The fabric of the whole castle is very strong, and the advantage of a hill, which is on all sides a mile high, must have rendered it impregnable, in an age which knew not the use of gunpowder. It was formerly fortified with a considerable number of great guns, which are now removed to the new castle, which defends the bay of _Smyrna_. Two only remain on a bastion, that fronts the city; on both which we were sorry to see the eagles of the Roman empire. No other apartment of the castle is now kept locked, except a dungeon, in which there were twelve prisoners, lately sent thither by _Osmánogli_. A sight of these miserable wretches we desired of the _agá_, nor was he so scrupulous as to deny it us. The same _agá_ likewise shewed us within the precincts of the castle a poor Christian church, dedicated to the memory of _St. John_; where the Greeks meet upon the day of his feast, and are at the constant charge of two lamps, which burn there throughout the year. We had read and heard of a collection of Roman arms, reserved somewhere in this castle; tho being upon the place, nothing of this nature occurred to us. But _Solymán effendi_, a most courteous and obliging person, whom we visited this evening, as being the next neighbour, as well as brother of our landlord, assured us, that having many years since had the curiosity to ascend the castle hill, he then saw under ground the collection which we spake of, consisting of headpieces, breastplates, shields, and the like. The mountainous parts about _Magnesia_ were antiently famous for the production of the loadstone[14]; tho indeed it is disparaged by _Pliny_[15], and accounted less attractive, than that of other places. However this probably was the city, from whence, as _Lucretius_ says, that stone took the name of _magnet_[16]; as from the whole country of _Lydia_ the touchstone likewise was called _lapis Lydius_[17]. This hint gave us the curiosity to carry a sea compass up the castle hill, where we had the satisfaction to see it point to different quarters, as we then placed it upon different stones, and quickly after intirely to lose its whole virtue; two effects which are natural to the magnetic needle, when injured by the nearness of other bodies impregnated with the same quality. Late in the evening we were now preparing for repose, and endeavouring to forget the fatigue of the castle hill; when _Solymán effendi_, having laid aside the badges of his character, and put on a more familiar temper, returned our visit. We doubted not from the change of his habit, and the unseasonableness of the hour, but he came to break a Mahometan commandment, and _steal his kief_ (as the Turks pleasantly express it) in the juice of the forbidden grape[18]. This was a tedious and ungrateful task, with which nevertheless, by reason of his own and his brother’s great civility, some of our company were forced to comply. Nor had the wine he freely drank its desired effect, till towards two a clock in the morning.