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common in the Morea, which is a proof of the disorga- 
nization of the Turkish government. 
The town of Modon, surrounded with its high walls 
and narrow dirty streets, struck me as being very un- 
healthy, because the air which is breathed is without 
circulation, and very offensive from a constant stench. 
I remarked even in the country that the soil is a mud 
dy and disagreeable clay, and attributed to this cause 
the appearance of that putrefaction which the vegetables 
and the fruit have. The soft and black bread exactly 
resembles a morsel of half dried mud. I discovered the 
same disgusting appearance even in the meat; notwith- 
standing, the inhabitants enjoy good health, and have a 
good colour; the latter may be attributed to the great 
quantity of wine which they drink, although forbidden 
by the law; they consume as much of this article in pro- 
portion, as any other town in Europe. 
There are no fountains at Modon, the water is ob- 
tained from wells, and is very bad. That which they 
drink is brought by beasts of burthen from a small 
brook at a distance. There were fountains formerly, 
but the conduits are destroyed. 
The greater part of the walls is composed of hewn 
stone. The houses are also built of it, and covered with 
tiles in the European manner, and the streets are well 
paved with stones of a species of slate, and with a cal- 
careous stone, or coarse marble. The floors of the 
houses are of wood. The houses have many windows, 
constructed as in Europe, and shut by close blinds. 
Some doors or archways which denote an idea of archi- 
tecture are built in the Grecian style. Nothing in the 
Arabian style is to be seen. 
