214 MOUNT ATHOS. 



that can be conceived. * The spectator looking down, feels as if he 

 were suspended over a gloomy abyss ; the forests, nox nemorum, and 

 craggy rocks beneath his feet, add to the solemnity of the scene. On 

 turning the eyes upwards, the summit of Athos presents itself, covered 

 with snow. The moon and stars in this clear atmosphere seemed to 

 have a peculiar splendor, and the planet Venus shone with an extra- 

 ordinary brilliancy of light. 



The Hegoumenos or Abbot of the convent was absent, having been 

 sent for to Chariess, to assist at a meeting of the chiefs of the Holy 

 mountain, to take into consideration a firman that had just been re- 

 ceived from the Porte, demanding a supply of ship timber for the 

 arsenals of the Grand Signor. As the Monks possess no means of 

 transporting it to the sea, they would have to make a commutation 

 for the required service by paying a large sum of money. We were 

 told that this monastery had become bankrupt during the administra- 

 tion of its late Hegoumenos, and had incurred a debt of thirty-five 

 thousand piastres l in consequence of which all its moveables, church- 

 plate, and other articles were sold, and the Governor and Monks 

 expelled. After remaining some time abandoned, a new Epitropos 

 has been sent from Wallachia to restore it, and we had heard so high a 



* Extract from Dr. Sibthorp's Journal. 



" Sept. 28. — We were still detained at anchor in the bay of Daphne ; we rowed in our 

 boat to the convent of St. Nicholas, situated on a rock projecting over the sea. The mo- 

 nastery had been burnt down some years since, and lately rebuilt. To vary the scene, we 

 determined to return to the bay by land ; we began our walk attended by two caloyers ; a 

 meandering way, hewn through the rocks, which were covered with evergreen shrubs, con- 

 ducted us in an hour to the convent of Simopetra. The venerable Hegoumenos stood at 

 the gate and bade us welcome. We were led by him through many a winding path to the 

 tower of his castellated monastery. Romance has not figured a situation more wild and 

 picturesque ; here was a sublimity of scenery beyond what I ever recollected to have seen. 

 The eye commanded avast expanse of the JEgean sea; distinguished clearly numerous 

 islands that were scattered in it ; surveyed the Gulf of Athos, and returning back to the 

 wooded region of the mountain, beheld the deepened dell, above which boldly rose to a 

 tremendous height the craggy precipice on which this building was raised." 



