182 IN THE LAND OP THE BORA. 



mark, and as the birds are all over the place, I 

 had better go on to a spot I know of. This is a 

 deep valley, with covert on one side, cleft in the 

 very top of a hill. The covert is divided into two 

 by a little piece of cultivated land. It is a long 

 stiff climb thither ; but at last I reach the place, 

 and in the first patch of brushwood the dogs 

 disperse a covey. Then follows a lot of shooting, 

 but I am afraid not much hitting, for the birds 

 get up among the high stuff, and twist down over 

 t'he brow in a very nasty manner. At last there 

 are no more left. I haven't been able to mark 

 very well on account of the smoke. Powder is 

 a government monopoly here, and nitro-com- 

 pounds are unknown. Perhaps it is not a bad 

 •check upon poaching that this very necessary 

 article is only obtainable (with a permit from the 

 civil authority) at the artillery magazines. 



The absence of a mark matters less on this 

 •occasion, as a stone-fowl always runs like a hare 

 on alighting ; and I know they are all in the next 

 bit of covert, which is higher than this and quite 

 unwalkable, being one mass of rocks. So I walk 

 along outside it, whilst the dogs bustle through, 

 and get some pretty shots — mostly too good for 

 me. Still, I stop a couple, and a driven " Greek 

 partridge " takes stopping. One plays it very 

 low down on me by getting up again as I go to 

 gather him, leaving me to contemplate a handful 



