CHAPTER XIII.

APRIL 6. This morning we started on our return. For a short distance we ascended the fine valley of the Apsus, terminated afar off by the huge Tomour,* and then, turning to the right, proceeded in a southerly direction through a

π.

This mountain is called by Strabo Touapos or Tμápos; but Eustathius in Od. . gives it an appellation much nearer its modern sound; Tópovpos. It is often mentioned by the Byzantine historians, and seems to have had a strong citadel or fortress in its vicinity. Τίμωρον Φρούριόν τι καὶ αὐτὸ ἐσπέριον περὶ Baλdypiтa kloμevov (Cantacuz. Hist. p. 301.) If the Tomarus of Dodona be confined to this spot it will upset all the theories yet formed upon the subject but as this latter place is always reckoned in Epirus, and Tomour is far beyond its limits, some other range of hills must have had this appellation: in fact the mountains of Kolonia and Zagori appear to be but branches of this enormous trunk.

ROUTE TO KLISSURA.

395

valley two hours in length, bounded by moderate hills covered with evergreens, but with few habitations. We then ascended higher ground, and had not only a noble prospect of the dark mountains of Kolonia, but a very fine retrospective view of Berat, its fortified citadel, and the gigantic Tomour. For three hours we proceeded over a general descent of country, through valleys and beds of torrents, and found signs of greater population: at the end of five hours we passed the large Turkish village of Tojar, on a mountain to the right, where about fifteen years before Ali and Ibrahim had fought several sanguinary battles: about two miles farther appeared a small fort built by the vizir upon the summit of a hill, below which stood a spacious han called the Han of Ali; we had passed another called the Han of Ibrahim nearly an hour before. For the next four hours the road was generally uninteresting, up and down hills and in the beds of torrents; only a few houses were scattered about, and each of those generally occupied an eminence, isolated for the sake of security: we crossed as many as thirty streams, and two of them near thirty times. At the end of these last four hours we arrived at a han, but so filthy and disgusting, that we determined to proceed to another about two hours distant. The latter part of this route lay through a lovely plain under a fine mountain on the right called Trebesheena, opposite to which we found the han destined for our resting place, in a very picturesque site.

Next morning we resumed our journey, for one hour, through a beautiful valley to Klissurra, which is situated on a tremendous precipice of Trebesheena, where the Voïussa pours its foaming waters though that great defile, the ancient "Stena Aoi," or "Fauces Antigoneæ."

The situation of this town is singular in the extreme. It lies at a considerable height up the bare and rocky moun

396 DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND FORTRESS.

tain; beyond it appearing a large fortress, built by Ali, to curb the spirit of this district, upon the very edge of a precipice probably a thousand feet in depth. We rode up to the town, which contained about two hundred inhabited houses, which were certainly among the most miserable tenements we beheld in all our travels; and their occupants exhibited a frightful picture of misery. A few dirty rags served as an apology for clothing to the adults, and the children absolutely went stark naked; though a thick coating of dirt upon their bodies might almost be said to stand in the stead of garments: a large colony of gipsies still more wretched in appearance, if possible, were mingled with these inhabitants. In ascending towards the fortress we observed three or four hundred ruined habitations, which gave a still more desolate appearance to the view of this arid rock.* The castle is large, but not built for long duration; though artillery could with difficulty be brought to bear against it. Near the foundation of the principal entrance are several layers of Greek masonry, showing that this important post was not neglected by the ancient masters in the art of war. If a city ever existed in their time upon this spot, it was probably Antigonea. Before we entered the castle, we ventured, as near as safety allowed, to the giddy height upon which it stands; where, looking down, we beheld the Aous still chafing in its channel between two tremendous walls of rock, which scarcely leave room for the river and the narrow road which winds along its side.

The noise of the foaming

A very extensive cemetery in the plain below Klissura, where a large Tekè or Turkish monastery was just erected, marks the former population of this place. The people are said to have emigrated about half a century ago to the mountains of Kolonia.

Is inter montes quorum alterum Æropum, alterum Asnaum incolæ vocant, angusta valle fluit, iter exiguum super ripam præbens. Liv. 1. xxxii. c. 5.

ROUTE TO PREMETI.

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torrent at this height is heard only in gentle murmurs. Beyond the Trebesheena, upon which Klissura is situated, another lofty mountain runs parallel to it from north to south called Mesgourani, both of which form one side of this contracted defile. The opposite heights are called Melchiovo, and are branches of the vast chain of Mertzika. From this advantageous position the Roman Consul Flaminius drove Philip King of Macedon by means of treachery, and thus gained an inlet into the interior of his territories. We were received by the governor, and conducted over this fortress, to which Ali frequently sent his state prisoners as to one of complete security. We observed several of these wretched victims of his tyranny or suspicion: one was a poor Greek of Lepanto, who had been seized in the dead of night, and hurried away to Ioannina, from whence, after having been detained in a noisome dungeon eighteen months, he was banished to this dreadful prison; and here he had remained two years without even knowing the crime for which he suffered : the poor wretch could attribute his misfortunes only to having procured a protection from the French ambassador at the Porte. Another prisoner was a young black eunuch, sent hither for having wounded one of the vizir's pages with a knife: this appeared to be a malicious urchin, and could scarcely be restrained by manual correction from his savage propensities.

Having satisfied our curiosity, we descended into the town to satisfy our appetites with some coarse calamboci bread and eggs, and then set forward again up the valley of Aous, taking the same road as that by which Philip fled from the Roman legions. At the outskirts of the town we met a poor dervish in ragged apparel, who beckoned me from the party and begged alms in a piteous tone: after I had satisfied his request, he whispered in my ear the

398

PREMETILUSTRAL EGGS.

following sentence: Εἶναι ὁ Πασιὰ κακὸς ἄνθρωπος χαλάζει Tous Toúgxous-"The vizir is a bad man, for he ruins the Turks." A curious character for a Turkish pasha in a district of Greece! but which we soon found to have been correctly given; for at Premeti, which is about five hours from Klissura, we crossed the Voïussa by a handsome bridge, under a gallows, on which a Turk of some distinction had been hanged a week before, for having shot a poor Greek in a tavern brawl.

Premeti is situated in a beautiful recess under some of the loftiest crags of Mertzika, which here rise perpendicularly from their bases, shooting their lofty pinnacles into the sky with all the varieties of Alpine scenery: the snow at this time lay deep on their summits, and is contained in cavities during the whole of the year: numerous wolves infest the district, against whose ravages the fierce race of Molossian dogs is still the great security. We found Antonietti with our luggage safely lodged in the house of an elderly widow lady, which, like all the other houses in this place, stands separate and distinct from its neighbours. After dinner our hostess came into the room with much ceremony, and having kissed our hands, presented us with some boiled eggs dyed in various colours; an offering very general amongst the Greeks in the season of Passionweek. For these lustral eggs there seems to be good classical authority.

Et veniat quæ lustret anus lectumque locumque
Præferat et tremula sulphur & ova manu.

Next morning we paid a visit to the governor, who resided in a large serai above the town, which Salee Bey inhabited

* Ovid de Arte Am. ii. 329. See also Juvenal Sat. vi. 516.

nisi se centum lustraverit ovis.

Lucian also makes mention of the ¿dv ¿k kalapolov. Dial. Mort. i. § 1.