Of the other towns tho following may be mentioned :—Alessano, near Cape di Leuca, with about 7000 inhabitants. Copertino, on the road from Gallipoli to Lccce, population 4000, was famous formerly for its castle, built by Alfouso Castriot, a descendant of Scandorbeg. Francarilla, on the road from Taranto to Brindisi, and a short distance N.\V. from Grits, has with its dependent villages a population of 13,500. The town was formerly the property of St. Charles Rorrouieo. The aloe flourishes in the vicinity. Manduria, a few miles S. by E. from Oria, on the road from Taranto to Lecco, is a handsome town of about 6000 inhabitants, many of whom are proprietors of estates in the neighbourhood. About half a mile from the town is a well in the tertiary rock, which preserves a constant level, however much may be taken out of it. This well, which is locally called the Bath of Venus, is described by Pliny. DIanduria retains its ancient name ; of its massive ancient walls there are considerable remains. Archidamus, king of Sparta, who came to Italy to aid the Tarentines against the Leucanians, fell in battle near Manduria n.o. 338. Martano, midway between Lecce and Otranto, has a population of 3000. This town and the neighbouring village of Calimem are inhabited by des cendants of Albanian colonies, who still retain the Greek language. Mesagne, a town of 7000 inhabitants, situated in a wide plain to the west of Brindisi, on the road to Taranto. Some think that this town occupies the site of the ancient Messapia. The plain between Mesagne and Brindisi is naturally fertile, but it is now entirely uncultivated. Tho hills east of 3lesagne are covered with trees. Nardo, a few miles N.E. from Gallipoli, on the road to Lecce, is a well-built town, with a population of about 9000. The country about it is covered with olive plantations; the town itself has manufactures of cotton-stuffs and snuff. Nardo occupies the site of the ancient Neritum; it gives title to a bishop in conjunction with Gallipoli The marshes between Nardo and the sea were formerly remarkable for their phosphorescent exhalations, which gave rise to many superstitious notions among the peasantry. Orin, midway between Brindisi and Taranto, is an episcopal
ety of 6000 inhabitants, bnilt on the site of the ancient Hyria, men tioned by Herodotus (vii. 170). It stands on a steep bill, crowned with an old castle and surrounded by limo plantations, vineyards, gardens, and orchards. The city has a considerable trade in agricul tural produce, honey, and wax. Ostnni, N.W. of Brindisi, and about four miles from the Adriatic, is a flourishing town with about 11,700 inhabitants, several handsome churches and large convents. San {Ito, south of Ostuni: population, 4700. Ugento, an episcopal city of 2000 inhabitants, retains the name of the ancient Urea:est, and is situated a few miles N.W. from the Capo di Leuca, the ancient lapygian pro montory. Near Lecce was Radice, the birthplace of the Roman poet Enniut Many of the ' mamesie,' or farm-houses of the province, are built like forts, and occupy a considerable extent of ground, in which the country people, in the case of a landing being made by the Turkish corsairs, to which they were exposed fur soma centuries, could take refuge with their cattle and valuable effects. A wall, high and strongly built, forms a quadrangle, against one side of which the dwelling house is built, containing two or three habitable rooms and some times a chapel ; the granaries, stables, and outhouses are on the other side, and in the middle of the inclosure is a round or square tower two stories high, standing quite alone.
The peninsula of Otranto was anciently called by various names. Properly the south-eastern part of it was called Iapygia, the northern Messapia, and the southern, about Tarentam, the country of the Salentini The whole was called Calabria, from the inhabitants, the Calabri, who were most probably a branch of the great Oscan stock. The Greeks forme I settlement, along the coasts in early times.