As soon as the novelty is worn off, Turks and Turkish manners become very uninteresting. Their outward bearing is very dignified, but their society is inexpressibly dull. Those few who had travelled ever so little, even so far as Malta, could be distinguished at once. A little glimpse of the world had sufficed to remove their ridiculous Turkish _superbia_ and make them respect their neighbours."
[33] Chancellor of the University of Corfu, later Lord Guilford.
[34] The Hon. Frederick S. N. Douglas, author of an essay entitled _On Points of Resemblance between Ancient and Modern Greeks_.
EXPEDITION TO THE LABYRINTH--DELLI YANI--THE INTERIOR--THE RETURN TO CANDIA--LIFE THERE--REJOINS MR. NORTH--BAD WEATHER--EXPEDITION TO EGYPT ABANDONED--SCIO--LEAVES MR. NORTH TO GO TO SMYRNA--STORMS--DANGER AND COLD--ARRIVES AT SMYRNA.
"On the second day we started on our expedition to visit the Labyrinth. It was delightful to get away from a place where we were little better than State prisoners, unable to go out at all unless in form, and then obliged to stay within the walls for fear of being taken for spies if we went outside. When we had to pass through them to get out I saw that the works are really very strong, with a ditch which can be flooded, and walls thirty feet high.
At night we reached Schallous, a small village, and passed the night in the house of an old Greek. Both he and his wife were terrified at first, as we were in Turkish dress, and they had suffered terribly at the hands of the Turks. He told me afterwards that his son, after an absence of five years, had come home, and the very first night some Turks had broken into the house, eaten and drunk all they could lay hands on, and finally murdered the poor youth.
Next day, by Hagiospiliotissa to the convent of S. Georgio. Our janissaries here gave us a sample of the tyranny of Turks by preparing for us and themselves a magnificent repast, and getting drunk and insulting the papades. Three hours more of hilly country, commanded at intervals by fortified towers (kopia), brought us to the foot of Ida.
In ancient times, as well as now, towns of importance in these parts were generally found by the sea, which was their source of wealth; but the greatness of Gortyna, though so far inland, was no doubt due to the magnificent cornlands of the rich plain of Messara. As I guess, the town stood on a pointed hill overlooking it.