318 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



days after our arrival the ground was covered by a heavy snowfall. 

 Unfortunately I had no spaniels, and my two pointers were useless 

 for the covert, where woodcocks were in considerable numbers. 

 The cold weather had brought all game down from the mountain- 

 tops, and the wolves became so daring that they took a calf from a 

 shed during the night, from a house next to that we occupied, the 

 door not being securely fastened. 



This was a sporting residence, on the margin of a forest that 

 extended for an unknown distance. I could leave the house, and 

 expect a shot at woodcocks within 150 yards from the door. 

 Wolves and jackals were howling close to our windows during the 

 night, and wild hogs actually broke the fences and invaded the 

 gardens, with an impudence that proved the difficulty of procuring 

 their usual food. The game of the forests included bears (these 

 had hybernated), wolves, boars, red-deer, roe-deer, pheasants, wood- 

 cocks ; while snipe and ducks were found along the borders of the 

 lake. 



Although Sabanja contained a considerable population, compris- 

 ing Greeks and Armenians, in addition to the numerical superi- 

 ority of Turks, they all harmonised, and occupied their separate 

 quarters of the town without a symptom of that antagonism of 

 race or religion which is so generally accepted as the rule. Friday, 

 l)eing the Mahometan Sabbath, was the favourable day for a general 

 hunting party ; the Turks turned out with great spirit and geni- 

 ality, to act in the capacity of beaters, while all those who possessed 

 guns were delighted at the opportunity of sharing in the sport. I 

 never saw people who enjoyed themselves more thoroughly ; the 

 hunt drew all classes and races together in the best of humours, 

 and although I accompanied such gatherings for a couple of months, 

 I never saw an instance of quarrelling or discontent. The effendi 

 who governed the town always sent on Thursday evening to ask 

 the hour at which I proposed to meet, and on the Friday morning 

 at 9 o'clock, when I appeared at the rendezvous outside the walls, 

 I found several hundred people collected, some of whom were firing 

 at marks, and all looking forward to the day's sport with keen 

 enthusiasm. 



In dense forests there is no other way to obtain sport except 

 the old style of beating. Some persons declare this is not sport ; 

 such persons must accordingly remain at home ; but if you travel 

 about the world, you will assuredly discover that the inhabitants 

 of a locality, no matter where it may be located, require very little 

 teaching from a stranger. At first sight it would appear dangerous, 

 when fifty guns are placed in various positions throughout a long 



