48 



JOURNEY THROUGH MAINA, 



the west of Europe, instead of being gathered at the ancles like the 

 loose trowsers of the East. 



In the course of the afternoon we walked into some of the neigh- 

 bouring villages ; the inhabitants were every where dancing and 

 enjoying themselves on the green, and those of the houses and little 

 harbour of Kitrees with the crews of two small boats that were moored 

 there, were employed in the same way, till late in the evening. We 

 found our friend Zanetachi well acquainted with both the ancient and 

 modern state of Maina, having been for several years the Bey of the 

 district. From him I derived much of the information to which 

 I have recourse in describing the manners and principles of the Mai- 

 niots. He told me that in case of necessity, on an attack from the 

 Turks, the numbers they could bring to act, consisting of every man 

 in the country able to bear arms, amounted to about 12,000. All of 

 these were trained to the use of the rifle even from their childhood, 

 and after they grew up were possessed of one without which they 

 never appeared ; and, indeed, it was as much a part of their dress as 

 a sword formerly was of an English gentleman. Their constant fami- 

 liarity with this weapon had rendered them singularly expert in the 

 use of it ; there are fields near every village where the boys practised 

 at the target, and even the girls and women took their part in this 

 martial amusement. 



April 13. — We left Kitrees, not without regret on our part, or the 

 kind expression of it on that of our hospitable friends, who supplied 

 us with mules, and sent with us an escort to conduct us to Carda- 

 moula, the ancient Cardamyle. It is not above ten miles from 

 Kitrees, where we were detained to a late hour by the kindness and 

 hospitality of our hosts. Below the castle is a small harbour sheltered 

 from the south by a rocky promontory, which runs out westward to 

 the sea, and is about half a mile in length. On leaving the village we 

 ascended by a winding road in a south easterly direction until we 

 came to the top of this stony ridge, and looked down on a valley en- 

 closed by mountains still more to the east. Several little villages and 

 churches are scattered over the vale and on the sides of the hills that 



