Asia Minor: Farewell to Constantinople, Brussa, ascent to Olympus and Troy

The inhabitants of the Princes' Islands catch a variety of fish of all kinds, also oysters and mussels. The game here is only migratory, there are few hares, and rabbits are not at all; Therefore, on the island that bears their name, they are countless. However, I didn’t see anything particularly exciting at Prinkinos; There are no ancient monuments. But the better dissolution of the air and the location are charming. Constantinople and the Azlyat coast are visible in the distance (). From Prinka- (°) If I had gone to Constantinople, then I wouldn’t have been able to live there; in the near future, the Europeans living there would be about four versts to Khalkis. I sailed there to inspect the Trinity Monastery. The abbot and his monks, gentle, hospitable people, lead a quiet and strict life. The monastery was built on a mountain, in the middle of the island; The view from it is beautiful! On the gates of the monasteries there is a painting depicting Heaven and Hell. There are many Muslims in hell; in heaven there are only monks, simple priests, and commoners in white dress. I told one monk that the Turks, seeing themselves in hell, might get angry; he answered me that this had happened more than once, but the monks always paid off with money, and they valued the painting so much that they would never agree to take it down. Is it because it is surprisingly poorly written and certainly not ancient? There are also Druma monasteries in Khalkis; there are two of them on Prinkipos, on the highest parts of the island; but I don’t have time to look around everything. In all these villages, dachas, neither in Balerad, nor in Buyuk-Dere, nor on the Evroneisky shore of the Bosphorus, although they are very stretchy. I would definitely choose a place on the Princes' Islands, or the charming Azatsk coast of the Bosphorus. In monasteries, brothers live modestly, one might say primordially; They are engaged in farming the crafts they need, and do not know any passions. Because of this, they are healthy and reach a ripe old age. The Turks do not disturb them and live with them in peace. The Natlarkh, who was exiled not long before my departure, known for his knowledge and adorned with good things, lived in the Trinity Monastery, where he was exiled. I did not have the honor to see him: he was very ill and ordered me to express his regret that he could not receive me.