COURSING IN GREECE. 



IN the year 1827, I chanced to be at Cranicli, in the South of 

 Argolis : The famous Suliote chieftain, Kitso Tzavella, was there 

 with four or five hundred Palicari and some of his friends and per- 

 sonal adherents. Civilities for Tzavella knew the amenities passed 

 between us; and, in return for an entertainment I had given him, he 

 invited me to a day's coursing. We met at six o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, and as Tzavella had promised me a horse, I made my appearance 

 in top-boots and buckskins, an attire rarely seen out of merry Eng- 

 land, and I may venture to assert then for the first time published in 

 Greece. At all events it was quite new to my Albanese friends, and 

 as they had never known me but in the Albanian costume, they were 

 as much astonished as a party at Almacks would be by the sudden 

 introduction of a Sandwich Islander or a native of Timbuctoo. My 

 spurs were minutely examined, and no one would be satisfied till he 

 had pricked his fingers on the rowels. My servant followed me 

 with an European saddle, which I had taken the precaution to bring 

 out with me, but the Arnaout objected so strongly to having it put 

 upon the back of any one of his steeds that I was obliged to give 

 in. 



Behold me then with my buckskins and tops, dropped into a sad- 

 dle, with an excrescence a foot and a half high, by as much broad 

 behind, and a pummel rising eight inches before stirrup leathers not 

 more than a foot long at the utmost stretch (I stand five feet eleven, 

 without my shoes) and stirrups of the size and shape of a fire 

 shovel without a handle the whole adorned and bedizened with gold 

 lace spangles and bits of coloured glass to represent jewels. My 

 knees were so fearfully approximate to my nose, that at every move- 

 ment of my steed I dreaded a collision : however, I had a consolation 

 left, which was that "come what come might," there was no possi- 

 bility of my being thrown out of the saddle. 



About thirty of the Greeks, all dressed in superb costumes of vel- 

 vet and gold embroidery, were armed to the teeth each man carrying 

 two or more pistols, atayhan, and sabre, some having in addition a 

 carbine or short Damascus rifle, and all mounted on beautiful 

 Arab horses. We rode gaily along, each following the bent of his 

 humour, now urging his horse to his utmost speed, and then after 

 flying like the wind for a hundred yards or so suddenly throwing 

 him on his haunches by means of the tremendous bit, which is used 

 all over the Levant. In fact, putting a horse to the top of his speed, 

 stopping him in a second, twisting him suddenly round, and other 

 similar manoeuvres, seem to constitute the beau ideal of horsemanship 

 in the East. I never recollect to have seen either a Turk or a Greek 

 trot : for them there is no medium between a full gallop and a walk. 

 I believe there are none but the Turkoman horses that do trot with- 

 out being trained to it ; these are very extraordinary animals long- 

 barelled, big-headed, ugly-looking "varmint ;" but, in despite of their 

 want of beauty, they will carry a rider a hundred miles a day for 



