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'(
travels IN
THE IONIAN
ISLES,
ALBANIA, THESSALY, MACEDONIA,
&c.
f
DURING, THE YEARS
1812 AND 1813.
HENRY HOLLAND,
M.D.
F.R.S.
&c. &c.
LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,
PATERNOS TER-RO W. 1815
.
if-
ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS LIBRARY
CLASS ACCN.
SOURCE DATE
li]
A. Strahan, Printcrs-Street. Londoii
PREFACE.
J
OFFER
this narrative
of
my travels
Greece with much
in
diffi-
dence to the Public, apprehensive that it may be thought that Greece
has already been sufficiently explored by former writers.
The Public
has recently received valuable information from the works of Mr.
Douglas and Mr. Hobhouse, respecting the character of the modern Greeks. told,
I
have carefully avoided the repetition of what they have
and have refrained from
jects of
all
which they have treated
;
formal dissertation on the sub-
but I have interwoven with
my
narrative various anecdotes and observations, which will, I hope, further illustrate the subject,
and add some information
relative to the
present state of literature and cultivation in Greece.
Had lish his
to
I been previously
aware that Major Leake intended to pub-
“ Researches in Greece,^’ I should scarcely have had courage
commence my own work
;
but having begun the narrative, I was
led to persevere, from the consideration that parts of that country as yet fortunate that I
little
had directed
my
known
it
related principally to
or described.
I think
it
views more particularly to such
A 2
PREFACE.
iv districts,
though they
may
not have so
attention of the classical reader.
The
many
claims as others on the
which the world now
interest
takes in Greece, refers not merely to ancient times, but regards also
who
the future condition of a people character,
and
whom
are again resuming a national
time and political changes
may
again raise to
perfect independence.
I
shall
conduct the reader through the Ionian
Albania^
Isles,
Thessaly, and some parts of Macedonia, sketching afterwards rapidl}^
my
route through the southern parts of Greece, and finally
describing the second journey I
Pasha.
I
this
modern
peculiar opportunities of
I
made through
the dominions of Ali
have dwelt particularly on the government and extraor-
dinary character of
While
more
have selected
are least generally
ruler of Albania, with
which
I
had
becoming acquainted.
for description those parts of
known,
I
have endeavoured
to
G reece
convey a
which
full
idea
of the scenery of the country, and of whatever remains of antiquity are scattered over
its
surface.
subject of these antiquities,
by
I
might further have enlarged on the
citing additional authorities,
and quot-
ing discordant opinions, but I have forborne such discussions, aware that they can have
little
interest for the generalit}'^ of readers.
Upon
the most correct information that I could collect I have given the
population of the country; and, considering that the mineralogy and other parts of the natural history of Greece are yet only partially
known,
I
have been anxious to obtain and to communicate inform-
ation on these subjects. least assist in giving
The
results
which
I
have presented
may
a useful direction to future observations.
at
PREFACE.
had intended
I
to
principal diseases,
may
V
have inserted in the Appendix a memoir on the
and on the
state
of medicine in Greece
;
but
this
be placed more properly in some publication better adapted to
the circulation of medical facts.
A
preface
which a
man
filled
with apologies
is
an acknowledgment of
coolly determines to commit.
faults,
I shall not, therefore,
attempt to excuse the want of a good map, by pleading the
loss
my
What-
actual surveys,
ever I have fortunate,
left
and of a considerable part of my journal.
come
untold will soon
and more enlightened
hands of Major Leake, and Sir superior to
any thing which
before the Public from
travellers
W.
Gell,
than myself.
more
From
maps may be expected
I could have offered,
had
my
of
the far
papers
been preserved.
I shall detain the reader
the
many
deficiencies
no longer than to assure him, that among
he must find in the following pages, he
have no just cause to accuse the author of want of Rome, 3 1 st of October, 1814.^
fidelity.
will
CONTENTS
CHAP.
GAL p ORTU The
Lipari
Residence in the Army Hospitals.
:
Isles.
The City
Island:
I.
— Etna. —Voyage
of Zante
—
— — Zante
Gibraltar.
to the Ionian Isles.
Sardinia. ;
:
Cephalonia
:
of the Ionian
Description
State of Society.
Page
.
CHAP.
—
Isles.
i
II.
— Greek Newspapers. — Garrison Zante. — — Argostoli Population and at
of the Island.
:
Antiquities
:
of Cerigo
Isle
—
Population and
Habits of Society
Modern History
Sicily.
Description of this
Natural History and Commerce of the Isle
:
—
27
CHAP.
III.
— Sirocco Wind. — Ithaca Modern State of — Santa Maura Island and Town Commerce and Antiquities Vathi.
Departure for Albania.
:
:
:
CHAP.
this .
Island. .
— 4^
IV.
— History of Prevesa. — Albanians. — Turks. — Seraglio of Ali of Actium. — Passage up the Gulph of Arta. — Pasha. — Ruins of Nicopohs. — — Albanian Dance. — of Arta 65
Passage to Prevesa.
......
Battle
Plains
Salaora.
CHAP. Arta.
— Commerce of
Khan
the Gulph.
to
Tribe of Migratory
CHAP. Albania.
— General of — Their General
Tribes.
— Mineralogical Remarks. — Shepherds. — Approach loannina;
Cinque Pozzi.
— ...........
of CJcnque Pozzi.
and View of the City
— Route
V.
outline
this
82
VI.
— Origin — Sketch of
Country.
History.
to
and Divisions of the Albanian
the Life and Progress of Ali Pasha.
Extent of his Dominion, Military Power, and Revenues
.
.
.
,
— 97
CONTENTS.
Vlll
CHAP. Great Seraglio of Ali Pasha.
of the City.
Pavilion
Bazars.
Vizier.
Climate.
in
its
— Conversation. — — Mosques. — Population — Lake of loannina. — History
with the Vizier.
First Interview
— of the — — Turkish and Greek 'Women. — — Ruins — Observations on
Description of loannina.
of the City.
—
VII.
Vicinity.
the Site of the Oracle of
Dodona
Page 120
CHAP.
VIII.
— Their Commercial — — Academies of — Greek — Manner of — Condition of and Domestic the — Person and Dress of Economy. — Literary Characters of loannina. —
Greek Population of loannina.
Habits.
Literature.
Ladies.
Society.
City.
Living,
Physicians.
the Greeks.
— Romaic Language
.
CHAP.
IX.
— General and of Conversation — Further Anecdotes of Character and Habits. — His Character. — — The Feeling towards him from Haram. of
Medical attendance upon Ali Pasha.
Intercourse,
with him.
— The
148
Style
his
judicial
different Classes
Medical attendance upon some of his Turkish Officers
CHAP.
.
his Subjects.
.
.
.
17^;
X.
Thessaly. — Buyrouldi. — — Travelling a Journey — — loannina. Khan — from of Kyra. Valley Departure of River of Arta. Turkey. — Mineralogical Remarks. — Ascent of — of Zagora. — Metzovo. Ridge of Pindus. — View from the Summit. — Geography of the Pindus Chain 200
Preparations
into
for
Tartars.
in
the
the
District
.
.
CHAP. XL
— Progress along the Valley of Salympria. — Kalabaka. — Rocks one of Monasteries a Net. — Antiquity and Monasteries of Meteora. — Ascent — Zarko. — Arrival of Rocks. — Their Mineralogical Characters. —
Descent from Pindus.
the
the
to
in
Trikala.
these
at
Larissa
227
CHAP.
XII.
— The Archbishop Polycarp. — Interview with
Veli Pasha. — His — Excursion over the Plains Tornavo. — Manufactures of Character and History. — General Character of Turkish Towns. — Turkish Tornavo. — Description of
Residence at Larissa.
to
Larissa.
Inhabitants of Larissa
.
.
.
CHAP. Greek Metropolitan Church. ments of Velara.
—
.
.
.
.
.
.
256
XIII.
Political Sentiments of the Greeks.
— Another
.
Interview with Veli Pasha.
round Larissa, and on the Population of Thessaly
— Character and Attain-
— Remarks
on the Plains 271
1
CONTENTS.
IX
CHAP. XIV.
— Amphilochia. — Vale of Tempe. — Shores of the Archipe— Platomana. — Mount Olympus. — Katrina. — Field of Battle Pydna. — Salonica Page 283 Leuterochori. — Passage over the Gulph
Departure from Larissa.
at
lago.
to
.
.
.
CHAP. XV.
— Mosques of — History and description of the — — Demetrius. Antiquities of Population and Character Sophia and — German Residents. — Commerce of the — Sketch of the Overland of Germany. — Ishmael Bey of Seres Trade
Salonica.
— English Consul
here.
city.
Salonica.
St.
Sta.
Place.
Society.
to
.
.
.
.
.
3
.
1
CHAP. XVI. Departure from Salonica by Sea to Zeitun. Isles
of Chilidromi
Skiathos.
—
—
Trikeri.
and
Pirates
Archipelago. —
ot Volo.
Passage up the Gulph of Zeitun.
— Skopelos. —
and dangerous Voyage.
— of the — Country round the — View of Thermopylae
Sarakino.
— Gulph
— Protracted
Mount
Skirts of .
.
Pelion.
333
.
CHAP. XVII. Stelida.
of
—
— Pass — Journey through the Southern Part of Thessaly — Field of — Arrival — Interview with Veli Pasha. Zeitun. — Dangerous Passage over the Chain of Othrys 354
Zeitun.
Thomoko.
— Return
to Larissa.
Pharsalia.
to
at Larissa.
.
CHAP.
.
XVIII.
the Pass of Thermopylae. — Description of the Pass, From Zeitun reference — Leuterochori. — Valley of Ancient History. — Ascent the Chain of Q Cephissus. — Passage over the Chain of Mountains Salona — View from the Sum— Mineralogical Remarks. 74 to
to
in
to
2 ta.
to
mit.
.
.
its
th,e
.
.
....
3
CHAP. XIX. and Attica Athens. — Delphi. — — — Triodon. — Cheronoea. Helicon. — Marsh of Copais. — Thebes. — Ruins — of Thespia. — — Chain of — Via of Leuctra, and
Journey through the Ancient Phocis, Boeotia,
to
Livadia.
Fields
Athens
.
.
......... Cithoeron.
Platea.
Sacra.
391
CHAP. XX.
— General
— Memorials of Antiquity. — Scenery — Climate. — Character of the Population. — Marathon. — — — Mineralogical Remarks. — Departure the Peloponnesus. — — — Megara. — Corinth. — Nemea. — Mycenae. — Argos. — — Passage Zante 408
Athens.
around
the
Character of the Place.
Its
City.
Pentelicus.
Eleusis.
for
Calavrita.
Tripolitza.
Patras.
“
to
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
CONTENTS.
X
CHAP. XXL Departure on a second Voyage into Albania. Ali Pasha. Ali Pasha Suli.
— Narrative of an among
the Ruins of Nicopolis.
— Luro. — Entrance among
Ali Pasha with the Suliotes
— Landing
at Prevesa.
— Interview
with
—
Excursion to the upper part of the Gulph of Arta.
— Departure
for loannina
— Seraglio
by the Route of
.......
the Suli Mountains.
.
of Suli.
— War
of
Page 435
CHAP. XXII.
— Aia-Glyky. — Paramithia. — — Journey down the — — — Palaia-Venetia. Ruins Return River Kalama. Paramithia. — Route loannina loannina. — Ruins near Dramasus. — Residence 455
Departure from
Sullopia.
Suli.
Soulias.
at
to
at
to
.
.
CHAP. XXIII. Departure from loannina for the North of Albania.
—
Zitza.
—
Falls of Glissani.
—
— Lake of Zerovina. — Delvinaki. — Great Valley of the Dero— Libochovo. — Argyro-Kastro. — Gardiki. — Massacre of the Gardikiotes. — Tepeleni. — River Viosa. — Tepeleni. — Yusuf Aga. — Dinner from the Route
Monastery of Sosino. puli.
to
Haram.
............
475
CHAP. XXIV.
— Lopesi. — Lunetzi. — Carbonara. — Ruins Gradista. — — Ruins of ApoUonia. — — Loss of Papers. — Monastery of — — — Ancient Oracle Mountains. Pitch Mines of Avlona. Acroceraunian loannina Tepeleni. — Journey of Nymphgeum. — Return 501
Departure from Tepeleni.
at
Latin Inscription.
Pollina.
Selenitza.
to
to
.
.
.
CHAP. XXV. Third Residence Zante.
at loannina.
— Conclusion
.
— Interviews with Ali Pasha. — Departure .
.
.......
for Prevesa
and
526
THE PLATES.
LIST OF Map
.......
to face the Title Page.
loannina from the North,
Mosque of Metzovo
the fortress of loannina .
.
.
.
.
.
Mount
Tempe Suli
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Vale of the Peneus, from Meteora
Monastery of Meteora.
.
facing page
,
.
.
.... .
.
.
.... .............. ......... ...... ......... Thessaly
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ossa, from the Banks of the Peneus, at Larissa
Mountains from Aia-Glyky
Seraglio of Suli
.
.
Castle of Argyro-Kastro
Seraglio of Tepeleni
Doric Column of Apollonia
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
95
.130 .212 '235 .239 284 291
447
-451 .488
.
496
*5*3
227
(
CHAP. DESCENT FROM PINDUS.
)
XI.
PROGRESS ALONG THE VALLEY OF THE SALYMPRIA.
ASCENT TO ONE OF BOCKS AND MONASTERIES OF METEORA. THEIR MINEANTIQUITY OF THESE ROCKS. THE MONASTERIES IN A NET. TRIKALA. ZARKO. ARRIVAL AT LARISSA. KALOGICAL CHARACTERS.
KALABAKA.
H
aving
enjoyed for some time the magnificent view from the
summit of Pindus, we began our descent towards the valley of On this side of the the Salympria, or Peneus, which lies at its feet. ridge the declivity is more gradual, formed by successive shelves of mountain, the more elevated of which are covered with pines, those lower
down with
beeches, plane trees, &c.
At a
short distance below
the summit, the road passes a solitary building, called the Zygo-
Khan,
or
Khan
of the Ridge, sheltered in some degree from the incle-
by the woods which surround it. In descending as well as in ascending the mountain, we met numerous cavalcades of horses, some of them attended by Tartars, others by Albanian mencies of
soldiers
Albania.
its
situation
or peasants,
pursuing their journey from Thessaly into
The number of horses we
passed in the course of our day’s
journey might probably exceed four hundred
them loaded with grain
;
the greater part of
or cotton from the plains of Thessaly, or with
same country. This overcarried on with great regularity, and forms one method
coarse woollen cloths manufactured in the
land
traffic is
by which the people of Thessaly dispose of the exuberant produce of their fertile country.
Having descended two hours by a winding path, through woods and along the ridges of the mountain, we arrived at the Khan of Malakassi, situated near the confluence of the two streams which unite to form the Salympria, and probably at no great distance from C
(J^
VALLEY OF THE SALYMPRIA.
228 tlie
site
Just above the
of the ancient ^giniuin.
Khan
a singular
insulated peak of serpentine rises abruptly from the surface, having
the
same
vitreous aspect as the rocks near the
so remarkably bi’oken
and rugged
of obsidian in the Lij>ari
as to resemble
On
Isles.
summit of Pindus, and one of the streams
the steep ascent of a
mountain
above the northern branch of the Salympria, stands the town of Malakassi ; the buildings of which, probably about 500 in number, are scattered over a wide surface, and interspersed with trees like
The population is Wallachian; and occupied chiedy as shepherds among the neighbouring mountains, or in the At the Khan we stopped a culture of the valley below the town. short time, while the Tartar, and our other companions, made their Even when travelling, these people seldom eat noon-day meal.
those of Metzovo.
any thing
11 or
till
12 o’clock; following in this the
common
which makes a cup of coffee the only repast Our of the morning, both to the Turkish and Greek inhabitants. Tartar very scrupulously abstained from wine, and when interrogated habits of the country,
on the subject, simply remarked that he was a good Mussulman, and had nothing to do with it.
The valley of Salympria became each moment more interesting, The scenery is on a as we continued our journey down the river. The mountains large scale, but without any harshness of feature. forming the boundary of the valley,
rise to
a great height, but for
the most part they are richly wooded, occasionally even to their
summits.
much
The
is
covered with a profusion of foliage,
of it being that of the plane-tree, which
in its growth, river
valley itself
is
and takes a rich autumnal
occasionally confined
spread out into a wide bed
groupe of
trees, or
;
is
extremely luxuriant
The channel of the clifi’s, but more generally
tint.
by precipitous
or diverging so as to inclose an insulated
an island
thicket, the effect of which, in this
situation, is highly picturesque
and
pleasing.
During the
floods of
winter, the breadth of the river, thus divided into various channels,
must often exceed a quarter of a mile scarcely occupied a tenth part of
its
;
bed
but at this time the stream ;
and we shortened our route
VALLEY OF THE SALYMPRIA.
229
by traversing its gravelly bottom, among the waterAt the worn fragments of a rock, which mark its Winters’s course.
in
many
places,
distance of three hours journey from Malakassi,
we
arrived at a
Khan
situated on the right bank of the Salympria, and two or three miles beyond this place crossed the valley of a considerable river, de-
The
scending into the Salympria from the west. Klinovo,
I
believe
to
be situated
in this
valley,
descendants of the Wallachian tribes of Pindus with the people of
many
town of inhabited by
large
as
;
is
the case also
of the villages in the upper part of the
course of the Aspropotamo.
The mountains here
increase in height,
presenting broad and precipitous fronts on each side of die valley,
and
still
Looking upwards along the distance some of the central
luxuriantly covered with wood.
the course of this river,
we saw
in
heights of the Pindus chain, deeply covered with snow. is
probably at no great distance from the Aspropotamo
tains just
mentioned forming a barrier between the
;
Its
source
the
moun-
latter river
and
the valley of the Salympria.
The country through which we had been passing, from the ridge of Pindus to this place, was that called by the antients, Athamania; the people of which district occasionally bore an important part in the wars between the
Of Argithea,
(which
is
Romans and
the later kings of
Macedon *.
described as the principal place in Athamania,)
of Heraclea, Tetraphylia, and the other towns in this region, I not aware that any vestiges
now remain
am
except, doubtless, those
;
rocky fortresses of nature, which enabled the Athamanes to rescue themselves from slavery, and successfully to oppose the efforts of Philip again to reduce them to obedience.
Neither can I assign
with certainty the situation of Gomphi, a city which was repeatedly the subject of contest in the wars just alluded to
Caesar took by scaling the walls,
*
and which Julius when marching from Epirus into
Strabo, indeed, seems to consider the Athamanes, as
Stephanus speaks of Athamania as a country of
Illyria
;
;
among
the Epirote tribes, and
but this diversity
plained by the circumstances mentioned in the foregoing chapter.
is
easily ex-
ROUTE TO KALABAKA.
2S0
Thessaly, before the battle of Pliarsalia *
there
;
is
reason to believe,
was on the right bank of the Peneus, and probably not very far distant from the confluence of the river descending from Klinovo. I do not find in the ancient writers any distinct reference
however, that
it
The
to the latter stream.
by Strabo, as flowing into be rather the most northerly of the two
the Peneus, appears to
Ion, mentioned
branches which were before mentioned, as uniting near the
Malakassi to form idea
though
;
it
must be
M.
SalympriaT-
the
the
banks of the
river of
proposed to pass the night, road in
of the
this part
this
extremely obscure, owing to the defi-
is
ciency of modern information respecting
Prom
adopts
of
that his delineation of this part
reinai ked,
of the Grecian continent
d’Anville
Khan
is
its
Klinovo
to
geography.
Kalabaka, where we
a distance of about
way
is
The
five miles.
extremely good, but not entirely
without danger from robbers, who, availing themselves of the woods
which
banks of the Salympria, occasionally interrupt the
line the
traveller
in
route.
his
In one spot, where a range of woody
eminences comes down to the
river,
our Tartar urged us forwards on
a hard trot for nearly two miles, this place being particularly the
and the time of the day favourable to any A Khan, which was pointed out to us by the enterprize against us. road side, half destroyed by fire, bore a melancholy testimony to the
resort of
a banditti
;
manner in which these ravages are committed. The strong arm of Ali Pasha is probably less effective on this side of Pindus but ;
nevertheless,
under
his
desperate, that plunder
* Hist, Bell. Civil, calls
those
it,
government, the situation of banditti
and death most generally go
Caesar,
lib. iii.
who gave up Gomphi
oppidum plenum atque opulentum, and describes
coming from Epfrus.
was situated in that t Strabo
district of
(lib. vii.)
Ion
c.
41
.
to
together.
be sacked by his
as the first
and
lib.
so
town
xxxviii.
soldiers,
in Thessaly to
Gomphi
c. 2.
Thessaly, called Estiaeotis.
speaks of .dSginium as near the river Ion, and elsewhere mentions
the same place as being inferred, that the
See also Liv. hb. xxxi.
it
is
is
o/x,ogov Tu/x.<^«»«v,
adjoining the Tymphaei; from which
one of the two branches forming the Peneus.
it
may be
SOCKS AND MQNASTERIES OF METEORA.
Long
before
we reached
the
town of Kalabaka, our
231 attention
was
engaged by the distant view of the extraordinary rocks of the Meteora, which give to the vicinity of this place, a character perfectly unique to the eye,
and not
less
remarkable in the reality of the scene.
These
rocks are seen from a great distance in descending the valley of the
Salympria; but of the
river,
it
was not
we had forded over to the left bank above Kalabaka, that we became aware
until
a short distance
of all the singularity of their situation and character.
On
this side
of the Salympria, and about a mile distant from the river, they rise
from the comparatively lated masses, cones,
flat
and
surface of the valley
pillars
most part so perpendicular in
;
a groupe of insu-
of rock, of great height, and for the their ascent, that
each one of
their
formed rather by the art of man, than by the more varied and irregular workings of nature. In the deep and winding recesses which form the intervals
numerous
fronts seems to the eye as a vast wall,
between these
lofty pinnacles, the thick foliage of trees gives
a shade
and colouring, which, while they enhance the contrast, do not diminish the effect of the great masses of naked rock impending When we approached this spot, the evening was already above. far advanced, but the setting sun still threw a gleam of light on the summits of these rocky pyramids, and shewed us the outline of several Greek monasteries in this extraordinary situation, and seemFor ing as if entirely separated from the reach of the world below. the
moment
the delusion might have been extended to the moral
character of these institutions, and the fancy might have framed to itself
a purer form of religion amidst this insulated magnificence of
than when contaminated
nature,
admixture.
Ho-w completely
reference to the present ficiently to prove.
in the rocks of
history of monastic worship, suf-
light
religion.
is
seen
of thqjun lingering on their
monuments of mingled vanity and super-
which have arisen from the devices of
mistaken
a hasty
splendour of nature alone, which
Meteora; and the
heights, shews only those stition,
this is delusion, it requires but
and past
It is the
by a worldly intercourse and
selfish policy,
or of
KALABAKA..
232
The
small town of Kalabaka*, containing about
situated immediately
below the
loftiest
200 houses,
is
of these singular pinnacles
of rock, which seems absolutely to impend over the place and its The largest building in the town, and the only one of inhabitants. tolerable appearance,
we
is
a house belonging to Veli Pasha.
who
could not obtain admittance, but our Tartar,
Into this
galloped for-
wards from the pass where there had been apprehension of robbers, proeured an apartment for us in the habitation of a Greek family^
which appeared to be among the best in the place. Nevertheless our accommodation was simply that of bare walls and flooring, a small oil-lamp, and a wood fire on the hearth, which, as there was no chimney, soon filled the room with a cloud of smoke. Our hosts, as usual, were curious in their observation of us, and assembled Soon after many of their neighbours to partake in the spectacle. our arrival, a young Greek came in, who announced himself as a grammatikos, or secretary of Veli Pasha, and offered his services to us in any way that we might choose to accept them. We in consequence began to interrogate him respecting the rocks and monasteries of Meteora, as the object which then chiefly engaged our attention.
The names of
the different convents,
and the number of
monks inhabiting them, he gave us with much minuteness but when we asked the period of their erection, and were told by our grammatikos that it was coeval with the creation of the worldj we desisted from further enquiry, and commissioned him to buy eggs ;
and milk
The
for
our supper.
Ex
nitido fit rusticus.
following morning was occupied in a very interesting ex-
cursion to these rocks and monasteries, which
may
unquestionably
be regarded as a spectacle of an extraordinary and magnificent kind. The groupe of rocks of Meteora is almost entirely insulated from the adjoining hills, and
*
The Romaic name
many
of
its
of this place
parts are completely so. It
is
said to be Stagus, or Stagi
corresponds with the Stages mentioned by the Byzantine writers. Hist.
lib. ii.
;
is
and
irregular
it
therefore
See loan. Cantacuz.
ROCKS OF METEORA.
233
and extent but generally speaking, the exterior line of the roeks may be said to form two sides of a triangle the angular point, which is the highest, opposed to the south-east, and rising immediately in form
;
;
behind Kalabaka stretch
the base of the triangle being the
;
hills,
which
into the country, from the valley of the Salympria.
backwards
The extent of each side of this supposed figure may be somewhat more than two miles, though from the irregularity of the outline, it is difficult to speak of this with any precision. The point above Kalabaka, the summit of which is an irregular cone, cannot be less than from four to five hundred feet in height.
town
dicular plane of rock, so uniform in surface, that cially
formed
the side of the
apparently to two-thirds of this height, by a perpen-
rises
it
On
on the opposite
:
side,
it
seems as
if artifi-
the base of the rock falls even
within the perpendicular line, and there
same singular uniformity of surface. The pinnacle is clothed with some brush-wood, but it is perfectly inaccessible from any point of approach. The most striking part of the scenery of Meteora is that to the north-west of this elevated point, and within the area of the supposed Following, for more than a mile, a narrow path, which triangle. conducted us below its precipitous front, and amidst other insulated masses of
less
considerable height,
we
the
is
entered one of the deep vallies
or recesses, which lead to the interior of the groupe, and continued
our progress along
which occupies
it,
by a gradual ascent through the
this intervening space.
lofty pinnacles of
On
forest of
wood
each side of us were
rock of the most extraordinary kind, some of them
and very small form, and actually
entirely conical, others single pillars of great height,
diameter; other masses very nearly rhomboidal in inclining over their base
with perpendicular sides,
;
others again perfect squares or oblongs,
and
level
summits.
Nor by
the term
It is the mere fragments of rock to be understood. original mountain which is cleft and divided in this wonderful manner by what agency it might be difficult to determine, but perhaps by the conjoint operation of earthquakes, and of that pro-
masses, are
;
gressive decay
and
detritus,
which proceed so perpetually and so
extensively over the face of the globe.
H H
The
height of these insulated
MONASTERIES OF METEORA,
234 rocks
various.
is
The
greater
number
rise
more than
a
hundred
feet
from the level ol the valley of the Salympria several reach the height of two and three hundred feet; and that of which I have already spoken, above Kalabaka, appears to exceed four hundred ;
feet in height.
The Greek monasteries of Meteora
are variously situated, either on
the summits of these j)innacles, or in caverns, which nature and ait
have united to form in parts of the rock, that seem inapproachable by Their situation, indeed, is more extraordinary than the foot of man.
Four of
can be understood from description alone.
the monasteries
whole summit of the insulated rocks on which a perpendicular precipice descending from every side they stand of the buildings into the deep-wooded hollows, which intervene actually
occupy
the
;
between the heights. The only access to these aerial pi isons is by ropes, or by ladders fixed firmly to the rock, in those places where and these ladders, in its surface affords any points of suspension ;
some
instances, connected with artificial subterranean tunnels,
give a passage of easier ascent to the buildings above. tery called
by
distinction, the Meteora,
number, stands accessible
in
method.
It is situated
on a narrow rectangular
limited in extent, that the walls
pillar
of rock,
summit of which is so of the monastery seem on every ;
same plane of elevation
The monks whom
is
more extraordinary is the on the left hand of the approach
apparently about 120 feet in height
the rock.
the largest of the
Still
position of another of these liuildings,
side to have the
is
the remarkable situation just described, and
only in this
to the former.
which
which The monas-
the
as the perpendicular faces of
vanity or superstition
condemned
to
an
might once perhaps have obtained something of that fame, which Simeon Stylites purchased for himself by a similar,
abode yet
*
in this place,
more exalted degree of
religious inflictions*: but these days
Simeon
name from
Stylites obtained his
mountain in Syria, of the height of sixty
feet;
a pillar, which he himself erected on a
on the summit of wliich he
continued during years, as an act of religious devotion thus long been the scene of his pious
folly.
and
;
is
said to
have
expiring on the spot which had
4
MONASTERIES OF METEORA.
235
opinions are gone by, and the wretched devotee of Meteora
procures
more than
little
the pity or contempt of the world,
down from
now upon
and comfortless dwelling. The number of monasteries at Meteora is said to have been formerly twenty-four but at present, owing partly to the wearing away of the rocks on which they stood, parti to the decay of the buildings themselves, only ten of these remain, of which the following are Meteora or Meteoron, Aios Stephanos, Barlaam, Aia inhabited Triad a, Aios Nicholas, Rosaria, and Aia Mone. Aios Stephanos, which we visited, is among the most extraordinary of the number its height is upwards of 180 feet. To arrive at the foot of the, pinnacle on which it stands, we proceeded up the recess among the rocks by a steep and rugged path, winding underneath the foliage of the which he looks
his solitary
;
:
—
ancient trees which spread their roots
from the rocks above. variety of the scenery route.
closes
It
is
among
the vast masses detached
impossible to describe the character and
which meets the eye
at
every
moment
Each turning of the path, each opening in the foliage, disa new picture, formed by the singular grouping of these
insulated peaks,
by the outline of the
summits, by the forest of
different monasteries
wood underneath, and by
me
particularly, one in which, looking
on
their
the occasional
breaks which give the more distant landscape to the view. struck
in this
Two points
back upon the broad
and luxuriant valley of the Salympria, and the noble mountainscenery on the opposite side of this river, you have this landscape bounded to the eye on each side by the precipitous fronts of the Meteora rocks the other, where the path conducts you through a defile, not more than twenty or thirty yards in width, between two rocks, each probably more than 300 feet in height, the intervening space filled up by trees and vast detached fragments. On the summit of one of these rocks stands the monastery, to which it was our The greater monastery of Meteora is not more intention to ascend. than a mile distant from it but this had already been visited by ;
;
other travellers,
and
it
was desirable
curious establishments.
H H 2
to ejftend the survey of these
;
;
ASCENT TO A MONASTERY
236
A NET
IN
we wound round the came to the foot of a
Passing through the ravine just mentioned, base of the rock, gradually ascending
till
w'e
and looking up saw the buildings of the A small wooden shed monastery immediately above our heads. projected beyond the plane of the cliff', from which a rope, passing perpendicular line of
cliff’,
over a pulley at the top, descended to the foot of the rock. Our Tartar shouted loudly to a man wdio looked down from above, ordering
him
to receive us into the
monastery
;
but at this time the
monks were engaged in their chapel, and it was ten minutes before we could receive an answer to his order, and our reiyucst. At length we saw a thicker rope coming down from the pulleys and attached to the end of it a small rope net, which, we found, was intended for our conveyance to this aerial habitation. The net reached the ground our Tartar, and a peasant whom we had w ith us from Kalabaka, spread
my
it
open, covered the lower part with an Albanese capote, and
friend
and
I seated ourselves
upon
this slender vehicle.
As we
began to ascend, our weight drew close the upper aperture of the net, and we lay crouching together, scarcely able, and little willing, to stir We rose with considerable rapidity and the either hand or foot. projection of the shed and pulley beyond the line of the cliff was ;
sufficient to secure us against injury
from striking upon the rock. that was formidable, and the
Yet the ascent had something in it impression it made was very different from that of the descent into a mine, where the depth is not seen, and the sides of the shaft give a Here we w'ere absolutely sort of seeming security against danger. suspended in the
air,
our only support was the thin cordage of a net,
and we were even ignorant of the machinery, whether secure or not, which was thus drawing us rapidly upwards. We finished the ascent, however, which is 156 feet, in safety, and in less than three minutes^'. When opposite the door of the wooden shed, several monks and other people appeared,
*
The
who dragged
passage through the
aii’,
at the
the
net
into the apartment,
monastery of Barlaam,
is
nearly 200
feet.
and.
DESCRIPTION OF
IT.
237
cramped and uncomfortable situation. We found, on looking round us, that these men had been employed in working the windlass, which raised us from the ground and in observing some of their feeble and decayed figures, it was impossible to suppose that the danger of our ascent had been one of appearance alone. Our servant Demetrius, meanwhile, had been making a still more difficult progress upwards, by ladders fixed to the ledges of the rock, conducting to a subterranean passage, which opens out in released us from our
;
the middle of the monastery.
The monks received us-with civility, and we remained with them more than an hour in their extraordinary habitation. - The buildings are spread irregularly over the whole summit of the rock, enclosing two or three small areas they have no splendour, either external or internal, and exhibit but the appearances of wretchedness and decay. Nevertheless the monks conducted us through every one of their dark and dilapidated rooms, and seemed to require a tribute of admiration, which, though little due to the objects for Avhich it was :
sought, might conscientiously be given to the magnificent natural
scenery round and beneath their monastery.
They
led us on one
wooden gallery, supported by beams obliquely fixed in the rock, and projecting beyond the cliff, so as absolutely to impend From tliis gallery we had a noble view over the deep ravine below. of the great roi;k, on which stands the convent of Meteora we saw the same apparatus of ropes and pullies which had raised us to our and observed at the very moment that the present elevated situation monks were drawing up panniers of provisions from some loaded horses which stood at the foot of the clilf. Our hosts led us to an area on the opposite side of their monastery, from which we looked downwards, through a sort of avenue of pinnacles of rock, upon the valley and stream of the Salympria, and saw in the distance the side into a
;
;
snow-covered summits of the Pindus chain. about 300
feet
above the
level of the
This area
ground below
;
is
probably
but a narrow
ledge on this side the monastery, thirty feet lower than the summit of the rock, affords the
means of
cultivating a few vegetables,
and of
DESCRIPTION OF A MONASTERY.
238
collecting rain water for the use of the
We
monks.
were afterwards
conducted into the chapel, a small building, no otherwise remarkable than for those tawdry and tasteless ornaments which are so
common
Greek churches
in the
;
and of which, though now greatlv
decayed, our monks appeared not a
no
proud.
little
I
could observe
which might furnish a proof of the exact time when the monastery was founded and my enquiries after books and manuscripts, though made with some earnestness, and varied in different ways, were answered only by shewing me a few old volumes of Greek homilies, and some other pieces of ecclesiastical writing, which did not appear to have the smallest value. Whether this proceeded from apprehension that we might carry off inscription, or other circumstance,
;
from their really possessing no others, I
their books, or
pretend to say
;
but the
latter is
the
more probable
not
will
supposition*'.
monks, with a few attendants, resident in the monastery when we visited it; all of them miserable in their exterior, and with conceptions as narrow and confined as the rocks on which they live. We asked them if they knew when the convents of Meteora were founded they were totally ignorant of the matter, and could There were only
five
:
“ they are very ancient,’^ an expression
only answer, IloXXa Ts-uXaia.
eTvou,
which was often repeated
to us, in a
Even
manner
that almost savoured of
and almost inaccessible situation has not secured these poor people from plunder and outrage. The proidiotcy.
their insulated
perty belonging to the several monasteries
is
in the vallies below,
* Biornstahl examined the libraries of four of the monasteries, but found nothing that
was of very great importance.
In that of Meteora was a manuscript containing some frag-
ments of Hesiod and Sophocles, but probably of recent date the
New
wanting.
;
also
some manuscripts of
Testament, in which Biornstahl remarks that the text of the three witnesses
is
In the same hbrary he discovered a Codex, with an account of a Jew, in the
time of Justinian,
who
asserted that the
catalogue of the priests of the
saved and carried to Tiberias,
Temple
when
the
name at
of Jesus Christ was to be found in the
Jerusalem; which catalogue,
Temple was
destroyed.
it
is said,
was
In the monastery of
Barlaam are the works of many of the Greek Fathers, and various manuscripts, but none of them possessing any considerable value.
#
.
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T**f
4,,
—
i >
W''.
'
¥'
f.
\
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'
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'
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%
ANTIQUITY OF THE MONASTERIES.
2S9
dthe inhabitants of a small village underneath their rocks supply
The Albanian
to these aerial habitations.
id
ently plundered
tliis
their superiors, or
village
on other
;
and
less
soldiers
have
fre-
depending on the mandate licensed means, occasionally compel either
entrance into the monasteries themselves, the miserable proctors of
which have
little
security against such acts of outrage,
amount of probably varied by his
ey pay annually a certain tribute to Ali Pasha, the
was not able
ich I
but which
to learn,
is
(itrary will.
Before quitting the monastery, 0 their refectory,
ere a repast 3il
the ants
the
monks
a dark room, without a single article of furniture, set
before us, consisting of a dish of
a Turkish dish composed of
;
flour, eggs,
and
oil
;
ricC;
cooked
bread, and
making a hasty meal, and offering a compensation civility we had received, we bade farewell to the solitary of this ex-mundane abode, were a second time slung in the
wine.
1
was
we were conducted by
After
and, after a safe and easy descent of about two minutes, found
,
selves again at the foot of this vast rock,
where our Tartar had
passing the interval in a profound sleep,
;n
fhe plan of our journey did not allow us time to nastery of Meteora, which, however,
previous examination rendered
:
ipts
es
of value exist here.
it
we
should have done, had
almost certain that no manu-
does not appear to be exactly known, and all
at less
when they were
it
is
monas-
perhaps most
founded at the same time, but at
erent periods, and by different persons. at the time
the greater
I'he date of the erection of these
bable that they were not
t
visit
built, the
It is needful to
suppose
rocks must have been some-
abrupt than at present, otherwise
it
is difficult
to conceive
commencing their structure, or even of reaching the ces on which they stand. The Swedish traveller, Biornstahl, visited possibility of
monasteries of Meteora in 1779? and, remaining in this vicinity eral weeks, had the opportunity of examining them more accurately
n has been done by any other es
he
fixes
traveller
The origin of the monas-
with seeming accuracy, either from written documents
THE ROCKS OF METEORA KNOWN TO THE ANCIENTS?
240
or the verbal intormation of their inhabitants
that of Meteora was
:
founded in 1371, by John Palaeologus, one of the Imperial family who took the name of Joasaph the monastery of Barlaam appears :
have been founded in 1536, by Nectarius of loannina, and another Greek called Theophanes; that of Aia Triada in 1476. One of the
to
monasteries in
its
original establishment,
by Maria, the
Palaeologus, was intended for the reception of
women
sister
alone
;
of
John
but this
female population gradually declined, and was replaced by the other sex,
the institution
till
became one
entirely of
monks.
In
this
con-
some women are but the entrance of any
vent, however, as well as in that of Aios Stephanos, still
retained as a part of the household
female
is
rigidly forbidden
by
;
the regulations of Meteora, Barlaam,
and others of these establishments. I do not find any absolute proof that the rocks of Meteora were known to the ancients by the same peculiarities of form which now and it is at least certain that the progress of time distinguish them ;
must have been making perpetual change in
their
appearances
;
yet
there are several allusions in ancient authors which seem to have
Thus Homer,
reference to a place of this character.
in the catalogue
of the Second Book, after mentioning Trikka, vWiich Trikala, a town
only twelve miles further
Meteora, speaks in
the same
line of
down
is
the
modern
the valley
iQufxvi z'ktofjLocKoia-c-a^^
than
an expression
and the more so, as they are the the valley above Trikala. Strabo mentions
perfectly applicable to these rocks, first clifi's
which occur
in
p; and it being evident both from Caesar and Livy, that Metropolis was near Gomphi, and one
Ithome of the
* 01
8’
as in the district of Metropolis
first
towns
in Thessaly,
ei%ov Tgixxr)V, xai
xXwp.axoeco'av.
Iliad,
f Lib.
ix.
coming from Epirus, we
those
to
lib.
ii.
236.
.
Strabo speaks of a temple of Minerva at Ithome ; by which temple flows the
river Curalius, before
it
enters the Peneus,
There
which possibly may be the Curalius here referred
is
to.
a small stream near Kalabaka,
THE ROCKS OF METEORA KNOWN TO THE ANTIENTS
241
?
obtain a farther proof that the locality of Meteora corresponds with that of the
Ithome of Homer.
as a place fortified
Ithome
In the same place Strabo describes
by nature
in
its
rocks and precipices*,
and adds that it lies between the four towns of Trikka, Metropolis, Pelinnaeum, and Gomphi, as in a quadrilateral figure. These several circumstances concur in rendering
probable that the rocks of name, and that they possessed
it
Meteora were anciently known by this even at that remote period something of
their present extraordinary
character.
Livy, in his thirtieth book, describes an unsuccessful attack which Philip of
Macedon made upon Argithea
details of
which description, in some
in
Athamania, the local
respects, very strikingly corre-
spond with the natural features of Meteora T-
If
we may suppose that
Argithea and Metropolis were the same place, (and Livy elsewhere
town of Athamania;) this description would add further to the proof, that Meteora is actually the Ithome Eustathius, in his commentary on the line of Homer and Strabo. calls the former, the principal
of
Homer
already quoted,
gives
a description of the supposed
Ithome, which resembles in every circumstance the modern character
The
modern name,
what is I should have more lofty and elevated, may easily be understood. hesitation in stating the conjecture, that Gomphi may possibly have derived its name from yof^cpog, clams, in allusion to the pillar-like form of some of the rocks of Ithome, which, in the relative situation of the two places, must have been striking objects from the former. The natural history of the Meteora rocks is as interesting to the mineralogist, as their picturesque scenery to the eye of the painter. They aye of Meteora;]:.
*
Xcugiov
f Livy, t
Tottoi
s§a/ji,vov
lib. rj
XVx€uivoy.evag
xai tco ovts xXcofjiixxosv.
signifying
Lib. ix.
xxxviii. c. 2.
M(poi xuTOi rug 'sra.Kouag v^r]Xoi' rqa.ysMi 8e
xuTxxXwtTM rag «XX’
origin of the
8i’
auTwv §otmvr»g'
poKoirleroci
ots rag Tlafkoi'yovug’
Eustatb.
Comm.
oj
Se
rj
Xs^ig
xgoofj^uxcaTag
xcti
stg eri
OTergwSejf ava^atrsif
xou vvv,
ronag, rag
ei xcti
fj,r)
'srerguidsig,
eJtn,
uxgat^vevg, xxi
oo gaov
MINERALOGICAL REMARKS
242
composed
entirely of a conlgomerate, the included fragments of
are for the most part of small size,
among
to
On
to the class of primitive rocks.
sively
belong almost exclu-
examination, I found
these fragments, granite, both with red
mica most of these
slate, chlorite slate,
gneiss, See.
and appear
which
and white
sienite, greenstone,
felspar,
quartz pebbles.
stones shewing the appearance of their having been
water-worn, or otherwise subjected to
attrition.
The
basis of the
conglomerate seems to be merely the same fragments in a more com-
minuted
state; the rock, in
its
general mass, presenting to the eye a
In some of the perpendicular
dark iron-grey shade of colour.
the stratification of the conglomerate
seen in their horizontal layers fication
is
;
very distinctly and beautifully
is
the best specimen of which strati-
probably that in the great precipice behind Kalabaka.
Another curious appearance of
rock occurs in the immediate
this
vicinity of the town, (which itself stands ation,)
rising
cliffs,
upon the conglomerate form-
and elsewhere along the foot of the cliffs; the conglomerate above the surface in a series of low rounded eminences, some
of them
so
perfectly regular in their
form, that they seem like
the segments of great spheres, the masses of which are concealed
below ground. the
The
singularity of this appearance
is
increased
eminences being entirely destitute of vegetation, and by the
striking contrast their outline offers to the abrupt pinnacles rise
by
immediately above them.
time they
may have
It is
which
some former masses of rock, which
possible that at
been the basis of similar
have been worn away in the progress of intervening ages.
The summit peak of
the rock behind Kalabaka, which I have
already mentioned as the highest point of Meteora,
is
apparentl3J^
composed of some other material than the conglomerate just described a circumstance which its position and form render obvious to the eye, even without the possibility of approach to this insulated pinnacle. Examining its appearances as minutely as was possible in so distant a view, I was led to think it probable that it might be one ;
of the trap-rocks
some
;
a surmise which,
interesting views
on the subject
if well ;
founded, would afford
but which
is
obviously doubt-
V
UPON THE ROCKS OF METEORA. ful
from the circumstances under which
observe any similar appearance
but
was made.
my
which escaped
I did not
the other rocks of Meteora
possible that other vestiges of this formation
it is
Upon
among
it
^^3
may
occur,
notice.
the origin of the conglomerate which forms the basis of the
Meteora rocks,
do not venture to speculate with any certainty. The formation appears to be very limited in extent, at least in its I
connection with the valley of the Salympria, as I did not observe any vestiges of
it
either
above or below the situation of Kalabaka.
not improbable, however, that
it
may
the country to the north of the river
It i^
extend further back into
and
had not might possibly have enabled me to ascertain its relation to the limestone, which forms for the most part the immediate boundary of the valley. Whether time to deviate from our route in
the conglomerate was formed
brought
down from
;
I regret that I
this direction, as it
by a deposit of primitive fragments
the higher "mountain-chains, or, according to the
more recent opinion of some mineralogists respecting this class of rocks, was itself actually a chemical precipitate from some fluid menstruum, I cannot pretend to determine, and shall simply observe that The extreme I consider the former opinion the more probable one. regularity of stratification certainly leads to the inference, that the
formation took place below the waters of the sea
we of much
should be conducted
this subject,
to inquiries
;
but in pursuing
which are
still
the
and perplexity to geologists. Fancy might geek to trace some connection between the appearances at Meteora, and the ancient tradition that the sea once covered all the plains of source
Thessaly
;
difference
but the basis of such theory
confidence in
its
is
too obscure to allow
much
speculations.
The nature of the conglomerate of Meteora, a substance extremely liable to detritus and decay, affords some explanation of the peculiar character of the rocks at this place
;
yet
it is
difficult to
conceive how,
without the agency of earthquakes, or other convulsions of nature, they should have taken forms so singularly abrupt and precipitous.
However
this
may have
been,
it
is
certain that the I
I
2
work of decom-
VIEW
5244
position
the
same
The rocks of
in situation, could not
now
those
FRONT OF KALABAKA.
going on.
still
is
IN
Ithonie, though perhaps
have been the same in outline as
present to the eye of the traveller
many
:
of the religious
summits have now disappeared others are rapidly and some centuries hence the monasteries of sinking into decay Meteora may exist but as a name and tradition of past times.
on
edifices
their
;
:
Our
excursion to the Meteora rocks being finished,
we
returned to
Kalabaka, but did not remain there longer than was necessary to prepare for our journey to Trikala, twelve miles further down the
We
valley.
now
observed with more attention the view in front of
Kalabaka, which hitherto we had only imperfectly seen through the Opposite this town, the obscurity of an evening and a morning sky. from the source of the river is irregularly formed by the advancing and retiring hills, expands at once into a wide and valley,
which thus
far
and stretching
beautiful plain, perfectly level,
The view of
south-easterly direction
ground about Kalabaka side
is
a range of
hills,
is
to a vast extent in
a
from the elevated boundary on the north
this plain
very striking.
Its
comparatively of no great elevation
opposite side, the magnificent chain of Pindus
is
still
:
on the
the barrier
;
receding gradually however towards the south, and opposing to the plain a scries of
immense
while
cliffs,
back ground of the landscape. immediately in front of Meteora is richly wooded,
in the is
summits appear at intervals That part of the plain which
its
mulberry
trees
appear only vast district
;
but farther off the trees are
in single clusters is
obvious at the
much
The
on the surface.
first
glance; and
less
it
is
numerous, and fertility
* Livy mentions the xxxii.
c. 14.
why
its
of this
seen at once
the ancient Thessaly should have been wealthy, populous,
of supporting great armies ; and
chiefly with
why
and capable
cavalry, in particular, should
“ fauces angustae quae ab Athamania Thessaliam dirimunt.”
Lib.
This passage may probably allude to the contraction in the valley of the
Peneus near Kalabaka.
I
ROUTE TO TRIKALA. have been celebrated as the
earliest
^45
and best which was employed
in
the warfare of Greece.
We
back upon the front which the rocks of Meteora oppose to the plains below, and saw on this side a more regular outline, formed by a range of perpendicular cliffs, which extend from the lofty pinnacle above Kalabaka to the hills, forming now,
too, looked
The height of these vast
the boundary of the valley of the Salympria. precipices,
which are
composed of the conglomerate rock
entirely
them a magnificent effect. Two monasteries stand upon the summit of the ridge, not so completely insulated as those we had before seen, yet in a situation which might elsewhere be before described, gives
the subject of
Trikala
lies
much astonishment
to the traveller.
in a direction nearly south-east
from Kalabaka. For the
two miles we passed through extensive groves of mulberry-trees, in regular rows, and the intervening spaces chiefly occupied in the
first
set
The
culture of maize.
trees are all pollards,
the food of the silk-worm, which
from
its
made an
for
object of considerable
of Thessaly has obtained some quality, bearing an average price in the country of
attention in this district. celebrity for
The
is
and are cultivated
silk
Of
this
Pindus to loannina;
,the
thirty to forty piastres for the oke, a weight of 24 lbs.
article a considerable quantity
is
sent over
remainder transmitted to Smyrna, to be again exported thence.
The
practice of keeping the mulberry as a dwarf tree for the feeding of
silk-worms
is
very general in Turkey
obtained of taking off the carefully
new
;
a greater
being thereby
facility
The
shoots of each year.
hoed round, and occasionally watered
to
trees are
promote the veget-
ation.
Beyond
the groves of mulberry-trees, the plain
is
very luxuriant in
produce of Indian corn, wheat, barley, and cotton the cultivation of the last increasing as you advance nearer to Trikala
its
much
;
of the land also
were at
this
is
The peasants
occupied as pasture-ground.
time employed in ploughing their
fields
;
a people
stern in their aspect than the Albanians, but preserving similarities in their
costume and manner.
The ploughing
still
is
less
many chiefly
CITY OF TRIKALA.
246
performed by oxen, but in two or three instances
we saw
the buffalo
thus employed, as well as in drawing the small cars, which are the
In the style of ploughing there was
only vehicles of the country. a good deal of neatness
;
though the form of the plough, which has
doubtless descended to these peasants through
many
successive ages,
might now admit of some change and improvement. The city of Trikala, the Trikka of the ancients, is situated on the eastern side of a low ridge of hill, which extends into the plain from its
northern boundary.
Near
ing towards the Salympria,
the extremity of this ridge,
and look-
which flows at some distance
to the
south of the city, stand the ruins of the castle of Trikala, a building
which was probably erected during the period of the Greek emperors, as there are no vestiges about it of a more remote antiquity. The city
is
of very considerable extent, containing more than two thou-
sand houses, and ten or twelve thousand inhabitants. Like many other towns in Turkey, it seems as if situated in a wood, the lofty minarets of seven mosques rising up
among
mosques there are ten Greek churches synagogues.
The
the trees
in the place,
;
besides which
and two Jewish
greater part of the inhabitants are Turks
some of them possessing property in the adjoining plains, others living as dependants upon the former. The number of Greek families in the city amounts to six or seven hundred and a bishop of the Greek church has his residence here, whose diocese extends over the upper part of the plains of Thessaly, and who is subject to the metropolitan see of Larissa. There are two ;
;
small Seraglios in Trikala, one belonging to Mouctar, the other to Veli Pasha, decorated in the usual style of Turkish edifices.
A
Turkish governor resides in the as the
Pasha of the
By
the judicious
city
and
city,
under the appointment of Ali,
district.
management of our Tartar, we obtained a lodging with one of the principal Greek families of the city. The house of our host, loannes Erostonopoli, was well furnished in the style of the country
and he received us with much politeness of manner. According to the oriental custom, our beds were spread on the sofas of ;
GREEK PHYSICIAN OF TRIKALA.
247
a usage very remote from the English feeling of but one which is common with the highest classes in
the sitting-room
comfort,
;
We
had not been long settled in this habitation, when a Greek physician of Trikala came in with the profession of paying His name was Constantine Pacomio a little his respects to us. man, apparently between fifty and sixty, with great civility of manner, still greater loquacity, and a considerable degree of information on subjects, which it may surprize the traveller to hear discussed in an inland town of Turkey. The quickness and vivacity of his questions did not allow him to be long ignorant, that I was of the sarhe profession as himself and he began with much eagerness a train of enquiries, which were continued for more than an hour, with little other remission than that necessary for making replies. He asked whether the system of Cullen or Brown had most preponderance in England whether any changes had been made in the Brunonian doctrine; whether the Zoonomia of Darwin retained its reputation; who were our modern medical authors of celebrity what discoveries Turkey.
;
;
;
;
had recently been made in the theory or practice of medicine Having in some with numerous other questions of similar kind. degree satisfied
this curiosity,
not unnatural in a
man
educated at
an Italian University, and now living in the seclusion of a place like Trikala, I took my turn in seeking from him some local information
upon Thessaly and Albania. and appeared
replies,
to
have much
He
was
in general
ready in his
satisfaction in the novelty of this
accidental intercourse, which he protracted
by staying with us
till
host, Erostonopoli,
from
a
late hour.
The
loquacity of
Pacomio prevented our
taking an equal part in the conversation.
man
He
appeared, however,
and I found in his house a tolerable collection a few of them the antient Greek authors but the greater
a well informed of books
;
number
in the
translation of
;
;
Romaic language.
De
la Caille's Treatise
Among
the latter, I noticed a
on Conic Sections,
in
two octavo
volumes, which appears to be executed with care and accuracy.
‘
248
PLAINS OF TRIKALA.
In the course of the evening
and ascended the
hill
The most
of Trikala.
extraordinary view
The
above
we walked through a
examine the remains of the
to
it,
striking circumstance about this place,
commands of
it
vale of the Salympria, which
south-east,
;
it
the great plains of Thessaly.
down
to
a breadth of
little
less
possible that the eye passes over fifty miles, of a
is
;
for the
most part
affording excellent pasture-land.
Little
landscape, though at intervals in
its
its
the
is
while in a longitudinal direction, from west to east, or
perfectly level surface
seen, with
castle
apparently about ten miles wide,
is
opposite the city, expands further
than twenty
part of the city,
either richly cultivated, or
wood appears
extent, the
in this vast
town or
village
houses irregularly scattered through a groupe of
is
trees.
There are scarcely any inclosures in the plain, the lands being divided chiefly by dykes.
The
greater part of this district
is
dis-
among private proprietors, Greeks as well as Turks; though it seems, that among the former at least, the individual property is as we were told at Trikala, that the Greek progenerally small tributed
;
whose lands were of greatest extent, did not receive more than 2000 dollars of net annual rent. In a country, however, where the government is so despotic, it is difficult
prietor, resident in that place,
for a stranger to obtain information relied on.
We
on these
learnt from the physician
subjects,
which
may
Pacomio, that land
is
be let
on the condition of the tenant paying only a tenth part of the produce, either in kind or value, independently of the other tenth which is paid to the government but this statement in the plains of Trikala,
;
I should very
much
doubt, as in Albania the terms of rent are those
of paying half the value of the produce differences should exist to this amount.
form of
lease
is
;
and
it
is
unlikely that local
It does not
appear that any
regularly granted to the tenants of land in this '
district.
The
on to a great extent in the plains of Trikala and the annual produce of the district is estimated at about 600,000 lbs. The cotton is grown upon a given culture of the cotton-plant ;
is
carried
BAZARS OF TRIKALA. portion of land, only once in four years
;
^9
so that to one proportion
of cotton-land in the occupation of the crdtivator, there are always three otherwise employed. The crop of 1812 had unfortunately
been a very deficient one tons
on the
spot,
is
but the average price of the Trikala cotstated at about thirty paras per lb. Large flocks ;
of sheep feed on these plains during the winter, among which I observed a considerable proportion of the black-woolled kind. The wool, which appears to be only of moderate fineness, portantly
used in
the inanufacture of
blanketing. See. which are so
siderable
number of
very" im-
the coarse woollen cloths,
much employed
parts of the Grecian continent.
is
in Albania,
and other
This manufacture occupies a con-
the inhabitants of Trikala.
The Bazars ofthis city are somewhat picturesque in their appearance. At the height of ten or twelve feet above the pavement, a wooden trellis-work passes over the streets, along intricate branches,
sengers below.
and the people
forming in
which vines weave
summer a complete shade
their
to the pas-
The shops are clean, and tolerably well furnished in them,
who
are chiefly Greeks or Jews, respectable
in their appearance.
At 7
morning of the 19th» Signore Pacomio again and remained with us till our Tartar summoned us to resume our journey. The ancient city of Trikka derived celebrity from a temple of Esculapius, of great antiquity and magnificence and the genius of the place still seemed to be present with Pacomio, whose professional zeal continued to shew itself in o^clock in the
called at our lodging,
;
numerous questions respecting the state of medicine in the western parts of Europe. He and our host partook with us in our breakfast of
tea,
but without evincing the genuine gout for
this
beverage,
Turkey is used only in very small quantity, and this chiefly as a medical means to promote perspiration in slight febrile cases. Before we left Trikala, I was consulted by Erostonopoli upon the case of his Avife, a young woman of tall and striking appearance, which
in
* Strabo calls this temple, «^%«»o'7aTov kkj
K K
MANNERS OF THE TARTAR GUIDE.
250 but
whom
I
found labouring under symptoms decidedly phthisical
in their character,
Her
our own.
I visited
dress
was extremely
a vest with deep gold lacings
massive bosses of
this
silver
;
;
lady in an apartment adjoining rich
;
under the
pelisse she
the zone v/as fastened in front by two
various chains of gold coins
hung from the
neck, and on her head was a chaplet of pearls and gold coins. I entered the
forehead with
when
I
apartment, she kissed it
;
wore
my
When
hand, and then touched her
a ceremony which was repeated in the same way,
Two
rose to quit her.
morning by our host by a consultation upon
this
other patients were brought to
me me
and the physician Pacomio honoured his own case, before our departure from
;
Trikala.
One
of the
many
Lexicons, by which the Romaic has been asso-
by Koma, It com1811.
ciated with the other languages of Europe, was compiled
a native of Trikala; and published at
Moscow
in
and modern Greek languages. We were perplexed by the manners of our Tartar, while we stayed in the house of Erostonopoli. He entered into the room when he chose, and without any ceremony seated himself on the couches drank coffee, smoked his pipe, treated all the Greeks who were present with contemptuous indifference, and shewed every moment, that if he was a servant, he was at least the servant of a Though aware that it was unpleasant to our host, lordly master. we were yet ignorant how far the usage of the country would entitle prizes the Russian, French,
;
In
othei’
we allowed respects we had
reason to be satisfied with the Tartar.
We
found him active
us to repress this seeming impertinence
the matter to pass without
much
in our service, taking
and
an
comment.
interest in
;
and
for the
time
our various objects of enquiry,
and good temper, which often shewed themselves in traits of passing pleasantry. We were amused by his susceptibility to praise in his capacity as a Tartar, and^ by the various methods he took to obtain it from us. Both in this, and gifted with a vivacity
the remaining part of our journey, whenever he had succeeded in
procuring us better lodgings, or better horses than usual, he came
ROUTE TO ZARKO.
251
forward to obtain his tribute of applause, pointed out minutely
and often added in Romaic, and with a tone “ But you don’t think me a good Tartar oh of sly confidence, Much of this desire to obtain our no, I am not a good Tartar.” commendation evidently arose from an anxiety that we should speak well of him to the Vizier; who, as he knew, had desired that we should make a report of his conduct, when he quitted our service. He had a great veneration, as well as the appearance of attachment, for his master and the name of Ali Pasha in his mouth was the loftiest symbol of dignity and power. This man spoke with fluency the Turkish, Romaic, and Albanese languages. His figure and countenance were very striking and connected with the Tartar habit, would have made him a fine subject for a picture. Trikala is twelve hours journey from Larissa; but we did not proceed further on the 19th, than to Zarko, half way between the two cities, and in a direction nearly east from the former. Our route their several merits,
—
:
;
;
Avas
still
along the northern side of the great plain, having the
Salympria
marshy
The
to the south of us.
road, which, except in
situations, has derived little assistance
from
a few
art, is nevertheless
generally good, owing to the nature of the country over which passes.
Almost
all
the habitations in this district are collected into
small toAvns or villages, which the
ancient
name of Choria
very rarely to be seen.
boundary of the in
its
;
and the
windings
;
plain.
still
In our day’s route we passed hills
The Salympria
call
by the
hamlet
is
tAVO or three
of
which form the northern tAvice
approaches the road
here a large and deep stream, but not exhibiting
that clearness of current for
which
name of Peneus
;
banks, which
so remarkable
is
modern Greeks
single cottage or small
sheltered under the
these villages,
it
and
little
it
was celebrated under
its
ancient
of that picturesque character in in
its
its
course from Pindus to the
About twelve miles from Trikala, Ave came to the Khan of Plokovo, Avhere we stopped to make a meal on water-melons and quinces. From the plain in the vicinity of this place, we enjoyed a noble view of Mount Olympus, which we now saw for the first plains.
K K 2
ROUTE TO ZARKO-
252
time since quitting the heights of Pindus a vast and lofty groupe of mountains where the gods might well be supposed to hold their divan. :
From rated
this
point of view
we observed
by great hollows of the mountain,
extent of elevated heights
of the intervening
level
several distinct summits, sepa-
The
winter.
all
hills
of these which appeared above the
covered at
general direction of
On
north-east.
;
the opposite side
nificent chain of
so as to form a considerable
this
time with the snows of
Olympus from this point of the plain, we still saw
nearly
is
the mag*-
Pindus receding towards the south, and forming
in
course some lofty summits called Goura, situated, as I conjecture,
its
near the source of the river Hellada, the Sperchius of antiquity.*
Near Plokovo we approached the front of the hills Avhich form the northern boundary of the plain, and which rise by a gradual ascent towards the north. The rock here is a white compact limestone, like At the foot of one of these limestone hills, not far that of Albania. from the village of Chigoti, a large stream breaks out suddenly from under the cliffs, and flows into the Salympria, a phenomenon which is
frequent in every part of Greece, and in other countries where
limestone forms the prevailing feature. in a recess
from the plains, among the
At Zarko, which same range of hills,
is
situated
the rock
is
likewise of limestone, but the houses and walls at this place are built in great
measure of primitive
slate rocks, chiefly gneiss
and micaceous
and numerous fragments of similar kind appear on the surThere can be little doubt but that the hills face in this vicinity. further removed from the plain, and stretching in a direction towards schistus
;
Olympus, are composed of these primitive roeks an opinion which receives some confirmation from the general character of their out;
corresponding with that
line,
*
These summits probably belong
f
On
common to the
to the slate formation .p
Mount Tymphrestus mentioned by
the northern side of the plain between Trikala and Zarko were probably situated
the ancient towns of Pelinnaeum and Pharycadon
;
the latter furthest to the
mentions both these places as being on the northern side of the Peneus. of the range of hill which contracts the valley opposite Zarko, are ruins
;
Strabo,
but as
1
On
east.
Strabo
the extremity
some inconsiderable
judge, from a distant view of them, of more modern date.
VILLAGE OF ZARKQ.
253
a small place, containing about 500 people, who, as well as the inhabitants of all the neighbouring villages, are chiefly employed in the cultivation of cotton, and in tending their flocks
Zarko
is
Our Tartar procured
of sheep.
us a lodging in the house of the
Greek of the town, a bearded and venerable old man, who The change of the peasantry in received us with great hospitality. this part of Thessaly from those in Albania is very distinctly marked. There is something much less ferocious in the aspect and, in the manner, more of the civility and courtesy of life. Almost universally they principal
;
salute
you on the road with the phrase of 'KaXw?
hand
raised to
The Albanese
the breast.
o^i^ere,
soldier
and with the
or peasant, in
passing, often allows the end of his long fusil to strike against
the peasant of this country
way, and apologizes
is
careful not to
you incommode you on the
any accidental inconvenience he may afford. The dress, too, is now The red Albanian cap is men generally seldom seen but the wear a coloured or white handtimes round the head kerchief, folded two or three the children, a for
materially changed.
;
;
Coarse white cotton and woollen stuffs both of the male and female dresses. are the principal material, In the vicinity of Zarko, as well as of Trikala, I observed a great cotton cap, coloured in stripes.
quantity of the datura
str ammonium.
When
at the
latter place,
I
explained to the physician Pacomio the medical value of this plant in certain asthmatic cases; and he expressed his intention of employing
it
On which
on the
occasion which might occur.
first
we continued our journey to Larissa, twenty miles distant. Near Zarko the immediate
the morning of the 20th, is
eighteen or
valley of the river
is
contracted by a range of low
w'hich traverse a part of the great plain.
bills
of limestone,
This contracted part of
more rugged in its character, and chiefly occupied as At Kutzuchuro, seven miles from Zarko, we crossed pasture land. the valley
is
over to the south side of the Salympria in a large horse-boat.
The
and apparently deep but its banks are flat and uninteresting. A few miles beyond this place the character of the scenery is changed ; and the Salympria, river here
is
fift^
or sixty yards in width,
;
DISTANT VIEW OF LARISSA.
254 quiting
contracted valley
its
among
these
enters another vast
hills,
tract of level plain, connected, indeed, further to the south with that
ofTrikala, but seen from this point as a distinct surface of country
of
;
bounded
Olympus
;
by the mountains which rise into the heights eastern side by Mount Ossa and the chain of hills
to the north
on
its
which extend southwards
The
to the ancient Pel ion.
portion of the plain of Thessaly, from north to south, fifty
miles
;
in the
ancient division of the country,
distinction Thessaliotis,
or Thessaly Proper.
it
extent of this
is
not
less
than
was called by
Entering
it
on the
western side, the Salympria flows through a narrow belt of wooded
land
;
trees.
but the remainder of the plain Its,
surface
rounding Trikala ridges,
;
is
is
for the
most pait naked of
not so uniformly level as that of the country sur-
rising to
the south of the river into successive
which are not however
sufficiently elevated
to
change the
whole extent gives to the eye an aspect of richness and cultivation, which accords well with the real
general character of the plain.
Its
character of the landscape.
A
striking feature in this plain
is
the city of Larissa, situated on a
gently rising ground on the south side of the Salympria, and giving
magnificence to the distant view from the minarets of twenty-four
mosques which ornament the place. Larissa, or Yeniseri as the Turks term it, was one of the most considerable and wealthy cities of ancient Thessaly, and at the present time
is
considered the capital of
and forms the residence of the provincial government. Our Tartar had gone forwards from Kutzuchuro to apprize Veli Pasha of our arrival in the neighbourhood and about two miles from the city we met him returning to us, accompanied by a physician of the Pasha^s, by two Zantiotes, likewise medical practitioners Signore Teriano, the phyin Larissa, and by three or four soldiers. sician, introduced himself to us and with a profusion of civil phrases, spoken in all the range of Italian superlative, told us that he had been commissioned by the Vizier, Veli Pasha, to compliment our
the province,
;
;
and to conduct us to the house of the Archbishop of Larissa, where accommodations had been ordered to be provided for us.
arrival,
ARRIVAL AT LARISSA.
U nder the escort of this gentleman
and
His
255 companions we entered
and proceeded to the metropolitan palace, if such may bt; termed an old and irregular building, on an eminence overhanging the Peneus, without any other splendour than that of situation alone, and with an access singularly mean and forbidding. We found the interior of the building, however, much more comfortable than this the city,
and we were w^elcomed a manner so courteous and
exterior foreboded
Archbishop, in
;
to his habitation
attentive, that
not but augur well of our abode in the city of Larissa.
we
by the could
