CONVERSATION WITH SURRIGEE. 169 



you are no stranger here." " I was never here 

 in my Hfe till this moment," said I. He insinu- 

 ated that I might not wish it to be known that I 

 had been there before, but that, unless I had I 

 could not possibly have pointed out Ambelakia as 

 I had done. I assured him I was a perfect stran- 

 ger. '' Then how could you," he replied, look- 

 ing archly, as much as to say he had found me 

 out, ^^ how could you know that that was Am- 

 belakia?" "I guessed it," said I, ''I have 

 a paper (map) in my pocket, from which I 

 learn the names and situations of places." I 

 could not, however, succeed in persuading him 

 that I was telling the truth, nor in making him 

 comprehend what a map meant. He would per- 

 sist in maintaining that I must have been that way 

 before, or I could not have pointed out the situ- 

 ation of Ambelakia, and seemed to hint that, as 

 I appeared not to wish it known that I knew my 

 way, I might depend upon his discretion. 



The inhabitants of Ambelakia are exclusively 

 Greek, and are famous for their industry and 

 commerce. 



Whilst resting a short time at a khan at the 

 eastern extremity of the vale of Tempe, we were 

 I 



