Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-08-19
LETTERS FROM ASIA.

Extract from series of letters, written by
an american gentleman while in Asia. TO
his friend in Boston. The writer uniOr-
sage from Alexandria, in Egypt, To Con.
stantinople, in Grecian vessel.
Boston Patriot
mo. g.
The wind proving fair. we left the har-
Dor of Melos, and stood through the Gre
clan Islands on our way to Smyrna.
Nothing can exceed the serenity Of the
Egian sea during the summer and but one
circumstance can be considered unpleasant
in crossing 1.-THE frequent Gains that pre-.
vail during the day-they are however, al
most constantly succeeded by refreshing
breezes through the night.
From the moment you enter this sea, the
mind is continually engrossed by rejecting
on the many events of past ages, which
have been handed down to latter genera
tons by the pen of the historian and poet
and the interest excited is doubly enhanced
by having those islands continually present,
whence originated great portion OF the
arts and sciences of the present time.
Th' ii G sun lied the whit columns
OF the temp e OF Minerva on Cape Colona-
a spot rendered immortal by Falconer IN
his beautiful poem of the Shipwreck, which
has probably excited more universal adml,,
ration, even among those unacqualnted
with nautical terms, than any other in the
English language you can therefore, IN
some degree, fancy what impression It
made on my mind-hsving Falconer's st.
George, and the fatal spot before me, and
having suffered the horrors Of shipwreck,
alter making the ocean my home for
years.
During, the night, we passed the Islands
Of Siphno, Pazos, Haxia and Zyra, and in
the morning perceived Tino and andre,
with the small Island Of Delos, a few miles
ahead-the breeze becoming favorable, We
soon had an opportunity of viewing the
beautiful villages with which the former,
| on one side, is covered.
Delus spot familiar to the mind of the
man Of taste, from its having given birth to
Diana and Apollo, is the most wretched OF
all the cluster Of islands forming the Ar
chipelago.-This sacred place, where IN
past ages no individual was suffered to view
for the first time the light Of heaven, or per-
mitted to draw the expiring breath, ana
where millions worshioed at the shrine ct
Diana and the God of Lights now an
uninbabited, sterile rock. covered with IN
Vulnerable fragments Of ruins. and only
giving protection TO horde Of pirates who
| occasionally inieSt those seas.
The rapid progress of our vessel left hu.
| little time 10 examine these islands, and the
breeze was too favourable 10 PERM! our
anchoring. As they faded from our view,
we beheld Nioaria, Samos and ScIo, and
towards night the coast OF Asia.
The unhappy prejutices of the Christian
world against the professors Of Mahomets
creed, which bad been instilled into ny
mind, led me TO fear thousand dangers
where none existed. On the African
shores, from Cape Spartel to the bay OF
Tunis, and in fact TO the coast OF Assyrla,
shipwreck would be attended by death or
slavery but when the seaman approaches
that part of Asia inhabited by Turks, he
may with safety bury all alarm, and rest
satisfied. that although he is not near
Christian country, still he will find among
the inhabitants all the virtues possessed 81
Christians. with bu. few Of their vices