AFTEE IBEX IN JOUEA 297 



out meeting with any opposition. On certain days 

 of the year great drives take place, in which almost 

 the whole male population of Chelidromia takes part. 

 A part of them cover the passes on the northern 

 ridge, the rest in a long armed line of beaters drive 

 the game up to the north of the island. If the goats 

 turn back from the guns it is to be greeted with 

 volleys from the beaters, and driven on again till 

 they succeed in breaking out. It is lucky for the 

 ibex that the weapons and flint - lock guns and 

 muzzle-loaders are as bad as possible.^ Besides 

 man, these goats suffer from the eagles — a pair of 

 whom breed every year in an inaccessible eyrie in 

 the cliffs." 



Leaving our people to pitch the camp, and the 

 cutter to depart to the neighbouring island of 

 Pelagonisi, where there is a sheltered anchorage 

 (Fiedler, writing in 1834, says of Joura that it had 

 a good harbour, but it certainly no longer exists), 

 we started with our rifles. Twenty minutes took us 

 to the abandoned monastery, which, however, we 

 found inhabited for the time by a woman and her 

 family in charge of the sheep on the island. We 

 found, too, the evidence of the existence of ibex on 

 the island in the shape of the skins and horns of 

 three small bucks hanging in the verandah of the 

 chapel. Encouraged by this sight we proceeded, 

 and half a mile farther on we divided forces, I to 

 skirt the west coast, and my companion to try his 

 luck farther east. 



If there was one thing I did not expect to find 

 in Joura, it was roads : but that was just what I did 

 find — miles on miles of bridle - paths, carefully con- 



1 See Appendix B. 



