I embarked about two miles from the town, from which there was the best view of Corinth, and the surrounding scenery, and sailed down the gulf, the entrance of which is strongly fortified on each side, with port-holes for artillery, after the example followed along the Dardanelles, made nearly level with the sea, to rake the hulls of hostile vessels. I arrived in Patras, at the house of Mr. Green, the English consul, which is beautifully situated, and in appearance resembled the stern of a vessel, from its elevation and numerous windows, and from this gentleman travellers receive much politeness. The town contains about 10,000 inhabitants, but is dull in the extreme, and under the government of a pacha, who has been since promoted to the situation of Grand Vizier at Constantinople. There are the ruins of a fortification which was destroyed by lightning, in consequence of having communicated to gunpowder, which had remained since the period of the Venetians having been in possession of Patras. On the beach are the ruins of a church, dedicated to St. Andrew, brother to the Apostles James and John, where tradition states, that the mortal remains of the Apostle repose, over which that edifice was erected.

I had formerly occasion to allude to a species of punishment inflicted by the Turks at Damascus, which had been directed against the person who insulted the firman of the Grand Signior; namely, beating with sticks the soles of his feet. This leads me to mention that a similar mode of chastisement had extended to this place; and, in one particular case, appears to have been inflicted with more than ordinary severity. Fire-arms had been discharged from time to time, under cloud of night, into the houses of the different consuls, and the authors of such outrages or wantonness could not for some time be discovered. After much investigation the act was ultimately brought home to a Turk, hitherto considered as respectable, when he was so frightfully bastinadoed on the soles of his feet, that the nails of them dropped off during the operation, and they were actually beaten to a jelly. In opposition, however, to all expectation that this culprit would survive the rigor of

the discipline, he recovered of his dreadful wounds, in consequence of the usual, and as it may appear to us extraordinary mode of cure adopted; namely, the application of salt mixed up with onions and vinegar, and after some time he was enabled to walk about as usual.

It was my intention to have proceeded to Janina, in Albania, the residence of Ali Pacha, to join two English travellers I had met at Athens, from whence they had proceeded to that place by a different route; I was however prevented, from the scorching heats, and had afterwards occasion to congratulate myself in abandoning the journey on hearing these gentlemen had fallen victims to it, almost immediately on their arrival.

I set sail for Ithaca, in Cephalonia, the theatre of the action of the Odyssey, a most secluded spot, shut in with mountains, and protected by a battery, on a height where British soldiers are stationed, after submitting to the laws of quarantine for two weeks in an insulated lazaretto, then lately built in the middle of the harbour. I was visited by the governor, Colonel Otto Bear, and after my release, most hospitably entertained by the gallant colonel, who also accompanied me about the place, and particularly in a visit to the celebrated fountain of Arethusa, and other local objects of interest.

I afterwards embarked for Corfu, the seat of the government of the Ionian Islands, where there is a palace. One on a larger scale and more splendid was building contiguous to it, having an extensive parade in front. There was miserable accommodation here for travellers as to inns, and as the place was much affected at the time with mal aria, threatening to prove fatal to many, I considered it prudent to retire shortly. After paying my respects to General Sir Frederick Adam, I departed with all possible expedition, and set sail with the view of proceeding to Malta.

CHAP. XXXIX.

DESCRIPTION. -- APOSTLE PAUL.

BAY UNDER HIS MODE ADOPTED BY CRIMINALS TO INSURE ABSOLUHARBOUR

་ ་ ན་

TION FROM SIN. SOIL OF ISLAND. FRUITS.

NALS. CHURCH OF ST. JOHN. - TOMB OF SIR RALPH ABERCROMBIE.- INSCRIPTION.

AFTER

an unpleasant voyage, attended with strong contrary winds, I arrived in safety at Malta, a description of which it will be unnecessary to give, and therefore I shall only offer a few general observations.

This island appears to have been originally denominated Melita, and was a kind of desert, celebrated as the spot to which St. Paul escaped after encountering shipwreck, and resided with the chief, whose wife and others were cured by him of certain diseases by which they had been afflicted. The apostle was looked up to by the natives with the highest estimation, from perceiving the miraculous fact of having shaken off the viper which sprang upon him, and occasioned no degree of danger.* Viewing this place generally from the sea, one is led to suppose it is merely a rock divided by walls, and altogether barren, since there appears no trees or vegetation. This arises from the formation of so many inclosures or walls of stone, an article most abundant in the place, to prevent the soil from being washed away by heavy rains. There are no rivers in the island; rain water is carefully preserved, and the stones forming the inclosures, from being pure white, prove very injurious to the eye-sight. Great part of the

* Acts xxviii Mark xvi. 18.

soil is understood to have been brought from Sicily, and there is a marked industry on the part of the natives to cultivate the ground; in fact, not a foot of it is lost.

Nothing is more calculated at entering the place to excite astonishment than the magnitude of its bulwarks. It may, in truth, be viewed as superior in point of fortification, the field pieces of artillery exceeding one thousand in number, and seem to offer defiance to any force that can be directed against it. Rohatto or Citta Vecchia appears to have been the original metropolis of the island, situated on a beautiful and commanding elevation, where telegraphic communications are made, and there is founded in the centre of it a cathedral of great antiquity, dedicated to the memory of St. Paul, containing seventeen chapels, a high altar and cross, the last of which is of solid silver with many precious stones. Contiguous are catacombs, and also what has been denominated the cave of the apostle, an excavation formed in a rock of lime-stone about twenty feet square. I own I saw nothing here of a remarkable nature. It is said to be a passage extending several miles, but all communications have been blocked up by the priests, who attach many miracles to the materials of this grotto. In short, wherever there is a studied secrecy, it frequently follows that curiosity blended with some degree of superstition occurs.

A fortification is erected for the protection of the city with a few pieces of artillery in an inefficient and neglected state, and the whole is sinking rapidly into a state of dilapidation. The streets are extensive, the houses high, their apartments spacious, built of free stone, and a gloomy air and melancholy is thrown over the place; contradistinguished to that of Cetta della Valletta, situated close to the sea, and at the distance of eight miles, which might be called the New Town, where the Maltese nobility reside, British commerce is carried on, and the principal scenes of activity are to be found.

The bay of St. Paul's is situated about six miles distant from the former, with an island fortified by a range of

Martello towers. Near this are the remains of a chapel also dedicated to the apostle, with an inscription, bearing the date of its foundation in 1510. The chapel, which is in a dilapidated state, is of a square form, built of white and black marble, and adorned with hieroglyphic characters. About fifteen feet in height have given way. This edifice I am chiefly led to notice from the singular fact, that it is a place of refuge or asylum for persons who have been guilty of shedding human blood, and other atrocious offenders. It was also the practice of those who commit offences of great magnitude to procure absolution of these, by making annually a pilgrimage to this spot, bare headed and footed, loaded with heavy chains attached to their feet and arms. On approaching it they kneel upon an open space, offer up prayer with an enumeration of their crimes, and on rising proceed to the door, where they prostrate themselves, and are sprinkled with holy water. On this they are permitted to enter, when each separately, with an audible voice, repeats the train of offences with which his conscience -reproaches him. They are then directed to rise, and after making the sign of the cross on their breasts, it is followed by prayers and exhortations from the ecclesiastic; the completion of this ceremony having been thus understood to accomplish a perfect act of purification, the chains are thrown off, and they are absolved from their crimes. This cannot fail to be viewed as a most accommodating form of religion, to wash away sins of the deepest dye. After the space of six hours elapses from the conclusion of this ceremony, meetings for conviviality take place. Lastly, it Lastly, it may be conceived that the interest of the church is not lost sight of, since there is imposed on those spotless characters a certain sum in the name of fine, one half of which is payable to the cathedral of St. John, and the other exacted by the bishop, on his own private account.

The country for a considerable distance about the bay of St. Paul is in the highest state of fertility, abounds with fruit trees, and, in short, may be considered as the garden of Malta. The soil of the island, in general, is of a white