8Q CLARKES 
The mbst remarkable part of the description is now to be 
related, as it seems to refer pointedly to superstitions con¬ 
cerning the'summit of that mountain bearing the name of Gar¬ 
garus; held by the ancients in such veneration, as the seat of 
the immortal gods.* A spacious winding road, sixteen yards 
in breadth, rises from the remains of these temples to the top 
of the Kuchunlu. All the way up maybe noticed traces of 
former works; but upon the summit, a small oblong are&, six 
yards in length, and two in breadth, exhibits marks of the 
highest antiquity. The stones forming the enclosure are as 
rude as those of the walls of Tirynthus in Argolis; and the 
whole is encircled by a grove of venerable oaks, covering the 
top of the cone. The entrance to this area is from the south: 
upon the east and west, on the outside of the trees, are stones 
ranged like what we, in England, call Druidical circles. 
From hence the view is grand indeed. Immediately before 
the eye is spread the whole of Gargarus; seeming, from its 
immense size, and the vastness of its features, as if those who 
w 7 ere stationed on this spot might hold converse with persons 
upon its clear and snowy summit. A bold and sweeping 
ridge descends from its top to the very base of the cone of 
Kuchunlu Tepe; and this, as a natural altar, stands before the 
mountain. Far below is seen the bed and valley of the Sca- 
mander, bearing a westward course, from the place of its 
origin. 
* Vibius Sequester, in his treatise de Montibus > speaks of Gargarus as the summit 
of mount Ida: “ Gargarus in Phrygia Idee, montts cacumen And (Vfaussacus in his 
notes upon Plutarch (De Fiuv.) who cites this passage, also observes, as a comment 
upon the word Fctp^'ctpov, “ Non Ida , sed ejus cacumen ant fastigium Gargarus dictum 
fitit. Hesychius , Grdmmaticorum princeps , FcipyapdVy- axpwrnpiov tfpous ’'15nn ,r 
The fact is, however, that an actual view of the country affords the best-comment 
upon the ancient geographers, who have not clearly pointed out the nature of this 
part of Phrygia. The district called Ida consists of a chain of different mountains, 
one of which, separately considered, bore the name of Gargarus; and-this is higher 
than any of the rest. Freinshemius, in his Supplement to Q.uinQfs Curtius, affirms,, 
that places thick set with trees were anciently called Id2e : “ Nam condensa arboribus 
loca Idas antiqui dixere Quint. Curt. Suppl. lib. ii. Freinsh. 
In Mr. Walpole’s Journal I find a note upon this subject, which I shall here in¬ 
sert. 
“ Ida is allowed, in Herodotus, to mean the summit of Gargarus. Now, from com¬ 
paring the above passages with Strabo, p. 843. where Gargarus is said to be a town 
bn Gargarus, a height of Ida, (see Casaubon’s note, there;) and p. 872. where it is 
said to be a promontory of the Adramyttian Gulph ; and consulting Hesychitfs, 
where Gargarum is a height of Ida, and a city of the Trojan district, near Antandros , 
we get the following particulars relating to this summit of Ida. It was near the 
coast, for it was near Antandros, which was on the coast, in a recess of it (Strabo, 
p. 872.) and the town Gargara on the coast was upon this mountain ; so that Xerxes, 
on passing by Antandros, would pass by thismountain on his left; and on coming into 
the Iliean territory, would have some way to go before he reached Troy; for 
Alexandria Troas was thirty-five miles from Antandros (Anton. Itin.) and Troy-was 
still'farther.” Walpole's MS, Journal- 
