$Unique_ID{how00318} $Pretitle{} $Title{Australia And The Islands Of The Sea Chapter XXXI. The Ionian Islands.} $Subtitle{} $Author{Larkin, Dunton} $Affiliation{} $Subject{islands women large corfu room } $Date{} $Log{} Title: Australia And The Islands Of The Sea Author: Larkin, Dunton Chapter XXXI. The Ionian Islands. The Ionian Islands are found in the Mediterranean Sea off the west coast of Greece and Turkey. They consist of seven large islands with several smaller islets. The united area is nearly eleven hundred square miles. The population numbers two hundred and thirty thousand, and is composed of one third Jews, one third a mixed race, and one third Greeks. The surface of the islands is mountainous and is mostly covered with heath, but in some of the larger islands there are fertile plains. About half the land is cultivated, and yields barley, wheat, and other grains. Wine is made chiefly in the four largest islands. Olive oil is prepared mostly in Corfu and Zante. Currants, cotton, and flax are also produced. Shipbuilding is an important industry. As a group the islands are rich in natural advantages. Although the soil of all may be characterized as barren, still the vine will grow when planted, even in loose stones, and the labor expended is repaid a hundred fold. With corn, wine, and oil in abundance, having coasts indented with innumerable small bays and creeks, and situated in the highway of the European nations, the islands exert considerable influence on Greece, with which they combined in 1863, and formed the United Kingdom. It is said that Corfu is the most beautiful, Cephalonia the largest, Santa Maura the wildest, Zante the prettiest, and Ithaca the most romantic of the Ionian Islands. This last island is believed to be the one described by Homer, and selected by him as the home of the wise Ulysses. The views of Corfu, obtained on approaching it from the sea, are extremely grand. But, after visiting Zante, and seeing its excellent drainage, and taking note of the industry which has caused the Cephalonians to cultivate every nook of their Black Mountain, one will not be surprised that the neighboring island, so much more richly endowed by nature, should be so inferior through the shiftlessness of men. The landing at Corfu, which is the principal town on the island of the same name, has a low, narrow, and dirty entrance, and is crowded with men and animals. Its architecture presents a most conglomerate appearance. On leaving the citadel, one sees the palace. Facing this is the esplanade, skirted on one side by a shady walk and on the other by a rather handsome row of houses. The town on the north side ends in the market place under Fort Neuf, where all merchandise is landed. The encircling street is called the "Line of Wall." The Jews still live separate in separate quarters, which in former times were closed with ponderous gates and guarded with detachments of soldiers, - so hostile was the feeling of the other inhabitants toward this much-persecuted race. The average Corfu peasant loves to lounge away his time in the market place, eager to hear every trifling piece of news. He is utterly devoid of ambition and is extremely lazy, being satisfied to subsist upon what nature provides for him. Bread, salt fish, and the olive form his daily food. The oil of the olive gives him light, and its wood supplies him with fuel. His wife weaves cloth from coarse cotton or brown goat's hair, and thus supplies him with sufficient clothing. The greatest exertion he ever makes is when he goes to town once a week. This journey he accomplishes on the back of his faithful mule, while his patient wife trudges along behind on foot, carrying the household bundle. Besides Sunday, the Greek Church enjoins the keeping of numerous holidays, which are usually the saints' days of some favorite church. On such days, the people assemble and make presents to their priests. The chief festival occurs on Ascension Day. Many booths are then erected throughout the olive groves. Jars of wine are kept in constant circulation, and lambs roasted whole are quickly divided among the hungry people. After the feasting, the dancing begins, and it is then that the ancient native costumes of the women are worn and are seen to the greatest advantage. In one village the women wear blue satin jackets, having open bosoms covered with white embroidered cambric. The dress skirt, also of white cambric, is cut short and embroidered, and shows to excellent advantage the velvet slippers which are adorned with large silver buckles. The women of another village wear black and red jackets, with red stockings and black velvet slippers with gold buckles. In each village the women wear the style of dress adopted by their society; and, no matter what it may be, it always shows off well in contrast with that of the men, which is made of brown goat's wool. These festivals are the only occasions on which the women are allowed to mix freely in public. Funerals are conducted in a manner quite different from our own. On the way to the grave, the priest, dressed in his gayest robes, walks on ahead, chanting the service. He is followed by several young boys carrying lights, banners, and images. Then comes the open bier, the deceased being dressed in his best clothes. The mourners and friends follow. The Greek cemetery is clean and well kept, the abode of the dead forming, in this respect, a striking contrast to that of the living. The peasant's home usually consists of two dark rooms on the ground floor. A large part of one of these is taken up by an oven, while the corners serve as receptacles for all sorts of things. The other room, which has but one small opening for the admission of light and air, is used as a sleeping room by the women and children. Over this room is a sort of loft, with a floor of loose reeds, which is reached by means of a ladder, and is used as a sleeping room by the men, who, wrapped up in their cloaks, sleep in any corner they find convenient. But all of the people are not as poor as this. The house of the farmer, though not differing much externally from that of the peasant, is really much more commodious and much better furnished. The entry serves as both cellar and general storeroom, and a score of large casks for wine and oil are ranged along each side. A proper stairway leads into the upper story, which is divided into two rooms. That devoted to the women is of large size. Besides the large bed, which is about seven feet square, it contains several old Venetian chests, in which are the household linen and the costumes worn only on feast days. These chests are ornamented with rich carving. Two mirrors, several pictures of Greek saints, and the wedding wreath of the housewife adorn the walls. There are tables, benches, and chairs, and the room appears both comfortable and substantial.