The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-08-25
A Queer Community,

A correspondent Of the Boston Con-
gregationdlist has discovered communi-
ty, numbering at present about 1000
souls, which has honrished for many
centuries, though no woman has ever
been permitted or known to set foot in
the country. Few of the inhabitants,
he says, have any definite idea of what a
woman is. The whole class of ideas and
sensations ordinarily associated with the
words mother, sister, wife and sweet.
heart are to them unknown; and, what
is equally singular, crime is also un.
known. or nearly 80, while On every side
are to be seen evidences of Temperance,
piety aud good order. What Anthony.
Stanton, Woodruff & Company will saw
to this most outrageous, diabolical state
OF things must be left to the imagina.
tion. We can only repeat the account
as we got it, and will leave the DESTROY
ing of the community to the wronged
suffragists.
The home of this eccentric but happy
people is in the Easternmost of the
three peninsulas which project from the
North coast Of the Greek Archipelago.
It was anciently called Acte, now Monte
Sancto, and is about forty miles in
length, and from two to nine miles
across. 1t terminates in Mount Athos,
q conical mass of limestone rising abrupt
ly to a height of $500 feet. Between
this bold headland and the coast is q
beautiful plateau, clothed throughout
with woodland, which is gay with flowers,
rlch with odors, merry with song birds,
and canopied by the brightest OF all blue
skies. The cultivated fields are oil di-
yereifed with groves Of oak and chest
nut. while olive and fig trees are there
indigenous. To this secret paradise the
sons, but rot the daughters, of Eve are
admitted, and such has been the custom
as far back as history reaches, the PENN
sula being religiously guarded ut all
points against the approach of woman,
no matter how saintly she might be.
The territory has been conseorated to
monastic confederation of Greek Chris
tians. They have twentythree converts,
and on the hill-aides and all through the
defiles and ravines are scattered inpume-
rabie crosses md retreats, cells and her,
mitages. Though these conyentuel
houses are bound together by the tie of
religious seclnsion, the history of each
is independent. Two of these mopaste-
ries claim Constantine as their founder.
two others the Empress Pulcheria Moi
one of the twenty-three dates its fonn.
dation later than the twelfth century
These fraternities had the prudence to
submit to Mohammed II, prior to the
fall OF Constantinopie, and received from
him promise OF protection, which has
{. been respected ever since. Though the
domain is part Of the Turkish Empire,
not rod of it is claimed in property by
the Sultan, or Mnasulman subject. An
annual tribute of $500 is paid by the
peninsula, toward which the different
societies contribute their share accord
ing to an assessment determined by their
representatives. Each convent sends q
deputy to diet, which manages general
interests. and holdsits sittings at Kayarr,
a small town occupied by carvers OF
CROSSES, and the residence Of solitary
Turkish official who collects the revenue.
The inmates are natives of every part
OF the Turkish Empire where the Greek
language is spoken, and are consigned
to the societies either in infancy or in
early life by their fanatical parents. The
first years are spent in tilling the land.
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