Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-12-02

CoRISTn -.
Agreeable to arrangement, a large party of Eng
lish ard American travellers assembled at the Pireus
to embark for the Morea. The morning sun was
shining most beautifully halo of light
over the marble ruins Of the Acropos and present.
ing to the eye picture of rare subhrnity. As We
moved over the plain of Attica stood up in the
carriage and watched the dear old Athens with the
same fee in g that agtats the lovers bosom when he
bids good-by to the idol of his heart. Farewell
mother of Science, FAREWELL My eyes viii never
look upon your temples again-but the image OF
the mind viii endure forever.
Soon after leaving the Preus we saw the mole
heads TO which the ancents attacheda chain to pre-
vent the entrance of hostile ships and also the re-
mains of the tomb of Themstoclcs, near the wa
ters edge, and in sight Of the scene of his glory
The foundations of the wall built by Themistocles
is still visible
About twenty miles from the Pireus is the beau
tiul island of Egna. We ran close to ii, and hada
fine view of the remains of the temple of Jupiter
Panhellenius situated six miles distant from the
port
The next island of importance was chat of Hy-
dra. One Of the Boudoari family was on board and
gave me very interesting account Of the history OF
this island. It's extremely barren but the lnhaoi-
tants by industry and skill in navigation have built
up town at once beautiful and Aourishing. View
it on a summers evening by moonlight and 1t Is
one of the most magnificent scenes Imaginable
The white houses hanging in the form OF an am
phitheatre upon steep mountain, then appear ike
mass Of snow; and the lights sparkling in the dis
lance from the open windows "show like stars OF
gold on silver ground" The glorious share that
this little island has taken IN the regeneration of
Greece has brought it conspicuously into notice,
and to the latest posterity the brave Hydriotes
will live the wstch-word Of freedom
Passing between the island Of Spezzia and the No
rea we entered the deep and beautiful gulf of Maui
plis to the town of the same name. Most of our
party remained all nightsn the steamer; but john
stone and myself went to hotel in preference
AS soon as our luggage was deposited we took a
walk up to the Fortress Of the Palamede, situated
on lofty aud PERCEPTIONS rock, seven hundred and
fifty feet abovethe level of the sea- 1t is inscces-
sbe on all sides, except at one point to the east,
where it is connected with range of barren,
rocky hills, and was surnamed the Gibrslter of
Greece The view from the fortress is surprisingly
beautiful the plains of Argos, Myce-
nae and the distant mountains OF Sparta. The Sec
ond fortress that of Itch Kali, is built PENN
suar rock rising shove the town. at the foot of the
Palamede The summit is encompassed by walls,
whose foundations are the only traces of antiquity
in the immediate vicinity. Numerous batteries pro-
tect it on all sides The Venitians attempted to
make it an island, by cutting through the rock and
letting the sea flow round il, in which they par
tally succeeded. Nauplia was for time the cap
ital of Greece, and improved rapidly during the
stay Of the Regency, but as soonas the Court was
moved to Athens it fell back to its original import
ance. ....st.
Returning to the hotel (Which is without e1cep-
ton the flthest have ever SEEM l amused myself
by smoking an old PIPE belonging to the landlord
watching the soldiers in the square, and examiningan
engraving of Gen. Jackson, which was given to the
father of the present proprietor by the Captain of
one Of the vessels sent to Greece during Jacksons
administration to furnish the revolutionists with
arms Oh that we could have passed that night at
the Hermitage in the fair State of Tennessee, in
stead of fighting Greek feas at the miserable 10
canda at Naupla.
Early the next morning our friends who re-
NAMED on the boat came ashore, and we all start
ed together on horseback for the site of the city of
Argos, now occupied by village of the same
name. Just outside the walls of Naupia there
large lion cut out of the solid rock in the hill side
some fifteen or twenty feet from the ground. 1
Al. "a L
of the government to perpetuste the memory of
the Germans who fell in the late war. About one
half mile further a slight hill in the plain, are
the ruins Of Tayntlus, or 7Iyus, built for Proctus,
by the Cydopians, architects from Lycia about the
year 1879, BIC. Some of the walls of the citadel
are nearly perfect exhibiting the best specimens of
the military architecture of the heroic ages, being
generally twenty-five feet thick. Proceeding ra-
pidly over a fine turnpike road we reached the
village of Argos, seven miles from Naupa As
this place possesses nothing of interest, viii al
lude only to the historical localities The Acropo-
lis sncently called Lsrssa, occupies the summit of
rocky HILL and still preserves, amidst the ruined
masonry, some remains Of antiquity. At the foot
Of the hill are the remains of the Theatre. 1t was
feet state were cut out of the solid rock in the hill
side Above the theatre are the brick remains Of |
a temple of Venus Some parts of the ancient |
walls of Argos are still to be seen.
From Argos we turned our course towards the |
Gulf of Lepanto Before entering the mountain |
pass, we left the road at the village of Krabata, to
examine the ruins of Myceno, once the capital of |
Agamemnon, built by Perseus 1900 B. c. and |
destroyed by the Argives, after the Persian war,
466 B. c. Near the Citadel our guide pointed cut
the Sp,lid or Treasury Of Athens commonly called |
the tomb of Agamemnon. The building was con-
structed under the slope of the hill towards the
Rezaa, or raYine of the torrent. 1t is an immense
subterranean domc nearly in perfect state, and of
curious workmanship 1t consists of two chambers;
the diameter Of the dome of the first is AZ feet 6
nches the height so feet. The inner chamber,
which is rudely e1cavated in the rock with an
roof, connects with the main apart
nent by a small door. Above the entrance of the
ioor of the first chamber is triangular window,
md the entrance itself is rooted by single slab of
stone, nine yards long and nearly six wide. An
Did Greek was sitting down at the door, attending