HENRY HOLLAND (PART B)
December 10, 1813. Our first contact with the pirates was on next morning when some of them were presented on the coast. Firstly we saw two of them with some fish in their hands, calling us to send a boat outside. Then three more pirates were presented, who had been surely hidden behind the shrubs of the coast. They stayed for some minutes and then they disappeared. On the next day the storm was less strong. At ten o’clock in the morning we risked to land by a boat, taking however care for any event. But the protection was not necessary, as we met only two shepherds, whose dressing and appearance showed that they were uncivil. Nevertheless they seemed to be satisfied to meet us. They offered us milk in a big wooden pot, as we offered them bread. They spoke an odd dialect of modern Greek language. They told us that their life was a routine on the islands, having to take care of the sheep and of their houses. They had come in Sarakino a few days ago and lived from time to time to other islands, in caves or in small cottages made from stones and wood. They informed us that some weeks ago the pirates were in this place, but now they should be probably on Skopelos. They knew nothing about the two persons we have met two days ago.
The island Sarakino, which our sailors call Spalmador, is a long rock from east to west. Its length is 8 miles and its width is approximately 2. The port is in the northern side of the island and it is a deep closed bay, protected by big rocks, while from the north it is protected by Chiliodromi. The depth close to land is 10, 15 and 20 fathoms (one fathom is the length of the outstretched arms). The depth between the two islands is 20 to 50 fathoms. The rock is limestone and looks like crystal marble without any marks from organic remnants. The highest place of the island is approximately 600 feet. Although the form of the island is deep, its surface is very rough and stony, where there are many arbute-trees and other kinds of shrubs. The fruits of the arbute-trees were at that season completely mature. We carried on the vessel a great deal of these fruits, which is an excellent dessert when eaten with goat-milk and sugar. This was a great satisfaction for us, because the provisions we had brought from Salonica in fresh food had been already exhausted.
I had one more day to wait, so this delay offered me the opportunity to follow the crew to an excursion with the boat to the west edge of the island Chiliodromi, where, as we have been informed by the shepherds, there was a small village. Two or three Greek sailors were in the boat with me, one of which was from Mystras. After sailing 6 or 8 miles between the two islands, we landed on the southern edge of the island and followed a path for 2 miles, reaching to the village. The length of this island is 20 miles, but it is very narrow. It is higher than Sarakino. Its ground is very rich and the whole island is covered by beautiful forests and shrubs.
A great part of the stones is white or yellow marble. In many places of the seashore I noticed many limestone rocks, inside which there were petrified shells. On the sand I found many sponges as well as the plant “ scilia maritima” in great quantities, just like on Sarakino.
The village is on a hill in the west side of the island. The village has 150 houses, most of which are uninhabited. People leave the island after what they have suffered from the pirates. Mainly they eat fish, milk and meat of goat. I noticed that in two or three places there are cultivated fields, where people plow during this season. For this purpose they use bulls, just as in continental Greece. I visited alone some of these habitants, who were surprised to meet a stranger dressed with European clothes on their lonely island. They spoke to me politely and asked me if I had tobacco. I could not satisfy their wish. When I returned in England I have been informed that something bad happened on the coast of the island Chiliodromi, due to a misunderstanding between the captain of a British boat and local people. It is said that some of the crew have been killed during a quarrel.
Before we leave the island I went up on a hill, from where I could see the northern coast. From that place I had a marvelous view of the eastern side of Euboea and of all mountains in the central part of the island. The highest places of the mountains were snowed. Several islands of the Archipelago can be seen from this place. Sarakino with the “Brothers” and many other islands could be seen from here. Skopelos is in short distance to the west. The small island Skantzero is seen to the south. Behind this island I could see clearly the mountain crests of Skyros… Behind Sarakino the sea is open towards Lesbos, but the distance is so long that we cannot see its coasts.
There is a difficulty regarding the ancient geographical place of these islands and it is not exactly determined which islands had the names Peparithos, Ikos and Alonissos, mentioned by many ancient writers. Supposing that Skopelos was the ancient Peparithos, the names Ikos and Alonissos should correspond to Chiliodromi and Sarakino. However this hypothesis is doubtful.
On my return to the boat at night I met a shepherd who was waiting for me together with his son, a young boy who was suffering for many years by a permanent disease of the eyes, for which his father wanted to take my advise. He entered in my cabin and was noticing everything curiously, laughing some times – a behavior which is a characteristic of villagers. Neither the father nor the son had ever seen a clock, so this was odd and admirable to them.
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