176 DEPARTURE FROM ZIA. 
CHAR mentioned by Tournefort\ under the appellation 
* T ' ' of " Craie de Briancon" a variety of talc, is found 
Minerals. in g reat a b un dance near the Monastery of St. 
Marine, or Marinas, distant about three hours 
journey from the town of Zta : the inhabitants 
make no use of it. Lead ore is also found near 
the same place. From hence there are two 
ways of going to Athens : the first is by landing 
at a port near SUNIUM, which is called Dascallio; 
two hours from which place is a village called, 
from the abundance of its Karob-trees, Kerat'ia, 
whence the distance is only about eight or ten 
hours, by land, the whole way, to Athens : the 
other way is by sea, up the Gulph of Engia to the 
PIRJEEUS. Our Consul had recommended the 
former way, as the easiest, the safest, and the 
best; but we adopted the latter, that we might 
have the satisfaction of making our first approach 
to Athens from one of its antient harbours, and 
of seeing as much as possible of the magnificent 
scenery which the gulph exhibits. 
Departure "We hired a pilot from Zia, for the Saronic 
Gulph ; and left the harbour, with a fair wind, 
October the twenty-seventh, soon after sun-rise. 
(l) Voy. duLev. torn. II. p. 21. Lyon, 17 IT. 
