WORK AT HISSARLIK IN 1872.
CHAPTER VI.
New assistants for 1872—Cost of the excavations—Digging of the great platform on the North—Venomous snakes—A supporting buttress on the North side of the hill—Objects discovered: little idols of fine marble—Whorls engraved with the suastika 卐 and
On the Hill of Hissarlik, April 5th, 1872.
MY last report was dated November 24th, 1871. On the first of this month, at 6 o’clock on the morning of a glorious day, accompanied by my wife, I resumed the excavations with 100 Greek workmen from the neighbouring villages of Renkoï, Kalifatli, and Yenishehr. Mr. John Latham, of Folkestone, the director of the railway from the Piræus to Athens, who by his excellent management brings the shareholders an annual dividend of 30 per cent., had the kindness to give me two of his best workmen, Theodorus Makrys of Mitylene, and Spiridion Demetrios of Athens, as foremen. To each of them I pay 150 fr. (6l.) per month, while the daily wages of the other men are but 1 fr. 80 cent. Nikolaos Zaphyros, of Renkoï, gets 6 fr., as formerly; he is of great use to me on account of his local knowledge, and serves me at once as cashier, attendant, and cook. Mr. Piat, who has undertaken the construction of the railroad from the Piræus to Lanira, has also had the kindness to let me have his engineer, Adolphe Laurent, for a month, whom I shall have to pay 500 fr. (20l.), and his travelling expenses. But in addition there are other considerable expenses to be defrayed, so that the total cost of my excavations amounts to no less than 300 fr. (12l.) daily.