bunches that could be tied together, and for these he wanted, in Greek
fashion, to charge an extra 3d. "Damn you for a greedy devil," says
Stephen, we dived into his pannier and each had another big bunch,
paid him, and returned to camp where we had a really good
dinner--roast chicken stuffed with oatmeal and onions, beans, stewed
pears, Vermouth, and three half bottles of champagne (from the Medical
Comforts pannier!), then port and nuts (the former from ditto), and
ended with cigars and Egyptian cigarettes. We had not dined so well
since we left Alexandria.

I believe to-day is the first day since we left England on March 18
that we have not seen the sun. As we were leaving the pony depot we
fell in with Atlee of the Munsters who had been at Panagheia, and he
says a pony is no use except for a bit of "swank," you have to walk
practically the whole way beside your animal.

Thomson went into hospital to-day. He has been ailing for some weeks,
and looks thin and far from well.

_September 13th._--A red letter day. Last night we had a few showers,
and in the morning as the sky was overcast we at first decided not to
go to Panagheia, but as the blue sky began to break through by 9 we
set off and were mounted on our shelties by 10. These we picked up at
the edge of the mountains, beyond the camping ground. A dozen or two
of animals--ponies, donkeys, and mules--were ready saddled, the owner
of each pushing his way forward when he saw a likely customer coming
along, eager to display the good points of his animal. I got astride a
pack saddle, a wonderful structure of substantial sticks and raw hide,
with a big, comfortable cushion on the top, for stirrups a piece of
rope, and bridle the same, without bit, the rope being merely twisted
and knotted round the lower jaw.

We at once dipped into a deep valley, clothed on all sides in thick
shrubbery, with plenty of trees in the lowest part, along which there
was a tiny stream with occasional beautiful rocky pools. The trees
here and all along were principally olives, figs, mulberry, and a few
walnuts. The road was the merest track, littered with stones, and
wound up hill and down dale. At first it was so bad that I thought it
must surely lead soon to a better path, but little did I think what we
were in for; we were soon among huge boulders, and nothing but
boulders, up and down shelving rock, often 2 feet higher than the
path, slithering over stretches of hard, bare rock, an