DISTRICT' OF PROAS'. 
mv 
which the poet attended to the features of nature. Experi¬ 
ence will at last teach this wholesome truth ; that when Ho¬ 
mer and /Escylus wrote geographically, they had reference 
to better documents than modem maps; and, probably, to 
their owe practical observations. 
In the evening of our arrival at Sigeum, I had proof of the 
possible extent of vision in the clear atmosphere of this cp tin try, 
which would hardly be credited without ocular demonstration,. 
Looking toward the Archipelago, I plainly discerned Mount 
Athos, called by the peasants, who were with me, Agionoros 0 
the Holy Mountain ; its (ripple summit appearing so distinctly 
to the eye, that I was enabled to make a drawing of it. At the 
same time, it seemed that its relative position in all our maps* 
tilth respect to this promontory, is too far toward the north. 
The distance at which I viewed it could not be less than a 
hundred English miles :* according to D’Anville, it is about 
thirty leagues from shore to shore, and the summit of the 
mountain is at some distance from the coast. We visited the 
two ancient tumuli, called the tombs of Achilles and Patrocius. 
They are to the northeast of the village. A third was dis¬ 
covered by Mr. Gel!,* near the bridge for passing the Mender; 
bo that the three tumuli mentioned by Strabof are yet entire. 
He describes them as the monuments J of Achilles, Patroclua, 
and Amiochus. So much has been published concerning then], 
that it will not be necessary to add much to, and still less to 
repeat, what has been said before. The two nearest Sigeum 
are conspicuous objects in the view of persons passing the Helles¬ 
pont; and, in their form, are similar to others described in the 
preceding part of this work. It is remarkable, that none of 
the authors who have written on the subject, have noticed 
Strabo’s allusion to three tombs. The largest was opened b^ 
order of Monsieur de ChoiseuL I w as acquainted with the Jew ? 
employed in the undertaking. He appeared an honest and 
respectable man; but I am inclined to doubt the truth of the 
story relating to the discovery of certain antiquities sent to his 
employer, as having been found in this tomb. There was no 
confidential person to superintend the work.§ It was performed 
by night, with scarcely any w itness of the transaction. In the 
* It now serves as a Turkish cemetry. See the engraving made from Mr, Gell’s 
beautiful drawing of it,-Plate XVI. Topography of Troy, p. 45. 
t Strab. Geogr. lib. xiii. p. 859. Ed. Ox. 
X Myn/icrra. 
, § See a narration of .the transaction, published by Mr. Thornton, in his Account of 
Turkey. 
