RHODIAPOLIS. 165 



the announcement of our conductor that we were 

 close to great ruins, raise our expectations. We 

 were not sanguine enough to hope for another 

 ancient city so very near to that which we had just 

 left, for as yet an hour had not passed away. 

 Suddenly, however, we found ourselves among 

 a host of tombs, and through the narrow avenues 

 of the forest we saw towers and walls, far more ex- 

 tensive, and in far better preservation, than those 

 of Corydalla. A well-built theatre, remains of 

 temples and of early Christian churches, inscribed 

 pedestals and sculptured sarcophagi, proclaimed a 

 city of some importance ; nor were we long in 

 finding, among the inscriptions, evidence of the 

 name of the site, which proved to be that of 

 Rhodiapolis. Elated with our success, and re- 

 solved to return after our proposed journey to 

 Karditch, we rode back to Armootlee in the 

 best of humours. 



April 2nd. — This morning we prepare to start, 

 and explore the Valley of Karditch, but are 

 arrested at starting by the want of a guide. 

 Nobody will go. It does not suit our drago- 

 man Pagniotti to go, if possible, so no guide 

 can be got. An appeal to the kind old Turk, 

 our host, however, relieves us of the difficulty : 



