Lefkosia), about twenty-eight miles. The regrettable paucity of
stone-hammers rendered it impossible to prepare the metal, therefore
huge rounded blocks, bigger than a man's head, had been thrown down for
a foundation, upon which some roughly broken and a quantity of unbroken
smaller stones had been spread.

Of course there was only one method of travelling upon this route with
the gipsy-van: this was to avoid it altogether, but to keep upon the
natural soil on the side of the newly-made level.

My second van was most satisfactory, and was light in proportion to its
strength and capacity. This was arranged specially for luggage, and was
entirely closed by doors at either end, which were secured by bolts and
locks. Above the luggage, and about two feet six inches below the roof,
a sliding deck formed of movable planks afforded a comfortable
sleeping-berth for a servant. In the front a projecting roof sheltered
the driving seat, which was wide enough to accommodate four persons. I
had fitted a pole instead of shafts, as public opinion decided against
mules, and it was agreed that oxen were steadier and more powerful for
draught purposes. After a careful selection, I obtained two pairs of
very beautiful animals, quite equal in size to ordinary English oxen,
for which I paid twelve shillings per diem, including the drivers and
all expenses of fodder. I also engaged the necessary riding mules, as
the vans were not intended for personal travelling, but merely for
luggage and for a home at night. Our servants consisted of Amarn (my
Abyssinian, who had been with me eight years, since he was a a boy of
nine years old in Africa), a Greek cook named Christo, who had served in
a similar capacity upon numerous steamers, and a young man named Georgi,
of about twenty-one, who was to be made into a servant. This young
fellow had appeared one day suddenly, and solicited employment, while we