A Tour Up the Straits, from Gibraltar to Constantinople: With the Leading Events in the Present War Between the Austrians, Russians, and the Turks, to the Commencement of the Year 1789Sutherland, David, Captain
History
A Tour Up the Straits, from Gibraltar to Constantinople: With the Leading Events in the Present War Between the Austrians, Russians, and the Turks, to the Commencement of the Year 1789
Sutherland, David, Captain
Mediterranean Region -- Description and travel; Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792
Partridges abound in this island, and are so cheap, that you may buy one
for a charge of powder only. The peasants get them by standing behind a
portable screen, with a small aperture in the center, in which they
place the muzzle of their piece, and then draw the partridge by a call.
When a sufficient number are collected, they fire among them, and
generally kill from four to seven at a shot. But even this method of
getting them is so expensive, from the scarcity of ammunition, that the
people can never afford to shoot them, but when there are gentlemen in
the island, from whom they can beg a little powder and shot.
Several of us have killed four or five in an afternoon walk, putting
them up ourselves, without even the assistance of a dog.
Thursday, October 25th.
At day-break we got under way, with a light breeze, and at midnight
anchored at Paros, another of the Greek islands, and which is in a much
better state than Milo. The men look more healthy, and the women not so
ugly.
The water here is excellent; and as that we got at Messina has been
complained of, as being too hard to make proper pease-soup for the
people, all the casks are ordered to be emptied and refilled.
Whilst its marble quarries continued to be worked, Paros was one of the
most flourishing of the Cyclades; but on the decline of the Eastern
Empire, they were entirely neglected, and are now converted into caves,
in which the shepherds shelter their flocks. We have been in several of
these subterraneous folds, which put me much in mind of Homer's
description of Polyphemus. The common walls are almost entirely composed
of marble; and in examining a very small part of one, we found several
pieces of cornice, and _basso relievo_.
Several fine blocks of marble--fragments of columns, are lying close to
the water's edge, and seem to have been brought there by travellers, who
for want of a proper purchase to get them on board, have not been able
to carry them farther.
After the battle of Marathon, Miltiades was sent to lay Paros under
contribution, on account of its joining the Persians; but the
inhabitants made so resolute a defence, that all the efforts of that
excellent General were unable to reduce them; and, at length, having
lost a number of his men, and being himself wounded, Miltiades, hearing
that the Persians were making preparations for a second invasion,
returned to Athens, where his ungrateful countrymen, forgetful of his
eminent services, sentenced him to pay the expences of the expedition;
and being unable to raise this fine, the Great Deliverer of Greece was
thrown into prison; and, to the eternal infamy of the Athenians, he died
of the wounds he had received in their service!
The Russians made this their grand arsenal; their powder magazines, and
several other buildings, are still standing, and the island is
considerably indebted to them for improving the convenience for water,
and for the trade which the cash they expended, introduced among the
inhabitants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account