benjamin, the American missionaries stationed here, as also Mrs. Hill, whose husband is now absent in America. The judgment, talent, and perseverance of this lady and her husband have contributed much to the advancement of the children of Athens. The gentlemen named have been very polite and communicative, and from them I have derived much valuable information in reference to Greece. I had an opportunity of seeing the young king Otho and his queen at a concert soon after my arrival. He was clad in rich Albanian costume, such as I have described as being worn at Corfu, and which is in general use here also. I judge he is about twenty-five years of age. The queen is young and beautiful; she was handsomely clad in Frank costume.
After having finished the sights at Athens I shall make a tour in the interior, in company with one of the American missionaries from the southern parts of Greece, who desires to visit Nauplia, Argos, ancient Tergus, Mycenæ, &c.; but in addition I desire to see Corinth, where St. Paul lived one year and a half, and wrote his Epistle to the Corinthians. The weather being delightfully warm, and my companion speaking modern Greek perfectly, I anticipate great pleasure in making an excursion of six or eight days.