Captain Beaufort was, I believe, the first to make a regular survey of these shores, and his researches extended along the whole coast of Caramania. Lieutenant Graves, in the "Beacon," succeeded him, and for several years has been, not only engaged in making charts of the shores of Asia Minor and Greece, but he and his able assistants have extended their surveys several miles into the interior, and lately published numerous splendid military maps, of one inch to the mile, which are, I believe, the first of the kind ever made of a part of the world, still so little known, that even in a channel as much frequented as that between Tenedos and the main land, on the first arrival of the fleet at Busheeka Bay, one of the line of battle ships ran ashore on a shoal which was not marked down in her charts, and although she got off without injury, had rough weather intervened, the accident might have been attended with the most serious consequences. Lieutenant Graves was immediately sent for, and during the summer completed an excellent survey of the whole coast to the mouth of the Dardanelles and adjoining country, together with the soundings, etc., and the "Beacon"

was now on her way back to winter at Malta, touching at the Piræus, to complete an unfinished survey in the island of Negropont, and of the neighbouring continent of Greece.

Besides his usual complement of enlightened and scientific officers, Lieutenant Graves had on board Dr. Forkhammer; a German professor of the deepest erudition, who had been, during the summer, engaged in making observations on the plain of Troy, which, when published, will no doubt tend to throw much light on that so frequently discussed subject.

Passing successively-on emerging from the bay of Smyrna-the range of Mount Mimos, Cape Kara Bornou, the islands of Scio and Ipsara-so well known as the scenes of the dreadful massacres which took place during the war of independence-we, the 28th September, entered Mendré Bay, on the coast of Attica; purporting there to ride out the remainder of our quarantine, of which the third day had already elapsed.

Mendré Bay is a height on the north of Cape Colonna, opposite the Island of Helena, so called because it was, according to Strabo, the first halting-place of Paris and Helen after their flight from Sparta, though others say

that it was at this spot that Menelaus stopped with his frail spouse, on his return after the siege of Troy. The coast has a rocky, and at this time of the year a barren appearance, and we could see from the ship two or three deserted cottages the remains of what appeared to have been an amphitheatre,—but no signs of inhabitants. It is a common thing for ships to take refuge here on being baffled by northerly winds in their passage through the straits of the Daro; and it was at this identical spot that, a couple of months before, as we were beating through that channel in the "Powerful," we first beheld the "Beacon" snugly moored under the lee of the land.

Quarantine is ever a tiresome ordeal, yet we managed to kill time pretty well until the evening of the 3rd October, when we got under weigh, doubled Cape Sunium, and, after a passing glance at the magnificent remains of the celebrated Temple of Minerva, found ourselves, next morning, in the land-locked port of the Piræus, and in hopes of enjoying immediate pratique. Judge, then, of our disappointment and dismay, on being informed that in consequence of a new regulation, and of our not having made our appearance until the

"eleventh hour," we should have the benefit of being in durance vile for a further period of four days. Nothing could exceed the vexation of such a delay, after having laid to our souls the flattering unction of a speedy emancipation. Although very annoying, there being no remedy, we were fain to look sorrowfully from our floating prison, on the spreading and classical beauties around us; and as we beheld the island of Salamis, Mount Hymettus, and the sacred Acropolis, we thought of Themistocles, Aristides, and Pericles, d-d the quarantine authorities, and invoked the shade of Socrates to enable us to bear with philosophy our hard doom.

ATHENS.

263

CHAPTER XIV.

The Piræus-Approach to Athens-Bavarian soldiersTheir head-dress-Costume of the Greeks-Greek women-Their deficiency in personal attractions— The palace Classic fragments-The ParthenonRuins of the Acropolis-Colonel Leake-Troops in Athens Their uniform-Military manœuvresHymettus In time to be too late-PatrasCastle-Bay of Patras-Bavarian government— Hostile feeling manifested by it towards EnglandEnd of the cruise.

"Ancient of days! August Athena! where, Where are thy men of might? thy grand in soul? Gone-glimmering through the dream of things that

were:

First in the race that led to glory's goal

They won-and pass'd away-is this the whole?
A schoolboy's tale, the wonder of an hour!
The warrior's weapon and the sophist's stole

Are sought in vain, and o'er each mouldering tower
Dim with the mist of years, gray flits the shade of
power."
BYRON.

THE termination of our quarantine at last approached, and it may be imagined how