106 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



the time of my visit all the bogs and mud holes were 

 frozen hard, and we had not therefore to wade 

 through them. A prominent feature in the town 

 is the immense graveyard, which, although several 

 acres in extent, must long ago have received its full 

 complement of dead, as it presents the appearance of a 

 forest of gravestones, all of which look old and weather- 

 worn. 



On our way back from the sheds where the carpets 

 were being made, we passed a Greek church in 

 which a service was being held, so I went inside 

 with Theodore, and listened for some time to the 

 preaching of a long-haired, full-bearded priest. He 

 rather sang than spoke, quivering his voice and sing- 

 ing through his nose just as I have heard a Moham- 

 medan Mullah preaching in Constantinople or a 

 Japanese reciting poetry. This Greek church was a 

 large and substantial building, from which I should 

 judge that there is a considerable Greek population 

 in Ouchak, and also that they enjoy complete religious 

 toleration. 



It was not until after eleven o'clock that we got 

 away from Ouchak in two rough carts, each drawn by 

 two strong wiry little horses. From this time until 

 eight in the evening we travelled over roads so 

 abominably bad that we sometimes had to leave 

 them to get along at all. During the whole day the 

 horses were never unharnessed, though two short 

 halts were made in order to feed them, whilst still 



