76. From Alexandria to Athens and Smyrna ( and Constantinople )

From Alexandria to the Piræus (Athens: 590 M.): 1. Khedivial Mail Steamship Co. (Alexandria and Constantinople line), from Alexandria on Wed. (returning from the Piræus Thurs.) aft., in 42 hrs. (fare £ E 5 or £ 3 E 25 pias.).—2. Rumanian Mail Line (Alexandria and Constantza line), from Alexandria on Frid. aft. (returning from the Piræus Sat. aft.), in 2 days.—3. Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co. (Odessa, Constantinople, and Alexandria line), from Alexandria on Frid. aft. (from the Piræus Tues.), in 2 days (130 or 90 fr.).

From Alexandria to Smyrna (623 M.), steamers of the Belgian company La Phocéenne (between Alexandria and Constantinople), every Sat. aft. viâ Rhodes, Leros, and Chios.

Agents in Alexandria, see p. ; at the Piræus, p. ; at Smyrna, p. . Passports for Turkey should be visés before starting, or a Turkish passport (teskeré) may be obtained at the government buildings (p. ).

Alexandria, see p. . The Athens Steamers steer to the N.W. to the Strait of Kasos, 28 M. broad, lying between Kasos (1706 ft.; one of the Dodekanesos group, p. ) and Crete (p. ). Behind Kasos rises the lofty island of Kárpathos (4003 ft.; Ital. Scarpanto, Turk. Kerpe), like the former one of the southmost of the Sporades. Fine view of the Sitía Mts. (4852 ft.), continued by the Lasithi Mts., together called Dikte in ancient times. Off the E. coast of Crete we see the flat islet of Elasa.

We steer close by Cape Sídero (lighthouse), the N.E. point of Crete, and past the Gianitsades (Insulae Dionysiades). As we steam across the Cretan Sea (Mare Creticum) the high mountains of Crete long remain visible.

We next pass Askania (469 ft.) and Christiana (916 ft.), the southmost islets of the Cyclades (p. xxxii), which belong to Greece, and which, like the S. Sporades (p. ) in the Ægean Sea, rise from a submarine barrier running between the extremities of Attica and Eubœa (p. ) and the coast of Asia Minor.

Beyond Christiana we have a striking view of the immense prehistoric crater-basin formed by the islands of Therasía (952 ft.) and Santorin (p. ). To the N. appear the wild rocky island of Síkinos (1480 ft.) and the distant Iós or Niós (p. ), and to the N.W. Pholégandros (1349 ft.) and the large volcanic island of Melos or Milos (2537 ft.).

We steer between Pholégandros on the right and Polinos (1171 ft.) on the left, a broad passage marked by lighthouses at night, and then through the strait between Kímolos (1306 ft.) on the left and Siphnos (2280 ft.; lighthouse) on the right, both of which, like Sériphos (1585 ft.; on the right; with iron-mines), have retained their ancient Greek names.

Passing at some distance from Thermiá (1148 ft.; the ancient Kythnos) and Kea (p. ) we steer close by the islet of Hágios Georgios and through the Bay of Ægina to the Piraeus (p. ).

On the Voyage to Smyrna we steam to the N.N.W., 370 M. from Alexandria, to Rhodes (p. ).

Beyond Rhodes on the left are the island of Charki (1954 ft.), off its N.W. coast, and then Telos and Nisyros (p. ). A little farther on we pass through the strait between the Syrina Group, on the left, and the islets of Kandelëusa and Pantelëusa (181 ft.; lighthouse), adjoining Nisyros, on the right.

To the W. we sight the double-peaked island of Astropalia (1660 ft.; ancient Astypalaea) and Amorgós (p. ), and to the E. Cos and Kalymnos (p. ). Beyond the lights on the islet of Lévitha (548 ft.) and beyond Leros (p. ), at which the steamer calls, the rocky isle of Patmos or Patínos (870 ft.), St. John’s place of exile, becomes more conspicuous.

We next steer round Cape Papas, the W. point of the bold island of Nikaria or Ikaria (3422 ft.), and then to the N.N.E. through the Straits of Chios, 4½ M. in breadth, between the island of Chios (Turk. Sakis Adasi; 318 sq. M. in area) and the mainland of Anatolia or Asia Minor. The S. entrance of the straits, beyond Capo Bianco (right; once Argennon), is flanked with the islets of Páspargon (lighthouse) and Panagia. On the right lies the harbour of Cheshmeh, a little town with a mediæval castle.

We now enter the harbour of Kastro, or Chios (Xenodochion Nea Chios, a good inn; pop. about 14,000, mostly Greeks), the capital of the island, on the E. coast. Once a most important member of the Ionian league of cities, Chios belonged in the middle ages to the Venetians (1204–1345), and then to the Genoese (1346–1566), and only became Turkish under Suleiman the Great (p. ). The fruitless Greek struggle for independence ended with the massacre of Chios in 1832. The hill-country of Chios is extremely fertile. A valuable export is the gum of the mastic-shrub.

We next pass close to the Goni Islands, lying in front of the bay of Lytri (Erythrae), and the Spalmatori Islets (Œnussae Insulae), at the N. end of the straits of Chios.

Sail up the Gulf of Smyrna, see p. .