MY FIRST IBEX 161 



At the beginning of the year 1897 I was at Corfu; 

 and this seemed to me a favourable base for an 

 expedition to the Greek islands, which still hold ibex 

 — Antimilo and Joura (of the Sporades). Heference 

 to Mr Gialeraki, the British Consular Agent at Milo, 

 established the fact that there Avere undoubtedly goats 

 to be shot on the former island by the payment of 

 £1 each for the privilege. As regards the latter, the 

 difficulties were far greater ; and I had finally to get 

 the Legation at Athens to assist me in order to get a 

 permit. 



I left Corfu on a Saturday evening in February, by 

 a Greek steamer. The journey across Greece was 

 then unfamiliar to me, but is possibly not so to the 

 reader, so I will only remark that we left the Ionian 

 Islands bathed in their usual rain to find the hills 

 overlooking both sides of the Gulf of Corinth white 

 with snow. At the Canal the sun shone out once 

 more, and accompanied us to the Piraeus. The City 

 of the Violet Crown was wild with warlike excite- 

 ment. Troops embarking, bands playing, demonstra- 

 tions, and gesticulating politicians at every corner, 

 were the order of the day. One result of the Cretan 

 complications was to throw the steamship connection 

 out of gear, and consequently to detain me twenty- 

 four hours at Syra. 



After this delay I embarked on the old Fanhellenion, 

 which had so often run the blockade in 1867, and we 

 put out on a sea which for roughness and bitter cold 

 might rival our own Channel. The wind, however, 

 was on our beam, and under all sail we progressed 

 famously. Towards evening, after we had called at 

 the islands of Seriphos and Siphnos, the wind dropped, 

 and we ran between Antimilo, behind which the sun 



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