A BIDE ACKOSS THE PELOPONNESE. 183 



afternoon, we found it was too late to get on to 

 Megalopolis, the next point in our journey ; so we 

 were forced to pass another night in our old quarters. 



We amused ourselves till dusk by wandering 

 through the village. There was only one street 

 worthy of the name, and this was narrow, steep, 

 and winding. Over the shops .were wooden pent- 

 houses, protruding so far on each side as almost to 

 cover the whole breadth of the street. The shops in 

 question were merely a succession of general "stores," 

 each containing the same endless variety of wares, 

 from tallow candles to silk handkerchiefs from 

 knives and olives to cigarettes and clothing of all 

 kinds. The man of fewest trades was the barber, 

 who employed the moments he could spare from his 

 trade and gossip in making boots. 



We noticed that the people were all buying yellow 

 tapers, and on inquiry, learnt that these were for the 

 early Easter service next day (Easter Sunday, old 

 style). To this we went out soon after two o'clock 

 in the morning, picking our way along the rough 

 streets by the feeble light of a lantern to the little 

 church whose monotonous bell was summoning wor- 

 shippers from all the houses round. I am afraid I 

 cannot venture to describe the service. I remember 

 only that the glare of tapers as we came in from the 

 darkness almost blinded me for a time ; and that 

 before long the combined smell of these tapers and 

 of incense, together with the monotonous drone of 



