ISLANDS BELONGING TO TURKEY 

 IN ASIA. 



THE greater part of the Grecian islands in the Archipelago are 

 considered by geographers as situate in Europe ; but those which 

 are very near to the Asiatic coast, with the island of Cyprus in that 

 part of the Mediterranean called the Levant, or Eastern sea, must 

 be referred to Asia 



Tenedos is remarkable only for its lying opposite to old Troy ? 

 and being mentioned by Virgil as the place to which the Greeks 

 retired, and left the Trojans in a fatal security. It has a town of the 

 same name. 



Metelin, the ancient Lesbos, the principal city of which was 

 Mytilene, whence the modern name, is situate to the north of the 

 gulf of Smyrna, about ten miles from the coast of Africa. It is about 

 forty miles long and twenty-four broad. It produces excellent oil 

 and wine, the latter of which was anciently in high esteem, and still 

 sells at a great price. It is famous for having been the native place 

 of Sappho. The ancient Lesbians were accused of dissolute manners, 

 and the modern inhabitants, it is said, too much resemble them in this 

 respect. 



Scio, anciently Chios, lies about eighty miles west of Smyrna, and 

 is about one hundred miles in circumference. This island, though 

 rocky and mountainous, produces excellent wine, but no corn. It is 

 inhabited by 100,000 Greeks, 10,000 Turks, and about 3000 Latins. 

 It has 300 churches, besides chapels and monasteries ; and a Turkish 

 garrison of 1400 men. The inhabitants have manufactures of silkj 

 velvet, gold and silver stuffs. The island likewise produces oil and 

 silk, and the lentisk-tree, or mastic, from which the government 

 draws its chief revenue. The women of this, and almost all the 

 other Greek islands, have in all ages been celebrated for their beauty, 

 and their persons have been the most perfect models of symmetry to 

 painters and statuaries. A late learned traveller, Dr. Richard Chand- 

 ler, says, " The beautiful Greek girls are the most striking orna- 

 ments of Scio. Many of these were sitting at the doors and windows, 

 twisting cotton or silk, or employed in spinning and needle-work, and 

 accosted us with familiarity, bidding us welcome as we passed. The 

 streets on Sundays and holidays are filled with them in groups. They 

 wear short petticoats, reaching only to their knees, with white silk 

 or cotton hose. Their head-dress, which is peculiar to the island, is 

 a kind of turban ; the linen so white and thin, it seemed snow. Their 

 slippers are chiefly yellow, with a knot of red fringe at the Heel. 



