AFTER IBEX IN JOURA 305 



Tea revived us a little, and then, when the people 

 from the monastery had turned up, we proceeded to 

 remove our things to a great cave close to the landing- 

 place. I can best give an idea of the place by saying 

 that the spot I selected for my bed was about sixty 

 feet from the mouth ; at which, by the way, were the 

 remains of the hut built by the last monk of Joura, 

 and in which he lived as a hermit for many years 

 after all his fellows had been simultaneously struck 

 by lightning. 



We had now reached something very like the con- 

 dition of primaeval man. Hunters before, we were 

 now troglodytes. 



After our things had arrived and we had arranged 

 our tent across the mouth of the cave, we had no 

 occupation for the rest of the day than that of 

 watching the great seas break against the cliffs of 

 the islet of Gramsa, just opposite, or the spindrift 

 driving along the surface of the water, unless it were 

 to avoid the pungent wood-smoke from our fire, which 

 filled every nook and cranny of the cave, or to see Y. 

 vainly attempting to hit with his '303 the cormorants 

 floating amongst the rollers. That night, however, 

 was one not to be forgotten, for the first time this 

 trip I slept warmly and comfortably, lulled by the 

 dripping from the stalactites close to me. 



Christmas Eve was as bad a dav as one could wish 

 to see. The bitterly keen north wind blew so strongly 

 that the snow, of which the sky was full, could only 

 fall at intervals. Of our cutter there was no hope ; 

 we were weather-bound once more. As there was 

 equally little chance of sport, we only went as far as 

 the monastery, and visited the little chapel, where the 

 skulls of the last monks of Joura are collected. 



