Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
SOME REMARKABLE TOWNS
One is Built on the Ocean and Another on
the Ice.
In AthOs There is Not n Female to
be Found Mountain of the
MOnks-A Curious Law.
From Household Words.

From Household Words.
The marine village of Tupuselei, in New
Guinea, would take a lot of beating on tho
score of singularity. Here the houses are
all supported on piles, and stand right out
in the ocean, some considerable distance
from the shore. The object of this strange
position is to protect the inhabitants
against sudden attacks of the dreaded
head-hunters, who are always on the look
out Tor victims. Other villages in this
happy land are perched up in all but mac
eessibIe trees, for the same weighty reason.
Another curious place is town without
name on one of the arms of Lake Huron
This consists of some 500 wooden huts
During the summer these little dwellings,
are hidden away in a clearing on shore,
ana the town contains not a single inhabi-
tant- But on the arrival of winter when
the lake is frozen over with q thick coating
or lce the owners Of the nuts arrive and
proceed to move their houses out on TO
the surface of the lake. The iloor of the
nuts Is taken up, and a hole cut through
the ice. Through these holes the residents
hsh, carrying on their operations until the
spring releases the lake from its icy bonds
when this extraordinary town is once more
broken up, the ShartieS go back to their
resting place, and the fishermen scatter
over the country. This place even boasts
a curing factory and a church. not to men,
non oeFtidi SdlOollS-dll on the Ice.
Athos town situated on promontory
on the coast of Macedonia, well deserves
the title of the most curious town in the
universe. The peninsula is known as THE
Mountain of the Monks" from the fact
that score or so of monasteries are dotted
about the rough hill sides or the valleys
IN these establishments dwell a numerous
bouy OF ascetics, kind and hosDitable to
wanderers. but full of superstition, and be-
lteving in the doctrine of separation to
wonderful degree.
The actual town, as distinct from its
monastfc environs, is called Caryes and
supplies the simple wants of the monks
Here are to be found streets of shops,
crowded bazaars, Furnishing trades and all
the hustle and energy of modern town.
But one thing soon strikes the visitor as
strange There is not a female to be seen
anywhere, for the gentler sex is vigorously
Danlshed from the place. Even the small
Turkish garrison from the commandant
down to the privates, consists of bache-
lors.
This extraordinary law is carried out even
among the domestic animals. Only the
wild birds evade 1t. and then only when
1ree, for no female bird is ever brought to
table; the fowl one has for dinner is sure
to be cockerel. For this unparalleled
state of affairs, there is only legend to
account. Although to our practical minds
fimsy to a degree, it is implicitly believed
IN by the inhabitants. 1t appears that IN
one of the chief monasteries on the pro-
montory there is a miraculous icon, which
rs picture or image sacred to members
of the Russo-Greek Church. This particu-
lar picture is a representation of the Vir-
gin, and the legend says that one day as
the Empress Pulchera, who had literally
endowed the church, as we'll as beautified
and restored it, was engaged in her devo-
tons. the Virgin spoke, asking what she,
a woman, was doing in the church. The
pious lady, no doubt amazed. did not reply.
whereupon the voice commanded her to
leave saying that the feet of a woman
should never again tread the floor The
empress probably surprised at the seeming
ingratitude of the speech as we'll as awe
struck, left the place, which no female has
since entered. How the prohibition thus
arbitrarily established came to comprehend
the length and breadth of the promontory
is not very clear AS a residence for bash
full bachelors, we should imagine, Athos
would be hard to surpass.