176 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



The path now led downwards into a green marshy 

 plain, where vines and corn were growing. Fording 

 first the Ladon, which here joins the Alpheus, and 

 then the Alpheus itself no easy matter, for the river 

 was full and the stream strong we pulled up on a 

 very inviting bank of grass, sheltered by a group of 

 plane-trees. 



After a delightful plunge in Alpheus's sacred 

 stream, a rough-and-ready lunch, and a short siesta, 

 we began to climb out of the valley up a very steep 

 rocky path consisting here and there of paving-stones, 

 smoothly laid, and as slippery as ice. It was a 

 wonder that the horses ever found footing upon it 

 at all, especially as in some places it was almost per- 

 pendicular ! This paved way was, we were told, an 

 old Turkish road. Turks may have their own views 

 as to road-making, but to the ordinary observer it 

 would be difficult to imagine any kind of road more 

 totally unfit for the passage of men, horses, or car- 

 riages, through a mountainous country. We were now 

 passing from sacred Elis into Arcadia, "rugged nurse 

 of heroes." 



After riding about three hours through the wildest 

 scenery, through thick brushwood, with masses of 

 grey limestone rising here and there now descending 

 to the bed of a stream, now climbing again to some 

 sweep of moorland, covered with white heather six 

 or seven feet high, and carpeted still with anemones, 

 orchids, and gladioli we came at last upon a real 



