CORSICA. This small island lies over against the gulph of Genoa, at about the distance of 90 miles from that city. MELITA, MALTA, OGYGIA, CALYPSOS IN- The ifle known by these several names lies in lat. 34, 4, and long. 34, 45, and distant from Sicily about 60 miles. Melita was the metropolitan city. SECTION XVI. The Islands of the PROPONTIS, EGEAN, ICARIAN, CRETAN, MYRTOAN, and IONIAN Seas. THE most confiderable islands in the Propontis were, PROCONNESUS. This island lay not far from Afia, over-against Cyzicum. BESBICUS was a small island between Cyzicum and the mouth of the Rhydacus. The islands in the ÆGEAN Sea were, TENE ENEDOST was remarkable only for its lying opposite old Troy, and being the place to which the Greeks retired, and left the Trojans in a fatal security. LESBOS was famous for the number of philosophers and poets it produced. It was about 56 miles distant from Tenedos. CHIOS CHIOS lay about 80 miles west of Smyrna, between Lesbos and Samos, opposite the peninsula of Ionia. SAMOS lies opposite to Ephesus, on the coast of Afia Minor, about seven miles from the continent. This island is supposed to have been the native country of Juno. PATMOS or PATHMOS is about 30 miles in compass. The Romans used this island as a place of banishment; under which punishment St. John refided here, and is supposed to have wrote his Revelations in a cave, which is shewn by a few Greek monks who are upon the island. The CYCLADEs islands lie in a circle round DELOS, the chief of them, which, though not above fix miles in compass, was one of the most celebrated of all the Grecian islands, as being the birth-place of Apollo and Diana. PAROS lies 28 miles from Delos; and was famous for its marble, which was of an exquisite whiteness. CYTHERA. This island lies over-against Malea, a promontory of Laconia. It was remarkable for being the favourite residence of Venus. THERA lies between Crete and the Cyclades. The island was confecrated to Apollo. SASON lies between Aulon, a city of Macedon, and Brundusium in Italy. CORCYRA CORCYRA : lies over-against the coast of Epirus, called more anciently Pheacia; and was inhabited by the luxurious Alcinous, who entertained Ulyffes, when cast on shore there. ITHACA, famous for being the birth-place of Ulyffes, is about 25 miles in circuit. ZACYNTHUS. This island is about 60 miles in compass, and lies 12 miles fouth of an island called Cephalenia, LEUCAS was anciently a peninsula, joined to the main-land of Acarnania by an isthmus of 50 paces over, which was cut by the Carthaginians. The STROPHADES were two small islands, over-against Arcadia, in Peloponnefus. EUBEA was formerly joined to Boeotia by an isthmus, as it is at present by a bridge. It lies opposite to the continent of Attica, Boeotia, and Locris. CHAPTER |