On the Topography of Halicarnassus. 351 Halicarnassus was likewise ruined and reduced to a small village, or hamlet, exposed to the mercy of Corsairs and pirates, which place exists to this day, and is named Mesy( k ). The Knights of St John of Jerusalem having retired to Rhodes, and seeing this place, which presents itself first to one passing straight from the island upon the continent, as defensible by nature, and very commodious for commanding Asia (Minor), for obtaining pro- visions from all that district, and for arresting the incursions of the pirates of Turkey and Egypt, builti 1 ) upon the right point of the harbour, where formerly, as we have before remarked, stood the Temple of Venus and Mercury, a castle, which is to be seen at present; they fortified, and called it St Peter's Tower. Induced as I believe to fortify ( m ) this coast, although the other point was a stronger situation, for the convenience of the beautiful and crystal fountain Salmacis, which flowed near*. In the year 1522, whilst the Sultan Soliman was preparing to attack the Rhodians, the Grand Master, knowing the importance of this place, and that the Turk would not fail to invade it at the first approach if he could, sent hither some of the Knights for the purpose of repairing it, and putting in preparation every thing which might be necessary in order to hold out against the enemy, among whom was the commander cle la Tourrette, a native of Lyons, who survived the taking of Rhodes, and came into France, where he gave, as I have already said, the relation to M. a" Alechamps, a person well known by his learned writings, and whom I only name, in order that it may be known from whom I have so remarkable a story. These knights having arrived at M6sy, immediately began to fortify the castle ; and in order to have time, not finding in the vicinity any stone more suitable for burning, nor any thing that was more easily obtained, than certain steps of white marble, which were raised in the form of a stylobate in the midst of a plain near the port, where was formerly the grand place {Agora) of Halicarnassus, they caused them to be pulled down and taken for this purpose. The stone being found good, was the reason why, the small quantity of stone-work that was seen on the ground having been destroyed, they caused diggings to be made deeper in hope of finding more.
- This view of the position of the erroneous. {Ross). So likewise is that of
fountain Salmacis on the East side of the Temple of Venus and Mercury, the harbour, is, as I have above shown, (/. H.)
