the modern name of the island of Crete (see CRETE). The word is a variation of Khanda, which was originally the Arabian name of the metropolis only, but in time came to be applied to the whole island.

Candia came into the possession of the Venetians by purchase, in the year 1194, as related under the article CRETE; and soon began to flourish under the laws of that wise republic. The inhabitants, living under the protection of a moderate government, and being encouraged by their masters, engaged in commerce and agriculture. The Venetian commandants readily afforded to those travellers who visited the island, that assistance which is necessary to enable them to extend and improve useful knowledge. Below, the naturalist, is lavish in praise of their good offices, and describes, in an interesting manner, the flourishing state of that part of the island which he visited.

The seat of government was established at Candia. The magistrates and officers, who composed the council, resided there. The provost-general was president. He possessed the chief authority; and his power extended over the whole principality. It continued in the possession of the Venetians for five centuries and a half. Cornaro held the chief command at the time when it was threatened with a storm, on the side of Constantinople. The Turks, for the space of a year, had been employed in preparing a vast armament. They deceived the Venetian, by afflicting him that it was intended against Malta. In the year 1645, in the midst of a solemn peace, they appeared unexpectedly before Crete with a fleet of 400 sail, having on board 65,000 land forces, under the command of four pachas. The emperor Ibrahim, whom this expedition was undertaken, had no fair pretext to offer in justification of his enterprise. He made use of all that perfidy which characterizes the people of the east, to impose on the Venetian senate. He loaded their ambassador with presents, directed his fleet to bear for Cape Matapan, as if they had been going beyond the Archipelago; and caused the governors of Tina and Cerigna to be solemnly assured that the republic had nothing to fear for her possessions. At the very instant when he was making these assurances, his naval armament entered the gulf of Canea; and, passing between that city and St Theodore, anchored at the mouth of Platania.

The Venetians, not expecting this sudden attack, had made no preparations to repel it. The Turks landed without opposition. The isle of St Theodore is but a league and an half from Canea. It is only three quarters of a league in compass. The Venetians had erected two forts there; one of which, standing on the summit of the highest eminence, on the coast of that little isle, was called Turluru; the other, on a lower situation, was named St Theodore. It was an important object to the Mussulmans to make themselves master of that rock, which might annoy their ships. They immediately attacked it with ardor. The first of those fortresses, being destitute of soldiers and cannon, was taken without striking a blow. The garrison of the other consisted of no more than 60 men. They made a gallant defense, and stood out till the last extremity; and when the Turks at last prevailed, their number was diminished to ten, whom the captain-pacha cruelly caused to be beheaded.

Being now masters of that important post, as well as of Lazaret, an elevated rock, standing about half a league from Canea, the Turks invested the city by sea and land. General Cornaro was struck, as with a thunder-clap, when he learned the descent of the enemy. In the whole island there were no more than a body of 3,500 infantry, and a small number of cavalry. The besieged city was defended only by 1,000 regular troops, and a few citizens, who were able to bear arms. He made haste to give the republic notice of his distress; and posted himself off the road, that he might the more readily succour the besieged city. He threw a body of 250 men into the town before the lines of the enemy were completed. He afterwards made several attempts to strengthen the besieged with other reinforcements; but in vain. The Turks had advanced in bodies close to the town, had carried a half-moon battery, which covered the gate of Retimo; and were battering the walls night and day with their numerous artillery. The besieged defended themselves with resolute valour, and the smallest advantage which the besiegers gained cost them dear. General Cornaro made an attempt to arm the Greeks, particularly the Spachlots, who boasted loudly of their valour. He formed a battalion of these. But the era of their valour was long past. When they beheld the enemy, and heard the thunder of the cannon, they took to flight—not one of them would stand fire.

When the senate of Venice were deliberating on the means to be used for relieving Canea, and endeavouring to equip a fleet, the Mahometan generals were sacrificing the lives of their soldiers to bring their enterprise to a glorious termination. In different engagements they had already lost 20,000 warriors; but, defending into the ditches, they had undermined the walls, and blown up the most impregnable forts with explosions of powder. They sprung one of those mines beneath the bastion of St Demetri. It overturned a considerable part of the wall, which crushed all the defenders of the bastion. That instant the besiegers sprung up with their sabres in their hands, and taking advantage of the general consternation of the besieged on that quarter, made themselves masters of the post. The besieged, recovering from their terror, attacked them with unequalled intrepidity. About 400 men defeated 2,000 Turks already firmly posted on the wall, and pressed upon them with such obstinate and dauntless valour, that they killed a great number, and drove the rest down into the ditch. In this extremity, every performer person in the city was in arms. The Greek monks took up mukets; and the women, forgetting the delicacy of their sex, appeared on the walls among the defenders, either supplying the men with ammunition and arms, or fighting themselves; and several of those daring heroines lost their lives.

For 50 days the city held out against all the forces of the Turks. If, even at the end of that time, the Venetians had sent a naval armament to its relief, the kingdom of Candia might have been saved. Doubtless, they were not ignorant of this well-known fact. The north wind blows straight into the harbour of Canea. When it blows a little briskly, the sea rages. It is then impossible for any squadron of ships, however numerous, to form in line of battle in the harbour, and to meet an enemy. If the Venetians had set out from Cerigo with a fair wind, they might have reached Canea in five hours, and might have entered the harbour with full sails, without being exposed to one cannon-shot; while none of the Turkish ships would have dared to appear before them; or if they had ventured, must have been driven back on the shore, and dashed in pieces among the rocks. But, instead of thus taking advantage of the natural circumstances of the place, they sent a few galleys, which, not daring to double Cape Spada, coasted along the southern shore of the island, and failed of accomplishing the design of their expedition.

At last, the Caneans, despairing of relief from Venice, seeing three breaches made in their walls, through which the infidels might easily advance upon them, exhausted with fatigue, and covered with wounds, and reduced to the number of 500 men, who were obliged to scatter themselves round the walls, which were half a league in extent, and undermined in all quarters, demanded a parley, and offered to capitulate. They obtained very honourable conditions; and after a glorious defence of two months, which cost the Turks 20,000 men, marched out of the city with the honours of war. Those citizens who did not choose to continue in the city, were permitted to remove; and the Ottomans, contrary to their usual practice, faithfully observed their stipulations.

The Venetians, after the loss of Canea, retired to Retimo. The captain-pacha laid siege to the citadel of the Sude, situated in the entrance of the bay, on a high rock, of about a quarter of a league in circumference. He raised earthen-batteries, and made an ineffectual attempt to level the ramparts. At last, despairing of taking it by assault, he left some forces to block it up from all communication, and advanced towards Retimo. That city, being unwalled, was defended by a citadel, standing on an eminence which overlooks the harbour. General Cornaro had retired thither. At the approach of the enemy, he advanced from the city, and waited for them in the open field. In the action, inattentive to his own safety, he encouraged the soldiery, by fighting in the ranks. A glorious death was the reward of his valour; but his fall determined the fate of Retimo.

The Turks having landed additional forces on the island, they introduced the plague, which was almost a constant attendant on their armies. This dreadful pest rapidly advanced, and, like a devouring fire, wasting all before it, destroyed most part of the inhabitants. The rest, fleeing in terror before its ravages, escaped into the Venetian territories, and the island was left almost desolate.

The siege of the capital commenced in 1646, and was protracted much longer than that of Troy. Till the year 1648, the Turks scarce gained any advantages before that city. They were often routed by the Venetians, and sometimes compelled to retire to Retimo. At that period Ibrahim was solemnly deposed, and his eldest son, at the age of nine years, was raised to the throne, under the name of Mahomet IV. Not satisfied with confining the sultan to the horrors and obscurity of a dungeon, the partizans of his son strangled him on the 19th of August, in the same year. That young prince, who mounted the throne by the death of his father, was afterwards expelled from it, and condemned to pass the remainder of his life in confinement.

In the year 1649, Uffein Pacha, who blockaded Candia, receiving no supplies from the Porte, was compelled to raise the siege, and retreat to Canca. The Venetians were then on the sea with a strong squadron. They attacked the Turkish fleet in the bay of Smyrna, burnt 12 of their ships and two galleys, and killed 6000 of their men. Some time after, the Mahometans having found means to land an army on Candia, renewed the siege of the city with great vigour, and made themselves masters of an advanced fort that was very troublesome to the besieged; which obliged them to blow it up.

From the year 1650 till 1658, the Venetians, continuing masters of the sea, intercepted the Ottomans every year in the straits of the Dardanelles, and fought them in four naval engagements; in which they defeated their numerous fleets, sunk a number of their caravels, took others, and extended the terror of their arms even to the walls of Constantinople. That capital became a scene of tumult and disorder. The Grand Signior, alarmed, and trembling for his safety, left the city with precipitation.

Such glorious success revived the hopes of the Venetians, and depressed the courage of the Turks. They converted the siege of Candia into a blockade, and suffered considerable losses. The sultan, in order to exclude the Venetian fleet from the Dardanelles, and to open to his own navy a free and safe passage, caused two fortresses to be built at the entrance of the straits. He gave orders to the pacha of Canca to appear again before the walls of Candia, and to make every possible effort to gain the city. In the mean time, the republic of Venice, to improve the advantages which they had gained, made several attempts on Canca. In 1660, that city was about to surrender to their arms, when the pacha of Rhodes, hastening to its relief, reinforced the defenders with a body of 1000 men. He happily doubled the extremity of Cape Melece, though within sight of the Venetian fleet, which was becalmed off Cape Spada, and could not advance one fathom to oppose an enemy considerably weaker than themselves.

Klopriul, son and successor to the vizir of that name, who had long been the support of the Ottoman empire, knowing that the murmurs of the people against the long continuance of the siege of Candia were rising to a height, and fearing a general revolt, which would be fatal to himself and his master, set out from Byzantium about the end of the year 1666 at the head of a formidable army. Having escaped the Venetian fleet, which was lying off Candia with a view to intercept him, he landed at Palio Caliro, and formed his lines around Candia. Under his command were four pachas, and the flower of the Ottoman forces. These troops, being encouraged by the presence and the promises of their chiefs, and supported by a great quantity of artillery, performed prodigies of valour. All the exterior forts were destroyed. Nothing now remained to the besieged but the bare line of the walls, unprotected by fortresses; and these being battered by an incessant discharge of artillery, soon gave way on all quarters. Still, however, what fortitude may perhaps regard as incredible, the Candians held out three years against all the force of the Ottoman empire.

At last they were going to capitulate, when the hope of assistance from France reanimated their valour, and rendered them invincible. The expected succours arrived on the 26th of June 1669. They were conducted by the duke of Noailles. Under his command were a great number of French noblemen, who came to make trial of their skill in arms against the Turks.

Next day after their arrival, the ardour of the French prompted them to make a general sally. The duke of Beaufort, admiral of France, assumed the command of the forlorn hope. He was the first to advance against the Mussulmans, and was followed by a numerous body of infantry and cavalry. They advanced furiously upon the enemy, attacked them within their trenches, forced the trenches, and would have compelled them to abandon their lines and artillery, had not an unforeseen accident damped their courage. In the midst of the engagement a magazine of powder was set on fire; the foremost of the combatants lost their lives; the French ranks were broken; several of their leaders, among whom was the duke of Beaufort, disappeared for ever; the soldiery fled in disorder; and the duke of Noailles, with difficulty, effected a retreat within the walls of Candia. The French accused the Italians of having betrayed them; and on that pretext prepared to set off sooner than the time agreed upon. No entreaties of the commandant could prevail with them to delay their departure; so they reimbarked. Their departure determined the fate of the city. There were now no more than five hundred men to defend it. Morosini capitulated with Kiopru, to whom he surrendered the kingdom of Crete, excepting only the Sude, Grabula, and Spina-Longua. The grand-vizir made his entrance into Candia on the 4th of October 1670, and laid eight months in that city, inspecting the reparation of its walls and fortresses.

The three fortresses left in the hands of the Venetians by the treaty of capitulation remained long after in their possession. At last they were all taken, one after another. In short, after a war of 30 years' continuance, in the course of which more than 200,000 men fell in the island, and it was deluged with streams of Christian and Mahomadan blood, Candia was entirely subdued by the Turks, in whose hands it still continues.

Of the climate of Candia travellers speak with rapture. The heat is never excessive; and in the plains violent cold is never felt. In the warmest days of summer the atmosphere is cooled by breezes from the sea. Winter properly begins here with December and ends with January; and during that short period snow never falls on the lower grounds, and the surface of the water is rarely frozen over. Most frequently the weather is as fine then as it is in Britain at the beginning of June. These two months have received the name of winter, because in them there is a copious fall of rain, the sky is obscured with clouds, and the north winds blow violently; but the rains are favourable to agriculture, the winds chase the clouds towards the summits of the mountains, where a repository is formed for those waters which are to fertilize the fields; and the inhabitants of the plain suffer no inconvenience from these transient blasts. In the month of February, the ground is overspread with flowers and rising crops. The rest of the year is almost one continued fine day. The inhabitants of Crete never experience any of those mortifying returns of piercing cold, which are so frequently felt in Britain and even more southern countries; and which, succeeding suddenly after the cheering heats of spring, nip the blossoming flowers, wither the open buds, destroy half the fruits of the year, and are fatal to delicate constitutions. The sky is always unclouded and serene; the winds are mild and refreshing breezes. The radiant sun proceeds in smiling majesty along the azure vault, and ripens the fruits on the lofty mountains, the rising hills, and the plains. The nights are no less beautiful; their coolness is delicious. The atmosphere not being overloaded with vapours, the sky unfolds to the observer's view a countless profusion of stars; those numerous stars sparkle with the most vivid rays, and strew the azure vault in which they appear fixed, with gold, with diamonds, and with rubies. Nothing can be more magnificent than this sight, and the Cretans enjoy it for six months in the year.

To the charms of the climate other advantages are joined which augment their value: There are scarce any morasses in the island; the waters here are never in a state of stagnation; they flow in numberless streams from the tops of the mountains, and form here and there large fountains or small rivers that empty themselves into the sea; the elevated situation of their springs causes them to dash down with such rapidity, that they never lose themselves in pools or lakes; consequently insects cannot deposit their eggs upon them, as they would be immediately hurried down into the sea; and Crete is not infected like Egypt with those clouds of insects which swarm in the housetops, and whose flight is insufferably painful; nor is the atmosphere here loaded with those noxious vapours which rise from marshy grounds.

The mountains and hills are overspread with various kinds of thyme, savoury, wild thyme, and with a multitude of odoriferous and balsamic plants; the rivulets which flow down the valleys are overhung with myrtles, laurel, and roses; clumps of orange, citron, and almond trees, are plentifully scattered over the fields; the gardens are adorned with tufts of Arabian jasmine. In spring, they are befriended with beds of violets; some extensive plains are arrayed in saffron; the cavities of the rocks are fringed with sweet smelling dittany. In a word, from the hills, the vales, and the plains, plains, on all hands, there arise clouds of exquisite perfumes, which embalm the air, and render it a luxury to breathe it.

As to the inhabitants, the Mahometan men are generally from five feet and a half to six feet tall. They bear a strong resemblance to ancient statues; and it must have been after such models that the ancient artists wrought. The women also are generally beautiful. Their dress does not restrain the growth of any part of their bodies, and their shape therefore assumes those admirable proportions with which the hand of the Creator has graced his fairest workmanship on earth. They are not all handsome or charming; but some of them are beautiful, particularly the Turkish ladies. In general, the Cretan women have a rising throat, a neck gracefully rounded, black eyes sparkling with animation, a small mouth, a fine nose, and cheeks delicately coloured with the fresh vermilion of health. But the oval of their form is different from that of Europeans, and the character of their beauty is peculiar to their own nation.

The quadrupeds belonging to the island are not of a ferocious temper. There are no lions, tigers, bears, wolves, foxes, or indeed any dangerous animal here. Wild goats are the only inhabitants of the forests that overspread the lofty mountains; and these have nothing to fear but the ball of the hunter: hares inhabit the hills and the plain; sheep graze in security on the thyme and the heath; they are folded every night, and the shepherd sleeps soundly without being disturbed with the fear that wild animals may invade and ravage his folds.

The Cretans are very happy in not being exposed to the troublesome bite of noxious insects, the poison of serpents, or the rapacity of the wild beasts of the desert. The ancients believed that the island enjoyed these singular advantages, on account of its having been the birth-place of Jupiter. "The Cretans (says Ælian) celebrate in their songs the beneficence of Jupiter, and the favour which he conferred on their island, which was the place of his birth and education, by freeing it from every noxious animal, and even rendering it unfit for nourishing those noxious animals that are introduced into it from foreign countries."

Dittany holds the first rank among the medicinal plants which are produced in Crete. The praises bestowed on the virtues of this plant by the ancients are altogether extravagant; yet we perhaps treat the medicinal virtues of this plant with too much contempt. Its leaf is very balsamic, and its flower diffuses around it a delicious odour. At present the inhabitants of the island apply it with success on various occasions. The leaf, when dried and taken in an infusion with a little sugar, makes a very pleasant drink, of a finer flavour than tea. It is there an immediate cure for a weak stomach, and enables it to recover its tone after a bad digestion.

Diseases are very rare in a country whose atmosphere is exceedingly pure; and in Candia, epidemical diseases are unknown. Fevers prevail here in summer, but are not dangerous; and the plague would be wholly unknown, had not the Turks destroyed the lazarets that were established by the Venetians, for strangers to do quarantine in. Since the period when these were demolished, it is occasionally introduced by ships from Smyrna and Constantinople. As no precautions are taken against it, it gains ground, and spreads over the island from one province to another; and as the colds and heats are never intemperate, it sometimes continues its ravages for six months at a time.

This fine country is infected with a disease somewhat less dangerous than the plague, but whose symptoms are somewhat more hideous; that disease is the leprosy. In ancient times, Syria was the focus in which it raged with most fury: and from Syria it was carried into several of the islands of the Archipelago. It is infectious, and is instantaneously communicated by contact. The victims who are attacked by it, are driven from society, and confined to little ruinous houses on the highway. They are strictly forbidden to leave these miserable dwellings, or hold intercourse with any person. Those poor wretches have generally beside their huts a small garden producing pulse, and feeding poultry; and with that support, and what they obtain from passersby, they find means to drag out a painful life in circumstances of shocking bodily distress. Their bloated skin is covered with a scaly crust, speckled with red and white spots; which afflict them with intolerable itchings. A hoarse and tremulous voice issues from the bottom of their breasts. Their words are scarce articulated; because their distemper inwardly preys upon the organs of speech. These frightful spectres gradually lose the use of their limbs. They continue to breathe till such time as the whole mass of their blood is corrupted, and their bodies entirely in a state of putrefaction: The rich are not attacked by this distemper: it confines itself to the poor, chiefly to the Greeks. But those Greeks observe strictly their four lent; and eat nothing during that time but salt fish, botargo salted and smoked, pickled olives, and cheese. They drink plentifully of the hot and muddy wines of the island. The natural tendency of such a regimen must be, to fire the blood, to thicken the fluid part of it, and thus at length to bring on a leprosy.

Candia is at present governed by three paches, who reside respectively at Candia, Canea, and Retimo. The first, who is always a pacha of three tails, may be considered as viceroy of the island. He enjoys more extensive powers than the others. To him the inspection of the forts and arsenals is intrusted. He nominates to such military employments as fall vacant, as well as to the governments of the Sude, Grabusa, Spina Longua, and Gira-petra. The governors of these forts are denominated beys. Each of them has a constable and three general officers under him: one of whom is commander of the artillery; another of the cavalry; and the third of the janissaries.

The council of the pacha consists of a kyaia, who is the channel through which all orders are issued, and all favours bestowed; an aga of the janissaries, colonel-general of the troops, who has the chief care of the regulation of the police; two topigi bachi; a defterdar, who is treasurer-general for the imperial revenues; a keeper of the imperial treasury; and the chief officers of the army. This government is entirely military, and the power of the pacha ferasquier is absolute. The justice of his sentences is never called in question; they are instantly carried into execution. The people of the law are the mufti, who is the religious head, and the cadi. The first interprets those laws which regard the division of the patrimony among the children of a family, fucclions, and marriages—in a word, all that are contained in the Koran; and he also decides on every thing that relates to the ceremonies of the Musulman religion. The cadi cannot pronounce sentence on affairs connected with these laws, without first taking the opinion of the mufti in writing, which is named Faifa. It is his business to receive the declarations, complaints, and donations of private persons; and to decide on such differences as arise among them. The pacha is obliged to consult those judges when he puts a Turk legally to death; but the pacha, who is dignified with three tails, sets himself above all laws, condemns to death, and sees his sentence executed, of his own proper authority. All the molques have their item, a kind of curate, whose duty is to perform the service. There are schoolmasters in the different quarters of the city. These persons are much respected in Turkey, and are honoured with the title of effendi.

The garrison of Candia consists of 46 companies, composing a military force of about ten thousand men. All these forces do not reside constantly in the city, but they may be quartered in a very short time. They are all regularly paid every three months, excepting the janissaries, none of whom but the officers receive pay. The different gradations of this military body do not depend on the pacha. The council of each company, consisting of veterans, and of officers in actual service, has the power of naming to them. A person can occupy the same post for no longer than two years; but the post of forbagi, or captain, which is purchased at Constantinople, is held for life. The soula, or cook, is also continued in his employment as long as the company to which he belongs is satisfied with him. Each company has its almoner, denominated imam.

The garrisons of Canea and Retimo, formed on a similar plan, are much less numerous. The first consists of about 3000 men, the other of 500; but as all the male children of the Turks are enrolled among the janissaries as soon as born, the number of these troops might be greatly augmented in time of war; but, to say the truth, they are far from formidable. Most of them have never seen fire, nor are they ever exercised in military evolutions.

The pachas of Canea and Retimo are no less absolute, within the bounds of their respective provinces, than the pacha of Candia. They enjoy the same privileges with him, and their council consists of the same officers. These governors chief object is to get rich as speedily as possible; and in order to accomplish that end, they practise all the arts and cruelties of oppression, to squeeze money from the Greeks. In truth, those poor wretches run to meet the chains with which they are loaded. Envy, which always preys upon them, continually prompts them to take up arms. If someone among them happen to enjoy a decent fortune, the rest affluently seek some pretence for accusing him before the pacha, who takes advantage of these differences, to seize the property of both the parties. It is by no means astonishing, that under so barbarous a government, the number of the Greeks is daily diminished,

There are scarcely 150,000 Greeks in the island, 65,000 of whom pay the carach.

The Turks have not possessed the island for more than 120 years; yet as they are not exposed to the same oppression, they have multiplied in it, and raised themselves upon the ruin of the ancient inhabitants. Their number amounts to 200,000 Turks.

The Jews, of whom there are not many in the island, amount only to 200.

Total is 359,200 souls.

This fertile country is in want of nothing but industrious husbandmen, secure of enjoying the fruit of their labours. It might maintain four times its present number of inhabitants.

Antiquity has celebrated the island of Crete as containing 100 populous cities; and the industry of geographers has preserved their names and situations. Many of these cities contained no fewer than 30,000 inhabitants; and by reckoning them, on an average, at 6000 each, we shall in all probability be rather within than beyond the truth. This calculation gives for 100 cities 600,000

By allowing the same number as inhabitants of the towns, villages, and all the rest of the island, 600,000

the whole number of the inhabitants of ancient Crete will amount to 1,200,000

This number cannot be exaggerated. When Candia was in the hands of the Venetians, it was reckoned to contain nine hundred fourscore and sixteen villages.

It appears, therefore, that when the island of Crete enjoyed the blessing of liberty, it maintained to the number of 849,800 more inhabitants than it does at present. But since those happier times, she has been deprived of her laws by the tyranny of the Romans; has groaned under the destructive sway of the monarchs of the lower empire; has been exposed for a period of 120 years to the ravages of the Arabians; has next passed under the dominion of the Venetians; and has at last been subjected to the despotism of the Turks, who have produced a dreadful depopulation in all the countries which have been subdued by their arms.

The Turks allow the Greeks the free exercise of their religion, but forbid them to repair their churches or monasteries; and accordingly they cannot obtain permission to repair their places of worship, or religious houses, but by the powerful influence of gold. From this article the pachas derive very considerable sums. They have 12 bishops as formerly, the first of whom assumes the title of archbishop of Gortynia. He resides at Candia; in which city the metropolitan church of the island stands. He is appointed by the patriarch of Constantinople; and has the right of nominating to all the other bishoprics of the island; the names of which are, Gortynia, Cnossou, Mirabella, Hyera, Gira-petra, Arcadia, Chersonese, Lambis, Milopotamo, Retimo, Canea, Cifamo. These bishoprics are nearly the same as under the reign of the Greek emperors. The patriarch wears a triple tiara, writes his signature in red ink, and answers for all the debts of the clergy. To enable him to fulfill his engagements, he lays impositions on the rest of the bishops, and particularly on the monasteries, from which he draws very handsome contributions. He is considered as the head of the Greeks, whom he protects, as far as his slender credit goes. The orders of government are directed to him on important occasions; and he is the only one of all the Greeks in the island who enjoys the privilege of entering the city on horseback.

is the capital of the above island, situated on its northern coast, in E. Long. 25° 0' N. Lat. 35° 30'. It stands on the same situation which was formerly occupied by Heraclea, and is the seat of government under the Turks. Its walls which are more than a league in compass, are in good repair, and defended by deep ditches, but not protected by any exterior fort. Towards the sea, it has no attacks to fear; because the shallowness of the harbour renders it inaccessible to ships of war.

The Porte generally commits the government of this island to a pacha of three tails. The principal officers, and several bodies of the Ottoman soldiery, are stationed here. This city, when under the Venetians, was opulent, commercial, and populous; but it has now lost much of its former strength and grandeur. The harbour, naturally a fine basin, in which ships were securely sheltered from every storm, is every day becoming narrower and shallower. At present it admits only boats, and small ships after they have discharged a part of their freight. Those vessels, which the Turks freight at Candia, are obliged to go almost empty to the port of Standie, whither their cargoes are conveyed to them in barks. Such inconveniences are highly unfavourable to commerce; and as government never thinks of removing them, the trade of Candia is therefore considerably decayed.

Candia, which was embellished by the Venetians with regular streets, handsome houses, a fine square, and a magnificent citadel, contains at present but a small number of inhabitants, notwithstanding the vast extent of the area enclosed within its walls. Several divisions of the city are void of inhabitants. That in which the market-place stands is the only one which discovers any stir of business, or show of affluence. The Mahometans have converted most of the Christian temples into mosques; yet they have left two churches to the Greeks, one to the Armenians, and a synagogue to the Jews. The Capuchins possess a small convent, with a chapel in which the vice-consul of France hears masses. At present he is the only Frenchman who attends it, as the French merchants have taken up their residence at Canea.

West of the city of Candia is an extensive range of hills, which are a continuation of Mount Ida, and of which the extremity forms the promontory of Dion. On the way to Dion, we find Palio Caitro, on the shore; a name which the modern Greeks give indifferently to all remains of ancient cities. Its situation corresponds to that of the ancient Panormus, which stood north-west from Heraclea.

The river which runs west of Candia was anciently known by the name of Triton; near the source of which Minerva sprung from the brain of Jove. Leoxus is a little farther distant. About a league east of that city, the river Ceratus flows through a delightful vale. According to Strabo, in one part of its course it runs near by Gnofius. A little beyond that, is another river supposed to be Therenus, on the banks of which, fable relates that Jupiter consummated his marriage with Juno. For the space of more than half a league round the walls of Candia there is not a single tree to be seen. The Turks cut them all down in the time of the siege, and laid waste the gardens and orchards. Beyond that extent, the country is plentifully covered with corn and fruit trees. The neighbouring hills are overgrown with vineyards, which produce the malvasie of Mount Ida,—worthy of preference at the table of the most exquisite connoisseur in wines. That species of wine, though little known, has a fine flavour, a very pleasant relish, and is highly esteemed in the island.