154 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



ranee of modern Greek protected me against inter- 

 minable political discussions. His unpicturesque form 

 usually obtruded itself in the foreground of the most 

 admirable views, while his observations profaned the 

 most romantic places. I could not venture to be any- 

 thing but perfectly polite to him, lest he should make 

 matters unpleasant in some way. He was the cause 

 of my being talked about in an unknown tongue 

 on all occasions, to my own entire exclusion from 

 any share in the conversation. The next day, 

 however, he returned, saying that he had been misin- 

 formed about the steamer, and that he was going to 

 accompany me again ; but, on the whole, I had found 

 a dragoman to be a mistake, and the next boat took 

 him back to Stamboul, notwithstanding his vehement 

 protestations. 



After procuring the necessary circular letter, in 

 modern Greek, to the different monasteries, I set out 

 with a couple of mules for the baggage, and com- 

 menced my round of visits with Russikon, where 

 I spent the night, attending part of the services per- 

 formed in its two churches, one in Greek, the other 

 in Slavonian. Thence I visited Xeropotamo ; the 

 remarkably situated monastery of Simopetra founded 

 by St. Simon the hermit in the thirteenth century; 

 and that of S. Gregorio. 



In the large guest-chamber of the latter monastery, 

 as in several others of the monasteries, a lamp is 

 always kept burning in front of a shrine. I was much 

 amused at the conduct of an old monk who greatly 



