38 MIDWINTER IN THESSALY 



was strolling along the wood-side, when he was suddenly 

 set upon by two of these ferocious animals. A long black 

 overcoat which he wore was instantaneously bereft of one 

 of its tails torn off by their powerful fangs ; and then, 

 with admirable presence of mind, he bethought him of 

 Ulysses' tactics when, on his return to Ithaca, he was 

 attacked by his own dogs he sat down. 



It is an infallible recipe : the dogs accept the surrender : 

 they are content with setting the trespasser at bay, and 

 they keep him there till their master comes to call him 

 to account. The lesson is worth bearing in mind by 

 visitors in these lands; for the conduct of the sheep- 

 dog is the single exception to the hospitality shown to 

 travellers in the interior of Greece. 



As this day of memorable brilliancy drew to a close, 

 a remarkable display of bird-life presented itself. The 

 great fresh- water lake of Karle, producing vast shoals of 

 carp, and attracting large flights of wild-fowl, lies between 

 the mountain-groups of Pelion and Ossa. It seems to be 

 the remains of the inland sea which once flowed over the 

 plains of Larissa and Trikala, the waters of which found 

 an escape through the beautiful vale of Tempe. Immense 

 flights of cormorants, coming from the direction of the 

 Karl6 lake, but possibly travelling from the Gulf of 

 Salonike, farther to the east, appeared in the sky, moving 

 steadily towards the nor'-nor'-west. The first and largest 

 of these flights, formed in the shape of a huge <, could 

 not have contained less than 1500 or 2000 birds. From 

 point to point of the < appeared to measure about two 

 miles. This great flight was followed by others, number- 

 ing from 150 to 500 in each. In all there could not have 

 been less than 4000 or 5000 birds passing over our heads 



