283 
On Sunday 16th we disembarked at Modon, a little 
town at 7 miles distance from Porta Longa. 
Three fat Turkish figures received me at the custom- 
house upon the sea coast, and offered me every kind of 
politeness, inviting me at the same time to take coffee. 
They presented me with one of their pipes, which I re- 
fused. None of them could speak Arabic, nor any 
other language that I spoke, so that I could only return 
their civility by signs of gratitude. We parted mu- 
tually satisfied with each other, and I went into the 
town, where they had prepared me a house in the prin- 
cipal street. 
The town of Modon may be considered a good 
place in time of war. It was formerly possessed by the 
Spaniards and by the Venetians. It was successively 
fortified by these two nations, It is surrounded by 
very high walls, has very strong towers defended with 
artillery, good ditches with counter guards; its covered 
way is pallisadoed, and its banks are well preserved; 
but a great bastion elevated by the Venetians, upon the 
fronts of which the lion of St. Mark may still be seen, 
particularly protects the draw-bridge, and the land- gate. 
The town has but a single gate upon the land side, and 
two upon the coast. It is reported that there is another 
gate which is secret, and opens to the country, and by 
which the -Turkish soldiers made a sortie upon the Rus- 
sians when they besieged the place, and beat them so 
severely that they were obliged to abandon the siege, 
leaving behind them all their artiilery and camp equi- 
page. 
This place has one great defect, which is, that it is 
commanded on the north by a small height, where an 
