NAX1A, or Nitacos, the Strongyle of the ancients, is an island of European Turkey, and forrning the largest of those called the Cyclades, in the Grecian archipelago. This island is covered with high mountains, whose base is schistose or granitic. White marble, and a hard cal careous stone, are superincumbent on the schistus. In the highest of these mountains, called Dia, or Zia, is a grotto of beautiful white marble, which is regarded as a sacred spot. In the east part of the island there is a mine of emery. The hills and eminences arc covered with myrtles, arbutuses, lentisks, hypericurns, savories, thorny brooms, leguminous shrubs, and the rock rose which yields the labdanum ; oleanders, agnus castuscs, and plane-trees abound on the banks of the rivulets.
The productions of the island are wheat, barley, kidney beans, garden beans, and other legumes for home con sumption ; oranges, lemons, bergamot citrons, peaches, apricots, pomegranates, pines, plums, almonds, walnuts, and figs, arc abundant. Cheese is exported to Constan tinople, Smyrna, and Salonica, to the amount of 9000 francs annually; cotton, silk, and flax, are cultivated to a small extent. Oil is made to the extent of 35,000 francs annually. The island contains sheep and goats, small-sized oxen for husbandry, and mules and asses for draught.
Naxia, the capital of the island, is beautifully situated on an eminence by the sea side, on the west coast of the island. The walls, with -which the Venetian princes defended it, have to a considerable degree escaped the ravages of the Turks. The Latins, who were once mas ters or the country, arc all lodged within their Lnelosure, and the Greeks occupy the new town, which stretches to the east of the castle. " The old town," says Oliver, " stretched to the north, towards the fountain which bears the name of Ariadne. There are still below the castle some remains of a subterranean aqueduct, which probably conveyed to the city the water of a copious spring which is seen four or five miles to the east. and
which at present waters a part of the plains of Naxia." The fountain of Ariadne is only a siniple rill of water, and but for its classical associations, would not attract the notice of the traveller. Bacchus had a temple at Naxos, the gate and foundations of which are still visi ble on a small rocky island near Ariadne's rountain. A bridge, buil: on a chain of rocks, is said to have united this island to the large one, and to have supported an aqueduct for bringing ‘vater to the priests who inhabited the enclosure of the temple.
In lately excavating some foundations, a statue of a woman or a fine form was discovered ; and to the north of the island, near the quarry where the block had been obtained, was found an unfinished colossal statue of Apollo. The population of the town is nearly 2,:00; that of the island is about 10,000, 8000 being scattered up and dowd in 41 villages. The annual taxes, which the island pays lor the land, the koratch, and the cus toms, is about 1670i. The catholic inhabitants, who are constantly diminishing, amount only to about 600, ancl arc established in the town. They have an archbishop, a co-adjutor, six canons, a rector, and several curates. The Greeks are rapidly increasing, and their clergy are less numerous, but more licit than those of the catho lics.
From the peculiar situation and advantages of the island of Naxia, NI. Sonnini proposed to the French go vernment to make it the seat of a particular commerce, which he wished to sec established in the islands of the Levant. Ships of burden may anchor in summer under shelter of a rock off the harbour. East longitude 25° 26', and north latitude 37° 7'. See Tournefort's Voyage au Levant, vol. i. Olivier's Voyage dans l'Enzpire Otho man, tont. i. p. 307-318; Sonnini's Travels in Greece and Turkey, chap. xxxv. p. 456, 462.