Observations Upon the Peloponnesus and Greek Islands, Made in 1829

Reasons for a special agency to the Mediterranean-Embarkation-Sight of Europe and Africa-Contrast between the present and former religious condition of northern Africa-Remarks upon the Mediterranean and its coastsArrival at Malta-Quarantine-Intercourse with the missionaries and others -St. Paul's Bay-Churches and palaces-Malta as a missionary stationEmbark, with Rev. Eli Smith, for Greece-Objects of the tour in GreecePolitical geography of the country-Route pursued-Plan of this workAgency of Mr. Smith in it-Geographical nomenclature-The author desirous of subserving the interests of the Greek people-Has no pecuniary interest in the sale of this volume.

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Two general reasons induced the Prudential Committee of the Board of Foreign Missions in favor of a special agency to the Mediterranean. (1.) The missionaries to Syria, being driven from their station by the political disturbances which agitated the Turkish empire, were in the island of Malta, and the Committee were anxious to confer with them in relation to future operations in the east. (2.) The Committee were desirous to know, more satisfactorily than they had the means of knowing, precisely what kind of efforts in behalf of liberated Greece were incumbent on the Board.a

With these objects in view, I embarked at Boston, on the 28th of November 1828, for Malta. The passage across the Atlantic was boisterous, but the wind was generally fair, and in a little more than twenty days I saw the mountains of Europe and Africa. These were a welcome sight, after the eye had become wearied with the interminable level of the ocean.

(a) For a more ample statement of the reasons for this agency, see Missionary Herald, vol. xxiv. p. 394.

VOYAGE.

Those of Africa were connected with the great Atlan

tean range.

No Christian can gaze long upon Africa, without painful emotions. To think how near I was to the dominions of the False Prophet-to think of the vast extent of those dominions of the deep moral and intellectual darkness that covers them-and how faint the prospect is of a speedy and desirable change,-was enough to make one turn away with sickness of heart. Yet on turning towards Spain, the prospect was not much more cheering, for a spiritual gloom hung over that country, as dismal, almost, as when it was occupied by the Moors.

How glorious, comparatively, was the state of Northern Africa in the age of the great Augustine! The light of the gospel then shone upon an extent of country stretching more than two thousand miles from the Atlantic eastward, and from the Mediterranean two hundred, and even five hundred miles into the interior. Within this space were more than four hundred and fifty bishoprics, each of which might embrace threescore or fourscore towns and villages; and if each town and village contained its church, which is probable, there were more than thirty thousand Christian churches in northern Africa. But these lights have all been extinguished, and with them the lights of science, civilization, and liberty.

Having entered the Mediterranean, we inclined to the northern shore, and sailed along the coast of Spain. Mountains rose before us all the first day. The snowy top of Sierra Nivada, the highest in Spain, became visible before noon, resembling a white cloud. At the setting of the sun it was comparatively near, and the summit was adorned with the most brilliant colors. Broad streams of light descended on the ridges, diverging from the top, and finely contrasted with the deep shades of the ravines.

(b) Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church, vol. iii. p. 351.

ARRIVAL AT MALTA.

The next day we stood over towards Africa, and should have seen it, had the southern atmosphere been clear; yet the mountains of Spain continued visible. Indeed this sea, for nearly two hundred miles eastward of Gibraltar, does not exceed thirty leagues in width, so that the Carthagenian sailor did not here lose sight of land in fair weather, and could dispense the better with the compass and quadrant. I may add, that a vessel sails nearly five hundred miles eastward of Gibraltar, without being more than thirty-five leagues from elevated land. Still further east, we had a view of Africa and Sardinia, at the same time. Sicily must be visible from Cape Bon, the lofty promontory at the entrance of the gulf of Carthage; and when only a few miles beyond that cape, we distinctly saw the island of Pantellaria, full thirty leagues in the direction of Malta. Sicily may be seen from Malta. Mount Etna is a conspicuous object far off at sea; and in southern Italy, in continental Greece, in the Peloponnesus, in Candia and other islands of the Archipelago, in Asia Minor, and in Syria, there are lofty heights, raised as if for a guide to the mariner. While contemplating the rugged profile which almost every coast presented, it was pleasing to think how many beacons the merciful Creator had erected around these shores, and of the aid they had rendered to the many generations of sailors, who were obliged to grope their way in the deep, without the improvements that facilitate modern navigation.

Our voyage up the Mediterranean was not distinguished by anything remarkable. The distance from Gibraltar to Malta is about a thousand miles, and the whole distance from Boston to Malta may not be far from four thousand. On the first day of the year 1829, we took on board a dark-looking Maltese pilot, and at two P. M. were safely anchored in the quarantine harbor of Valetta, the principal port of Malta. We were subjected to a quarantine of seven days. The health officer handed us printed regulations for the quarantine on the end of a long stick, to avoid contagion,

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