SECTION I.

INTRODUCTION.-GREECE AND EGYPT.

THE following work contains the description of a journey, which had been the object of my ardent wishes, and had entered into all my plans of life, for more than fifteen years. During a former residence of several years in Europe, from A. D. 1826 to 1830, I had hoped that a fit opportunity for such a journey would have presented itself; but for much of that time Syria was the seat of war and commotion; and this, combined with other circumstances, dissuaded me from making the attempt. In the year 1832, the Rev. Eli Smith, American Missionary at Beirût, made a visit to the United States; having recently returned from a long journey with the Rev. Mr. Dwight to Armenia and Persia. He had in former days been my pupil and friend; and a visit to the Holy Land naturally became a topic of conversation between us. It was agreed, that we would, if possible, make such a journey together at some future time; and the same general plan was then marked out, which we have since been permitted to execute. A prominent feature of the plan was, to penetrate from Mount Sinai by 'Akabah to Wady Mûsa, and thence to Hebron and Jerusalem; not knowing at the time that any part of this route had been already explored; though it has since VOL. I.

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become almost a highway for travellers. I count myself fortunate in having been thus early assured of the company of one, who, by his familiar and accurate knowledge of the Arabic language, by his acquaintance with the people of Syria, and by the experience gained in former extensive journeys, was so well qualified to alleviate the difficulties and overcome the obstacles which usually accompany oriental travel. Indeed, to these qualifications of my companion, combined with his taste for geographical and historical researches, and his tact in eliciting and sifting the information to be obtained from an Arab population, are mainly to be ascribed the more important and interesting results of our journey. For I am well aware, that had I been compelled to travel with an ordinary uneducated interpreter, I should naturally have undertaken much less than we together have actually accomplished; while many points of interest would have been overlooked, and many inquiries would have remained without satisfactory answers.1

Embarking with my family at New-York, July 17th, 1837, we had a favourable voyage across the Atlantic, and landed at Liverpool on the eighteenth day. We passed on to London; stopping for a few days in Leamington and its charming environs; and also a few days amid the calm dignity of Oxford and its scholastic halls. In London it was now the season when "all the world is out of town;" yet some veterans in oriental travel were still there; and I received many hints of information, which were afterwards of great use to me. After a few weeks, we proceeded by Antwerp and Brussels to Cologne; and thence by easy land-journeys up the glorious Rhine to Frankfort;

1) The results of Mr. Smith's Journey to Armenia above alluded to, have been given to the public

in the work entitled, "Researches in Armenia, etc. by Messrs. Smith and Dwight." Bost. 1833. Lond. 1834.

and so by Weimar and Halle to Berlin. Here I had hoped to learn much from Ritter, as to many points of inquiry lying out of my own department; but he was absent, himself engaged in exploring the classic soil of Greece and its remoter islands.

Leaving my family with their friends in Germany, I set off from Berlin on the 13th Nov. by way of Halle; where Gesenius, Tholuck, and Roediger, suggested many topics of importance in respect to the researches on which I was about to enter. My course was now by Vienna to Trieste. The whole journey was exceedingly uncomfortable,-a constant succession of cold storms of rain and snow, heavy roads, and all the discomforts and dreariness of an early winter. During the whole interval from Berlin to Trieste, the sun appeared only on two days; and then but for a short time. I entered Trieste in a driving snow-storm, which abated for a time only to change its character and return with new vehemence in another form,—as a furious Levanter, accompanied by torrents of rain. The next morning, Nov. 30th, all traces of winter had disappeared, except the snows along the summits of the Friulian Alps. The brilliant sky of Italy was again cloudless; and balmy breezes, as of spring, were playing upon the bright waters of the Adriatic. It was an almost instantaneous change from winter in its rudest forms, to the brightness and deliciousness of May. I could not but hail the change with gratitude, and regard it as a favourable omen; and from that time onward the progress of my journey was never retarded for an hour, nor scarcely for a moment rendered uncomfortable, by any unfavourable state of the weather.

I had chosen the route by Trieste as the shortest; and was gratified to find that it had been recently rendered still shorter by the arrangement of the steam

ers of the Austrian Lloyd to run twice a month, both to Constantinople and Alexandria. In London I had made diligent inquiry; but was unable to learn, with certainty, that any steamer was running from Trieste to the Levant. In Berlin too I had made similar inquiries, especially at the embassies of England, Austria, and Bavaria, with no better success; but finally obtained the desired information at the Post Office. This route also afforded two important advantages over the Danube route from Vienna to Constantinople; first, because I could thus pass a fortnight at Athens, and yet reach Egypt at the allotted time; and further, because I could thus enter Egypt from Greece without quarantine; while all persons coming to Egypt from any part of the Turkish empire, were subjected to a quarantine of three weeks.

On the 1st of December I embarked at Trieste; having been joined almost at the last moment by two young countrymen, who continued to be my companions in Egypt, and one of them also in the Holy Land. Our vessel was the Giovanni Arciduca d'Austria, under the command of Capt. Pietro Marasso, one of the most intelligent and gentlemanly commanders, whom it has been my fortune to meet with. Seven months afterwards, I found this fine steamer plying between Syra and Alexandria; and Capt. Marasso in command of the Mahmoudie, a larger vessel running between Syra and Constantinople.-It was a lovely sunset as we glided out of the harbour of Trieste; a flood of golden light was poured upon the glassy waters and upon the eastern mountain, sprinkled with white cottages and country-seats, from which it was reflected back upon the city and shipping below. We passed swiftly by the Gulf of Capo d'Istria; saw the lights of Isola and the light-house of Pirano; and then in darkness laid our course for Ancona.

The next morning was bright and beautiful; before us was the Italian coast, over which towered the snow-capped ridges of the Appenines. At 9 o'clock we cast anchor in the rock-bound and picturesque harbour of Ancona; where we lay till towards evening, and then pursued our way along the Adriatic. The next day we were plunging against a head wind through the midst of the broadest part of the sea; where the islands and coasts on each side were only occasionally visible. Monte Gargano alone, on the Italian coast, was seen the whole day. But the morning of the 4th was brilliant and exciting. At sunrise we were in the channel of Otranto, abreast of the little island Saseno and Cape Linguetta; while before us on the left the eye rested in fascination upon the lofty summits of the Acroceraunian mountains, the terror of ancient mariners,—wild, dark, desolate peaks, as if scathed and blasted by lightning; whence their name. The sun was now rising over them in splendour. The Albanian coast continues onward in high, rocky ridges; desolate, but picturesque. For a long distance there was no trace of human habitations. Afterwards, a few miserable villages were seen clinging to the rocky side of the mountains; but no appearance of tillage, and hardly of vegetation. In the afternoon we approached the Island of Corfu, and passing onward through the enchanting scenery of its channel, dropped our anchor at evening in its harbour, between the little island of Vido and the city. The whole region, the island, the harbour, and the opposite Albanian coast, are exceedingly picturesque; and in the impression which they make, reminded me strongly of the Bay of Naples; though every thing here is on a much smaller scale.

We remained at Corfu until the evening of the following day, Dec. 5th. We went on shore, visited the