154 ISLAND OF SYROS. 
CHAP dance about a well which was called Callichorus, 
in. 
and their dance was also accompanied by songs 
in honour of Ceres. These " Songs of the WelV* 
are still sung in other parts of Greece as well as 
in SYRA. De Guys mentions them. He says 
that he has seen the young women in Princes 
Island, assembled in the evening at a public 
well, suddenly strike up a dance, while others 
sung in concert to them 1 . The Antient Poets 
composed verses which were sung by the 
people while they drew the water, and were 
expressly denominated " Songs of the Well." 
ARISTOTLE, as cited by Winkelmann, says the 
public wells serve as so many cements to 
society, uniting the people in bands of friend- 
ship by the social intercourse of dancing so 
frequently together around them 2 . This may 
serve to explain the cause of the variety of 
beautiful lamps, pitchers, and other vessels of 
terra cotta, which have been found at the bottom 
of ivells in different parts of Greece ; as well as 
to direct the attention of travellers towards the 
cleansing of dry ivells, who are desirous of pro- 
curing those valuable antiquities. Among other 
antient customs still existing in SYRA, the cere- 
(l) Letters on Greece, vol.1, p. 220. Land. 1781. 
<2) Ibid. 
