marked by Monf. Chevalier as Rheteum, took the adjoined view from the barrow, fuppofed the tomb of Ajax. * Of thefe tombs I will fay more in a subsequent Section. In the mean time the reader cannot but observe the flat low form of the plain in this part, and the long promontories, which the river has formed by the constant accretion of fand and mud at its mouth. From hence. we croffed over low hills and a narrow vale, now called the vale of Thimbrek, in which we cannot but recognize the Thymbra of Homer and Strabo. We paffed near Halil Eli, a small Turkish village, and then by the other village of Tchiblak. The plain, which had hitherto extended below us on the right, now turning eastward lay before us at our feet. The hills to the left form a a beautiful and gay scene, covered with verdure and wood. The foil here has loft its marfhy nature, and is rich and fruitful gwa. The river which we had already croffed in the morning, rolled along at the foot of these beautiful hills, which terminate the plain a little above. Beyond this point the course of the river is confined between high romantic precipices. Having croffed it we afcended the oppofite hill to the village of Bounarbachi, where we paffed the night. The morning after this our first object was to examine the nature of the fountains below the village, from which we took the adjoined view. The cold spring gushes out from four or five crevices at the foot of the rock, which forms the foreground of this picture. At the fmall distance here delineated another fpring rifes, which, at the time I was there,t was of confiderable warmth. Its waters are even now received into a marble bafon, like thofe of Homer's Scamander, and in that NOTES. * See Chevalier on the Plain of Troy, p. 102 and 106. On the Rhæteum and the tomb of Ajax. † November 13, 1794 part part of the bafon where the water enters, the temperature is fcarcely of less heat than that of the warm spring at Bristol. The Turks who had attended us from Bounarbachi, confirmed the affertion of Chevalier, that the water was confiderably warmer during froft, and steamed very vifibly. If this was the Scamander, then the Scean gate was near the springs, but I shall say more of this, when I come to confider the fituation of the city. After examining what related to the city, we followed the courfe of this ftream, riding along the foot of the hills which bound the plain to the fouth and weft. The warın and cold fprings very foon unite their waters, and roll along in the plain with a beautifully clear current. At the foot of the hills below Erkiffiqui, the plain becomes marshy, and is overgrown with fedges and rushes; defcending thence into the plain we croffed the Scamander over a bridge, which we had before paffed in coming from Alexandria. The river here after winding through the marsh changes its course, and runs down a valley on the left in a perfectly straight canal. The ground on each side of this canal is thrown up, and affords the clearest conviction of its having been the work of art.* From hence, therefore, guided by Chevalier, we attempted to trace the ancient channel: A winding bed, in which some water still trickles when the Scamander is full, immediately caught our eye; it is of the fame fize with the adjoining part of the stream where it branches off, and by following the windings of its banks we arrived foon after at those of the larger river, into which it has formerly fallen. At and below the conflux, marfh myrtles, ofiers, and aquatic plants, grow in abundance: I have already noticed the NOTE. See Chevalier, page 24. high |