Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-12-02
A RECENT TRIP To EphESUS.

A RECENT TRIP TO ErhESUS.
The following singular narrative OF
a trip to Ephcsus, we have received
from highly respectable Individual,
the master Of small vessel, on whose
veracity we can place the most perfect
reliance.
In December. ls40, | arrived at the
port of Scala Nova, and learning that !
was not more than twelve miles dis
tant from the famous ruins of Ephesus,
| felt strong desire to visit them. l
had an Englishman with me who spoke
the language of the country, and he and
two Greek gentlemen agreed TO accom-
pany me. A guide and horses being
hired at an expense of a dollar each
for the day, we started at two O'Clock
in the morning Not having crossed a
horse for many years, l ran no small
risk of getting broken neck while
passing up the mountains and descend
ing the stupendous preclplces which
lay in our way. Our track lay over a
hard rock, worn down into kind Of
trough, from one to two feet deep and
eighteen inches wide, by the continual
passing of droves of camels, who must
have travelled there some thousands of
wears to have made such an impression
with their soft spongy feet. We some
times met drove of them, and our
guide then endeavoured TO discover
some place to which we could retreat
from the track, for the camels, persu-
ing their course without needing us,
might have caused US to fall over rock
a depth of two or three hundred feet.
| felt i'll at ease, but was prudent enough
not to exhibit the white feather to my
companions, who were all good horse
men and used TO the country; that
which threatened death TO me, would
have been fun for them. Camels gen.
orally carry from fifteen cwt. TO ton
weight, and twenty or thirty are made
fast in line, and led forward by a
donkey. A dozen Of these droves are
sometimes met in succession.
We arrived at what was the harbour
of Ephesus, but which is now fen of
reeds and huirushes. leading over a
space of about two miles up to the city.
The first object that fixes the attention
of strnger is huge rock, nearly per-
pendicular, between three and four
hundred feet in height. 1t is surroud-
ed by rnined watch tower, the battle
ments of which strongly reminded me
of certain scriptural illustrations which
| had seen, where the combatants were
engaged with javelins and bow aud ar
rows. How this tower could have
been erected in ancient times, was 10
me wonderful. Broken steps are seen
leading up to il and around it, Further
on, by the side of the mountain, we
saw arches and other remnants Of for
mer buildings of magnitude which con-
tinued successfully to nresent them
selves for a considerable distance II
Some Of them are cut out of the solid |
rocks. Here there must have been a
delightful parade formerly, elevated so
to command view of the city and har-
bour, and above two miles in extent /
Large and small pieces of sculptured
marble, consisting of parts of statues
and other fragments on which the CHS
ell had been employed: tablets and
tombstones, bearing Greek and other
Inscriptions, were mingled with them.
There were numerous marble and gran
lite pillars; some beautifully worked,
others plain. Several of the granite
pillars were from twenty to thirty feet
long. aud from three to four feet in d.
ameter, and perfectly round, as if they
had just come out of lathe. This
granite is of the same quality as that of
Pompeys Pillar, and Cleopatra's
Needle, which have seen, and must,
should think have come from the
same quarry. As we advanced and
he country opened upon Us, ! was fill
I'd with establishment at the bold seem
Try around. 1t was grand and SUBJ
tine. Wherever we turned our ewes.
'"cSS, mountains. temples, castles, and
V'ieh towers were seen. The interest
Increased a. We moved forward. Rows