THE MONASTERY. 127 



now an object of great adoration to the sailors 

 and pilgrims who visit it. Adjoining the mon- 

 astery, are the ruins of a Christian church, 

 evidently of great antiquity, as the style and 

 substantial character of the building, which ap- 

 pears to be of late Byzantine architecture, in- 

 dicate. Since its erection, the plain has in- 

 creased in elevation several feet, since the floor- 

 ing of this church as well as that of the little 

 church over the tomb, is five or six feet below 

 the present surface of the plain. Fellow com- 

 panions with ourselves in the monastery were a 

 Greek merchant and his family, from Almalee, 

 and a tinker. The latter seemed to have plenty 

 of occupation in resoldering and mending all 

 the old copper kettles of the neighbourhood. 

 The former united the three objects of a pil- 

 grimage to the shrine of St. Nicolo, recreation 

 for himself and family near the sea coast, and 

 doing a little business at the same time. The 

 Papas also does considerable business as a corn- 

 dealer, and owns about a dozen wooden gra- 

 naries, that stand on stone pedestals on the out- 

 side of the monastery, marking him as a man 

 of wealth in this country. Good natured and 

 shrewd, with no more education than the little 



