DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0058
30
GULF OF CORINTH.
CHAPTER III.
Leave Patras—Vostitza—Avgo—Corinth—Kakmaki—Athens—Parthenon_Pei-
rseus—Syra—Arrival at Smyrna.
Early on Thursday the 8th of October we commenced
our journey along the southern shore of the Gulf of Co-
rinth. The lateness of the season and my friend's health,
combined with our anxiety to reach Smyrna, prevented us
from making any excursion into the interior of the Morea, or
across the gulf, to Delphi or Parnassus. The greater part
of the road from Patras to Corinth, particularly the first two
days' journey as far as Avgo, is most beautiful. The rich
vegetation caused by a constant supply of water forms a
delightful foreground to the distant mountains to the north,
which present a striking contrast. The hills along the
southern shore sloping towards the north are protected from
the direct rays of the sun ; the ground is therefore less quickly
dried up, and vegetation takes a stronger hold than on
those sides which slope towards the south, which botli in
Greece and in Asia Minor we found to be almost univer-
sally barren and rocky, and deprived of soil.
It was past seven before the baggage-horses, the only
means of conveyance in this country, were all laden; when,
leaving Patras, we reached in half an hour a wild and un-
cultivated tract of land, covered with low shrubs and slop-
ing gently towards the sea, over which we could hardly
find the track intended for a road. Another hour brought
us opposite the low but strong fortress of the Morea, com-
manding the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. The ap-
pearance of the little town of Lepanto, the ancient Nau-
pactus, offered a striking illustration of the position of
some of the old Grecian cities. The town itself stands
on the sea-shore at the foot of a steep hill, on the summit
GULF OF CORINTH.
CHAPTER III.
Leave Patras—Vostitza—Avgo—Corinth—Kakmaki—Athens—Parthenon_Pei-
rseus—Syra—Arrival at Smyrna.
Early on Thursday the 8th of October we commenced
our journey along the southern shore of the Gulf of Co-
rinth. The lateness of the season and my friend's health,
combined with our anxiety to reach Smyrna, prevented us
from making any excursion into the interior of the Morea, or
across the gulf, to Delphi or Parnassus. The greater part
of the road from Patras to Corinth, particularly the first two
days' journey as far as Avgo, is most beautiful. The rich
vegetation caused by a constant supply of water forms a
delightful foreground to the distant mountains to the north,
which present a striking contrast. The hills along the
southern shore sloping towards the north are protected from
the direct rays of the sun ; the ground is therefore less quickly
dried up, and vegetation takes a stronger hold than on
those sides which slope towards the south, which botli in
Greece and in Asia Minor we found to be almost univer-
sally barren and rocky, and deprived of soil.
It was past seven before the baggage-horses, the only
means of conveyance in this country, were all laden; when,
leaving Patras, we reached in half an hour a wild and un-
cultivated tract of land, covered with low shrubs and slop-
ing gently towards the sea, over which we could hardly
find the track intended for a road. Another hour brought
us opposite the low but strong fortress of the Morea, com-
manding the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. The ap-
pearance of the little town of Lepanto, the ancient Nau-
pactus, offered a striking illustration of the position of
some of the old Grecian cities. The town itself stands
on the sea-shore at the foot of a steep hill, on the summit