HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS IN THE EAST. SECTION I. IONIAN ISLANDS. INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION. 1 Geographical Position.—2. Packets.—3. Money.—4. Travelling Servants. 5. Shops. PAGE. 6 ROUTE. THESE islands lie along the coast of Epirus, Acarnania, and the Morea, and are seven in number, viz.-Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca, Cerigo, and Paxo. They are styled the United States of the Ionian Islands. The above alone possess local governments, and send representatives to parliament; but there are others of minor importance belonging to the state, viz. - Fano, Merlera, Samothrachi, Vido, Antepaxo, Meganissi, Calamos, Cerigotto, &c. Under the Venetian regime, Butrinto, Parga, Prevesa, and other stations along the coast, were united to the Ionian Islands, and, equally with them, governed by a Proveditor General da Mar. It The Ionian Islands at different periods took an important part in the affairs of Greece. Corfu, the ancient Corcyra, possessed a powerful navy, and long contested the palm of victory with Corinth, its mother state. has been noticed by Homer, in the 6th book of the Odyssey, under the names of Scheria and Phæacia; it was also known by the name of Drepanon, or the scythe, an epithet bestowed on it from a fancied resemblance between its figure and that instrument. Its present name of Κορύφη is said to be derived from the rocks on which the citadel is built. At the division of the Roman Empire after the death of Constantine, Corfu fell to the portion of the eastern emperors, and from its position naturally suffered much in the subsequent wars. During the holy wars it was much resorted to, being in the direct line of march of the Crusaders; and after undergoing many vicissitudes, fell into the hands of the princes of the house of Anjou, then governing Naples. At the death of Charles the Third of Naples, finding themselves, to use their own language," abandoned by that prince, exposed to the attacks of the surrounding nobles, and the incursions of Turks and Arabs," the inhabitants in B the year 1386 besought the protection of Venice, under whose dominion they continued until the year 1797. In the year 1797, the French took possession of the Ionian Islands, and spread the democratic principles at that time raging in France. Their effects, though not immediately visible, the excited spirit of the people being repressed by a strong military force, manifested themselves on the establishment of the Byzantian Constitution in 1800, the French having been driven out of the states by the combined forces of Russia and Turkey, who declared themselves the protectors of the republic. Within six months after the Ionians had been left to their own guidance, each island displayed the effects of lawless anarchy and confusion: the inhabitants of Corfu were besieged by the peasantry, and feared to venture beyond the walls of the town in each of the sister islands, matters were as bad if not worse. Russia, in 1803, gave these states a new constitution, which, though backed by a strong force, was found inadequate to the wants of the people, and another was framed in 1805, but never put into activity, the islands having been ceded by Russia to France in a secret article of the treaty of Tilsit. In 1809 and 1810 all the Ionian Islands, except Corfu, were conquered by the British forces. Corfu was surrendered to England in 1814. The present constitution of the Ionian States is based on the treaty of Paris of the 5th of November, 1815, which instrument establishes the powers to be exercised by the protecting sovereign, through the lord high commissioner. The states are therein declared to be under the immediate and exclusive protection of his Britannic Majesty ; and the other high contracting powers, parties to the treaty, consequently renounced every right or pretension that they might have formed with respect to them. Article 4th of the treaty established is, that the Ionian States shall, with the approbation of the protecting power, regulate their internal organisation; and that in order to give the necessary consistency and action to this organisation, his Britannic Majesty should regard with particular solicitude all that relates to their legislative and general administration. The fortresses and military forces were placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of his majesty's commander-in-chief. Sir Thomas Maitland, the founder of the Ionian Constitution, with great skill embodied in it such principles of liberty, as would enable the protecting power to grant, when the people were fitted by a long preparatory course to receive it, such a gradual extension of liberty as would be beneficial to them. That officer rightly considered that neither the Venetian colonial rules, the democracy introduced by the French, nor yet the Turkish and Russian connection, were fit schools in which to prepare the Ionians for the full enjoyment of freedom. He considered also, that, to excite a volatile, excitable, and fanatic race with sudden liberty, would be not less inexpedient than dangerous. The following is a sketch of the Ionian Government as at present constituted : The Ionian parliament is composed of a lord high commissioner, a senate, and a legislative assembly. The lord high commissioner represents the sovereign, has a veto on the acts of the other two bodies composing the legislature, conducts the foreign relations of the state, and has under his immediate control the police and Sanitá departments. He is represented by a president in each island, whose position with respect to the local government, is as that of the lord high commissioner with respect to the general government. The senate is the general government of the state; all orders emanate from it to the local governments. It consists of a president and five members, one for each of the four larger islands, the three smaller islands electing one in rotation. The members of the senate are elected by the assembly, out of its own body. The president of the senate is named by the protecting sovereign. The legislative assembly consists of forty members. It meets every second year, on the 1st of March, unless on extraordinary occasions. The constitutional period for the duration of this body is five years. Corfu is situated at the mouth of the Adriatic, and separated from the continent of Albania by a channel, varying from two to twelve miles in breadth. It is divided into four districts, Oros, Agiru or Giru, Mezzo, and Lefchimo. The scenery is varied and beautiful: the best views are to be obtained from the passes of St. Pantaleone and Garuna, the former commanding the northern and centre districts of the island, the latter the southern. Corfu is beautifully situated near the centre of the island, on the shore facing the continent. It is strongly fortified, and has stood many sieges. During the latest and most remarkable, it was defended by Count Schulemberg, who in the year 1716 held it against the attacks of a powerful Turkish fleet and army. A statue was raised to his honour by the Venetian senate, which now stands opposite the gate of the citadel. A change is at present making in the defences of Corfu, which will be limited to the citadel, Vido, and Fort Neuf. This change will be both advantageous to Great Britain and the island. To the former, because the new system of defence will require a smaller garrison; to the latter, as offering a less temptation, it will be more likely to escape the horrors of a siege, from which it has already so frequently and so severely suffered. It is not The climate of Corfu is far from good, and extremely variable. from variations in the barometer and thermometer that the climate can be at all appreciated, the most minute registers failing to account for the sensations which are communicated to the feelings by the various winds, and a person must have resided some time to be able to describe or even imagine them. The average range of the thermometer is from 44 to 91; the annual average of rainy days is little short of 100. Snow seldom falls, and when it does, soon melts. The Scirocco wind, which blows from the south-east, is the most disagreeable. The soil of Corfu is generally very rich; it is principally a stiff, tenacious clay, retentive of moisture. More than two-thirds of the island is covered with olive trees. Agriculture is at a low ebb, though in the neighbourhood of the town symptoms of improvement are clearly perceptible. A large quantity of wine, though of inferior quality, is produced. Grain for about four months' consumption is also raised; the rest is procured from the Black Sea. Cattle and sheep are obtained from the countries bordering on the Danube, and are nearly two months reaching the plains opposite the island, where they remain until fit for the table. The inhabitants of the town dress in the continental style, the ladies with much taste. The complexion in healthy persons inclines towards the olive. The eyes are almost universally brilliant and full. The constitution is sanguine, choleric, the gestures vivacious, the gait elastic, and the enunciation voluble and emphatic. Though it would be unjust to deny that there are many individuals of integrity and honour, still the national character is the lowest in Europe. Vanity is the predominant characteristic, and their 'want of veracity (Græcia mendax) is proverbial. They display an uncon trolled propensity to litigation, revenge, and political intrigue, cloaked under the thin veil of patriotic enthusiasm. The clergy are taken principally from the lowest class, and with few exceptions are ignorant, superstitious, and fanatic. The establishment of a seminary for the education of the priesthood, through productive of good, leaves yet much to be done. The Roads are good, and have lately been much extended. The formation of branch roads connecting the villages one with another and with the main roads, will enable the beautiful scenery with which the island abounds, to be seen without inconvenience. There is a good meat and fish Market, established near the water port, to which has lately been added a fruit market. The public institutions have lately been much improved. In the Orfanotrofio, no less than 75 per cent. of the infants died: this has been completely reformed. A civil hospital, which existed previously but in name, has been put on a most efficient footing; and a lunatic asylum, the want of which was formerly most severely and universally felt, has been established at St. Roque, beyond the walls of the city. A prison is constructing on a plan which will admit of the introduction of the latest and most approved system of classification and prison discipline. The aqueduct which supplies the town has undergone a thorough repair; and may be said to have been reconstructed. These and other improvements have been executed under circumstances of peculiar financial difficulty, arising from the failure of the olive crops since the year 1839. Education.-The system of instruction has of late years been much extended and improved. There are at present in the islands 4240 children attending the Lancastrian schools, and 563 students attending the secondary schools. The College lately established in Corfu by Sir Howard Douglas, will serve to connect the secondary schools with the university, and thus render perfect the system of education. Much benefit may be expected to be derived from the establishment of this institution. It already is highly popular in the country, has upwards of 80 students, and more applicants for admission than can be conveniently attended to. Many attempts have also been made to extend education among the lower class of females, and have so far succeeded, that there are at present 11 female schools in the island, attended by 665 scholars. English Steamers. The government steam vessels, with the mails and passengers, leave Malta for Corfu about the 1st and 15th of every month, that is, 24 hours after the arrival of H. M. steam vessel which conveys the fortnight's intermediate mails from Gibraltar. It touches at Cephalonia, Zante, and Patras, and remains about 4 days at Corfu. It leaves Corfu, on its return, about the 10th and 25th. Italian Packets. The voyage from Otranto to Corfu has frequently been performed in twelve hours, but has sometimes occupied the greater part of a week. The captain provides nothing; on the contrary, he expects to be invited to breakfast and dinner, and a passenger should therefore be well prepared in case of accidents. The Ionian packet arrives regularly once a week: it is a fast-sailing yacht. In fine weather a six-oared scampavia is frequently sent, and in this case the passage is more certain. The packet merely waits to have the despatches and letters landed and fumigated, and to receive the mail on board. A person intending to sail by it must be on the watch, for if the opportunity be lost, he will be forced to wait another week, as it rarely happens that other vessels arrive at this port. An English consular agent resides at Otranto, who does every thing in his power to be useful, and to facilitate the means of departure. There are a host of customhouse, health, and police officers to be satisfied previous to embarkation, but a small fee suffices for each. The packet is sometimes obliged by weather to put into a small port four miles south of Otranto; but the consul always receives notice of this, and will, if necessary, detain the vessel a few hours. The fare established by government is five Spanish dollars, or 17. 8s. for each person. Half of this goes to the government, the other half to the captain. Austrian steamers leave Trieste for Athens on the 1st and 16th of each month; and touch at Ancona, Corfu, Patras, and Vostizza, on their way to Lutraki, at the head of the Gulf of Corinth. The steamers which leave Trieste for Constantinople round the Morea on the 8th and 24th of every month, also call at Corfu; so that there are steamers from Trieste for Corfu on the 1st, 8th, 16th, and 24th of each month; from Corfu to Athens on the 5th and 27th; and from Corfu to Constantinople on the 11th and 27th of each month. The steamers from Lutraki, on their return, touch at Corfu on the 9th and 24th, on their voyage to Ancona and Trieste. A Mail leaves London for Corfu on the night of the 2d of each month, viâ Falmouth. The Mail viâ Marseilles, which leaves London on the 6th of each month, overtakes this at Malta. A very slow Mail viâ Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, Gibraltar, and Malta, leaves London on the Thursday nearest to the 15th of each month. The quickest communication between England and Corfu is by Ancona, where the Austrian steamers call on the 2nd and 17th of each month. The postage paid viâ Ancona, enables a letter either way to make a quick transit; and "Galignani's Messenger" is always sent by this route. There is no quarantine now at either Trieste or Ancona, for travellers arriving at those places by the Austrian steam vessels. 3. MONEY. The money in circulation in the Ionian Islands is Gold Coins British Sovereigns. Venetian Sequin............ Silver.......... British Crowns and Half-crowns, Shillings, Sixpences, and Threepences; the latter an Ionian coin. Spanish Pillar, or Mexican Dollar 10s. 6d. Imperial do................... Roman do........ 4s. Od. Neapolitan do....... Copper... Pence, Halfpence, Farthings, and Grains; ..... 10 Grains make a Penny. There is an Ionian Bank established at Corfu, with branches at Cephalonia and Zante. The principal Direction is at 6, Great Winchester Street, London, where letters of credit are granted to most of the principal towns of Europe. The Ionian Bank notes are current in all the islands. 4. TRAVELLING SERVANTS. A travelling servant, to act as interpreter and guide through Greece, should be hired at Corfu, if the traveller should be unprovided with one capable of acting in that capacity. Several of this description may be met with, but as much of the traveller's comfort will depend upon his selection, he should engage no one who cannot be well recommended. It is absolutely necessary that this servant should be well acquainted with the country, and be possessed of perfect knowledge of the places where horses are to be hired and |