M E T E L 1 N. 
decay. In fome parts of the ifland, faid to be 36 miles 
long ..and '14, broad, are volcanic mountains, and others 
compoled of marble, that extend almoft through the 
ifland : its mountains are covered with wood, particularly 
with pines that yield excellent,pitch for the ufe of the 
dock-yard eftabliflied near the fouth harbour, and for ca¬ 
reening the veffels and boats which come for that purpofe. 
On thefe mountains are alfo found oaks, the arbutus, the 
andrachne, the lentilk, the turpentine-tree, the myrtle, 
the agnus callus, a few leguminous Ihrubs, and feveral 
rock-rofes, among which is that which yields the lada- 
num. The mountains alfo afford a variety of lprings, of 
which fome are medicinal. The valleys of the ifland are 
extremely fertile, well watered, and in fome degree culti¬ 
vated, though in this refpeft they might admit of much 
improvement. 
The principal towns of this ifland are Castro and 
Molivo, which fee ; and its harbours are Port Caloni 
and Port Olivier. Port Caloni lies in the middle of the 
fouthern part of the ifland ; it is very extenfive and very 
fafe, but little frequented ; none but veffels thwarted by 
the wind, or buffeted by a llorm, anchoring here, and not 
one entering it to take in a cargo, or to unload. The 
other port, called Port Yero, or Port Olivier, derives its 
name from the great number of olive-trees which are 
planted in the adjoining plain, and on the declivity of the 
mountains and hills that furround it. In the eaftern part 
of the harbour, there are a few calcareous hills, which have 
not been attacked by the fire of volcanoes. Here is found 
near the lea a copious fpringof hot mineral water, much 
valued by the inhabitants of Metelin. Port Olivier is one 
of the fafeft and molt fpacious harbours of the Archipe¬ 
lago ; it lies at the eaftern and fouthern extremity of the 
ifland, and is faid to abound with fifh, among which are 
excellent oyfters, which are carried to Scio and Smyrna. 
It is frequented, during the whole year, by boats and 
veffels that come hither to load with the oil which is made 
in the environs. The two harbours of Metelin are fepa- 
rated by a tongue of land, on which was conftrufted by 
the Genoefe a citadel, wdiich the Turks have preferved. 
The upper or north harbour is fecured from the north- 
eaft wind by a jetty, the origin of which is carried back 
to ancient Greece. The fouth harbour is open, and faces 
the fouth-eafl; it is a little lefs extenfive and lefs deep 
than the other; none but the boats of the country can 
anchor in it, while the north harbour can admit fmall 
merchant-veffels. Men of war and European (hips, which 
commerce attracts to Metelin, anchor in fummer off the 
fouth harbour; but they fcarcely expofe themfelves there 
in winter, becaufe there happen fometimes in that feafon 
very impetuous gales from the north-eall, wdiich might 
occaflon their deftruftion, or oblige them to cut their 
cables, and get under fail with all expedition. There 
was formerly a canal of communication between thefe 
two harbours, which feparated the tongue of land juft 
mentioned, and formed of it an ifland, on which was 
built part of the town. Time has choked up the canal; 
but it has not deftroyed the jetty, which ran from the 
little ifland, and fheltered the north harbour from the 
worfl weather. 
In the Irifh Philofophical Tranfaftions for 1789, we 
have a defcription of this ifland by the earl of Charlemont, 
in which he fpeaks wdth raptures of its beauties. “ The 
mountains, whole rugged tops exhibit a plealing inter- 
fperfion of rocks and fine groves, have their green fides, 
for many miles along the coaft, covered with olives, 
whofe lefs-agreeable verdure is correfled, embellilhed, and 
brightened, by a lively mixture of bays and laurels af- 
piring to the height of forell-trees, of myrtles and pome¬ 
granates, of arbutes rich at once in bloffom and in berry, 
of mulberries growing wild and laden with fruit, &c 
Winter is here unknown ; the verdure is perpetual, and 
the frequency of evergreens gives to December the colour 
of June. The parching heat of fummer is never felt; the 
thick fhade of trees, and thoufands of cryftal fprings 
247 
which every-wdiere arife and form themfelves into un¬ 
numbered rivulets, joined to the refrefhing fea-breeze, 
the conilant corre&ive and companion of noontide heat, 
qualify the burning air, and render the year a never-end¬ 
ing May. The houfes are conftruiled in fuch a manner 
as to have the beft view of thefe natural beauties. Each is 
a fquare tower neatly built of hewn ftone, lo high as to 
overtop the trees, and to command a view of the lea and 
neighbourhood iflands. The lower ftories are granaries 
and ftorehoufes; and the habitable apartments are all at 
the top, to which you afcend by a ftone flair, built for the 
moil part on the outflde, and lurrounding the tower ; fo 
that from the apartment the trees are overlooked, and the 
whole country is feen ; while the habitations themfelves, 
which are very numerous, peering above the groves, add 
life and variety to the enchanting profpect, and give an 
air of human population to thefe woodlands, which might 
otherwife be fuppoled the region of Dryads, of Naiads, 
and of Satyrs.” 
This ifland is divided into lordflups ; but, as the aga 
of other countries is obliged to join the land-forces when 
required at Metelin, he is fubjebt to a maritime duty, 
from which he contrives to exempt himfelf by fome pecu¬ 
niary facrifices. In Metelin are reckoned 8000 Greeks 
paying the karatch, (capitation tax,) from the age of 
feven to their death ; fo that the population may be efli- 
mated at near 20,000, including the women and children 
above that age. It is thought that there are nearly as 
many Turks as Greeks in the ifland, which contains in 
all 40,000 inhabitants. The Jews are not fufRciently nu¬ 
merous to be taken into the calculation. 
The chief trade of this ifland is in oil. The quantity 
of which exported in ordinary feafons is eftimated at up¬ 
wards of 50,000 quintals; almoft the whole of which is 
lent to Conftantinople. The oil is, in general, but of 
an indifferent quality, becaufe the inhabitants, not hav¬ 
ing a lufficient number of mills, are obliged to gather 
their olives flowly. Dried figs are an article of exporta¬ 
tion of little importance, as well as wool. Cotton, fefa- 
mum, filk, ivory, wax, and different fpecies of grain, are 
gathered in a fmall quantity ; but the laft are not fufficient 
tor the fupply of the inhabitants, who draw a great quan¬ 
tity of wheat and barley from the coaft of Afia. They 
alio import oxen, horfes, and mules, for agriculture and 
draught, as well as part of the fheep that are killed at the 
flaugbter-houfe. Wine is now fcarce, becaufe a great 
part of the grapes is employed by the Turks in making 
confe6tions,and becaufe the Turks are accuflomed to con¬ 
vert the reft into brandy. The wine of ancient Lefbos 
has loft its reputation, being fweet and ill-flavoured, as 
are, in general, all the wines of the Archipelago. Al¬ 
though there are no rivers in this ifland, a few torrents, 
fupplied by rain-waters and fprings, ferve to furnifh fuffi¬ 
cient water for confumption, and for watering part of the 
plains, fo as to procure for the inhabitants legumes, her¬ 
bage, and fruits. 
It remains to notice a very ftrange cuftom, by which 
the natives of this ifland have contrived to render them¬ 
felves unhappy amid all the bounties of nature. The 
women here feem to have arrogated to themfelves the 
department and privileges of the men. Contrary to the 
ufage of all other countries, (lays the earl of Charlemont 
in the volume quoted above,) the eldeft daughter here 
inherits ; and the fons, like daughters every where elle, 
are portioned off with fmall dowers, or, which is Hill 
worle, turned out, pennylefs, to feek their fortune. “ If 
a man has two daughters, the eldeft, at her marriage, is 
entitled to all her mother’s poffeflions, which are by far 
the greater part of the family-eftate, as the mother, keep¬ 
ing up her prerogative, never parts with the power over 
any portion of what fhe had brought into the family, 
until fhe is forced into it by the marriage of her daughter; 
and the father is alfo compelled to ruin himfelf by adding 
whatever he may have fcraped together by his indultry. 
The fecond daughterinherits nothing, and is condemned 
to 
