In the second chapter, the author describes his landing in Ithaca, and arrival at the rock Korax and the fountain Arethusa, as he designates it with sufficient positiveness.—­This rock, now known by the name of Korax, or Koraka Petra, he contends to be the same with that which Homer mentions as contiguous to the habitation of Eumaeus, the faithful swine-herd of Ulysses.—­We shall take the liberty of adding to our extracts from Mr. Gell some of the passages in Homer to which he refers only, conceiving this to be the fairest method of exhibiting the strength or the weakness of his argument.  “Ulysses,” he observes, “came to the extremity of the isle to visit Eumusae, and that extremity was the most southern; for Telemachus, coming from Pylos, touched at the first south-eastern part of Ithaca with the same intention.”

[Greek:  Kai tote de r’ Odusea kakos pothen egage daimon Agrou ep’ eschatien, hothi domata naie subotes; Enth’ elthen philos uios Odusseos theioio, Ek Pulou emathoenios ion sun nei melaine; Odussei O.

Autar epen proten akten Ithakes aphikeai, Nea men es polin otrunai kai panlas hetairous; Autos de protisa suboten eisaphikesthai, k.t.l.  Odussei O.]

These citations, we think, appear to justify the author in his attempt to identify the situation of his rock and fountain with the place of those mentioned by Homer.  But let us now follow him in the closer description of the scene.—­After some account of the subjects in the plate affixed, Mr. Gell remarks:  “It is impossible to visit this sequestered spot without being struck with the recollection of the Fount of Arethusa and the Rock Korax, which the poet mentions in the same line, adding, that there the swine eat the sweet[1] acorns, and drank the black water.”

[Footnote 1:  “Sweet acorns.”  Does Mr. Gell translate from the Latin?  To avoid similar cause of mistake, [Greek:  menoeikea] should not be rendered suavem but gratam, as Barnes has given it.]

[Greek:  Deeis ton ge suessi paremenon; ai de nemontai Par Korakos petre, epi te krene Arethouse, Esthousai balanon menoeikea, kai melan hudor Pinousai; Odussei N.]

“Having passed some time at the fountain, taken a drawing, and made the necessary observations on the situation of the place, we proceeded to an examination of the precipice, climbing over the terraces above the source, among shady fig-trees, which, however, did not prevent us from feeling the powerful effects of the mid-day sun.  After a short but fatiguing ascent, we arrived at the rock, which extends in a vast perpendicular semicircle, beautifully fringed with trees, facing to the southeast.  Under the crag we found two caves of inconsiderable extent, the entrance of one of which, not difficult of access, is seen in the view of the fount.  They are still the resort of sheep and goats, and in one of them are small natural receptacles for the water, covered by a stalagmitic incrustation.