Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833

PETRIFIED GARDEN. After remaining for a few minutes suspended from the cord, like a cluster of bees in the act of swarming, we again found ourselves on terra firma; and a passage behind some masses of projecting rock brought me to a platform, in front of which rose a stalagmite, admirably adapted by its position for the display of my fireworks. Accordingly I let off a blue-light, which illuminated the grotto beneath, the arches of which were of immense size; and their vast ribs, protruding from the rock, and extending to a great height, formed a magnificent dome, from which hung innumerable concretions of pointed form. Masses of crystallised limestone grew from the floor in every shape that fancy could picture. There were trees, teeth, flowers, houses, men, &c.: in short, imagination never could exhaust itself in pointing out resemblances between these phenomena, and the ordinary productions of nature and art.

The predominance of the figures of trees, plants, and flowers among these fantastical creations, gives to the whole grotto the appearance of a petrified garden; but it was no slight drawback on our gratification to find these objects covered with slime and mud, obscuring the brilliant ever-changing hues of the myriads of crystals with which they are studded, and which former travellers have alluded to in terms of admiration. It was only when the blue flame shed its beautiful light upon the scene, that it at all realised my preconceived ideas of this "Palace of the genii, the most beautiful of fairy land," as it has been frequently styled.

By a ladder fastened to the stalagmite, we descended into another frightful cavern, where on one side several dismal-looking pits, like the entrances to coal mines, and black pools of dirty, stagnant water, menaced us with death under a twofold aspect, until we reached the uneven and shelving floor of the grotto. There were several chambers, more or less resembling each other, being separated from the grand nave of this magnificent temple by the accumulation of the crystallising mass for ages.

DESCRIPTION BY A NAVAL OFFICER. It is a scene that ought to be visited by a few congenial spirits, quietly and leisurely. On the present occasion the effect and the illusion were dissipated by the glare of the torch lights, the hallooing and screaming of those present, and the thumping of hammers and blocks of stone to get fragments of the crystal. This part of the grotto is certainly the heaven, the paradise; though, of a truth, the descent into it is through purgatory; an opinion in which I am by no means singular; and in confirmation I shall beg leave to introduce a portion of the narrative of a gallant officer belonging to one of our vessels cruising in the Levant, who saw the grotto under more favourable auspices than we did; though, like the poor Frenchman, whom I shall have occasion to mention hereafter, he acknowledges that he purchased the gratification at the cost of some mortal terror.

MAGNIFICENT PASSAGE. Speaking of the deepest and most gloomy of the caverns into which we had penetrated, he says: – "I was quite disheartened at this horrible prospect, and declared I would go back, but our guides assured us there was no danger, and the rest of the company resolving to see the bottom after having come so far, I would not leave them: so we went to a corner where was placed an old slippery rotten ladder, which hung down close to the wall, and down this, one after another, we at length descended. When we reached the bottom we found ourselves at the entrance of another passage, which was indeed horrible enough; but in this there was not wanting something of beauty. It was a wide and gradual descent, at the entrance of which one of our guides seated himself, and began to slide down, telling us we must do the same. We could discover by the light of his torch that this passage was one of the noblest in the world. It was about nine feet high, seven wide, and had for its bottom a fine green glossy marble. The walls and arch of the roof, being in many places as smooth as if wrought with art, and made of a fine glittering red and white granite, supported here and there with columns of a deep blood red shining porphyry, made with the reflection of the lights an appearance not to be conceived. Our guides could here keep on each side of us; and what with the prodigious beauty and grandeur of the place, our easy travelling through it, and the diversion of now and then running over one another whether we would or not, made this the pleasantest part of the journey.

EXCESSIVE TERROR. "When we had passed about two hundred yards, we found ourselves on the brink of another very terrible precipice; but this our guides assured us was the last, and there being a very good ladder to go down by, we readily ventured. After about forty yards' walking, we were again presented by our guides with ropes, which we fastened around our waists, though not to be swung by; but only for fear of danger, as there are lakes and deep wells all the way hence on the left hand. With this precaution, we entered the last alley; and horrible work, indeed, it was to get through it. The sides and roof of the passage were of black stone, and the rocks in our way were in some places so steep, that we were forced to lie all along on our backs and slide down; and so rough, that they cut our clothes and bruised us in passing. Over our heads there were nothing but rugged black rocks, some of them looking as if they were every moment ready to fall on us; and on the left hand the light of our torches showed us continually the surfaces of dirty and miserable-looking lakes of water.

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GUIDES. "If I heartily repented my expedition before, here I was in a cold perspiration, and fairly gave myself up for lost, heartily cursing all the travellers that had written of the place, because they had described it so as to tempt people to visit it, without telling them of the horrors they must encounter in the way. In the midst of these reflections, and in the very dismallest part of the cavern, on a sudden we lost four of our six guides. What was my horror on this occasion! The place was a thousand times more dark and terrible for the want of their torches; and I expected no other but every moment to follow them into one or the other of these lakes, into which I doubted not they had fallen. The remaining two guides said all they could to cheer us up, and told us we should see the other four again soon, and that we were near the end of our journey. I do not know what effect this might have had on my companions, but I believed no part of their speech but the last, which I expected very soon to find fulfilled in some pond or precipice: in that sense, indeed, we were near our journey's end!

SPLENDID TRANSITION. "While engaged in meditating on the perils that environed me, I suddenly heard a little hissing noise, and found myself in utter and indescribable darkness. Our guides, indeed, called cheerfully to us, and told us they had accidentally dropped their torches into a puddle of water, but that they should soon reach their companions, when they would light them again, and we had nothing to do but crawl forward. I cannot say but that I was amazed at the courage of these people in a place where I thought four of their number had already perished, and from whence none of us could ever escape; and I determined to lie down and die where I was.

"One of our guides, perceiving that I did not advance, came up to me, and, clapping his fingers over my eyes, dragged me a few paces forward. While I was in this strange condition, expecting every moment death in a thousand shapes, and trembling to think what the fellow meant by this rough proceeding, he lifted me at once over a great stone, set me down upon my feet, and took his hand from before my eyes. What words can describe my astonishment and transport at that instant! Instead of darkness and despair, all was splendour and magnificence around me; the place was illumined with fifty torches; and our guides, who all reappeared about us, with a loud shout welcomed us to the Grotto of Antiparos! The four that were first missing, I now found, had only given us the slip to get the torches lighted up before we came; and the other two had put out their lights on purpose, to make us enter out of utter darkness into this pavilion of splendour and glory.

DIMENSIONS OF THE GROTTO. "The grotto is a cavern of about 120 yards wide, 113 long, and seems about 60 yards high in most places. Imagine, then, an immense arch like this, almost entirely lined with fine bright white marble, and the mind will then acquire some faint idea of the place I had the pleasure to spend three hours in: this, however, is but a very insufficient description of its beauties. The roof, which consists of a fine vaulted arch, is hung all over with icicles of fine white marble, some of them ten feet long, and as thick as one's middle at the root; and among these there hung a thousand festoons of leaves and flowers of the same substance, but so very glittering that there was no bearing to look at them. All the sides of the arch are planted with the representations of trees of the same white crystal, rising in rows one above the other. From these trees were also hung festoons, tied, as it were, from one to another, in vast quantities; and in some places among them are seen rivers of marble flowing in a thousand meanders. All these things have been produced, during a long series of years, by the dropping of water, but really look like petrified trees and brooks. Our guides had tied torches two or three to a pillar, and kept continually beating them to make them burn bright: imagine, then, what a glare of splendour and beauty must be the effect of this illumination among such rocks and columns of marble. All around the lower part of the sides of the arch are a thousand white masses of crystal, in the shape of oak trees, which are in many places large enough for a bedchamber. One of these chambers has a fine white curtain, whiter than satin, of the same marble, stretching all over the front of it. In this we cut our names and the date of the year."

TERRIFIED FRENCHMAN. I shall not dwell upon our return, though it was, if possible, more laborious and difficult than the descent. Just as I had got upon the first ladder and my white light was extinguished, there arose the most shrill and piercing shriek I ever remember to have heard, followed by loud exclamations of "Sauvez moi! sauvez moi! je suis perdu!" It immediately occurred to me that some unfortunate creature had fallen into the abyss; and, lowering my torch, I beheld a figure convulsively grasping the rock with one hand and the ladder with the other; while a Greek, who stood underneath, was endeavouring to force him onwards. There he hung, in perfect safety, though unable to assist himself; trembling like an aspen leaf, pale as death, and crying like a child. After we had drawn him up, he sat down for some time, to recover his scattered senses; and, positively, I could hardly refrain from laughing as he made his piteous complaint. It seems, without reflecting that the man did not understand a word of French, he had charged the Greek, who followed him, not to get upon the ladder until he was off. Just, however, as his hand was on the last step, he felt some one climbing after him. The poor Frenchman's terror was then at its height: he fancied the ladder slipping from under his feet, and, grasping the wood still more tightly, in doing so he got his finger pinched against the rock. In the exertion of releasing it, he nearly overbalanced himself in reality, and again he screamed out with terror and dismay! All this occurred in a brief instant; though, between his tears and his heart throbbing, many minutes were consumed in the narration.

A HINT FOR THE LADIES. I am not a little surprised that the two ladies who accompanied the party had courage to descend into such a place. In my opinion, excursions like these are by no means adapted to either the mental or corporeal delicacy of the fair sex; and, however disagreeable the position might have momentarily proved to them, it was impossible to witness the tall slender figure of one of them, grasped in the arms of a bearded swarthy Greek, now squeezed against the wall, now almost astride upon his shoulders, without indulging in the laughter such a spectacle was well calculated to inspire.

Thanks to the kind influence of the guardian genii of the cave, who preserved us from falling victims to the perils of the way, we all got safely out; and as each, begrimed with dirt, and black as a chimney-sweep, emerged into upper air, enveloped in smoke, which now issued in huge volumes from the cavern's mouth, he was received by his companions with shouts of mirth that made the old vault echo again. Verily, we could be likened to nothing but the devils in the opera of Don Giovanni.

We now turned our steps again towards the village of Antiparos, and, under the influence of those potent stimulants, hunger and thirst, got over the ground more rapidly than might have been anticipated, considering how exhausted the whole party felt previously to starting. The time passed rapidly enough in the interchange of a good deal of lively and amusing raillery on the truly laughable appearance which every individual presented, with clothes rent almost to tatters, and visage bedaubed with oil and soot; besides, each of us became the "hero of his little tale," and could narrate a hundred perilous incidents and hairbreadth escapes which he had encountered during his descent and ascent from the "antres vast" of this extraordinary place.

It was eleven o'clock before we got on board, where all did ample homage to the breakfast that awaited us.

PORT OF MILO. In the meantime the boat quitted the island, and after sailing between Serpho and Siphanto, and coasting along the Argentiera, all volcanic islands, she came in sight of the port of Milo. By properly fortifying the entrance of this harbour, it might be rendered perfectly impregnable. In shape it resembles a horse-shoe much contracted at the two extremities; and consists of the crater of an extinct volcano, the cone of which remains on three sides, but more or less in a state of degradation. The town is built on the top of the cone, and the whole island appears to be volcanic. In our passage here, we sailed by the Pelican sloop of war, bound to Malta, on her voyage home.

WARLIKE MOUNTAINEERS. Tuesday, 9th.– Early this morning, the Madagascar came in, in fine style, with every sail set, and anchored close to us. After bathing in the sea with the midshipmen, by leaping off the vessel's chains, the King of Greece landed, to go up to the town. The Greek soldiers and sailors, most of whom were pirates formerly, hailed his disembarkation on an old Turkey carpet, with shouts and acclamations, followed by a discharge of their long guns loaded with ball; several of which plunged into the water within a few feet of the steam-boat.

When all was quiet we went ashore also, and landed on the snow-white beach, formed of pumice stone, which sparkled in the sun's rays like myriads of diamonds, and in which several large masses of grey lava, exceedingly fragile, lay deeply imbedded.

ANECDOTE. In the paltry collection of wine-shops, here dignified with the name of village, we saw a number of Greeks waiting the return of Otho: each wore a gaily coloured kerchief on the head; an embroidered jacket; a shawl encircling the waist; red greaves; a dirk; and a long gun, ornamented with gold, slung over the shoulder. Their wild fearless demeanour struck me as more characteristic of the freebooter, than the soldier of a regular government. Yet seldom have I seen more elegant graceful figures than were possessed by these mountain robbers, whose robust symmetry rendered each one of them a perfect model for the sculptor's art.

I went on board the Madagascar in the evening, and enjoyed a pleasant confab with the officers. There is a striking difference in the tempers and dispositions of the two royal brothers; the one being greatly beloved, while the other is disliked by every person in the ship. The King is very kind and affable, giving no unnecessary trouble, and mixing freely with the midshipmen and sailors: many a luncheon has he partaken of in the den of the former. His brother, on the contrary, is all fuss and superciliousness; and the very first morning after he embarked, the captain was compelled to read him a practical lecture on the necessity of complying with the established regulations. He had been told that, as punctuality was a most indispensable maxim on board a man-of-war, where every thing depended on the example afforded to the sailors by their officers and superiors, he would be expected at breakfast by eight o'clock every morning.

PARTING OF THE ROYAL BROTHERS. On the following day, at the hour prescribed, the King was seated at the cabin table, and, after waiting a quarter of an hour, as the Prince came not, breakfast was finished. About half past nine his Royal Highness made his début, and expressed some surprise at seeing the table cleared; however, the Captain told him he was sorry he had lost his breakfast, particularly as it was a long time to dinner; and the regulations of the ship precluded his having any meal served before that was ready. The Prince frowned and looked marvellously discomfited; but, pocketing his lecture, he made an apology, and went sulkily on deck.

The moment of parting between the royal brothers had now arrived, and they came on board the steamer together at a late hour. The anchor was already up: – "Give way!" cried the captain: the heir of Bavaria and the hope of Greece fell into each other's arms; and, after a short embrace and a kissing of each cheek, the latter hurried down the ladder; the Prince hastened to his cabin; and in a few minutes more we were merrily ploughing our way through the rippling waves of the calm and beautiful harbour of Milo.

Wednesday, 10th.– Cerigo was in sight this morning; and, after coasting along its almost uninhabited shore, and rounding Cape Matapan, we entered the Gulf of Coron, – the scene of one of the most beautiful spirit-stirring poems that ever proceeded from the heaven-inspired pen of Byron. We sailed slowly along its wild and wooded coast, anxious to reach the town21 of the same name in the evening; for, by going on shore there, we might probably avoid some days' quarantine at Zante.

When off the island, a boat was sent ashore, and on its return we started again, and, passing between the Isle of Venetico and the main land, and rounding the point of Modon, we kept the high and barren coast of Arcadia in sight.

ZANTE. Thursday, 11th.– This morning Zante appeared in the distance, and about mid-day we entered the harbour of this fine island. The interior is a beautiful plain, rich in pastures, well wooded, and cultivated with the greatest assiduity. The town looked clean and cheerful: but we were not permitted to land; for it turned out that our quarantine had been of no use. Seven additional days' purification being required, we decided on starting again immediately. Several barge loads of coal, therefore, were brought alongside, and, their crews having quitted them (for they fled as if the plague had been actually on board), our men got to work, and we soon had our quantum of fuel for the voyage to Malta.

Friday, 12th.– We landed ten passengers to-day; four of them British officers belonging to the garrison of Corfu; and the other six, disgusted with the boat, and with the prospect of twenty days' detention at Malta, had resolved to await the steamer expected in six days from the former place, and bound to Ancona, where they understood the quarantine was limited to five days.

SEA SICKNESS. The swell becoming unpleasant towards evening, one by one the passengers went below; and the Prince, turning gradually pale, showed unequivocal symptoms of being affected by a malady which, like death, is no respecter of persons, but fastens indifferently on the sceptred monarch and the shoeless cowherd, when either ventures to go "ploughing the billows of the faithless deep."

We took in two English passengers who had been making the tour of Greece and Asia Minor, and who strongly advised the seceders not to trust to the expected boat, but to stick to the Francesco. However; as they still remained obstinately bent on following their own plans, we left them, and were soon out in the Ionian Sea.

VALETTA. Sunday, 14th.– At four o'clock this morning, the mountains of Calabria, above Branco and Cape Spartivento, were visible. About seven, Ætna reared its giant head, towering magnificently over the scene through the clouds of mist that enveloped its base. At half-past two we entered the harbour of Syracuse, after a few hours' delay, started again in a gale. We had a very rough time of it during the night, but to-morrow our troubles will end.

Monday, 15th.– At daybreak a speck was seen in the horizon; now it is visible above the hollow wave, now curtained from our sight by the swelling billow: we approach nearer; the speck divides, and two spots appear; they are Calypso's Isles, —

"The sister tenants of the middle deep,There, for the weary, still a haven smiles,Though the fair goddess long hath ceased to weep."

LAZZARETTO. At ten o'clock we passed into the quarantine harbour.

What a formidable array of guns! what bustle in every direction! and what a clean comfortable-looking place is this Valetta, with its white houses encircled with verandas. What a contrast is afforded by the neat trim boats, the well-appointed sentinel, and the civil, attentive officer of health, when compared with what I have been so long accustomed to! Every thing around bespeaks the influence of English habits and feelings. The whole of the great lazzaretto and Fort Emanuel were prepared for us: the latter for the Prince, and such as chose to go there in preference to the former. We landed in a hurry; the object of every one being to secure a good room for himself, as, with a piece of chalk in hand, he wandered through the vast corridors of this immense building. All were well satisfied. Myself and two friends agreed to mess together, and we secured a couple of good apartments, one for a bed, and the other for a sitting-room; to which two great comforts were attached, namely, a thorough draught and a kitchen. Valetta supplied the necessary furniture, and every luxury we required; and we made our engagements for getting our dinners brought from thence daily. With a boat and a servant in addition to these comforts, we found ourselves established in so agreeable a manner, that our party became the envy of the surrounding messes. Every liberty was permitted that the regulations of the place could sanction; and we were allowed to row about the harbour, and amuse ourselves in any other way we liked, from daybreak until night. Some of the messes had regular cooks in their establishment; but I think our plan was preferable, and we certainly lived better than they.

DAYS OF QUARANTINE. Notwithstanding the heat of the weather, our domicile was cool, and the spacious apartments attached to the building, and the cloisters below, afforded plenty of space for exercise. In the evenings we generally visited the fort, or went to the quarantine ground on the other side of the water: sometimes we took a row out to sea; and, on our return, the English portion of the crew generally came into our reception room, where we smoked, drank, and sang far into the night. No musquitoes, no little blood-sucking tormentors, were there to tease us; and the time passed gaily and delightfully. Thus we held the even tenor of our course for a fortnight, when our confinement had virtually expired; for though the established period of quarantine was sixteen days, yet the one on which we went into the lazzaretto, and that on which we came out, were allowed to count as two. Though very few incidents occurred to break the uniformity of our lives, the time flew on rapidly.

The gaming-table was established, as usual, by the foreigners; and heavy were the fluctuations of fortune, if we might judge from the changeful demeanour of those who frequented it. His Royal Highness never deigned to visit us; indeed, it could hardly be expected he should do so, when he did not even condescend to pay his respects to the ladies in the fort, or the party there established, though living within the same walls as himself.

THE PARLATORIO.In consequence of its having been decided that the boat was to go to Alicata, Girgenti, and Palermo, I arranged with one of the passengers to take a felucca and sail direct for Naples. The Pelican came in, and immediately went off again to England, leaving her first lieutenant, who was promoted, to join the boat for Naples. Some portion of every day was spent at the parlatorio eating ices, and looking at the curious scene going forward there; for some fresh ship daily arrived to undergo the same ordeal as ourselves; or a knot of lucky fellows, having finished their purgatory, were seen sallying forth to enjoy a ramble through the clean and pleasant streets of Valetta.