Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-07-27
ISLE OF SERPENTS
Roumania's Historic Little Rock
In the Black Sea.
ONCE NEARLY CAUSED A WAR.

After the crimean Treaty of Peace the
Question of Its Control Brought Eng
land and Russia to the Very Verge of
Renewed Hostilfties.
Less than thirty miles east of Sulfna,
the second important Black sea port
of Roumania after Constanza, Is the
tiny Island of Serpents, around which
cling many fantastic legends of tas-
cinat1ng interest as well as several his
torical episodes which at one time
threatened 10 become of International
moment, says the National Geographic
society bulletin.
Unlike the monotonous reaches Of
reed covered marsh1and which stretch
for fifty miles along the Roumanian
and Russian shores to the north and
south of the Sulina mouth of the DAN
ube and seldom attaining In elevation
Of more than two feet above the level
of the Black sea, the Island OF Ser
penis, or Fido-nisi, thrusts its precip-
itous cliffs above the water to heights
ranging from fifty to a hundred feet.
It is a mere feck of rock In a sea
whose depth a few yards from the
shore is twenty fathoms.
The islet is scarcely more than q mile
In circumference, but has been a bea-
con guiding ships to the Danube for
many centuries, its elevation being in
such striking contrast to the delta land
Of the great river.
In ancient times Fido Nisi had a va.
riety Of names, but Grecian poets and
travellers referred to it most frequently
as Leuce, or the White island, on ac-
count of the numerous sea fowl which
at certain seasons of the year swarmed
over its cliffs
It was to this island that Thetfs, the
marine goddess, is supposed to have
carried the ashes of her son, Achilles;
hence the temple erected here In honor
of the hero of the Trojan war. An
other legend relates that Thetis snatch
ed the body Of Achilles from the funeral
pyre, that he was restored to life and
that thereafter he lived On the island
with Iphigenia, the daughter of Aga
memnon, who had been saved from
sacrifice by the goddess Artemis.
One of the most poetic descriptions
of the island and its temple is given by
Arrian In the account of bis voyage
around the Black sea in the second
century Of the Christian era. He
wrote:
ut is related that Thetis gave this
island to Achilles and that he still in
habits it. His temple and statue, both
sN ~ery ancienb workmanship, are seer
there. No human being dwells on II.
It has only a few goats, which mari
hers convey to 1t as votive offerings.
Other offerings or sacred gifts are sus-
pended in honor OF Achilles, such as
vases, rings and precious gems.
"Seabirds, divers and fowl innumer-
able frequent the island, and the birds
alone have the care of the shrine.
Every morning they repair to the sea
and. dipping their wings in the waves,
sprinkle the temple and afterward
sweep with their plumage its sacred
pavement"
The name Island of Serpents grew
out of the fact that numerous black
snakes from four to five feet long were
discovered here by mariners. Many
of the reptiles are said TO have fallen
In the cisterns Of the island and pol
luted the waters, which are now
drinkable.
The Amazons are supposed to have
attempted to seize this island on one
occasion, but the ghost Of Achilles ap-
peared and so terrified the horses Of
the female warriors that the riders
were thrown and severely trampled
upon, whereupon the expedition was
abandoned.
This meager rock brought England
and Russia to the verge of war sixty
years ago, following the treaty of
peace which ended the Crimean con-
f1ict. The island was not mentioned
in the terms of the treaty, and when
Turkey sent a small party to relight
the lighthouse, which had been dark
through the struggle of 1886, Rus
STA attempted to take control of the
beacon which stands as a g%uidepost
to the Danube's mouth. England pro-
tested and sent a feet across the Black
sea to enforce her demands In behalf
of her then recent ally, the sultan.
Russia after a brief threat of resist
ance yielded.
The island passed into RoumaniaD
hands when that nation threw off the
Ottoman. shackles in 1877.
Potato Skins.