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See also:CEPHALONIA (Ital. Cefalonia, See also:ancient and See also:modern See also:official See also:Greek Cephallenia, Ke¢aXMvia) , an See also:island belonging to the See also:kingdom of See also:Greece, and the largest of those known as the Ionian Islands, situated on the See also:west See also:side of the mainland, almost directly opposite the Gulf of See also:Corinth. The name was traditionally derived from Cephalus, the See also:Attic See also:hero who was regarded as having colonized the island. The tradition, which is repeated by See also:Aristotle, is probably due solely to the similarity of the names (see J. G. Frazer, See also:Pausanias, i. 37, 6 See also:note). Pop. (1907) 71,235. Its extreme length is 31 m., and its breadth varies from about 20 M. in the See also:southern portion to 3 m. or less in the projecting See also:part, which runs parallel with the island of See also:Ithaca, at a distance of about 4 m: across the strait of Guiscardo or Viscaro. The whole island, with its See also:area of 348 See also:English sq. m., is covered with rocky hills of varying See also:elevation, the See also:main range See also:running from See also:north-west to See also:south-See also:east. The ancient See also:Mount Aenos, now Elato, See also:Monte See also:Negro, or the See also:Black See also:Mountain (53, 5 ft.), frequently retains the See also:snow for several months. It is not only the loftiest part of the sierra, but also the highest See also:land in the whole Ionian See also:group. The name " Black" was given from the darkness of the See also:pine See also:woods which still constitute the most striking feature in Cephalonian scenery, although their extent has been greatly curtailed by See also:fire. The See also:summit is called Megalo Soros. The island is See also:ill supplied with fresh See also:water; there are few permanent streams except the Rakli, and springs are See also:apt to fail in dry summers. In the western part of the island a gulf runs up from the south, a distance of about 7 m.; on its east side stands the See also:chief See also:town See also:Argostoli, with about to,000 inhabitants, and on its west side the See also:rival See also:city of Lixouri, with 6000. About a mile west of the town are the curious See also:sea See also:mills; a stream of sea water running down a chasm in the See also:shore is made to turn the wheels. About 5 M. from Argostoli is the See also:castle of St See also:George, a See also:building of Venetian origin, and the strongest fortification in the island. On an See also:eminence east-south-east of Argostoli are the ruins of the ancient Cranii, and Lixouri is See also:close to or upon those of See also:Pale; while on the other side of the island are the remains of See also:Samos on the See also:bay of the same name, of Proni or Pronni, farther south above the vale of Rakli and its blossoming oleanders, and of an unknown city near the See also:village of Scala. The ruins of this city include See also:Roman See also:baths, a See also:brick-built See also:temple, See also:rock-cut tombs, and See also:tessellated pavements; and Cranii, Proni and Samos are remarkable for stretches of Cyclopean and Hellenic walls, partly of the most irregular construction, and partly preserving almost unimpaired the results of the most perfect skill. The inhabitants of Cephalonia have all along been extremely active; and no slight amount of toil has been expended in the construction of terraces on the steep sides of the hills. Owing to the thinness of the See also:population, however, but a small proportion of the See also:soil is under cultivation, and the quantity of See also:grain grown in the island is comparatively-meagre. The See also:staple is the See also:currant, in the See also:production of which the island surpasses See also:Zante. The See also:fruit is smaller than that of the Morea, and has a See also:peculiar flavour; it finds a See also:market mainly in See also: For some See also:time it was administered for the See also:French See also:government, but in 1809 it was taken by the See also:British under See also:Cuthbert, See also:Lord See also:Collingwood. Till 1813 it was in the hands of See also:Major de Bosset, a Swiss in the British service, who displayed an industry and See also:energy in the repression of injustice and development of See also:civilization only outdone by the despotic vigour of See also:Sir See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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