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“Usually there is a strong current around Cape Chelidonie and such big waves rose together with the wind that we almost got lost. We sailed four steps near the sheer rocks and left on the right the small hills of the rocks projecting into the sea. Our crew threw much bread into the water and knelt and prayed. When we inquired why they answered that it was an old custom. They think this cape was the most dangerous passage. As soon as we passed it we found ourselves amidst the high mountains of Caramanie that stop the winds and sailed along a pleasant serenity. There starts the most famous and the most dangerous bay of the Mediterranean, the Gulf of Satalie…
Called Attalie by the Turks, Satalie has always been considered one of the most beautiful cities in Asia Minor. It is located in the ancient region of Pamphylia and on the coast of the gulf named after herself, the most famous and the most dangerous bay of the Mediterranean. It has a very advantageous position as it rises on top of a rocky cliff and encircled with double fortifications reinforced with numerous towers. There is a big fortress on the water side, falling into ruins as the Turks have never repaired it. The harbor is small and can only house small boats; its shores are not safe because they are full of hidden rocks. As the sea is usually very choppy the galleys and ships have a hard time to pull by and especially anchor here. This gulf was not suitable for shipping for a very long time thanks to the highness of the sea until when Saint Helena returned from Jerusalem and threw into it one nail from the cross on which our Lord; then the storm ceased and the gulf did not get those storms again and became somewhat suitable for shipping.
In the olden days the interior of the city was divided with fortifications into three. Houses are poorly built and low while the streets are narrow but pleasant because all over are orange orchards stretching almost into the streets turning them into corridors.
The residence of the consul where we were hosted is the most charming place; the house was hewn into the rocks and all sorts of comfort were chiseled from the rocks. Waters came down the hill from three springs and passed through the house with a sweet murmur. One could see from this house the entire town, beautiful gardens and the sea. The mouth of the rocks is quiet but water drips continuously from its steep top, and there are nice greens here and there. So much so that one cannot think of a place of solitude more pleasant and quieter than this house. This lovely place hosted us for four days and they took us all around during these four days.
It is not possible to put into writing the beauty of this region and the delightfulness of the orchards outside the town; plains stretching two or three parasangs, planted, with orange, lemon, pomegranate, apricot and other similar trees, so densely that sun rays do not reach the ground, mostly reaching the height of our pear trees, the pleasant aroma diffusing around while watering the trees always on bloom and loaded with fruits, numerous creeks helping with the cool, altogether making this region into a paradise.
Most of the locals are Turks and many feoffee sipahis spend most of the year here in order to benefit from the nice air of Satalie and spend their time in this beautiful region which can be considered the most fascinating and the most fertile in the entire East Mediterranean. There a few Greeks as well and they have an archbishop and a quite beautiful church where they keep the bones of St. Nicholas, which they showed us with a great ceremony…”
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