348 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



Next morning I was up betimes, and started off 

 with Jerome, who seemed to have some ideas on the 

 subject of stalking, in spite of the ponderous iron-clad 

 knee-boots which he, in common with all the Cypriote 

 peasantry, wore. Not half an hour out from camp, as 

 we were going along the Appioes ridge with the wind 

 behind us, we "jumped" some moufflon on the lower 

 side of the ridge. All I personally saw was a pair 

 of hindquarters, but the peasant on our return to 

 camp said that the herd had consisted of five — all 

 ewes. After this we tried a lot of likely ground, 

 descending twice to the valleys, where the luxuriant 

 vegetation of plane, alder, bramble, and oleander 

 formed a considerable contrast to the bare pine forest 

 above, and up the opposite slope — no joke under so 

 hot a sun — but saw neither horn or hoof again 

 that day. 



Next morning a pack-train of seven donkeys turned 

 up ; and, after driving a pretty hard bargain in the 

 matter of payment, moved us in some two and a half 

 hours to Ayia, a picturesque spot where the river of 

 the same name makes a curve to the eastward, also 

 receiving a confluent stream, then dry, from the other 

 side. Tradition says that Ayia was once a village, 

 and the site of the church was pointed out to us. 

 Whether this is so or not, it is now a mandria or sheep- 

 fold, where the people go with their flocks at certain 

 seasons. The exact camping-place was on a green 

 slope in the angle between river and brook, and was 

 shaded by an enormous, and probably secular, pine. 

 This camp promised in every way more satisfaction 

 than the other, for it was less dusty, warmer, and 

 less exposed to the wind. Also, the water-supply 

 was ample — in fact I believe in normal seasons the 



