ground here and there, a good deal of which was tobacco, but for the
most part our way was through marsh-grass and low bushes. Nearly a mile
north-east of the ruins of the city we passed what the best authorities
positively say are the ruins of the temple. The archaeologists have been
quarrelling over this point for generations, and some think that the
ruins are those of a great Christian fane. The fact is, that almost all
the ruins have been quarries of building- and lime-stone for centuries,
and those edifices which stood farthest to the east and north-east, as
the temple did, suffered most because most accessible.

I do not propose to inflict upon the reader a list of the ruins which we
saw, some well authenticated, and some not. It is not every mind,
however well regulated, that will bear the personal inspection of ruins,
much less a catalogue of them.

We passed on, still westward, skirting the rocky Mount Coressus, on the
western side of which was the great theatre, then in process of
excavation by Mr. Wood, who has since published an elaborate account of
his discoveries. Far toward the west stretched the ruins where had been
the markets, the stadium and the ports, with crumbling walls and towers
of all stages of antiquity, Greek, Roman and Byzantine. One of the
towers or forts, on an elevation to the westward, and of somewhat
cyclopean construction, passes popularly for "St. Paul's Prison."

Far to the west glittered the sea in the Bay of Scala Nova, and beyond
rose the mountains of Samos, still famed for fruity wine. It is
generally supposed that the sea once came up to the site of Ephesus, but
there is no good reason for the belief. The Cayster has undoubtedly in
the course of ages brought down and deposited much soil, and has formed
a delta, but we know that in the palmy days of the city a long canal,
with solid quays of cut stone, led the ships up to the two ports. The
remains of these canals have been traced for a long way, showing that
the distance to the sea was always considerable, while the ports are
still defined by the extra-luxuriant growth of bulrushes and cat-tails.

We had stopped at the theatre to examine the curious sculptures
collected there by the excavators, and to enjoy the view. To do this we
all dismounted, with the exception of the Armenian lady, who mildly but
firmly declined to descend, no doubt feeling that there would be a
difficulty in remounting where there was no railway-platform.