Photo by limma G. Cuminings 

 ROCK MONASTKRV OF MKGASPEL-^ON, THE MOST IMPORTANT IX GREECE, OX THE 



SIDE OF A GREAT CLIFF 



The buildings date from 1640. The monks derive their income from extensive lands in the 

 neighborhood and also from houses in Smyrna and Constantinople 



in Elis and other States, and with the 

 growing prosperity of Greece these lands 

 are rapidly increasing in value, making 

 Megaspelccon one of the richest monas- 

 teries in all Europe. About 140 monks 

 at present live here, not including those 

 whose duties, such as collecting the rents, 

 keep them much of the time away. They 

 have a government like that of a republic 

 and they elect their own abbot. 



Half way between Corinth and Patras 

 I had left the main railway and took a 

 cog-road that winds its way up a rocky 

 gorge to Kalavryta, on the northern edge 

 of Arcadia. 



"FJs ton Mcgaspclccon?" [For ^Nlegas- 

 peUxon?] I inquired, as I looked into the 

 already crowded combination car. (Dur- 

 ing my stay in Athens T had an Eng- 

 lish-Greek lady dictate 20 or 30 con- 

 venient phrases, which I had conned 



until I could utter them with some glib- 

 ness.) 



"Xai, nai" \ Yes, yes], was the answer, 

 and a youth of 20 crowded some rustics 

 over so as to give me the best that could 

 be had in the second-class compartment. 



I tried to enter upon a conversation, 

 but between my limited vocabulary and 

 the strong reserve of the youth the at- 

 tempt failed. However, as the train be- 

 gan to wriggle up one of the most pictur- 

 esque valleys of the PelopcMinesus, the 

 youth showed he had not forgotten me 

 by catching my arm and pointing to the 

 unusually fine view as the mountain tor- 

 rent burst through the sharply cleft rock. 



WII.VT IS THE RAILROAD ETIOL'ETTE? 



Two enthusiastic young Greeks in the 

 next seat also gave me some attention. 

 They were from .\tliens, on a holiday 



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