These two days spent in visiting the remains of Athens former splendour - The most perfect temple that remains is that of Theseus (Hephaestus) all the columns are standing - and the cella which has a modern roof - and serves as a place of deposit for objects of art found in the vicinity - its porticoes serve as a repose for Greek Suzarosi - of which there are a number - lazy looking fellows stretched at full length in the shade - the bas reliefs on the frieze representing the labours of Hercules and victories of Theseus are nearly obliterated by the 24 centuries that have passed over them - as also the hand of mischief -

A few hundred yards off is the hill or rock of the Areopagus - where the Athenien judges sat to deliver judgment in the dark - it is nothing more now than a bare rock - there are the remains of stairs cut therein - here Socrates received sentence of death and afterwards the apostle Paul stood before his judges - -

Spend several hours under the shade of the rock reading - returning to my hotel in a narrow street came accross a small antique tower - formerly the temple of the winds - which it appears they divided into eight parts it has eight sides on each of which is disignated an atribute by figures in bas relief - on of which I noticed was a female bearing fruit in cornucopia -

The temple of the Olympian Jupiter is about the same distance (300 yards) from the Acropolis as the Theseum, but on another side - sixteen magestic Corinthian columns stand in bold relief before the spectator the remains of near a hundred that formed the temple - the sides of Pentelicus were hugely met to furnish these immense masses of beautifull white marble - the columns are over six feet in diameter - the flowing capitals which are high up in the air and out of the way of injury are in beautifull preservation -

This is harvest time and the greek peasants are making their stacks of barley close by and where once the remainder of the temple stoo'd - did the proud Athenians ever think the temple of their mighty deity would become a barn yard! -

Rose at 5 on Saturday morning the 29th - there is a steep craggy mountain about a mile from the acropolis - that overlooks it and the surrounding plain - in company with my french companion we ascended to the top, which had we attempted in any other time than in the coolness of the morning, should have found very wearisome - once on the summit our toil was well repaid - a beautifull scene - in the distance is the Peireus and the blue waters of the Saronic gulf studded with islands, the vale beneath lays at your feet like a map - while the broad sided Hyrmettus elevates his lofty summit to the east - here is a small Greek chapel of most humble architecture, as they always are - perhaps the turks did not permit them to build more elegant edifices

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