February xxii.
By nine this morning we transport ourselves and horses by boat from Jerdáck to Gallipoli, and in three quarters of an hour arrive by God’s blessing on the European shore; where we bid a joyful farewel to that of Asia, after a severe sea sickness, which I endured in the passage. At which time three years and three months had passed, since my first arrival at Smyrna.
Callipolis, now called Gallipoli, was taken by the Turks in the reign of Orchán, and anno Hegirae 760. It is now a city considerably large, but thinly peopled, and decayed in commerce; tho it still plentifully enjoys that of cottons and aniseed. It stands upon a blunt point of land, betwixt two small open bays, of which that to the north is exceeding pleasant, and has on its green banks two fair Turkish sepulchers, the newer and more magnificent being that of Sinán pashá. Adjoining is a kane of very gentile fashion, with a mosque, and other instances of charity. The southern bay has the walls of the antient arsenal, for the lodging of stores and galleys, which formerly wintered in this place. Besides which the vast rocks, which lie before the town, are very remarkable; being a strange but natural mixture of sand, pebbles, and cockleshells, of which materials all the houses of the town are built. Here I saw a stone figure of our Savior’s baptism in the river Jordan, with another of the B. Virgin, carved contrary to the practice of the Greek church in basso relievo.
February xxiii.
We remain at Gallipoli this and the following day, expecting Mr. Farington’s caraván. The breadth of the Hellespont is here much inlarged, which at Lampsacus, according to Xenophon, was but fifteen furlongs[104].
February xxv.
We set forward from Gallipoli in a smooth and pleasant road, which by degrees ascending begins quickly to show us the narrow isthmus of the Chersonésus, with the Propontis on one side, and the gulph of Cardia, or Sinus Melas, on the other, the extreme neck of land being scarce three miles broad. Our road now inclines to the left hand, and so brings us round the blunt end of the gulph, into which flows the fair river Melas, which about the fourth hour from Gallipoli we cross at a regular and well built stone bridge. Hence we have a stony and mountainous way to Allalmalée, a Christian village, where we conáck. Before bed time we had here the company of the poor ignorant παπᾶς, who among other things told us, that he lately gave the bishop of Heracléa seventy dollars to ordain his son a priest.
February xxvi.
We depart from Allalmalée, and in two hours and a half arrive at Malgara, where I observed a Turkish drink called bozók, being a whitish thick beer made of millet seed. This is a large and pleasant town, abounding in the production of honey, and bears the name of a lady, who redeemed its security from plunder for a vast sum of money, from the first Turkish conqueror. It is now reserved as a place of banishment for the prime ministers of the empire. We proceed homeward till about the sixth hour of this day’s journey, when having lost my watch the preceding evening, we searched the company upon some suspicion we had entertained of a catergée, who yesterday joined us; and accordingly we find it concealed in the corner of his breeches. In ten hours we arrive at Derrícui a small Christian village, and there conáck. I must not omit, that this day we discovered to the left the mountains of Samothrace, the course of the Hebrus, and more forward the snowy top of Rodope.