144

CRETAN SONG

Then, offering up another prayer,

The cross's sign he made:
His pistols next he duly took
And in his girdle laid.

Scarce had he vaulted in his seat,
When wept his charger good;
And then he understood full well
His death it did forbode.

He offered up another prayer,
And in his saddle sate;
Then onward spurred his trusty steed
From out the castle gate.

CHAP.

Καὶ κάνει παρακάλεσιν

καὶ τὸ σταυρόν του κάνει, καὶ πιάνει τα πιστόλια του,

εἰς τὴν μέσην του τὰ βάνει.

Ωντεν ἐκαβαλίκευε

ἔκλαιε τ' άλογό του

καὶ τότεςα τὸ ἐγνώρισε

πῶς εἶναι ὁ θάνατός του.

Of the truth of this incident I was assured by many other Cretan peasants, besides those from whom I learnt the song. The notion is full three thousand years old, and is beautifully expressed by HOMER, IL. XVII. 436.

Ὣς μένον ἀσφαλέως περικαλλέα δίφρον ἔχοντε,
οὔδει ἐνισκίμψαντε καρήατα δάκρυα δέ σφι
θερμὰ κατὰ βλεφάρων χαμάδις ῥέε μυρομένοιν,
ἡνιόχοιο ποθῇς θαλερὴ δὲ μιαίνετο χαίτη.

The Cretan poet, however, endues his steed not with mere human affections, but with foreknowledge of the fate which was about to befal his rider.

Εκανε παρακάλεσιν,

στὴν σέλλαν τοῦ καθίζει δούδει βιτζιὰ τ ̓ ἀλόγου του, εἰς τὴν πόρτα 'ξωπορίζει,

XXXII.] ON THE DEATH OF KHADJI MIKHALI. 145

The song ends with an account of the affray, and of the vain prowess of the Khadjí; who soon paid the price of his temerity, although, for awhile, "the Mohammedan host trembled as it saw the war which he waged."

MOSQUES IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS OF CRETE. A CATERPILLAR INJURES THE VINES IN SELINO. ANCIENT AND MODERN SUPERSTITIONS. PRODUCE OF AN OLIVE-TREE IN SELINO. SNOW NOT COMMON AT THE SEA LEVEL IN CRETE. RIDE TO LAKUS. AN ACCOUNT OF THE LAKIOTES. A PASSAGE IN THE HISTORY OF THE VENETIAN RULE IN CRETE. THE ANCIENT CTTY RHIZENIA. PREPARATIONS FOR EASTER SUNDAY.

May 2.

THE Cretan converts to Islamism have erected but few mosques out of the principal towns of the island. There are, however, three in the eparkhía of Sélino, which does not possess a single Greek monastery.

In this neighbourhood a small insect called Kampia' eats the young sprouts of the vine about this time of

1 The word used was κάμπια: the ancient name is κάμπη.
2 Τοὺς βλαστούς.

XXXIII.] THE VINEYARDS OF SELINO UNFRUITFUL. 147

the year. On account of its ravages last year, my host obtained only six místata of wine from his vineyard, which ought to have produced fifty místata; in Kísamos, the same quantity of ground, ten days' work of a man, would produce nearly two hundred místata.

This caterpillar sometimes infested the vineyards of the ancients, as it now does those of the moderns in the district of Sélino. In order to free the vine from its ravages, various superstitious charms used to be practised, some of which were of a very extraordinary kind, and must remain veiled in the decent obscurity of a learned language'. In more recent times a supposed remedy consisted in summoning the offenders into a court of law. As soon as they were thus publicly called on, to answer for their depredations, it is gravely said that they at once abandoned the vineyard3.

In the district of Sélino, where the olive-trees are very fine, nearly two trees are ordinarily required to produce a místaton of oil: sometimes three roots would be requisite. A village here producing one hundred

3 Μεροκάματα, from ἡμεροκάματον.

4 GEOPONICA, XII. 8. p. 858. AELIAN, N. A. VI. 36. PLINY, N. H. XVII. 47. COLUMELLA, Hort. 357.

At si nulla valet medicina repellere pestem,

Dardaniae veniant artes, nudataque plantas

Foemina, quae, justis tum demum operata juventae

Legibus, obscoeno manat pudibunda cruore;

Et resoluta sinus, resoluto moesta capillo,

Ter circum areolas et sepem ducitur horti.

Quae cum lustravit gradiens, mirabile visu,
Volvitur ad terram distorto corpore campe.

The κάμπn does not confine its attacks to the vine: see THEOPHRASTUS, H. P. III. 22. 3. p. 486. and ATHENAEUS, II. p. 55. e.

5 LEO ALLATIUS, de quorund. Graec. Opinat. p. 177. Relatum mihi est, opportunissimum remedium esse, si illi, tanquam rei, per praeconem, aut libello scripto, per nomina in curiam ad judices citentur. Sic enim vel illico evanescunt. Si pergunt adferre noxam, repetita citatione proclamantur. Ubi pertinacius persistunt, in contumaces sententia pronunciatur. Sunt etiam, qui pro damno, jam accepto, et detrimento, testes examinant. Mirum esse dicunt, vermiculos, qui omnia tolerant, judicium non sustinere; sed repente, ne deprehensi poenas luant, eodem tempore diffugere, atque evanescere. See another extraordinary remedy against the poor kampe prescribed by Michael Psellus, and another practised by Tuscan monks, at pp. 178179. of the same work.

148

JOURNEY FROM ERGASTERI

[CHAP.

místata would probably possess nearly two hundred roots of olives. I am told here, as in every other place where I have made enquiries, respecting the consumption of oil by each Cretan family, that it may be estimated at four okes a week, at the least. A mother will hardly give bread to her children without pouring them out some oil into a dish, that they may moisten the staff of life, and render it more savoury, before eating it. Oil is used with all kinds of vegetables, as well as in preparing every sort of meat and fish: in short it enters into every dish in Crete, and though all Greeks use a good deal of it, there is a much greater general consumption of it in this island than elsewhere. "The Cretans are used to it," say they, as I have already mentioned, and it is perhaps the only article in which no one ever thinks of stinting himself.

Even at this elevation, which, with mountains so much loftier in sight, does not seem very great, the snow usually lies several feet deep for some days in December or January. Last winter was unusually severe here: snow fell even on the island of Gávdha. The severity of the last winter was however general throughout the

east.

we

After breakfasting on eggs, milk, bread and cheese,

start and reach Epáno-khorió in fifty minutes. Haghía Iréne is a mile to the north-east of Epánokhorió. I hear at both these villages most unfavourable accounts of the descent by which, after reaching the elevated plain called 'Omalos, it is usual to enter Sfakiá, the people all doubting whether a horse like mine would be able to pass one part of the road called Xylóskalo with safety; and agreeing that the probabilities were that he would miss his footing, and be dashed to pieces. About the mules no fears are entertained: "they are accustomed to the bad roads." Not wishing my horse

* Οἱ Κρητικοὶ εἶναι μαθημένοι εἰς τὸ λάδι· see Vol. Ι. p. 121.

7 Tò Euλóokaλo, a term which sufficiently explains its own meaning. 8 Εἶναι μαθημένα εἰς τὸ κακόβολον.

7