2 lbs.) of grapes and a few tomatoes, intending them for
our mess, but I could not resist the grapes, I had an overpowering
longing for fruit, and ate most of them, skins, stones and all, on my
way back. I have tried to take up a bet to eat 2 lbs. against every
lb. eaten by anyone in the mess.

The hills and valleys I have not yet visited, but these look inviting.
We are encamped on an extensive dead level between the sea and the
hills.

_September 11th._--I had a walk with Stephen last night, just before
dark, to a hill about a mile off. From the top we were able to get a
good idea of the beauties of Imbros. Except for the stretch where we
are encamped, the whole island is one mass of rough, volcanic
mountains, with narrow, fertile flats, carefully cultivated and
bearing healthy, looking fig, olive, and other trees. A large herd of
goats, wending their way home down a narrow track between rugged
hills, away down below us, all with their bells tinkling, made a fine
picture of a peaceful evening scene. As we sat and smoked beside a
towering pinnacle of volcanic rock a raven went sailing past us, with
his croak, croak. I remember Professor McGillivray, in his "Natural
History of Deeside," describes what was perhaps a not altogether
dissimilar scene among the Cairngorms, and addressing a raven on a
rock beside him calls him "poor fellow".

_September 12th._--Did nothing in particular to-day. We had church
parade in the afternoon, Padre Campion officiating, and a mail
consisting almost entirely of parcels, every second one smashed up
till it could not be delivered. Stephen and I have arranged to go to
Panagheia to-morrow, and we walked out to a spot at the foot of the
hills to order ponies, donkeys, or whatever they had, for our trip.
When there an old Greek came riding in on a donkey with two panniers
full of grapes, to which he asked us to help ourselves, they cost him
nothing and he would make us welcome to as many as we liked at the
same price. I ate a pound at least and still felt hungry. He said when
this island was Turkish the taxes were very heavy, then the Greeks
came along and they became worse, but he had been a sailor and a good
deal in England, so he always swore to the tax collector that he was
an Englishman and exempt from all taxes, so he has never paid a penny.
We got more grapes from him, by purchase this time, big, luscious ones
at 6d per kilo. We ate at our hardest while the Greek looked out big