The Sun Was Hot
By The Time We Had Concluded Our Beat; I Had Shot Five Brace And One
Hare, Including Some Francolins; And The Rest Of The Party Had
Collectively Bagged Three Brace.
It was late in the season for shooting,
but the birds were not all paired, and I have no doubt that in the month
of September this portion of the island would afford fair sport,
although no great bags could be expected.
I was surprised at the absence
of woodcocks; throughout my rambles in Cyprus I had only seen one,
although they were cheap in the market of Larnaca. The fact is that
every bird shot by the natives is sent straight for sale; therefore an
immense area is hunted for the small supply required by the Europeans in
the principal towns. Upon our return homewards we passed through a
considerable space occupied by ancient ruins. Among the masses of stones
and broken pottery were two stone sarcophagi, which appeared to have
been converted into drinking-troughs for cattle. As with all the ruins
of Cyprus, nothing of interest exists upon the surface, and the tombs
having been for many centuries excavated and despoiled, it is probable
that the sarcophagi had been brought to light by treasure-seekers many
years ago.
As we approached Gallibornu by a mountain path the Turks assured me that
we should find good drinking-water; we were all thirsty, including the
dogs, who had drunk nothing for some hours. At length, at a considerable
elevation between two hills, we reached a spring, and I was shown a well
where the water was only a few feet from the surface.
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