Chateaubriand's Travels in Greece, Palestine, Sic. 
G3i 
lilies of France crowned, and as fresh as 
if they had just come from the hands of 
the sculptor. The Turks, who have 
every-w'here mutilated the monuments of 
Greece, have spared those of chivalry ; 
Christian honor astonished infidel bravery, 
and the Saladins felt respect for the 
Coucis. 
At the end of the Street of the Knights, 
you come to three Gothic arches, which 
lead to the palace of the grand master. 
This palace is now converted into a prison. 
A half-ruined convent, inhabited by two 
monks, is the only memorial at Rhodes 
of that religion which there performed 
such miracles. The fathers conducted 
me to their chapel. You there see a 
Gothic virgin, with her child, painted on 
wood I the arms of d’Aubusson, tlie 
grand master, are carved at the bottom 
of the picture. This curious piece of 
antiquity was discovered some years since 
a slave, who was at workin the garden 
belonging to the convent, In the chapel 
IS a second altar dedicated to St. Louis, 
whose image is met with all over tlie east, 
and whose deafii-bed I saw at Carthage. 
I left my mite upon this altar, requesting 
the fathers to say a mass for my prospe¬ 
rous voyage, as if I had foreseen the dan¬ 
gers I should encounter on the coast of 
Khodes, in iny return from Egypt. 
The commercial port of Rhodes would 
be very safe, if the ancient works which 
defended it were rebuilt. At the extre¬ 
mity of this harbour stands a wall flanked 
w'ith two towers. These towers, accord¬ 
ing to a tradition current in the country, 
occupy the site of the two rocks which 
served as a base for the Colossus. 
GREEK SAILORS. 
It is really surprising to see how the 
Greeks navigate their ships. The pilot 
sits crcss-iegged, with his pipe in his 
mouth, holding the tiller, which, to be 
on a level with the hand that guides it, 
must grace the deck. Before tiiis pilot, 
who is half reclined, and consequently 
can exert no force, stands a compass, 
whicli he knows nothing about, and which 
he never looks at. On the least appeai- 
ance of danger, French or Italian cliarts 
are spread out upon the deck ; .the whole 
crew, with tile captain at their head, lie 
down upon their bellies j tliey examine 
the chart; they follow tlie lines deline¬ 
ated upon jt with their fingers; they en¬ 
deavour to lind out Where they are, each 
gives his opinion s they conclude at last 
that it 13 impossible to make iiead or tail 
■i/f these Gorjuring'boQks of the Erj’nks, 
told up the map again, lower the sails, or 
bring the wind a-stern; they then iiave 
recourse again to their pipes and their 
chaplets, recommend themselves to Pio- 
vidence, and await the event. In this 
way many a ship gets two or three hun¬ 
dred leagues out of her course, and finds 
tierselr off the coast of Africa instead of 
making that of Syria ; but all this cannot 
prevent the crew from joining in a dance 
on the first gleam of sun-shine. Tiie 
ancient Greeks were, in many respects, 
but amiable and credulous children, who 
passed wdth all the levity of infancy from 
grief to joy ; and the modern Greeks have 
retained something of this character: 
happy at least to find in this versatility of 
disposition some relief from their woes! 
APPROACH TO THE HOLY LAND. 
At six in the morning, 1 was ronzed 
by a confused sound of voices ; I opened 
my eyes, and perceived all the pilgrims 
looking towards the prow of the* vessel: 
I asked what was tlie matter, and they 
called out to me, SignioVy il Carmelo f 
Mount Carmel ! A breeze had sprung 
up at eight the preceding evening, and 
in the night w’e had come in sight of the 
coast ot Syria. As I had lain down in 
my clothes, I was soon on my legs, en¬ 
quiring which was the sacred mountain. 
Each was eager to point it out to me, 
but I could see nothing of it because the 
sun began to rise in our faces. 
This moment liad sometliing religious 
and august; all the pilgrims, with their 
chaplets in their hands, had remained in 
silence in the same attitude, awaiting 
the appearance of the Holy Land. Tlie 
chiet of the papas was praying aloud; 
nothing was to be heard but tliis prayer 
and the noise made in iier course by the 
ship, waited by a most favourable wind 
upon a brilliant sea. From time to time 
a cry was raised on the prow, when 
Carmel again appeared in sight. 
At length J perceived that mountain 
myself, like a round spot beneath the 
rays of the sun ; I fell upon my knees 
alter the manner of the Latin pilgrims. 
I felt not that agitation w hich seized me 
on beholding, fur the first time, the sliores 
ol Greece; but the sight of the cradle of 
the Israelites and the birth-place of 
Christianity filled me with awe and ve¬ 
neration. I was iust arriving in that 
land ol #fVonders, at the sources of the 
jnost astonishing poesy, at the spot 
■'vvliere, even humanly speaking, liappen- 
ed the greatest event that ever changed 
the face of the wurid; I mean the com- 
