The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
4 Naturalist IN Crete,

! The world is becoming So small and
has been so thoroughly ransacked tina,
n traveller who Is also a note ;nlipy
chiel with an eye To "prent" has a hard
time to pick out an unfreauented spot
| which IL easily accessible from the
| centres ~ civilization. When one is
unueterred by distance, DELAY or ex-
| pense he can sun explore. as In tho
case OF the tireless Mr.. Savage Lander.
whose latest book. about South Amer.
| lea. describes what is almost terra in
| cognita. But here appears CAMPING In
crete by y. TREVOR BATTYE ,W!therby
n Company. London, and shows how
worthy OF visiting Is the island Of
Crete. 50 little visited by travellers OF a
literary turn that the latest book about
4 II In English that is Of much interest
or account dates from the sos. The
author makes out his case He does
| not succeed In showing that a tour ~
Crete Is practicable except for able
bodied persons who ca Il ride or walk all
day. But such have no dangers or real
hardshlps 10 fear. They will not live
luNuriously, for IL appears that IN.
chief of their diet. as Of that of ,h.
natives, viii bc bread and olives. with
occasional cheese and milk. eXcept M
the monasterles. where eggs arr. added
Nevertheless the author. who had oegun
by carrying store Of canned good. A"
acquired the habit Of living on th,.
country and dtscncumbering hsms,ly
Of supcriiuities and had not much 10
complain OF. To the dietary IL seems
that snails may be added at discretion,
for the sna.ls OF Crete are famous in
the Mediterranean and constitute or
have constituted "A regular article of
export. AS to the sleeping accommodate
tons one r"tolccs TO miss the entomo-
logical references which commonly
abound in the works OF British tourists.
though In fact they need not leave the
inns of the British islands to find ma
terial for such illusions. So that FOR
the vigorous Il tour in Crete ought to
have no terrors.
Another impression that the author
takes pains TO dispel Is that to see any,
thing much worth seeing IN Crete
takes much time. In fact. says Mr..
Trevor Battye, the sights that can be-
seen, including the excursions that can
be had from the port of Canea, nearly
at the western end OF the island, In a
week, are highly curious and typical
and we'll worth the tourists while. even
II they do not tempt him to extend his
range, which II Is to he expected that
they will do. The authors own knowl- /
edge OF the island, as indicated by his /,
map and his itinerary, was Of so much |
wider range rs to be nearly exhaustive. |
His Interests" to be sure are catholic |
enough to attest the variety OF his in |
clinations." He is primarily natu-
ralist, and he tells MS. spent the eve
nings of his Cretan days in bird skin
ming, leaf pressing and writing" Also
perhaps In developing his films. since.
as perforce the modern traveller who
means to print must do in unfrequented
parts. he carried IA camera, which his
illustrations show that he
knew how to use. But besides his spe- J.
cialty Of birds and plants he knows },
enough about the mythology and the
modern history OF the island to make
his observations interesting.
Every schoolboy knows" that JupI-
ter, or. AK the modern schoolboy calls
him. Zeus. was educated" with how
ever little regard to his moral training,
in cave on Mount Ida" in Crete. II
anybody doubts 1t. there Is the island
md there Is Mount Ida to this day, and
,aves abound. OF the smaller caves
raps, batting the birds by a trail OF
seeds leading into the opening. which
IS closed when they are secured. The
author protests against the ascent OF
he Cretan Mount Ida being called
mountain climbing. since he was able
o walk all the way to the summit
Without making use of his hands, There
re on the island some ruins very con-
ecturally supposed to be those Of a | ,
emple to Zeus. but there In not enough
eft to AFFORD a basis for ever so con- !
ectural a restoration.
The modern architecture Of Crete ,
which IL OF most interest Is the work of ,
he Venetians, who held the island
until the Turks acquired it In the !
century. Tho lion Of st. =
lark Is In evidence on the stone work {
a tho harbor Of Canea, Of which therei