Gell, William: The geography and antiquities of Ithaca (London, 1807)

46

from the sea, should be dedicated to those deities. It may
not be entirely unworthy of remark, that although Ulysses
arranged the precious gifts within the cavern, he might
have descended by the northern opening, for Minerva only
entered at first, and it seems to be somewhat more than
mere chance which has induced the poet to describe the
hero bringing the treasures nearer/ instead of at once into
the grotto, which he would naturally have done, had that
entrance been open to him.

Whatever opinion may be formed as to the identity of
the cave of Dexia, with the grotto of the Nymphs, it is fair
to state, that Strabo positively asserts, that no such cave as
that described by Homer existed in his time, and that geo-
grapher thought it better to assign a physical change,
rather than ignorance in Homer, to account for a difference
which he imagined to exist between the Ithaca of his time,
and that of the poet. But Strabo, who was an uncommon-
ly accurate observer with respect to countries surveyed by
himself, appears to have been wretchedly misled by his in-
formers on many occasions.

1 Od. 13, line 368.

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