e columns. It has long
since disappeared; but that is not wonderful, since King Otho and his
subjects have contrived to destroy almost every picturesque monument of
the past in the new kingdom. The thousands of Turkish tombs which not
many years ago gave a historic character to the desert environs of
Negrepont, and the splendid _serail_ of Zeitouni, with its magnificent
marble fountains and baths, have almost disappeared--the storks have bid
adieu to Greece--nightly bonfires, caused by absurd laws, destroy the
few trees that remain; and in short, unless travellers make haste and
visit Greece quickly, they will see nothing but the ruins which King
Otho cannot destroy nor Pittaki deface, and the curiosities which Ross
cannot give to Prince Pueckler, added to the pleasure they will derive
from beholding King Otho's own face and the facade of his new palace.

The night was extremely dark and cold, so that the friends of Michael,
familiar as they were with their native city, found some difficulty in
following him without a lantern through the mass of ruins Athens then
presented. As they approached the tomb, they perceived that he had
already lighted his charcoal, and was engaged in blowing it vigorously,
as much to warm his hands as to prepare for his cooking operations.
Creeping as near to him as possible without risking a discovery, they
heard, to their amazement, a deep voice apparently proceeding from the
tomb, which exclaimed, "Bou gedje kek sohuk der adamlera.--It must be a
cold night for mankind." "To pisevo effendi," said Michael in a careless
tone, but nervously proceeded to pour a whole bottle of oil into the
frying-pan. As soon as the oil was boiling and bubbling, the voice from
the tomb again exclaimed, "Gaiour ne apayorsun, mangama
pisheriorsun--yuckle buradam--aiyer yiklemassun ben seni kibab
ederem, tahamun yerine seni yerim," signifying pretty nearly,
"Infidel, what are you doing here? You appear to be cooking; fly hence,
or I will eat my supper of thy carrion." And at the instant a head
covered by an enormous white turban protruded itself from under the
tombstone with open mouth. Michael, either alarmed at the words and the
apparition, or angry at the suspicion of a premeditated trick on the
part of his companions, seized the panful of boiling oil, and poured the
whole contents into the gaping mouth of the spectre, exclaiming, "An
echeis toson orexin, na to ladhi, Scheitan oglou!--If you are so hungry,
take