New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-29


call Themselves -. Our road, for some dsssncs,
led through . wild, broken, but remarkably ferek
region, through orchards Of immense olive, ioter'
sDer,ed with clsmps Of plane and ersbsrcea TIE
krner completely overgrcwn with gigantic grape
viues Some Of the shvs-trunks were full elk feet
in diameter shewing IN age Of from ten 20 fifteen
een.uries. The ground was strewed with limbs,
hrslen of BY the snow. This forcibe pruning, how
ever, viii rather benefit the trees than otherwise,
- the people are in the habit Of leaving them en-
frely TO nature when, BY judieious pruning, their
yield might be greatly increased Seven years ego,
the olive trees in Atiea were % much injured by
cold Winter, that il was necessary to cut of al the
crops, but now the trees produce +. they have
never done before In the district Of Melidon this
Winter, upward Of Il, 600 sheep and goats pershed
from the Geld.
We at last came upon the large, rapid river Of
A1os, the "rapidHm Crete renxmss OareS' Of
Virgil, which We were Obliged to ford twice. Pass
ing picturesque fountain, shaded BY plAne-trees,
We climbed . steep rocky hill to the village Of
Gharazo. This place, which is celebrated for the
beauty Of it, women, contained many fine old ruined
buildings, apparently of the Venetian time. The
three women we saw were hideous creatures,
greatly to our disappointment We stopped at the
house of the captain Of the village, where Hadi Bey
wished ne 10 halt for the night, the rain was in
creasing, but the captain cruelty said to him: II
wish yeu would pay me for the last time you werc
here" determined to push on to AIos, but as
everybody gave US a different direction, we were
obliged to hire viuager a. guide. Hadi Bey wa
rather diseonsolate at the prospect and sang no
more Of his doeful songs of love that day. We now
commenced ascending the northern spurs Of Ida,
and the scenery was Of the widest and grandest
kind, though dreary enough in the pelting RAIN,
which increased every hour. All the steep noun
tain slopes far and near, were covered with vine
yards, which produce the excellent red CretAn
wine. There are fortunes to be made BY some ono
who has enterprise and skill enough to undertake
the business of properly preparing and exporting
the wines Of Crete.
The vince, I learned, are much more exempt from
disease than in Greece and the Ionian Islands. They
are subject, however, to the ravages Of cater.
pillar, for the expulsion Of which, when all Other
means have failed, singular superstition is en-
ployed. The insects are formally summoned to sp'
pear before the Judicial tribunal Of the district in
order to be tried for their trespasses, and the fear
Of legal prosecution, il believed, will cause them
to cease at once from their ravages Hthis be true,
caterpllars are the most ssgacious Of yermin. In
some parts of Crete not less singular remedy is
applied. 1t is one of those peculiar customs which
most travellers, like the historian Gibbon, express
% in the decent obscurity Of a learned language"
but do not know why should not say that the
remedy consists in On immodest exposure on tho
part of the women, wherest the worms are 30
shocked that they drop from the vines wrigge
themselves into the earth, and are seen no more.
After riding for nearly two hours along lofty
comb, we approached the wild gorge once crowned
BY the ancient AIos, through scattering groves OF
fine ak.trees. The only ruins in the modern vii
lsge are Byzantine chapel and some Roman brick
work, but there is small fragment of Cyclopean
wall on the summit above. We rode at once to the
captain of the village, who invited US into his house.
or rather den, for it was long, low pile OF stones,
heaped against rock, without window or chimney.
The interior was divided into several compart-
ments, some for beasts and some for men-the for
ner being mere comfortable than the latter. We
crept into the dark howell, where we were at least
secure against the rain, except such as came
through two holes in the roof out Of which pOr.
ton of the smoke escaped. The captain, an old
Christian, dirty enough to be saint Of the Greek
Church, and with q long, venerable white beard,
kinded FIRE to dry our wet clothes, giving US the
Alternative of either being blinded by the smoke or
returning into the rain. Finally, the wet wood
burned into Goals, Francois fried some eggs, the
village supplied excellent wine, and We made our
hermitage as endurable as possible. The captain,
whom We were obliged to invite to dinner, made in
roads upon our stock Of caviar, the only thing be
dared eat. He had spacious bedroom, which we
hoped to occupy; but he had not yet learned Turk
sh hospitality, and We were obliged 10 sleep in the
kitchen, with the rain trucking through tho roof
upon our heads. A number Of the villagers came
during the evening, to stare at Us, and ask ques-
tons We endeayored to get some information
from them respec citing the road to Heracleon, but
finally gave up the attempt in despair. Francois
completely lost bis patience, and protested that 10
the whole course Of bis life be had never lodged In
such holee or been brought into contact with such
rascally set Of people. st. Paul, referring to tho
Cretan poet Epimenedes, says: Zone Of themselves,
even prophet of their own, said, The Cretans
are Away liars evil beasts, slow bellies. This wit
ness is true 1t 10 just as true at the present
day, as applied to the Cretan Christians, and to
many, but not all, of the Turks. Perhaps it was
this phrase which gave rise to the paradox in logic,
whereby the philosophers were sorely puzzled:
d" Epmenedes Gays the Cretans are all liars. But