PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. Ill 



That city was fituated on the fide of a 

 fteep and very high rocky mountain, where 

 the air is cool, fharp, and clear, which 

 muft have contributed to invigorate and 

 enable the fervants of this oracle to fu- 

 iiain the fatigue of fuch ftudies as were 

 necelTary to qualify them for keeping up 

 the credit they had acquired to their ora- 

 cle. 1 think that the ficuation muft have 



• contributed much to increafe the opinion 

 and devotion of thofe who went to con^ 

 fult it ; for, as it is fituated on the fide 



' of a craggy mountain, with fteep and 

 tremenduous precipices hanging over it, 

 and appears to the greateft advantage in 

 going into the town, thefe objecfls, feeing, 

 ingly frightful, added to the firm belief 

 of the prefence of a divinity, probably 

 ftruck awe and terror into the votaries 

 and helped to flrengthen every prejudice 

 in its favour. It highly juilifies the dif- 

 eernment of the perfon who chofe this 

 place to lodge his god. I remarked, that 

 the air on the tops of the rocks of Parnaf- 

 fus that are immediately above the town 

 aad fountain of Caftalio, was more re- 

 markably 



