It is computed that Metelin contains about 40,000 in habitants, consisting of Turks and Greeks in equal pro portions, and a few Jewish families. The women are very handsome, with fine large expressive eyes and a beautiful complexion, which, however, they disfigure with paint ; and they shave off part of the eye-brow, re placing it by an artificial one, connecting the remainder with the hair at each temple. The ancient Lesbian fe males are said to have had a public competition for the palm of beauty, which was adjudged by young men in the lane of Juno. But such contests do not seem to have been favourable to morals, as the people were con sidered dissolute : and a traveller of the last century re marks, that " the women have no better character for their chastity, nor the men for their sobriety, than in former times." In manners the modern females are rather masculine ; they do not shun the gaze of stran gers; they enjoy an uncommon portion of liberty, and even assume a paramount authority in all domestic ar rangements.
Until lately, a remarkable deviation from the common customs of mankind prevailed regarding the law of suc cession here. The eldest daughter inherited the whole fortune of the family, while all the other children, male and female, were left entirely destitute. If there were only two daughters, the younger obtained no succession; and when the elder married, she remained in a state of subservience to her, wearing a particular habit, and at tending her as a domestic. If the family consisted of more than two, this became the lot of the immediate younger daughter always, as her immediate elder sister married. Farther, it appears that the whole family pos sessions were transferred to the eldest daughter on her marriage, whereby she and her husband were kept in affluence, and her parents were reduced to an indigent condition, " and we ourselves," says the Earl of Charle mont," have frequently been shown the eldest daughter parading through the town in the greatest splendour, while her mother and sister followed her as servants, and made a melancholy part of the attendant train." Something similar may be traced among various ancient countries ; and there are some even now, where the birth of a son deprives the father of his public functions. In Alden!), a modification of the usage alluded to has been recently effected by the intervention of the Patriarch of Constantinople, together with the bishops and clergy of the island. Certain rights of primogeniture are pre served, by which the eldest daughter receives a third of the inheritance, the second a third of what remains, and the younger successively a third of the residue. Thus the immediate younger daughter, whatever be the num ber of the family, always receives a third of the re mainder, after those before her have drawn their pro portion.
The principal town, which is called Metelin or Cas tro, is situated on the east coast, where two harbours are formed by a mole of ancient construction. It is pro tected by a castle about three quarters of a mile in com pass, consisting of two divisions of lofty embattled walls, each having its own governor and garrison, and these fortifications are defended by five or six hundred jani zaries, most of whom are domesticated there. The p•
pulation of the town amounts to two or three thousand Turks, three or four thousand Greeks, and thirty or forty Jewish families. It is a Bishop's See. Mrtelin covers part of the ground occupied by the ancient city. Alolivo stands on the north coast, on the site of the an cient Methymnee, extending up the side of a hill, crowned by a spacious castle. It is about a mile in cir cuit, and contains about two or three thousand Tut kish and Greek inhabitants ; the latter have three churches and a bishop. The natives of this place are said to be distinguished as of old by a taste for music. Besides these, which are the principal places of the island, there are several villages, such as Petra, Akerona, Eresso, chiefly of small extent. Petra, or Porto Petra, on the west coast, is so named, from a high rock in the centre, which is accessible only from the not th, and is surround ed on the top by a wall, whither the most valuable pro perty is deposited by the inhabitants when alarmed for the depredations of Corsairs. At Akerona, on the north of Port Caloni, there is a desolate monastery, dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Eresso stands a little to the south of Cape Sigri in the neighbourhood of Ruins, de noting the situation of the ancient city of the same name. The houses in Metelin are constructed after a peculiar fashion, consisting of a square tower of hewn stone, raised so high as to overtop the trees, and command a view of the sea and the neighbouring island. The lower story is reserved for stores and granaries; and at the top are the apartments for the family, which are gained by a stair, chiefly built on the outside, and surrounding the tower.
Many celebrated men owe their birth to this island, among whom, perhaps, Theophrastus was the most dis tinguished, from having been a disciple of Plato, from Aristotle designing him for his successor, and also for the incredible number of his works. Pittacus, esteem ed by the Greeks as one of their sages, was born in Lesbos, as also Alcxus and Sappho. In modern times, the two brothers named Barbarossa, the sons of a pot ter, who successively attained the rank of Dey of Al giers about the middle of the sixteenth century, owe their birth to this island.
Lesbos was one of the most famous islands of anti quity, but almost the whole remains of its grandeur are totally obliterated. Nothing but the faintest traces can be discovered of some of the eight cities which Ptolemy says it contained. Four or five miles north west of the town of Metelin are the ruins of a fine aque duct, which has consisted originally of two arcades of grey marble surmounted by a kind of brick. in other places are seen the foundations of ancient castles and subterraneous cisterns. A white marble chair, of the age of Tiberius, which long attracted the notice of tra vellers, we have understood, has been lately acquired by a Scottish nobleman distinguished by his taste for Gre cian antiquities.