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DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND AND CITY OF CORFU, WITH PART OF THE COAST OF GREECE, EPIRUS, AND THE SULIOTE CHAIN OF MOUNTAINS, IN THE DISTANCE; THE WHOLE REPRESENTATION EMBELLISHED, IN THE FORECROUMP, WITH ^ 'iJariHs of C^ojsitume Worn by the GREEKS^ assembled on Fort Neuf to celebrate the annual Religious Festival of “La Madonna NOW EXHIBITING IN H. A. BARKER and J. BURFORD's PANORAMA, STRAND. LONDON; PKlNTtU BV J. AND C. ADLARD, 23, BARTHOLOMEW CLOSE. Price Sixpence. 1822 . ' ’M‘ 'i-') i' J Digitized by the Internet Archive ;.in 2019 vvith funding from .<5 Getty Research Institute T : * t ' ♦ V / , I ■ * « n / i https://archive.org/details/descriptionofislOObark DF.SCRI PTION OF CORFU, AND THR SUKROUNDING SCRNERY. The View represented in the Panorama is from coloured drawings taken on the top of Fort Neuf, by J. Cartwright, Esq. A. D. Paymaster-general for the Ionian Islands; and the costumes and shipping are from portraits drawn by the same gentleman. Fort Neuf is nearly two hundred feet above the water’s edge, and is of Venetian con¬ struction. The annual religious festival, Della Madonna, (the church of which is within the gates of the fortress,) is celebrated on the top of the works : the crowd assem¬ bled upon this occasion spreads over the whole fortress, thereby giving an opportunity of introducing not only the inhabitants of the Ionian States, but also those of Alba¬ nia, Acarnania, and the various neighbouring coasts who hold commercial intercourse with Corfu, which city is the capital of the united Ionian States, placed by the Treaty of Paris, in 1815, under the immediate protection of the Sovereign of Great Britain, who is there represented by Sir Thomas Maitland, His Majesty’s present Lord High Commissioner. The States are composed of Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca, Cerigo, and Paxo; and the Ionian B 4 standard, which is hoisted on days of festivity, displays the armorial bearings of the several states: viz. The an¬ cient wai-galley of Corcyra, Corfu;—the figure ot Zacynthus bearing* the flower, Zante ;—the bust of Ulysses, Ithaca;—the trident, Paxo ;—Venus rising from her shell, Cerigo ;—Bellerophon, on his winged horse, Pegasus, slaying the dragon, Santa Maura and Cephalus and his dog, Cephalonia. These em¬ blems encircle the royal standard of the protecting power. The established religion is orthodox Greek : the religion of the high protecting power is exercised Avith the fullest liberty; that of the Roman Catholic is specially countenanced, and all other forms of worship are tolerated. The civil government of the States is composed of a Senate, a Legislative Assembly, and a Judicial Authority. The military command of the islands is placed in the hands of the commander of His Britannic Majesty’s forces. The national commercial flag is the lion of St. Mark, on a blue ground, (the original flag of the States,) Avith the addition of the British union in the upper corner. The island is thirty- five miles in length, its greatest breadth is tAvelve miles, and it contains nearly 50,000 inhabitants, Avhose chief export is olive-oil. It is in lat. 39- 38. 05. E., Ion. 19* 55. 38. N. The ancient names are Scheria, Phoeacia, and Corcyra. Its early history Avould probably have been entirely unknoAvn had not Homer immortalized the name and splendour of Alcinoiis, and the nautic prowess of his hardy seamen, whose posterity Avere after- Avards renoAvned among* the Greeks for their maritime superiority. About 700 years before Christ, the Corin¬ thians, under Chersicrates formed a settlement there; it Avas conquered, and remained many centuries’under the Roman government. In 1546 Ave find it in the hands of the Venetians, Avho retained it until Avithin these fcAV years, and its capital is now the seat of the general* government of the United States. 1 5 The island is extremely picturesque, and this pano¬ ramic view is selected as the best point to shew its va¬ ried character and interesting localities. The south-west shore is an abrupt precipice, with exu¬ berant foliage overhanging the sea; the approach from that quarter is full of danger, on account of the numerous sunken rocks that are scattered about near the shore: this is the part of the coast where Homer describes Ulysses to have been wrecked. The south view is closed by the Cheimerian promontory, Actiiim, and the island of Santa Maura, the Lcucadia of the ancients, whose sharp forms, distant about sixty miles, are faintly seen peeping above the horizon. The north view is terminated by the steep and rocky Pantokrator, or Table-Mountain of Salvatore, ornamented at the extremities by t\ro conical summits, which are usually enveloped in clouds previous to the approach of bad weather; behind this the island runs off in low land to the Adriatic Sea. Eastward it assumes the ap})earance of lake scenery, enriched b}" sliips of war and the latine rigged vessels of the Mediterranean that float upon the tideless surface of its waters, bounded by the snow-capped mountains of Epirus. The climate of Corfu is considered good, except in the marshy parts of the island, where tlie air is ex¬ tremely unhealthy during the latter part of the suiuiner; ill the months of July, August, and September, the thermometer ranges between S4 and qo ; and, during the continuance of a Sirocco wind at that season, the weather is particularly oppressive. The snow gene¬ rally appears on the Albanian mountains about the end of October and continues until May. In the month of December there is much rain and gales of wind, accompanied by thunder and lightning, and occasionally is felt the shock of an earthquake, Water- 6 spouts are also frequent in those seas. There are several fisheries in the vicinity of Corfu, where the grey mullet is caught in great quantities; it is but of an indifferent flavour, except the roe of the fish, which is cut out, and, when well cured, sold as a great delicacy. The principal fisheries are Ciovino and Calichiopulo; the latter place was the ancient port. The red mullet is sometimes caught, and the flavour is delicious; the rock-cod is also met with, and craw¬ fish of an immense size. In the winter-season there is fine wild-fowl shooting among the fisheries, and in the island there is abundance of snipe, woodcocks, quail, tortorelli, beccaficchi, and many curious birds from the coast of Africa. There are various fountains of excellent water in the island, but the most celebrated are those of Cressida and Carradacchia; the latter is close to the sea-beach, about two miles south of the citadel, and is the place from whence the shipping lay-in their stock of water for the voyage. In the town are several very extensive tanks, but, at the latter end of a dry summer, there is sometimes a scarcity of water Avithin the Avails. The fruits of this island are very fme ; they consist of the grape, the peach, tlie nectarine, the plum, the melon, the pomegranate, the fig, and the orange. Apples, pears, chesnnts, lilberts, and a variety of other fruits, are also met with. The Avines of the islands are of excellent quality Avhen carefully made, and are of a fuller body than those of France: the Zante and Ithaca are considered the finest in flavour. Within the last two years the roads of C'orfu have been much improved, and the number of carriages are increasing. The country is coni])!etely open, and there is an endless variety of pictures(|ue bridle-roads ; indeed, such is the extreme beauty of the sceiici'y, 7 that almost every change of position forms a picture. A very neat copper coinage has been lately issued by the government, bearing on one side the Lion of St. Mark, and on the other a figure of Bri¬ tannia. Since these islands have been under the protection of Great Britain, an Academy of the fine arts has been established at Corfu, and a building has been set apart by the government, where several excellent casts from the antique have been procured from Italy, and there placed for the use of the students. His present Majesty has also been graciously pleased to present the academy with a selection of casts from the Elgin marbles. This institution is under the^ direction of Cavaliere Paoli Prossalendi, a Greek sculptor of considerable talent, who has studied many years in Italy. The lower part of the fabric is appro¬ priated for the purpose of receiving such remains of antiquity as may be discovered in the islands. Se¬ veral interesting inscriptions and fragments of tem¬ ples have been already collected and placed in this museum, for which much is due to the exertions of General Sir Frederick Adam. Colonel Sir Patrick Ross has also considerably improved the collection, by sending some valuable fragments of antiquity he found in the island of Santa Maura, and it may be hoped that ere long sufficient will be got together to throw some new light upon the ancient history of these classical islands. Public schools have also ])een established, and all classes of people have the advantage of sending their children, who are admitted and educated free of any expense whatever. The Italian, which is the commercial language of the 4 8 Mediterranean, is spoken generally at Corfu among the educated part of the people ; and the peasantry know enough of it to transact their business when they come to market. The villagers are of a lively disposition, much ad¬ dicted to pleasure, and take great delight in adorning their persons with costly apparel and ornaments, in which they attend their numerous religious festivals, where, mixed together with the Suliotes, Parganotes, Idriots, the Santa Mauriotes, and the natives of other neighbouring countries, they form an assemblage of vivid coloured costume, highly characteristic of their sunny climate. In the city, balls are very frequent; the Carnival is carried on with great spirit; and, in society, Italian manners prevail. The theatre is generally well attended, and opens with the Italian opera in October, which continues till the spring, when Lent puts an end to their festivity. EXPLANATION. No. \.—Govino Harbour. This harbour, which is excellent and completely land-locked, is defended by a fort. It is the place where the Venetians esta¬ blished their arsenal, and the remains of a line of buildings may be seen where they kept their gallies protected from the weather. There is sulficient water in this port for a frigate, but the air in the neighbourhood is considered unhealthy, particularly in the au¬ tumn, for which reason the place is merely used to lay ships up in during the winter months. No. 2.— Lazaretto. The building on this island is of considerable extent, and there are convenient warehouses for the e.xposure and properly airing all goods suspected of bringing infection. There'are also rooms appropriated for the use of travellers coming from the Eastern countries, who perform their tedious but necessary quarantine at this place. 4 No. 13. —Mount Salvatore, the ancient Pantokrator. From the summit of this mountain, in fair weather, may be seen the coast of Italy, in the direction of Cape Saint Mary. There is a small Greek church on the top, and the remains of a convent, where, in the month of August, a religious festival is held, which continues three days, where people from all parts of the island flock in great numbers. No. 22 .—The Island of Vido. This island was formerly covered with olive-trees, but, on the French taking possession, they cut them down, and erected fortitications which completely command the harbour. 10 No. 23.— Acroceraumum Mountain. This, chain of mountain forms one side of the Northern entrance, and, running out to a point, divides the Adriatic from the Ionian Sea. Its present name is the Chimariot Mountain. No. 24. —North Entrance. This is the entrance to the channel of Corfu from the Adriatic Sea, and the vessels are seen coming through with the westerly breeze, which, in settled weather, usually springs up about three o’clock in the afternoon. No. 52. —Island of Santa Maura. This island, which is about sixty miles distant, is distinctly seen in fine weather. It is the ancient Leucadia, is about sixty miles in circumference, and contains nearly eighteen thousand in¬ habitants. About two miles from the town of Santa Maura may be seen the remains of the Cyclopean walls of Leucas, and, on the south, west side of the island, the fragments of a temple, near which is the celebrated leap of Sappho, now called Cape Ducato. The island is se¬ parated from the main land by a narrow channel about two feet in depth: but since the United States have been under the protection of Great Britain, a fine mole has been constructed near the citadel, capable of giving shelter to vessels of 300 tons, and a new channel is now cutting through near the fort, which, when complete, will enable vessels drawing seven feet water to pass on to the southern entrance: this improvement will be highly beneficial to the islands of Santa Maura, Ithaca, Zante, Cephalonia, and to the Morea; as the passage in the winter season outside the boisterous Cape Ducato is extremely dan¬ gerous for small vessels, and considerably retards the commercial pur¬ suits of the islanders during that period of the year. No. 56. —Ancient Corcyra, now called Palaiopulo. Excavations have been made in this spot, and several Ionic and Doric columns have been discovered. An ancient bath of Mosaic work was also found near the place ; and, in the vicinity where the earth has crumbled away, the edges of several tesselated pavements may be distinctly seen. 11 No. 6\.Ship of Ulysses. This then l.doom: to fix the gallant ship, A mark of vengeance on the sable deep ; To warn the thoughtless self-confiding train, No more unlicens^l thus to brave the main. Full in their port a shady hill shall rise, If such thy will.—We will it, Jove replies. Ev'n when with transport blackening all the strand The swarming people hail their ship to land. Fix her for ever, a memorial stone : Still let her se^m to sail, and seem alone.— Odyssey: Book XIII. This island is called Pontikonesi; it is also known by the name of the Ship of Ulysses, and is probably the rock alluded to by Homer in his Odyssey : it is situated at the entrance of the old harbour, midway between the Mole and the opposite shore. There is a small Greek church at the top, and a well of excellent water. No. 65.—Ancient Phceacia. The jutting land two ample bays divide,- Odyssey: Book VI. Close to the gates a spacious garden lies, From storms defended, and inclement skies. Four acres was th’ allotted space of ground. Fenc’d with a green enclosure all around : Tall thriving trees confess’d the fruitful mould ; The reddening apple ripens here to gold. Here the blue fig with lusciousjuice o’erflows, With deeper red the full pomegranate glows; The branch here bends beneath the weighty pear, And verdant olives flourish round the year. The balmy spirit of the western gale Eternal breathes on fruits untaught to fail; Each drooping pear a following pear supplies. On apples apples, figs on figs arise: The same mild season gives the blooms to blow, The buds to harden, and the fruits to grow. Beds of all various herbs, for ever green, In beauteous order terminate the scene. Two plenteous fountains the whole prospect crown’d t This through the gardens leads the streams around ; * While that in pipes beneath the palace flows, And thence its current on the town bestows. To various use their various streams they bring. The people otie, and one supplies the king.- Odyssey 5 Book Vll. * A very fine subterraneous aqueduct was cut through near this place about ten years since, on forming a ditch round a fortification ; and, in digging wells in the vicinity, water-pipes were frequently broken in upon. 12 From the description of Homer there is every reason to believe the city of Phoeacia stood upon this isthmus, and that the gardens of Alcinoiis ran down from thence to the port which is now nearly choaked up, used as a fishery, and called the lake of Calichiopulo. To the right of the lake have been discovered ancient tombs. No. 67 .—Source of the Fountain of Cressida* Nigh wliere a grove with verdant poplars crown’d, To Pallas sacred, shades the holy ground, We bend our way, a bubbling fount distils A lucid lake, and thence descends in rills; Around the grove, a mead with lively green Falls by degiees, and forms a beauteous scene; There wait embowered while I ascend alone To great Alcinoiis on his royal throne. Odyssey: Book VI. This part of the lake is kept open by a stream from the fountain, which rises from under a rock behind the hill. The water is est- tremely clear, and turns a mill at the distance of about one hundred yards from its source. FINIS, J. and C. Adlard, Prinicts, bartliulumew Cluse.