I T H 



.382 



I T H 



llhai-.u 



denominated Mendicants or Friars. Tliese form a mul- 

 titudinous and multifarious body, under a great rariety 

 of suhili visions, div-i-*. and observances; but the most 

 prevalent arc- Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and 

 Augustim-s. They were all intended to act as assist- 

 ants to tlic: clergy in their parochial duties ; but the 

 auxiliaries have become the most numerous, and have 

 encroached upon the prerogatives of the main body. 

 In towns particularly, they draw the people away from 

 the ancient liturgical service, to shews, images, and 

 other abuses ; while it is only in the distant and retired 

 parts of the country that they are subservient and aid- 

 ing to the parochial pastors. Between the Alps and 

 Appenines particularly, and also in most parts of Ita- 

 ly, the lower classes are said to be well acquainted with 

 religious duties, and the young of every parish are ca- 

 techized in the churches by pious* persons, under the 

 inspection of the priests. An Italian translation of the 

 Bible, not indeed very easily procured, is allowed and 

 recommended; but the greatest jealousy is shewn of 

 every other version of the Scriptures being circulated 

 among the people. Even Catholics, however, are com- 

 pelled to acknowledge, that many abuses and absurdi- 

 ties prevail in the religious system of the country, par- 

 ticularly the multiplicity of ceremonies, the number of 

 holidays, the infinity of monastic establishments, the 

 extravagant and idle forms of devotion, the unmeaning 

 and improper ornaments of the churches, the supersti- 

 tious reverence for absurdities, and the introduction of 

 theatrical exhibitions and music into places of worship. 

 See Eustace's Classical Tour in Italy ; Swinburne's 

 Travels in the two Sicilies ; Spallanzani's Travels in Ita- 

 ly ; Condamyne's Tour in Italy ; Martin's Tour through 

 Italy > Moore's View of Society and Manners in Italy ; 

 Starke's Letters from Italy ; De Salis' Travels through 

 various Provinces of the Kingdom of Naples ; Forsyth's 

 Remarks on Antiquities, Arts, and Letters, during an ex- 

 cursion in Italy ; Lumsden's Remarks on the Antiqui- 

 ties of Rome ; Histoire Literaire d' Italic, par P. L. Gin- 

 fuene ; De la Literature du midi de L' Europe, par 

 . C. L. Simonde de Simondi ; Tableau de I' Agricul- 

 ture Toscane, par J. C. L. Simondi ; Lettres ecrites d'l- 

 talie en 1812, &c. par Frederic Sullin de Chateau vieux ; 

 Italia et Sicilia Antiqua Cluverius; Descriltione dell! 

 Italia, Alberti ; Analyse d" Italic cl'Anville; Veins Lai i- 

 um, Corradino ; La Via Appia riconoscwta, e descritta, 

 Pratilli ; The Grand Tour, by Nugent; Keysler's and 

 Misson's Travels, (q) 



ITHACA is an island in the Ionian sea, celebrated as 

 the kingdom of Ulysses, and for having been the scene 

 of some principal events in the poetry of Homer. It is 

 still denominated It/iaca by the higher ranks of the in- 

 habitants, and Thiaki by the lower : it appears in the 

 Venetian charts under the appellation of Val di Com- 

 pare, which, being quite unknown to both, has proved 

 the source of considerable perplexity to geographers. 

 This island is situated between Santa Maura and Ce- 

 phalonia, from each of which it is separated by a chan- 

 nel about two miles in width, and it lies nearly oppo- 

 site to the middle of that part of the coast of Albania 

 stretching from the gulf of Artato the gulf of Lepanto. 

 Ithaca is of the most irregular form ; and resembles 

 two islands united by a very narrow stripe of land. It 

 extends 18 miles in length from north-west to south- 

 east, but is penetrated by a bay five miles wide, called 

 Porto Molo, dividing it almost into two islands, and lea- 

 ving a narrow isthmus about half a mile across. The 

 island is no where above five miles in breadth, and its su- 

 perficial area probably does not exceed 80 square miles. 



There are several harbours along the coast, as Vathi, Ithaca. 

 Skinos, and Aito, all in Po^to Molo; and tin the north v ~ v" 

 side, Chioni, together with Port Frioijes, not far from 

 the commencement of a long peninsula terminating the 

 extremity of the island in Cape St. John. 



Ithaca, in common with the neighbouring islands, is 

 subject to earthquakes, which rarely do much damage, 

 and violent squalls prevail in the deep channel between 

 it and Cephalonia, which deter small vessels from at- 

 tempting its navigation, except in steady winds. 



Water is scarce : that of Vathi is brackish ; the 

 largest brook, Melainudros, flowing into the sea at 

 Frichies, comes from a spring of the same name. The 

 residue of the rains is preserved in cisterns, which are 

 sometimes excavated in the rock, or the inhabitants 

 draw their supplies from wells. 



This island consists of a single narrow ridge of lime- 

 stone rock. Its surface is exceedingly unequal, scarce- 

 ly presenting 100 yards of continuous level ground, 

 and every where rising into rugged eminences, of which % 



the highest are the mountains Stephanos and Neritos, 

 on opposite sides of Porto Molo. Although a small 

 portion can be devoted to agriculture, yet the grain 

 obtained is sufficient for the consumption of the in- 

 habitants, and affords an inconsiderable quantity for 

 export to Cephalonia and Zante, where the natives of 

 the latter store it up, owing to its superior quality. 

 There are pleasant gardens here. In different parts ter- 

 races are formed for the cultivation of plants ; almonds, 

 olives, and grapes are among the fruits, the last of 

 which hang in the greatest luxuriance from vines, 

 growing where scarcely a particle of earth can be seen, 

 and are of that particular species called currants in Bri- 

 tain. We read of various fruits in the garden of 

 Laertes, and the same still remain indigenous around 

 the village of Leuka. Ithaca seems to have been cele- 

 brated for trees in the time of Homer, and there is yet 

 a wood of arbutus and prickly-leaved oak, intermixed 

 with wild olives, juniper and mastic, on a hill towards 

 the southern extremity. The larger quadrupeds are 

 brought hither from the Grecian coast. Some of the 

 islets in the neighbourhood of the island are devoted 

 to pasturage, but not during the heat of summer, as 

 they contain no water. Pliny asserts that hares died 

 when they were carried to Ithaca : at present they are 

 coursed with a particular species of greyhounds. 



The total population of the island, according to a re- 

 turn obtained by the French in 1807, amounted to 

 8000, who are dispersed in the town of Vathi and 

 four or five villages. Vathi stands in a fine district, T <""i f 

 where almond trees and groves of oranges afford fruit, 

 shade, and fragrance to the inhabitants. It is situated 

 close to the port, extending along its eastern, and part 

 of its southern and northern shores, and consists of 

 about 400 houses, with a population of 3000, or, accord- 

 ing to some, of only 2000 souls. Of late years it has 

 been greatly improved, and the street containing the 

 government, house, together with other public build- 

 ings, now assumes a regular appearance. From the 

 frequency of earthquakes, the bell towers have been 

 erected at a distance from the churches. The reli- 

 gion of the Greek church is professed here, and the 

 clergy are under the direction of a proto-papas, de- 

 pendent on the archbishop of Cephalonia. There is 

 no church of the Latin rite in Ithaca, nor any nunnery; 

 but churches and chapels are numerous ; and there are 

 four monasteries^ Some of these are of late erection; 

 and one, dedicated to the archangel Michael, among the 

 mountains, was lately inhabited by no more than a 



