J F P E N D I X, No. V. IIS 



flood. The fituation where we fuppofe the citadel to be, is par- 

 ticularly fleep and rocky. It is girt by the Simois, the bed of 

 which is now entirely dry. Perhaps the winter torrents might 

 raife it into a confiderable river. Its banks are fringed with 

 planes, agnus caflus, and tamarifk. We flept at Bouriar-ba/Iji, a 

 little below which rifes the Scamander, fed by numerous fprings 

 of a pure cryftalline water. One of thofe is faid to be warm 

 in winter. At prefent it communicated to us no fenfation of 

 heat. The courfe of the Scamander is often interrupted and 

 choked up. It had overflowed the adjacent lands, which were 

 become reedy, and offered a favourable fituation to wild ducks, 

 fnipes, and coots. The plain of Troy is rich and fertile. We 

 traverfed it from Koum-kakh to Bounar-hapi^ an extent of nine 

 miles, and flept at the houfe of the Aga. He was himfelf gone 

 to Mecca, but his homme-d'' affaires ^ or fleward, received us with 

 much hofpitality. Your Excellency will find it the befl fituar 

 tion to fleep at, when you vifit the Troad. Troy feems to have 

 been built on a mofl rocky fpot. We could not find on it even 

 a fpring of water. It is covered with prickly barnet, and a few 

 thorny fhrubs. The almond tree, which grows wild, is not 

 without its thorns. It has even more plealing plants, the yellow 

 jafmine and the wild olive. 



I WRITE to your Excellency in hafle, our vefTel tofhng about 

 at anchor oppofite the tomb of Ajax, where it has been juft 

 drove by a hard gale of wind. The janiirary,.who accompanied 

 us from the Dardanelles, is waiting for my letter. He was re- 

 commended to us by our Conful, and has done credit to the re- 

 commendation. In appointing Signior Taragano, your Ex^ 

 cellency has nominated a Conful very defirous to oblige and 

 render every fervice to his countrymen. &c. 



John Sibthorpe. 



P 2. 



