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

J 06 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
named Coucekinch, is inhabited exclusively by Greeks ; and the
Jew& The former have a still more
other, Caudcley, by .
consi-
derable village, called Trcandah, situated nearer to the town, on
the western shore. In the environs of these villages much corn is
produced; and they are besides rendered very agreeable, as well by
rhe vineyards which are interspersed, as by the fine orange groves
belonging to many of the inhabitants of the town, who retire to
the villages during the warmer months, and also at those times
when the plague happens to be prevalent.
The Jiiram Courbam, which commenced on the J. '5th, was announced
at Rhodes by discharges from the guns of the fort. Wc
paid a visit to the governor, whose usage it is on this particular day
to receive the compliments of all the inhabitants of a certain rank
and description, who of course display all their finery, as is also
the custom with the inferior classes during this festival.
The inhabitants in general appear to live in great ease. The dress
of the lower class of Greeks,
as well in the town as in the villa-
ges, consists of a cotton garment, which has a very neat appearance.
This dress is not, however, to be seen in the villages unless
on Sundays and on days of festivity ;
on the working days a brown
jacket is worn, with untanned boots. The Greek women of this
class also wear a cotton dress; but those of the town distinguish
themselves from the female villages by the addition of a red vest
and petticoat. The head-dress, consisting
chiefs as before described, is extremely unbecoming.
of coloured handker-
On the vest
three
large
roses of plated metal are worn, placed one above the
other. The Greeks of the superior classes, whether males or fe-
males, are habited nearly in the same way as those in the Christian
suburbs of the Turkish capital.
I rode on the 14th to the village of Trcandah, and observed the
inhabitants busied in preparing the land for the cotton, which is
cultivated very successfully on the island. Among the vegetable
productions I noticed beans of an excellent quality, together with
artichokes, cabbages, and cauliflowers, all good in their kinds. In
general the cultivated grounds are very rich.
On the nth, we made an engagement with the Reis, or captain,
of a caick, to convey us to Constantinople, which he would not
consent to do for a less sum than eight hundred and fifty piastres
(more than sixty pounds English). We bound him down, however,
to touch at the different islands of the Archipelago, which
ttr were desirous to visit.