FAIR HAVENS (KaXol Agave?), a port on the southern side of the island of Crete. Its exact position was for a long period a matter of doubt ; but recent researches have identified it beyond the possibility of question, and have also contributea throw much light on a portion of the Apostle Paul's perilous voyage. From Myra on the south ern coast of Asia Minor, where the Apostle em barked • in a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy,' the true course would have been due west, passing close by Rhodes. The wind, however, which generally blows in that region during the autumn from the west or north-west, was unfavourable, and they were compelled to steer north as far as Cnidus. There, also, the wind was contrary, and did not permit them to go on their right course, p.i) rpoacapros re) cikii.cw (Acts xxvii. 7). They were therefore forced to turn southward, and after rounding Cape Salmone, the most easterly point of Crete, to pursue the voyage along the lee of that island (Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paid, ii. 326). Owing to the direction and foice of the gale, it wa.s with much difficulty they made Sal 'none — i.c6X/s re wapaXe-y6p.evot coirip (ver. 8). The southern coast of Crete runs west by south for about half its length, as far as Cape Matala. So far the ship would be in a great measure sheltered from the fury of the north-west wind ; but at Cape Matala the coast bends suddenly to the north,' and the ship could not pass that point so long as the wind continued west or north-west (Smith's Voyage and Slespwreck of St. Paul, zd ed. p. 75).
About four miles east of Matala is a good road stead, still called, as it was in the days of Luke, liaX02 Atniper. .The name is appropriate. It is shut in on the west by a bold headland, on whose summit are the ruins of an ancient convent dedi cated to St. Paul. On the south it is sheltered by two little islands ; and between these and the shore is safe anchorage. The roadstead, however, is open to the east ; and we can thus sec the truth of Luke's statement, that it was incommodious (dv evOirou) to winter in ' (See Smith, pp. So, and
256). This circumstance appears to have deter mined the master of the ship, contrary to the advice of Paul, to leave Fair Havens, and taking advan tage of a southern breeze, to try and reach the har bour of Phenice, near the western end of the island. When they had rounded Matala, they were again caught by a north-westerly gale (Ebpoati&uP), and the result is well known (Acts xxvii. 9-16).
Luke is the only ancient writer who mentions Rad A:alves. Early commentators generally sup posed that it was identical with the Kaki? 'Acri; of Stephen of Byzantium (See Kuinodi Comm. in loc.) The latter, however, lay on the western coast of Crete, and it was a town as well as a har bour (Smith, p. So). At Fair Havens there was no town, for Luke describes it as (i3 iyps iv wAts Aagaia. The ruins of Lasea were discovered a few years ago, about five miles east of Fair Havens, and thus the chain of evidence was com pleted (LasEA.).
Fair Havens is incidentally mentioncd by Rau wolf, who touched at this port in bis voyage to Pales tine in the t6th century. He calls it Calismene (Reirs in die Illorgenlander.) Pococke is the first who identifies and describes it. He says, it is a smali bay about two leagues east of Matala, which is now called by the Greeks the Good or Fair IIavens (ALpacover KaXovs);' and he adds, they have a tra dition that St. Paul sailed from that place ' (De scription of the East, vol. ii. pt. i. p. 250). A good sketch of Fair Havens was taken by Signor Schranz, the artist who accompanied Mr. Pashley in his tour through Crete. It is copied in Smith's excellent work (p. 81), and also in Conybeare and Howson's Lift of St. Paul (1st ed. ii. 329). To both these works the student is recommended for fuller details ; and in them he will find charts of the roadstead, and of the whole southern coast of Crete.—J. L. P.