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HYDRA (or SDRA, NIDRA, IDERO, &c.; an...

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Originally appearing in Volume V14, Page 33 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HYDRA (or SDRA, NIDRA, IDERO, &c.; anc. Hydrea)  , an island of
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Greece, lying about 4 M. off the S.E. coast of Argolis in the Peloponnesus, and forming along with the neighbouring island of Dokos (Dhoko) the
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Bay of Hydra . Pop. about 6200 . The greatest length from south-west to north-east is about 1 r m., and the
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area is about 21 sq. m.; but it is little better than a rocky and treeless ridge with hardly a patch or two of arable
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soil . Hence the
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epigram of Antonios Kriezes to the queen of Greece: " The island produces prickly
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pears in abundance, splendid sea captains and excellent prime ministers." The highest point, Mount Ere, so called (according to Miaoules) from the Albanian word for wind, is 1958 ft. high . The next in importance is known as the Prophet Elias, from the large convent of that name on its
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summit . It was there that the patriot Theodorus Kolokotrones was imprisoned, and a large pine tree is still called after him . The fact that in former times the island was richly clad with woods is indicated by the name still employed by the
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Turks, Tchamliza, the place of pines; but it is only in some favoured spots that a few trees are now to be found . Tradition also has it that it was once a well-watered island (hence the designation Hydrea), but the inhabitants are now wholly dependent on the rain supply, and they have sometimes had to bring
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water from the mainland . This lack of fountains is probably to be ascribed in
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part to the effect of earthquakes, which are not infrequent; that of 1769 continued for six whole days . Hydra, the chief
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town, is built near the
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middle of the
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northern coast, on a very irregular site, consisting of three hills and the intervening ravines . From the sea its white and hand-some houses
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present a picturesque appearance, and its streets though narrow are clean and attractive . Besides the
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principal harbour, round which the town is built, there are three other ports on the north coast—Mandraki, Molo, Panagia, but none of them is sufficiently sheltered .

Almost all the

population of the island is collected in the chief town, which is the seat of a bishop, and has a
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local court, numerous churches and a high school . Cotton and
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silk
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weaving, tanning and
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shipbuilding are carried on, and there is a fairly active trade . Hydra was of no importance in ancient times . The only fact in its
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history is that the
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people of Hermione (a city on the neighbouring mainland now known by the
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common name of Kastri) surrendered it to Samian refugees, and that from these the people of Troezen received it in
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trust . It appears to be completely ignored by the
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Byzantine chroniclers . In z58o it was chosen as a
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refuge by a
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body of Albanians from Kokkinyas in Troezenia; and other emigrants followed in 1590, 1628, 1635, 1640, &c . At the close of the 17th century the Hydriotes took part in the reviving commerce of the Peloponnesus; and in course of time they extended their range . About 1716 they began to build sakturia (of from ro to 15 tons burden), and to visit the islands of the
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Aegean; not long after they introduced the latinadika (40-5o tons), and sailed as far as Alexandria, Constantinople, Trieste and Venice; and by and by they ventured to France and even
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America . From the grain trade of south Russia more especially they derived
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great
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wealth . In 1813 there were about 22,000 people in the island, and of these 10,000 were seafarers . At the time of the outbreak of the war of Greek independence the
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total population was 28,190, of whom 16,46o were natives and the rest foreigners . One of their chief families, the Konduriotti, was worth £2,000,000 .

Into the struggle the Hydriotes flung themselves with rare

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enthusiasm and devotion, and the final deliverance of Greece was mainly due to the service rendered by their fleets . See Pouqueville, Voy. de In Grece, vol. vi.; Antonios Miaoules, 'Twhµvriµa siEpl riffs vifeov "TSpas (Munich, 1834); Id . Evvo7rrucii ieropia r 'v vav,2axtWV SIG, rWv s-Xoiwv r,'v rplwv vi)elilv, "TSpas, IIErcrws sal 'Yapiav (
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Nauplia, 1833); Id . 'Ieropia rte viieov "TSpas (Athens, 1874); G . D . Kriezes, 'Ieropia rift vifeov "TSpas (Patras, 1860) .

End of Article: HYDRA (or SDRA, NIDRA, IDERO, &c.; anc. Hydrea)
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