FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441   442   443   >>  
he lazaretto under the care of a guard. The remains of a temple stand upon these hills, fragments of a wall, and a very much decayed column. The latter, which consisted of a single piece of stone, was fluted, and, judging from the circumference, had been very high. These ruins are said to be those of the remarkably fine temple of Jupiter. 21st October. This was the day we were set at liberty. We had ordered a small vessel the evening before which was to take us to Athens early in the morning. But my fellow-travellers would insist upon first celebrating their freedom at a tavern, and from this reason it was 11 o'clock before we started. I availed myself of this time to look about the town and its environs. It is very small and contains no handsome buildings. The only remains of antiquity which I found were traces of the floor of a room in Mosaic work of coloured stones. From what I could see of the island of AEgina, it appeared extremely barren and naked, and it does not show any indications of having been once a flourishing seat of art and commerce. AEgina is a Greek island, about two square miles in extent, it was formerly a separate state, and is said to have received the name of AEgina from the daughter of AEsop. It is supposed that the first money of Greece was coined in this island. Our passage to the Piraeus occupied a long time. There was not a breath of wind, and the sailors were obliged to row; we did not land at our destination until nearly 8 in the evening. We were first visited by the health-officer, who read through the certificates which we brought from the quarantine very leisurely. There was unfortunately nobody among us who was inclined to make it more understandable to him by a few drachmas. Of course we could not neglect going to the police-office; but it was already closed, in consequence of which we dare not leave the town. I went into a large fine-looking coffee-house to look for night quarters. I was conducted to a room in which half of the window-panes were broken. The attendant said this was of no consequence, it was only necessary to close the shutters. In other respects the room looked very well but I had scarcely laid down on the bed when certain animals compelled me to take to flight. I laid down upon the sofa, which was no better. Lastly, I tried an easy chair, in which I passed the night, not in the most agreeable position. I had already been told in AEgina of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441   442   443   >>  



Top keywords:

AEgina

 

island

 

evening

 

temple

 

remains

 

consequence

 
leisurely
 
understandable
 

drachmas

 

quarantine


inclined

 
breath
 

sailors

 

obliged

 
occupied
 

coined

 

Greece

 
passage
 

Piraeus

 

officer


certificates

 

health

 

visited

 
destination
 

brought

 
animals
 

compelled

 

respects

 

looked

 

scarcely


flight

 

passed

 

agreeable

 

position

 

Lastly

 

closed

 

neglect

 

police

 

office

 

coffee


attendant
 

broken

 

shutters

 

window

 

quarters

 

conducted

 

vessel

 

ordered

 

Athens

 

liberty