Bottesford Moors, Messingham, Kirton in Lindsey.
Minor Notes.
_Modern Greek Names of Places._--It is commonly stated in books of
geography that the modern name of Athens is _Statines_. In Hennin's
_Manuel de Numismatique Ancienne_ it is stated to be _Satines_ or
_Atini_; and Mr. Akerman, in his most excellent _Numismatic Manual_,
makes the same statement. We find it stated also universally that the
modern name of Cos is _Stanco_; and this has been repeated in all maps
and charts until the recently published Admiralty Chart, No. VI. of the
Archipelago series, where it is called _Cos_.
The origin of this and other similar blunders is curious. Athens retains
its plural termination, and is always used with the article, [Greek: hai
Athenai]. If you ask a peasant walking from the Piraeus whither he is
going, he will answer you, [Greek: Eis tas Athenas], but will rapidly
enunciate it as follows, [Greek: 's't'sAthenas], whence _Statines_,
lately reduced to _Satines_.
I am surprised that Cos was not set down as _Stinco_ rather than
_Stanco_, for if you hail a Coan vessel, and ask whither it is bound,
the [Greek: karaboukyri], or skiff-master, would certainly reply [Greek:
sten Ko], if Cos were his destination.
I find that both M. Hennin and Mr. Akerman assert that Thebes is now
called _Stives_. I conversed with a noble-looking youth on the ruins of
Eleusis, and asking him from what part of the country he came, I shall
not easily forget the stately dignity with which he tossed his capote
over his shoulder, and answered [Greek: eimi Thebaios]--I am a Theban.
The bold Boeotian would have stared in amazement had I spoken to him of
_Stives_, although, if homeward-bound, he would have said he was going
[Greek: 's tas Thebas].
The Turks have made Istambol or Stamboul out of [Greek: sten polin]; and
we may, perhaps, hear from our friends, the Nepaulese ambassadors, that
the capital of England is called _Tolondon_, and that of France _Apari_.