atchway enjoying the glorious prospect, and making my toilette with the
deck for a dressing-table, to the great admiration of the Greek
crew, who were a perfect contrast to my former Turkish friends, for they
did nothing but lounge about and chatter, and give orders to each other,
every one of them appearing unwilling to do his own share of the work.

[Illustration: GREEK SAILOR.]

We steered for a tall square tower which stood on a projecting marble
rock above the calm blue sea at the S.E. corner of the peninsula; and
rounding a small cape we turned into a beautiful little port or harbour,
the entrance of which was commanded by this tower and by one or two
other buildings constructed for defence at the foot of it, all in the
Byzantine style of architecture. The quaint half-Eastern half-Norman
architecture of the little fortress, my outlandish vessel, the brilliant
colours of the sailors' dresses, the rich vegetation and great tufts of
flowers which grew in crevices of the white marble, formed altogether
one of the most picturesque scenes it was ever my good fortune to
behold, and which I always remember with pleasure. We saw no one, but
about a mile off there was the great monastery of St. Laura standing
above us among the trees on the side of the mountain, and this
delightful little bay was, as the sailors told us, the scarricatojo or
landing-place for pilgrims who were going to the monastery.

We paid off the vessel, and my things were landed on the beach. It was
not an operation of much labour, for my effects consisted principally of
an enormous pair of saddle-bags, made of a sort of carpet, and which
are called khourges, and are carried by the camels in Arabia; but there
was at present mighty little in them: nevertheless, light as they were,
their appearance would have excited a feeling of consternation in the
mind of the most phlegmatic mule. After a brisk chatter on the part of
the whole crew, who, with abundance of gesticulations, all talked at
once, they got on board, and towing the vessel out by means of an
exceeding small boat, set sail, and left me and my man and the
saddle-bags high and dry upon the shore. We were somewhat taken by
surprise at this sudden departure of our marine, so we sat upon two
stones for a while to think about it. "Well," said I, "we are at Mount
Athos; so suppose you walk up to the monastery, and get some mules or
monks, or something or other to carry up the saddle-bags. Tell them th