island of Candia, and the Archipelago. Under
the Turks it was divided into four pachalics, viz.
Salonica, Joannina, Egropos or Negropont, and
Tripolizza.

It will be proper, before we speak of modern or
Independent Greece, first to describe the whole of
the country in Europe inhabited by the descendants
of the ancient Greeks. This region is a sort of
peninsula lying between the Archipelago and the
Ionian sea.’ its northern boundary is rather
indefinite.

Pindus, now Metzova, is probably the nucleus
of the mountains in the Greek peninsula; its
rocks, forests and poetic fountains have of late
given rise to many interesting observations, but
its elevation is still unknown. The numerous val-
lies on its sides are covered with trees ; snow falls
generally during the month of October on all its
summits, and two of them, Dokimi and Peristera,
are covered with snow almost the whole year;
their height may be vaguely estimated at eight or
nine thousand feet. The mountains of Epirus ex-
tend to the shores of the sea ; Thessaly is encom-
passed with hills, and forms an amphitheatre on
which seventy-five towns were in ancient times
built.

Olyrnpus or the modern Lacha is not, according
to Xenagoras, more than 5,760 feet; according
to Bernouilii it is 6,120 high ; its rugged and pre-
cipitous rocks give it a picturesque and sublime
appearance ; the pass of Platamona on the north
of Olvmous. is encompassed with perpendicular
rocks, that rise to the height of 3,000 feet; the fa-
mous pass of Thermopylxc2xae is not so imposing, bnt
neither can vie with the one in the ancient Meg-
aris, between the Scironion rocks and the Salon-
ic gulf. Dark and steep rocks hang above the sea,
the waves resound beneath their base, the travel-
ler walks along a narrow path near these precipi-
ces, and appears suspended between the ocean and
the sky.

The erect and steep summits of the ancient
Parnassus or the present Liakoura are very lofty,
but although they hare been seen by many trav-
ellers, they have been measured by none. The
middle districts of the Peloponnesus form an ele-
vated ridge, and several mountainous groups arise
from it; of these Culmos or the ancient Cyllene
is said to be the highest central point, and Cape
Matapan or the ancient Trenarus, which extends
farthest to the south, forms the southern extremi-
ty of the European continent.

The coasts of Albania descend gradually towards
the gulf of Drino, and rise suddenly near the en-
trance of the Adriatic. Rocks are heaped above
rocks, their summits reach to the clouds, their
sides are rent by lightning, the sea which wash-
es them is always tempestuous, and the shores
are covered with the wrecks of vessels. Such
are the Acroceraunian mountains, so much dread-
ed by the ancients; they are now better known
f by the name of the Monte de Chimera.

The coasts of the Ionian islands are for the most
part very steep, the calcareous rocks of Leucade
rise from the bottom of a deep and stormy sea;
they were the canse of much alarm to mariners
in the time of .Eneas and Ulysses, they are con-
sidered dangerous even in the present day.

The island of Candia or Crete is supposed to
be a continuation of the mountainous districts
which extend along Greece and the Peloponne-
sus, and the Cyclades are said to be the scattered
fragments of two small chains, the one of which
extends from Athens, the other from Euboea;

thus, as we remove from Hemus, the range be*
comes gradually irregular, or terminates in de
tached hills and abrupt rocks; the marks of those
changes and revolutions which have altered the
surface of our globe are apparent in the south of
Greece.

It has been maintained that there are some ve-
ry high mountains in the Archipelago, a learned
Greek physician declares that the summits of the
mountains in the island of Andros are covered all
the year with snow. If that statement were cor
rect, it might be concluded that the most elevated
points in the whole of Greece are situated in that
island; philosophers might expect to find there
the remains of an immense volcano, an Etna that
has been extinguished for ages. So extraordina-
ry a fact requires to be confirmed by better evi-
dence before it can be generally believed ; the au-
thor may have perhaps confounded these moun-
tains with others in Euboea.

The vale of Tempe extends from the south-west
to the north-east, its length is about forty stadia
or a league and a half; its breadth, although in
general a stadium and a half, is in one place not
more than a hundred feet. The calm streams of
the Peneus water the valley under the shade
of poplars or plane trees, near rocks overspread
with ivv, and green and fertile hills ; several ver
dant and beautiful islands have been discovered
on the river, but its banks are suddenly contract-
ed, rocks are confusedly heaped on rocks, and its
streams are precipitated with a loud noise across a
narrow pass, but beyond it the waters resume
their tranquil course, and mingle with the sea.

The following tradition was very generally be-
lieved in ancient times; the Peneus, it is said
having at one period no outlet, formed a great
lake, which covered a part of Thessaly, particu-
larly the Pelasgic plain to the south of Larissa-
The valley of Tempe was opened by an earth-
quake, the lake flowed into the sea, and the dry
land gradually appeared. The inhabitants of that
region instituted a festival to commemorate an
event by which the face of their country had
been changed. Theophrastus having observ-
ed that the climate of Thessaly was colder in his
time, attributes it to the artificial channels, by
means of which the stagnant waters had been
drained ; some of the poets corroborate that opin-
ion, and claim for Hercules the glory of having
opened a passage for the Peneus. According to
some authors, the deluge in the tiiq^ of Deuca-
lion extended over the whole earth; it is more
generally supposed to have been a partial inunda-
tion of Thessaly, which lasted three months; it
may be accounted for by admitting that the chan-
nel of the Peneus was blocked either by an earth-
quake during which some rocks were overturned
and thus formed an effectual barrier for its course,
or by excessive rains, which occasioned a sudden
and extraordinary augmentation of its waters.

The cave of Trophonius, a long time the abode
of superstition, is still to be seen in Bcetia, and
that of Corycius is situated to the north of Del
phi; although very deep, almost the whole of it
is illumined by the light of day ; it is so large that
all the inhabitants of Delphi went to it for shel-
ter during the invasion of Xerxes. Every part in
the neighbourhood of Mount Parnassus abounds
in caverns, which were held in great veneration
by the common people; it has been supposed that
mephitical vapours issued from the spiracles near
the celebrated cave of the oracle, above which the
pythoness sat on the sacred tripod; the natural