US 
CLARKE^ travels. 
different parts of Persia. That of Samos, perhaps, from its 
inaccessible situation, rendered still more difficult of approach 
in stormy weather, might escape the search of the natives, and 
yet be visible from a considerable distance at sea. # Approach¬ 
ing the yawning chasm nature in one of her awful convul¬ 
sions has here opened to the waves, a mountainous surge 
rolled after our little bark. Prosperous winds, however, car¬ 
ried us along, and we presently left the Boccaze in our stern; 
passing the isle of Fourmi , and steering into the broad surface 
of the w aters, w ith all the southern islands of the Archipelago 
in view. It is not possible for any power of language ade¬ 
quately to describe the appearance, presented at the rising, or 
setting of the sun, in the jEgean Sea. Whether in dim per¬ 
spective, through gray and silvery mists, or amidst hues of 
liveliest purple, the isles arid continents of Greece present their 
varied features, nor pen, nor pencil, can pourtray the scenery. 
Whatsoever, in the warmest fancies of my youth, imagination 
had represented of this gifted country, w as afterward not only 
realized, but surpassed. Let the reader picture to his concep¬ 
tion an evening sun, behind the towering cliffs of Patmos, 
gilding the battlements of the monastery of the Apocalypse 
with its parting rays ; the consecrated island, surrounded by 
inexpressible brightness, seeming to float upon an abyss of fire ;f 
while the moon, in milder splendor, is rising full over the op¬ 
posite expanse. Such a scene I actually witnessed, with 
feelings naturally excited by all the circumstances of local 
solemnity; for such, indeed, might have been the face of nature, 
when the inspiration of an apostle, kindling in its contempla¬ 
tion, uttered the alleluias of that mighty voice,f telling of 
SALVATION, AND GLORY, AND HONOUR, AND POWER. 
How very different were the reflections caused, upon leav¬ 
ing the deck, by observing a sailor with a lighted match in 
his hand, and our captain busied in appointing an extraordi¬ 
nary watch for the night, as a precaution against the pirates, 
who sw r arm in these seas. Those wretches, dastardly, as well 
& An anecdote, very characteristic of the Turks, relating to an occurrence a short 
time previous to our travels in Turkey, proves that lights are sometimes exposed, 
by the Samians themselves, to guide vessels in these straits, A Turkish frigate, 
during her passage through the Boccaze of Samos, was wrecked upon the rocks of that 
island. The Turkish admiral insisted upon being paid the value of the frigate by the 
inhabitants; and when these, regretting that they had not gone up with lights , main¬ 
tained their innocence, as to the loss of the frigate, the Mahometan exclaimed, “ You 
will admit one argument! Would the wreck have happened , if your island had not been 
j,n the way V 
f “ And I saw, as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire,” Rev. xv.2, 
| Rev. six. 1. 
