IN THE MOREA. 



57 



This town was the residence of the Bey, and the capital of Maina, 

 though it consists of little more than a single street along the shore, 

 in front of which is a small road-stead formed by the island of 

 Marathonisi, the ancient Cranae of Homer. The Bey of Maina, 

 Zanet Bey, had a large and strong castle within half a mile of the 

 place, but received us at a house in the town, where he was resident 

 at this time, with great kindness and cordiality. We found he was 

 of a character more quiet and indolent than many of the subor- 

 dinate chiefs we had visited. This, as Christeia told us, was the 

 reason why they had chosen him in the room of Zanetachi Kutuphari, 

 the more intelligent and enterprising chieftain of Kitrees. After an 

 early dinner he retired to his siesta, and we went to view the situ- 

 ation and ruins of the ancient Gythium, which stood a little to the 

 north of the present town. 



What vestiges remain of Gythium appeared to me to be chiefly 

 of Roman construction, and the buildings of earlier date are no longer 

 traceable. The situation is now called Palasopolis, but no habitation is 

 left upon it. The town has covered several low hills which terminate in 

 rocks along the shore, on one of which we found a Greek inscription, 

 but so defaced as to be nearly illegible. A salt stream that rises 

 near the shore out of the rocks was probably the ancient fountain of 

 iEsculapius. The temples and other monuments enumerated by Pau- 

 sanias are now no more. Marble blocks and other remnants of anti- 

 quity are still found occasionally by the peasants who cultivate the 

 ground, and the pastures in the neighbourhood are even now famous 

 for their cheeses, which were in the time of the Spartan government 

 an article of trade much esteemed in the rest of Greece. 



The rock near the salt-springs which I have mentioned, is cut 

 smooth, and marks remain in it of beams which, with the roof that 

 they supported, have disappeared. There are two large tanks lined 

 with stuccoed brick-work, once vaulted over, and cut in the rocky 

 hill, divided by cross walls into two or three separate reservoirs, for 

 the supply of water. Beyond these are two adjoining oblong build- 

 ings of brick, with niches for urns, containing the ashes of the dead, 



i 



