324 ASCENT TO THE HIGHEST SUMMIT OF THE SULIOT MOUNTAINS. which disturbed the rest of Mustafà, drove sleep far away from his eyelids! Be this as it may, the manner of his death did not preclude the rites of Turkish burial: his corpse was placed under a shed adjoining the castle, whilst a sheik who lived in one of the repaired habitations of Kako-Suli, was sent for to perform the previous ablutions. When I returned from my early excursion I found the holy man arrived and busily occupied washing the body in a large trough with warm water and soap: he continued for two hours in this employment: the wound was just under the left breast and the ball had probably penetrated the very source of life: the countenance was void of distortion and retained that calm serenity in death which is said always to ensue from fatal wounds by gun-shot. After ablution the body was sewed up in a coarse cloth for interment in the cemetery at Kako-Suli. torrent. When we had finished breakfast our host carried us round this fortified serai or castle, which is built upon a fine isolated cliff, commanding the various avenues of its mountainous district and frowning over the terrific chasm down which the Acheron pours an impetuous In style of architecture it is somewhat similar to the great palace of Litaritza; to which, although it yields in that part of the edifice which is destined for a serai, it is vastly superior in its corresponding fortifications. After we had taken a survey of the fortress I determined to pursue the best plan I could devise for observing the general configuration of this interesting tract of country, the direction of its mountain ridges and valleys, the course of its rivers, and its relative situation with regard to other districts. For this purpose I ascended with Antonietti and our obliging palikar to the highest summit of the great chain of mountains behind Kiaffa, which is called Raithovouni*. It was a labour of two hours to accomplish this task; but the extent and grandeur of the view when we arrived at the top fully recompensed us * See the plate representing the exit of the Acheron. GRAND PANORAMIC VIEW. 325 for our toil. We could see from hence nearly the whole of Epirus, the Acroceraunian hills, the Lake of Ioannina, and the distant Pindus in its full extent: Arta with its lovely bay seemed to lie beneath us; all the scattered isles, rocks, and promontories of the Ionian Sea were brought into view: but the most interesting prospect was that of the Suliot district below us, the winding course of the Acheron, tremendous chasms and ravines into which the light of day can scarcely penetrate, precipices covered with thick woods and surmounted with forts and castles, and the beautiful Acherusian plain, through which the river, after its exit from these truly infernal regions, flows in the most graceful curvature towards the sea. Having provided myself with paper and pencil, I contrived to take that map-like sketch of the district which the reader has seen at the head of the sixth chapter in this volume*; but I experienced great difficulty in my operations from the violence of the wind. Our conductor pointed out the place where the traitor Botzari was defeated with his unworthy train, as well as many other spots signalized by the Suliot combats: but the cold was too excessive in this lofty region to permit of our remaining long on the summit, and we soon descended again to the castle. From thence I did not stir out again this evening, being greatly fatigued with my morning excursions. * In this little sketch are the two following inaccuracies: Avarico and Samoniva ought to change places, and the river Bassa to be Vavà. These mistakes occurred from my residing at a distance from the engraver, and not seeing the vignettes before they were struck off. Departure from Suli-District called Laka-Forests of Oaks in the Route to Lelevo-Fire-flies-Route to Castri-Ruins-Albanian WeddingRoute to the Village of St. George-Enormous Plane Trees-River of Luro-Description of the great Aqueduct-Route to EleftherochoriBridge of the Pasheena-Greek Monastery-Route through the Woods of Arta-Guard of Albanian Peasantry-Dogana and Canal of Luro Castle of Rogous-Serpents-Cangià-Traces of the AqueductLuro-Arrival at Camarina-Captain Giannaki-Visit to the ancient Ruins at Rhiniassa-Cyclopéan Walls, Citadel, Theatre, Plan of the City, &c.-Route through Nicopolis to Prevesa-Visit to Ali Pasha's Frigate-Punta and Fortress-Excursions to Nicopolis and Santa Maura-Difficulty in procuring Means of Conveyance--Departure from Prevesa. MAY 16.-We arose very early this morning, and having distributed a present among the garrison, departed through the castle gate under a farewel salute of artillery and muskets, accompanied by a small party DISTRICT OF LAKA-FORESTS OF OAKS. 327. of Albanian palikars. We proceeded in the first instance to the almost deserted site of Kako-Suli, amidst whose ruined habitations a single Turkish mosque rears the crescent triumphant over the cross: from thence we returned upon our track, and passing through Kiaffa and Samoniva arrived at the village of Avarico, near the defile of Klissura, which is now commanded by the guns of the great fortress. The scenery here assumes every feature of awful magnificence, where the gloom of woods, the foaming of torrents, and the precipitous nature of the rocks cannot be surpassed. The road was so extremely rough and bad that we were obliged to descend from horseback and walk many miles of this day's journey. In about four hours we emerged from these gloomy Acherontian defiles where the mountain chain of Suli ends and the district called Laka commences. Here the river winds in the most tortuous course imaginable, making several peninsulas, in which the isthmus is not so broad as a stone's throw; on one of these spots we eat our dinner under the shade of a noble plane-tree, smoked our pipes, and slept for about an hour. After this refreshment we parted with the Albanians and pursued our course for about an hour in a S. S. E. direction to the village of Jermi, which had been burnt by the vizir in his Suliot wars: from hence we had a charming view down a long valley quite to the gulf of Arta, in which the extreme softness of its features was rendered more pleasing by the contrast of that terrific scenery we had so lately quitted. In the course of another hour we took a more easterly direction over some low hills and then pursued our way under a magnificent canopy formed by the extended arms of aged oaks which appeared coeval with the forests of Dodona: here grows some of the finest timber in the world, still spared by the axe, which may yet be destined to bear the flag of regenerated Greece over the waves that now wash her desolated shores. After having performed a long journey under a brilliant sun, the coolness of these over-arching groves was quite delightful. The evening shades had descended before we arrived at Lelevo, a large village 328 FIRE-FLIES-RUINS OF CASTRI. pleasantly situated in a fertile plain nearly covered with walnut-trees of an astonishing growth: under the branches of one of these which shaded the cottage of our host, we spread out and eat our supper as under a tent, whilst myriads of luciole, or fire-flies, flitting about in all directions, gave us almost sufficient light by their vivid corruscations. I never observed this insect at any other time or any other place in Greece. In the village of Lelevo cherry-trees are very abundant, and its pastures are most luxuriant; the cattle are generally of a white colour. Next morning we made an excellent breakfast upon cow's milk, this being the only time we had met with it since we left England. The village, according to vulgar tradition, is said to have received its appellation from the devil, who was caught here in the shape of a black dog by a necromancer, who constructed the kamares, as they are called, or the great aqueduct of Nicopolis. The conjuror having tied an enchanted cord round the neck of his prisoner, forced him to labour in this great work and to point out a level for the direction of the water; but in the long struggle which took place before the black architect could be subdued, he made all the hills resound with cries of Lelevo, which, in the Albanian language, means “loose me," or " let me go;" and hence the name of the village. Mr. Pouqueville having informed us of the extreme beauty of the aqueduct and pointed out its situation, we determined to deflect a little from our route for the purpose of visiting it. Proceeding for about one hour south along the plain of Lelevo we arrived at the ruins of an ancient Epirotic city, called Castri, upon the top of a beautiful hill almost two miles in circuit. The lower part of the walls are built in the Pseudo-Cyclopéan style, and like most ruins in this country, exhibit remains of a superstructure of a much more modern date. This hill is covered with a vast variety of fine shrubs and trees, which, intermingled with wild flowers and parasitical plants hanging in festoons from the branches, or clinging to the ancient |