230 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



been completed into northern Attica, is to be extended at once to 

 Thebes. This is sure to stimulate the rapid growth of the city as 

 the center of a very fertile plain ; the price of land is sure to rise 

 rapidly, and the experience of Athens is likely to be repeated there — 

 houses will be built over the remains of ancient Thebes, and system- 

 atic archeological excavations will soon be put out of the question. 

 A further consideration in this connection is that the digging of the 

 navvies for the railway is sure to bring to light much material and 

 many facts which would be of high value when combined with those 

 secured by the archeological explorations. 



I should like to write in detail with regard to the American exca- 

 vations at Corinth. These are the most important archeological 

 excavations in progress at present in Greece, and the}- have received 

 marks of higher appreciation from archeologists abroad than from 

 the public at home. Those who complete this work, naturally, will 

 receive the credit of it, and others would be very glad to continue the 

 explorations there, if the American School is obliged to abandon the 

 site. European archeologists believe the results attained at Corinth 

 to be large in comparison with the sum expended, which to the pres- 

 ent time I suppose to be about $15,000, which is only a fifth of that 

 expended at Ephesus, yet with as important scientific results. Exca- 

 vation is not the chief work of the American School at Athens, and 

 money for this work at Corinth has been secured with difficulty. 



Opportunities in Crete. 



In Crete, Miss Boyd's work certainly ought not to be allowed to 

 end before she considers it completed. She has achieved important 

 results with small means. She could not have done what she has if 

 she had not paid a large part of her own expenses and found helpers 

 who were ready to pay theirs. At Gurnia, last May, Dr. Dorpfeld 

 spoke highly of her work, but after the party reached the steamer 

 he called the company together and said that he should have spoken 

 more highly of the excavations on the spot if he had not understood 

 that it would be distasteful to Miss Boyd, who was present ; her 

 work "could not have been better done." Her explorations at 

 Gurnia are nearly completed. She would be glad, however, I am 

 assured, to make a thorough exploration of the route which passes 

 that town, from the northern to the southern shore of the island. 

 This route is only about 10 miles in length, and seems to have been 

 used in ver}^ ancient as well as in modern times ; it was used as a 



