Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

302 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
•which a few goats and small cows browze, and pick up a scanty-
subsistence. There is, however, an excellent harbour for shipping,
with a good anchorage ground, and a constant supply of
fresh water, collected from the rains in tanks, or reservoirs, placed
at the foot or at the sides of the mountains. The island of Castel
Rosso is distant from Rhodes about eighty miles,
in an eastern di-
rection.
On the morning of the 5th the wind shifted to the eastward, and
afforded us a favourable opportunity to proceed to Rhodes, our des-
tined port ;
but our sails had been so much split and damaged by the
violence of the gales, that it required the whole of the day to re-
pair them. I landed, and went into the town, the streets of which
are the most extraordinary that can be imagined, consisting of narrow
passages cut out in the rock, which obliged us to ascend step
by step from one stone to another, in examining the different parts
of the town. The inhabitants had a healthy appearance, with very
agreeable features. Several caicks, and a vessel from Smyrna,
were at anchor in die bay.
We got under way on the 6th, at eight in the morning, with a
gentle breeze from the east, which died awav shortly after, and
left us becalmed nearly for the whole of the day between the island
and the land of Asia Minor. In the evening a westerly breeze
prung up, and we bore away. On the following morning the
wind blew from the north-east : we descried Rhodes soon after
day-light, distant from thirty to forty miles. We had fine weather
during the
day,
but from the scantiness of the wind made a
slow progress.
On the Sth the wind had changed to the north, so as to oblige
us to make frequent tacks. At half past one o'clock P. M. we an-
chored in the harbour of Rhodes, and immediately went on shore
to make our compliments to the governor. He paid us much at-
tention, and procured us a house for our residence during our stay
in the island. The habitation which he assigned to us was very
pleasantly situated in the Greek town. We returned, however,
on board in the evening, to land a part of our baggage.
On the morning of the Dth I visited the different quarters of the
town, which is of considerable extent. The houses are built of
a white free-stone, procured in abundance on the island, and are
very neat. The streets, which are kept in the nicest order, are very
prettily paved with marble pebbles brought from the beach, and dis-
posed with great taste. The inhabitants are a mixture of Turks K