of the Mediterranean. 263 



In May 1826, I found a good deal of fever among the Greek 

 troops at Athens ; but there were sufficient causes productive of 

 such distempers among them, without the aid of any malarious 

 breezes from the marshy Cephissus, or the swamps in the course 

 of the Ilyssus, towards the Pireus. 



At Sm^na^^Q winters are generally temperate, and the low- 

 est point of the thermometer observed by me, during the season 

 of 1826-7, by night as well as by day, in the open air, on board, 

 was not below 41° ; between which and the highest 72° ; there 

 were, however, many vicissitudes, both as to humidity and tem- 

 perature. The changes of weather are not so suddenly marked 

 here as among the Ionian islands, or on the coasts of Greece. 

 The influence of locality is also remarkable ; the south-east 

 wind having not much of the character of the Sirocco, and the 

 atmosphere, at the time, not being hazy, nor accompanied by 

 those sensations, which are felt during a Sirocco on the coasts of 

 Italy and Greece. As a general observation on the winter sea- 

 son of the year, there is less variation in the temperature and 

 hygrometry of the air than to the westward. The wet points 

 are south-west and west, and the difference of temperature be- 

 tween south-east and north is at times considerable. At the 

 greatest depression of temperature, catarrhal complaints prevail- 

 ed much on shore, as well as on board, and were attended, in 

 many cases, with much fever. The winds were then north-east 

 and east, in which direction the land in the distance was covered 

 with snow. 



In the month of October 1824, while visiting the coasts of 

 Asia Minor, and being off the Troades, some intermittents made 

 their appearance among the crew of the Euryalus, and I was 

 led to attribute them to local influences. The plains of old 

 Ilium are low and extensive, and at a short distance from the 

 beach is the marshy course of the Scamander ; and in the vici- 

 nity of the ruins, and more to the interior, is the wider and pa- 

 ludal course of the Simois; both of which are very probable sources 

 of febrific exhalations. The average temperature in the above 

 month on this part of the coast was 69"" on the main deck, arid 

 the weather was in general pleasant. 



The south and southeast shores of SicUy are liable to great 



