And on the Trojan Plain. 223 
or change of shape, in an alluvial coast, du- 
ring a period of thirty centuries,—of which 
no correct survey has ever been made, and 
which has never been visited by the author of 
the theory. We have, we think, fairly shown, 
that the vessels enumerated by Homer would, 
with allowance for passages, tents, forum, 
and the width of the Scamander, in a triple 
line, occupy the whole space between the two 
promontories of Rheteum and Sigeum: and, 
if the universal belief be correct, as we doubt 
not but in this case it is,—that these are the 
promontories alluded to by Homer, Mr. 
Maclaren’s theory falls to the ground; for he 
will himself admit, that the distance between 
Rheeteum and New Ilium is much too small 
to admit of the actions which took place be- 
tween Troy and the Grecian fleet. 
We will not say that Strabo. is decidedly 
against Mr. Maclaren’s opinions, for the ap- 
peal must finally be made to Homer and the 
Trojan plain; but it seems singular that he 
who founds so many of his arguments on the 
authority of Strabo, should nevertheless 
flatly contradict him in the main point. 
Moreover, Troy could not have stood where 
New Ilium does, if the Scamander flowed 
into the Hellespont at Sigeum; for in that 
case the river would not have flowed between 
