the north-eastern horn of this curve stands a castle of the Greek empire, distinguishable by the painted minaret of its mosque. It is on a gentle declivity about a mile in circuit, and built upon ancient foundations formed of massive blocks in horizontal courses. This is not the oldest remnant of Ambracia. To the south of it, separated by a narrow valley, in which is the church of St. Theodore, rises a craggy hill, more than two miles round, surmounted by walls of polygonal style, the vestiges of the ancient Acropolis. On the north-east of this hill one of the gates of the citadel is still visible, now called Megale Porta, or the Great Gate. Near it is the church of the Madonna Phaneromené, so called from a miraculous image formerly hidden and then suddenly brought to light, which is built on ancient foundations, perhaps those of the Temple of Minerva, which seems to have stood on an eminence like this. The hill itself appears to have been called PERRHANTHE. In the beautiful plain beneath it the town of Ambracia extended northward and

HEAD OF MINERVA, FROM AN ANCIENT COIN.

westward from its roots to the curve of the river. The modern city occupies part of the same space, and presents a pleasing sight to the spectator from this hill, with its domed churches and tall black cypresses and white mosques grouped together amid fruitful gardens of great luxuriance. Looking in the opposite direction from the highest point of this hill, we have a view of the gulf to which Arta gives a name now as Ambracia did of old.

These analogies, and other coincidences, are sufficient to occasion in our minds some distrust in the accuracy of the large and magnificent map of Greece, delineated by the Chevalier Lapie, in which Arta is made to correspond, not with Ambracia, but with ARGITHEA. But M. Pouqueville, after whose observations and memoirs that map is laid down, has shown powers of transposition, especially with respect to the cities of Epirus, greater even than those of Augustus himself, who removed, not its towns, as the French Consul has done, but only their inhabitants, according to his own pleasure. The population of Arta is now estimated at six thousand. The town suffered severely in the plague of 1815, as its buildings did in the campaign of 1821, which decided the fate of Ali Pasha. It is a place of considerable importance, as being the key of the commerce between the towns of the Epirot provinces, such as ARGYRO-KASTRO and BERAT, and those of Acarnania and Etolia. The principal articles of this trade are exhibited to the eyes of the traveller as he passes down the bazaar, a long street covered over with an awning of fern and reeds, which fence off the heat and sun, and admit a dim light. The shops which line this avenue are of wood; the windows are unglazed; from them projects a low wooden platform covered with a mat, upon which the occupant of the shop sits, with his rich stuffs and other wares hanging behind him. On some of these wooden platforms are piled large brown heaps, almost like haycocks, of tobacco; others present an array of red sandals; here hang

embroidered belts; there, lie pistols and dirks with silver chased handles; here, sit money-changers with wire cases before them, containing varieties of coinage from every quarter of the world; silk shawls of the gayest hues, vests richly braided with gold, sparkling phials of rosolio, and, at the further extremity of the vista, a profusion of melons and grapes: these objects together present a beautiful picture of the resources of Arta, even under its present governors. It is, indeed, very agreeable to pass from the open sky and the glare of the hot sun into this shaded avenue, whose gloom is enlivened by many cheerful colours, while its tranquillity is not disturbed by the sound of wheels or the noise of its inhabitants, who sit in grave postures, and generally in profound silence.

The churches of Arta are remarkable for their size and beauty; that of the Madonna Paregoritza, or of Consolation, is one of the oldest and most magnificent among them: the interior of its principal dome is inlaid with gilded and painted mosaic in the Byzantine style, from the centre

In its

of which hangs a tall branching candelabrum. pavement is an inscription of the early times of Ambracia, too mutilated to be transcribed, and containing only a few syllables of proper names, which like those of greater men, who have been deprived of immortality by some evil chance, have been broken off from

after ages only by a few inches.

Another church of some interest is that

of St. Theodora: it contains the tomb
of that saint, who is described as
one of the Comnenian family, and
foundress of a monastery dedicated to
the Virgin. On the panneling be-
tween the nave and the chancel,
and above the three doors which
lead to the latter, are whole-

length portraits inlaid with
gilding in a gaudy
style, as is usually the

case in Greek churches

CHURCH AT ARTA.

of large dimensions: the figures are thirteen in number, and placed as follows. At each of the two extremities are two apostles; nearer to the centre, on each side, are two Evangelists; corresponding to each other, are St. Peter and St. Paul; next to the former is the Virgin, and to the latter, St. John the Baptist; and in the centre of them all, is the person of their Lord. The order in which they are arranged is that which is usually adopted in such paintings by the Greek church. On the walls of the Triforium are portraits of male and female saints. It is remarkable, that while the former face the spectator, the latter are seen only in profile. This method of representation seems to have derived its origin from the opinion, that while the faith of a Christian man should exhibit itself in bold and intrepid bearing, the religion which best becomes the female character, is of a retiring and unostentatious nature.

Perseus was detained for several days on the banks of the Arethon or Aracthus, the river which flows by the town of Arta, and from which it derives its name; and the traveller who remembers this circumstance will

be thankful for the facility now provided for crossing it by a handsome stone bridge, over the stream. On the other, or western side of this bridge, the paved road lies through a rich and well-cultivated plain, which received from its ancient Monarchs a pleasing acknowledgment of its fertility, in the emblems engraved upon the coins which recorded their own honours. Thus on those of Pyrrhus, the Epirot king, Ceres appears holding ears of corn in her right hand. Ancient money, in this respect, possessed an advantage over modern, that in presenting to the eye the principal characteristics of the soil and country to which it belonged, it both indicated and inspired a feeling of patriotism which was thus made, as it were, a part of the national

currency.

Passing the small village of Roca, perhaps so called from the large quantity of Indian corn, known here by that name, which is cultivated near it, we arrive in an hour and a quarter from Arta, at the river of Luro, which is the western limit of the Ambracian plain. The stream is crossed in a canoe, and in a quarter of an hour, going westward, we arrive at the foot of the hill on which stand the Hellenic ruins, now called ROGUS.