1832.] The Poriote Doctor. 675 



aback at this intelligence, and begged for time, in order, as he said, that he 

 might find out the thief ; this being granted, he set out immediately, 

 while we sat down to the discussion of a famous " soupe au lait," prepared 

 by Papa Clement. In about an hour Barba Nicola returned, with a face 

 in which importance had almost mastered the look of cunning with which 

 nature had so liberally gifted it. As he ascended the ladder that led to 

 our chamber, he called out to some person following, " Copiasete exako- 

 tate copinsetf apano." At last Barba Nicola entered, followed by an indi- 

 vidual whom he pompously announced as his excellency Doctor Papatho- 

 polo, head physician of the island of Poros. 



Those who have seen the " anatomic vivante" and those only, can 

 form an adequate idea of the total absence of any thing like flesh under 

 the shrivelled skin of the illustrious Doctor Papathopolo. His unclothed 

 legs, like two bits^of bam boo arising from out of a pair of black papoushes* 

 were met at the' knees by an article, that I can only translate " breeches," 

 but the only point in which it will bear a comparison with that exclusively 

 European tegument, is in its appropriation to the same uses. This gar- 

 ment, extending from the knees to the waist in length, and being about 

 six yards in breadth, formed a contrast by no means advantageous to the 

 thin yellow legs of his excellency; his waist, after the fashion of the 

 Greeks, was as tightly bound up as possible by a tattered red silk sash. 

 A close Zantiote vest, surmounted by a white sheep-skin jacket, invested 

 his upper man, and his head was thatched by a round Frank hat. Long 

 black lustreless elf locks streamed down his shoulders, and some half 

 dozen hairs were left on each upper lip a caricature on the generally 

 handsome mustachios of his countrymen. Doctor Papathopolo, on 

 making his entree, " grinned horribly a ghastly smile," and taking off his 

 Frank hat, flourished it round his head as an Emeralder would his alpeen. 

 I saluted the Esculapian with a " proskino sets kerie," one of the few 

 Greek phrases I possessed ; the man of physic drew himself up and 

 assumed an air of injured pride. Barba Nicola then informed me that 

 the worthy doctor was never addressed by any other title than that of your 

 excellency. I amended my speech by adding the exacted " exakotate,,'" 

 and the offended dignitary was conciliated ; he returned my salute by 

 placing his right hand over his heart, giving another flourish of his beaver, 

 and " kale mera sas," " kale sas emera" said I. After replacing his much 

 cherished hat, he, without further ceremony, sat himself down on the 

 floor, and produced his rosary, a plaything hardly any Greek is without. 

 Barba Nicola then furnished him with a tchibouque and a smalt cup of 

 Mocha. While we were deliberating as to the expediency of kicking his 

 excellency down the trap, he suddenly demanded who had been robbed -, 

 which was the first intimation we received of the object of his visit. 

 Kleber then stepped forward, and I informed the doctor that he was the 

 person; he then requested the description of the articles stolen. He was as 

 minute in his enquiries as an Old Bailey counsel examining a prosecutor, 

 but fortunately Kleber was enabled to give him satisfactory answers. His 

 excellency, then getting up his smoke, inhaled enough to stifle half a 

 dozen Europeans, and opening his lean jaws to their fullest extent, suffered 

 it gradually to exhale from his mouth and nostrils ; this ceremony being 

 ended by an energetic puff, he put his hand beneath his girdle and 

 slowly and separately produced the missing property, watch, keys, and 

 purse, from which last had been abstracted a dollar, which, said his 

 excellency, raising his hand to his lips, had been expended by the " kai- 



