MARATHON TO THEBES. 
CHAP. 
II. 
Charadra. 
Plants. 
Dogs. 
the Charadrus, which we were surprised to hear 
the Albanians call, in this part, Charadra; a 
different name being given to it in its passage 
across the plain. The scenery around us now 
became mountainous, and broken into masses; 
resembling that which is so frequently repre- 
sented in the pictures of Gaspar Poussin. The 
soil was covered with a beautiful Heath, 
together w4th the gaudy blossoms of the Crocus 
which we had found in the Plain of Marathon; 
and a variety of the evergreen Oak, or Ouercus 
Bex, with prickly leaves. We saw also, every- 
where, the Velanida, or Quercus JEgilops. Of 
the Ilex the Romans first made their civic 
crowns; but they afterwards used ihe EscuIils ^ov 
that purposed A noble race of dogs is found 
over all this district; and the same may be said 
of almost all wild and mountainous territories. 
The animal appears to degenerate in proportion 
as he is removed to more cultivated regions, 
and among a civihzed people. Even the 
common mastiff appears no where of such 
(l) "Civica Iligno prima fuit, postea magis placuit ex Esculo, Jovi 
sacr4." (Plini/.) The Esculus also furnished a wreath of honour iu 
the Games : 
"His juvenum'quicunque manu, pedihusve, rotave 
Viccrat ; Esculem capiebat frondis honorem." 
Ovid. Metamorjyh. I. 448. 
