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

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TRAVELS IN ASIATIC "TURKEY,
he wrote the Revelations; and after we had landed, we saw in
walking to the summit of the hill, the grotto in which he is said
to have composed them. We next visited the convent, which
has a resident bishop, with a considerable number of monks, and
in which is a college for the education of the young men of the
Greek persuasion. Over the gateway of the entrance are three
large bells; and the chapel within has a neat mosaic pavement. In
ascending the island the road winds considerably, and presents
otherwise great difficulties, insomuch that it cost us no little labour
to reach the summit. In those parts of the island which the inha-
bitants were able to cultivate, we saw several small fields, or
patches of corn, banked up with stones to prevent the soil from
being washed away by the rains: it appeared, however, that it was
capable of produ' ing but an inconsiderable quantity of grain.
The town, which contains about two hundred houses, all of
their provided with balconies, is, as well as the rest of the island,
inhabited exclusively by Greeks. The women are to the men in
the proportion of five to one. They are pretty ; and wear on their
heads a high turban of a peculiar form, made of white crape, a
narrow slip of which falls down behind, and nearly
reaches the
ground. The inhabitants procure sheep and cattle from the
neigh-
bouring islands, their own being so barren as to make but a scanty
return to the labour and industry they bestow upon it. It was very
late before we returned to the transport, extremely wearied with
our evening's excursion, and highly pleased, at the same time, at
the opportunity which had been afforded us to land on so celebra-
ted a spot.
Early in the morning of the 22d we weighed anchor, and sailed
with a steady and favourable wind at north-west, which, at a
quarter before three in the afternoon, conveyed
us to our anchor-
age off Stancho, a very beautiful and fertile island, abounding in
corn, fruits, and vegetables. Among the fruits which were in sea-
son, we saw, on our landing, grapes, figs, lemons and oranges in
abundance. We also met with capers, which grew wild, and required
no culture. Over the plains numerous flocks and herds were
dispersed.
After the usual ceremony of saluting the fort, we' waited on the
governor, who with great civility sent a person to aecompanv us to
the
gardens, in which we had a very agreeable walk, and were
conducted thence to the house of the late Capitan Pacha, the great
Hassan Pacha. In passing through the town, we saw several