THE XANTHIAN MARBLES*. DURING my travels in Asia Minor, in the Spring of 1838, I was so much struck by the beauty and peculiarity of the architectural remains on the coast of the province of Lycia, that I determined if possible to penetrate into the interior of the country. Observing from the works of Colonel Leake and others that the valley of the Xanthus would probably be found to contain ancient cities, and that it had never yet been explored, I commenced my researches at Patara, and within a few miles up the valley discovered the extensive and highly interesting ruins of Xanthus, the former capital of Lycia. I afterwards found another large city, whose situation alone would point it out as the most beautiful of ancient sites: this by inscriptions I found to be the city of Tlos: other piles of ruins I saw and heard of in the mountains, but I was unprepared to remain longer in the country. The manuscript of the following pages was prepared as a register of the incidents connected with the acquisition of the Xanthian Marbles by the British Museum, and, had not circumstances induced its publication, would have been deposited among the records of that Institution. London, December 14, 1842. C. F. British Museum, and they, in the Spring of 1839, at my urgent request, applied to Lord Palmerston to ask of the Sultan a firman or letter, granting leave to bring away some of the works of ancient art which I had discovered. In the autumn of 1839, finding that I could gain no information from books of the interesting district which I had visited, I again left England for Lycia, more fully prepared for a re-examination of its geography and works of art. To secure an accurate representation of the latter, I took with me Mr. George Scharf, a young English artist. Anticipating the possession of the firman from the Sultan, I offered to the Trustees of the British Museum my personal services while in Lycia, in pointing out the most desirable objects to remove. From Smyrna I wrote to Lord Ponsonby, our ambassador at Constantinople, to urge the importance of obtaining the firman by the Spring of 1840, and requesting that it might be forwarded to the ship, ordered by the Government to be at Rhodes on the 1st of May. On the 12th of May I found at Rhodes the following letter from Lord Ponsonby : Sir, "March 7th, 1840. "I have had the honour to receive your letter of the 23rd of February, and immediately made application to the Sublime Porte for a firman, such as you desire to have, but I regret to say the Porte objects to the extent and to the generality of the demand, and I am much afraid I shall not be able to obtain what you want: I will do all in my power. There are other obstacles, besides what I have mentioned, of a nature that I cannot explain to you. Should I succeed, I will send the firman to Smyrna, to Her Majesty's Consul. I have no means of sending it to you. "I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient, humble servant, "PONSONBY." At this period I had discovered thirteen other cities in Lycia, and each containing works of ancient art. Returning to England, I again laid before the public my Journal, and with increased zeal the Government applied to Lord Ponsonby; but it was not until October 1841 that the Trustees of the Museum received information that the firman was at last obtained, and was left in the hands of the Consul at Smyrna, at the same time urging the necessity of its being promptly acted upon, and stating the difficulties experienced in obtaining the document. I was applied to by the Museum to furnish forthwith full instructions as to what objects were to be removed, and to make maps, plans, and descriptions as to where each fragment was to be sought by the Captain of such of Her Majesty's ships as might be appointed to the service. I felt certain that the removal of one stone would bring to light others, probably better preserved and more valuable, and that the visible formed but a fraction of what might be obtained, but could not be enumerated in written orders, which might probably be only literally obeyed. With these feelings I wrote the following letter to the Secretary of the British Museum : "Dear Sir, "October 12th, 1841. "At the request of the Trustees of the Museum, I furnish written instructions for the finding the monuments about to be removed from Lycia. I feel that, should this expedition fail in any point, it will be from a want of local knowledge of the country and manners of the people; and as my interest in the works of art makes me feel almost responsible for their safety into our care, I write to offer my services to point out the objects for removal. There is little pleasurable in wintering in a tent, or in a sea-voyage at this season to a spot I have already twice visited; but I should hereafter regret any incompleteness in the expedition which I could have prevented. Of course I require no remuneration, and I pay my own expenses, but shall expect a free passage out and home in some of Her Majesty's packets, and rations with the officers. |