CONDITION OF WOMEN.

came quite oppressive.

319

Messene, or ra

ther Mount Ithome, was in sight at first starting, distant, as was computed, about thirty miles; but on the maps it is barely twenty. It rises like a cone from the plain, with the sea, the gulfs of Modon and Navarino*, behind it. The Khan of Sakona is at the nearest extremity of the plain, which is about ten miles across : here we baited and the guides dined. While we were admiring the magnificent prospect before us, some women passed us laden with heavy burdens, which bent them almost to the ground, while the men who accompanied them were not taking any share in the labour. This we had observed in several places, not without indignation at the want of gallantry in the latter. A few

* Navarino is the ancient kingdom of Nestor. Its etymology has given the moderns some trouble; but I think the modern name is to be traced in Homer. He calls the territory of Nestor, Pylos and Arene. Il. ii. 591. The latter, with the addition of aus, a ship, makes naturally the name of the harbour of Navarino.

pieces of money given to the poor women, with some of our bread and figs, quite surprised them, and they seemed hardly to believe their senses, at such unusual notice and attention bestowed upon them; the men really appeared to think and care less about them than their horses and mules.

The march over the plain was tiresome, till, at the end of three hours, after crossing a curious triangular bridge, over two confluents of the Pamisus, somewhat in the style of that at Crowland, in Lincolnshire, we got into a prettier country. On the banks of another of the tributary streams of the Pamisus we suddenly came upon a wild-looking roving party, armed to the teeth, of whose profession we were ignorant, and we could not but entertain strong doubts as to the safety both of our purses and persons. We were glad to discover that they were in pursuit of the very class of marauders, to which we, at first sight, had supposed them to belong, and we

MOUNT ITHOME.

321

continued our route with an additional feel

ing of security.

We soon after commenced the ascent of Mount Ithome, which is very steep and difficult, though highly beautiful, the trees and shrubs arching over the path, much to the damage of our clothes and faces. The plane-trees were remarkably finetheir giant arms stretching out horizontally about six feet above the ground, and frequently as large as the trunks of the trees themselves. They are said in some parts of Greece to spread so enormously, that proprietors have entertained their tenants to the number of two hundred under the shade of one: this, we were told, took place a few years ago on Mr. Noel's estate in Negropont. I can easily believe it, after seeing the prodigious specimens that fell under our own observation, many of which would have afforded similar accommodation to nearly that number.

On the right of our path, but with

several intervening valleys and hills, crowning a lofty eminence, frowned the ruins of one of the castles-Paleocastris - which still remain in various parts of the country, relics, as I have already said, of the Middle Ages.

CHAPTER XIV.

MESSENE.-ITS EARLY HISTORY.-ARCADIA.-MOUNT

LYCEUS.-TRAGOGE.

[17TH AND 18TH FEBRUARY.]

We now came in sight of Messene, a city which, though inferior in classical associations to Athens, Argos, and Sparta, has yet a very peculiar historical interest. Its war with Sparta is the chief event in the annals of Greece, between the return of the Heraclidæ and the invasion of the Persians; and though its story had not the advantage of being celebrated by the Epic or Tragic Muse, I cannot quite say," they had no poet and they died," because Pausanias has preserved from oblivion the tragedy of the