TALBOT1425

Zante

April 16^th 1826

My Dear Mother

I told you what a pleasant voyage I had from Corfu. We saw the situation of Parga, but could not discern the town, but Prevesa we saw very well, on a low part of the coast. Paxo is a little island with a snug winding harbour. Santa Maura is a curious place. We landed at a Castle, and walked toward the town along a very extended causeway, & had to cross another Ferry before we arrived. –

Formerly it was connected by an isthmus with the mainland, but now the sea has covered the isthmus, and converted it into a sort of half lagoon, half marsh, in which People walk about, and stick it full of bushes to catch shrimps – On one side is a deserted Turkish fort, on the other, the town of Santa Maura, a wretched place; the houses with walls cracked to pieces by the last earthquake. Quitting it we sailed along the coasts of the island, the ancient Leucadia, and by Sappho’s leap, where we were followed by dolphins; we left the coast of Leucadia for those of Cefalonia, catching a grand view of Ithaca in the meantime, with distant mountains in Greece to which we could affix no certain name or position. We sailed along Cefalonia, and into the winding harbour of Argostoli; a very cheerful, clean, well built little town, with the best view of the seven islands– Sailing out, the way we came in, we went over to Zante. From Zante one has a panoramic view of the Morea, Etolia &c. The mountains in Arcadia are surprizingly high and covered with snow; there is another snowy range to the south, which I suppose is in the direction of Sparta. I wish Claude ¹ were here to take a view for me, from the Lighthouse of Zante at sunset. I never saw so perfect a view; for generally in real views, something is too much or too little, but with this view the most critical judgment must be contented.– The same view, looks nothing in the morning, when the lights fall the wrong way. I think of being in Ancona ² the beginning of June, and staying 2 or 3 weeks in the north of Italy. Write me your plans –

Your Aff^te Son

H.T.

The weather is constant cloudless sunshine very hot, but not close, nor at all oppressive. I have received no letters from England, but those brought by Continis. ³