A RIDE ACROSS THE PELOPOXNESE. 195 



Tegea, almost alone of the Peloponnesian States, bore 

 a noble part in the struggle for the liberty of Greece, 

 sending 500 men to Thermopylae and 3000 to Platsea. 



Here again, as at Megalopolis and at Olympia, 

 there has been an accumulation of alluvial soil, be- 

 neath which, very probably, lie buried many remains 

 of the city, which Pausanias visited and described in 

 the second century of our era. 



"We got back to Tripoli by nine o'clock, and as we 

 could not get a carriage to take us on to Argos till 

 three, we employed our time in inspecting the town. 

 Though the shops were shut for Easter, the people 

 were glad enough to open some of them for our 

 benefit ; and we went into a silk manufactory, where 

 we saw some beautiful work. The whole place has 

 a thriving air. The people look comfortable and 

 happy. New houses are springing up in the out- 

 skirts of the town ; and in the fine square in the 

 centre, a cathedral of some pretensions is being built. 



The services of our guardian were really needed 

 when the time came to settle with our host. The 

 bill was so enormous 120 francs for one night's 

 lodging two small rooms for the four of us, and 

 just three meals that we could not pay it without 

 appeal. We handed it, therefore, to the astyndmos, 

 who sat down, pen in hand, and proceeded to go 

 through the items one by one, reducing each by 

 about one-third, till the whole stood at the rather 

 more reasonable figure of 80 francs. Our host, 



