"Children cry for the rainbow; and the childish in understanding are diffatisfied with the poet, whofe narrative is not as circumftantially barren as a gazette, or as talkative as the tales of old women." INVESTIGATION on the SITE of TROY.` [From DALLAWAY'S CONSTANTINOPLE, ANCIENT and MODERN.] "THE distance from the Greci an camp to the fite of Troy, has fupplied thofe who contend against its existence with many plaufible objections. It is, however, certain that the prefent village of Koum-kaleh is fituate on a fandbank of more than a mile in extent, which will reduce the distance, fup pofing it to be an accretion from the Hellefpont, to lefs than eight English miles from Bounàr-bashi, where the Scæan gate once stood. The advanced works both of Greeks and Trojans leffened the intermediate fpace. If the Grecian camp was between the fhore and the junction of the Simoeis and Scamander, then known only by the latter name, the united river will answer to all the epithets given to it by Homer. "We began our furvey of the plain of Troy. Croffing the Simoeis over a long wooden bridge near its embouchure, we paffed over an extenfive level of ploughed fields, and Goulu-fui, a brook which empties itself into the fea near In-tepe, or the tomb of Ajax Telamonius. This tumulus is now irregularly fhaped. Near the top is a fmall arched way almoft choked up with earth, which was the entrance into the vault, and over it a broken wall, where was once a small fepulchral fane, called the Aiantèum. The whole feems to be of a much more modern date than the death of Ajax. Marc Antony removeel his urn and afhes into Egypt, which were afterward reftored with funeral honours by Auguftus, when it is probable that the prefent vault was made, and the fuperftructure erected. This compliment was paid to his manes to gratify the Ilian citizens, who confidered him as their tutelar.. The city of Ilium was about two miles diftant, near the junction of the Scamander and Sinoeis, and owed its origin to Alexander and Lyfimachus, who repaired the temple of Minerva, and furrounded it with a wall. It is not improbable that when Alexander was enthufiaftically investigating the fite of ancient Troy, that the priests of Minerva fhould attach him, from policy, to this spot for the foundation of a city which had likewise fuperior maritime advantages. Menætus, governor of Ilium, went out to meet Alexander in his Perfic expedition, and prefented him with a golden crown. It was first taken by Charidemus Orites; and fubfe quently befieged by Fimbria, the general engaged in the caufe of Ma rius, and levelled with the ground; this injury was afterwards feverely revenged by Sylla. They enjoyed the patronage of Julius Cæfar. It excites no wonder, that after fo long poffeffion of it by the Turks, not a ftone fhould remain, yet fome contend against the existence of Ka Troy, Troy, because no veftiges were difcoverable when Alexander founded the fecond city, whilst they admit the latter fact equally unauthorised by prefent appearances. "From this fpot we had a moft interesting profpect independent of its local hiftory; the magic of which, and its effects on the mind, are beautifully defcribed by Lucan. The left fkreen is a low ridge of hills; the middle diftance is the great area, upon which the Greeks were encamped; beyond was the fcene of many of the great events of the war; and the offskip and fkirt ing line were compofed of the promontory of Tenedos, Befaiktepe, Sigèum, the village of Koum-kaleh, down to the water edge, and a broad winding reach of the Hellefpont, into which the oppofite headland and castle were brought forward with confiderable effect. The fea then spreads very widely, and the view is clofed by the blue mountaius of Imbros. The length and extent of this island have been extremely mistaken, as fcarcely a map is extant which defcribes it above half its real fize. We rode about half an hour over heathy ground, much elevated, to Halyleli, near the village of Thimbrik-keuy, and at the inftant of our pafling a Turkish wedding was celebrating among the villagers; the bufinefs is fummary. The parents of both parties, or the bridegroom for himfelf, fettle the contract, which implies what dower he thall give the bride. This arrangement made, the bridegroom affembles his friends; they mount horses, and are accompanied by mufic, fuch as a very rude hautboy, or pipe, and a drum, can make. The bride is demanded, and has likewife a cavalcade of her female relatives, when they return home animated with the fame mu fic. They feast separately on pilav, and retire at an early hour, when the ceremony is concluded. "The fucceffion of five tumuli, under the diftant horizon, tends more than any other proof to ascer tain the Trojan war. About an hour and a half from Bournà-bashi, on an eafy eminence facing the west, we difcovered veftiges of an ancient city. On the right are standing seven granite pillars several feet high, but it rather appears that they are not placed in their original order. On the other fiide, we faw a small block of marble with an inscription, a few inches above the ground, which being dug up, we found to be of the date of the Roman emperors, and too much mutilated to be decyphered fatisfactorily. From the detail of topographi cal notices given by Homer, and from a comparison of the circumftances he mentions, the ftrongeft affurances will follow not only of the existence, but the locality of Troy. To infift that the poem fhould be hiftorically exact, would be to make no allowance for the liberty of a poet. That it is topogra phically fo, an examination of the prefent face of the country will amply prove, and it is equally an object of claffical curiofity, whether Troy exifted or not, fince the fable, if fuch it must be, is invariably ac commodated to the scene of action. "With refpectful deference to a name fo long efteemed in the republic of letters as that of Mr. Bryant, I humbly but totally diffent from his fcepticifin on this fubject. For it is not to the tafteiefs fyftem of Le Boffu in his Effay on the Epic, who has preceded Mr. Bryant in a fimilar hypothefis, that the opinion of many ages, and the fatisfaction of ocular infpection, can be readily conceded. To establish a conviction on the mind, that the tale of Troy divine, is a mere invention, may require yet more than the moft laborious learning can lend to conjecture, and could it avail, we might lofe in the pleasures of the imagination, as much as we could gain by truth, could his arguments eftablish it, and lament with the enthufiaft in Horace, fpace of a mile, the first object on the brow is a ftony hillock, which Chevalier, with no apparent reafon, calls the tomb of Hector. It has been opened and examined, but we could not learn the result. "There are others covered with grafs, appropriated likewife to Trojan heroes. Upon this area and the intermediate ground from the village there is undoubtedly space ' —demptus per vim mentis gratiffimus enough for fuch a city as Troy is error.' defcribed to have been. The level falls abruptly on the fouth, with a precipitate cliff, into a very deep ravine, forming a mural rock as compact and regular as the remaining walls of Conftantinople, now almoft covered at its bafe by the stream and fands of the Simoeis, for the length of forty or fifty yards, and complet "As the fetting fun was more brilliant than for many days paft, the village of Bounàr-bafhi opened upon us very pleafantly from the ford of the Simoeis, which we paffed within a furlong of the chiftlik of Hadjì Mehmet Aghà, the prefent proprietor of a domain producing a fortification, rendered impreging near 5000l. fterling per annum, and including little lefs fpace, and the identical ground of the kingdom of old Priam. His houfe is mean, but many columns were difperfed about it, which had been collected from the fites of adjacent cities. "From the village the brill rifes rapidly, and foon becomes an infulated mountain. In the front of the house, at a small distance, is the firft fource of the Scamander, which is faid, by M. Chevalier, to be the hot fpring, upon which he grounds the ftrongest proof of his hypothefis refpeting the locality of the city of Troy. It is at least tepid; and the aghà told us that in the winter months, efpecially during froft, it was hot, and fmoked. Homer muft be allowed the privilege of a hot fpring, and a river full to the brink, if they happen once within the year. The lofty wall of Troy and the Scaæan gate interfected the modern village of Bournà-bashi. "Afcending the hill, thickly Atrewn with loofe ftones for the nable by nature, which will account for a ten years' fiege, and the fuperlative epithet of walls conftructed by the gods themselves. Mr. Wood difcovered no place, amongst Ida correfpondent to that defcription; and Mr. Bryant would feek for it (did he purpose an actual inspection) only in his favourite Egypt. This divifion of rifted rock from the groupe of foreft mountains, of which Ida is composed on the east and north fides, does not exceed a hun dred and fifty yards, and is fcarcely farther afunder at the top, finking as perpendicularly as an artificial channel. The face of the ground exhibits nothing worthy remark; bufles and huge unhewn ftones only are to be feen. The whole view of the plain of Troy, from the height faid to have been the citadel, is of uninterrupted extent, with the winding Simoeis, and the grand horizontalline marked by Jejek Tepee and the Sigean promontory, and turning to the left, by the two in the island of Tenedos. We then returned to the chiftlik, and bade adieu to the K3 hofpi. hofpitable agha, who poffeffed, in a "We then fixed ourselves at Giawr-keuy, or cape Janiffary, a poor village confifting entirely of Greeks, the fite of the far-famed Sigæum, which has likewise the name of Yeni-cheyr. It is fingular that Greeks fhould still occupy that ancient station. "From this eminence we looked over the plain, the whole fcope of which we commanded; its broadest diameter may be five or fix, and its longeft twelve miles, to Atchè-keuy. It is naturally verdant and fertile, and now very generally cultivated, excepting near the marth, which occupies a fifth part. Homer gives frequent evidence of his having perfonally visited and examined this celebrated spot, of which he fometimes enters into minute defcriptions. The rivers are particularly characterised. Simocis has broad fands, with a fudden and rapid current; Scamander is tranfparent, and regularly full, within a narrow channel, and fo they continue to be till their junction, before they reach the fea. Whatever change the former may have occafioned in the prefent appearance of the plain, the analogy taken from thofe of Ephefus and Miletus, upon which Mr. Wood has refted his opinion that Troy was fituated fo much higher amongst the hills of Ida, feems to be ill founded; for the Simoeis has, at no season, either the fize or declenfion from its fource that the Cäyster and Meander are known to have. The foil exhibits no marks of volcanic fire, nor can it be reasonably prefumed, from any prefent appearance, that the face of the country could have been changed by an earthquake, upon which circumftar.ce as prefuppofed another hypothefis is built. Of all the proofs adduced by M.Chevalier, the tumuli, fo connected with the Rhætean and Sigean promontories, and the outpofts of the Grecian camp, are the most fatisfactory. The fite is likewife confirmed by four others, which, to whatever he roes they may be conjecturally attri buted, with no additional weight to the argument, give a certain degree of internal evidence, and afcertain the scene of great military tranfac tions, or vicinity to a large city. In thofe rude and primæval ages, heroes had no other monuments, nor could any more lafting have been devised. 'Ingens Aggeritur tumulo tellus.' VIRG. EN. 1. iii. v. 62, 63. "We found the bas relief, and the celebrated Sigean infeription, written with the letters invented by Cadmus, and the lines written alternately backward and forward, a mode of the highett antiquity, and ufed likewife for the laws of Solon, according to Suidas. M. Choifeul's attempt to remove it fanctioned by firhmans, and the intereft of Hafsàn Pafhà, could not prevail against the ancient prejudices of the villagers. It is accurately defcribed by Chifhul, Shuckford, and Chandler, and is now now placed at the door of a low that towards the centre of the monument two large ftones were found leaning at an angle one against the other, and forming a kind of tent, under which was pre'fently discovered a small statue of Minerva feated in a chariot with four horfes, and an urn of metal 'filled with ashes, charcoal, and human bones. This urn, now in the poffeffion of le compte Choiseul, is encircled in fculpture with a vine 'branch, from which are fufpended bunches of grapes, done with exquifite art.' Two pages of learned commentary fucceed this affertion, which introduces a curious hypothefis refpecting early Grecian fculpture. "From information gained from the only perfon prefent at the opening of the barrow, whofe fimple detail the favour of a friend enables me to fubjoin, it is probable that nothing was found which could justify * EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE DARDANELLES. I had a very interesting conversation with the son of the late French conful, Sig. • Solomon Ghormezano, relative to the opening of the tomb of Achilles, near the Sigean promontory. He faid that he had been employed by count Choifeul Gouffier to examine the tumulus and to fearch for remains, and that he worked at it by night, deceiving the agbà and people with the hopes of difcovering a fpring of water, fo neceffary to the inhabitants of Yeni-cheyr. Two months elapfed in this work, as no other perfon fuperintended. He frequently wished to decline it in defpair, but was directed to perfevere. At length he difcovered the place where the reliques were depofited. He immediately collected the whole, and communicated his fuccess to his employer, filling a large cheft with what he had found. Mr. Choiseul enjoined him to bring them to him, and not to truft them out of his fight; but he repaid his trouble with thanks only. He was induced to referve feveral small specimens, which he obligingly fhewed and explained to us, as Mr. Choifeul was no longer formidable. I fubjoin a lift of them. 1. Pieces of burned bones. 2. Pieces of a netal vafe. I inquired particularly oncerning the vafe, and in what ftate it was originally found. He replied, that it was broken, and had had a small ornament only, round the rim; but that enough ⚫ remained to determine the fhape, and that it was of confiderable fize. What I faw was 'fo entirely deftroyed with ruft, that no poffible conjecture could be formed from it. 3. Charcoal, made of vine branches. 4. A piece of mortar and ftone, which appeared to have paffed through fire. 5. A piece of métal of a triangular shape. 6. Pieces of ' very fine pottery, well painted, with wreaths of flowers of a dark olive colour. H. obferved that fome of the pieces of pottery feemed to have compofed large vafes, be. fide which were feveral small cups, fome of which were entire, and resembled Etruf'can ware. It might have been a funeral ceremony to have emptied these to the me'mory of the deceased, and then to have placed them in the tomb, He delivered likewise to Mr. Choiseul a fragment of brass about a foot and a half K 4 |