u 
CLARKE’S travels. 
even Gargams, upon the left hand. 1 had before obtained this 
information from the people of the country ; so that, if my as¬ 
cent had been impracticable, the fact would have been tolera¬ 
bly well ascertained. The satisfaction, however, of confirming 
the truth by actual observation, was now obtained; and the 
difficulties raised of reconciling the history of Xerxes’ march 
from Adramyttium to Abydiis** with the real geography of the 
country, were done away. The f^ct is, that an ordinary route 
of caravans, from Ydramitt (Adramyttium) to the Dardanelles, 
now confirms the accuracy of the historian. In the observance 
of this route, Gargams, and all the chain of Ida toward Lee- 
turn, are upon the left. I have subjoined a statement of this 
route, and the several distances, in a note below.f There is 
yet another singular appearance from the summit of this moun¬ 
tain ; and as tills is pointedly alluded to by Homer, it seems 
to offer strong reason for believing that the poet had himself be¬ 
held it from the same place. Looking toward L'eetum, the 
tops of all the fdsean chain diminish in latitude by a regular 
gradation, so as to resemble a series of steps, conducting to 
Gargarus, as the highest point of the whole. Nothing can, 
therefore, more forcibly illustrate the powers of Homer as a pain¬ 
ter, in the display he has givenofthe country,and the fidelity with 
which he delineates every feature in its geography, than the des¬ 
cription of the ascent of Juno from Lee turn to Gargarus 4 by a 
series of natural eminences, urmattainable indeed by mortal tread 
but presenting, to the great conceptions of poetical fancy, a 
scale adequate to the power and dignity of superior beings. 
On all the points of this mountain, former adventurers have 
raised heaps of stones, as marks of their enterprise.§ These 
were now nearly buried in snow. I availed myself of one of 
them to ascertain the temperature of the atmosphere, by placing 
my thermometer in the shade. It was. now mid-day, and the 
3? Herodot. lib. vii. p. 530. 
Hours. 
f Ydramitt to Ballia — — 9 ' 
Ballia to Carabe — — 7 
Carahe to Bazar Keuy — 6 
Bazar Keuy to Kirisle — 8 
Kirisle to the Dardanelles — 8 
Total —— ■— — 38 
1 Iliad H, 283. 
$ During the heat of summer, the glacier on this mountain is dissolved, anti the &3" 
'cent rendered thereby much morfe easy. The earl of Aberdeen informed me that h& 
afterward succeeded in visiting the summit without difficulty, by choosing a more ad¬ 
vanced season of the year. The guides, however, thought proper to relate that they j 
never had been able to reach the highest point; perhaps to avoid the trouble to 
'which the attempt would expose them. 
