122 



ASIA MINOR. 



Unfortunately at our first reaching the place, the snow fell so thick, 

 and the atmosphere was so loaded with mist, that we could see little 

 of the vast prospect it would have afforded in a clear day. One short 

 gleam of sunshine showed us the whole Scamandrian plain extended 

 at our feet, and watered, through its whole length, by the serpentine 

 course of the river. At this moment our guide pointed out to us a 

 number of places in the distant horizon ; the isles of Imbros and 

 Samothrace, Mount Athos in Macedonia, Alexandria Troas, Sigeum, 

 and the Euxine. I drew a circle in the snow around him, noting as 

 nearly as I could the bearings given to me by this veteran mariner. 

 As we had no means of ascertaining the height, I can only state the 

 calculation of Mr. KaufTer, a German engineer, who, when in the 

 service of M. Choiseul Gouffier, estimated it at 775 toises above the 

 level of the Archipelago. 



Our guide told us that other large rivers besides the Mendere have 

 their source in Gargarus ; one he called Klishiah Sou, which falls 

 into the Mendere ; another he called Magra. And he also spoke of 

 three great rivers called Ak-chya, Monaster-chya, and Gure-chya, 

 which discharged themselves into the Archipelago. 



I here venture to record a circumstance which proves on how fan- 

 ciful a foundation etymological reasonings are founded. Our guide, 

 when he pointed expressively to the snow on the top of the mountain, 

 repeated the words Gar, Gar, " Snow, snow," in which an enthusias- 

 tic topographer of the Iliad would easily have traced the ancient 

 name of Gargarus. 



