ANCHOR OFF SYROCHORO.. 193 the roaring of the waves and the wind, through the very midst of all which, "The shrill whistle of the boatswain's pipe The gale continued freshening, and a thick haze obscured the distant mountains. The Seringapatam and Cyrene were telegraphed, and ordered to bear up toward the Gulf of Volo, (sinus Pelasgicus.) We anchored a little before three o'clock off Syrochoro, (an ancient town, which I am apprehensive we shall not see nearer at present,) and found twenty-eight inches of water in the hold. The pumps have been going continually ever since: our future destination is therefore doubtful. Sunday, 30th Jan.-Still at anchor; but not permitted to go on shore. We are likely to return to Smyrna. Monday, 31st Jan.-The weather has cleared up, and a beautiful though frosty morning makes amends for the dulness and disagreeableness of the preceding days. We are anchored in a kind of elliptical circle ;-double chains of mountains towering above us on every side, and the farther and higher one mantled VOL. I. 194 SYROCHORO-RUINS OF THE ACROPOLIS. in snow. To the east, are the ruins of Syrochoro, probably the ancient Dros, mentioned by Homer and Strabo; but it seems unnoticed altogether by modern travellers. At no great distance from hence should be Histiaa, famous for its vineyards; and Cenæum, a promontory where Jupiter had a temple built by Hercules. To the west of us, is a long ledge of white rocks. Contrary to expectation, soon after writing the above, it was determined that we should have communication with the shore. This had been interdicted, from a primary intention of returning immediately to Malta; and then any thing of the sort would, of course, have lengthened our quarantine there. On landing, I immediately ascended a steep hill, on which had been the acropolis of the place. All that remains are walls, nearly extinet; but they have no appearance of any great antiquity. The stones are cemented together; and broken buttresses or towers placed at intervals around the line of wall, seem to indicate a Venetian rather than a Grecian fortress. It has been moated, and part of the fosse yet exists. Two gateways are apparent, INSCRIPTION ON THE ACROPOLIS. 195 the one on the north and the other to the east, on which side, about fifty yards from the wall, is a pit, of an elliptical form, nearly filled up with shapeless stones and broken columns of marble. Here, upon an overturned pedestal, 261⁄2 feet high, and 214 broad, I discovered the following inscription, which I take to be the memorial of some amicable treaty between persons whose names are no longer on record*. It was written in very faint characters : ΔΕΙ1ΚΡΑΤΕΙ ΔΕΞΙΑΔΟΥ ΕΙΛΙΤΗΙ This was all, of any moment, that I discovered upon the acropolis. The pit is surrounded by young plane-trees. A Greek, who was lounging here, informed me, that the fortress had the name of PAION, or the Beautiful; unless, indeed, the word was OPION, signifying the termination or boundary, as being close to the sea, The French maps give the name of OREO to a place nearer A friend suggests, that it signifies "to Dexicratinus, the son of Dexiadus, a native of Elis." I leave it to the reader.. 196 SYROCHORO-DEVASTATIONS OF THE TURKS. the promontory of Cenæum; perhaps the ancient Histiæa. But it then becomes a question, whether the term be not misapplied? As I descended the hill, I observed a troop of Albanian soldiers, who, from the account given by the Greek above mentioned, were in pursuit of Kλεprαι, or robbers, and were patrolling up and down to that end. A small village had been ruined by the Turks in this place; amongst the rest, was a diminutive Grecian church, built in a cottage style, which had also fallen beneath their indiscriminating fury. In this place I discovered part of the rich entablature of a pillar; upon which was inscribed as follows: Plutarch speaks of a Menyllus who attempted to prevail on Phocion to accept a sum of money: there is too little said, probably, to justify a supposition that it was the person alluded to. Here, also, I found a human skull, in a fine state of preservation. About half a mile further, surrounded by plane-trees, is a sort of dry pond; a low wall runs about it. I was informed that it had been a church, (Eккλŋσía); ANCIENT GREEK INSCRIPTION. 197 but of that there was not the smallest trace. Amongst the pile of stones forming the wall, I found a broken one resting against a tree. I seized upon it with eagerness, and bore it in triumph to the ship. It was covered with the writing which I have faithfully copied beneath. ΟΥΤΟ ΑΛΟΥΜΟΥ ΕΔΟΥΝΤΗΡΟΤΕ XW*[2A\Tho[NAWAC ΘΡΑΚΗΣ ΜΕ ΚΛΕΙΝΗ ΕΓΕΝΘΕΝ... CEH CANPETWAN FOY PENA+PUNECOME···· HICTWCKAINYNKATA XEBINTE · MENOOYTAKONIT... ΑΠΟ ΑΘΟΝ........ TON.. ་ The contractions, or rather the conjunctions of many of the letters might, perhaps, be considered an argument against the very ancient date of the inscription. And taking this idea as a guide, it would not be fixed earlier in all probability than the lower empire. But several. of the letters undoubtedly bear the shape of |