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Show ISLAND WITH QUEER HISTORY a Cephalonla, In the Ionian Sea, Has Many Masters in 2,000 Years. The occupation of Osphalonla by French and British forces, for strategic strate-gic purposes, marked another cycle In the strange history of this little island in the Ionian sea which has played the role of Bhuttlecock in International diplomacy for more than two thousand years, says a Xaticnul Geographic society bulletin. With an area about three times as great as that of Martha's Mar-tha's Vineyard on the Massachusetts coast, f ephalonia is tho largest of tho seven Ionian islands. Tho origin of its settlement is shrouded in tho fascinating fasci-nating uncertainty of Homeric legend, but from tho year of Its surrender to tho Romans. 189 B. C, its history has been marked by a succession of ownership which would bewilder tho most astuto student of world politics. After tho Roman emperor Hadrian made a gift of the island to Athens, Cephalonla, and the six other islands of tho Ionian group, becamo "free and autonomous," but during tho ascendancy ascen-dancy of the Byzantine empire they were subject to Its power. The next chango camo In the eleventh century. While William tho Conqueror was engaged in establishing establish-ing himself firmly in tho British isles, another Norman. Robert Gulscard ("the Resourceful"), after conquering southern Italy, sailed to the Ionian Bea and captured Boveral of the islands, is-lands, preparatory to overthrowing the Greek empire. This remarkable adventurer ad-venturer died on tho Island of Cephalonla Cepha-lonla while engaged in quelling a revolt, re-volt, at a time when he seemed to have laid tho foundations for a Norman empire similar to that which William established in England. Following Robert Gulscard's invasion, inva-sion, Cephalonla passed In turn under the suzerainty of the princes of Taren-tum. Taren-tum. tho f!"e counts of Tocco, the republic re-public of Veiiice. the ravaging corsairs of Greece and Naples, tho Turks, the Spanish-Venetian allies. Venice again, France, the Russo-Turklsh allies, the French and tho British. Great Britain Bri-tain finally relinquished its protectorate protector-ate and ceded tho Islands to Greece after the latter had allowed tho Court of St. James to name a brother of tho princess of Wales as king of tho Hellenes Hel-lenes In 18012. Tho chief city of Cephalonla is Ar-gostoli. Ar-gostoli. which has an excellent harbor and which is especially noted for its curious sea mills, operated by a current cur-rent of sea water flowing through a chasm in tho rocky shore. Across the bay from Arjostoli is tho rival port of Luxouri. Cyclopean and Hellenic walls are still standing on the sites of tho ancient an-cient cities of Cranii, I'roni, and Sanies, Sa-nies, w4iilo a few miles beyond Argos-toli Argos-toli thero rises a relic of Venetian days, tho sUongly fortified castle of St. George. Tho Cephalonians. who are mentnlly alert and who are more purely Creek than the inhabitants of any of the other oth-er islands of tho Ionian group, have shown great ingenuity and industry in building terraces for the cultivation of the vino and olive. Ono cf tho chief products of tho Island Is a peculiarly flavored currant which finds a ready market In Holland. Belgium and Germany. Ger-many. In addition to tholr agricultural agricul-tural pursuits, the Cephalonians are Interested in shipbuilding, silk spinning, spin-ning, basket making and the manufacture manufac-ture of enrpets. An odd lace, made of aloe fiber, is exported. Elato, also known as Monte Negro (Black Mountain), which Is more than G.000 feet high, gets Its name from the dark pine forests which clothe its slopes. |