GRAND FESTA. There is to be a grand festa this evening, to-day being the eve of the γενεθλιον του προδρομου, or birth of St. John the Baptist. There was an incessant firing of muskets and petards; which proved that the gunpowder had not been all expended upon King Otho. Towards night, every one lighted a large bonfire before his house, and the favourite amusement seemed to be, who would run the oftenest through it when the blaze was at the fiercest. Shouts of laughter burst from the crowd, as each unlucky wight issued, scorched and singed, from the fiery trial; while the applause was proportionate towards those who ventured bravely, and escaped uninjured.
Many of us joined in the sport, leaping through the mass of newly kindled flame, and, among others, I had the satisfaction of presenting myself on the other side, minus a good portion of whiskers, and with eyelashes singed into little tufts, close to the lid.
SYRA. Syra, like many of the Greek towns, is best seen at a distance; for it is, in reality, but an insignificant place, and there is not a respectable street in it. The houses, too, are low and dirty; and a disagreeable smell of dried fish and bad olives salutes one in every quarter. However, the inhabitants appear to be wealthy and enterprising; and at some future period it may become a large, populous, flourishing city.
Saturday, 6th.—We started at midnight, and in the morning were off St. Nicolo, in the island of Tinos. The town is very pretty; and the house of the bishop, near the church, is a very favourable specimen of Greek domestic architecture.
LADIES OF MYCONE. After remaining here a short time, we proceeded on our course to Mycone. Several boat-loads of the natives put off to see the vessel; and on being received on board, they expressed the greatest surprise and admiration at the size and beauty of the steamer's cabin and deck. On our part, we were no less gratified with the graceful, varied costume, worn by our island visiters; one of whom, a female, was dressed in a most superb style; and being also exceedingly pretty, she set off her decorations to great advantage. Dark eyelashes overshadowed a pair of eyes, blue, soft, and beautiful as the heaven of her native clime. A shawl of parti-coloured silk was so disposed upon her head as to cover its upper part, and form a bow on the right side; while the ends hung over each ear, allowing the rich tresses of her glossy auburn hair to flow from under them unconfined. A plain loose jacket of light blue cloth covered a deep-red bodice laced close to the form; and a petticoat of the same colour, descending in ample folds to the knee, was fastened round the waist by a narrow black silk shawl. Her stockings were black, and the garters vermilion. Another lady of the party, a dark beauty, also wore a dress of rich and elegant fashion. Her hair, black as jet, was closely bound round her head, and fastened in a knot upon the crown, as one sees it arranged on the Greek statues. A thin gauze veil, ornamented at the two extremities with flowers and gold embroidery, was thrown carelessly over this elegant coiffure, heightening and adding new graces to a beauty it was intended to conceal. Her jacket was of green velvet braided with gold, and lined with white silk. The remainder of her dress consisted of rose-coloured silk; and a magnificent shawl, of that brilliant red and yellow pattern so common among the Greeks, encircled her waist. I believe she was the wife of the Neapolitan consul, who also fulfilled the duties of that office for half a dozen countries besides.
VULGAR TOURISTS. Proceeding next to Delos, we anchored opposite Mount Cynthus, and went on shore immediately, to visit the ruins of the theatre, and of some vast temple, built upon the ascent of that hill. Thence we passed to the Thermæ, and to the ruins of the great Temple of Apollo, which cover an immense extent of ground, where capitals, columns, architraves, friezes, and cornices, lie mingled in undistinguished confusion; and from their size and number they had more the appearance of the fragments of some fallen mountain, than the remains of man's handiwork. While engaged in contemplating these stupendous ruins, the rest of the party wandered about, and saw many things which necessarily escaped my observation. But four hours only were granted us to examine one of the most interesting of the places marked down in the itinerary; and it was necessary to hurry over the scene. It really seemed, that the feelings of the generality of our tourists must be of a very low and vulgar description, thus to visit any spot consecrated by history or fable, as it were for an instant, merely to gratify the empty vanity of being able to say "Oh! I have been there;" and then to hurry on towards the next object with the same heartless indifference. How different is their conduct on arriving at the busy haunts of men, which promise balls, dinners, or festás! Then, hours and days are not sufficient for the gratification of their favourite enjoyments, and every stratagem is put in practice to create delay.
Hardly one third of the passengers landed at Delos, yet five days were absolutely lost in Smyrna. The same parties who grumbled, and grudged four short hours at this isle, would have detained us as many days over the number specified in the city of figs, had they been permitted. Nor was the cool morning, or evening, freshened by the never-failing breeze, selected for going ashore; but the very hottest time of day, when on this treeless, barren, granite island, the reflection of light and heat is almost insupportable: when Apollo darts his fiercest rays on those who wander to seek his fane, and Diana was unable to offer them any cool, shady retreat which, at such an hour, she would herself have loved so well. Yonder, under the soot-imbued awning of the Francesco, sits many a listless cold-hearted being gazing without emotion,—
——"on the sacred place, Where once stood shrines and gods;"
and with no enviable feelings putting the question to him, who, with his imagination rapt on the thoughts of other days, hastens to the classic shore:—"What is the use of running out in the sun; cannot you see those piles of stones from the deck?"—Senseless, unfeeling, sordid, and degraded! what can have induced you to approach this consecrated land?
A MODERN ANTIQUE.There was one of our party who thought he had made a grand discovery and capture. With great labour and exertion, we carried for him to the water's edge a large block of marble, resembling a portion of a basin or font. He at once decided, that it had been some receptacle for water belonging to the temple, and resolved on carrying it to Palermo. Unfortunately, however, it was shortly afterwards recognised to be nothing more than a Turkish mortar for pounding the sulphur, nitre, and charcoal used in the manufacture of gunpowder; and on examination, there was no doubt of its being perfectly modern. "Never mind," said its proprietor; "it shall go to my palace; and there being no reason to explain what it really is only whence it came, the Sicilians will admire and venerate it as a relic from Delos!"