Eliza Roxcy Snow

“ The Erectheum has a number of standing columns, supporting massive marble beams and lintels over doorways; most of this temple, however, lies in a heap of superb ruins. The frieze of this building was composed of black marble, adorned with figures in low relief, in white marble. The surface of the Acropolis is mostly spread with ruins, broken pillars, pieces of entablatures and sculp- tured fragments.
The Greeks have some very peculiar customs. ”

“ I have noticed in Athens, the same as in Italy, two gentlemen meeting on the public street, with hats off, demon- strating their affection by hugging and kissing each other in the most vio- lent manner. Many of the Greeks have a habit of carrying in the hand strings of glass or wooden beads, which they manipulate or work with their fingers, while walking the streets or in conversation, the same as the gen- tleman his watchguard, or twirls his cane, or the lady flirts her fan, having no religious reference as the Catholic in counting his beads. ”

“ The central dome is one hundred and seven feet in diam- eter, with a rise of forty-six feet, and with an elevation of one hundred and eighty feet above the ground, with semi-domes on two sides, of equal diam- eter. The grand dome is supported by arches resting on four immense piers, supported by abutments. Its numerous arches, pillars and cupolas are all inlaid with marble mosaics of the most beautiful designs. In the cupola are inscribed the following words from the Koran: "God is the light of the heavens and the earth." ”

“ The Areopagus, or Hill of Mars, is a lower emi- nence, forming a kind of offshoot to the Acropolis. The remains of the celebrated Temple of Jupiter Olympus occupy a broad square of ground a little eastward of the Acropolis. Fifteen Corinthian columns of immense size are now standing, out of one hundred and twenty-four, which formerly covered a space of three hundred and fifty-four feet, by a breadth of one hundred and seventy-one feet. These marble columns are fifty-five feet in height and six feet four inches in diameter. ”

“ There were the marble temples of Minerva, Propylaca, Wingless Victory, the Erectheum and the Parthenon; also gigantic statues of Grecian deities, from forty to sixty feet in height, on lofty pedestals decorated with ivory and gold, glistening in the sunlight. Some of these colossal statues could be seen from the decks of vessels, standing a long distance out at sea. A fewmassive columns of temples are seen sustaining huge marble beams, over twenty feet in length. In the Propylacan Temple, quantities of black marble were used in its construction, and. ”

“ It is a strong prevailing feeling in the people, that, as the church cannot exist without the people, so the people cannot exist as a nation without the church. The banners of the revolu- tion were constantly blessed by the bishops, and among the first victims of
SUPPLEMENT. 571
that revolution was the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople. In fact the first article of the constitution makes the Greek Church the corner stone of the political fabric. It is as follows: "The dominant religion of Greece ia that of the Orthodox Oriental Church of Christ. ”

“ The Bible is also used as a text book for common instruc- tions, etc. These educational departments are sustained by contributions from Europe and America. Some seventy students attend the Protestant college. The British Syrian schools at Beyrout number over six hundred scholars, and including the branch schools in Lebanon, rising one thousand.
March 25th, we embarked on an Austrian Lloyd steamer for Constanti- nople. We passed the Island of Cyprus; had a view, from the deck, of Mount Olympus, the summit of which was once crowned with the celebrated Temple of Venus ”

“ Uniting the tips of the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, and touching alternately the forehead, navel, right breast and left breast, three times in rapid succession, whenever passing a church, seeing the cross, or hearing the name of the Savior spoken. They have a singular form for burying the dead. ”

“ With regard to foreign trade and commerce, Beyrout stands foremost in Syria; the largest imports are for Damascus, it forming the seaport for that city. The chief article of export is raw silk, the trade in which is fast increasing, and every 3 r ear becoming more important. ”

“ Goodenough, the Consul General of Constantinople,, , who was spending a few days in Athens. In conversation with these people, we gathered interesting items in reference to modern Greece, the king and government. Mr. Francis' fine abilities and conversational talent drew around him many visitors, especially Americans. Mrs. Francis is a lady of intelligence, of lively disposition and polite manners. ”

“ Its population is variously estimated at from five hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand; of these about three hundred thousand are Greeks and Armenians, sixty thousand Jews, and thirty thousand Europeans. ”