158 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 



grapes are nearly ripe, the waterings should be less 

 frequent, as too much water at that season would 

 tend to debase their flavour. 



from Ephesus give a curious description of a prospect they 

 enjoyed, of a successive course of hills and mountains extend- 

 ing from thence, and of a beautiful valley at the bottom of 

 them, through which the river Cayster flowed and emptied 

 itself into the sea. " Among these, the lofty Tmolus rises 

 eminent above the rest ; but is more distinguished for the ex- 

 cellence of its wines. At the bottom of the extremest moun- 

 tain near the sea, several magnificent ruins still remain to be 

 seen of Sardis, the metropolis of Lydia" 



" This delightful country is now but thinly inhabited by a 

 few poor Turks, and some wandering Arabs, and few wines are 

 now made there but by some Greek monks, and chiefly for 

 their own use. Some of these, though made with little art and 

 culture, are light, generous, and very agreeable." But these 

 gentlemen give a different account of a town called Sidonijah, 

 which was famous for the goodness of its wines, and the quan- 

 tities made there. " This town is four hours' journey distant 

 from Damascus, in the extremity of a fertile extended plain, 

 the see of a bishop, and entirely inhabited by Greek Chris- 

 tians." 



" Some of the grapes here are of a remarkable size, as large 

 as a pigeon's egg, and of a very exquisite taste ; great quanti- 

 ties of them are sent to Europe, and known by the name of 

 Damask raisins. The wines are not made from this kind of 

 grapes, which are chiefly cultivated in their gardens, but from 

 the Vines of the adjacent mountains, of which Hermon and 

 Lebanon are nearest." These gentlemen say (vol. ii. page 260.) 

 that the wine which they drank there was, indeed, incompar- 

 able. " The best is made by the monks, who have there a 

 celebrated convent. It was of a red colour, very generous, 

 grateful, and so light as not to affect the head, though taken 

 freely." 



