Mistaking my silence and astonishment, he pulled out his watch, and, placing it in my hand, entreated me to give him some money. As I had no disposition to become a pawnbroker, I retorned it with some expressions of surprise, and took out my purse with the intention of giving it to him, for it only contained two or three small pieces. But here all the solemnity of the adventure terminated. He snatched it out of my hand, and, emptying the contents into his own, returned it; and wishing me a good night, ran into the gateway.

THE IDRIOTS.

From the same.

Idra, as far as my recollection serves, was not of any consequence in the brilliant periods of Grecian history. The present city originated in a small colony of boatmen belonging to the Morea, who took refuge here from the tyranny of the Turks. About forty years ago they had multiplied to a considerable number; their little village began to assume the appearance of a town, and they had vessels that went as far as Constantinople.

In their mercantile transactions, the Idriots acquired the reputation of greater integrity than the other Greeks, as well as of being the most intrepid navigators in the Archipelago; and they were, of course, regularly preferred. Their

honesty and industry obtained its reward. When the French revovolution broke out, they bad seve ral large ships, which they loaded with grain, and sent to France, during the carcity which prevailed at the beginning of the late war. The profit arising from these voyages enabled them to increase the the number of their shipping; and they now possess eighty ships, of more than two hundred and fifty tons, besides several hundreds of smaller vessels and wherries. They have two or three ships, not inferior in strength and size to frigates.

At Malta and Messina, I was told that the number of the Idriot shipping was much greater; but this was a mistake, arising from considering vessels belonging to the islands of Specia, Paros, Myconi, and Ipsera, as Idriots. These islands resemble Idra in their institutions; and the inhabitants possess the same character for commercial activity.

In paying their sailors, Idra and its sister islands have a peculiar custom. The whole amount of the freight is considered as a coinmon stock from which the charges of victualling the ship are deducted. The remainder is then divided into two equal parts; one is allotted to the crew, and equally shared among them, without reference to age or rank. The other part is appropriated to the ship and the captain.

The capital of the cargo is a trust given to the captain and the crew on certain fixed conditions. For all voyages to the Levant, a profit of twenty per cent. on their respective shares, is allowed to the contributers of the capital, and the same in voyages which do not extend to the westward beyond Malta and Sicily; but in voyages to

France

France and Spain, within the Straits, thirty per cent. is given. All the profits after paying all the capitalists, is divided on the same principle, and by the same rule, as a freight earned by charter. Losses by accidents of navigation are sustained by the capitalists; but those arising from bad sales, fall on the captain and the crew, who are obliged to make good the deficiency. The first time that I visited this island, there was a vessel in the port, which, by an unsuccessful voyage, had incurred a loss of no less than four thousand pounds sterling; and this sum the crew and captain were then making good to the capitalists.

The Idriots never insure their ships or cargoes. The vessels generally belong to a great number of persons, and some of the capitalists have only five or ten pounds sterling embarked in one bottom. The value of their several shares is not of sufficient importance to induce the owners to think of insuring them. In the early period of their history, to purchase a cargo of grain, for it is chiefly by their trade in that article that the Idriots have acquired their wealth, was in some sort a public undertaking. The whole community was concerned in it.

The character and manners of the common Idriot sailors, from the moral effect of these customs, is much superior, in regularity, to the ideas that we are apt to enter tain of sailors. They are sedate, well dressed, well bred, shrewd, informed, and speculative. They seem to form a class in the orders of mankind, which has no existence among us. By their voyages, they acquire a liberality of notion,

which we expect only among gentlemen; while, in their domestic circumstances, their conduct is suitable to their condition. The Greeks are all traditionary historiaus, and possess much of that kind of knowledge to which the term "learning" is usually applied. This, mingled with the other information of the Idriots, gives them that advantageous character of mind, which, I think, they pos

sess.

The town is certainly a very extraordinary place. The houses rise from the border of the port, which is in the form of a horse-shoe, in successive tiers, to a great height, and many of them appear on the pinnacles of cliffs which would make a Bath or an Edinburgh garreteer giddy to look from. The buildings are all brightly whitewashed; and a number of windmills being, almost constantly, in motion on the heights, the effect of the scene, with the addition of the bustle on the wharfs below, is, at once, surprising, and uncommonly cheerful.

There are upwards of forty parochial churches in the town; and two of them are adorned with handsome steeples. Idra forms part of the diocese of Egina and Paros, one of the richest bishoprics of Greece. The nett income is estimated at upwards of six hundred pounds sterling. The episcopal residence is in Egina, but the bishop visits Idra every year. The population of the town is said to exceed twenty thousand souls; and I think it is not exaggerated.

There were, when I was there, no public schools but those of the parochial priests. Eight of the principal

principal inhabitants had procured an Italian master for their children, to whom they paid about seventy-five pounds sterling per

annum.

Though the poor are numerous, there is no public provision for them; but the charity of individuals is liberal; and many allot the profits of a share of their vessels, and even sometimes more, to be regularly distributed among the needy.

All goods, I may say every thing that is necessary for the subsistence of man, as the island produces nothing, pay here a duty of two and a half per cent. This serves as a fund for public uses; and for any extraordinary demands, which the exigencies of the sultan may require. In addition to this, every man capable of bearing arms pays about three shillings sterling per annum of tribute. The Porte is contented with this moderate tax, in consequence of the Idriots furnishing a number of sailors for the Turkish navy. They furnished two hundred and fifty sailors last year, whom they paid at the rate of about fifty shillings per man monthly On some occasions, a subscription has been raised, to help the insufficiency of the ordinary revenue.

It can hardly be said that this little state, for such it deserves to be considered, as it is governed by rulers of its own choosing, and is rather under the protection of the sultan than subject to his immediate authority, has any laws; but it has many usages, which have all the force of laws. Litigated questions are decided by the magistrates collectively, whose awards are recorded in the chancery of the

city, and become precedents. Ordinary delinquents are punished by the magistrates; but greater criminals, after conviction, are sent to Constantinople, with the authenticated evidence of their offences. Property in houses is exchanged by documents, of which copies are lodged in the chancery; thus giving clearness and stability to the rights of proprietors, like that which is afforded by the institution of the Register Office in Scotland. For the security of the rights of property in vessels, a book is kept by one of the owners, and in it all that relates to the ship is recorded.

CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLE OF MAN. From an Account of that Island by G. Woods.

The Manks are reckoned to be naturally of an indolent and credulous, often of a superstitious and gloomy disposition. I do not know of any one that has rendered himself eminent by a great proficiency, or useful discovery in the arts or sciences, by fire of genius or profundity of learning. Characters endowed with piety, benevolence and other virtues, in general, I trust, less remarkable, have not been rare. I would particularise several, were I not afraid of omitting others of perhaps equal merit. Some of the women of the higher classes are well informed and accomplished: most of the lower classes, civil and industrious. To these may be applied the character which one of the authors of King's Cheshire gives to the women of that country: they are usually,

says

riage, and sometimes before. An honest and industrious servantgirl is not ruined by becoming a mother, though for the sake of decency her place is lost. To this laxity of morals is attributed the absence, even in Douglas, of those women which so frequently swarm in towns, I was informed that their trade had been tried, but found not to answer. The servants of Man are more dirty and untidy than the English, but less so than the Scotch or Irish.

The people are attached to their native vales and mountains, to their ancient cusoms, and their laws They considered themselves independent of the English nation, and were greatly affected by the sale of the island, which they thought would blend the countries. Though few the enjoyments of the lower orders, their cares are also few. Over a jug of ale their troubles are frequently forgotten; and, when again remembered, are expected to terminate with the next fishing season. The cheapness of law encourages strife: many a quarrel, which, in England, would be amicably adjusted, is here brought into court. Rancour, when long indulged, it is not easy to eradica.e.

Insanity among the natives is reckoned rather common: it is usually of a melancholy, not of a violent description. Persons afficted with this calamity, if not kept at home by their friends, are permitted to roan at large.

The middle and higher ranks mix too much with the English to retain any peculiar characteristic of their native country. The chief trade and much of the farm

gers Civilization is little, if at all, behind the remoter, parts of England. An anonymous writer of the last century says, that knives and forks were scarcely known here; that when a person gave a dinner, the appendage was a few butchers kuives for carvers; that their thumbs and fingers and their teeth were the only implements allotted to the guests. He was either misinformed himself, or attempted to mislead his read

ers.

The people are hospitably and charitably disposed. One of their proverbs is, "When one poor man relieves another God himself laughs for joy." Poor's rates and most other parochial rates are things unknown; and there is not in the whole island either hospital, workhouse, or house of correction. A collection is made after the morning service of every Sunday for the relief of such poor of the parish as are thought deserving of charity. The donation is optional; but it is usual for every one to give scmething. Beggars are little encou raged and rarely met with. The want of poor's rates and workhouses is by some thought a disadvantage; while others, judging by their effect in England, and reasoning upon general principles, imagine that, while they are a tax upon the higher and middle classes, they are rather detrimental than beneficial to the industrious poor, and consequently prejudicial to a nation.

In every parish is at least one charity school, and often a small library. These were founded by Bishops Barrow and Wilson, are supported by voluntary contribu