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

322
TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURICEV,
appearance. Many fragments of plain and fluted columns, with
other remnants of architectural ornaments, are to be seen in the
pavements, walls, and houses-, and many others lie scattered in different
parts of the town, to attest the ancient existence of the
handsome edifices which stood on its site. It seems to be univer-
sally agreed that the town of Castro, or Mitylene, was built, on
the ruins of the celebrated city of Lesbos.
With the exception of grapes and figs, there are but few fruits
cultivated in the environs of Castro. In the gardens, in which the
cypress and terebintha trees are planted for ornament, we saw an
inconsiderable quantity of oranges. The town is supplied with
Water of a good quality by the means of aqueducts.
We were desirous of
proceeding on our voyage on the 7th but
;
the preceding night having been
stormy, with much lightning and
rain, and the wind still blowing very fresh from the northward, our
Reis did not think it prudent to quit the port.
This tempestuous weather continued without intermission until
the 10th, and afforded us sufficient leisure to amuse ourselves in
the town of Castro, and in its environs. On the morning of that
day, the weather being fine, and the breeze moderate, we sailed ;
but were overtaken in the evening by a strong gale from the north,
which raised so high a sea that our little vessel had some diffi-
culty in struggling with the waves. In the passage between the
island of Mitylene and Cape Baba, on the side of the main land,
there is a sunken rock at nearly mid distance, of which our Reis
was under some apprehension.
About eleven o'clock at night we
supposed we had cleared this rock, and left it on the larboard quarter,
keeping close in with the main land. In the course of the
night we cleared Cape Baba, on the coast of Anadolia, the island
of Tenedos being in
sight, distant about thirty miles, at the dawn
of day.
The wind being to the north-east on the morning of the 1 1th,
we were prevented from steering for Tenedos, as we had intended,
and were obliged
to bear away in the direction of the main land.
We at length came to anchor nearly opposite to the island, at a lit-
tle distance from Esca Stamboul, where we perceived the ruins of
an extensive palace, fronting the sea, with a capacious arch, or
gate-way, for its entrance. We landed, and noticed among the
trees a considerable number of dwarf oaks, interspersed amidst ex-
cellent pasturage grounds for cattle.