ITHACA is an island in the Ionian sea, celebrated as the kingdom of Ulysses, and for having been the scene of some principal events in the poetry of Homer. It is still denominate d Ithaca by the higher ranks of the inhabitants, and Thiaki by the lower ; it appears in the Venetian charts under the appellation of Val di Compare, which, being quite unknown to both, has proved the source of considerable perplexity to geographers. This island is situated between Santa Maura and Cephalonia, from each of which it is se parated by a channel about two miles in width, and it lies nearly opposite to the middle of that part of the coast of Albania stretching from the gulf of Arta to the gulf of Lepanto. Ithaca is of the most irregular form ; and resem bles two islands united by a very narrow stripe of land. It extends 18 miles in length from north-west to south-east, but is penetrated by a bay five miles wide, called Porto 1\Iolo, dividing it almost into two islands, and leaving a nar row isthmus about half a mile across. The island is no where above five miles in breadth, and its superficial area probably does not exceed SO square miles There are se veral harbours along the coast, as Vathi, Skinos, and Alto, all in Porto Molo ; and on the north side, Chioni, together with Port Frichies, not far from the commencement of a long peninsula terminating the extremity of the island in Cape St. John.
Ithaca, in common with the neighbouring islands, is sub ject to earthquakes, which rarely do much damage, and violent squalls prevail in the deep channel between it and Cephalonia, which deter small vessels from attempting its navigation, except in steady winds.
Water is scarce : that of Vathi is brackish: the largest brook, Melainudros, flowing into the sea at Frichics, conies from a spring of the same name. The residue of the rains is preserved in cisterns, which are sometimes excavated in the rock, or the inhabitants draw their supplies from wells.
This island consists of a single narrow ridge of limestone rock. Its surface is exceedingly unequal, scarcely present ing 100 yards of continuous level ground, and every where rising into rugged eminences, of which the highest are the mountains Ste phanos and Neritos, on opposite sides of Porto Moto. Although a small portion can be devoted to agri culture, yet the grain obtained is sufficient For the con sumption of the inhabitants, and affords an inconsiderable quantity for export to Cephalonia and Zante, where the natives of the latter store it tip, owing to its superior quali ty. There arc pleasant gardens here. In different parts terraces are formed for the cultivation of plants; almonds, olives, and grapes, are among the fruits, the last of which hang in the greatest luxuriance from vines, growing where scarcely a particle of earth can be seen, and are of that particular species called currants in Britain. We react of various fruits in the garden of Lames, and the same still remain indigenous around the village of Lcuka. Ithaca seems to have been celebrated for trees in the time of Homer, and there is yet a wood of arbutus and ptickly lea ved oak, intermixed with wild olives, juniper and mastic, on a hill towards the southern extremity. The larger
quadrupeds are brought hither from the Grecian coast. Some of the islets in the neighbourhood of the island are devoted to pasturage, but not during the heat of summer, as they contain no water. Pliny asserts that hares died when they were carried to Ithaca : at present they are coursed with a particular species of greyhounds.
The total population of the island, according to a return obtained by the French in 1807, amounted to 8000, who arc dispersed in the town of Vathi and four or five villages. Vathi stands in a line district, where almond trees and groves of oranges- afford fruit, shade, and fragrance, to the inhabitants. It is situated close to the port, extending along its eastern, and part of its southern and northern shores, and consists of about 400 houses, with a population of 3000, or, according to some, of only 2000 souls. Of late years it has been greatly improved, and the street con taining the government house, together with other public buildings, now assumes a regular appearance. From the frequency of earthquakes, the bell towers have been erected at a distance from the churches. The religion of the Greek church is professed here, and the clergy are under the di rection of a proto-papas, dependent on the archbishop of Cephalonia. There is no church of the Latin rite in Ithaca, nor any nunnery; but churches and chapels are numerous; and there arc four monasteries. Some of these are of late erection ; and one, dedicated to the archangel Michael, among the mountains, was lately inhabited by no more than a single monk, who subsisted on alms. In Vathi and else where, the inhabitants dalv:e before their houses on the evening or religious festivals ; and a modern traveller in forms us, that he saw the figure of one dance, said to have been first used by the youths and virgins of Delos, com memorating the return of Theseus from his expedition to the Cretan Labyrinth, though it has now lost much of that intricacy supposed to illustrate its windings. No regular inns are to be seen in Vathi, but a place of entertainment has been recently established far mariners. About fifty vessels of all denominations belong to the port, which trade to every part of the Mediterranean ; yet the only exports are about 500,000 pounds of currants, which were former ly carried to the London market; an inconsiderable quan tity of grain ; and a little wine, in appearance and flavour somewhat intermediate between port and claret, but which is reputed the best of all produced in the Ionian isles. The manners of the inhabitants of Vathi arc engaging and po lite, and strangers are received with much hospitality. Most of them arc able to converse in Greek and Italian. They can speak French with almost equal fluency. The towns next in size to Vathi seem to be Oxoai, where there is a school, as well as in the former, under the inspection of the proto-papas. or'hcad priest, and Anoai, which its inhabi tants are deserting for the village of Chioni.