14 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



baggage in a long, flat-looking boat to the landing steps, 

 while on the shore only the tiniest ripples were doing 

 duty for waves. 



There was quite a crowd on the quay to welcome 

 the boat, which stayed here for several hours ; the 

 advent of the captain being the signal for the prepara- 

 tion of a weekly dinner at the fonda which might be 

 said to take the place of our "market ordinary" in an 

 English country town. 



When we got on shore, we found that the Spanish 

 farmer to whom I had a letter of introduction had sent 

 down two camels for us, one to carry the luggage, and 

 one for Lorenzo and myself; this latter had a peculiar 

 arrangement on its back with a seat at either side. The 

 two animals were now lying down on the beach, a little 

 way from their companions. 



I left Lorenzo to look after the luggage, while I went 

 into the fonda to get something to eat. We had about 

 sixteen miles to go, La Oliva being our destination, and 

 as the camels only travelled at the rate of about three 

 miles an hour it would be some time before we arrived 

 there. La Oliva is a village of some importance in the 

 northern part of Fuerteventura. 



When I returned to the quay I found that Lorenzo 

 and the camel-driver had already begun to load up my 

 belongings ; I had six heavy packages altogether, for I 

 had to take many things with me. The baggage-camel 

 appeared to be lost in thought as they were loading it, 

 gazing the while out to sea in an interested manner, 

 and now and then turning its head to look at the men 

 with a preoccupied air, as though they were loading 

 some other beast and not himself. But when they 



