valley, above which are some hollows in the rocks, said to have been the
haunts of the Nemæan lion. I left it at last, and crossed the mountain,
or rather hill, on the left, in order to visit the ruins of the temple
of Jupiter at Nemæa. They lie in an open valley about five miles long,
and one and a half broad, (to judge by the eye) for the most part
cultivated, but without habitation. The Greek or Albanian peasant, for
the latter seem to be scattered everywhere, sows his land, and leaves it
with scarcely any attendance till harvest, when he erects a hut, in
which he resides till he has reaped and carried away the produce, living
the rest of the year in the towns, or in villages, where he may unite
with his countrymen for mutual protection. It is better thus to snatch
what nature will give, than to obtain at more expense a larger quantity
subject to the extortion of the Turks.
There are three columns erect at Nemæa, but a large proportion of the
whole number lie as they have fallen. It was not a building of any very
high degree of beauty; the proportions are too slender, and the capitals
too small. The walls were built of slabs set on edge, in two
thicknesses, the horizontal joints being broken, while the middle
upright joint continued all the way. There are some fragments of other
buildings, and the hollow of a theatre.
Various foundations and other fragments of architecture occur in the way
from Nemæa to Kourtessa, where I slept. I believe these are the remains
of Cleone, but my attendant pretended to have found out that these are
at Clenai, a village not in the direct road to Corinth. After riding two
hours the next morning in their supposed direction, it appeared clearly
that he had been misled, and we took the nearest path to Corinth,
passing in this instance behind the Acropolis. I went immediately to my
old lodging, at the house of the physician, who told me that four
English gentlemen were residing in his house, but they were gone out to
draw. I walked to the temple and found them there; three of them were
artists, two of whom, Mr. Eastlake and Mr. Kinnaird, I had known at
Rome, and the third, Mr. Barry, brought me a letter of introduction from
England. This was a very pleasant meeting for me, and induced me to stay
more contentedly at Corinth than I otherwise should have done. They were
impatient to arrive at Athens, but the confident reports we had of the
plague in that city, made them determine to remain a day or two here, in
hopes of obtaining more certain accounts. I soon learnt that the packet
would not sail before the 25th, which would have given me time to visit
Tripolizza and Phigalea, had I been well enough. Meanwhile I paid a
visit with one of the party to Basilica, the ancient Sicyon. The theatre
there is very curious, because with the site and disposition of a Greek
theatre, it exhibits an arched entrance on each side. If we combine the
history of the place with the appearances on the spot, we shall
confidently conclude that this arch is prior to the time of Augustus,
but I cannot venture to fix on a more precise date. There is also a
stadium, and the natural hollow in the hill not having been long enough,
the lower part has been carried out beyond it, and supported by
Cyclopean walls.
These ruins are at some distance beyond the present village, on the
summit of a sloping terrace of gravel or rubble, such as I have already
described to you at Vostizza. Somewhat nearer, and lower down, there are
remains of some large, brick edifices, probably of Roman construction,
and foundations of several buildings, but apparently not so perfect as
to enable us to determine their plans and destinations. Some of them are
formed of large stones, others of brick, and their scattered remains
extend almost to the site of the present village. The situation
altogether occupies an elevated plane a little inclined, intersected by
deep and ragged ravines, and breaking down suddenly into a lower plain,
which is a continuation of that of Corinth, and extends to the gulf,
whose magnificent expanse lies beneath us.
On our return we found the physician in a great fume, as he had been
informed that some French gentlemen had arrived at Kenkhrea, and sent a
messenger to him. This man had not arrived, but old Andrea declared he
should not come near him, and that if he spoke to him at all, it should
be out of the window. Within an hour the man was in the house, assuring
us that there was no plague at Athens. This determined my friends to
prosecute their journey in spite of the remonstrances of Andrea, who
still insisted that he had proof that there was; and in the evening I
engaged a passage in a boat, and set off for Patras.
On the 19th of May we spent the whole day on the water, pleasantly
sailing with a hardly sensible breeze. Patches of snow still marked
several summits of the Morea, and there was seen one patch on the first
or gravelly range. Helicon appeared clear, but I was looking at the
southern face of this mountain, and at the northern of those in the
Morea. Parnassus retained a considerable quantity, but not a complete
covering. A mountain to the north-west was entirely capped with it, and
it spread a great way down the sides. I am not able to determine what
mountain this is, and my boatmen have no name for it, but it seems to
occupy the situation where Mount Corax is placed in some maps. I amused
myself with examining the different appearances of a singular Medusa.
The animal in its most perfect state, is a firm, pellucid, bagshaped
jelly, with a deep orange spot in the lower part, but never quite at the
bottom of the bag; from this point runs a band, in which the substance
is thicker and firmer than elsewhere, and which terminates at each end,
at the mouth of the bag. In smaller specimens we can hardly perceive a
row of minute orange-coloured dots along this band, but in the larger
ones these are very conspicuous; at last the thinner parts seem to
dissolve, and we observe the strings floating in the water, extending
several feet in length, and composed of little masses of jelly hanging
together like beads, each with its orange spot. These as they divide,
begin again to exhibit something of a bag-like form, and the process
recommences. It was so abundant, that I had no difficulty in obtaining
specimens in all its stages: the boatmen called it _takhándri_.
On the 20th about noon I arrived at Patras, where by the assistance of
Mr. Green, the brother of the new consul, I obtained a very good
lodging; the consul himself being absent to pay his respects to the
pashaw of Tripolizza.
From this neighbourhood, the mountain north-west of Parnassus opens into
a very rugged ridge, three points of which I take to be higher than
Parnassus. There are patches of snow on the mountain immediately behind
Patras, and more on Mount Voidias, which may be considered perhaps as
part of the same. One more to the south, which I took to be Olenus,
presented a vast cap of white. Supposing that in this latitude, on the
20th of May, there will be no snow on a mountain less than 5,000 feet
high, and that Parnassus is 8,500, and Hymettus 2,000, I should estimate
the heights of these Greek mountains as follows:
Feet.
Highest points of the mountain ridge west of
Salona 11,000
Olenus 10,000
Parnassus 8,500
Conical mountain near Olenus 8,000
Mountain which as seen from Athens, I had supposed
to be Cyllene, and which is I believe, that
which as seen from the gulf of Corinth, the
boatmen named _Mallevó_ 7,800
Mountain south-west of Argos. _Sakoniâs_ 7,000
Voidias 5,800
Highest point of the conglomerate mountains about
half way along the gulf of Corinth 5,200
Mountain immediately behind Vostizza 5,000
Helicon 4,200
Cithæron 3,700
Parnes 3,400
Analeepsis, table mountain above Nemæa 3,200
Pentelicus 2,800
High castle-like cliffs on the gulf of Corinth 2,800
Hymettus 2,000
Acro Corinthus 1,600
Anchesmus 800
On the 22nd, as I was drawing in my room, I felt the house shake as if a
loaded waggon had taken the corner of it. As there are neither waggons
nor carts in the Morea, I concluded it must be an earthquake, and went
out to ascertain the fact; a party of women were preparing vegetables
for their dinner in the gallery, from whom I gained the information I
wanted; but it seemed to excite no sensation among them, and they
continued their employment as if it were a thing of every day
occurrence. Indeed earthquakes are said to happen in this neighbourhood
about once a week.
I believe I have before mentioned a Corinthian capital existing here.
There are also some very picturesque remains of a Roman aqueduct, built
of brick, and overgrown with ivy; part of it is however, still in use,
and the water is conducted by its means nearly to the highest part of
the town. There is a castle, but a considerable portion of the wall was
ruined some years ago by an explosion, and the Turks have not repaired
it. This seems not of much consequence, as the garrison consists only of
a single black, who was asleep in the gateway as I passed. It is
commanded by some adjoining hills.
The European consuls here had agreed to establish a quarantine of seven
days for all who came from Roumelia, _i. e._ from Albania and the
northern shore of the gulf of Corinth; and likewise for all such as came
from Corinth, either by land or sea, without a clean bill of health; but
as there are twenty ways into the town by land, and a guard only on one,
and as any boat might land half a mile from the usual station, and the
crew walk by night through the vineyards into the town, without a chance
of opposition, the plan seems impracticable. Added to this, Ali Pashaw
is very much afraid of the plague, and has both the will and the power
to take precautions, while Corinth is much exposed to it, and the bey,
though backed by the pashaw of the Morea, has but little authority for
any purpose opposed to the general habits and superstitions of the
Turks. From all I could learn, it appeared that the English consul was
the only one willing to enforce this rule against his own countrymen,
and while I was there, some unfortunate English travellers were the only
sufferers.
On the evening of the 27th I went on board the packet in company with
three English gentlemen, whom I had met at Athens. At half-past eleven
we set sail with a strong wind and _tide_ in our favour, but they both
ceased very shortly; however the next day we reached Zante, but could
only go on shore at the Parlatorio, which is a little piece of ground
surrounded by a double rail, where one may see and talk to the
inhabitants without being near enough to touch them. I went there once
to see the place, but found nothing to tempt me a second time. On the
29th a strong wind sprung up, which increased on the 30th; in the
evening the captain attempted to weigh anchor, but the gale was so high
that the ship began to drift, and we were obliged to cut the rope and
run. The gale lasted till midnight, and all the next day we had a calm,
and a heavy rolling sea. On the first of June we made Cape Spartavento,
on the coast of Calabria; on the second we saw Mount Ætna, with patches
of snow, but very much obscured by clouds. On the 3rd we left Mount
Ætna, and in the evening got round Cape Passaro, a long point of low
hills, forming the southern extremity of Sicily (you see how slow our
progress was), and on the 4th arrived at Malta, where we are destined to
do penance in lazaretto, but I shall leave this to a future letter.
LETTER LII.
MALTA.
_Malta, 8th July, 1818._
THE city we now call Malta includes four towns, Valetta, Florian,
Vittoriosa, and Borgo, but these names have given way in common use to
that of the island. The principal part is seated on a point of land
between two noble harbours, the northern of which is appropriated to
vessels in quarantine, and on the northern shore of this is the
Lazaretto. We occupied there two large rooms, about 27 feet square, and
near 20 high. We had a vaulted gallery to walk in about 120 feet long,
and a terrace of nearly the same length. The windows command a view of
the harbour, and of a series of walls and batteries rising one above
another, forming the fortifications of Malta, or rather of Valetta; and
something of the town is seen above them. To the right are scattered
houses and plots of land, inclosed by stone walls with very little
appearance of green among them. A boat came every morning with milk,
fruit, and vegetables, and we established a communication with an
innkeeper in the town for our dinners. It cost each of us a little more
than two dollars per diem, which certainly is not extravagant, for we
must expect to pay more at such places, than where we are our own
masters. The _guardiano_ appointed to see that we observe the rules of
quarantine, is said usually to act also as a servant, and expects to
receive at the end of his imprisonment, for he is confined with the
travellers, some addition to his regular pay, but the one assigned to us
was a stupid old fellow, who would do nothing. Fortunately, my
companions had an Italian servant who was willing to do every thing.
Meanwhile we amused ourselves with reading, playing at chess, &c. Mr.
Calvert has been so good as to furnish us with books. It is amusing when
any body comes to visit us, (which amounts only to a conversation of a
few minutes at the entrance of the building) to see them shrink from us
if we happen to approach, lest we should incautiously touch them.
The quarantine at Malta for vessels from Turkey is of forty days; but
the king’s ships, and this packet, are let off for thirty, on the
assumption that they do not carry susceptible goods; and besides, the
time they are on the voyage is allowed as part of the quarantine. S. who
came here with Capt. Murray, as I have already said, left me a note, to
state that he had escaped quarantine by a miracle of San Tommaso. The
governor indeed, seems to use a dispensing power, which shows that he
does not think the quarantine regulations of much importance; indeed, in
many respects they must be deemed unreasonable, for I do not suppose
that there is a man in Malta so timid as to have abstained from
communication with us for fear of the plague, although what they
suffered from it must be still fresh in their memory. Just before that
disease made its appearance at Malta, a ship laden with old hospital
rags, (a curious cargo) left that island for England, having on board
some invalid officers; the ship sailed slowly, and before her arrival,
news had reached London that the plague had appeared in Malta; she was
consequently ordered into a quarantine for eighty days, but a
representation being made that such a confinement would probably prove
fatal to some of the officers who had come to England merely on account
of their health, all these were at once freed from restraint, but the
ship and crew had still to undergo their appointed time.
We gained our liberty on the 20th of June, and established ourselves at
a comfortable inn kept by an Englishman, who is also a tailor. Our first
occupation was to walk about the town. La Valetta, the principal
division, is a very handsome city, with straight streets, and large well
built stone houses; at least, they appear well built, but I am told the
mode of construction is very defective. Most of the houses have stone
balconies over the door, or in some part of the front, with bold
projections well supported. There is no want of material, for the whole
island is a rock of soft, coarse, limestone, of I believe, a very late
formation. It is of a good colour, and works easily, but yields to the
weather, and is not calculated for nice execution.
Zante looks like a place of importance after the miserable collections
of hovels called towns in Turkey, but there is more difference between
Malta and Zante, than between Zante and Patras. The streets, for the
south of Europe, are wide; they are very much up and down hill, and it
is probably owing to this circumstance that they are usually very clean.
Besides the balconies already mentioned to the larger houses, those of
all sizes have architraves to the windows and doors, with some
additional ornament to the latter, and a good cornice. The balcony
occurs sometimes only in the centre, at others it extends along the
whole front, and is not unfrequently repeated in the second story. I
know of nothing in England which will enable you to judge of the effect
of these bold and massive, but ornamental projections; our taste has run
so exclusively into the opposite and more economical side, that we seem
to have forgotten that simplicity without relief is mere tameness and
insipidity. We however, thus escape the reproach of having spent much
money in badly imagined ornaments, which is so often urged against the
Italians; but in spite of the bad taste, or perhaps rather of the bad
judgment, which frequently appears, we must still confess, that wherever
we can find a little space to distinguish the objects, the interior of
an Italian town is beyond comparison superior to that of an English one.
Bath has more the appearance of an Italian city, than any other town in
England; and in the greater width of the streets, and perhaps in the
more correct style of ornament, it has the advantage; the great defect
is the littleness both of the useful and ornamental parts.
The churches in Malta are handsome. That dedicated to St. John the
Baptist is the principal, and is also the one which pleases me the best.
The roof is a continued vault, and when I first visited it, the side
arches were covered by a tapestry of rich and handsome colours, leaving
only low, square openings underneath into the side aisles. This does not
sound well in description, yet it was certainly very handsome; and I
thought even better than when the arches were exposed, and I saw the
full height of the openings. The floor is composed of the very rich,
inlaid, marble tombstones of the knights, and the space is almost
filled: the walls of the side chapels are covered with gilt carving. In
one of these is a fine painting of St. John the Baptist, which may
probably be considered as the masterpiece of Mattia Prete (il
Calabrese), whose works are very frequent in this city. Here also are
some good paintings by Caracciuoli, a Neapolitan artist.
The Church of Sant Agostino is in the form of a Greek cross, and though
the arms are rather too long, and it is rather deficient in simplicity,
it is a light and elegant room.
The new Church of San Domenico pleases me in another way; by the size
and openness of the side aisles. Where this is effected without the
appearance of weakness, it is sure to please, and it is probably a
circumstance of this sort which has contributed to the reputation of two
very different buildings; the cathedral at Amiens, and the church of St.
Stephen, Walbrook.
The governor’s palace is a large, but not a handsome building; the
principal defect arises from the irregular disposition of the windows;
it has a large balcony at each angle of the principal face, and on each
of them a sort of glazed box, and this has a bad effect. These boxes
upon the balconies are very frequent in Malta. They are painted of a
gray or dull green colour, and do not rise so high as the windows behind
them. They might perhaps be admissible occasionally as a source of
variety, but are very injurious in a building which makes any pretence
to magnificence.
The front of this palace forms one side of the Piazza. Opposite to it is
the guard-house, with a handsome portico of Greek Doric, rather out of
its place amongst so much Corinthian work, and profuse ornament. Each
order is in itself capable of considerable variety of expression and
character, and it is better to avail oneself of this, than to introduce
another so completely different. A balustrade on the top serves to unite
this portico with the body of the building, but it forms an inharmonious
appendage to so severe an order. There is another Square on the flank of
the palace, one side of which is formed by a building which contains the
public library, and this is really a very fine structure. It presents a
range of seven arches on the ground plan, and as many windows above,
with half columns in the piers. These half columns are set in recesses,
which is not the best way of disposing them, but when the proportions
are good, the architect avoids by this means the appearance of weakness
below, or of too great weight above; evils always avoided with
difficulty, when a range of arches is employed to sustain a series of
single columns. The staircase of this building is very handsome, at
least the lower part of it, rising from a square vestibule with two
semicircular recesses.
[Illustration: Illustration of staircase]
The most magnificent staircase at Malta is in the Albergo of Castille. A
noble, single flight forms the lower part; this divides to the right and
left in two branches, up to the principal story. The ascent to the
second floor is continued laterally beyond the lower part, and not over
it; and where this disposition is practicable, a fine staircase is much
more easily obtained, than where the flights are repeated over one
another.
[Illustration: Illustration of staircase]
Instead of stuccoing the walls, the Maltese builders cover them with a
whitewash as thick as paste, and lay this over the mouldings as well as
on the plain surface, a plan destructive of all beauty of detail.
The village churches in Malta are remarkably fine, and one in particular
at Zeitun would merit minute examination. We see there, as in some
places in Italy, a range of lofty open arches, rising above the external
wall of the side aisles, to skreen the roof. The judgment is not
altogether satisfied with this piece of magnificence, because the idea
is excited, that it is intended in some measure to conceal the
construction, and it seems too much for such an object; yet the eye is
pleased. There is also a great deal of architecture in the private
houses in the villages. A decorated doorway, with a window on each side,
and a bold projecting balcony over it is the usual disposition.
Sometimes the house is continued above this, with a large arch opening
onto the balcony; sometimes the higher part of the edifice is set back,
and the balustrade of the balcony is continued in front of a terrace,
and in either case the appearance is very handsome, and the parts are
never crowded together. The fault of these villages is, that they have
nothing rural about them. The houses are placed close together, or at
least with few and small intervals, and one or two palm-trees, with a
few carobs, figs, or cactus, peeping above the stone wall, is all that
can be seen of vegetation.