The population of the Ionian islands is dispersed in several cities, villages, and hamlets. The former some times have the name or their respective islands, as Corfu, a very strong place, containing about 15,000 inhabitants ; Zante, which in every thing resembles an Italian city, con taining 16,000 or 18,000 ; Santa Maura, containing 6000 ; and Paxo, containing 4000. The principal town or Cepha lonia, Argostuli, has a population of 5000 ; Vathi in Ithaca, of 2000; and Kapsali in Cerigo, of 4000 souls. Struphades contains only a monastery, which is a tower 90 feet square and 60 high, defended by a battery of four small cannon; and behind the gate, which consists exclusively of plates of iron, is a draw-bridge with a guard-house. This mo nastery is inhabited by about 40 monks, the sole popula tion of the island. Parties ol pleasure resort thither from Zante ; but no women are allowed to land, nor are any fe male animals permitted to be brought on shore. The dwellings of the inhabitants of the Ionian islands arc, for the most part, very much dispersed, and few are collected together into villages. Churches, chapels, and priests, are extremely nunierons. Though we suspect the truth may be exaggerated, Cerigu is said to have 260 of the former, and 165 ol the latter.
The Ionian islands are all celebrated in the writings of the ancients, under the names of Curcyra, Paxus, Leucadia, Ithaca, Cephalonia, Zacynthus, and Cythcra. Some of thorn were independent states, and some subordinate to other governments. In the fictions of the poets also, they are stated to have supplied their respective quotas for the siege of Troy. After experiencing various reverses of fortune, under the authority of the Greeks and Romans, these islands were subdued by the Venetians, who had for a long time the predominance or maritime power in the Mediterranean. Desirous ol keeping them in a state of absolute dependence, a proveditore or proconsul was sent from Venice, who frequently paid more attention to his own profit than the advantage of the people ; dissensions were rather fomented than quelled; and civil wars at last resulted from the imprudence of the governors. The fall of the Venetian republic subjected the Ionian islands to the French, and notwithstanding the substitution of their de mocratic principles, attended by unfavourable impressions, for a despotic aristocracy, they were relieved from an op pressive yoke, and by the aid of a strict police harmony was restored. By the war between France and Turkey,
the French were expelled in 1798, and the islands taken under the mutual protection of Russia and the Ottoman Porte in 1800, under the name of the Ionian Rupublic of the Seven Islands. But the contending interests of these two empires opposed the permanence of this arrangement : a rivalry for pre-eminence arose among the islands, anarchy was making rapid advances, and the public safety endan gered, when the aid of the Emperor Alexander o as soli cited by the inhabitants. On the arrival of his troops, the protection of the republic was transferred to Russia ex clusively ; a constitution was framed, and an executive government appointed. Meantime a new candidate for the sovereignty appeared in Ali, the Turkish Pasha of Joanina, who had long cast a wishful eye on the Ionian islands. He had gradually rendered himself master of an extensive territory surrounding his capital ; lie had expelled the Venetians from four of their continental stations, and no thing was now more essential to his security and aggrandise ment than the completion of this favourite object. He besieged Santa Mann, and took an active part against the Russians, whose unfortunate %val. with France enabled the latter to resume the protection of the Ionian republic in 1807. The maritime superiority of Britain, however, was speedily interposed to intercept supplies and reinforce ments: Santa Maura, besides, was regularly invested in 1810, and a French garrison captured, though with some loss to the assailants. The reduction of all the islands suc cessively followed, until nothing remained of the whole republic excepting Corfu alone. On the restoration of general peace in Europe in the year 1814, provision was made fbr new arrangements: and by a treaty between Russia and Austria, Prussia and Britain, signed at Paris in 1815, it was agreed that the Ionian Islands should be recognized as an independent state, and put under the pro tection of Great Britain ; that the custody of the fortresses, and the command of the army, should be committed to his British majesty ; and that a code of civil and political institutions, such as were supposed most beneficial to the interests of the islanders, should be framed. These terms have been fulfilled ; and very recently a deputation from the islanders has arrived in this country, in order to attain the final adjustment of all that remained to be carried into execution under the treaty. (c)