The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-06-27 00:00:00

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• RIAIANTS ON tHE*StrEN ISLANDS.

The most important of the positions in the
Athletic 10.1. where Russia has established her do:
'minion, is, •A ithout doubt, the Island of Corfu,.
equelli known among the ancients and the moderns.
'ln Homer's tim-. it was called the Isle of Phacians,
mild celebrated in the descriptive poetry of the early
i `ages, on Recount of the rustic gardens of Alcinous ;
it took itterw rds t!se name of Corcyrus, and finally
• that of Corfu, on account of the Castle of Corypho,
situated on the summit of a mountain. This Island
Is 7U miles.long, and 30 broad, in some places, bat
only le in many others ; it extends towards the
coast of Albania and Dalmatia, provinces whicis
are at present divided between the Grand Signor
and the sing of Italy ; it is not far distant from the
Montenegrins, those savage mountaineers, whom,
the year before last, Russia obliged to take a kind of
oath of fidelity. It was the most important bulwark
. of Italy against the conquest of the Ottomans, when
Venice was the only power capable of opposing
their forces, and protesting the repose and civilisa-
tion of &trope. The Corfites then submitted vo-
luntarily to the dominion of that celebrated repub•
t lic, still reserving to themselves the enjoyment of the
itetpillgol. Naples,vhtsh tthheeirGareenctnEttngoervoetrselgannsd had
granted them. Venice allowed them to keep their
civ6 and religions constitution, and redeemed from
tbeCourt of Naples the pretensions which it enter-
tained to Corfu and the neighbouring Islands.
Cork contains bat one city, which bears the same
name, mil is its capital. There is, besides, a great
number of towns and villages, and a population of
60,000 inhabitants. It is rather barren on the
southern side. but to the north it produces, in
abuadanee, all the necessaries of life ; grain. fruit,
choice wines, oil, and honey. The city of Corfu.
important on account of its fortifications and its
harbour, was besieged by the Turks in 1537, but
they were obliged to abandon it. On the sth of
July, 1716, they again presented themselves before
this place, with a formidable fleet, and attacked it
with dui; namral impetuosity ; but the Count De
Sibdifinhostrg. Field Marshal in the service of
Vesino, who confided her land forces only to
stn generals, defended Coefu with as much skill
as ; and the Spanish fleetsunder the command
of the lKargOil Do M*i coming to the succour of
the Venetilanss the Turks were panic-snack, broke
sep their camp, and abandoned the Island, leaving
boltind immense stores of provisions, artillery, and
ammeilkion. The repuhlic ereaed, in the principal
aquaria* the city of Coefu. a Statue, in honour of
Ile 0111 mat De Schnlembourg, and placed his bust,
1111122111 e, in the arsenal of Venice. They sheuld
lave envared en the pedestal these famous words
ef Charles the Twelfth, in the wars with Poland,
vie fielding the most complete viElory stolen from his
troops by the skilful retreat and mansuvies of the
emu exclaimed in anger—" Schulanirourg has
beams us to-day."
. llessretM Corfu and St. Mauve, are the two small
liambs,of Paso, called also, Pachsu and Anti.
Peillikethey ere of no importance ; but St. Maure,
11We Nerite, and since called the Isle of Sen-
egal, mil particularly CO secreted to the worship
et.iipailo, had, is ancient times, three considerable
leibile and a magnificent temple built ia honour of
Vas. We still observe there, three small gates,
ediml Bt. Mauve. Damara and Englunento. It was
ikturly a realiaesie joined to Aearaania by an
• -A iminana! soh& the Canhagenians, others say the
Choll=l. 4by making between the Island and
a cabal, about fifty paces broad.
tee ismaillee bees constructed, over this canal, O
Mai% soldelle wasp the Island of St. Mauve to
Zidese. Tiers use also, in the vicinity, many
smedildhode, tibia communicate to each other by
.1w2:16:1410.11311 the locks on which superb
V beau eroded. In 1473, the Talks took
Item the Otesies Empire. the town and the island
of St. MM.. In 1502, the Venetians took it from
the Turks. and gave it up afterwards ; but the
=d hloras, basin. retaken it in 1684, it re-
in the peesumen of the Venetians, by the
Toasty M'Carkswits ; and that of Passarowitz, con-
claded is 171$, as
to them its possession.
The meet important town in the whole island is
thit 4 St. Skov% which has a population of from
de et 700 lababitanta, the meet part of whom are
nein eommeirce and navigation. t
acre It.. Ware, are the small isles
Cereoleel, near the sachet Acarnania, opposite
the rim Arch:lons. The anoints called them
Echisedes. Dulichiam, which belonged to Ulysses.
is imekeMed by Strabo to be amen these islands.—
Thee mat not be confounded with the isle of
Camels. or Corcyrus the slack, which forms a
ainy dependant en Dalmatia. This is este-
by the heroic manner in which the women
*leaded it against the Turks, in 1571, whilst the
togs shamefully fled. The island of Thames me
Theaki (ancient Ithaca, which the name of Ulysses
has rendered immortal), is called, at present. Val
di Comm. or. Cefalonia Piccola ; the Little Ce-
falemia. It is situated between the great Isle of
that name, the isles of Curzolari, and the isle of St.
Mauro; it has a good poet, and some towns. •
The canal which separates Ithaca hes Cede.
lonia, is called Guiscard Canal ; after the teiebrated
Robert Calmed, the Norma* Hero,oillii establish-
ed his postority on the throne of Naples, and who
died at Cefalonia, is 1085.
Cefalonia was formerly called Black Epirus; it
is situated between Zante and St. Maure, and is
remarkable on account of the richness of the soil.
1 The capital is built on a mountain, which is almost
surrounded by the sea, and which is only joined to
the island by a very narrow isthmus. This island
has a considerable commerce, and is ore of the
[ possessions which the Venetians have Lest presetv-
- ad ; having. been taken and re•taken by them from
the Tasks, it has remained in their possession since
1499 There resides at Cefaloaia a Greek 13.(
M birch, who also exercises his jurisdiaion over the
Christian Greeks of Zante. ..
Aftar Corfu, Zante is the most important of the
islands of the lonian Sea, and has a population of
45,000 •uls. It is nut less fertile Oen Cefalonia
or St. I , .re, and the mountains vekli crown it,
form, in i le anterior. a vast baton, where are to be
found all the ,rodaltions ,1 nature. This was an-
ciently Zacizi,iiiis, and its o„ 'e has little changed.
The Greeks .1,1 the Latins slave each a 13..1i0p
L.ete. The beaa,l of the cu.ilate dad the ie. Wily