GREEK MONKS. 113 



countless tops of barren wild hills, giving it an 

 almost volcanic appearance.''^ 



In the convent are now only two caloyers or 

 monks of the Greek Church. It is said to have 

 been formerly very wealthy. The principal, an 

 old man, who did not recollect whether he was 

 sixty or seventy years old, saying he had only the 

 life God gave him, and that he did not know how 

 long he had lived, nor care how long he might 

 live, told us he remembered Lord Byron, and 

 inquired of us if it were true that Lord Byron 

 had written concerning the convent. 



Whilst taking our luncheon in the caloyers' 

 room, we saw the schoolmaster of the neighbour- 

 ing village, who gave us a good account of the 

 progress of education there, telling us he had 

 seventy scholars, all Greeks. No Turks except 

 the government officers reside in the village. 



The monks of the Greek Church are called 



* Byron, in his description in Childe Harold of " Monastic 

 Zitza," calls the river which flows in the valley beneath, " Black 

 Acheron."* It is the River Thyamis or Calamas which flows 

 past Zitza ; the river commonly called Acheron, is that which, 

 running past Suli, falls into the sea near Parga. 



* Childe Harold, canto ii. stanza 51. 



