Defcription of Madera French Greece. 
member for the county, the injury fuf- 
tained by which, is eftimated at a {um of 
ool. 
In difafters of this kind, however, the 
confolation is, that they neceffarily fall 
upon fuch perfons as are beft able to fup- 
port them. The ruin of an extenfive plan- 
tation, or the conflagration of a fplendid 
manfion, makes a figure, it is true, in 
the chronicles of the year; and when the 
mercantile genius of the nation has re- 
duced the damages to a calculation of 
pounds, fhillings, and pence, the ruin 
appears prodigious ; and fympathy is im- 
mediately excited. But if we calculate, 
as we ought, the quantum of human mi- - 
fery, and confider the drofs of traffic as 
an inferior confideration, we fhould find 
that calamities of this kind are, in reality, 
lefs to be deplored than the ruin of a cot-> 
tage, or the deftruétion of fome poor la- 
bourers’ little crop of leeks and potatoes. 
SE a 
For the Monthly Magazine; 
‘Brier DescripTion of MopeERN 
FRENCH GREECE, 
tye part of the Venetian Republic, 
which by the treaty of Campo For- 
mio, acceded to France, confifts of the 
largeft diftri€& of the ancient. and cele- 
brated kingdom of Epirus, and of the 
iflands formerly belonging to the Venetian 
Republic in the Ionian and Aégean feas. 
Epirus, the ancient kingdom of King 
Pyrrhus, who carried his victorious arms 
to the very gates of Rome, lies in the vi- 
cinity of the ifland of Corfu, the fituation 
of which, at the extremity of the Adriatic 
gulf, fecured to the republic of Venice 
the empire of thefe feas. The prefent 
French Epirus confifts’of the following 
places. 
Larta (Arta), a large and well-built 
trading-town, and at prefent the fee of 
the Archbifhop of Lepanto. The river, 
on which it is feated, connects it with 
the bay of Ambracia. 
Butrinto, a good fea-port, on the bay 
of the fame name. 
Pieveza, a town founded by Auguftus, 
under the name of Nicopolis, city of vic- 
tory, on the {pot where he pitched his 
camp previous to the battle of A&tium. 
Vonitza, a fortrefs on the entrance of 
the bay of Larta. 
The Acheron, that famous river of the 
underworld of the ancients, interfeéts this 
country. It rifes in the Dodonian fo- 
re{ts, were the oaks were faid to converfe 
in fabulous times. 
The records of hiftory concur with the 
5 a 
figtions of mythology, in confecrating to 
celebrity this new pofleffion of the French 
republic; nor are the iflands in the Ionian 
and /Egean feas, lefs famous than the 
former. 
Corcyra, now called Corfu, and in the 
moft ancient times Phzacia, was the 
kingdom of Alcinous, whofe gardens are 
celebrated by Homer. Corinth confidered 
it as one of its colonies. The Corcyreans 
formed once a powerful republic. The 
ifland is 135 Enelifh miles in length, but 
22 only in breadth. Corfu, the capital, 
poffeffes a fea-port, fortifications, which 
have coft immenfe fums of money, an 
archbifhopric of the Greek perfuafion, 
and an academy of arts and {ciences. The 
air is extremely pure; the foil is fruitful, 
and produces honey, wax, and delicious 
fruit and wine, in great abundance; its 
fprings of brine are very produétive. The 
population of this ifland is eftimated at 
60,000 fouls. 
From the neighbouring part of the 
continent of Epirus, the apricot-tree was 
tran{planted into the other parts of Eu- 
rope. 
Paru and Antipaxu, are two fmall ifles 
in the vicinity of Corcyra. 
Leucadia, now called Santa Maura, a 
in ancient times Neritis, was a peninfula, 
the ifthmus of which was cut through by 
the Corinthians. One of thefe iflands 
formerly afforded a view of the temple of 
Apollo, fo long celebrated from its being 
the {pot from which ill-fated victims of 
love were accuftomed to precipitate them- 
felves into the fea, to extinguifh an un- 
fortunate, udrequited paffion. Leucadia 
abounds in grain, wine, oil, lemons, 
oranges, and almonds; it alfo poffeffes 
fine paftures, and contains the ports of 
Englinero, Demata, and Santa Maura. 
The Echinades are a group of ifles, of 
which Dulichio and Ithaca, the king- 
dom of Ulyffes, immortalized by Homer 
and Fenelon, deferve peculiar notice. 
Cephalonia, anciently called Epirus 
Melaina, Black Epirus, is larger than 
Corcyra. The capital of this ifland was 
formerly Samos, which, in. the general 
opinion, was feated near Porto Guifcardo, 
The fruitfulnefs of its foil furpaffes be- 
lief; the fruit-trees bear twice every 
year. Currants are chiefly exported from 
this ifland. . 
Zacynthus, now called Zante. This 
ifland is faid to derive its name from one 
of the fons of Dardanus. It is 18 En- 
glith miles in length, four in breadth, 
and has a good harbour. Homer praifes 
its forelts and woods, which, however; 
have 
