It so happened that at the first drive a very fine deer, of a species I had never seen before, broke cover.  I had the luck to shoot him, and as the ship was lying very near, we hailed her for a boat in which to send off our game.  I saw a good deal of whispering among the Arabs, who, after some discussion, informed us through one of the missionaries, who kindly acted as interpreter, that the deer must belong to them, as they only promised to give the pigs, and they openly declared we should not take it on board.  I wasn’t going to stand this, for many reasons.  In the first place it was necessary to show these people that we were their masters; secondly, by our agreement the deer was ours.  When the boat (a cutter with ten men unarmed) had come on shore, I gave orders for the men to return and bring their arms and ten marines, also armed.  The Arabs, of whom there were about one hundred armed to the teeth, seemed firm in their decision; so was I. When I pointed to my armed men, who were by this time landing, they pointed with the same significant gestures to their armed men.  At this critical moment, my first lieutenant, seeing that something was wrong, fired a shell right over our heads to intimidate the Arabs, and the result showed that it had that effect.  The deer was lying on the beach.  I ordered the marines to form a cordon round him, and the sailors to bring up the boat stretchers on which to lay the animal.  When all was ready I gave the command to carry it away and put it in the boat.  The Arabs cocked their muskets and made a move forward; the marines turned and faced them.  I thought we were in for a fight; however, the bearers carried off their charge and placed it in the boat, when to my astonishment the Arab chief put down his musket and came and made his salaam to me, asking if he might be allowed to visit the ship.  I, of course, was delighted.  We took him and several of his friends on board, and the visit ended in their all getting roaring drunk, being hoisted over the ship’s side and landed on the beach.  So passed off what might have been a serious affair.  I might have become involved in a long explanation to show that I was right in protecting my game by armed force, but under all the circumstances I feel that I was fully justified in doing so.

I should like before finishing these sketches to say something about the society of Constantinople.  As one cannot always be out shooting, it is very important to our happiness to have something to fall back upon in the social way.  I was told once by a very great friend of mine, who saw that I was inclined to fret, ‘to take everything as a joke.’  If one’s liver is in good order it is very easy to do so, but sometimes the contrary is the case, and it makes one at times quite savage to see the airs that are temporarily put on by those that form the so-called upper or diplomatic society of Pera.  Here are really amiable people so utterly spoilt by the exalted idea of their own dignity that they become