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. xjj.j T HE M ONASTERY OF TROODITISSA. 319 occasionally lost at intervals, it guided the party on their way. Upon arrival at the cave, there was no I inhabitant. A lamp burnt before a small effigy of •the Virgin Mary suspended against the wall of iock, but no trace of human foot or hand could be discovered. Such is the legend ; and the inexplicable mystery caused much excitement and agitation in the minds of the Church authorities. A t length it was deter mined that, as the apparition of the light was mira culous, it was incumbent upon the people to erect a monastery upon the site of the appearance, contiguous to the now sacred cave. This was an extreme difficulty, as the inclination formed an angle of about 6o°, and the mountain was hard gneiss that could only have been scarped by expensive blasting. However, it was hoped that a blessing would attend the good work ; therefore, in spite of all obstacles, it was commenced, and masons were engaged from the village of Phyni to arrange a foundation. There was no water nearer than the torrent in the deep hollow half a mile below, therefore extreme labour was required in mixing the mortar for the walls; the jars in which the necessary water was conveyed upon men's shoulders up the precipitous rocks appeared to be influenced by some adverse, but unseen, agency, as they constantly slipped from their hold and broke. During the night the work which the masons had accomplished in the day fell down, and was discovered every morning as a heap of ruin; the building could not proceed. In this perplexity the Church was relieved by a supernatural interposition. Early one morning a jar of pure water

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