REPORTED RUINS. 55 



the future state seems to control all their ac- 

 tions. They invariably exhibit a uniform mild- 

 ness and kindness of manner to each other, and 

 to the stranger. We met with none of those pre- 

 judices which, we are told, formerly prepossessed 

 them against the Christian. 



In the evening, our habitation was crowded 

 with visitors from the village. As they all 

 brought their pipes, we were enveloped in a 

 cloud of smoke : but they were not unwelcome, 

 since we were enabled to glean some inform- 

 ation from them respecting the route before us, 

 and the existence of an ancient castle on the 

 mountain above the village. Over the evening 

 pipe, the Turk is, in general, most disposed to be 

 communicative ; but it is often difficult even 

 then to gain the precise information which is re- 

 quired, from his anxiety to anticipate the answer 

 the traveller appears to wish for. Ruins of no 

 consequence are thus frequently represented as 

 being of very great interest. The report of 

 ruins so near the harbour of Phoenicus, which 

 Livy calls the port of Phellus, was too important 

 to be slighted. Hoping it might lead to the 

 discovery of that city, we were more particular 

 in our inquiries respecting their nature and extent 



