DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5542#0084
74
ANCIENT RUINS.
[CiiAr. xxxv.
surrounding the Acropolis : these, when looked at from be-
low, pave it an appearance of great strength. From hence
two other massive walls stretched away to the west, between
which were numerous remains of buildings and terraces, some
supported by Cyclopian walls, and others by substructions
of Hellenic masonry. Here must have been the site of
the city, or perhaps of its Necropolis, if the large slabs of
marble, six feet long, had in any way belonged to the tombs.
The view from the Acropolis was most splendid. To
the east, steep wooded hills, broken into towering crags,
valleys, glens, and precipices, rose in rich variety one
above the other, which, as the trees were all evergreen,
gave a rich and luxuriant character to the scene. To the
north, overlooking the end of the Gulf of Syme, we saw
into that of Cos, with high blue hills beyond it in the
distance. To the west the Gulf of Syme was spread out
at our feet, with the remarkable passage inside the islands
well displayed, whilst to the S.W. we commanded the pic-
turesque harbour and bay, which we had just passed on
our right hand, and the shores of which seemed to be well
cultivated.
As we were descending the valley we observed several
parties of armed peasants strolling about in dilferent direc-
tions and on all sides of us : after a short parley with some
of them, and not much liking their appearance, we prepared
to return to the boat, imagining that the easiest mode
would be to follow the valley we were in: this, however,
soon changed to a steep, wooded, and almost impassable
ravine. In the mean time the party in the boat had moved
along the shore from where we had left them, and, landing
lit the mouth of a picturesque green valley, had alarmed
some women and children, occupied in watching their Hocks,
who immediately fled, screaming and running up the moun-
tain-side, and spreading alarm in every direction. An
armed Turk now appeared, as if by magic, on the top of
every hill, and some directed their steps towards us, as we
were descending the ravine: they began screaming and
ANCIENT RUINS.
[CiiAr. xxxv.
surrounding the Acropolis : these, when looked at from be-
low, pave it an appearance of great strength. From hence
two other massive walls stretched away to the west, between
which were numerous remains of buildings and terraces, some
supported by Cyclopian walls, and others by substructions
of Hellenic masonry. Here must have been the site of
the city, or perhaps of its Necropolis, if the large slabs of
marble, six feet long, had in any way belonged to the tombs.
The view from the Acropolis was most splendid. To
the east, steep wooded hills, broken into towering crags,
valleys, glens, and precipices, rose in rich variety one
above the other, which, as the trees were all evergreen,
gave a rich and luxuriant character to the scene. To the
north, overlooking the end of the Gulf of Syme, we saw
into that of Cos, with high blue hills beyond it in the
distance. To the west the Gulf of Syme was spread out
at our feet, with the remarkable passage inside the islands
well displayed, whilst to the S.W. we commanded the pic-
turesque harbour and bay, which we had just passed on
our right hand, and the shores of which seemed to be well
cultivated.
As we were descending the valley we observed several
parties of armed peasants strolling about in dilferent direc-
tions and on all sides of us : after a short parley with some
of them, and not much liking their appearance, we prepared
to return to the boat, imagining that the easiest mode
would be to follow the valley we were in: this, however,
soon changed to a steep, wooded, and almost impassable
ravine. In the mean time the party in the boat had moved
along the shore from where we had left them, and, landing
lit the mouth of a picturesque green valley, had alarmed
some women and children, occupied in watching their Hocks,
who immediately fled, screaming and running up the moun-
tain-side, and spreading alarm in every direction. An
armed Turk now appeared, as if by magic, on the top of
every hill, and some directed their steps towards us, as we
were descending the ravine: they began screaming and