Travels and Discoveries in the Levant/Volume 1/Tour in Mytilene by the same
A TOUR IN MYTILENE BY MR. D. E. COLNAGHI, IN 1854.
On the 20th of April last, I made a little excursion on the northern coast of the island, accompanied by the dragoman of the Consulate. We slept the first night at Mandamatha, whence we proceeded to Molivo, taking Mount Lepethymnos in our route. We passed through the villages of Kappi, the inhabitants of which are chiefly Turks, and Gelia, where we took a guide for the ascent of Mount Lepethymnos. After climbing up a steep and stony road for about an hour, we reached the summit, which is formed of two peaks, of which the highest, according to the Admiralty chart, is 2,750 feet, rising like a tower out of the rest of the hill. Here is a little Greek chapel, but we looked in vain for any ancient remains.
On this mountain in antiquity was a temple dedicated to the hero Palamedes, who is said to have been buried here. A temple of Apollo and a shrine of the hero Lepethymnos also stood here.
The view from the summit is very fine, embracing in the distance Tenedos, Imbros, Lemnos, and Samothrace. On the south a foreground of bold mountain-lines shuts out from view Port Iero. On descending, we went to Molivo, whence, taking a boat, we rowed to a small rocky island opposite Petra, in the hope of identifying it with the ancient Antissa. Here, however, we could find no traces of an Hellenic occupation.
On the summit of the rock at Petra is a small church, in which is a curious mediæval bas-relief with a Byzantine inscription, of which the last word is BATATZI. Beneath are portraits of the person named in the inscription. On the right are his wife and child, on the left the Madonna and our Saviour. The Batatzi mentioned in the inscription may possibly be John Ducas Batatzis, who was Emperor at Constantinople from 1222 to 1255. Near the church is a fountain, and two or three houses inhabited by nuns. There is a fine view from the top of this rock. The women of Petra wear a curious old-fashioned head-dress, rising like a cone from the crown of the head. The face is bound round with a handkerchief.
From Petra we went to Telonia, passing on our way through the village Skalochori. In the first part of our route we traversed a barren and mountainous country with little vegetation. In the latter part were rocks of strange fantastic forms, mostly composed of pudding-stone.
The village of Telonia is well situated on the slope of a rocky mountain overlooking a fertile valley, where are the country houses of the rich inhabitants peeping out among the valonea oaks. It contains about 500 families.
Two hours north of the village is a ruined church dedicated to St. George, which I visited to find an inscription, which, after all, did not exist. The country through which we passed was rich and beautiful. The slopes of the hills were covered with corn, and in the valleys were well-cultivted gardens. At a place called Refikia, about ten minutes from the church of St. George, but nearer the sea, is a watercourse, which appears of ancient workmanship.
The next day we left Telonia at 6.30 a.m., and arrived at Batousa at 8. At a short distance from Telonia we came to two lofty rocks which rose as gates in the centre of the ravine, and seemed to shut out this part of the island from the other. We passed through, and soon entered a beautiful valley, at the end of which is Batousa, chiefly remarkable for a fine modern church. The columns in the interior had all belonged to some ancient building. In this part of the country the small ponies for which Mytilene is celebrated arc bred. From Batousa we went to Kalloni by the Ereso road, arriving at the village of Acherona at noon.
In the afternoon I visited a bridge built across the river Prines, which flows through the plain of Kalloni to the gulf. The bridge is about two hours distant from Acherona. It consists of a single arch thrown across the stream; the width of the arch is nearly 40 feet. The arch is formed of blocks of rough sandstone, which are carefully fitted together without cement. The lower blocks are cut in the rustic style. The workmanship is evidently Roman, of perhaps about the same date as the aqueduct at Morea. The bridge has been restored in modern times; the arch is all that remains of the ancient structure.
Near the bridge is the little chapel of St. Therapon, a medical saint. The country people, when ill, come here with a priest, and remain one or two days. The priest performs a mass, and the patient crosses himself abundantly. When he leaves, he hangs up a shred of his garment on a tree near the chapel, as a token that his malady is left behind. A little bush close by was quite covered with patches of old clothes. The Turks have the same superstition. Before the chapel is the fragment of a granite column which appears in situ, and near it is a simple capital.
Thursday, 28th, the Holy Thursday of the Greek Church. On this day we saw the Archbishop of Methymna wash the feet of twelve priests, in commemoration of our Saviour washing the feet of the Apostles. This rite, which is called νιπτῆρα is only performed once every seven years. At an early hour in the morning all the nuns from the neighbouring convent had arrived, and crowds of peasants from the villages were continually pouring in, all dressed in their gala clothes. The women from Ereso wore white hoods with crimson borders, which hung down on their shoulders. In the courtyard of the metropolis, or Archbishop's palace, a stage covered with green branches had been erected, and lamps were placed in the four corners: from the centre hung a brass chandelier. At one end was the bishop's throne with a. canopy of roses over his head; on either side of the platform were six chairs. At the other end, steps led up to the stage. On one side of the courtyard was a reading-desk, on the other a fountain was decked with green boughs to represent a grotto. In the palace itself, the preparations were great. Priests were tying candles together with particoloured ribbons; monks, in blue serge dresses, were running about with gorgeous clerical vestiures in their hands. In the passage were a crowd of laity and clergy. The chief psalm-singer of the diocese was in his glory, collecting his choir, and directing everybody. When the appointed hour, 10 a.m., arrived, there was a general rush into the courtyard.
The Reader, in a magnificent crimson silk robe, now advanced to the reading-desk, accompanied by the Psalm-singers, whose chanting continued throughout the ceremony. Twelve priests, in pairs, attended by two deacons, who held in one hand lighted candles, in the other a censer, advanced from the palace, and took their seats on the stage. They were all dressed in brilliant robes. The abbot of the neighbouring monastery, a portly personage, personated Peter; a mean, ugly-looking man represented Judas. He was dressed in green, and was distinguished from the others by being without the black priest's cap, and only wearing the hood. Last of all came the Archbishop, preceded by three deacons. He was dressed in a magnificent purple satin robe, richly embroidered. On his head was the round black cap and bishop's hood. His Eminence was now unrobed by the attendant deacons, and clothed in more gorgeous garments. First, there was a rich purple and gold robe in stripes, covered with small flowers. Over this was thrown a blue satin surplice with damasked flowers, bordered with a heavy gold fringe. Gold embroidered gauntlets were fastened round his wrists, and by his side hung a square purse, embroidered with gold on a green ground. Over this he wore a white satin stole with a gold fringe. On either side of his breast was an enamelled miniature, representing a subject from Scripture. His mitre was next placed on his head. It resembles in shape an imperial crown, above which is a round red cap, richly embroidered with diamonds and other precious stones; on the top was a diamond cross. The Archbishop was a fine-looking man with a long black beard, and wore his gorgeous vestments with a certain dignity.
The real business of the ceremony now began. A conversation was carried on between the Archbishop and priests, from the New Testament, as between our Saviour and the Apostles. It ended by the Archbishop saying, "I know that one of ye shall betray me." Each priest asked in turn, "Lord, is it I?" The deacons then took off the Bishop's stole, and tied an embroidered napkin round his waist; which done, one of them knelt down before the representative of St. Peter, with a silver basin in one hand and a ewer in the other. He poured a little water over the towel, which the Archbishop, kneeling, held in his hand. His Eminence just wetted the priest's foot, which had had a preparatory washing. The priest kissed his mitre. This was repeated to each in turn. Having resumed his robes, the Archbishop, accompanied by Peter, James, and John, left the platform. The three pretended to fall asleep, and the Bishop went to the grotto and prayed, in the words of our Saviour. He returned thrice to the sleepers, and then said, "Arise, let us be going." And so ended the sacred drama. All that remained was to kiss a sacred picture of our Saviour, exhibited by the Archbishop from the platform; and great was the rush of peasants to do this. Both actors and spectators seemed to witness this strange ceremony with the utmost reverence, and all went through their parts seriously and with apparent devotion. We returned the same day to Mytilene.