"From this ancient authority, which, I own, appears to me unanswerable, let us turn to the moderns. Baron de Tott, who, having been for some time resident on the spot, employed as an engineer in the construction of batteries, must be supposed well cognisant of the subject, has expressed himself as follows:-- "'La surabondance des eaux que la Mer Noire recoit, et qu'elle ne peut evaporer, versee dans la Mediterranee par le Bosphore de Thrace et La Propontide, forme aux Dardanelles des courans si violens, que souvent les batimens, toutes voiles dehors, out peine a les vaincre. Les pilotes doivent encore observer, lorsque le vent suffit, de diriger leur route de maniere a presenter le moins de resistance possible a l'effort des eaux. On sent que cette etude a pour base la direction des courans, qui, _renvoyes d'une points a l'autre,_ forment des obstacles a la navigation, et feroient courir les plus grands risques si l'on negligeoit ces connoissances hydrographiques.'--_Memoires de_ TOTT, 3^{_me_} _Partie_. "To the above citations, I will add the opinion of Tournefort, who, in his description of the strait, expresses with ridicule his disbelief of the truth of Leander's exploit; and to show that the latest travellers agree with the earlier, I will conclude my quotation with a statement of Mr. Madden, who is just returned from the spot. 'It was from the European side Lord Byron swam _with_ the current, which runs about four miles an hour. But I believe he would have found it totally impracticable to have crossed from Abydos to Europe.'--MADDEN'S _Travels_, vol. i. "There are two other observations in Lord Byron's letter on which I feel it necessary to remark. "'Mr. Turner says, "Whatever is thrown into the stream on this part of the European bank _must_ arrive at the Asiatic shore." This is so far from being the case, that it _must_ arrive in the Archipelago, if left to the current, although a strong wind from the Asiatic[1] side might have such an effect occasionally.' [Footnote 1: "This is evidently a mistake of the writer or printer. His Lordship must here have meant a strong wind from the European side, as no wind from the Asiatic side could have the effect of driving an object to the Asiatic shore." I think it right to remark, that it is Mr. Turner himself who has here originated the inaccuracy of which he accuses others; the words used by Lord Byron being, _not_, as Mr. Turner says, "from the Asiatic side," but "in the Asiatic direction."--T. M.]