known sea.
For here so oft the muse her harp has strung,
That not a mountain rears its head unsung_.

I BEG your pardon for this sally, and will, if I can, continue the
rest of my account in plain prose. The second day after we set sail,
we passed Gallipolis, a fair city, situated in the bay of
Chersonesus, and much respected by the Turks, being the first town
they took in Europe. At five the next morning, we anchored in the
Hellespont, between the castles of Sestos and Abydos, now called the
Dardanelli. These are now two little ancient castles, but of no
strength, being commanded by a rising ground behind them, which, I
confess, I should never have taken notice of, if I had not heard it
observed by our captain and officers, my imagination being wholly
employed by the tragic story, that you are well acquainted with:

_The swimming lover, and the nightly bride,
How HERO lov'd, and how LEANDER died_.

Verse again!--I am certainly infected by the poetical air I have
passed through. That of Abydos is undoubtedly very amorous, since
that soft passion betrayed the castle into the hands of the Turks who
besieged it in the reign of Orchanes. The governor's daughter,
imagining to have seen her future husband in a dream, (though I don't
find she had either slept upon bride-cake, or kept St Agnes's fast)
fancied she saw the dear figure in the form of one of her besiegers;
and, being willing to obey her destiny, tossed a note to him over the
wall, with the offer of her person, and the delivery of the castle.
He shewed it to his general, who consented to try the sincerity of
her intentions, and withdrew his army, ordering the young man to
return with a select body of men at midnight. She admitted him at
the appointed hour; he destroyed the garrison, took the father
prisoner, and made her his wife. This town is in Asia, first founded
by the Milesians. Sestos is in Europe, and was once the principal
city of Chersonesus. Since I have seen this strait, I find nothing
improbable in the adventure of Leander, or very wonderful in the
bridge of boats of Xerxes. 'Tis so narrow, 'tis not surprising a
young lover should attempt to swim, or an ambitious king try to pass
his army over it. But then, 'tis so subject to storms, 'tis no
wonder the lover perished, and the bridge was broken. From hence we
had a full view of mount Ida;

_Where Juno once caress'd her am'rous Jove,