RETURN TO PAROS. 133 
The channel between the two islands is not 
more than a mile wide : but it is two leagues 
from the port of Antiparos to that of Paro.s. It 
was this distance which convinced Tournefort 
that Antiparos is the island called Oliaros, or 
Olearojs, by the Antients. We returned to Paros 
highly gratified by our very interesting expedi- 
tion, and carefully packed the specimens we had 
collected. 
Wednesday, October the, twenty-first. This day 
we set out, upon mules, for the antient quarries 
of the famous Parian marble, which are situate Marble 
about a league to the east of the town, upon 
the summit of a mountain, nearly corresponding 
in altitude with the situation of the Grotto of 
Antiparos. The son of our host, a young mar- 
ried man, accompanied us. We rode through 
several olive plantations in our ascent : the fruit 
of these trees was the sole topic of conversation 
with our worthy guide, who spoke of a ripe 
olive as the most delicious dainty which Heaven 
had vouchsafed to man upon earth ; giving him 
greater strength, vigour, and agility, than any 
other kind of food. "Oh!" said he, smacking 
his lips, " how we feast at my father's, when 
olives first come into season." The mountain 
in which the quarries are situate, now called 
