DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4692#0029
20 THE COASTS OF JEOLIA, IONIA, AND CARIA.
Our road lay over mountains covered with olive-trees. On reaching Kliu, we found great difficulty in
obtaining a relay of horses, so I changed the route, and determined to cross the strait to Aivali, an impor-
tant Greek town at the southern point of the shore of the Gulf of Adrymittium, and to proceed thence to
Pergamus, instead of crossing at Mytilene. We pitched our tent on the shore, amidst an encampment of
fishermen, and hired a caique for the crossing. Although the strait is not more than ten or twelve miles,
we were the whole day crossing, as we were becalmed half an hour after leaving port. The sun set before
we reached the entrance to the Bay of Aivali; consequently we found the passage closed by a wicker-
work barrier, which is drawn across the narrow channel every night. We had to sleep on board the
caique in an impromptu tent made with the sails. We found oysters very plentiful here, and of
good quality; so we were glad to make our supper of them, as our day's provision had run low. The
next moi'ning we entered the land-locked harbour, in which there are several islands. Were a deep entrance-
channel formed, and the harbour generally improved by dredging, this might be made the finest harbour on
the coast, as it is large enough to contain several fleets. In course of time it would bid fair to rival Smyrna,
as the sand brought down by the river Hcrmus is slowly but surely closing up the channel in the gulf on
which that city stands, rendering the navigation very dangerous. I have seen vessels aground on the point
opposite the Kaleh situated on the coast, five miles from Smyrna, in consequence of the circuit they made to
avoid the sandbanks on the opposite shore.
The inhabitants of Aivali are exclusively Greeks. We were hospitably received by the British Vice-
Consul, Signor Petro Mattaro, who kindly invited us to take up our quarters with him during our stay.
The following day he accompanied us to the island of Musconisi, where I found the foundations of a temple,
most probably that of Venus mentioned by Strabo as existing there. A Greek church had been built upon the
lower courses, which were of marble. The shores of the Bay of Aivali slope gently to the water: there are
no mountains in the immediate vicinity of the town. During the Greek revolution there was a terrible
massacre of the Christian inhabitants by the Turks. Many lives were then saved through the intrepidity
of the then Vice-Consul, the father of our friend Mattaro : he induced the principal inhabitants to take
refuge on one of the islands in the bay, where they remained until the enemy had withdrawn.
On 12th November we engaged horses for Pergamus, two days' journey. Our road ran parallel with
the shore, at the distance of about three miles from the sea. The country was perfectly flat, and abounded
with olive-trees and cornfields. After a ride of three hours, we halted for dinner at a Turkish village, near
ancient Attalia, of which city there are no traces. In the evening we reached a large tchiftlik near the sea,
surrounded by marshes: here we were obliged to encamp. The night was so cold that we were glad of a
large fire, which our men had lighted in the neighbourhood of the tents.
On 13th November, at daybreak, we started, following the shore for an hour, and then, striking to the
left, we went through a wide pass which had a bad reputation. Guard-houses, occupied by Zebecks, were
stationed every five miles for the protection of travellers. These men arc generally old freebooters who
have entered into the service of the Government, but who, if report be true, have not entirely relinquished
their old trade, as they levy a tax upon all travellers who are not powerful enough to resist them. As we
were an armed party, we passed without molestation. At one of the stations they had caught, or pretended
to have caught, a mauvais snjet, whom they were belabouring with the flat of their handjers,—short swords
which are carried in the belt. We halted in the centre of the pass to dine on some fresh yoghoort, procured
from a Eurook tent close by.
The valley was wild and uncultivated, covered with bushes; amongst which were interspersed the tents
of wandering Turkoman tribes. Towards evening we left the valley and wound round the base of some low
hills, behind one of which lay Pergamus, a city of considerable extent. Behind it rose lofty mountains, crowned
by the Acropolis. I had a letter to a correspondent of M. Baltazzi, a Greek merchant of Smyrna, to whose
house we at once proceeded. In our progress, the inhabitants, who had perhaps never before seen a European
lady, swarmed out of their houses to stare at the cortege. After some delay, we found out the house of the
agent, whose family welcomed us with open arms. The room appropriated to our use was the best in the
house; it was spacious and lofty. Like all the principal rooms in Turkish houses, it had a divan round it,
and in the walls were various niches containing the family crockery and such-like articles. The master of
the house was absent; but he had expected us, and had left directions for our reception. We were tired and
hungry; but before dinner, which never takes place till sunset—and however famished the traveller may be,
it is almost impossible to obtain food before the appointed time—we had to submit to numerous visits
from the friends of our entertainers, Greek and Armenian ladies, who would walk into the room without
ceremony, sit and stare at us for ten minutes or more, and often leave without uttering a word. The kindness
of the people, or rather their mode of showing it, is at times somewhat trying to the patience, as they think
it a mark of politeness never to leave you alone. They attend on you during meal-times, and watch every
mouthful you take, and it is difficult to prevail upon them to leave the room if, overpowered with fatigue,
you wish to repose before their usual time of retiring to rest.
November 14th.—We went to visit the ruins of the building called the Church of St. John by the
inhabitants. It stands in the centre of the town, near the river Selinus, and consists of an immense oblong
mass of brickwork, with two detached circular edifices near it. Upon examination, it is very obvious that
Our road lay over mountains covered with olive-trees. On reaching Kliu, we found great difficulty in
obtaining a relay of horses, so I changed the route, and determined to cross the strait to Aivali, an impor-
tant Greek town at the southern point of the shore of the Gulf of Adrymittium, and to proceed thence to
Pergamus, instead of crossing at Mytilene. We pitched our tent on the shore, amidst an encampment of
fishermen, and hired a caique for the crossing. Although the strait is not more than ten or twelve miles,
we were the whole day crossing, as we were becalmed half an hour after leaving port. The sun set before
we reached the entrance to the Bay of Aivali; consequently we found the passage closed by a wicker-
work barrier, which is drawn across the narrow channel every night. We had to sleep on board the
caique in an impromptu tent made with the sails. We found oysters very plentiful here, and of
good quality; so we were glad to make our supper of them, as our day's provision had run low. The
next moi'ning we entered the land-locked harbour, in which there are several islands. Were a deep entrance-
channel formed, and the harbour generally improved by dredging, this might be made the finest harbour on
the coast, as it is large enough to contain several fleets. In course of time it would bid fair to rival Smyrna,
as the sand brought down by the river Hcrmus is slowly but surely closing up the channel in the gulf on
which that city stands, rendering the navigation very dangerous. I have seen vessels aground on the point
opposite the Kaleh situated on the coast, five miles from Smyrna, in consequence of the circuit they made to
avoid the sandbanks on the opposite shore.
The inhabitants of Aivali are exclusively Greeks. We were hospitably received by the British Vice-
Consul, Signor Petro Mattaro, who kindly invited us to take up our quarters with him during our stay.
The following day he accompanied us to the island of Musconisi, where I found the foundations of a temple,
most probably that of Venus mentioned by Strabo as existing there. A Greek church had been built upon the
lower courses, which were of marble. The shores of the Bay of Aivali slope gently to the water: there are
no mountains in the immediate vicinity of the town. During the Greek revolution there was a terrible
massacre of the Christian inhabitants by the Turks. Many lives were then saved through the intrepidity
of the then Vice-Consul, the father of our friend Mattaro : he induced the principal inhabitants to take
refuge on one of the islands in the bay, where they remained until the enemy had withdrawn.
On 12th November we engaged horses for Pergamus, two days' journey. Our road ran parallel with
the shore, at the distance of about three miles from the sea. The country was perfectly flat, and abounded
with olive-trees and cornfields. After a ride of three hours, we halted for dinner at a Turkish village, near
ancient Attalia, of which city there are no traces. In the evening we reached a large tchiftlik near the sea,
surrounded by marshes: here we were obliged to encamp. The night was so cold that we were glad of a
large fire, which our men had lighted in the neighbourhood of the tents.
On 13th November, at daybreak, we started, following the shore for an hour, and then, striking to the
left, we went through a wide pass which had a bad reputation. Guard-houses, occupied by Zebecks, were
stationed every five miles for the protection of travellers. These men arc generally old freebooters who
have entered into the service of the Government, but who, if report be true, have not entirely relinquished
their old trade, as they levy a tax upon all travellers who are not powerful enough to resist them. As we
were an armed party, we passed without molestation. At one of the stations they had caught, or pretended
to have caught, a mauvais snjet, whom they were belabouring with the flat of their handjers,—short swords
which are carried in the belt. We halted in the centre of the pass to dine on some fresh yoghoort, procured
from a Eurook tent close by.
The valley was wild and uncultivated, covered with bushes; amongst which were interspersed the tents
of wandering Turkoman tribes. Towards evening we left the valley and wound round the base of some low
hills, behind one of which lay Pergamus, a city of considerable extent. Behind it rose lofty mountains, crowned
by the Acropolis. I had a letter to a correspondent of M. Baltazzi, a Greek merchant of Smyrna, to whose
house we at once proceeded. In our progress, the inhabitants, who had perhaps never before seen a European
lady, swarmed out of their houses to stare at the cortege. After some delay, we found out the house of the
agent, whose family welcomed us with open arms. The room appropriated to our use was the best in the
house; it was spacious and lofty. Like all the principal rooms in Turkish houses, it had a divan round it,
and in the walls were various niches containing the family crockery and such-like articles. The master of
the house was absent; but he had expected us, and had left directions for our reception. We were tired and
hungry; but before dinner, which never takes place till sunset—and however famished the traveller may be,
it is almost impossible to obtain food before the appointed time—we had to submit to numerous visits
from the friends of our entertainers, Greek and Armenian ladies, who would walk into the room without
ceremony, sit and stare at us for ten minutes or more, and often leave without uttering a word. The kindness
of the people, or rather their mode of showing it, is at times somewhat trying to the patience, as they think
it a mark of politeness never to leave you alone. They attend on you during meal-times, and watch every
mouthful you take, and it is difficult to prevail upon them to leave the room if, overpowered with fatigue,
you wish to repose before their usual time of retiring to rest.
November 14th.—We went to visit the ruins of the building called the Church of St. John by the
inhabitants. It stands in the centre of the town, near the river Selinus, and consists of an immense oblong
mass of brickwork, with two detached circular edifices near it. Upon examination, it is very obvious that