rowd of quail-shooters; there
happened to be a flight of quails, so the fire kept up very much
resembled a field-day on Southsea Common. I was hit all over with (thank
goodness!) very small shot, and made a rapid retreat to save my skin
from perforation.

However, going some distance along the coast, away from the enemy, one
may at times get capital sport during the months of September and
October; for example, a single gun may bag a hundred and fifty to two
hundred quails in a day.

After the quail comes the partridge shooting, which is very good,
especially in the islands of the Turkish archipelago, where there are
great numbers of red-legged partridges affording famous sport.

To properly enjoy the shooting in Turkey a yacht is necessary, as the
best of it is to be found in the islands and near to the sea-coast, in
places quite inaccessible to roads.

For example, the islands of Mitros, Lemnos, and Mytelene abound in
partridges, and the shooting there is really capital.

Either by bringing a yacht from England, or by hiring one at
Constantinople, the real sportsman may have great amusement while
shooting, with Constantinople as headquarters. He will find in Asia
Minor deer of all descriptions, wild boars and wolves. Then he will have
capital sport with geese, ducks, woodcocks and partridges, and snipe.

Occasionally he must rough it somewhat while sleeping in villages some
little distance from the sea-coast for a night or two, instead of
retiring on board his floating home, and on this head I would give a
word of advice to the sportsman. Always take up your quarters in a
Turkish village, if possible, in preference to a Greek village. At the
former you will find the traditional hospitality of the Oriental, even
among the very poor people, practised in every sense of the word; whilst
in the latter you will be _exploite_ (there is no English word that
signifies as well what I mean) to the last degree, even to the pilfering
of your cartridges.

I have seen on arriving at a Turkish village every one vie with the
other, and doing their very utmost to make the sportsman and his party
comfortable. I have seen 'harems,' such as they are, cleaned out and
prepared as a sleeping apartment, all the inmates huddling together in
some little corner. I have remarked one old woman arrive with a couple
of eggs, another with what was perhaps her pet fowl, to be sacrificed at
the altar of hospitality--in fact, only one idea seeme