280 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



another species nearly equal in beauty, the labrus tri-maculatus of 

 Pennant, with a great number of 



The Mousselim of Lemnos being informed that the celebrated 

 Lemnian earth was one of the objects of our inquiries, ordered a 

 number of the rolls or seals of that earth to be presented to us; he 

 told us, that the pit whence this earth was taken, was opened only 

 on the 16th day of August; that it was in great repute in curing 

 certain fevers ; and that the earth only which was dug out before the 

 rising of the sun was considered as possessing any medical efficacy. 

 Expressing a wish to see the place where the earth was dug, he 

 granted us his permission. 



We were invited to walk in his garden ; a large square piece of 

 ground enclosed by four walls ; it was well planted with fruit trees 

 and culinary herbs. The orange trees, notwithstanding the warm 

 climate of Lemnos, were placed under artificial shelter. Quinces 

 and Pomegranates formed a principal portion of the fruit trees ; the 

 former is a favourite tree with the Turks; and they prepare a number 

 of excellent dishes from its fruit. 



No shores of the Levant are more productive of fish than those 

 of Lemnos, and we found a great variety which our servants had 

 purchased for dinner. Besides the red-mullet, (3ccgf2ouvt, the grey 

 mullet KefiuXog, there were several excellent species of Spams ; as 

 the Dentex, crway^a, the Salpa, <ra^7ra, the Melanurus, peXccvovgc, the 

 Sargus, o-a^oV, the Scorpion fish, (nco^i'va, the Sciasna umbra, a sort of 

 Labrus, and the shad, o-Tav^lh ; our cabin boys had caught, angling, 

 as the vessel lay in port, some little fishes, as the S. Mormyrus ^o^ci^c, 

 a sort of Blenny t£>aou£a, and a small species of Gobius. 



Sept. 21. — At four in the afternoon the horses arrived. In our way 

 to Therm ia we met with several villagers with their asses laden with 

 fruit. The wine of Lemnos is cheap, but rough, and badly made. 

 We observed a custom that must be very prejudicial to the vine, that 

 of turning the goats and sheep into the vineyards as soon as the 

 grapes are gathered : the dry season, which this year had burnt up 



