Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-06-30

/ Turkish Empire is evidently too weak to support
itself long unaided, and the main question is how
/, shall be divided. England will never allow a
nv power to rule in Egypt to the prejudice Of
| her communication across the lsthmus TO her
East India possessions. France would probably
be content with Palestine for her share, while
the other portions may be divided between Rus
STA and Austria, or what is more probable, Tur-
kew in Europe may become an independent gov
erumcnt. The negotiations going on there at
the present time are attracting more attention
than that of any other court in Europe.
At Jerusalem and some other places chris
tians are not allowed to enter a Mosque, but here
permission is readily obtained, and accompanied
by a firman | went into several. They were
large and good buildings but very plain in the
interior when compared with catholic churches /;
there were no paintings and but very little orna-
mental work Of any kind Their distinguishing
. Characteristic IS their large circular domes and
tall slender minarets or spires, from a balcony
near the top of which the Gail to prayers is
made, as they have 10 bells.
Athens, once the pride of Greece was long
sunk in ruin, ignorance and degradation butun-
der the present king it has been established as
the seat Of government and Is gradually mprov-
ing. A large Palace, but much palmer than the
white House." has been erected for the king.
and other public buildings are gradually rising
around it but every thing seems conducted on
an economical scale. Numerous private resi-
dences have been erected and the city appears
once more to be rising from its ruins. Two A.
merican Missionaries have erected large houses
there, and Mr.. Hill has undoubtedly done more
for the cause Of education in Greece than any
other man. lie has at present under his care
three hundred children, most Of whom receive
their tuition free Notwithstanding the numer-
Gus revolutions, Athens still has the venerated
ruas Of several Temples Of,hese, the Temple
Of Theseus, built 46j wears before the Christian
Era, Is the most perfect having all its thirty-four
columns with the architrave still entire, and tho
much smaller, might well have constituted the
original design, Of which the Parthenon erected
thirty years later was the perfection, and has ser
we'd as the model fer all architects from that time
to the present. Thirty columns of that noble
building with the architraye above them, all cut
from the purest Pentalicon white marble, are still
standing, giving a very good idea of its original
perfection. That this building should have re.
manned so perfect during the many revolutions
can only be attributed to the respect which
the most savage nations pay to works of art but
the sculpture and ornaments, which savage ma
tons spared civilized England has plucked from
the building to place in the British Museum
The Parthenon seems to me most strangely To-
Gated, being on the Acropolis or summit of
rock elevated one hundred and fifty feet above
the plain Of the city, and presenting an irregular
surface Of five hundred by fifteen hundred feet,
most Of which is formed by erecting high walls
on the sloping sides of the rock, thus forming a
strong fortress which could only be approached
by crcutous and rather steep ascent.
About one hundred rods west of the Acropo-
lis is Mars Hill one of the most celebrated spots
N all Greece. There the highest Tribunal in
Athens held its sessions and administered Jus
tee, aud there ST. Paul proclaimed the princi-
pies of Christianity TO the doatrous Athenians,
who had erected an altar =" to the unknown God y
but Of all the renowned places Of antiquity that
have seen, this same Mars Hin the least fulfilled
my expectations. What it might have been in
former days cannot say, but at present it is "a
naked rock of irregular shapes in the extreme,
100 By 600 feet, and rising about fifteen feet a.
bove the surrounding surface. The ascent is BY
steps cut in the stone on the opposite sides, but
there is nothing to be seen indicating that it was
ever different from its present appearance. Ira
dition says, the Tribune held its sessions in the
open air and at night, so that the Judges might
not be preiudiced by seeing the parties and wit
nesses. K