IN THE MOREA. 



45 



asking our conductor by what authority he asserted this, his answer 

 was, " My father received it from his father, who heard the same 

 " from his ; if they were all mistaken, so am I." Our friend here 

 took leave of us, sending with us to Kitrees, one of his armed follow- 

 ers, who walked on before our party. The road lies along the shore. 



From Myla the mountains of Taygetus rise in high ridges to the 

 east, and descend in rocky slopes to the sea. The country is barren 

 and stony beyond conception, and yet the earth, which is washed by 

 the rains and torrents from the higher parts is supported on a thousand 

 platforms and terraces, by the indefatigable industry of the inhabi- 

 tants, and these were covered with corn, maize, olives, and mulberry 

 trees, which seemed to grow out of the rock itself. Through such a 

 country we arrived at Kitrees, a small hamlet of five or six cottages, 

 scattered round another fortress, the residence of Zanetachi Kutu- 

 phari, formerly Bey of Maina, and of his niece Helena, to whom 

 the property belonged. The house consisted of two towers of stone, 

 exactly resembling our own old towers upon the borders of England 

 and Scotland ; a row of offices and lodgings for servants, stables, and 

 open sheds, inclosing a court, the entrance to which was through an 

 arched and embattled gateway. On our approach, an armed retainer 

 of the family came out to meet us, spoke to our guard who attended 

 us from Myla. He returned with him to the castle, and informed 

 the chief, who hastened to the gate to welcome us, surrounded by a 

 crowd of gazing attendants all surprised at the novelty of seeing Eng- 

 lish guests. We were received, however, with the most cordial wel- 

 come, and shewn to a comfortable room on the principal floor of the 

 tower, inhabited by himself and his family ; the other tower, being 

 the residence of the Capitanessa, his niece, for that was the title which 

 she bore. 



Zanetachi Kutuphari was a venerable figure, though not above the 

 age of fifty-six. His family consisted of a wife and four daughters, 

 the two youngest of which were children. They inhabited the apart- 

 ment above ours, and were, on our arrival, introduced to us. The 

 old chief, who himself had dined at an earlier hour, sat down however 



