The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-10-05
A QUEER COMMUNITY.

A correspondent of the Boston Congrega.
| tt0Ratist has discovered community, number
ing about seven thousand souls, which has -four
lshed 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 woman
is. The whole class of ideas and sensations
ordinarily associated with the words mother,
sister, wife and sweetheart are to them un-
known, nearly so, while on every side are to
be seen evidences of temperance, piety and
good order. What Anthony, Stanton, Wood
hull d Co. will say to this most outrageous,
diabolical state of things, must be left to the
Imagination. We can only repeat the account
as we got it, and will leave the destroying of
the community to the wronged sutfragsts.
The home of this eccentric but happy peo-
pie is in the easternmost of the three peninsu-
las which project from the north coast of the
Greek Archipelago. 1t was anciently called
Acte, Monte Sancto, and is about forty miles
in length, and from two to nine miles across
1t terminates in Mount Athos, conical mass
of limestone, rising abruptly to height of
$500 feet. Between this bold headland and
the coast is beautiful plateau, clothed through
out with woodland with its gay flowers, rich
with odors, merry with song birds, and cano-.
pied by the brightest of all blue skies. The
cultivated fields are all diversified with groves
of OAK and chestnut, while olive and fig trees
are there Indigenous To this secret paradise
the sons, but not the daughters, of Eve are ad-
mitted, and such has been the custom as far
back as history reaches The peninsula is re-
ligiously guarded at all points against the ap-
proach of u woman, no matter how sanity she
might be.
The Territory has been consecrated to 4
monastic confederation of Greek Christians
They have twenty three converts. and on the
hllsides and ali through the jefles and ravines
are scattered innumerable crosses and retreats,
cells aud hermtages. Though these conven-
tual houses are bound together by the tie of
religious secluson, the history of each is in-
dependent Two of these monasteres claim
Constantine as their founder, two others the
Empress Pulcherla. Not one of the twenty
three dates its foundation later than the twelfth
century These fraternites had the prudcn ce
to submit 10 Mohammed III, prior to the fall of
Constantinople, and received from him prom
se of protection, which promise has been re-
spected ever since. Though the domain is
part of the Turkish Empire, not rod OF It is
claimed in property by the Sultan, or Mus
selman subject. An annual tribute Of 81 800
is paid by the peninsula, toward which the
cording to an assessment determined by their
representatives. Each convent sends deputy
To diet, which manages general interests.
aud holds lis Sttings n; kayars, small town
occupied by carvers of crosses, and the resi-.
dence of solitary Turkish official who COL
lccts 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 in
iHiancy or in early life by their fanatical par
onts. The first years are spent IN tllng the
land. tending the vines, helping in the house
work, or engaging in some handlcratt. For
three years the candidate is probatl0ner;
! then, II he has proved able to keep the monas-
tic vows, he receives his first tonsnre and be.
comes monk The discipline is severe-or.
dinary church services seven hours day, ex-
| traordinary fourteen, and sleep five. One
hundred aud tifty-nine days in the year they
have one meal only a day, and at this eggs,
cheese. fish. wine and oil are forbidden.
The prohibition against woman extends to
the sex universally. From time immemorial
no COW, mare goose, duck, hen, or female OF
any kind, has ever been permitted to make ac
auaintance with hill or valley, farm yard or
| Kitchen, in the Mount Athos territory. In
selecting meat for the table the greatest care
! IS taken 10 nave III oI lhe Hiale variety, anu u
body of soldiers is employed by the societies
to keep the sacred shores from being desecrat-
ed by the tread of any female whatsoever
Yet, in spite of all these stringent regulations
the birds continue to mate, and feminine fieas
and mosquitoes to rear their young. to the
everlasting scandal of all the pious old bache
lors on the peninsula. There are in the con
vents some good libraries, containing about
fifty thousand volumes in all, and manuscripts
seven hundred years old are by no means un
common. Altogether, these venerable male
nuns have Jolly time of it.