206 BIRD-HUNTING 



received by my friends at the custom-house which 

 compelled them, nolens volens, to disgorge, and they 

 did so, but with a very bad grace. I have no doubt 

 they thought they had made a good haul. 



But all this took some time to accomplish ; and 

 while I was watting for a reply a call was made 

 on the governor — a new one since I was here last 

 year — and I was formally presented and introduced 



by B . He was, of course, politeness itself, and 



after the usual coffee and cigarettes I was introduced 

 by his Excellency to the head of the gens d'armerie, 

 who there and then received special instructions 

 to look after my protection and furnish me with 

 guards whenever I wanted to make any expedition 

 into the surrounding country. At the same time 

 profuse promises were made for the return of my 

 weapons ; but if it had not been for the influence 

 I had brought to bear on the authorities, I have 

 more than a strong suspicion that I should never 

 have seen my things again. It came to light, 

 moreover, that by a treaty or agreement between 



Turkey and Great Britain, which B luckily 



found among his papers, that I was within my 

 rights in bringing weapons for sporting purposes 

 into the country for my own use, although otherwise 

 the importation of arms is strictly forbidden. 



As for the offer of guards, B thought it ad- 

 visable, as a matter of policy, and not to offend 



