202 REPOET— 1887. 



some four hours distant come here to collect the salt which forms in the 

 crevices out of which the marble blocks have been cut. Fiom this fact 

 the locality has acquired the modern name of Alki, a name common 

 enough in spots where salt marshes exist. 



This flat nose of the marble promontory forms an interesting study of 

 the methods adopted for quarrying marble in ancient times. Here we 

 see the shape and ;;ize of each block as it was cut — some square, some 

 rounded, and all cut away round the edges, and holes bored in regular 

 lines undei-neatb, a means adopted for raising the block that they wished to 

 detach. Most of the loose blocks which have remained here unexported 

 since ancient times have been removed for building purposes to Con- 

 stantinople in late years, but the old inhabitants informed me that thirty 

 years ago this flat space was covered with such blocks. We saw a few 

 of them, and also the drum of a column 6 ft. 8 in. in diameter, and 

 4 ft, 4 in. high, and a monolithic column 30 ft. long and 3 ft. 8 in. in 

 diameter. On the higher ground deep quarries are to be seen, and on the 

 isthmus which joins the promontory to the mainland are the remains of 

 a considerable town of ancient date, where doubtless the workmen and 

 marble merchants had their dwellings. Here it was that we commenced 

 the excavation of the temple which proved to be of Apollo ; but before 

 describing our work and its results in detail I will say a few words 

 about a road of excellent Hellenic engineering which was constructed 

 across the mountains and connected this marble town with the ancient 

 capital of Thasos, some six houi-s distant. 



Traces of this road in an excellent state of preservation are found at 

 intervals all along the ancient line of route, but owing to the burning of 

 an extensive tract of forest a quarter of an hour's walk from Alki a short 

 time ago a portion in the bend of a hill has been exposed to view, which 

 is almost as perfect as when originally in use. It is constructed of 

 irregular blocks of marble placed lengthwise, so that the whole width of 

 the road is only composed of two blocks, and is a uniform width of 

 13 ft. 3 in. Wherever it was possible the engineer utilised the neigh- 

 bouring marble rocks in constructing his road ; it is noticeable that at 

 the angles of the valley, where mountain streams run down, there is no 

 conduit for water beneath, and the sti'eam must liave made its way across 

 the roadway itself; but so massive are the blocks that not one of them 

 has been displaced by the action of the water. At intervals along the 

 road there are towers for protection, several of them well preserved, and 

 taken as a whole it forms one of the most interesting specimens of 

 ancient engineering skill that has come down to us. 



After carefally inspecting Alki we determined on commencing our 

 excavations at a spot down by the water's edge, where some huge marble 

 blocks in tiers indicated the existence of a building of considerable 

 importance on the top of the platform. The lower tier of steps came 

 down almost to the water's edge, or j;ather down to a curious concrete 

 quay, which in ancient times ran all round the marble promontory, and 

 must at least have been three miles in extent, projecting some twenty 

 feet into the water, and then ending abruptly, for the water here as else- 

 where amongst the islands has risen several inches. 



There were five tiers or steps, composed of some of the largest marble 

 blocks I have ever seen. The one at the northern angle of the lowest 

 grade measured 16ft. 11 in., was 5ft. Sin. wide and 2ft. 4 in. thick; 

 whereas the block at the northern angle of the top tier was 12 ft. long. 



