618 
to this island, or be more welcome, than a 
tax upon goats, which would gradually 
clear it of this curse ; and instead of them, 
introduce sheep, which are less mischievous 
to trees, and more easily feneed out.”’ 
“ Tt is not to be supposed that the whole 
Of the peasants keep goats, and that the 
gentlemen alone possess the land, and suffer ; 
this is by no means-the case; it is, generally 
speaking, the idle part of the community 
that keep goats, while the small portion of 
land that they possess is left unattended to ; 
and their more industrious neighbour, who 
turns his ground to account, suffers from 
the trespass. Almost all the peasants of 
Cefalonia possess some land themselves, 
or have the “right of Iabour” on the pro- 
perty of some more wealthy neighbour ; 
that is to say, the peasant has the right to 
cultivate the ground, and the produce is 
divided, in certain proportions between him 
and the proprietor of the land: now all 
those men who cultivate the soil, whether 
rich or poor, suffer from the goats; indeed 
the trespass is more injurious to the poor 
man than to the rich; the destruction of a 
vineyard being ruin to the first, and only a 
partial loss to the last.” 
Description of the district of Aracli, or 
Heraclea.—* The valley of Heraclea, or, as 
it is vulgarly caJled, Aracli, appears to me 
to be about six miles in length, and two 
broad in some parts, in others less than one 
hundred yards. Itis bounded on the west, 
by the Black Mountain; on the east, by a 
ridge running along the coast on the 
northern extremity of which are the fie 
ruins of the ancient city of Samos ; on the 
north, Heraclea is bounded by a coinecting 
height, which unites the eastern ridge to 
the Black Mountain, of which it is a 
branch ; on the sowth, the valley is closed 
by avery high conical mountain, on the 
summit of which are Cyclopianruins. The 
valley of Heraclea receives the waters flow- 
ing from all these mountains, which measure 
from two to five thousand feet above the 
level of the sea. A small river of fine 
water flows from a deep lake in the moun- 
tain, Which forms the northern ~boundary, 
and, in its course through the valley, turns 
a number of picturesque mills, receiving 
many tributary streams, which irrigate this 
verdant district ; and, finally, reaches the 
sea at Poros. The bed of this river is 
gravelly, its banks covered with meadows 
and woods, which clothe the precipitous 
sides of the mountain; and, through the 
trees, masses of rock project, covered with 
mosses and creeping plants, which seem to 
attach them to their bases. The pine, the 
holme oak, the elm, the acacia, the myrtle, 
the cyprus, and the olive, are among the 
trees of which the woods of Heraclea are 
composed. Before the river reaches the 
sea, it passes through a narrow chasm in 
the. eastern ridge, whose rocky sides rise 
perpendicularly toa vast height above the 
Cefalonia. 
bed of the river, which is strewed with 
large masses that have fallen from above, 
where many still overhang, and threaten to. 
crush the passing traveller. These great 
rocks form the base of two mountains, 
covered with wood, which stand on each 
side, like_sentinels, toguard the entrance of 
this beautiful valley. On the southern 
height are extensive Cyclopian ruins ; and 
on the. northern, and by far the highest 
mountain, stands the convent, or rather 
fortress, of Atros, about 3,000 feet above 
the level of the sea; it was fortified against 
the incursions of the Saracens, and there is 
a projection of the mountain whieh is still 
called ‘ the look-out for the Saracens.” On 
passing this rocky defile, there is a small 
plain between it and the sea, and enclosed 
by the rocks, which run down on each side 
to the water’s edge. On crossing the rocks, 
to the south, you find the beautiful little 
port Poros, formed by a jut of land, called 
‘* the Saracen’s landing place.’ Such is the 
valley of Heraciea, bounded by huge moun- 
tains, on whose precipitous sides, woods, 
recks and ruins, are profusely heaped in 
magnificent confusion ; from whose summits 
you behold the sea studded with islands, 
and the Grecian territory stretching north 
and south, like an immense map; your 
sight falls on no space by land or sea, which 
has not been illustrated by ancient or 
modern history ; Leucadia, Ithaca, Zacyn- 
thus, Actium, Lepanto, and last (though 
now not the least famous), Missalonghi, 
spread beneath the eye; while. woods, 
hamlets, meadows and streams, lay shel- 
tered in the valley, forming a delightful 
contrast with the rude grandeur of the sur- 
rounding scenery !” 
The Port of Argostoli.— There are two 
fortresses in the island of Cefalonia : one 
called Fort St. George, about three miles 
from Argostoli; the other called Asso, in 
the district of Erisso, on the north-west 
part of the island. The first is in great 
want of repair, but might be made strong ; 
at present it is the only place in which the 
garrison of the island could make any resis- 
tance : the situation is particularly healthy.” 
“Asso isalso healthy, and a curious place ; 
the fortress was built on a peninsula’ by the 
Venetians, towards the end of the 16th cen- 
tury, and contains about a hundred and thirty 
acres within its walls, which crown a preci- 
pice in every part. The height of this fortress 
is very great: without having measured it, 
I should think full one thousand feet above 
the sea: and it is one of those places, 
whose natural strength and grandeur strike 
the mind with an idea of its being-impreg- 
nable. The accompanying plan, drawn by 
Lieutenant Maclean, of the 90th, will show 
what Assé might be made, should a strong 
fortress be again of importance in the island. 
The ground within the walls is fruitful, and 
the large cisterns, built by the Venetians, 
are in a tolerable state of repair. The wall 
is 
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