344 EXTRACTS FROM 



beasts off to the camp on a donkey, where they were taken to 

 the tent of our stuffer. 



We then rode back to the pretty castle of Tantur by 

 yesterday's road, and on reaching it proceeded to beat one 

 of the bare stony hills of its neighbourhood in a systematic 

 way, impressing as many men as possible. Count Caboga's 

 servants, our grooms from the camp, the shepherds and the 

 peasants who were walking along the road, all were taken 

 along with us. Some of the gentlemen lined the southern 

 side of the valley, while Hoyos, the jagers, and I posted the 

 beaters, and began the drive at a given signal. We were 

 also assisted by several Turkish gendarmes, who showed con- 

 siderable talent for such diversions. 



A few partridges, a poor quail, and a jackal were put up, 

 but they unfortunately did not take the right line, and the 

 beat was nearly at an end when several partridges flew over 

 the guns, one of which was killed; a hare also came within 

 range, and was shot by Chorinsky. It was a true grey 

 Syrian Hare thinner, smaller, and much darker than our 

 ordinary species, but altogether with a much greater resem- 

 blance to it than to the African Desert Hare. 



After this not very brilliantly successful drive we passed 

 the hyaena-ambush, and leaving Tantur on the left, went to 

 the Mar-Elyas monastery, from which there was a splendid 

 view of Jerusalem. It was our last look at the Holy City 

 and its environs, for we were now to go steadily eastwards, 

 and afterwards to turn to the north. 



There we decided to make a long continuous beat, on the 

 principle of the Bohemian partridge-drives, from the monas- 

 tery to the camp. The distance was great and the ground 

 very broken, for there were a number of hills, all separated 

 by deep valleys with steeply sloping sides. The beaters were 

 now spread out, and the gentlemen and the jagers distributed 

 among them so as to cover a broader line of country. 



