206 MOUNT ATHOS. 



distilled from plants, common knives and forks, (on the horn handles 

 of which they engrave, with aqua-fortis, a series of ancient Greek 

 moral adages,) compose their principal labours. The trade of making 

 manuscripts is still practised by them ; many devout pilgrims 

 preferring a psalter or prayer-book written by a hermit on the Holy 

 mountain to the clearest printed copy. Women are prevented from 

 coming to the town, as well as from visiting any of the convents ; 

 nor is any Musulman permitted to have a shop there. The situation 

 of the Turkish governor at Chariess, although certainly far from com- 

 fortable, is very lucrative. During his residence there he is deprived 

 of his harem, and we saw only one Turkish servant waiting on him ; 

 but during the two years of his superintendance, he will have amassed 

 a sum sufficient to give him pretensions to the post of Bostangee 

 Bashi, or commander of the Sultan's life-guards. The monks seem 

 to have been successful in converting him from one Mahometan 

 prejudice at least ; for he now drinks wine as freely as any Greek 

 in the empire. 



From this town, where the voice of women and the cries of 

 infants are never heard, we proceeded to the adjoining convent of 

 Coutloumoussi. It is situated in the midst of gardens, and meadows, 

 and the buildings are in good repair. There are about sixty caloyers 

 within the walls of the convent, and the principal Hegoumenos was 

 a polite, accomplished scholar. We visited the library the morning 

 after our arrival, but found it composed principally of printed books. 

 We took a catalogue of such manuscripts as were among them, near 

 forty of which are of the Gospels. One of them is in uncial 

 characters, but with accents ; and some others seemed more ancient 

 than those of Batopaidi, and are beautifully illuminated. We saw 

 also a few copies of the Acts of the Apostles, and of some of the 

 works of the Greek fathers ; a number of Liturgies, Menaia, and 

 other ecclesiastical rituals, but not a shred of a classical author. 



On our leaving the convent, we were accompanied to the gate by 

 the principal caloyers and Hegoumenos, and saluted with a discharge 

 of their cannon. We were escorted by a caloyer and guards ; but 



