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L Us JV ILMINGTON GAZE T 7 E.
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No. 93l' THURSDAY, OCT O B K R u, 1798. Vol. II. J
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GEOGRAPHY.
An account of the -pofli flions hich the
French republic has acquired, by tbt
treaty ot Campo Formio, on the coaft
of Alhioia, and in the lon'an Sea:
The
I ZU XT ZiTIZ ...I
le nut Venetian leiueuiciu:, huj
the enrry of the Greek Archipelago to
the Aegean fea, now ceded to France,
confitt of fome ports and roadi on the
coaft of Albania, or the ancient Epirus-,
and leveral iflands from Corto to Creigo.
CCAASroF ALBANIA.
The principal ports and roads now
pollened by the French, i:i Albania, are
Butrinto, Commomzza, Farga, Frevtza,
and Voniuzza. We (hall notice them
in this order.
BUTRINTO.
3.
This is the ancient Buthrotum, and is
faid to have been built by Helen and An
dromache, cn the plan of Troy. Ha
cioe lays the Iceneof his tragedy of An
dromache here.. The town and p rs
have fallen into decay. It as fornur
trie diorele of the SiifFrngan of Yarih
Ca, & was alio 'tie refideuce of the Pacha.
A ft w timer . fea faring people are tin
oh ly m i; a b 1 1 ai t s jf t he tpwn.. The tw-boor'.-
can nor iafyvit yeffets of burthen.
Virgl mM s Aenea vtfit this town in
his wiv From 1-aly to Troy. See Ace,
295.
iOvlM' N1ZA.
This is a tovn three lengues to the
footh -f Bun into. The harbour is late,
bu can only receive final! veflcls. The
town is thinly inhabited, and its ti'ade
is ot very little importance.
PARGA.
Is fituaied four leagues to the fouth
of Corr.morizza. It has a fine and com
modious harbor, capable of containing
a number of large v tff-ls.
Properly fpeaking, this town israere
i,b.j.,
S
merly fubjel to Venice. It has a Caftie,
which was the re lid en ce of a Proved , kt
whofe jurifdicliou extended to all the
Venetian fett letnents in Albania.
The territory of Vonnizia is Very
.fmall ; it terminates atXeromero, a pari
of Albania, inhabited by Greeks. It
produces only what is barely ivifficiem
for the maintenance of the inhabitants)
who (till depend much upon riming.
There are 250 houfes in Vonnizta, thk!
population may therefore be eitimated
at about 1000 pern m.
SLANDo.
The iflandsat Corfoii, Paros, Antipa-
ros, Sairjt Maura, Cephalonia, Little
Cephalcnia, Zante and Creigo.
CORFOU.
This 'itlind war known co the ancients
fucceflive!y under the names of Dre.
phane, Stheria, Phaccia and Corcyra.
The Ihipwi eck of Uivfles, and the gar
dtn'of Aleinuf, have rendered if fa
mcus in the poetry of antiquixy. The
ancient; inhabitants, called Phereace&,
were to luxurious and diflblote a people,
(hat a glutton ftigmatized by the
"pithet ot Phjeix. A colony from Col-,
chis was fettled in this iflmd 1349 years
before the Chrittian sera- 1 he cele
brated Ptloponefian var, which lalied
27 years, commenced in a quarrel be-
tween tneormimans ana .ne peopie key condud g carryillg trade
of this iflano1, under the namexif the Cur-iflanda ana neiahbourme contin
ctean war.
ly a ortreh built on a promontory f the
coaft. It contains aboa: 500 families,
partly Gterks and partly Albanians, who
live accoiding to the iftannef "of their
rei'pective nations.
The inhabitants of Parga are very
brave, Urong, and active. They have
belidesthe reparation of integrity. 1 hey
are Riven to navigation & live upon the
produce of their commerce with the
neighbouring iflands.
i ne fmall territory which belong! to
this to.vn. produces good tobacco, ar.d
in a lufficient quantity to be exported.
1'. alio produces corn, but only what
icrves the inhabitants.
PREVEZA.
Is faid to be built on the ruins of Nice
pohv, which Augullus founded after the
btrle of Auct mm, in memory of his vic
tory over Arthony.
Th.s tow. 1 (lands at the mouth of the
large Gu:phol Lrta.ihe entry to which
is unfortuna e y ttrair and (hallow. Fri
gates cannot enter it. The harbor is
excellent ) and a conliderable numer of
Vefl'els come to it, and lake in cargoes of
oil and corn, ico buh are brought
from the interior of the country
There is no lortrefs here ; the Turk
would never permit the Venetians to erect
one.
1 he territory of Preveta extend or -ly
half aleagu.- from the town, but It it
eiceeduigly fertile. The town is tor
rounded with wallh its prpulauona
mounts to about 10 or 11,000. TheVe.
nent ,s keep only 100 troops here ; but
the bravery of the people make up for the
weak. .eft of the gar r' Ion W hen un ted
with the inhabitants of tome of the Greek
villages m 'he neighbourhood, thev are
able tnrrpel the at acki of the Albanian,
as defprrate a aind of people as any in
the world.
F.Oting is the pr ncip.il employment of
the Prcvr . jih, jnd thev fell the product
"laRTC?'T3rR2lSKIt- M . ... . i .
Of their laoor in me n:igiwr'ng nHn-i-.
The Gulph abounds in ah kinds of fi'h.
The Louro, a river of otofiderable tizc.
falls 10(0 tt at Preveii, n I taul ute
ihr ilrlient of great q uninielot ti nbrr
fir for Ibip build , lha comes fr h
the foretb of the Pfcuih p of )faniuca.
VDNNIZ.A.
It alfo ft toted on the Gulph of Larta
and iuh.bite4 by Greeks, wtw wire .or-J
Vttle iflands, and it is of an excellent qual
y. It uled robe, as well as the oil
61 all the other Illands, lent to Venice by
-the. order pf the government.
It is fcatcely neceUary to oblerve, that
this Paros is not the jftand of the,, lame
name fo celebrated among the ancients
for its beautiful marble j that Paros it
one of the Cyclades.
SAINT IVJAURA
This ifl;ind was called by the ancients,
ucai, or Leueadia, on account Of the
Whitenefs of hs rocks. It contains the
famous promontory Jinown by the differ
lilt names of Leucate, fceucas, or Leu.
rates, from which dfpairing lovera ii fed
to throw themfelves into the fea. The
enchant in p poetres Sappho had recourfe
m this leapi to free heclf-froai the ia
)en. paflion fhejyntertaiued for her un
urtnetot lover Piiaon.
St. Maura is about fix leagues riftantj
ttoin the gulph cf Preveta. it is lad t
tweve been formerly joined to the contn-:
pent by a narrow or llthjmis which the
jialiabiiaius cut through after the Pelopo
ue fian war. The ifland is about ta leagues
in circumterence, and contains between 5
fnd 6000 inhabitants- There are fix or
eight villages betides the largeft one,
which is confitlerea as the chief town.
Wine is the principal production of St.
Maura, w)iich is exchanged for the corn
of Albania. The inhabitants have foine
faiall vtflels in their potlefiiou, wfth which
ry comm dious and fate, and the feamen
are much efteemeel for their addrefs and
courage. Some cargoes of currants are
annually flipped from this port ; and
there it a fi e kind of cheefe made in the
itland, which is much fought for by foreign
traderi .
Cortou is the key of the Adriatic. '
It has a tfrong fonrcts, which has Jeve
ral times withttood the vaft torce of the
Ottoman empire. The ifiand is ten
leagues long, and four broad. It has no
rivers, but abound in torrents and tarings.
The population U near 40,000. There
are only two towns on the itland, Cor
fou and Caffiopo, the Caffiopea of the an
cients ; there are, however, a number
of villages.
Corfou was the refidence of the Pro
ree?itor ot the Veneiun.illancU.. Jfc
town is furrounded by good fortifications,
which have been conflrucled at a confi
derable expence by the Venetians, fince
their peace with the lurks in 1717.
The channel, which divides the if
land from the main land affords every
where good anchoring ground. It re
quires a Urong north ind to fail thro'
the northern paflage, becaule t.'ie river
of Burrinto ocrafiunaan oppolite current
in that quarter.
The harbor of Corfou lies towards the
middle of the channel. It is fpacious
and fafe, and c.pible of admitting fhips
of the largeft lize. I here is a fmall
ifland in the road, which ferves for a
Lazaretto : it is under the cannon of the
town) and the vtflels which perform
quarantine lie in a well fheftered creek
oetween the ifland and the road.
Neat to Candia, Corfou is the mod
productive, in oil, of any of the Greek
.flands. Before the French conquefl,
no oil was allowed to be fold to foreign
ers, the proprietors being obliged to fend
it all to Venice.
The wine mide here is good but the o
ther liquors are of an ordinary quality.
Cotton and ft k are raifed in futficiea.
quantities for doathing the inhabitants.
As to corn, it only produces as much as
ferves the people three months of the
year. Their wsnts are lupplied from
Lara, the Albania of the Levant.
The French have reltorcd to the ifl
and its celebrated appellation of B iroyra,
& mean 10 revive the daflic mmcs of all
the Venetian pofTcliiom which have fal
len into their hands.
PAROS and ANTIPAROS.
Are two little ifland, fi uued between
Corfou and Parga ; the firtt is about two
letgueilong, and half a league broad
lie lad is no: lohrgr. They sre iuhn
bfttdf 1 ho' lr from being ferule.
Tncreis 1 In ll frt near the town of
ijr , w i ch commands the harbour.
There are b (tit, two other excellent I k
nn-niM, n l ten fmpi 01 the line may
1 )C 1 r. S jre Icattcred
jjvt lfi fl 11 1, 1 1 thr h le number 01
he Utf 1 1 .y 1 1 Tit to ah nit 6oe.
Oi. is the pftrippil prudj-Slion of ihete
for
ghbourfng eontinenr.
!iilt is one of the principal articles ot their
commerce.
St. Maura has a good harbour, in which
large vcflels may ride with the greateft
lalety. It lias alfo a well fortified garri"
ion, which is of very difficult aecefs.
CEPHALONIA,
Called by the ancients, Cephelena, and
Cephallenia, is the largett of the iflands
which formerly belonged to Venice.
It is 60 leagues in circumference. -
Argofteli is the name of the capital, and
there are a great number of villages on
the ifland, the leatt ot which contains fifty
fu1es. The whple population is from
76 to 40,000. There are fevers! harbours
and roads, beftdes thofe of Argufteii and
Lilcourt. The largett veflcls may enter
the harbour of Argnttoli,
The country is fertile, tho mountain-'
us, and produces corn, wine, and oil of
-xcel lent qualities. The Mufcadine wine
matte here has great reputation. .The
inhabitants chiefly cultivate a fpecies of
vine, i he grapes ol which they convert in
to a fine kind currants, called by the
French 1 Raifins de' Corinthe.' The En
glifh traders purchafe annually, from
twelve tohTtten cargoes of this fruit.
The ifland alfo produces a plant called
Agriocock, 1 earing a fort of bean, which
it excellent food for horfes, mules and o
ther domeflic animals. Several cargoes
of this bran are (hipped for Leghorn and
other ports in Italy.
The Cephalouians are fond of a feafar -inn
life. They have about 150 tradinc
veflelsanda great number of boats. Their
navigation extends to the Black Sea, ii.
confequence of wearing Rufliau colours,
which they have been in the practice ot
hoilting. Their fhips will now fail ui)der
the flag of the French republic, which,
doubtlefs, will notbelefii ref peeled. Thefe
people make bold and fkilful failors, and
he Ruffian veflcls in the Mediterranear
ufed to be almolt entirely manned by the
natives ot this and the neighbouring ill
ands.
This iflmd is covered with forefts, which
afford excellent wood for (hip bailding.
One of thefe foretls was excluflvcly the
property of the Venetian government,
and (applied the arfenalt of Venice with
nulls and planks. The inhabitants were
obliged to t down the trees, and carry
them to the harbor, without receiving any
pay for their tabor. Wifhing to terminate
this oppreflton, they fct fire to the foretls,
a part of which was con fumed. The da
mage however, was not great, and may be
eafily repaired.
LITTLE CEPHALONIA,
Is called Theaki by the modern Greeks, &
is aboot twelve or fifteen leagues in cir.
cumterettce. It is near to likaca, now
known by the name ol lotaco. It is pro.
hahle that tltffe two ilhmU formed the
insdom of Mlyfle. Penelope Vt fuppofV
ed to have retired to thit iflmd when (hf
endeavoured to avoid the importunities oi
iter loters.
Little Cephalonia contftini about 1 3.000
inhabitant! The harbor of Theaki is tt
ZANTE,
T i. v a a-
Is three leagues fouth of Cephalonia, and
not far from the Weftern coait of the Mo
rea, or ancient Peloponefus. It is abouc
twenty leagues in circumference, and waa
called Zacynthus by the ancients the
name of & companion of Hercules, (aid to
have beet buried in the ifland.
This is a molt beautiful ifland, and it
pone ties a molt fertile foil. There art
jo villages betides the town Zante, and
the whoie population exceeds 40,000.
Its p-frtuCtons ate oil, which formerly,
in the other ifland, could only be tent to
Venice ; tmr ran ts, of which the Eiighfl
liuy 30 or 40 ftaip loads each year ; win
ot a very fine flavor, and corn, but note
nough of this article for the confumption
of the inhabitants.
Tliere is a very Angular and valuable
nat ural curiofity in this ifland. It is a
fountain of black pitch, which ii advanta
geobfly employed in caulking (hips and
coveting their bottoms.
The country people gn to the Morea in
autumn, where they aflilf in getting in
the harvelL They bring back with them
a considerable cjiiar.tit of com, prefeiinj
payment for their labor in that article to
money.
The cotton fpun by site women. oT Zante
is greatly valued by the Turks, though
the raw materials is bro't from the Morea.
The ifland is fnbject to earthquakes e
very fpring. The inhabitants live in har
mony together ; though they confift of
Roman Catholic, Greeks, Mahometans,
and Jews, they never have any religious
difputes.
There are three harbours ) one "at the?
town of Zante ; one at Kexi ; and another
called Skinari, oppoflte to Cephalonia. In
the two (iill, veuVls may lie in perr
feci fafety both winter and flimmer ;
but the road of Skinati is not fo fafe : It
may ferve however, as an occalional reft
tug place, and there arc leveral villages on
t hai part of the coatl.
CERIGO,
The tncient Cythera, celebrated in the
Creek and Roman theology as the place
nar which Venus rofe out of the fea, and
famoai tor the licentioufnefs of the inha
bttaiiU, oud the latcivioos rites performed
in the temple of their favorite goddefs.
This ifland is as targe as Zante. Irs chief
town is called Capfali, near which there is
a fort and a pretty good harbour in fum
nier.. AoJenconas is the next town to
Capfali in point of lize, and has alfo a
convenient fummer harbor : But St. Nich
olas it the only port in the ifland in
which veflels can lie fately in tbe winter
feafon.
Cerigo contains about flxty villages, be
fides Capfali and Aulencnnas. The num
berof the inhabitants is about ic.ooo.
1'he country is mountain 3ur, and the foil
is poor, but whatever it produces is excel
lent in its kind.
The principal trade of the inhabitants
eoufifls of mufcadine wine and provifions
which they fell to the (hips that freauent
ly put into the ifland, on account of its lu
nation at the entry of the Archipelago or
Egean Sea.
Cerigo was the Botany Bay of the Vr
netian government. Here the patriat
whofe political opinions difpleafedthe arif
tocracy, was doomed 10 loiter the fame
punifhroeuc as the bafcit of fociety.-
Thofe who were thought not fufficiently
criminal to merit death or the galliet
were tranfported to thit ifland.
We (hall now terminate thefe particu
lar details by fome genet al eon fid erat ioni
refpelrtng thefe new poflcfliont of the
French Repoblic.
The population of the iflands and fettle
mentt on the coaft of Albania may be cal
culated at aoo.ooo. The revenue which
Venice drawt from the poflefliom exceed
ed a,ooo,ocot. of French money. This
him was raifed by a Land tax, by duties
oil nil and currants, by farming a tat on
tobacco, and by an import upon anchorage.
The Morea fumifhet the ifljnd with
whatever g'irt is wanted for the fuhftlt.
tart of the inhabitant! Its exportation
it permitted by fit main ifTued by the Grand
e trtior.
T ho' the Hr,mn Catholic Wal the reli
. ion of Venue, ihe government allowed
its Greek fubV the free rmtie of
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