DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0053
Chap, ii.]
ITHACA.
25
one of the arguments used to prove that the species of
Sepia found in the Argonauta was not the real possessor,
but an intruder, who had appropriated the empty shell to
his own use; an opinion, however, which has since been
satisfactorily disproved*
Saturday, Oct. 3.—We started early for Ithaca, the dis-
tance across being about ten miles; but there was no wind,
and we did not land at Aito until 10 a.m. Our crew were a
noisy, idle set, pulling carelessly, and chattering and eating-
all the way; and we had great difficulty in satisfying their
rapacious demands. From Aito we sent our baggage on
to Bathy, while we ascended the steep hill to what is called
the Fortress of Ulysses. This commands an extensive and
delightful view, and is built upon the highest point of the
narrow isthmus, which connects the northern and southern
portions of the island. The extensive ruins on the sum-
mit were of polygonal masonry of the very earliest period;
and besides the walls of the Acropolis, we traced many
smaller walls, intersecting each other in various directions,
like the apartments of a dwelling-house; but surely Sir
W. Gell must have drawn on his imagination when he de-
scribed so minutely the apartments of this Castle of Ulysses.f
Yet it is not at all improbable that here may have been
the castle which the author of the Odyssey had in his eye
when he sang the return of his hero, the faithfulness of his
consort, and the destruction of his enemies. Two long-
walls may also be traced down the hill towards the east,
within which the town was built, and which connected
the Acropolis with the sea-shore. Several tombs have
also been discovered outside these walls resembling those
of Same.
Bathy, the capital of Ithaca, contains about 4000 inha-
bitants, nearly half the population of the whole island.
The town looked neat and picturesque, every house having
been recently white-washed by order of the government, since
* Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Part vii. p. 35.
t Gell's Ithaca.
ITHACA.
25
one of the arguments used to prove that the species of
Sepia found in the Argonauta was not the real possessor,
but an intruder, who had appropriated the empty shell to
his own use; an opinion, however, which has since been
satisfactorily disproved*
Saturday, Oct. 3.—We started early for Ithaca, the dis-
tance across being about ten miles; but there was no wind,
and we did not land at Aito until 10 a.m. Our crew were a
noisy, idle set, pulling carelessly, and chattering and eating-
all the way; and we had great difficulty in satisfying their
rapacious demands. From Aito we sent our baggage on
to Bathy, while we ascended the steep hill to what is called
the Fortress of Ulysses. This commands an extensive and
delightful view, and is built upon the highest point of the
narrow isthmus, which connects the northern and southern
portions of the island. The extensive ruins on the sum-
mit were of polygonal masonry of the very earliest period;
and besides the walls of the Acropolis, we traced many
smaller walls, intersecting each other in various directions,
like the apartments of a dwelling-house; but surely Sir
W. Gell must have drawn on his imagination when he de-
scribed so minutely the apartments of this Castle of Ulysses.f
Yet it is not at all improbable that here may have been
the castle which the author of the Odyssey had in his eye
when he sang the return of his hero, the faithfulness of his
consort, and the destruction of his enemies. Two long-
walls may also be traced down the hill towards the east,
within which the town was built, and which connected
the Acropolis with the sea-shore. Several tombs have
also been discovered outside these walls resembling those
of Same.
Bathy, the capital of Ithaca, contains about 4000 inha-
bitants, nearly half the population of the whole island.
The town looked neat and picturesque, every house having
been recently white-washed by order of the government, since
* Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Part vii. p. 35.
t Gell's Ithaca.