Life of Hon. Mountstuart Elphinstone Volume 2

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 Excerpt: ...besides Poros. now be out, I am half tempted to go on to the Morea. My fellow-travellers have already resolved to do so, but I have doubts of the wisdom of allowing so long a period to elapse before attempting Athens as would be required to enable me to visit the Morea and the Islands before forfeiting my quarantine. We were near the island of Falkudi (ancient Phaenoa) when we were stopped by the Greek cruiser. That was about 1 P.m., and we are now at 3.30 running past the south of Egina on our way to Poros. I am getting so used to Egina and other barbarisms that I shall never recover the little knowledge of quantity which my early Scotch education had allowed me to acquire. I have just seen through a spy-glass, but very distinctly, the Temple of Jupiter Panhellenius, on a mountain in Egina. 'As we approached the mouth of the harbour of Poros we met and passed a Greek corvette and a Russian transport under sail. 'August 4.--When I went to sleep we were tacking to enter the narrow inlet between Poros and the mainland; when I rose at four we had passed it and were at anchor in the harbour. This is a beautiful and sheltered harbour, about four miles long and not half as broad, surrounded by woody hills (or rather mountains) on the Peloponnesian side. The upper or east end is closed by a low hill, which looks like a separate island, but is a peninsula from Poros. There is a narrow channel between it and the Morea. On the peninsula stands the town, a small one of white houses, with tiled roofs stuck up against the rocky sides of the hill, and in very open order. Near the town on the Morea side are gardens on the little plain under the hills, and there is cultivation all along that side, but none on that of Poros. Over the west end of the harbour is seen the high...