118 GREEK monk's NOTIONS OF GEOGRAPHY. 



is Corfu !" said the caloyer. " Yes, it is a 

 fine island," said I, but, inadvertently, in a tone 

 which betrayed the idea that could not fail to 

 enter my mind, that it was certainly not the lar- 

 gest I had ever seen. " What !" said he, " have 

 you ever seen any thing larger ?" I could not 

 help acknowledging that I had seen many very 

 much larger. " What ! very much larger ! Very 

 much larger than Corfu !" ^^Certainly." " Is that 

 possible?" "Oh, yes !" said I; " England is a good 

 deal larger." He expressed very great surprise, 

 and asked me if England really was very much 

 larger. " Oh, yes !" I said, " very much larger." 

 " How many times as large ?" At a venture, I 

 answered forty times, although I might have 

 doubled that number. The poor caloyer became 

 very grave, looked at me in a reproachful man- 

 ner, and said, " I did not expect this of you, 

 Kvpie ; you are a traveller, and I am a poor, igno- 

 rant man, but you cannot make me believe what 

 is impossible. No country in the world can be 

 forty times as large as Corfu." 



To return to my journey. About five hours' 

 ride in the evening brought us to the house of 

 Signor Clerici, the Ionian agent in Janina, who 



