50' JOURNEY THROUGH MAINA, 



We had letters to them from Zanetachi Kutuphari, and from the mer- 

 chants of Calamata, and a dispute again arose for the pleasure of 

 receiving us. At last we were shown to the largest of these towers, 

 and treated with all possible hospitality. The whole village flocked 

 to our house, and we found that nearly every man was a relation of 

 the chiefs, and of each other, as in these districts families seldom 

 migrated, and the different branches of the clan remained with the 

 principal stock, in whose house there was a collection of brothers, and 

 nephews, and cousins, to a remote degree of affinity, who, as they 

 became too numerous, settled themselves on the land in other houses, 

 but seldom at a distance from the family. 



Behind the town is a small rocky eminence, on whose summit were 

 a few vestiges of the ancient acropolis of Cardamyla. Just enough 

 remained to point out the situation ; the rock itself was split by a deep 

 chasm, ascribed by tradition to an earthquake. At the foot of this 

 rock was seen a heap of bones, the monument of Turkish invasion. 

 These were pointed out to us with all the enthusiasm of successful 

 liberty, such as I had witnessed and remembered among the Swiss on 

 showing the monuments of their former glory, before they yielded 

 their independence and their feelings to the thraldom of France. 

 Here, amid the scenes of slavery that surrounded us, the contrast was 

 still more striking. Below the acropolis were several caves, and the 

 remains of ancient sepulchres. We were shown the spot where the 

 children of the village are taught the use of the rifle, and found that 

 they practised it at ten, and even eight years of age. A groupe of 

 girls and women on the village green were slinging stones and bullets 

 at a mark, and seemed very expert. Their figures were light and 

 active, but neither these nor their faces were more coarse or mascu- 

 line than those of their languid and enervated countrywomen. The 

 chief of Cardamyla assured us, that in their petty wars, they had more 

 than once followed their fathers and brothers to the field, and that 

 the men were more eager to distinguish themselves before the eyes 

 of their female companions, and partakers in the danger. Dances 



