Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-11-17
PERILoUs ASCENT.


Mr. Brown thus describes the curious
position and appearance of the second Of
the great monastic seats of Greece-the
monasteries of Meteora, and his ascent to
one of them -
In half an hour we reached narrow
ledge of rock, from which rises perpendi-
cularly cliff of near three hundred feet
high, on the summit of which is the mon
astery of the Holy Trinity. On the tops
of the neighboring pinnacles are placed
the converts of Meteora ESQ called, par
excellence, as the largest of all)-Berlaam
ESQ called after the founder, a Saint of the
Greek Calendar )-St. Stephen, and three
others of little note. l determined to as
cend to the Trinity, as the highest of all,
and at the same time the nearest to the
village. Besides the nets, the monaste-
ries are accessible by ladders of wood and
rope, made in several joints, and let down
over the face of the cliff from the mouths
of artificial tunnels in the rock, which
communicate with the lower parts of the
building. At night or when not requi-
red, these ladders are pulled up, and the
monks are entirely isolated from the world
below The ladders, are of course, inf
nitcly the most hazardous mode of ascent
or descent, as they are perfectly perpen-
dicular, and swing backward and forward
in the air with the least breath of wind
\ monk mounting by them looks like a
large black fly crawling on the face of the
precipice | preferred the net as in it
YOU resign yourself to the care of the ho-
" fathers, whereas on the ladders YOU
must trust TO your own nerve and steadl-
ness. The question is will you rely on
the Church, or in your own private judg-
mcnt? I fired off a pistol to attract
the attention of the monks, when,
long before the echo, reverbrated
by the cliff around, had died away over
Pindus, two or three toweled heads were
thrust out from under the covered plat
form projecting from the summit of the
rock, and which resembles the shed or
the top of lofty London warehouse
The rope, too, is worked in similar way
by puIlv and windlass. After reconnoi
tering us for moment, and seeing thai
we were not strong enough to carry then
monastery by coup de main, the monks
threw down what seemed a strong cab
bage-net, lowering at the same time g
thick rope, with an iron hook at its end
Nv ruide spread the net on the ground
and [ seated myself in it cross-legged.-
He then gathered the meshes together
over my head, and hung them on the
hook The monks above them worked
their windlass, and in about three minutes
and a-half reached the summit, a dis
tance of between two and three hundred
feet, swinging to and fro in the breeze,
and turning round like a joint of meat
roasting before slow fire. This incon-
venience might easily be prevented by
another rope held by IL person below, as
is done in the shafts of mines but that is
"A Cornish luxury which has not yet oc'
CURED to the good fathers. Of course
as l began to ascend, my weight draws
the net close, until my knees are pulled
up to my chin, and am rolled into bal
like hedgehog. The guide told me tc
shut my eyes to prevent giddiness; bu
| soon opened them, on feeling mysel
banging pretty sharply against the rough
side of the rock; 1 swung myself off agalr
by convulsive push of the knees. The
height is, indeed dizzy enough, for
could no longer see the narrow ledge
from which had started, nor the wind,
ing path which led to it, but looked right
down on the plain of Thessaly, one thou
sand feet or more beneath. During the
ascent, the rope occasionally slips
from one spoke to another on the windlas,
when, of course you fall like piece o.
lead for few yards, and are then caught
up with a disagreeable jerk. On reach
ing the level of the projecting shed above
you are left hanging for half minute
over the abyss, till the monks leave the
capstan, and fish you in with pole like
a boat-hook. They have no such contri
vances as turning crane for landing the
guests in fact, their machinery is alto
gether of a most primitive order. You
lie on the floor perfectly helpless ball
until they undo the meshes of the ne
from the hook, unroll you, give you :
gentle shake, and then help you to you,
feet