{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_43540/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_43540","id":"gutenberg_43540","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43540","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches","Category: History - Modern (1750+)","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Travel Writing","Palestine -- Description and travel"],"text":"LETTERS FROM PALESTINE\n\n\n\n\n  LETTERS\n  FROM\n  PALESTINE:\n\n  WRITTEN\n\n  DURING A RESIDENCE THERE IN THE YEARS\n  1836, 7, AND 8.\n\n  BY THE REV. J. D. PAXTON.\n\n  LONDON:\n  CHARLES TILT, 86, FLEET STREET.\n  MDCCCXXXIX.\n\n\n\n\n  LONDON:\n  BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS,\n  WHITEFRIARS.\n\n\n\n\nLETTERS ON PALESTINE.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER I.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, June 18th, 1836._\n\nAfter a stay of twenty-four hours at Cyprus, rendered pleasant by\nthe several interviews which we had with the missionaries at that\nplace, we sailed about three o'clock P. M. with a fine wind, and\nbefore night, the isle, and even the mountains of Cyprus, were\nsinking out of view in the north-western waters. In the night our\nwinds became light. At a little past five in the morning I went on\ndeck, hoping to see the top of Mount Lebanon, which, from our run,\nI thought must be within the reach of the eye; but a dull heavy fog\nlay on our eastern horizon, and limited our view. Just as I was\nfinishing my breakfast, the captain put his head down the hatchway,\nand let me know that the mountains could be seen. I ran on deck, and\ncould see the faint outline of the top of Mount Lebanon, peering\nabove a long line of fog that spread like a wide circle round the\nhorizon. The upper part of the fog was breaking into irregular\nmasses and rolling off; at times the mountain could at some points\nbe seen very clearly; then, again, the fog or clouds would close in\nupon it, and hide it from our view. The highest parts of it were\npartially covered with snow. It lay, however, in parts and parcels;\nand often in long irregular forms. This was owing, most probably,\nto the form of the ground on which it lay; being most abundant in\nhollows, and on the north sides of ridges.\n\nGreat is the power of association. From my childhood, I have been\ntaught to read the book of God, and prize its precious truths; and I\nbless God, and thank my dear and beloved parents, more for this, the\nreligious instruction they gave me, and their prayers, than for all\nother benefits received through them; and they have not been few.\nMount Lebanon I found often, very often, referred to in that best of\nall books; and, from the various ways in which it is introduced, it\nassociates itself in my mind with many parts of Scripture history;\nwith some of its most touching incidents; with many of its most\nprecious and consoling truths. How often in my boyhood, and even in\nmore mature days, have I wished, like Moses, that I could see that\n\"goodly mountain and Lebanon!\" Now, indeed and in truth, I saw it\nrising into view, and hoped before long to land at its foot, and in\ndue time to traverse its ridges, visit its cedars, and drink of its\npure snow waters. I was born and grew to manhood among mountains,\nand it is natural for me to love mountain scenery. A landscape is\nto my eye,--I was going to say, defective,--that does not give, at\nleast, a glimpse of a mountain.\n\nI was often much struck with my feelings on this matter, during\nthe ten or fifteen years I have spent in situations in which no\nmountains could be seen. When a journey of business or pleasure led\nme to the neighbourhood of mountains, they appeared to have a beauty\nand a charm in them, that rose paramount to all that the wide and\nextended plains could have.\n\nBut never did I feel such pulsations of delight from beholding a\nsingle mountain as now from looking at that \"goodly mountain and\nLebanon\"--that Lebanon so associated with patriarchs and prophets,\nwith the Land of Promise, with the Temple of the Lord, and with\nthose thousand things which give such ever newness and freshness to\nthe oracles of God.\n\nAs the day passed away, we drew nearer and nearer, but our winds\nwere so light, that our approach was slow, and a peculiar haziness\nof weather much impeded our view of the changing aspect of the\nmountain. Beyroot came in view towards night; but, owing to the\nlightness of wind, and that against us, we did not reach it until\nabout sunrise next morning.\n\nBeyroot lies at the south side of the river Beyroot, which runs in\nfrom the mountains. The coast recedes at this place, and forms a\nwide, open, halfmoon-like kind of a bay. A small part of the town\nlying near the water appears pretty closely built; but much of the\ntown, or very many houses, stand out over the gentle rise of the\nhill, with gardens connected with them. Indeed, the whole face of\nthe plain and ridge, on which the town stands, is quite covered with\ntrees. The trees are not large, being many of them mulberry, almond,\n(the pride of China I think it is called), a few olive and apricot,\n&c. I have seen no place in the East that struck me more pleasantly\nthan Beyroot.\n\nThe mountains behind it rise in succession. They have a good many\ntrees on them, but are not entirely covered. They appear to be\nrather confined to spots as if planted by man, and cultivated for\nspecial purposes. With the help of a glass, I can see that, while a\nsmall growth is more generally spread over the side of the mountain,\nthere are many places where a much larger growth may be seen. But I\nmust omit farther notice of this until I have rambled over them, and\nascertained their true character.\n\nWe learned, on communicating with the shore, that there had been\nseveral cases of plague, that the quarantine was strict, and that we\nshould have nearly two weeks' quarantine to pass, before we would be\nallowed to have free intercourse with the friends we hoped to find\nthere.\n\nIn the course of the day our consul came off, and informed us that\nhe had procured for us a house in a healthy and airy part of the\nsuburbs, in which we must pass our quarantine. Mr. B. also, who is\nconnected with the mission at this place, came off to see us. From\nhim we learned that the Rev. E. B. Smith and lady had, within four\nor five days, left this for Smyrna, partly on account of Mrs. S.'s\nhealth, which has lately failed much; and that the other families\nwere on the mountains, about three or four hours' ride from town.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER II.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, June 27th, 1836._\n\nWe had hoped to get out of quarantine to-day, or at least to-morrow,\nwhen to our discomfort we heard that they had added four days to\nour time, owing to information which they had received from Smyrna.\nThere is no better way to manage such matters than patiently to wait\nuntil the time is out. But as they give me more of quarantine, I see\nnot why I may not tell you more about it.\n\nThrough the kind agency of our consul we were not put in the\nLazaretto, which is said to be a miserable place at best, and\nworse now as the plague is there; but had a very comfortable house\nassigned us, to the west of the town, on the side of the hill,\nnearly a quarter of a mile from the walls. The whole side of the\nhill where we are is cut up in plots, which form gardens planted\nwith trees, and here and there is a dwelling-house. We had all our\nbaggage landed and carried by the _crew_ to our house, except a\nfew boxes, which being wood were not infectious, and were carried\nby porters. Two guardians are assigned us--one of them must be\nalways at the house, to see that no person touches us, or any of\nour articles; the other we may send on errands, such as to do our\nmarketing. They are not to touch us, nor we them.\n\nThey bring us what we want, lay it down, and we take it. They bring\nus water, wood, jugs, pitchers, dishes, provisions, fruits: these\nare not infectious--but cloth, paper, &c. are. They bring us notes,\npapers, books; but we cannot send such articles without a special\nobservance. For instance, if we wish to send a letter to any one, or\na note not as big as your finger, with the name of any article on it\nwhich we may need, the guardian may not touch it. He takes a small\nbox; you put it in; he takes it to the health-office, where it is\nsmoked with sulphur, and then it may be received and read. Or, you\nmay write on a small board, or on a slate; the guardian may touch\n_them_. While there is care to avoid touching you or anything that\nconveys infection, there is, in other respects, a free intercourse.\nWe received many visits--our friends come, and sit down, a few feet\nfrom us, and remain as long as they please, conversing with us, and\nthus helping to while away the time. They furnish us with any books\nthat we may need, and we at the end of our quarantine can restore\nthem. We are allowed to walk as much as we please, taking one of our\nguardians with us, who sees that we touch no one or anything that\nconveys infection; availing ourselves of this privilege, we have\nrambled about a good deal, and made ourselves acquainted with the\nneighbourhood.\n\nTo the west and south-west, at a quarter of a mile from the town,\ncommences what may be called _the sands_, which gave me a better\nidea of the _sands of the desert_ than anything I have before seen.\nThe whole surface is a bed of fine sand. It includes the highest\npart of the promontory, and much, if not all the south-west side of\nit. There is, at places, occasionally, a weed or bush, but much of\nthe surface is very fine sand, which is moved more or less by the\nwind; and as the wind blows much from the south, the sand has the\nappearance of approaching nearer and nearer the town--at the place\nwhere it stops, and the gardens begin, the sands are a good deal\nhigher than the gardens, ten, fifteen, or twenty feet; and the bank\nadvances, owing to the sand that is carried forward by the wind, and\nrolls down towards the gardens. Some houses and fields have been\ncovered, and others are in danger, and must soon be overwhelmed with\nit.\n\nThe side of the hill next the city, and west of it, is all cut up\ninto small plots; and much labour has been expended in making these\nplots level. The side of the hill is thus thrown into terraces\none above another, but without any order or regularity. The plots\nare of various sizes and shapes. A stone wall is built up at the\nlower side, and the earth drawn to a level. On the tops of the wall\nis often planted the Indian fig, or prickly pear, which abounds\nhere. Few of these gardens have either flowers or vegetables in\nthem--have, in fact, little else beside mulberry-trees, with a few\nfig, olive, apricot, pomegranate, and other fruit-trees. From the\nappearance of the hill side, I am disposed to think, that it was\nonce covered more with houses than it now is--that the levelling\nof the ground may, in part at least, have been made to fit it for\nhouses, which have now disappeared. There are some old cisterns,\npillars, &c., which indicate this.\n\nI have met with several things which struck me with some force, as\nillustrating Scripture. The roofs of the houses are flat, and a way\nis made to ascend to the top, which is a most pleasant place for a\nwalk in the cool of the evening. \"Samuel called Saul to the top of\nthe house.\"--1 Sam. ix. 2, 6.\n\nA number of the houses have a kind of a tent on the top, made of\nreeds, &c., in which they sit, and I believe sleep. \"They spread\nAbsalom a tent on the top of the house.\"--2 Sam. xvi. 22.\n\nThere is usually a small railing, or elevation, round the edge, to\nprevent any from falling over; and the law of Moses required them to\nmake a battlement for this purpose.--Deut. xxii. 8.\n\nWhile some have tents on the top of the house, others have them out\nunder the trees; and the fig-tree and the vine, having large shady\nleaves, are very favourable for this. Thus they sit \"under their\nvine and fig-tree.\" And where they do not use tents they are very\nfond of sitting out under the trees. They usually take out a straw\nmat or small carpet, which they spread down; sometimes on this they\nlay their beds, and sit on them. They have not feather beds, as we\nhave, but a kind of wool mattress, which is easily folded up and\nremoved. Mr. and Mrs. ----, who are of our party, are natives of\nthis place, and hopefully pious. They often take out their mat, and\nspread it down under a tree, and spend much of the day there. In our\nwalks we see many thus under the vines and fig-trees, whiling away\ntheir hours.\n\nAlmost every night we hear music and dancing at no great distance\nfrom us. The music is hardly worth the name--is a kind of _beating_,\naccompanied with some wind instrument, and serves to keep the time.\nThe dancing, as it is called, is not much more than a slow walking,\nstooping, changing of position. It has none of that active and\nfatiguing action which dancing has in the western world. The men and\nwomen do not join together in it. It is done almost wholly by men;\nand often old men. The women sit by and look on. The Sabbath night\nappears more especially a favourite time for this amusement.\n\nThe promontory on which Beyroot stands is low at the south-east\nside, where it joins the main land, and on that low part, which once\nmay have been covered with water (making the promontory an island),\nthere is much sand. On a part of this there are many pines; a few of\nthem are large; and a large space is covered with small ones. There\nis some care taken of them, and persons are not allowed to pillage\nthem. The larger ones are trimmed up very high, and have a large,\nflat, bushy top, which gives them a rather singular, but pretty\nappearance.\n\nThe sycamore here is a different tree from that which bears the name\nwith us. The wood is valuable, being hard and very durable. It is a\nlow tree, with a thick body, many branches, shaped a little like the\napple-tree, the leaf large. It bears a fruit which is to some extent\nvaluable. One of the prophets said he was \"a gatherer of sycamore\nfruit.\" It would seem that much of it was used, and gathering of it\na business.\n\nThere are few, if any, springs here, as we should call them--but\nwells; at least, in all my walks I have not seen any. There is a low\nplace a little out of the city gate, where there are three or four\nwells. They are walled up, with a large flat area over them, in\nthe middle of which is a hole, large enough to let down a bucket.\nThere is no pump, or windlass, nor even a well-sweep; but a rope.\nThe vessel used almost constantly for bringing water, is a large\njug with two handles, and a small mouth. It may hold from two to\nfour gallons. They tie the rope to the neck or to the handles, and\nlet it down. It fills, and they draw it up. In passing these wells,\nespecially in the evening or morning, you find a crowd of people\ndrawing water. Some have mules and donkeys on which they carry\nit--usually having four of these water-pots, two swung in a wooden\nframe on each side of the animal. The others carry the jar on their\nshoulders, or rather on the back, held over the shoulder; but one\nhand is raised to support it. You see no one carrying anything in\nhis arms, as is the custom with us, but upon the head or shoulder\nwhen not too large, otherwise upon the back--even children are\ncarried in this way--it is amusing to see the little things riding\nupon their parents' shoulders. There is no vessel attached to these\nwells; and thus we see the force of the saying of the woman, \"Thou\nhast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep;\" and thus Rebecca\ncame \"out with her pitcher upon her shoulder.\" A large proportion of\nthose whom we saw drawing water were females.\n\nThe Turks are usually a grave and silent people. They talk less\nthan the Greeks, and indeed than almost any other people that I\nhave been among. It was therefore rather a novelty to meet with one\nwho was of a different cast of temperament. Both our guardians are\nyoung Turks, I should think about twenty; and very good-looking. One\nof them is rather of a grave cast; a genuine Turkish, but withal\nan unusually mild aspect. The other is as full of life and glee\nand innocent mischief as he can hold. The first day or two he did\nnot show it much, except in occasionally playing off a little of\nhis humour on his companion. He then began upon Angelo, my Maltese\nservant, whom I had engaged at Smyrna. The Maltese language is a\ndialect of the Arabic, and they could therefore converse with him.\nOur establishment having but two rooms, one of which being occupied\nby the ladies, and the other by the gentlemen, Angelo had to take\nup his lodgings in the porch where some of the baggage was placed.\nThe guardians slept in the yard under the tree. They pretended\nthat they would do all sorts of bad things to him at night, and\nexcited his fears not a little. On finding it out I interposed, and\nassured them, through an interpreter, that if they did not desist\nfrom thus working on his fears, I would report them to the police.\nThey assured me they were only in fun, and would not trouble him.\nAngelo had more spunk than I expected; he got a large knife to\ndefend himself with--we took it from him. I told him to sleep in our\nroom--he would not. I told him to sleep close to the door, which I\nleft open; no, he would sleep at his selected place--and he did.\n\nWhen we walk out, one of our guardians always walks with us, and\ngenerally the lively and talkative one chooses that office. He\namuses himself and us in various ways, and usually contrives to put\nin a claim for a boksheesh (a present) at the close of the walk.\nAs he does not always get it, it is amusing to observe in how many\nways he contrives to let us know that it would be very acceptable.\nAt times when he does not get it, he pretends to his companion that\nhe has; and thus has sport with him, in refusing to let him have any\npart of it. They are very obliging--I have seldom seen more perfect\ngood-humour than they manifest.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER III.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, July 4th, 1836._\n\nI think I informed you that Beyroot is a walled town, and has a\nstrong garrison. It is held under Ibrahim Pasha, and for his father\nor step-father Mahommed Ali of Egypt. Ibrahim spends most of his\ntime north of this at Aleppo, Tripoli, Scanderoon, and Tarsoos. He\nis erecting a palace not far from Aleppo, and may possibly purpose\nmaking that his home. Beyroot is the most important port on the\ncoast, but still its trade is small. The walls are of considerable\nheight, appear strong, and have several strong towers connected with\nthem. The number of troops at this place I have not been able to\nascertain with certainty; there must be several thousands, possibly\nfrom 3000 to 5000.\n\nI have been equally unable to ascertain the population of the town\nand suburbs; nearly one-third of the population, I should think,\nlive without the walls, in what is called the Gardens. The houses\nwithout the walls are much more pleasant, at least in summer, than\nthose within the town. They stand apart; have gardens and trees\nabout them, are higher and much more cool. The town stands in a\nlow spot, is much crowded with houses, has narrow filthy streets,\nand during the hot weather the heat is considerable, which causes\nsickness. The gates of the town are guarded, and at an early hour in\nthe night all but one are closed. This one is kept open to a late\nhour.\n\nAt the quay, or public landing-place, there is an immense number\nof old, broken pillars. The wall fronting the bay is for thirty,\npossibly fifty yards, composed almost wholly of them. Most of them\nare more or less broken. Many of them have been connected, no\ndoubt, with buildings of consequence, as their high finish seems\nto indicate; a number of them are fine Egyptian marble. They are of\nvarious sizes, but most of them of the largest kind. Broken pieces\nof pillars and other work in marble are to be seen in many places\nabout the town, both without and within the walls, all indicating\nthat, at some period, this was the seat of wealth and taste, of\nluxury and splendour.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n  _Brumanah, Mount Lebanon, July 20th, 1836._\n\nAfter getting out of quarantine, and spending ten or twelve days\nin Beyroot to see the place, I came up to this village, where the\nmission families are spending the summer months. It lies about three\nhours' ride from Beyroot, on the top of one of the ridges which runs\ndown from the main ridge of the Lebanon towards the sea. It may be\nabout one-third of the way to the top, and one-third of the height\nof Jebal Sun-neen, the highest point of Mount Lebanon. We have from\nBru-ma-nah a fair view of the mountains, as they rise above us, and\nrun far to the north-east and south-west: a long sea coast spreads\nout before us--the town of Beyroot--the shipping that lies off the\ntown on the face of the smooth waters, all rise into view, and give\na rich and beautiful variety to the prospect.\n\nNearly one-half of the village is composed of Greeks, and the other\nhalf about equally divided between the Druses and Maronites. They\nall speak the Arabic, which is indeed the vernacular language of\nthis region. The people appear friendly, and but for the influence\nof the priests would, no doubt, give more proof of their friendship.\nThe missionaries have opened a school among them, which promises to\ndo good. The females wear what is called the tantoor on their heads.\nIt is very like those tin horns which are often used by hunters to\ncall their dogs; stage-drivers at times use them. The tantoor is a\nfoot long; the largest part is fixed to the forehead, and by means\nof a small piece of wood, or some such thing, which passes over the\nhead, and is fastened to the hair, the whole is made to stand upon\nthe head like a horn. It usually leans forward, and reminds one of\nthe figure of the unicorn. The horn is of silver, and has at times\nvarious ornamental devices engraved on it. The chief use of it seems\nto be to sustain the veil, which is universally worn by the women\nhere. It is thrown over the horn, and hangs down over the shoulders.\nWhen men are present, they draw the veil with one hand close over\nthe mouth, so as to cover the lower part of the face, leaving but\none eye exposed. While they are thus careful to cover the face,\nthey often, I might say usually, leave the breast most shamefully\nexposed. Indeed, they seem to have pride in exposing that part of\nthe body.\n\nSometime before I got out of quarantine, there was a death in the\nEmeer family of this village; and, as is the custom, the people are\nnot allowed to wash their clothes for forty days--as they are not\nmuch given to cleanliness at any time, this was an order grievously\nout of place. About the time I came up the people were most\nfearfully dirty. The days of restriction are, however, past, and it\nis thought the people have been using water. It is a rare evil for\npeople to get habituated to--a disregard of cleanliness--for it is\nhard to correct the evil.\n\nMost, if not all, of the houses here are of one story--a few,\nindeed, that stand on the hill-side, have a small room under the\nelevated side of the main floor. The floors are uniformly, as far\nas I have seen, made of clay, as also is the roof. They wet it and\nmake it into a kind of mortar, and have a heavy stone roller with\nwhich to make it smooth. For the roof, pieces of timber are laid\nacross, mostly a few strong beams, then across them smaller pieces\nof boards, and flat stones; and on these the earth is laid, in a\nwet state, and the roller made to pass over it, until with that\nand their feet they make it hard and smooth. All the roofs are\nflat, having some little channels to collect the water, and a low\nplace at one side to let it off. There is a way of ascending to\nthe top, which, in large houses, is a fine place for walking and\ntaking the air. These roofs do very well in dry weather, but in\nthe rainy season the water, it is said, comes through, and gives\nmuch annoyance to the inmates. The sides are usually made of stone,\nvery coarsely put together; very little mortar is used--often none.\nThey plaster the inside with clay, such as they use for making the\nfloors; and give it a slight coat of whitewash. It is, to be sure,\ndone in poor style; still the houses do pretty well for a summer\nresidence. Generally they have but one room, but occasionally they\nhave two or three.\n\nThese flat roofs and their earthen materials illustrate what was\nmeant by the grass upon the house-tops--grass does often spring up\nin the wet season, but the heat of the sun withers it and it comes\nto nought.\n\n\"Shall men give into your bosom?\"--The usual dress here, is a long\nrobe, not much unlike a woman's gown. It is fastened about the\nwaist with a girdle. This is a long, large piece, often as large,\nand even much larger than a sheet, but of a fine texture; usually\nof the shawl kind. They wrap this round them four or five times,\nforming a band from four inches to a foot wide, as the taste of each\nmay be,--then give such a fastening to the end as each may choose.\nIt is odd, and to us laughable to see them putting them on. I have\nseen them fasten the end of their long girdle to a door, post, or\ntable--adjust its folds--regulate its width--put one end to their\nbody, and turn round and round until they have wrapped it all to\ntheir liking. Yea, I have seen them do it on the road. On my visit\nto Nice, not long after I left that plain, I passed a man on the\nroad who from some cause wished to adjust his girdle. Possibly it\nwas a preparation before he entered that city of ancient name. He\nhad stopped, taken off his girdle, adjusted its width, arranged\nits folds, fastened one end of it to a bush, drew it out to its\nfull length, applied the other end to his side, and holding it,\nturned round and round carefully, attending to its width and the\nadjustment of its folds. I felt strongly disposed to laugh, and\nhad there been any one to join me in it, I doubt not should have\nlaughed heartily, the danger of offending the gravity of the Turk\nto the contrary notwithstanding. But there is no fun in laughing\nalone; and my old Greek guide looked as grave as if he saw nothing\namusing, in seeing a man winding himself in a shawl. But to the\npoint I meant to illustrate. The part of the dress above the girdle\nhaving an opening, is used for stowing away all sorts of things;\nhandkerchiefs, when they have any; bread, fruit, &c., nothing comes\namiss; they put it into the bosom. As the receptacle goes all round\nthe body, it is equal to three or four of those large pockets our\ngreat-grandmothers used to wear.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER IV.\n\n\n  _Bru-ma-nah, July 23d, 1836._\n\nI have just returned from a tour of four days among the mountains.\nThe ladies rode on donkeys, which are not much larger than the\nlargest kind of sheep; they have great strength and a pleasant gait.\nThey are also sure-footed, which in such rough roads is no small\nrecommendation. I hired a mule, the owner of which, as is usual in\nsuch cases, went along to take care of his animal. The other two\ngentlemen had their own horses. It is not here as in Europe, where\nyou can find taverns and beds. There are no such things here. We, of\ncourse, had to take all things needful for eating and sleeping. We\ncarried two tents--one for the ladies, the other for the gentlemen;\nour bedding, provisions, utensils for cooking, a pot, a pan, plates,\nknives, forks, spoons, coffee, tea-cups, sugar, salt, towels, &c.\nWe required, of course, two or three mules to carry these, and a\nservant to take care of them and cook for us. Although our plan was\nto take no more than was really necessary, we made quite a cavalcade.\n\nYou have, no doubt, heard that coal has lately been found in the\nmountains near Beyroot. The chief mine that is worked lies near\na village called Corneil, about three or four hours' ride from\nBrumanah, and up near the main ridge of the mountain. Our first\nobject was to visit those mines which lay south-east of Brumanah. We\npassed up the ridge on which Brumanah stands, but gradually wound\nalong its south-east side, until we reached the bottom of the ravine\nwhich separates it from the ridge which lies to the south. Much of\nthe higher part of the ridge on which Brumanah stands is of the\nsandstone formation; it is, however, singularly mixed with patches\nof limestone. We found the ravine a most rugged and rocky one, and\nalmost wholly of limestone. We saw many loose masses of green stone\nat the bottom, which must have been brought from some distance, as\nthere was no appearance of that rock in sight.\n\nIn crossing the next ridge, we passed a village, in the midst of a\nwell-cultivated spot. There were more trees, and vines, and garden\nherbs, than I had seen at any of the villages that I had passed.\nThe prince of this village has a pretty good-looking palace, of\nconsiderable size. We passed close by it, and as the people within\nassembled to see the party of Franks, it gave us an opportunity to\nsee them. After ascending about half way up this ridge, we again\npassed into the sandstone formation, which occupies the top, except\nsome small locations of limestone, which appears in some strange\nway to have got out of its proper place. But of this hereafter. We\npassed over this ridge, and at the foot, near the lower part of\nthe sandstone formation, we found the coal mines. Mr. Brattle, the\nEnglish superintendant, received us most kindly, and took us through\nand showed us the mine. He has made four or five openings, and finds\nample stores of coal. It is from three to four feet thick--dips a\nlittle into the mountain--has several considerable falls in the\nstrata, which will require more labour in working it. There is\nanother mine south of the next ridge, which is also now worked. The\ncoal is not, however, as good as at the one we visited. None of the\ncoal yet found is as good as the English coal, but most probably a\nfurther search may discover coal of a better quality.\n\nIt is about ten or fifteen years since this coal was first\ndiscovered. Several men were sent to examine it, but were not\nskilful, and did not report favourably. There was an attempt to work\nit a few years since, but no good resulted. At length Mr. Brattle,\nwho is acquainted with the business, was induced to come out, and\nunder his direction they are becoming more and more important. He\nlabours under great disadvantages, from the absence of most of those\naids and facilities which are so needful in carrying on such work.\nHe has proved, or is proving, however, that they are valuable.\nThis coal is carried on mules and donkeys to Beyroot, over a most\nvillanous road. Were a good road made, and proper coal wagons used,\nit would greatly facilitate the matter. But that day is not yet\ncome. There is no such thing as a wheeled conveyance here, at least\nI have seen none, nor the track of one of any description.\n\nThere is a great irregularity in the sandstone strata near and\nabove the coal, it is thrown about in all sorts of ways. But I\nshall have occasion to notice this repeatedly in my tour. After\nspending several hours at the mine, Mr. Brattle took us to his\nhouse at Corneil (the old palace, the best house in the village),\nand entertained and lodged us with great kindness and hospitality.\nFrom the terrace of the palace, which looks towards Beyroot, we had\none of the most splendid views I have ever seen. We saw the sun set\nin the ocean behind Cyprus; could distinctly see the island in the\nfull blaze of the setting sun. It lies so far to the west, that\nit is only in peculiar states of the air it can be seen. Corneil\nstands on a rocky knoll on the top of a ridge. At this place the\nlimestone is thrown up, while both above and below on the ridge\nthe sandstone prevails. It is surrounded with vines, mulberry, fig\nand other kinds of trees. But they stop here. This is the highest\npoint on this part of the mountain where trees are seen. Almost\nimmediately after leaving Corneil we saw no more trees, not even\nbushes, except occasionally a very low evergreen, which appeared to\nbe a kind of thorn. It grows in bunches, spreads over the ground,\nbut seldom rises above from six inches to a foot. Occasionally we\nsaw some heather and fern in wet places, and more frequently furze\nand thistle; a few low flowers appeared, and some other mountain\nplants that were new to me. The whole face of the mountain was\nbare rocks, rocks, rocks. The ridge on which Corneil stands leads\nup to a very high point of the mountain called, if I recollect\nright, Jebal Knee-se. There are now, it is said, the remains of a\nchurch and monastery on the top. It was a place of some interest as\nan ecclesiastical establishment. It really must have looked like\nliterally getting up, if not _to_ at least _towards_ heaven, to\nlive upon the top of a mountain which is supposed to be from nine\nto ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. It was, no doubt,\na monastic establishment. Why it was deserted I know not. I felt a\nwish to visit it, but the labour would have been considerable, and\nas another point which lies several hours' ride north-east is still\nhigher, and is the one that is usually ascended, and as we thought\nthe ascent of one would be quite enough for our invalids, we passed\nround the foot of the high peak of Jebal Knee-se, and made for the\ntop of the ridge, at a low place between Jebal Knee-se and Jebal\nSun-neen.\n\nThe upper part of Jebal Knee-se is regularly stratified limestone,\nand horizontal. It has many shells in it; we stopped and collected\nsome fine specimens of four or five different kinds. About the\nmiddle of the day, we reached the top of the ridge of Lebanon, at\nthe low place between the two points before named. This place is\nabove the limits of trees and cultivation. The mountain is barren\neven of bushes. There are, however, some of the smaller plants which\nI mentioned a few lines above.\n\nWe had from this place a fine view of the Bokar, or plain of\nCelo-Syria, which lies between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. It is a\nlong and narrow plain--narrow compared with its length. It may be\nfrom fifteen to twenty miles wide, but must be several hundred miles\nlong. It looked like a dead level. We could see many villages in it,\nand groves of trees, and the green fields. It was a lovely sight.\nWe pitched our tents on the top, and made our dinner, enjoying the\ndelightful view which lay around us on all sides. The cultivation on\nthe side next the plain ascended much higher up the mountain than\nit did on the north-western side. There were fields of grain but a\nshort distance below us, so near indeed that one of our muleteers\ntook down his mule, and let it feed on the grain, and even brought\nup a bundle of green wheat which he procured there.\n\nThe place on which we pitched our tents was the upper part of the\nsandstone formation. There was a good deal of sandstone, breccia\nor puddingstone, but near us on all sides the limestone formation\nwas seen. After the heat of the day was a little over, we set out\nnorth-east along the top of the Mount for the Sun-neen, the high\npoint which is usually ascended, and on which the most snow is\nfound. There is a little flat, or nearly flat, space along the top,\non which we found a footpath, much beaten. All over these high\nplaces the sheep and goats and cattle are driven for the sake of\npasture. We saw more flocks on these upper parts of the mountain\nthan we did on the lower parts.\n\nNot far from our encampment, we passed a place near the upper part\nof the sandstone formation, where strata of a peculiar character\ncropt out. It split easily into lamina as fine as paper; was\npeculiarly elastic. You might roll it up in rolls, and it would,\nwhen let loose, spring back to its former state. It burnt freely.\nYou might almost make torches of it. It was, no doubt, bituminous\nshale. In some places it had more of these properties than others.\nThe strata was of considerable thickness, as we could see on the\nsides of the hollow on which we found it. It lay on the north-west\nside, a little below the top of the ridge. Most likely, as the\nstrata was horizontal, it cropt out also on the south-east side next\nthe plain of Celo-Syria.\n\nTwo or three hours brought us to the foot of Jebal Sun-neen, and up\nnear the foot of the snows. Here we selected a good spot, and again\npitched our tents; intending to employ the next day in our ascent\nto the top and return to the same place. We found it much colder\nthan it was in the lower parts of the mountain. We really needed\nfire; but it was with difficulty that wood enough could be procured\nto make our tea, much more to make a fire to warm half-a-dozen\npeople in the open air. We had, however, expected this, and brought\nclothing accordingly, so that we did not suffer much.\n\nIn the morning, we began the ascent; we rode nearly an hour, and\ntook a donkey still farther for the benefit of the ladies; but\nthen left all our animals, and betook ourselves in good earnest to\nthe matter of ascending the Mount. On the side which we ascended,\nbetween where we encamped and the top, are two or three offsets,\nthen the mountain falls off and leaves a kind of level. These\ngeneral levels have small ridges and round hills on them, and many\ndeep valleys and sink-holes, or holes of that peculiar kind which\nabound in districts where a horizontal limestone stratum lies on\nthe surface. In these deep sink-hole places, and in the valleys,\nand on the sides of the ridges, the snow was accumulated in great\nquantities, but it did not cover the whole surface of the mountain,\nas I had supposed it might. But a small part of the mountain had\nsnow on it. It lay in patches, and possibly not over one-twentieth\npart was covered with it. I saw no ice--all was snow. From the\naction of the sun and wind, it was just hard enough to walk on with\nsafety. The foot would sink in it one, two, or three inches--seldom\nmore. I walked on it in my shoes without inconvenience.\n\nWe were three hours in reaching the top--we proceeded slowly, and\nstopped frequently to allow the ladies rest. We found the summit\nmuch like the offset, which I have just described. There was what\nmay be called a general level, of a mile or two across, with many\nrises in it, and full of deep holes of various shapes, some nearly\nround, others long and narrow. These were full of snow. It was\nusually much melted at one side, and the largest masses were, as a\ngeneral thing, found lying on the west or south-west side of the\nhollow. What appeared most singular, was the fact, that for the most\npart, the outsides of this great cone appeared the highest--around\nit were the highest knolls, while the inner parts were lower, and\nits holes and sinks more deep. The rain and snow water does not seem\nto flow over and down the outside of the cone, but sinks in it, and\nfinds its way out as it can.\n\nThe whole upper part of the Mount, from where we pitched our tents,\nwhich was near the sandstone formation, is limestone with its\nvarieties. It lies horizontally, and is stratified with unusual\nregularity. This can be seen with great distinctness on the west\nside of the Mount, where the deep hollow, in which a branch of\nthe river Beyroot heads, terminates against the cone, and makes a\nregular, steep, sloping descent of, I should think, from four to\nsix thousand feet. Near the top, on the west side, I saw a small\nspot of fine white marble--much of the rock, indeed, approximates to\nmarble. High up, at the north-east corner, we found some limestone\nbreccia, and saw, also, in various places, much arragonite, which is\na peculiar and rare variety of crystallised limestone.\n\nBut what gave us most interest were the shells which we found at\nmany places as we ascended, and also on the top itself. We found\nsome very fine specimens of them--four or more varieties. I procured\nseveral, nearly as large as a common conch shell; all of them were\npetrified. At various places on the side, and also on the summit,\nwe saw rocks that appeared little else than a mass of shells. As\nto when and how they got there, I have at present but little to\nsay. Of one thing, however, I am fully satisfied, that they do not\ncontradict the Mosaic account. It is possible that they may, with\nother facts which are collecting, prove, finally, that in some\npoints we have put a wrong construction on the Mosaic account.\nThus it was when the newly received system of astronomy was first\nbrought forward. It was assailed with more zeal than knowledge, by a\ncertain class of religionists, who insisted that it was at variance\nwith the Bible, which said the sun rose and set; whereas, this new\nsystem made the sun stand still and the earth turn round,--and not\nonly the anathemas of the church, but the fire and fagot were called\ninto requisition, to maintain the good old received opinion, that\nthe earth stood still for the quiet of man, and the sun, moon, and\nstars, which had nothing else to do, went round and round to give\nhim light. It was, however, found out at last, that the truth in\nastronomy was not at war with truth in revelation--that the earth\nmight turn round, and move at the same time in its orbit, without\ninfringing, in the least, against the truths of the Bible. Thus, I\ndoubt not, it will be found with the geological fossils, which are\nnow accumulating, and some of them are truly singular. They will be\nfound to coincide with revelation.\n\nI do fear, indeed, that some weak heads will be injured by these\nfacts, and that some minds wishing to find occasion against\nreligion, will eagerly seize these facts, and take it for granted\nthat they are inconsistent with the Bible account, and will\nthrow off all regard for that most precious book. Such persons\nought to recollect that geology is a science that is yet in its\n_infancy_. That on some of the most important questions that bear\non its relation to the Mosaic account, there is not only a want\nof agreement among geologists, but much contrariety of opinion.\nFarther, this eastern world, where the main examination ought to\nbe made, has been but little examined; and still, the Bible will\nadmit of any explanation, in agreement with these facts, on the same\nprinciples on which explanations in common life are daily received.\n\nThe view from the top of Sun-neen was most splendid. We had a most\nextensive view of the Bokar, as the Celo-Syria plain is now called.\nThe great range of the Anti-Lebanon stretched along the farther\nside, running parallel to that of the Lebanon. Parts of the former\nhad snow on them, and especially a high point that lay a good deal\nto the south. On the general range of the Anti-Lebanon, there was\nless snow; and I should think it a good deal lower than the Lebanon.\nIt has the same naked and rough appearance, and I am told is even\nmore rough, more destitute of forests, and less occupied with\nvillages. To the south, we could see as far as Mount Hermon and the\nmountains about the sea of Tiberias. To the north, the plain ran\nout till it met the horizon. The whole plain of Celo-Syria appeared\nto be a dead level. The mountains rise from it as if they rose out\nof a sea. In this it reminded me of the plain of Ephesus, which\nstretches up almost to Smyrna. Baalbec can be seen from Sun-neen,\nbut the state of the air was not favourable to a distant view on the\nplain. North of the point of Sun-neen, on which we stood, the main\nridge of the Lebanon sinks a good deal, as it does on the south.\nBeyond this low place, at a considerable distance, I should think\na day's travel, say fifteen or twenty miles, it throws up another\nhigh point, or mass of mountains. On this last point, which may be\nabout as high as the Sun-neen, grow the famous cedars so much spoken\nof. Our plan was to have extended our tour so as to visit them and\nBaalbec, which stands nearly opposite them, on the other side of the\nplain, but some engagements and matters of duty did not allow all\nthe company to proceed thus far.\n\nOur descent from the top was much more easy and expeditious than\nour ascent, owing in part to an experiment we made with complete\nsuccess. On the south side of the point a hollow ran up almost to\nthe top; on the west side of this hollow was a large field of snow,\nwhich extended from near the top to the foot of what I have called\nthe cone, or down to the second general level. We made a trial of\nhow we could descend on the snow, and found that, by keeping near\nthe edge, and walking with care, sticking the heel with a little\nforce in it, we could get along with much more ease and expedition\nthan we could over the rough and exceedingly rocky ground. Our\ndescent to our horses was soon accomplished; and just as the sun\nwent down under the western wave, we arrived at our tents, a little\ntired it is true, but greatly gratified in having reached the top\nof that \"goodly mountain and Lebanon,\" perhaps the most interesting\nmountain in the world.\n\nWhile we were on the Mount, the day, as it shone on us, was\nperfectly clear; the general state of the air, when we were shaded\nwith an umbrella, or under the shade of a rock, was pleasant. The\ndirect force of the sun was, however, warm. We were above the\nclouds, and had a most interesting view of their forming far, far\nbelow us, and especially on the sea. Soon after mid-day they began\nto form on the far distant horizon over the sea, and continued to\nincrease until a large part of it was covered; and about the time\nwe reached the foot of the cone, where we had left our horses, the\nclouds exhibited a most brilliant spectacle. A small strip of the\nsea, near the foot of the mountain, had no clouds on it. It lay\nsmooth, like a frozen lake. The remainder, in all directions as for\nas the eye could reach, was covered with immense masses of clouds,\nwhich appeared to us like hills of cotton or wool upon the waters.\nIt reminded me of some of those great plains of the valley of the\nMississippi, covered with its immense forests, as seen from some\nhigh point of the Alleghany or Cumberland range, after the fall of a\nheavy snow. The clouds appeared about as high above the water as the\nwestern groves rise above the plain--the irregularity of hill and\ndale, and the fleecy whiteness of the clouds, as we looked upon the\nupper part, which was strongly illuminated by the sun, corresponded\nwell with groves loaded with the new-fallen snow in all its virgin\npurity.\n\nTo make the scene still more interesting, a wind set in from the\nsea, and drove the masses of clouds against the mountains. We saw\nthe plains covered and again laid bare, as masses of clouds, like\nthe irregular columns of an army, passed over it--drove against\nthe mountains--rose higher and higher up its sides--and at last\nswept over us and by us in huge piles. It was not one large dense\ncloud, but a multitude of clouds of various sizes, and at different\nheights. The sun pouring its flood of light upon these masses, so\nvarious in height and density and rapidity of motion, presented the\nmost brilliant and perpetually varying spectacle that I have ever\nseen. We had all the variety of tints and colouring that light and\nshade can make, and that ever-changing aspect which is presented by\nthe kaleidoscope. There was, however, no rain; for while we often\nhave clouds on these mountains, there has no rain fallen since I\nreached Beyroot, which is now more than six weeks.\n\nWe spent the night at the foot of the snows, where the former night\nwas passed; and having packed our minerals, shells, and flowers,\nwhich we had collected, set off for Bru-ma-nah. We took a more\ndirect road than the one by which we came, as we wished to see as\nmuch of the mountain as possible. We passed along a great ridge\nthat ran from our tents, at the foot of the cone, with various\nirregularities, on to Bru-ma-nah. We found it much as the ridge on\nwhich the coal-pits of Corneil are situate. The upper part of it\nmuch of the way is of the sandstone formation. On the higher part\nof this is a stratum of very fine puddingstone. Almost everywhere,\nin this sandstone formation, we find petrified wood, much iron ore,\niron stone, and at many places slate, and all the indications of\ncoal. There can be no doubt that coal exists extensively in this\nformation; and, from the tour which we made, I should think that\nfrom one-sixth to one-fourth of this ridge was of the sandstone\nformation. It lies about midway up the mountain; has, generally\nconsidered, a horizontal position; but is at many places most\nsingularly thrown out of its place. At the heads of hollows, and at\nthe points of ridges, and often in other places, the limestone seems\nforced up, but retains its horizontal position: at other places, the\nsandstone is suddenly cut off, and begins again at a great distance\nabove or below;--but my paper is full.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER V.\n\n\n  _Bru-ma-nah, Aug. 2, 1836._\n\nLast Saturday, I went down to Beyroot, mainly to spend the Sabbath\nwith the small number of Franks that usually meet at the American\nconsul's for worship. I had been on the mountains about three\nweeks, and found the general temperature pleasant. The thermometer\nseldom rose to 75\u00b0 Fahr. The direct action of the sun was, it is\ntrue, considerable, but I seldom, except when travelling, went\nout during the greatest heat of the day. I found the heat greater\nat Beyroot; from five to eight, and at times ten or more degrees.\nStill the thermometer does not give the whole difference. There is a\ncloseness--an oppressive something in the air in the town that makes\nit more trying than the same degrees of heat would produce on the\nmountains. There is also a very manifest difference in the heat, and\noppressive character of the air, in the town, and in what is called\nthe Gardens--the numerous dwellings that lie without the walls,\nand are scattered for several miles round the city, mentioned in a\nformer letter.\n\nI have repeatedly witnessed since I came to the mountains an\nappearance in the setting sun which I never before saw, nor have I\never seen it noticed in books. In this dry season of the year we\nhave but few clouds, and the sun usually clear; but in setting, it\nvery often assumes strange and singular appearances. They begin\nabout the time the lower part of the sun touches the line of the\nhorizon. The lower part, at times, appears to _flatten up_; the\nupper, to _flatten down_; and at times, the sides _flatten in_--so\nthat the disk of the sun forms nearly a square; it seldom, however,\ntook this form. More frequently about the time that one-half of\nthe disk is sunk below the horizon, a portion of the upper part\nof the remainder appears to separate from the body of the sun,\nand often assumes the form of an inverted cone, or rather that of\na common washbowl, set on the sun, and at times separated from\nit by a black mark, of, say an inch in diameter. This crown-like\nappearance, at times, is distinctly visible after the disk of the\nsun has disappeared; at other times the body of the sun appeared to\nbe surrounded with a groove and a band, giving it the appearance\nof the capital of a pillar. I have seen it again and again, as it\nsank under the line of the horizon, flatten down, and spread out\nhorizontally, until in truth it did not look wider than a large\nwalking staff, while it appeared nearly a yard in length--the\nlength of the strip of luminous matter appeared really longer than\nthe usual apparent width of the disk before it began to take the\nnew form. But the most singular fact of all remains to be told. We\nhave several times seen, for it is the most rare appearance, the\nsun appear distinctly under the horizon, after the luminous aspect\nwas wholly gone. It appeared as a dark mass, nearly of the shape of\nthe sun, but much larger. It seemed under the water, and gradually\nto sink deeper and deeper. This sinking of it below the line of\nthe horizon causes it to appear to approach nearer the spectator.\nI saw it on one occasion most distinctly, when the distance of its\nupper edge appeared a full yard below the line of the horizon. It\nthen gradually became fainter and fainter, until it disappeared.\nI am not sure that I am philosopher enough to account for these\nstrange appearances. They do not appear every night; and seldom\nfor two nights together are the forms the same. The general cause,\nI suppose, is the peculiar state of the body of air through which\nthe rays of light from the setting sun reach us on the mountain.\nWe are in a high, pure, and elastic atmosphere. At the foot of\nthe mountain, and the plains on to Beyroot, over which the rays\npass, the earth must be greatly heated, and sends up a heated and\nrarefied body of air--then, farther on, is the ocean, which must\nkeep the stratum of air over it cooler. To this I may add, that we\nsee the sun set over Cyprus. This island lies at the very edge of\nour horizon, as seen from Bru-ma-nah; so distant that it is only\nat times that we can distinctly see it. Now Cyprus is an island of\nconsiderable size, and not having much growth is greatly heated by\nthe action of the sun. This may, by the rarefied volume of air which\nit presents to the rays of the sun, tend still farther to vary their\ncourse. Thus passing two or three warm and rare, and as many cold\nand dense strata, may be the cause of all the variety of phenomena\nabove described. I leave it however for others to solve the problem.\n\nIt will soon be two months since I reached Beyroot, and few things\nhave struck me more than the uniformity of the weather. There has\nnot been a drop of rain. There has been scarcely any weather that\nwe should call cloudy. True, some clouds do at times collect over\nthe sea, and at times they rest on the mountain, but they are clouds\nwithout rain. They very seldom spread over the face of the heavens,\nso as to withhold the light of the sun; they are mostly confined to\none part, and leave the remainder in its usual clearness. I have,\nagain and again, been reminded of the fact, that one day is almost\nprecisely like all the others. We have no opportunity to say \"this\nis a fine day,\"--all are fine.\n\nWe may suppose that when there is for so long a period no rain,\nand when the sun, almost without exception, pours on the earth its\nfull blaze of light and heat, the air would become very dry. It is\nso; but not to an unpleasant degree--at least _I_ am not sensible\nof any unpleasant effects from it. Plants and vegetation do, it is\ntrue, feel it--they wither and droop; and those who wish to preserve\nthem in their freshness and beauty, must resort to the means of\nwatering them. But, as regards comfortable feeling from the air, I\nhave found few places that were to be preferred to Mount Lebanon.\n\nThe clearness of the air is a most striking characteristic of these\nregions. It is most striking, and is manifested in many things. It\nis seen in looking at the starry heavens. The stars are numerous,\nand the face of the heavens has a clearness in it, that makes the\nimpression on the mind that we can see further into the deep and\npathless abyss by which our little earth is surrounded than we can\nin other countries. It agrees in this with the Italian sky, but\nis, I think, still more clear. This clearness of the air is also\nmanifest in looking at distant objects. They appear much nearer\nthan they really are. I am almost perpetually struck with this in\nlooking from Bru-ma-nah down to Beyroot, and the long line of coast\nwhich lies to the north and south. When I stand on some one of\nthe points of the ridge that runs out towards Beyroot, as I often\ndo, especially in my evening walks, the town appears so near, and\nthe bay at such a short distance below me, that I can hardly get\nclear of the impression that I could throw a finger-stone into the\nbay. The ascent and descent, three or four times repeated, has,\nhowever, given the matter-of-fact proof that it takes nearly four\nhours of hard travel to pass the space that lies between Bru-ma-nah\nand Beyroot. The air, it is true, is not always equally pure and\ntransparent; a dulness and obscurity, like that which is often\nobservable in other countries, at times exist here. The air here\nis, I think, at least in the dry season, less liable to it; how\nthe rainy seasons may affect the air in all these respects, I am\nnot as yet prepared to say; as I have had no opportunity of making\nobservations.\n\nBut little dew falls at this place; and from all that I saw in\nBeyroot, there is but little there, at least in the dry season; I\nhave not noticed it in the form of drops on the leaves, indeed I\nhave at this place hardly observed it in the form of dampness; a\nslight degree of this is observable in the evening after sunset.\nThis is our usual hour for walking, and I have observed that our\nclothes were a little damp on our return. I was struck, however,\nwith the fact, that the nights we were encamped at the foot of the\ncone of Jebal Sun-neen, there was an abundance of dew. Our tents\nwere wet; and the grass and vegetation, and even dust of the roads,\nbore witness to it. How it happened that there was so much of it\nup there, and so little of it down here, I leave for the wise to\ndecide; possibly the cause may be in the neighbourhood of the\nfact, that the heat here and at Beyroot is remarkably uniform. It\nvaries but few degrees in the twenty-four hours; at our place of\nencampment, referred to, the variation was much greater; we had\ngreat heat by day and almost frost at night.\n\nThe more usual and valuable produce of the mountains is the silk.\nMuch of their best ground is planted with the mulberry-tree, the\nleaf of which is used for feeding the worms. Not much of the silk\nis manufactured here; most of it is exported to Italy, France, and\nEngland.\n\nThe principal grain grown here is the barley, and a kind of bearded\nwheat that looks much like it. I have not, however, travelled enough\nto make observation to much extent. They raise some tobacco--almost\nevery one here, as you no doubt have heard, smokes--the pipe is\neverywhere one of the most common things seen; they have long\nhandles, usually made of the cherry-tree; the finer kind are nearly\nas long as the owner is high, and are tipped with a mouth-piece of\n_amber_. They often use a kind of pipe called the nargely, in which\nthe smoke is drawn through water. Much of their time is spent in\nsmoking and taking coffee.\n\nI am told that in the plains of the Bokar' or Celo-Syria, a good\ndeal of Indian corn is grown. I have not seen any of it on the\nmountains, nor did I notice it on the plains of Beyroot as I passed\nand repassed. The mountains do not raise bread-stuff sufficient for\nits own consumption; grain is brought from the plains. They appear\nto me, indeed, to live on very little up here; and I have often,\nwhile looking on their simple fare, thought of the poet's lines:\n\n    \"Man wants but little here below,\n    Nor wants that little long.\"\n\nStill a people may have too few wants, they may be too indifferent\nas to comforts and conveniences; and the absence of these\nexcitements may lead to idleness and almost complete indifference\ntowards all things. If it be not good for man to be alone, it is\nstill worse for him to be idle; and he who in great kindness to man\ngave him the woman to be with him, in the same spirit of love gave\nhim employment--to dress the garden and keep it. The devil, it is\nsaid, finds employment for idle people; and, even if that were not\nhis peculiar business, the idleness of many must, I should think,\nput a sore temptation in the devil's way, to give them something to\ndo. I have often heard the devil charged with tempting people, but I\nam inclined to think, that the temptation is not all on one side; I\nsuspect that people often tempt the devil. Had our first mother Eve\nbeen attending to her domestic matters as she ought; or, in company\nwith her goodman, been helping to take care of the garden, she\nwould probably have escaped the evil into which she fell.\n\nBut to return from this digression. The people of these mountains\nare greatly given to idleness; it may result, in part, from the\nkind of culture they pursue. The silkworm can employ but little of\ntheir time, and much of the remainder is unemployed. It would be\nbetter for them were they employed more constantly. The pasha, it\nis true, gives many of them employment in connexion with working\nthe coal-mines, and taking coal to Beyroot; and, while there may be\nhardship in the manner in which he presses them, with their mules\nand donkeys, into the service, I am not sure that in a more enlarged\nview of things it may not be to their advantage; were companies of\nthe idlers kept at work constantly in making roads on the mountains,\nand keeping those made in good repair, the benefit to the whole\nregion would be great indeed. But all improvements travel very\nslowly in these ends of the earth.\n\nI have long since read of the big-tailed sheep, but do not recollect\nseeing any until I reached this place. The sheep is about the usual\nsize. On the rump and around the root of the tail, there is a large\nmass of soft loose flesh or fat, which appears to be but loosely\nconnected with the body, except as kept in connexion with it by the\nskin. It hangs loose, and shakes about like the udder of a good\nmilch cow, and altogether has a very singular appearance. I have\nnot often, if at all, seen flocks of sheep on these mountains. The\ngoats are often seen in flocks with their keeper, but the sheep are\nusually seen singly, or but two or three together, having a string\nabout their necks, by which they are fastened when at the house, and\nled and managed when out at pasture. We may see them led about in\nthe gardens and vineyards, and out on the mountain side, where a\ntuft of grass is to be found; a boy or girl is usually in attendance\nupon each sheep. In the evening, I have often seen them bringing\nthe sheep to the springs and pools of water, and pour the water\nplentifully over them, I suppose to cool them. The sheep appear to\ntake it very kindly, seemingly accustomed to it.\n\nThe goats are much used for their milk. The cow is indeed used, and\npossibly its milk is considered the best, but the goat, as the more\nthrifty animal, is most easily kept, and suits the spare vegetation\nwhich is found on the mountains. They are seen in considerable\nnumbers, and some of them have uncommonly long ears, which are of a\nspeckled whitish colour, and hang down from eight to twelve inches.\n\nThe camel is much used here as a beast of burden. It is a tall,\nraw-boned, long-legged, and long-necked animal, but of a patient,\nquiet spirit. It shares with the donkey and mule the hard service\nwhich the people of these lands exact of their cattle. I have been\nsurprised to see what masses of timber they carry down from these\nmountains on the backs of camels--beams for houses, shipping, and\nall sorts of things. I have seen a beam from fifteen to twenty feet\nlong, and from eight to ten, twelve, or fourteen inches in diameter,\nlaid on the back of a camel, one end projecting forward before the\nhead of the animal, and the other reaching far behind, and somehow\nfastened with ropes to the huge pack-saddle which he carries. Thus\nloaded he is made to pass over roads, which require some fortitude\nfor a man to ride, and pass up and down descents that are most\nfearful for such loads: one driver attends each, who may at the more\ndangerous passes take hold of the beam and aid in keeping it steady.\nThe poor animal usually reaches his place of destination in safety\nwith his lumber--I say usually, for at times, over-loaded or worn\ndown with the length of the way, or missing his step, he falls, and\nis crushed to death by the merciless load upon his back.\n\nWho has not heard of the scorpion? and yet who has seen one? It was\nnot until after I reached Beyroot that I saw one, and that occurred\nin a way that took me a good deal by surprise. One evening during\nour quarantine, the scorpion happening to be mentioned as a reptile\nthat abounded, I expressed a wish to see one. This was reported to\nour guardians. The next morning, soon after I was out of bed, I was\ncalled to the porch, and to my no small surprise, mixed with some\napprehension of danger, I saw one of the guardians having a handful\nof them,--literally a handful of scorpions. He may have had from six\nto ten of them. They were all small. They are a short reptile--these\nwere about the size of a common locust; the body short and flat,\nwith a tail rather longer than the body. The sting is in the tip of\nthe tail. They strike forward with the tail. They appear rather a\nslow, dull animal, and do not appear eager to strike or do mischief.\nWhen held in the hand, they cannot strike, and the pressure of the\nhand appears to produce a dull, heavy disposition. The guardian\nhandled them as he pleased--he took hold of the lower part of the\ntail, with a quick motion, and then held them close in his hand,\npiled one on the other. They have a way of taking them, I am told,\nby putting a stick to them that is covered with bees-wax. The\nscorpion strikes his tail in it, it sticks fast, and he is taken.\nTheir sting produces pain, it is said, but is not often, if ever,\nfatal. It is but seldom that persons are stung by them.\n\nAnd who has not heard of the chameleon, that wonderful animal that\none traveller declared was blue, and another that it was black, and\nits owner asserted that it was green, but which, when produced, was\nof a different colour from any of those mentioned! The chameleon is\nnot the only thing which has been made more marvellous by report\nthan nature made it. It is a lizard, of a size rather larger than\nthose little four-legged, long-tailed animals, that in the spring\nand summer are seen about old fences and trees, nearly the colour\nof the moccason snake. The chameleon is, in its usual colour, not\nunlike the above-mentioned lizard, rather lighter--more like the\nrattlesnake as to colour. It is a perfectly harmless reptile, may\nbe handled at pleasure. It is rather slow in its motions, and when\nyou touch it, it will swell and blow at a great rate, but does\nnothing else. As its passions are excited by handling, its colour\nis in a slight degree changeable, and it may be still more so when\nseen in different kinds of light. The change, however, has been\nmuch magnified; and were it not that \"as changeable as a chameleon\"\nhas become a proverb, and every one expects something, hundreds of\npeople might see and handle it, and not observe any change in its\ncolour. They are often found about houses, and are said to be fond\nof flies--what their art of catching them may be, I know not; their\nmotions appear too slow to make a living in that way.\n\nI had heard, long before coming to Asia, fearful accounts of the\nannoyance I must expect from fleas, bed-bugs, and other similar\nsorts of gentry; I have as yet only come in contact with the fleas,\nand an occasional musquito. But really the number and pertinacity\nof the fleas will well make amends for the absence of the other\ntribes of annoying insects. I know not to what it may be owing,\nbut the flea does seem to multiply in a way that is astonishing.\nThey abound almost everywhere, and it appears to be a matter of\nimpossibility to get wholly out of their reach. The evil may be\nincreased by the earthen floor, and the peculiar character of their\nhouses, and, above all, the unclean habits of the people; and as\nall the Frank families have native servants, and are visited a good\ndeal by the natives, it is not easy for those families to keep\ntheir houses free from the annoyance. I have heard, indeed, a very\nsignificant saying, that the king of the fleas resides at Beyroot,\nand his pasha at Jaffa. I suppose it signifies those are the\nfavourite places with these light-footed gentry.\n\nThe fruit season is now coming on, and we have some fine varieties\nof fruit brought to market. The district of country a little on\nthis side of Jaffa, is the place most famed for the water-melon.\nThere are but few grown on these parts of the mountain. I have seen\nbut few vines, and these bore a small and inferior kind. But the\nquantities that come from the vicinity of Jaffa are very great;\nvessels arrive at Beyroot almost daily with them. They are sold for\na mere trifle. They are carried all through these mountains, and are\na very fine fruit of the kind.\n\nI have never seen the plum any where to be compared with those here.\nThey grow, however, near Damascus. That place is famed for fruit of\nvarious kinds, and great quantities of it are brought to Beyroot,\nand other towns on the coast. At this time of the year, when the\nfruit is ripe, it is a considerable business to carry fruit and\nsupply the market. The plum to which I refer is nearly as large as a\nhen's egg, and has a fine rich pulp. It is of a deep red colour, and\ndoes credit to the land where it grows.\n\nThe apricot abounds at Damascus; and they are brought in large\nparcels for the supply of this market. It is a fine fruit. I have\nnot seen many growing on this part of the mountain, nor have I seen\nthe apple or the peach growing in very large quantities. The best\nused here are brought from Damascus. I have not seen any apples to\nbe compared with our best; the apple season, however, is not yet\ncome.\n\nThe grape grows well, and there are some fine vineyards. The grape\nthat abounds most, as far as I have observed, is a large white\ngrape. The single grape is often nearly as large as a partridge's\negg. The branches contain a noble collection of these grapes, and\nmore than once the large size of the bunch has made me think of the\ncluster which the spies took from Eshcol, as a sample of the fruit\nof the land. Some wine is made on these mountains, and of a very\ngood kind, as is said, for I have not so far forgotten my temperance\nhabits as to use, unless very occasionally, and under peculiar\ncircumstances, the wines of any of the countries through which\nI pass. The wines, I am told, are peculiarly free from alcohol,\nand have, if any, but a very small portion of the intoxicating\nprinciple. They are not so strong as the well-made cider of the\nmiddle States.\n\nThese mountaineers have a peculiar way of baking bread. They dig\na hole in the ground, about the size of a large bottle--put a\nthick coat of plaster around the side and on the bottom, and then\nlet it dry. It is very much in the shape of a large pot, a little\nbulging in the middle. A fire is made in the bottom of it, of small\nbranches, and kept up until the sides are well heated; the flames\nare then suffered to go down, leaving the mass of coals in the\nbottom. They have the dough ready, and take a piece of it, about as\nlarge as a biscuit, and laying it on a board, press it out as large\nas a common-sized plate, and nearly as thin as the blade of a thick\nknife. They place it on a round pillow or cushion, (it is so thin\nit cannot be handled otherwise,) and strike it against the inside of\nthis potlike place. It sticks, and in about one minute is baked. It\nis then taken off, and another put on. There are, usually, several\nwomen engaged at it at the same time, and they put them on with\ngreat quickness. You may see three or four of these wafer-like cakes\nsticking round the tan-moor, as it is called, at the same time, and\nchanged for others every minute. They soon bake bread for a meal.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VI.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, August 26th, 1836._\n\nI have just returned from a tour to Damascus, Baalbec, and the\nfar-famed Cedars of Lebanon, and will attempt a brief account of\nthese places, and my adventures by the way.\n\nI had the company of Mr. B----, Angelo to cook for us, and a\nmuleteer, who took care of our mules, and who ought to have been our\nguide, but who, on trial, was found not to know the way himself--a\nstate of things not uncommon in this country--and did it not\nextend to higher matters than to find the road from one place to\nanother, it would not be so bad; but from all I see and hear, it is\nmost dolefully the case in the great matter of finding the way to\neverlasting life. Guides there are many in religion, but few, if\nany, understand the way of salvation through our Lord and Saviour\nJesus Christ. It is, indeed, astonishing how far the great mass of\nthose who in these regions call themselves Christians, have sunk\nin darkness and ignorance respecting the most plain and leading\nprinciples of the word of God. The priests are \"blind leaders of the\nblind.\"\n\nAs we set out for Damascus, from Bru-ma-nah on the mountain, we\ndid not follow the usual road to Damascus from Beyroot, but took\na more direct route. We made for the lower part of Mount Lebanon,\nbetween the Sun-neen and Jebal Knee-se. I had before passed over\npart of this, on my tour to the Sun-neen, some account of which I\nhave already given you. Part of our way, however, before reaching\nthe top, was new, but did not differ much from what I had before\nseen. We passed a considerable village, where the Jesuits are said\nto have a school. It is in a lovely, romantic spot, and near a most\ntremendous precipice.\n\nThe descent from the top to the plain is much greater than I\nsupposed, when on the top. It took us above two hours to reach\nZahle, which stands on the lower part of the mountain, and at some\ndistance above the level of the plain. The side of the Lebanon\nnext the plain is not quite as rough and rocky as the other; in\nother respects it does not essentially differ. The cultivation may\npossibly extend farther up--the rock more disintegrated, and the\nstrata not as distinctly marked,--the general course of the ridge\nwas more regular and uniform. The road, as we approached Zahle, was\nbetter than any I have seen on the mountains--it passed through a\nconsiderable extent of vineyards, and labour had been expended upon\nit--it was very passable, a rare thing in these parts.\n\nA little above Zahle, and in and near it, a number of fine springs\narose, and their effect on the vegetation was most striking; while\nthe whole face of the mountain presented a most dry and parched\naspect, with only here and there a bush to be seen, the heads of the\nlittle hollows about Zahle--a small district near the town, and a\nnarrow slip along the waters, widening as it approached the plain,\nwere rich in verdure, and abounded with the Lombardy poplar, the\nwillow, the white walnut, and a variety of fruit-trees. You could\ntrace most clearly where there was water by the vegetation which\nthere covered the ground. Yea, you could point out most distinctly\nwhere the water was carried along the hill sides, in trenches, by\nthe verdure which covered the whole district below, while all above\nwas almost destitute of vegetation. The rising of water above and\nnear the town, being very considerable, and being carried along the\nhill sides, and extensively used in irrigation, a larger district\nabout this town was covered with trees, and bore more marks of\nproductiveness than any I have seen in these quarters. A little\nbelow the town were some mills on this water-course, and many lovely\ngardens lay on all sides. The town Zahle contains from eight hundred\nto one thousand houses. They are crowded together, with narrow,\ncrooked streets; and, like all other towns in this land, it has\nno claim to cleanliness. Judging from what I saw, the houses are\nuniversally built of unburned brick, made with a good deal of _short\nstraw_ mixed with them, no doubt to prevent them from breaking to\npieces. The houses are of one story, have flat roofs, where people\nare often seen walking or lounging, and on which various things are\ndeposited.\n\nIt being about sundown when we entered the town, we made some\ninquiries for lodging. There are usually in the towns, and\noccasionally on the roads, houses built for the accommodation\nof travellers, called khans. They have rooms, but are entirely\nunfurnished, and the traveller is expected to provide for himself.\nThey are beginning to keep, at some of them, the more necessary\narticles of food for man and beast, which the traveller may obtain\nat a reasonable price. Having, in some of my former tours, been\ngreatly annoyed with _fleas_, and knowing these khans are the\nvery _head-quarters_ of such gentry, we were rather on the watch,\nand made inquiry before alighting, whether they had any fleas in\ntheir establishment? They assured us that they had \"a _plenty_!\n_plenty!_\" We declined stopping, and passed on amidst the laugh\nof the bystanders. It began, however, to grow dark about the time\nwe got out of the town, and after passing down the stream, among\nthe gardens, for some time, and not finding a place that offered a\ngood encampment, we were constrained to put up at a house on the\nroad side, and sleep in a kind of open court. We found, to our\ndiscomfort, that we had not much mended the matter. We were most\ngrievously beset with fleas, which were as greedy as if it was the\nfirst Frank blood they had tasted, and feared it might be the last.\n\nWe found in the morning that we were in the immediate neighbourhood\nof a considerable body of the pasha's troops. Their parade-ground\nwas over against us; arranged along one side I counted thirty-six\ncannon drawn up, and as we passed, we saw a considerable number of\nartillery-men, five or six in a company, manoeuvring, each under the\ndirection of an individual. Several of these groups had a _little\ncarriage_, not more than a foot long, a perfect toy, with a string\nto it, and were drawing it about and manoeuvring it in place of the\ncannon. It was laughable to see five or eight great awkward fellows\npulling about a little toy, like a waggon, which a baby could have\nthrown about at pleasure. This is the Egyptian version of European\ntactics.\n\nThere was near this place, which was on the edge of the plain, a\nmost noble threshing-floor. It was a large space of several acres,\nand there may have been from a dozen to twenty floors, without\nany partition between them. On some of them people were employed\nin threshing grain, others separating the straw and chaff from the\nwheat; on others lay great piles of grain, some clean, and others\nmixed with the chaff and straw. They separate the wheat by throwing\nit up and letting the wind blow the chaff away. Of course they must\nwait for a wind. I saw no instrument to make wind. The threshing\ninstrument is a board, about three feet in width, and six or eight\nfeet in length; at the fore end it is turned up, a little like a\nsleigh. The board is about three inches in thickness. On the under\nside many holes are cut in it, from an inch and a half to two\ninches, and in these are fastened pieces of stone, flint, or iron;\nthese project nearly an inch from the face of the board and serve as\nteeth, to tear the heads of the grain in pieces. Oxen are fastened\nto the front of these boards, and driven round the floor, drawing\nthis instrument after them. The driver of the oxen usually sits or\nstands on the instrument. This is the common threshing-machine in\nthese countries. I see it everywhere--and I have seen no other. It\nwould seem that it is the same instrument that was used in the days\nof the prophet, who speaks of a \"new threshing instrument having\nteeth.\" The oxen are usually without muzzles, and often, as they\npass round, take up a few straws and feed on them. \"Thou shalt not\nmuzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.\" I do not recollect of\never seeing the horse used on the floor--the oxen very often.\n\nAs we passed the threshing floor, in and around which were many\ncattle, I could not but notice a fact of which I had often heard and\nread, but had not before seen--the collecting the manure that fell\nfrom the cattle and preparing it for fuel. A female was employed in\ncollecting it with her hands, working it into balls, and sticking\nit in flat cakes against the walls of the houses to dry--when dry,\nit was collected in piles and laid on the house-tops, or made in\nlittle stacks in the yard. When well dried it burns very well, and\nwill make a fire sufficient to boil coffee. On some occasions,\nduring our tour, we were glad to get it, and found it did very well.\nThis throws light on a passage in Jeremiah, where he is directed\nto prepare his food with fire made of human excrement--the prophet\nentreated, and was allowed to take cows' dung. This is a common kind\nof fuel in many parts of this country. The prophet was only directed\nto do as his people generally did.\n\nOur course took us directly across the celebrated plain of\nCelo-Syria. It is nearly a dead level--we were about two hours and a\nhalf in crossing it, which, at three miles an hour, the usual rate\nof travelling on mules, will make it about eight miles wide. This\nis less than I stated in a former letter. I mentioned then what a\ngentleman who had crossed it gave as its supposed width. I now give\nwhat _I_ found it to be. It may, however, vary in width at different\nplaces, and no doubt does. There are very few trees on the plain.\nNear the villages, and there are usually several in sight, some\ntrees may be seen, and at a few of the villages are considerable\ngroves of them. As regards the great body of the plain, not a tree\nor a bush is to be seen--not a fence--not a hedge--not a house,\nexcept at the few villages.\n\nOn the plain, where we crossed, there was a little water. The stream\nwhich flowed in from Zahle is parted and carried into the plain,\nand used in irrigation; and it would seem nearly if not wholly\nexhausted in this way. Near the farther side of the plain, we\npassed several channels that contained water, but the amount was\nnot great. The water had but a slow, dull current, and the ground\nbeing soft, we had a little difficulty in crossing, as we feared\nswamping. There appears to be a stream of water entering the plain\nfrom the Anti-Lebanon, a few miles north-east of Zahle; for on that\nside of the plain we found most water; and when we entered the plain\non our return from Damascus, which was half a day's journey to the\nnorth-east, we saw scarcely any water, except this stream passing\nin--south-west. The channel shows that more water flows in at times,\nbut it is never more than a small stream--never deserves the name of\na river.\n\nMuch of the plain appeared to have been cultivated with small grain.\nIt was now gathered about the threshing-floors, several of which\nwere seen in different directions. I saw also several lots of Indian\ncorn, and a field that looked almost precisely like what with us is\ncalled broom-corn. It is, I believe, the millet, here called durah.\nThe corn was a most diminutive kind, and the same is the case with\nall the corn I have seen in the East. It was beginning to tassel and\nsilk, and yet its general height was not above four feet; with us\nsuch a field of corn would not be thought worth anything. It was, I\nbelieve, of the usual size and promise.\n\nWe passed several fields of the castor-oil plant, and were informed,\non inquiry, that they extract the oil from it. It did not seem to\ngrow as well as I have seen it in other countries.\n\nWe saw several encampments of Bedouins on the plain. Their tents are\nsaid to be made of goats' hair. They are black--\"black as the tents\nof Kedar,\" thought I. There were many flocks of sheep and goats\nabout their tents. The Bedouins look almost as black as their tents.\nThey are a dirty-looking set. We spoke to several of them, and\ntried to get a drink of milk. They, however, were so indifferent and\nslow, and showed so little inclination to serve us, that we passed\non. I noticed before one of their tents, a huge skin, suspended on\nforks. It either had been taken off the animal nearly whole, or had\nbeen sewed up. It was full of milk, which they were shaking, and\nthus churning it, making butter, or something of that sort. I did\nnot much envy the eaters of it--but every man to his liking.\n\nThe whole plain lay open; and as far as we could see, without any\nlandmarks to point out the special property-rights, which particular\npersons may have to parts of it. There are no fences, nor hedges,\nnor even ditches, for the purpose of designating property. There\nare, it is true, channels cut in different directions through the\nplain for the purpose of irrigation; but only for that purpose. The\nflocks that wander over the plain, are under the care of keepers;\nwhose business it is not to allow them to commit trespass on spots\nunder cultivation; except there, the flocks go pretty much where\nthey please, and eat whatever they can find; and really they appear\nto have a poor chance to find much; the above spots excepted.\n\nThe Anti-Lebanon lies on the south-east side of this plain; and is\nvery much such a mountain as Lebanon. It is, perhaps, as a general\nthing, not quite so high. Still, to the south of us it attains to\na great elevation, and its upper part in that direction has much\nsnow upon it. These two mountains, the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon,\nare nearly of the same appearance; and are nearly parallel to each\nother, having between them the plain, nearly level, of an average\nwidth of from six to ten miles, in the part that I have seen. Our\nroad, which was but a path for mules and donkeys, led us directly\nup the mountain, winding and crossing a hollow, that ran up to the\ntop. The ascent was steep and fatiguing, and took us about three\nhours. There were a few thin bushes, and as we got up into the\nmountain we found a good many oak-trees--a few of them of the size\nof a small apple-tree, but most of them were only six or eight\nfeet high. As we approached the top, these were discontinued; and\nover the whole of the upper part of the mountain, there was almost\na total want of vegetation. A few stunted thistles and bunches of\nfurze were almost the only vegetable growth to be seen.\n\nOn the top of the Anti-Lebanon, where we crossed, there was a\ngeneral level of four or five miles. Possibly this may not be a fair\nsample of the width of the mountain, as we may have passed over\nan unusually wide place. As far, however, as we could see, there\nappeared to be a wider flat on the top than any I had seen on the\nLebanon. The rock, as far as I observed, was wholly limestone. It is\nall of the secondary formation, and appears to be of a softer kind\nthan that which composes the great mass of the Lebanon. It is much\nmore affected by the action of the weather, and is greatly broken\ninto fine pieces: this is the case on the top; we often passed over\nbeds of fine broken stone almost like gravel. The stratum, from the\nyielding character of the rock, was not so clearly to be traced as\non the Lebanon. At some places, however, it could be seen; and the\ngeneral position of the stratum approached the horizontal. There\nwere, however, many deviations from it: I noticed several small\nlocations which had the dip to a very considerable degree. This was\nespecially the case in some small elevations, or secondary hills,\nnext the plain.\n\nWe had a pretty long, and part of the way a rough, descent to\nthe narrow and beautiful valley of the Bareda. The rock, as we\ndescended, retained much of the character which it had on the\ntop. There was, in places, much rock on the surface; tremendous\nprecipices; piles of rock heaped on each other, as if mountains of\nearth had been washed away and all the rock left.\n\nIn the plain, at the point where we reached it, is the town of\nZebdane. It is near the head of the plain, and is well watered by\nthe upper springs of the river Bareda, or Bariade, as it is at\ntimes spelled on maps. The town has several hundred houses, mostly\ninhabited by Mohammedans. The waters are here taken out of the bed\nof the river, and spread over the plain. There is quite a grove\nof trees in and near the village. The houses are not so crowded\ntogether as we often find them in other villages; many of them have\ngardens, which are filled with trees--the mulberry, poplar, willow,\nhickory, apple, plum, and other fruit-trees. Much of the town is,\nindeed, well furnished with shade; and is a most lovely spot, in the\nmidst of a dry, parched land.\n\nAfter six hours' exposure to the burning sun, the cool shades\nof Zebdane, its flowing waters and rich gardens had powerful\ninducements to stop us. In truth, we needed both rest and\nrefreshment. We had set out early from Zahle, that we might cross\nthe plain, and ascend the mountain before the heat of the day set\nin, intending to breakfast on or near the top of Anti-Lebanon; but\nwhen we reached the summit we found no water, and our muleteers had\nneglected to fill our leathern bags. There was no alternative but to\ngo on. The burning sun on the top, added to the fatigue, made us all\nsuffer for water; but none was found until we were close to Zebdane.\nWhen about to begin our descent, however, we met several muleteers\nwith mules loaded with fruit, which they were carrying probably\nto Beyroot or Tripoli: in the fruit season, much fruit is brought\nfrom Damascus to Beyroot, Tripoli, and other places on the coast.\nSupposing that the mules had fruit in their packs, I was casting in\nmy mind how we could induce them to let us have some, especially for\nquenching our thirst, when the foremost muleteer, while yet eight or\nten yards from me, put his hand into his bosom, took out a handful\nof apples, and, with a kind salutation, handed them to me. I know\nnot that the apples were better than usual, but I know that I have\nseldom eaten apples with a finer relish; they were most refreshing.\nFeeling much in need of our breakfast and rest, we passed through a\npart of Zebdane, hoping that we could find a cool and comfortable\nplace for both these purposes. We wished, in short, to get into\nsome one of the gardens, and under its trees loaded with fruit, and\nnear the cool streams of water we saw flowing through them, take\nour rest; but no one invited us in; and to one or two applications\nwe received a refusal. We stopped under a large tree in the street,\nand were about spreading our carpet, when a very good-looking female\ncame out of a garden near us, and very kindly invited us in.\n\nA stream of water ran through her garden; near it was a small fire,\nand preparations for washing. She had been washing clothes. A young\nfemale, whom I took to be her daughter, and a little boy, her son,\nwere with her. Although her clothes were rather soiled, they were\nof a texture that indicated wealth: both she and her daughter wore\nrich ornaments. The daughter had a clasp of silver on each arm, of\nan inch and a half in width; and two of gold, about three quarters\nof an inch wide; with rich ear-rings, &c. Their manners had the ease\nand frankness of well-bred persons who have been much in company.\nThey pointed out to us a good place to spread our carpets, gathered\nus some fruit, and sat down near us, and conversed pleasantly and\ncheerfully. They spoke of our clothes in a complimentary manner;\nsaid they would be very pretty, were it not that our pantaloons\nwere too tight. This last was a hit at me mainly, as my companion,\nMr. B., had on the _Persian_ pantaloons, which are of most ample\ndimensions. It was said with great good-humour, and even a little\napparent blushing, by the good ladies. Mr. B., who acted as\ninterpreter, enjoyed the laugh at my expense not a little. I felt\nhalf inclined to retaliate on them--that even tight pantaloons\nwere more modest than absolutely naked breasts. But Mr. B. was not\ninclined to interpret it for me, and, on second thought, I let it\npass. Fashion is an odd thing! My pantaloons were of the ordinary\nsize--what, indeed, many would call large; yet they were not thought\nmodest by these good, oriental ladies, as showing too plainly the\nshape of the lower parts of the body; while _they themselves_ had\ntheir breasts almost wholly exposed! Such is the fashion of the\nladies here. Indeed, I have often been not a little provoked at the\nexposure which females here make of the upper parts of their bodies:\nthey cover their faces, and expose their breasts. But thus it is\nin the East, or in this part of it; and fashion has its influence\nhere as well as in the western world. If there be no disputing about\ntaste, there may be some little about fashion.\n\nWhen our breakfast was ready, we had quite a company of people to\nsee us eat. We gave them but a poor sample of Frank manners, as\nfrom necessity we had to eat _\u00e0-la-turque_, at least in part. They\nwere much interested with the looks of our loaf of white sugar, and\nwe had various applications for small pieces. But as it was a fast\nwith them--that is among the Greeks, and our visiters were mostly\nof that church--they did not eat the sugar we gave them, but laid\nit away until the fast should be over. The same took place with\nsome sweet-bread we gave them. They would not let the little boy I\nmentioned eat what I gave him, but took it from him to keep until\nthe season of fasting was over. I doubt whether he will ever get all\nof it.\n\nThe valley in which Zebdane is situate may be on an average from\nthree quarters to a mile wide; there are several other villages\nin it; and it extends five or six miles in length. Its general\ndirection is from north-east to south-west, nearly parallel to the\nplain of the Bokar. The parts of this plain that are irrigated by\nthe waters of the Bareda, and the several springs that rise along\nthe foot of the mountains, appear productive, and are covered with\nvegetation, and a space for a mile below the town is covered with\ngardens and trees of various kinds. The remainder has rather a\nsterile and naked appearance. The mountain that lies south-east,\nhas especially the most utterly barren aspect of any district that\nI have ever seen. Above the little green spots, that along its\nfoot mark the places where water rises, there is hardly a trace of\nvegetation to be seen, all a naked, sun-burnt surface, desolation\ncould hardly be more desolate.\n\nThe gardens about Zebdane are almost universally inclosed with\nwell-made hedges. The thorn is much used for this purpose. They are\nplaited together in such a way as to make a most ample defence. They\nhave gates, which have also a kind of fastening, and are thus made\nvery secure. They are the best hedges I have seen in the East. A\nsimilar protection, I observed, was in some degree extended to the\nfields of Indian corn, the castor oil plant, and other spots under\ncultivation.\n\nWe had a fine sample of irrigation here. The corn fields are from\ntime to time covered with water. It is let in upon a field, and\nruns until the ground is well saturated, then turned off to another\nfield, which, in its turn, gives place to another; and thus the\nwater is transferred from field to field, and garden to garden, to\nthe no small benefit of the trees, and vegetation of all kinds.\nNothing can thrive in these lands without being from time to time\nthus watered. The righteous man is well compared to a \"tree planted\nby the rivers of waters.\" It is eastern imagery, to the life. About\n4 P. M. we left the garden, and took leave of the good lady who had\nreceived us with so much kindness. We made her a small present,\nwhich she very thankfully received, and intimated that at our return\nwe might enjoy again the accommodation of her garden.\n\nA little more than an hour brought us to the end of the plain, where\nthe Bareda turns short to the east, and passes by a narrow and deep\ndefile, through the mountain. The road follows the stream. The\nwhole mountain, as seen on both sides of the pass, is of a peculiar\ncharacter. The stratum of the rock is very irregular; at places it\nhas the dip, but with much irregularity. The rock is limestone,\nof a very soft, yielding kind, and breaks to pieces readily from\nthe action of the atmosphere. Much of it is a very coarse kind of\nbreccia--appears to have been broken into small pieces, and again\ncombined with a soft cement. Some of the pieces seem to have been\nsubjected to the action of water, while in a separate state. But a\ngreat deal of the mountain has all the appearance of an immense mass\nof marl, and much of it is in a very soft state, so as to be easily\nreduced to a fine white dust. In some places the road is worn or cut\nten, fifteen, or perhaps twenty feet, down through this marl-like\nrock.\n\nThere are at some parts of the pass considerable precipices of rock\non one or both sides, and on the face of some of these rocks and at\na considerable height from the ground we saw the entrances of tombs.\nIt must have been difficult to cut such holes in the face of the\nrock at such a height. Near the end of the pass we crossed a good\narched stone bridge, and soon found the valley beginning to open.\nThe character of the rock continued the same, and the whole face\nof the country was peculiarly barren, except a narrow strip along\nthe river. The waters of the river, even in the mountains, were\ntaken out of its bed, wherever it could be done, and made to water\na little space on both sides, which space was more or less covered\nwith trees. We saw indeed in two places, channels cut across the\nface of the rock above the road, which I am of opinion was for the\npurpose of carrying the water thus high, that on clearing the pass,\nit might be used for watering a wide space of country on the eastern\nside. If this was the case, the neglect of modern times has let go\nto ruin what may formerly have given fertility to a wide district\neast of the mountain, now almost utterly barren. Many things have\nfallen back greatly in this country. As the valley opened below the\npass, the water was taken out, and made to keep nearly a horizontal\ncourse, along both sides of the channel, and used to water all the\ndistrict between it and the former bed, and on this district were\nfields, corn, vines, fruit-trees, poplars, willows, and grass for\nthe flocks of sheep and goats, and other domestic animals.\n\nWe passed one or two small villages, and night began to set in.\nAfter looking in vain for the cover of a good tree, in such a\nsituation as we wished, we spread our carpets on a little elevation\nabout fifty yards from a small village, and made our beds for the\nnight. A few of the villagers came to look at us; but they did not\nseem to have as much curiosity or politeness as our good friends at\nZebdane. They were rather a shabby set.\n\nAbout the time we had finished our supper and were going to bed,\nsome cause of dissatisfaction among the villagers, or a family\nquarrel, took place; and for a short time there was a terrible\nstrife of tongues. It died away in part, and I hoped was about to\nterminate; but was revived or continued mainly between one man and\nwoman, as the voices indicated; and such a scold I have seldom\nheard. The woman appeared manifestly to have the advantage. Her\ntongue was like a sharp sword. It must have been used before, or\nit could not have been wielded with such terrible power on the\npresent occasion. I thought of the old saying, that \"the tongue is\nthe only instrument that grows sharper and sharper by daily use.\"\nThe adversary, whether neighbour, or brother, or husband, I know\nnot, but suspect it was the latter, appeared to feel that he had a\nlosing case. He yielded, lowered his tone, let her do two-thirds,\nthree-fourths, and, towards the last, a still larger portion of the\ntalking. Such a storm could not last always, it gradually passed\naway and the voices became silent. How many such storms daily take\nplace on earth! but not one in heaven, no, not one!\n\nIt was a Mohammedan village, and this probably a Mohammedan wife,\nmaintaining her rights against an unkind or petulant husband.\nVerily, we of the western world are far from the truth in the\njudgments we form about the domestic manners and intercourse of the\nMohammedans, and especially their mode of treating their wives. We\nnot only take it for granted that the Mohammedans believe their\nwomen have no souls, (which is not true,) but we suppose they have\nno rights, no privileges, and dare hardly look at their lords, much\nless speak to them, under fear of losing their heads. Now, all this\nis wide of the mark. The Mohammedan ladies have their rights, as\nwell as our own fair ones, and know how to stand up for them--and\nthe female tongue is fully as powerful an instrument in the East as\nit is in the West. Judging from what I used to hear when a boy about\nthe Mohammedans, I should have expected to have seen this _fair\none_ put in a sack and thrown in the river, or, as water is rather\nscarce here to be used for drowning _scolds_, I should at least have\nexpected to have seen her head cut off, and her tongue nailed up\nin terror to others. But it was plain that the good lady was in no\nfear of such treatment; and the good people of the village, instead\nof coming to the relief of the man, were glad to keep out of harm's\nway; and the ruler of the town, if it had any, knew better than\nto intermeddle with other people's matters; and the man himself\nreceived a lesson which I hope may do him more good than it did me.\n\n\"On that night could not the king sleep!\" And so it was with me.\nWhether it was owing to the train of thinking which the strife of\ntongues occasioned; or whether that Angelo had made my tea too\nstrong, which he is almost sure to do, for I can't get the notion\nout of his head that the stronger and the richer his dishes are,\nso much the better; or whether other and unknown causes tended to\nchase sleep from my eyes, I know not; but so it was, I could not\nsleep. And really it was worth remaining awake to look on the face\nof such a sky. We lay on the summit of a little hill; not a bush or\na green leaf near us. We had a fair horizon, and one of the clearest\nskies that I ever saw. It seemed that I could see farther than usual\ninto the deep abyss, over which the stars are scattered in wild,\nirregular, but beautiful confusion. I do not wonder that astronomy\nbegan in the East, and, admitting the very strong and general\ntendency of mankind to idolatry, I the less wonder that, in this\neastern world, with such heavens nightly spread over them, there\nshould have been so strong a tendency to the worship of the host of\nheaven. It has much more show of reason than the worship of stocks\nand stones, the work of men's hands.\n\nWhen we arose in the morning, there was a scarcely perceivable\ndampness on our bedding; but the dust in the road was not laid.\nThe case was, however, different on our return. We slept out near\nZebdane, and not far from a district irrigated by the waters of the\nBareda. Then our bedding was wet, and we all felt chilly. The dew\nwas most copious. This was no doubt owing to the low situation,\nand its vicinity to a large district over which the water had been\nthrown. It was also near the trees and gardens which for a mile or\ntwo cover the plain.\n\nWe had about four hours' ride from our place of lodging to Damascus.\nOur course was south-east, and, for the most part, we followed\nthe course of the Bareda. This stream runs in a channel depressed\nbelow the general level of the country. The country indeed rises\ninto hills, and small mountains, all of which, without exception,\nare wholly destitute of trees. Indeed, it is rare to see a bush on\nthem under which a lamb could be shaded. There are a few stunted\nthistles, and furze, and an occasional tuft of grass. I have often\nnoticed the fact, that the thistles, a small stunted thorn, and the\nfurze, which has on it many prickles of a thorn-like character,\nare more uniformly to be found than any other plants. \"Thorns and\nthistles shall it bring forth to thee.\" It is even so in these\neastern regions. They grow where nothing else will, but some places\nare too bad for them.\n\nThe rock through this whole district is of a soft, friable nature.\nMuch of it has that puddingstone appearance, which I mentioned as\nabounding in the mountain through which we had just passed. I was\ninclined to think it that kind of limestone called aolite. Many\nof the hills were so white, and washed so easily, that I doubted\nwhether they did not belong to the chalk formation. They reminded\nme of the chalk cliffs of Dover, and the general appearance of the\nchalk formation as seen near Dover.\n\nWhen near the top of the last high range of hills, near Damascus, we\nhad, on looking back, the most striking view of a naked and barren\ndistrict that I ever saw. The whole range of country, up to the top\nof the mountain through which we passed on leaving Zebdane, and\nfar to the north and south, was in full view; a range of fifteen\nor twenty miles in diameter, perhaps much more; and, except the\nlittle green strip that at some points could be seen along the river\nBareda, there appeared to be neither tree nor bush, nor any green\nthing. I called Mr. B----'s attention to it, and asked him if he\ncould point out, with the exception just made, one green thing--tree\nor bush. He could not. As the river runs in a deep channel, and the\ntrees along it are small, it was only at a few places that their\ntops could be seen. A more dry, parched, desolate landscape I never\nsaw.\n\nOur approach to Damascus was from the north-west. The general course\nof the plain on which it stands is north-east and south-west. The\nnorthern part, near Damascus, is bounded by a high, steep, and\nprecipitous mountain; the suburbs and gardens of the city extending\nclose to its foot. It was not until we had reached the top of this\nrange of mountains, from which the whole region we had passed over\nfor the last five or six hours rose to view, that we saw on the\nother side, along the middle of a most noble plain, a wide district\ncovered with verdure, fields, gardens, and a forest of trees,\nextending eastward towards the Bahr-el-Mrdj or Sea of Meadows, as\nfar as the eye could reach. In the midst of this, encircled with\ngardens for miles around, rose the old, the famous city of Damascus,\nwith its many gilded domes glittering in the sun. The sight was\nmost delightful and refreshing; and the more so from the absolute\nbarrenness and desolation by which it was surrounded.\n\nDamascus is a walled town; but on some sides the town has spread far\nbeyond the walls, and forms extensive suburbs. The north-west side,\nthrough which we passed on entering the city, and in which most\nof the Franks live, is thought to contain, if I recollect aright,\nnearly twenty thousand people. This, however, is the most populous\npart. The walls have once been of great strength, and were defended\non many parts, if not entirely around, by a deep foss and rows of\ntowers. They are now much out of repair. The gates are falling to\npieces, or approaching that state. The foss is much filled up at\nmany places, and the towers have lost their beauty and strength, and\npossibly in great part their use--_sic transit gloria mundi_.\n\nThe streets are narrow, crooked, and miserably dirty. But little\neffort is made to remove filth and produce cleanliness. In truth,\nthroughout this whole eastern world, the people appear to have very\nlow ideas of neatness and cleanliness. While the city abounds with\nwater, and a fountain of it is seen in most of the good houses, you\nmeet with filth everywhere, and are often most grievously annoyed\nwith the stench of dead animals in the roads and streets. Some of\nthe streets are paved, but in a very indifferent way, and from the\ngreat accumulation of dust they are not in a comfortable condition\nfor passing over. Some allowances, however, must be made for this\nabundance of dust in streets, roads, and open places, and even in\nthe houses. It is now nearly three months since I reached Beyroot,\nand not one drop of rain has fallen--the sun has not, with the\nexception of a few hours, been so covered with clouds as to be hid\nfrom sight--most of the days it has, without ceasing, poured its\nburning rays upon the earth. What marvel if the earth be _roasted_,\nand except when water abounds, be converted into dust! The roads are\nindeed dusty to a most uncomfortable degree. So are the streets--and\nwe need not be surprised if the dust should find its way into\ncourts, parlours, and even bed-rooms. One of the main streets,\ncalled Straight, is shown as the one in which Paul was found by\nAnanias. I did not find a full agreement about its name, some saying\nit was so called, and others that this was its usual name. Different\nnames, it would seem, are given to different parts of it.\n\nMost of the houses, when seen from the street, have an old and very\nshabby appearance. Many of them are made up of patch-work--mud,\nwood, and stone. The mud, however, as the cheapest article, is\nmost abundant. Occasionally, you may see the lower part of the\nbuilding of good hewn marble,--which soon gives place to a miserable\npatch-work kind of half stucco and half mortar. The door-frames are\nvery often found of hewn stone, and sometimes arched, and this may\nbe the only stone that you see in the building.\n\nThe precise number of mosques in Damascus I did not, while with\nthose who could have informed me, think of asking. As I left the\ncity, however, and ascended the mountain, which gives such a fine\nview of it, I made an attempt to count the minarets. I made about\nthirty; and possibly this may be an approximation to the true number.\n\nWhile under the guidance of the man who showed us the house of\nAnanias, and the window through which Paul made his escape, we were\ntaken to see several other things, especially some graves, which\nwere not far from the gate. In one of the large vaults, which was\nin part open, we could see the skeletons of various persons--their\nwinding-sheets in part rotted off--the flesh all gone, and the whole\nexhibiting a spectacle most humbling to human nature. In health\nman is the most beautiful of animals, and in corruption the most\nloathsome. But death will lose its victory through Christ, to the\nbeliever. We were also taken to the grave of the gate-keeper, who\nought to have known how Paul made his escape, but did not. While he\nwatched the gate, Paul, it would seem, by the help of some friends,\nescaped by the window. The poor gate-keeper knew and of course could\ntell nothing about the matter. But that very ignorance, as it was\nwith the soldiers who kept Peter, was brought in charge against him.\nHe ought to have known, and was put to death for not knowing. The\ngate-keeper, however, has fared rather better than the soldiers.\nPosterity has sainted him--has erected a neat tomb over him--put a\npaling around, and a cover over it. It is considered as a sacred\nplace, and little offerings are deposited within the paling. I saw\nsome pieces of money that were placed on the tomb. I had often\nheard, that with the papists, ignorance was the mother of devotion,\nbut here it was the cause of saintship. When will the measure of\nfolly, under the name of religion, have come to its full?\n\nBad as the falsely so-called Christian saints may be, they are not\nso shameless as the living saints, which are at times seen--the\nMohammedan, men who have been to Mecca, and set themselves up to\nbe saints, are often seen here. I did not happen to see one at\nDamascus, but saw one in Beyroot, who passed about the streets\nand bazaars in a state of perfect nudity. With the most perfect\nshamelessness, they will pass among females, and even enter the\nhouses and apartments of females, without so much as a fig leaf to\ncover their nakedness. Their supposed holiness gives them great\nconsequence; and at times and places of peculiar sanctity, at\nspecial processions and in the mosques, they put themselves forward\nand take the most honoured place. Poor human nature! how low it can\nand will come down, where grace does not prevent.\n\nThere are, just outside the walls of Damascus, some mills, that\nlooked better than any of the buildings of the sort I have seen in\nthe East. They stand on the main channel of the river, and avail\nthemselves of its waters to work their machinery. The bread of\nDamascus is, for the East, good.\n\nOne of our longest walks was in the after part of the day, along the\nriver, and among the gardens and shady trees which line its borders:\nI could not but notice how the people were walking, sitting, or\nlying along the side of the stream, and how they appeared to enjoy\nits refreshing coolness. They were \"beside the still waters.\" Near\nthe eastern side of the city I was much interested in meeting with a\nfield of hemp. It was just beginning to blossom. It was the first,\nand I may add, the only field of hemp I have seen in the East.\n\nMost of the houses have balconies, or places projecting out on the\nfront, having windows at the three sides. They serve the double\npurpose of giving access to the air, and enabling the people to\nsee what is going on in the streets. These are more or less common\nas fixtures in houses, all through this eastern world. The greater\npart of them have also courts that are open to the heavens; these\nin several of the best houses that I have visited were paved with\nmarble, and had noble fountains of water in the centre. Some have\nmore than one fountain; and the house in which I lodged had one\nperpetually flowing in the room in which I slept. There is water\nenough to keep their houses and persons clean, would the people but\nuse it.\n\nI was struck with the great contrast between the outside of the\nhouses and the appearance within. Without all looked old, rusty, and\nready to fall to pieces; but within there was often a richness and\nbeauty in the marble pavements, the gilded ceiling, and fanciful\ncarvings, that was striking. To what this may be owing I know not.\nPossibly, in part to avoid the oppressive exactions which all\nthrough these lands is apt to follow the track of wealth, or the\noutward show of it.\n\nNoticing that the roofs and upper parts of many houses were greatly\ninjured, and sadly in need of repairs, I inquired, and learned that\nlast winter was one of very great severity at Damascus,--that an\nunusual quantity of snow fell, and by its weight did great injury to\nthe houses. Their mode of building is not adapted for durability.\nTheir mud walls do not well stand the rainy season, however they\nmay abide the dry. The wood they use for joists, and for supporting\ntheir flat mud roofs, is in great part the Lombardy poplar and\nwillow, which is their most abundant growth, except perhaps the\nmulberry. This wood they put in, full of sap, bark and all, and of\ncourse in a few years it must rot, and fall out of its place. When\nit is entirely defended from the air and moisture, it may last some\ntime, but when, as in most cases, it is almost entirely exposed to\nboth, no marvel if the house needs repairing nearly every year; and\nthis I am told is not uncommon.\n\nThe bazaars or streets, where the stores and shops are placed, are\ngenerally covered over, so as to exclude the sun. The streets not\nbeing more than ten or fifteen feet wide on an average, a roof is\nthrown across, at ten, fifteen, or twenty feet above--not a very\nclose roof, but one that keeps out the sun, but lets the air have\nmore or less circulation. All through these countries there is a\ngreat care to procure a shade from the scorching rays of the sun;\nfor this purpose the streets are made narrow, and in many places\nare covered, so that those who pass may have shade. This narrowness\nof the streets, and the covering of them, does, it is true, give a\ncloseness to them, and operates against a free circulation of the\nair; but this is supposed to be compensated, in part at least, by\nthe protection they give from the direct action of the sun.\n\nI was taken to the house, as was said, where Ananias dwelt. It is\na kind of cellar,--a poor, miserable place; and I am sure that so\ngood a man deserved a more comfortable residence. I doubt altogether\nwhether it was his house. But I did not judge it worth while\ndiscussing the matter with the Catholic priests, who claim the\nownership of it, and show it. I also went to see the window through\nwhich Paul is said to have been let down in a basket. It is over one\nof the gates. I had as little faith in this as the other. There is\nindeed, I think, strong evidence against it. I did not go out to the\nspot at which Paul is said to have been converted. The day was hot,\nthe distance considerable, and nothing marked the place. There is a\nthousand chances to one against it being the real place.\n\nThe population of Damascus is not certainly known. From all I\ncould learn from several resident Franks, it may be 125,000; and\nin the one hundred and seventy-three villages which lie round\nDamascus there may be an equal number. A gentleman who has paid\nsome attention to the matter, and has been some time a resident in\nthe country, supposes the population of all Syria to be about one\nmillion and a half. The chief data used in forming the estimate is\nthe number of men, the heads of families, who pay the tax levied on\nsuch. They are about 25,000 in Damascus, and may form one-fifth of\nthe population. This, at least, gives an approximation--the best\nwe have when no census is taken. The majority of the population\nis Mohammedans, but the proportion I either did not get, or have\nforgotten it. There are a few Jews, and some of all the various\nsects of Christians found in these regions.\n\nDamascus has long been considered by the Mohammedans as one of their\nsacred cities; and it is not many years since when their bigotry\nwas so great that Christians had to use much caution to avoid its\noutbreakings. There is a great change in this respect. Christians\nmay now go about with little danger. We rode repeatedly through the\ncrowded bazaars, and no one appeared to take the least offence; and\ngenerally gave their salaam with indications of kindness. Still, it\nwill sometimes show itself. It is not long since that Mr. Calman, a\nJewish missionary, when engaged in selling the Scriptures, was taken\nup by the bigoted Mohammedans, and for a time feared that he might\nbe put to trouble, but was released without much difficulty.\n\nThe main, if not the only river which waters the part of the plain\nwhere Damascus stands, is the Bareda. It rises near Zebdane. We\nfollowed its course, as I have before informed you, until it entered\nthe plain. There it is divided into three parts, which are led at\na distance from each other for the purpose of watering the plain.\nFrom these channels a multitude of smaller ones are led in all\ndirections, so that every part of the plain within reach of the\nwater may, from time to time, receive its life-giving influence. The\nmain channel passes through or near the city, and its waters are\ncarried by pipes to every part of it.\n\nTo the south and south-east other streams are said to enter and flow\nthrough the plain; but we did not visit those parts. They must be\nsmall streams. Indeed the Bareda is a small stream. It would with us\nbe called a good mill stream. We would rather term it a creek than\na river. It is mostly confined in a channel of eight or ten yards\nwide, and then may be waded without coming above the knee. Much of\nthe water of these rivers is exhausted in irrigation. They flow\neast, and after rendering a noble plain very fertile and productive\nfor twenty or thirty miles, form a lake or marsh--they have no\noutlet. I wished much to ride eastward through this plain and see\nthe country about the lake, but the time of the year and other\ncauses prevented.\n\nIt was the sickly season, and there was much sickness in Damascus.\nVisiting the city at such a time was not classed with a high\ndegree of prudence and caution, while to have spent a week or so\nin exploring the plain, and visiting the many villages along the\nBareda, would have been considered almost madness--a tempting\nof Providence. I therefore spent but one night and two days in\nDamascus, and then hurried back to the high ground on the great\nmountain of Lebanon--not, however, without a lingering purpose that\nwhen the heats of summer are passed, I may take Damascus in my route\nagain, and see more of its wide-spread plains, and thickly-planted\nvillages.\n\nThe whole country east of Damascus, on the Euphrates, is, I am\ntold, much like what I have seen in the part already passed over.\nAs a general thing, it is wholly destitute of trees and even\nbushes--and during the summer there is but little verdure; much of\nit is covered with sand. There are, however, spots where water is\nfound, and at all these vegetation is produced. Where these spots\nare of any size there are villages, and man contrives to live. These\ngreen spots are like small islands scattered over the face of the\nocean, and may be found all the way to the Euphrates, and down that\nstream past Bagdad to the gulf.\n\nThe ruins of Palmyra lie two or three days' travel north-east of\nDamascus. They have often been visited lately, and the danger is not\ngreat. Still it is too great to be lightly hazarded. A party, of\nwhom a friend of mine was one, were robbed in an attempt to go there\nabout five months ago. A slight skirmish took place between them and\na large party of Arabs, in which they were overpowered and robbed;\nsome were wounded, but happily none killed. Indemnification has been\nhad from the tribe who robbed them.\n\nAn attempt is about being made to establish a regular communication\nbetween Damascus and a point on the Euphrates, beyond Palmyra;\nwhich, if successful, will throw much more light on the interior of\nthis region, and may make it an easy thing to visit that far-famed\nriver, and the many antiquities that abound on its banks.\n\nDamascus is a famous rendezvous for caravans. The caravans for\nMecca, Bagdad, and various other places, either pass or start from\nthis place. Some had come in just before we were there, and others\nwere preparing for their departure. This gave some activity to the\nbusiness of the place. The shortness of my stay, for the reasons\nabove assigned, did not allow me to see much of them. I had not time\nto go out to the edge of the desert, where they usually encamp,\nand there to see the grotesque appearance, the odd mixture, and\npell-mell state of things produced by such assemblages of men of all\nnations, and such herding together of man and beast.\n\nDamascus, and the region about it, is somewhat celebrated for its\nfruit of various kinds. The grapes were fine--the apricots good,\nand abundant--the plums the largest and finest I ever saw, being\nnearly as large as a hen's egg. I saw but few peaches, they are said\nto be good--the figs were fine of course--the apples indifferent.\nThe white mulberry-tree is much cultivated in this section of the\ncountry, not for its fruit, which is but little esteemed, but for\nfeeding the silk-worm. The silk forms a considerable branch of\nthe Damascus trade, and the manufacture of it carried on to some\nextent. The black mulberry is found in considerable quantities, and\nis cultivated for its delicious fruit. The white walnut is with\nthe natives a favourite tree. The nut is rich and of a pleasant\ntaste. The tree gives a fine shade, grows well near the water, and\nis larger than most of the other trees. The sycamore is found here.\nThe plane-tree is also found, but not very common--this is often\ncalled the sycamore with us. There is a very large one in Damascus\nnear one of the gates. We measured it--thirty-six feet around. The\nkaroob-tree is a variety of the locust. The fruit is the husks which\nthe Prodigal Son would have eaten--a bean-like pod with a sweetish\nmeat in it.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VII.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, Sept. 5th, 1836._\n\nWe left Damascus by the same road by which we had entered it, and\ncontinued on the same way as far as Zebdane. Having already made\nsome remarks on the characteristic features of this district, I will\nsay no more about it.\n\nFrom Zebdane, we kept up the valley, which ran a north-east\ndirection. It becomes narrow very soon after leaving that place, the\nridges from the mountains on both sides close in and often almost\nmeet, leaving but a small portion of level ground. Passing the\nsources of the streams, the quantity of water diminishes fast. The\ntrees almost cease except at occasional spots, where care has been\ntaken to plant them. The ground for about an hour's travel is rough;\nthe plain then opens again to a considerable extent, and is more or\nless cultivated. There are a few houses; but this part is but poorly\nsupplied with water, and without that the regions must be barren and\ndesolate.\n\nWe soon found ourselves passing over the highest part of the plain,\nand beginning to descend. In short, we found that this little plain\nwas at the separating point of the head waters of the Bareda which\nflows to Damascus, and those of the El-Kanne, which flows into the\nBokar through the Anti-Lebanon east of Zahle. We soon came to the\nhead branches of this last stream, which is formed of a set of most\nnoble springs, rising in the middle of the plain. There is quite\na cluster of them rising near each other, and throwing off enough\nwater to turn a mill; fine, pure, cool water. As is usual, it is\ncarried in channels through different parts of the plain. There is a\nlittle cluster of trees, and the whole district over which the water\ncan be thrown is cultivated, and rich in verdure. A small village\nstands just below, and we found some females at the spring engaged\nin washing. For a small present they allowed us the use of their\nfire to prepare our food; and again a good deal of interest was\nexcited to see the Franks eat.\n\nThe mountains continued very bare of trees, and shrubbery of every\nkind. In the few places where water rose, there were a few trees,\nall else was a barren, sunburnt surface. After passing the village,\nwhich was poor in its appearance, the plain became more barren and\nrough, and the cultivated district more and more narrow. At the\nend of half an hour it terminated at a rough, narrow pass, nearly\ndue west, and directly through the Anti-Lebanon. We followed the\nwaters through this pass. The sides were steep and high, and the\nrock thrown about in wild confusion. The dip of the rock was very\nvariable at different places. Along the stream were a few trees, and\nwe saw several large flocks of sheep and goats, under the care of\nshepherds and their dogs.\n\nAfter following the pass for an hour and a half, it bore to\nthe south-west; we left it, crossed a pretty high ridge to the\nnorth-west, and entered the Bokar. On reaching the top, the plain\nopened to view, and we had been led to expect that we should find\nBaalbec at the point where we entered the plain. But no Baalbec was\nto be seen. We found, to our no little discomfort, that we had about\ntwo hours' ride northward, along a dry plain, under a burning sun,\nbefore we could reach this far-famed ruin.\n\nWe passed several most extensive threshing-floors. Their threshing\ninstruments and mode of cleaning the grain, were the same as has\nbeen already described. I might add, that in bringing their grain\nto the floor, and in carrying away the straw, they use mules and\ndonkeys, and at times the camel. I saw, in no instance, the use\nof a wheel-carriage. The only wheeled-carriages that I have seen\nin Syria were those for cannon at Zahle, and ten or fifteen carts\nwhich I saw at one time passing a street in Damascus. These carts\nwere of a coarse, strong kind, belonging to the Pasha, and were then\nemployed in carrying materials for the castle which he was repairing.\n\nOur road lay over the ridges, at the foot of the mountains, along\nthe eastern side of the plain. The soil over which we passed was\nthin. There was much rock on the surface, and in many places there\nwere wide-spread masses of a very coarse puddingstone, that appeared\nto have once formed a huge bed of water-worn rock, bowlders, and\npebbles, and owing to some cementing matter which had come over\nit, had become a solid rock. As we approached Baalbec this rock\ndiscontinued, and gave place to a very thick stratum of massy\nlimestone of a peculiar kind, which is mainly used in the walls of\nBaalbec.\n\nBaalbec stands near the foot of the Anti-Lebanon, a little above the\ngeneral level of the plain. The ridges of the mountain lower down\ngradually, and spreading out, form a general level, which merges\ninsensibly into that of the plain. It is on this elevated level that\nthe ruins stand; about a mile from them, on the side of a hill,\nis the quarry that has furnished the stone for these stupendous\nbuildings. A little to the east arises the finest set of springs\nthat I have seen in Syria. They boil up over a considerable surface,\nand send off a stream of water sufficient to set in operation\nvarious kinds of machinery, if applied to that purpose.\n\nThe ground on which the ruins stand is nearly a dead level; a large\ndistrict has been surrounded by walls, traces of them remain. The\nspace covered by the ruins of the temple, or set of temples, and\npossibly theatre and other buildings, is about nine hundred feet\nlong, and six hundred broad. The area is not, however, a regular\nparallelogram, there are off-sets at some of the towers--towers\nhaving apparently been added when the place was fortified, and\nconverted into a fort. A foundation or platform of great thickness,\nI should say not less than ten feet, seems to have been laid over\nthis large space, and upon this foundation the temples have been\nreared.\n\nThe stones in this foundation and wall, as in the walls still\nhigher, are many of them of a most enormous size; at the west and\nsouth-west corner especially, they are almost incredibly large.\nWhere all were so large, we did not think it worth while to measure\nvery many. In one row, and that one at some distance from the\nground, are three stones which we measured, and made them about\nseventy feet long each, and about fifteen feet wide. The thickness\nwe could not certainly tell, but we inferred it to be about fourteen\nfeet. These stones are much of the same shape and appearance, they\nare precisely like one which lies nearly cut out in the quarry,\nwhich we were, from its position, enabled to measure accurately. It\nwas seventy feet six inches long, fourteen feet two inches thick,\nand seventeen feet nine inches wide at one end, and thirteen feet\neight inches at the other. We were at once struck with its perfect\nlikeness to the three stones in the wall; all of them were wider\nat one end than the other. I suppose that these four large stones,\nthe three in the wall and the one in the quarry, were originally\nintended, either for obelisks, pillars, images, or some such\nthing; that their being now in the wall, is owing to a subsequent\narrangement, when the place was converted into a fortress, and those\nstupendous outside walls put up, which now fill us with wonder.\n\nUnder these three immense stones are seven others, which almost\nequal those above them in width; their thickness also, judging from\nwhat is seen at the corner of the building, does not much fall\nshort of a due proportion. In truth, they are upon a most gigantic\nscale. This row extends along the south-west side nearly one hundred\nyards, forming a most solid foundation, ten or twelve feet high,\nwhich, however, on this side, is not built upon out to the edge,\nthe wall going up about twenty feet inward. The above-mentioned\nare the largest stones I saw in these ruins; but many others are\nenormous, and, as a general thing, they are very large. As a sample,\nI measured one of a large row of stones at the south-east corner\nof the most perfect building now standing, (it was a corner stone,\nwhich enabled me to ascertain the thickness,) and found it to be\ntwenty-eight feet long, six feet six inches wide, and four feet\nsix inches thick. I was not at all certain that I might not, on\nmeasuring, have found many still larger.\n\nThe most perfect temple, now standing, is on the south-east side\nof the above wide foundation. It is one hundred and fifty-seven\nfeet long, seventy-eight wide, and the walls now may be sixty-six\nfeet high. We inferred its height from the length of one of the\nfallen pillars, with a row of which it was, and still is in part,\nsurrounded. The pillar is forty-nine feet eight inches; the capital,\nsix feet two inches; the entablature and the pediment may be ten;\nmaking--say sixty-six feet. These pillars formed a portico all round\nit--a covered way; the pillars being connected with the temple by\nenormously large stones resting one end on the pillars, and the\nother on the walls. The lower faces of these stones were most richly\nwrought with various devices. The pillars are six feet four inches\nin diameter at the bottom, and five feet eight inches at the top;\nmost of them are in three pieces. The door of the temple is at the\neast; the pillars there are fluted; the porch before the door was\nwider than at the sides--a noble arch was sprung over it, and in\nthe centre, and on the lower face of what is called the keystone,\n(a stone of most gigantic size,) was carved a majestic wide-spread\neagle. This stone has sunk out of its place, and threatens to fall\nfrom the arch. A modern wall has been put up, about ten feet east of\nthe door, and at the end of the walls, no doubt for the purpose of\ndefence.\n\nIn the inside of the building, and half sunk in the walls, are\nfluted pillars, and at the corners they are so cut as to appear\ndouble, the piece being one. At about fifteen or twenty feet from\nthe west end, two noble fluted pillars have stood at some distance\nfrom the sides, evidently making part of a separation of a more\nsacred apartment. They are fallen, but enough remains to show\nthat the sanctum sanctorum stood there. There is no roof on this\nbuilding, and from the fact that there are no windows in it, and\nother reasons, it may be doubted whether it ever had one: on this,\nhowever, I hesitate to give an opinion.\n\nThe south-east row of pillars belonging to this temple range with\nthe wall that rose from the deep wide moat, by which the whole\nmass of buildings was surrounded. Opposite this temple, on the\nnorth-west side of the foundation, are the remains of a still larger\ntemple, or building of some kind. But a small part of it remains;\nalong the north-west wall is a row of pillars, or rather parts of\npillars, the spaces between which have been filled up with large\nstones, forming thus a solid wall. Opposite this, and nearly half\nway to the temple, on the other side of the foundation, stands a\nrow of pillars, now reduced to seven or eight, the remainder having\nfallen. They are about the size of those described--possibly they\nare larger. The foundation on which they stand must be eight or ten\nfeet higher than that of the temple above described. These pillars\nhave the capitals on, and are connected by their richly-carved and\nmagnificent masses of entablature. How they have survived those\nconvulsions which have prostrated their companions, I know not. The\nruins which lie about, the broken rows of pillars and walls, show\nthat this edifice has been of great extent. Its sides, I am inclined\nto think, have not been solid walls, but composed of these rows of\ncolumns, and most probably the whole building has been open to the\nheavens.\n\nThere is near the temple I have first described, and but a few yards\nfrom its north-east end, a large building with very high and strong\nwalls. It projects out a good deal into the ditch, and has some\nloop-holes. It is, as the arabesque work about the door shows, an\nArabic or Mohammedan building. It is badly lighted; it was used as a\ngranary or magazine for the troops stationed here, and we were thus\nprevented from examining it.\n\nAround the outside of the whole of the above wide foundation, and\non the outer edge of it, a wall of most enormous stones is run up\nto a very great height; much of it, it is true, is fallen, but it\nwas originally from forty to fifty feet high. At the corners were\ntowers, and in various places loop-holes; at the east end a most\nstupendous archway ran far in, having its floor nearly on a level\nwith the ground without. Possibly there were two of them originally,\nbut one was partly closed, leaving a small entrance. Such great\nchanges have been made on these ruins, by the fitting them up for a\nfort, that it is not easy to know what their original plan and uses\nwere. The whole is surrounded by a deep wide ditch, which could be\nfilled with water; it is now much filled up with rubbish.\n\nA wall has originally extended from the south-east, and possibly\nalso from the north-east, across the narrow plain which lies between\nthe ruins and the hill to the east. This wall, much of which\nremains, has been of great strength. On the side of the hill is a\nvery large pediment, and about it lie many pieces of a stupendous\ncolumn which once stood upon it. No mortar or cement was used in the\nconstruction of these works. The rock has been cut so smooth, and\nfitted so exactly, that it is impossible to insert the blade of a\npenknife between them.\n\nI had heard that there were large columns of Egyptian granite among\nthese ruins. I saw some fragments of small columns of that kind, but\nthe large columns were all of the rock which abounds in the quarry\nnear. There is, in an old mosque not far from these ruins, a number\nof columns of Egyptian granite, but none of them of a very large\nkind. Still they were large enough to start the inquiry how they\ncould have been brought from Egypt to this place--how could masses\nof rock, three feet in diameter and ten or fifteen feet long, be\nbrought over Mount Lebanon, which is so steep and high that it is a\ngreat labour for man unloaded to pass? That it is the true Egyptian\ngranite, all who know that rock will at once admit--no such rock is\nfound in Syria.\n\nWithin the wall, and among the rubbish, is a small village. The\nhouses are indifferent, and the population must be small. The\nChristians live in one quarter, and the Mohammedans in another.\n\nRather to our surprise, on reaching Baalbec, we saw to the east of\nthe ruins a number of tents, and other appearances of an encampment.\nWe learned in due time that there was stationed here a body of four\nor five hundred Egyptian troopers, and that they had made this\ntheir head-quarters for several years past. They lodged in tents\nseparated a little from each other, so as to give room for fastening\ntheir horses. The tents were pitched in rows and the horses arranged\nwith some regularity. All had a very pretty appearance.\n\nI was interested in the contrivance for feeding their horses.\nWood is not to be had here; and it would be labour for a Turk\nto make a trough for his horse out of stone. They have found a\nsofter material. They take earth, and making it into mortar, form\na pile of about three feet in diameter, and nearly the same in\nheight--the sides are then raised, leaving a place within like a\nmortar, in which the horse's food is placed. There are rows of these\nhorse-troughs, as they may be called, all through the encampment,\nand the horses regularly fastened to them. As we walked round the\nruins one morning to get an entire view, we passed near a tent,\nbefore which, under the shade of a tree, sat several Turkish\nofficers. From their dress, and some badges of honour which one or\ntwo of them had on their breasts, we took them for persons of some\ndistinction. They kindly called us to come to the tent. They had\ntwo very good chairs, which they made us occupy, seating themselves\n_\u00e0-la-turque_. They entered freely into conversation, and made us\ntake a cup of coffee, after which we pursued our walk.\n\nWe had intended to take up our quarters among the ruins, but finding\nso many soldiers near, we did not deem it prudent. We therefore\napplied to the Latin convent, but on pretence of being full they\ndid not admit us. An offer was made us of a room in a house near\nthe convent, but on examination it was so close, dark, and filthy,\nthat we preferred taking up our lodgings on the top of the house.\nThere we spread our carpets and spent two nights; we found it a\nvery pleasant place. It was cool and pleasant, and no dew fell worth\nmentioning. The only inconvenience we experienced was, in dressing\nwe were exposed to the gaze of all those who felt a wish to see how\nthe Franks put on their clothes, shave their beards, and do those\nother things that are usually done in one's chamber.\n\nOur route from Baalbec was to the far-famed cedars. They grow on\nthe Lebanon, and on the side next the sea. Our road was directly\nacross the plain, as the cedars are nearly opposite Baalbec. It\ntook us about two hours and a half to cross the plain. This, at the\nusual mode of counting, would make it nearly eight miles wide. We\nfound scarcely any water in the plain; there was indeed a small dry\nchannel, and not far from it a slight trace of water, which was led\nalong so as to water some districts; the quantity was small, and\nmust soon have been exhausted. The noble body of water which came\nfrom the set of springs near Baalbec was separated near those ruins:\none part was carried to one side, and the remainder to the other;\na considerable district through which they flowed was rich with\nverdure. A pretty line of trees marked for a mile or two the tract\nof the plain through which the water passed, but at the end of a few\nmiles they appeared to be exhausted. As the trees and richness of\nverdure ceased, the plain below assumed its dry and parched aspect.\nIn these sunny plains the exhaustion of water must be very great;\nand I now the less marvel to find lakes which have no outlets, and\nrivers which are lost in the sand. They become exhausted.\n\nWhen we had nearly reached the foot of the Lebanon, we saw a large\nsolitary pillar standing in the plain. We saw no ruins near it.\nWe were told by a peasant that it was just like the pillars in\nBaalbec, but what it was doing there alone he was unable to tell.\n\nThe ascent of Mount Lebanon was a most toilsome matter. We had to\ncross over one of the highest points of the mountain. There is\nanother way which is more easy, but farther; we preferred crossing\nthe highest place, as we might not cross here again, and wished\nto see the mountain in all its majesty. The first ridge which we\nascended had more natural growth on it than any district I have seen\nin this country. It was pretty well covered with shrubs and low\ntrees--most of them oak. The tops of most of the large ones had been\ncut off, I suppose for fuel. They appear to pursue a plan here, much\nfollowed in some parts of France, Savoy, and Italy, of cutting off\nthe tops of the trees for fuel; and when the branches which shoot\nout have grown to the thickness of a man's arm, they are again cut\noff for the same purpose, and the same course still followed.\n\nThe rock on this ridge was wholly limestone. As we approached the\ntop of it, and near the foot of the main ridge, the rock was very\nsoft and much broken from the action of the air upon it. This\ncontinued to be the character of the rock over most of the main\nridge. In some parts it was broken very fine and formed beds of\nloose rock; in which our mules sunk as if it were a bed of sand.\nA little up the side of the main ridge rose a beautiful spring of\nclear water, which served to produce verdure over a small district\nbelow. There were a few trees and shrubs scattered over the ridge\nalmost to its summit; but in these upper parts they were few and\nsmall, and far between. I saw a few stunted cedars among them. As we\napproached the top, we passed through several large banks of snow.\nThe face of the mountain was not generally covered with it, but it\nlay in large masses or spots where, from some cause, the wind had\nthrown much of it together. Streams of water flowed from them. When\non the top we had satisfactory evidence that we were on one of the\nhighest points of Lebanon. The ridge was narrow at this part of the\nmountain; there was no snow on the very summit, nor was there much\non the north-west side--much less than on the south-east, and much\nless on either than on the Sun-neen, when I was there five weeks\nago. The entire upper region was destitute of vegetation, not a\nbush to be seen, and but a small sample even of the thistle, which\nof all other plants appears the most tenacious of spreading itself\neverywhere.\n\nFrom this eminence we had a most extensive view to the west--the\nlong, irregular slope of the mountain to the sea--the narrow plain\nalong the coast--and the wide-spread Mediterranean, till where the\nheavens appeared to come down and fence in the waters. But the\nobject which among the first was sought for, was the cedars--the\nfar-famed cedars of Lebanon! where could they be?\n\nThe Lebanon, at this place, makes on the side next the sea a\nconsiderable bend, having the concave part next the sea. We stood\nopposite the deep and wide hollow that comes up from Tripoli, and\ndown which flows a stream, the head springs of which rose far below\nour feet. The mountain, both to our right and left, threw out high\nand long ridges towards the sea. We had a steep descent before us\nof, I should think, at least two thousand feet; on the sides of\nwhich not a bush was to be seen. Then, there was a small level in\nwhich several springs of water took their rise; and from the lower\nside of this level another deep and rough hollow opened, with\nstupendous precipices on its sides. Below this, and along the sides,\nwe saw trees and a considerable village. Near the middle of the\nlittle plain, at the foot of the steep descent below us, we saw a\nclump of trees, but they looked too few or too small for the cedars.\nThey resembled a small orchard of evergreens. We found, however,\non reaching the plain, that they were the cedars we sought. They\nstand in irregular groups, spread over several little stony knolls,\nand may possibly cover eight or ten acres of ground. They are not\nwhat with us is called the cedar, but a variety of the pine. It is\na resinous tree bearing a cone. The wood is of a white pine-like\nappearance. We spread our carpets, and spent the night under one of\nthe father-trees of this grove.\n\nIt is not easy to decide how many old trees there are; eight or\nten have a more venerable appearance than the remainder; still\nothers approach them so nearly in size and marks of age, that it is\ndifficult to say why one should be called old and the other young.\nI once thought of counting the grove, but from the irregularity\nof the ground, and the situation of the trees, this was no easy\nmatter--especially for a man who had crossed the Lebanon the same\nday. I counted, however, a small section, and am disposed to think\nthat there may be from 300 to 500 trees that are more than a foot\nin diameter--possibly 150 that may be above two feet--and about 50\nor 60 that may be from three to four feet in diameter. A few we\nmeasured; the largest was 39 feet in circumference--one 32--one\n29--one 28, and one 23: these may serve as a sample. Most of the\nlarge ones forked near the ground, and were rather assemblages of\ntrees from the same root than a single tree. Those of the third size\nhad some of them fine, straight bodies, and ran up to a considerable\nheight. We procured some specimens of the wood, and a sample of the\ncones, and then bid adieu to this much-talked-of grove.\n\nIt is pretty certain that this grove did not furnish wood for\nSolomon. It lies opposite Tripoli, which is two days north of\nBeyroot, and Beyroot is north of Tyre and Sidon. It lies up far\nfrom the sea, and has a piece of country between it and the sea, as\nrough as can well be found anywhere. The grove does not appear to\nbe diminishing, but rather increasing. I saw no stumps of fallen\ntrees, and young ones are springing up. There is a kind of religious\nreverence for these trees among the neighbouring villagers. They\nhave a singular appearance standing alone in the midst of a small\nplain on which no other trees grow, with no other trees above them,\nnor for a considerable space below. Another singular fact is, that\nthere is no water running among them. There is a stream on the\nside of the plain, but it comes not near them. The ground appears\nenriched with the leaves that fall from them, and looks precisely as\nthe soil usually does in a pine grove.\n\nLeaving the cedars, we passed down the valley; a most rough and\nsteep descent. We passed a village well watered, surrounded with\nmulberry, poplar, willow and fruit trees of various kinds. The state\nof cultivation on both sides of the valley, for some distance down,\nwas much better than I have usually seen in these mountains. Several\nvillages were in sight.\n\nI noticed that the females here had a new kind of horn. It was\nonly about six inches long, but much larger than those worn at\nBeyroot and Bru-ma-nah. It was like the crown of a very small hat,\nwith the front part a little enlarged like the mouth of a bowl.\nIt is fastened on the top of the head, but a little back, and\nhas much ornament upon it. In our descent we passed a sandstone\nformation; there were no pines upon it, as upon those formations\nnear Bru-ma-nah. Near the mouth of this hollow, the rock becomes\nvery irregular, and has the dip much more near the top. This is\nespecially the case with the secondary ridges and the irregular\nhills which rise between the main ridge and the sea. There is a\nplain of some extent between Tripoli, which stands on the sea-shore,\nand the foot of the mountain, interspersed with vineyards, fields,\nvillages, and fine groves of olive. There is much rock on the\nsurface; their mode is to throw the rock out of the fields and\nvineyards into the road, to the great annoyance of the traveller.\n\nWe passed a very high rock in the middle of the plain which had\na wide, high, flat face to the south--in that face I counted the\nmouths of nearly thirty tombs. Most of them were from ten to twelve\nfeet high. There was a house on the top, said to be a convent.\n\nWe also passed an old city, which must once have been a place of\ngreat strength. The walls are nearly perfect and very strong. There\nare but few people in the city. It stands there almost alone.\nMost of the houses within are gone, and cultivated spots occupy\ntheir place. It is said to be the city of Gebal, Ez. xxvii. 9,\nnow called Jebail. The plain along the coast is rough--has a few\nvillages--several small rivers enter. On the banks of one, Nahr\nEl-Kelb, or Dog river, which has a good bridge over it, we saw some\nfigures cut on the face of the rock. They are very ancient, and it\nis said that the Persian arrow-head may be seen. I did not stop to\nexamine them. They are too much defaced to be deciphered correctly.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER VIII.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, September 12, 1836._\n\nWe have had a very pleasant visit at this place from the American\nsquadron, consisting of the Constitution, the United States, and\nthe John Adams, under the command of Commodore Elliott. The general\nregret was, that its stay was so short--less than one week. It is\nseldom that vessels of war, except those of Mohammed Ali, visit\nthis place. The English, although they keep a large force in the\nMediterranean, have not sent one ship of war to this coast for\nseveral years, and the last one sent was of a very small size. The\nDelaware, under Commodore Patterson, was here two years ago, and\nmade a very good impression of American character and power. At\nthat time the stay was longer, and I was told by a gentleman of the\nplace, who had the best opportunity of knowing, that he supposed\nabout forty thousand persons visited the ship during Commodore\nPatterson's visit. A very large number visited the vessels during\nthe few days that they remained here under Commodore Elliott.\n\nI was on board the Constitution on the Sabbath, and present at\npublic worship. Several from Beyroot attended, and it was pleasing\nto see full attendance of officers and men, and the perfect quiet\nand respectful attention which the crew exhibited. The youngest\nchild of the American consul had not been baptized, and he expressed\na wish to have it baptized on board the Constitution, and by the\nchaplain of that vessel. This was done at his request, and the child\nnamed _Washington_; and thus, as was pleasantly remarked to him,\nhe has now a good _constitutional_ child. In the afternoon, the\nCommodore and some of his officers attended worship on shore at the\nconsul's, where service is regularly performed, usually by one of\nthe American missionaries, or some other preacher of the gospel who\nmay be present.\n\nThe commanders and officers deserve great credit for the readiness\nthey manifest to satisfy the natural but almost troublesome\ncuriosity of the many who go off to see the vessels. It is really\nno little trouble to be employed from morning to night, and that\nfrom day to day, in receiving company after company--it may be\nhaving three or four companies on board at the same time--taking\nthem through the ship, and showing and explaining to them whatever\nexcites their notice. It is not to be wondered at, that in the\npublic vessels of most of the European powers, this privilege is\nallowed but to a few. The American commanders have, very wisely, I\nthink, adopted the plan of indulging and gratifying the curiosity of\nthe people, although at the expense of trouble to themselves. The\nAmerican flag is not much known as yet in these seas; the nation is\nnot much known.\n\nOf the few Americans scattered around these shores, a considerable\nportion are the missionaries and their helpers, who are labouring\nto dispel the darkness that rests on these countries; to impart\ncorrect knowledge of religion and morals; to break the chains\nwhich gross superstition has here laid on the human mind, and to\npromote all kinds of useful knowledge and improvement. Most of\nthese missionaries are regularly educated men, and all of them of\ngood repute as to morals and religion. From the peculiar state\nof superstition and bigotry in these countries--from a watchful\njealousy of a corrupt and dominant priesthood, it must be expected\nthat a jealousy will be felt towards missionaries, and efforts made\nto counteract their labours to do good. The occasional visits of\nthe American squadron to those quarters where these benevolent\nmen are labouring, the pleasant and profitable intercourse which\nthe officers may have with the missionaries, and those among whom\nthey labour, has a most kindly influence. So far as I have had an\nopportunity of learning, and my opportunities have extended to most\nof the mission stations, the visits of these public vessels have\nbeen most grateful to the missionaries. The commandants, and many\nof the officers, have manifested so much good will to missionaries\nas individuals, and such interest in the success of their efforts\nto improve the moral and religious condition of these countries, as\nencouraged them in their work, and is not without its good effect on\nthose among whom they are labouring.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER IX.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, September 20, 1836._\n\nYesterday, Ibrahim Pasha reached this place in an Egyptian frigate\nfrom Tripoli, on his way to the south. He landed about the middle of\nthe day, under a salute from the forts, and was escorted by a body\nof troops to a large house outside the walls, and near the sands.\nIn the afternoon, the American consul, who was about to call on the\nPasha, as is usual with the consuls on such occasions, was so kind\nas to call and take me with him. We found a company of soldiers\nbefore the door, and a number of officers and dignitaries of various\nkinds, in waiting. We were asked into a carpeted room, with a divan,\nthat is, a low seat covered with cushions, on all sides. The Pasha\nwas seated in one corner; several consuls with their suites were\nin the act of leaving when we entered. He returned our salutations\nwith an inclination of the head, and a slight motion of his hand to\nhis breast, and pointed us to seats on the divan a few feet from\nhim--the consul on his right and myself on his left.\n\nThe Pasha is a short man, but heavily built, and I should judge from\nhis appearance that he has considerable muscular force. He has a\ncoarse, homely, round face, but none of its features can be called\nstriking. His skin is rather rough and coarse, and looks as if it\nwould bear washing more frequently than it receives it, and would\nnot be the worse if some soap were at times added to the water.\nThis was the case also with his hands, which looked as if they had\nnever known a glove. They were fleshy--the fingers short but thick,\nand indicated a powerful grasp. He wore the Turkish dress, which,\nas you know, consists of a long robe open in front, and also at the\nsides from the knees down, showing the large loose trousers worn\nunder them. His outside garment was of a flesh-coloured silk; the\nsecond, which showed itself at the breast, was striped silk. His\ngirdle was a variegated Cashmere shawl, forming a bandage round him\nof a foot in width. This shawl was not of the finest kind. He had\na plain red fez on his head, with no other ornament upon it than\nthe usual blue tassel. He wore plain stockings and a pair of red\nslippers. In truth, his whole dress was far inferior to that of a\nnumber of persons who came in and paid their respects to him while\nwe were there. Most of them, however, wore the large Turkish cloak;\nhe was without any. Take him all in all, the man and the dress, and\nI think that at least one half of those who came in while we were\nthere, were his equals, if not his superiors. He conversed freely,\nlaughed a good deal, and several times very heartily. I could not\nunderstand enough of the conversation to know what things had the\npower of pleasing and amusing him. At times, I thought a sour\nand severe expression gathered on his countenance. He spoke with\ninterest of the American squadron, and the politeness of Commodore\nElliott in showing him everything about his vessel. He was evidently\nstruck with the style and equipment of our vessels. He mentioned\nwith much satisfaction some small present the commodore made him.\nThe visiters were announced by an officer in waiting, and approached\nhim usually one at a time. When they were Turks, and possibly the\ncase was the same with all but Franks, they kneeled on one or both\nknees, making the Turkish salutation, and kissed his hand, which he\nheld out to them; then rose, repeating the application of the hand\nto the forehead and breast, and retired to the part of the room or\ndivan to which he pointed them. The more respectable persons were\ninvited to be seated.\n\nOne of his objects in coming to Beyroot is, to visit the coal-mines\nin this vicinity. He referred to this object, saying with a laugh\nthat he was going to Corneil to turn coal-merchant. He has for\nsome time been trying to make the coal-mines of advantage to his\nclose-run treasury; but he is a poor manager, and until he adopts a\nbetter plan he is not likely to make a fortune at the coal-trade.\nHe has the mines worked mainly by mountaineers pressed into the\nservice, who are, at the end of a few weeks or months, changed\nfor others; and thus, as soon as they learn how to work, they are\nchanged for those again who must be taught. Ibrahim Pasha is,\nhowever, a man of some force of character, and has a mind more\nfit, it is said, for the department of a soldier than that of a\nstatesman. He has for many years led the armies of his father\nMohammed Ali, and, in many contested fields, he has won laurels\nwhich do not fall on the head of every general. The regions of\nUpper Egypt, the plains of Arabia, the land of Palestine, the\ninterior of Asia Minor, not to mention Greece and the Isles, have\nfelt the desolation caused by his troops. It is said, however, that\nthe father is the man who plans--that without him as the head, the\nson will make but a poor business of it; and those who thus consider\nthe matter, infer, that when the father dies, the wide domain which\nnow submits to his sway will fall in pieces, and become the prey of\nthose who may have the power and skill to come in for the spoil.\nI know not how much ground for these opinions may exist--but one\nthing we know, that power acquired and perpetuated by crime, usually\nterminates in the ruin of those who have wielded it.\n\nWith respect to his private character, I have not learned much;\nbut part of what I have learned is not much to his credit. It is\ngenerally admitted that he is a very intemperate man, and often\nunder the influence of strong drink. The Turks, indeed, are, many\nof them, fond of ardent spirits, and the law of Mohammed to the\ncontrary, will, notwithstanding, take strong drink when they can\nget it. When among the ruins of Baalbec, a soldier came, and for\nsome time hung about us. We could not tell what the man wanted, at\nlength he asked for spirits. We had none, and told him so, asking\nhim if he was not ashamed to violate his religion in drinking what\nit forbids? Oh, he said, he could not read,--he did not know what\nmight be in the Koran. I have at other times seen them drink, and do\nit with a great apparent relish. From all I see, I am inclined to\nthe opinion that Mohammedanism is fast losing its hold on thousands\nof its followers, all through these regions, and the same holds\ngood with that corrupt system of Christianity which prevails here.\nThere are an increasing number who are having their eyes opened to\nsee the grossness of its superstition--who see and understand more\nand more the tricks of the priesthood; and most of them, having no\nidea of pure, Bible, Protestant Christianity, are likely to plunge\ninto scepticism and downright infidelity. There is need of a tenfold\nincrease of active effort, to spread abroad among these communities\nthe pure word of truth--the knowledge of Christ--the healing,\npurifying doctrines of the Gospel.\n\nI have heard of several tricks of Ibrahim Pasha's, which show\nsomething of the man. It is an object constantly kept in view with\nhim, to increase his army. This is done in great part by seizing\npersons, mostly young men and boys, and making soldiers of them.\nThis is confined to the Mohammedans. A report got out, however,\nthat he intended to take a number of the Ansairi for soldiers. They\noccupy a district of the mountains north of Tripoli, and onward to\nAleppo. The Ansairi took the alarm, and fled to their fastnesses and\nstrong places in the mountains. His troops, that were in fact sent\nout as a press-gang to take them, returned with very few--it was a\nfailure. Then did the wily Ibrahim set his trap, and use these few\nfor the bait. He inquired who they were, and being answered that\nthey were Ansairi, he ordered them to be freed, saying that he did\nnot want such--he wanted none for his armies but good Mohammedans.\nThe Ansairi are a mongrel sort of Turks, who have a strange medley\nof religious notions and practices, which are but partially known,\nand not, as yet, satisfactorily classed--neither Christians,\nMohammedans, nor Pagans, but a little of all. The liberated Ansairi\nwere greatly pleased at their escape, reported it to their brethren,\nwho came down from their mountains, and were taken in great\nnumbers. The person who related the fact saw nearly a thousand of\nthem marched into Aleppo in chains, to be drilled and trained for\nsoldiers.\n\nThe most important religious sects in this region are the Greeks,\nMaronites, Druses, and Mohammedans. The Greeks are divided into the\nGreek and the Catholic Greek. The Greeks differ from the Catholic\nor Roman church in several things. One of the chief points of\ndifference is about the procession of the Holy Spirit, which they\nhold to be from the Son only, and not from the Father and Son, as\nheld by the Roman church, and in which the Protestant churches are\nmostly agreed with the latter. The Greek church allows the free use\nof the Scriptures; rejects images in worship; but are madly set on\nthe use of pictures. They reject the authority of the Pope.\n\nThe Pope and his missionaries have long made most strenuous efforts\nto bring the Greek church to an agreement with him and a subjection\nto his authority. They have for centuries employed missionaries and\nagents of all sorts to accomplish this. Nor have these efforts been\nwholly without effect. Throughout the East, where the Greek church\nexists, there are a portion who have been prevailed on to admit the\nauthority of the Pope, and more or less modify their Greek notions\nto a nearer conformity to the popish standard. These are called\nGreek Catholics. They are pretty numerous in many places, and have a\ngood deal of influence all through these regions.\n\nThe Maronites take their name from an individual who somehow\ncontrived to be the head of a party, and to leave it his name as an\ninheritance. They differ, I am told, but very little from the Roman\nCatholics; hardly as much as the distinctive character of their name\nwould seem to indicate.\n\nIt is not yet fully decided what the Druses are. Some assert that\nthey are worshippers of the calf. They have a secret which is\nimparted only to a part of their people. This part is what may be\ncalled the enlightened--the initiated--the knowing--and they, like\nthe freemasons among us, are most careful not to divulge the secret.\nThey form a large part of the population of Mount Lebanon. They\nappear to be a quiet and well-disposed people, but it is not easy to\nfind out what are their real religious principles and belief. They\nare charged by some with modifying, or pretending to modify, their\nopinions to suit those with whom they may be. With a Mohammedan\nthey are Mohammedans, and with a Christian they are almost, if not\naltogether Christian. But in this they may plead the example of many\nwho have gone before them, and modelled their creed to suit the\ncircumstances of the times.\n\nThe Mohammedans are the followers of Mohammed, who lived in the\nearly part of the seventh century, and introduced a new religion.\nHis system borrows some things from Judaism, and some from\nChristianity, but in many important matters differs from both. Nor\nis it Paganism, having a most decided aversion to idolatry. It\nwould take more time than I can at present spare, to give a full\naccount of it. It may suffice to say, that Mohammed acknowledged the\ntruth of the Jewish religion--all the Jewish prophets he received\nas prophets of the Lord.--He admitted that Jesus Christ was a\ngreat prophet, yea, the greatest prophet that up to his time had\ncome into the world, and that the religion he taught was the true\nreligion. But he pretended that he himself was sent as the last and\ngreatest of all prophets, and authorized to make such changes in the\nreligion of the Jews and Christians as to justify its being called\na new religion--and that his system as set forth in the Koran is\nnow, since he came, the only true religion. He made circumcision a\nrite in his system. They give much honour to the saints of the Old\nTestament, the church and the apostles. Their worship is plain. They\nare wholly opposed to the use of images or pictures. Their chief\nday of worship is Friday. They pray much, have long fasts, allow a\nplurality of wives; but in practice this is not as common as many\nhave supposed, and is confined to a comparatively small number.\n\nOne of those things that immediately strikes the notice of a\ntraveller in these regions, is the number of monasteries and\nreligious houses, and the peculiarity of their situation. There may\nbe eight or ten counted from Beyroot; and how many may be within\nthe range of twenty or thirty miles, I cannot well conjecture. From\nthe number I passed in going to the top of Lebanon, and returning\nfrom the Cedars by Tripoli, I must suppose them to be from one\nto two hundred. A friend of mine counted sixteen from a place\nnear Nahr-El-Kelb; and a native assured me that from the top of a\nmountain near Nahr-El-Kelb, nearly one hundred could be seen. The\nnumber of houses for men is much greater than those for women.\nThere must of course be a considerable number of monks, but it has\noccurred to me that the actual number is not as great as the number\nof houses would seem to indicate; many houses have but a scanty\nnumber of inmates. To the inquiry, which I have often made, whether\nthe monastery system is not losing its hold on the public mind? it\nhas generally been answered, that no very perceptible change could\nbe noticed. I am still, however, of the opinion, that the system\nis not as favourably received as it was in times past; and I shall\nbe greatly disappointed if it does not, and that before long,\nappear that the system is wearing out. General developments have\nbeen made, which show that these houses are seats of corruption\nand abomination, and that the best interests of the church and of\nsociety would be promoted by the system's coming to an end.\n\nBeyroot has been the main seat of the Palestine mission. This has\nbeen the usual residence of the missionaries, and here and in\nthe vicinity most of their labours have been expended. Good, no\ndoubt, has been accomplished. It has been, however, a hard soil to\ncultivate. There are peculiar difficulties to be met with in the\ncharacter, habits, and especially the ignorance and deep-rooted\nreligious prejudices of the people. The Arabic language, which is\nthe one almost universally spoken here, is a language difficult\nto acquire so as to use it freely in preaching. Of course, some\ntime must be lost before a missionary can so master the language\nas to do much in clerical addresses to the people. A part of their\nefforts have been directed to schools, and in this place have made\nsome progress. They had a number of schools, and were through them\noperating well on the minds of the people. About three months ago,\nat the same time that the movement was made against the missionaries\nin Greece, Smyrna, and the adjacent parts, a similar movement was\nmade here, and the effect has been, the suspension of most of the\ncommon schools. I have no doubt that is a part of a wide-spread\nplan to counteract and break up, or render unavailing, if possible,\nall missionary operations in and around the Mediterranean. I hope\nit will fail, and I doubt not but that it will. It may, however,\nmake the missionary work more difficult, and, for a time, less\nproductive of its desired fruit. I have no doubt the hand of the\nRoman Catholics is in the matter--for in all places and at all times\nthey have greatly withstood missionary efforts.\n\nThere is a mission press at this place. It has laboured under great\ndifficulties for the want of many things to make complete their\nArabic fonte, and from the impossibility of procuring them here, and\nthe delay in getting them from America or Europe. The distribution\nof books is one of the ways of operating. Something has been done\nand is still doing; but the watchful adversary is now opposing this\nmode of working. Much suspicion is excited against their books, and\nfrom time to time we hear of some being burned. In a late tour we\nhad some books with us, but found that in most of the villages the\npeople had been warned against receiving them. All these things are\nto be expected. It is not to be supposed that the enemy will quietly\nsee the light of the gospel poured upon his dark empire of ignorance\nand superstition. I should not wonder at an effort being made to add\nmore severe measures than burning books and withdrawing children\nfrom school. Indeed, there was an effort made about three months\nsince, to drive the mission families from the mountains, where they\nhad gone to spend the sickly season, and were about opening schools\nfor the summer. The prince of the village, at the instigation, as\nhe admitted, of the Catholic priest, forbade his people to have any\nintercourse with them, to buy or to sell to them, and threatened\nto burn down the houses in which the missionaries might reside.\nThe American consul laid the case before the Emeer Busheer, the\nhead prince of the mountains, and claimed for them, as respectable,\nwell-conducted American citizens, who had for health gone to the\nmountains for a few months, the right of protection usually enjoyed.\nThe Emeer sent an officer and inquired into the case--reversed the\norders of the local prince, and assured them of his protection.\nIt was a lesson which I hope the local authorities will not soon\nforget. The prince who made the attempt to oppress and oppose\nthem had not long before become a Catholic. The Emeer Busheer who\nprotected them is not a Catholic; he was until recently considered\na Moslem, but now professes to be a Maronite Christian. Thus the\nLord can raise protectors and helpers from whom he pleases--make of\nstones children to Abraham.\n\nA few nights since we had our attention called to a very pretty\nspectacle. As it began to grow dark, we observed bonfires lighted\nin the neighbourhood, and other tokens of festivity. We went to the\nterrace on the top of the house, which commanded a most extensive\nview of Mount Lebanon, a view of nearly thirty miles. Along the\nwhole range we could see the bonfires glaring. They looked, on the\ndark side of the mountain, like stars on the face of the deep blue\nvault of heaven. I made several attempts to count them; but it was\nmuch like counting the stars, which, when a boy, I often attempted\nto do, but almost always abandoned, before I reached a hundred, from\na strange feeling of the difficulty of continuing the enumeration,\nwhen the objects lay thus without order. These bonfires were of all\nsizes, and were often marked by fitful blazes of light, as new fuel\nwas thrown on them. Others would glimmer and expire, while new ones\nwould burst forth, and soon attain to the first magnitude, and then\ndie away, or be subjects of those fitful flashes that indicated the\naddition of fresh fuel.\n\nOn inquiry I learned that this was the feast of the Cross, and\nthat these illuminations and bonfires were in commemoration of the\nfinding of the true cross by the Empress Helena. It is said that\non her way to Jerusalem she gave orders that preparation should be\nmade that, in case she was successful in finding the cross, the\nevent might be made known by bonfires, and thus the intelligence\nbe communicated to Constantinople. Much of the religion of these\npeople consists in such things. Their fasts--their attending\nmass--their worshipping and kissing the pictures--keeping the holy\ndays--and counting their beads, constitute the principal part of\ntheir religion. As to the pure service of the heart--faith that\nworketh by love--regeneration by the Spirit--a new moral nature,\neffected through the word of truth under the agencies of the Holy\nSpirit, with most if not all the other elements of real genuine\npiety, they are almost wholly ignorant. It is, indeed, astonishing\nthat a people, who have the book of God in their hands, should so\nlong remain in utter darkness and ignorance of that spirituality\nwhich beams forth from all parts of it. This whole region is yet\nin the dark ages. Let any one who wishes to form a correct idea of\nthe state of things here, read a well-written account of the middle\nages--the preliminary dissertation to Robertson's History of Charles\nthe Fifth, and Hallam on the Middle Ages--and he will have before\nhim the leading features of the state of the church and society\nnow found here. The agreement will not, it is true, hold good in\nall points, but in the main there is a strong family likeness.\nMay the Lord soon raise up reformers!--and may the truth soon go\nforth as the light, and his revelation as a lamp that burneth! The\nreformation in Europe was preceded by many things which betokened\nthe coming of day; and there are many things now which bespeak the\napproach of a time of light, life, and salvation, for these regions\nthat have long lain waste. The last ten years have witnessed great\nchanges, and we hope the next ten will record still greater.\n\nYou have often heard of the Sherock, or Siroc, as it is often\nspelled. The weather had become much cooler, but this strong south\nwind has brought it back to its greatest summer heat. It does not\nusually blow more than two or three days at a time; but we have had\nit now for four or five days, and it still continues. Many persons\ncomplain much of it--\"feel it in every nerve.\" It does not affect\nme, except as it makes the air warm and oppressive.\n\nLast night, for some unknown cause, connected probably with the\nSherock, (which is made to bear the blame of all sorts of evils,\nand ought in fairness get credit for some good,) we had the most\nheavy dew at Beyroot that I have seen in Syria. This is the more\nremarkable, as the dews have usually been very light. It fell\ncopiously soon after sunset, and this morning the earth looked as\nif a little shower of rain had fallen. There was also this morning,\nfor the first time since I came to Beyroot, a dense fog--one of the\nmost dense I ever saw--this also is to be ascribed to the Sherock, I\nsuppose.\n\nYesterday I visited the ruins of Dair-El-Kollah, which lie near a\nvillage called Bate-Meiry, about three hours' ride from Beyroot.\nThey are of the same style of building as those of Baalbec, but on\na much smaller scale. It has most likely been an old temple. The\nstones are enormous, but not equal to the largest at Baalbec. Most\nof the wall has been thrown down, but one or two of the lower rows\nlie in their places. The stone is put together without cement, and\nthe face, like those of Baalbec, made so smooth, that you could\nnot put a knife in the crack. The pillars before the building were\nlarge, but not equal to those of Baalbec. They were composed of\nthree pieces; the lower one, about twelve feet long, alone remains\nstanding. The rock is a coarse marble, and I saw a few fragments of\ngranite. These ruins are on the top of the secondary ridge, about\nhalf way to the top of Mount Lebanon; a church now stands on part of\nthem.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER X.\n\n\n  _Jaffa, Sept. 30th, 1836._\n\nI have at length set out to make a tour through Palestine, or at\nleast a part of it, and will send you some brief notices of what\nmay particularly engage my attention. The great heat which we felt\nin this country, particularly on the plains, induced me to defer my\ntour thus long, as I judged it not well to run unnecessary hazard\nin my eagerness to see the chosen land, and to visit the places\nreferred to in the Holy Scriptures. The great heats of summer are\nnow past, showers of rain have already fallen, and the driving up of\nclouds at one time from the north, and at another from the south,\nbetoken the approach of those copious showers, which the earth,\nparched by a whole summer's sun, so much requires, and which man and\nbeast need to refresh their exhausted system.\n\nWe went on board a small vessel on the 28th, but the wind was so\nlight that we were only off the sands, and still in sight of Beyroot\nthe next morning. During the next day we had very little wind, and\nmade but slow progress. Towards night, however, a wind sprang up,\nand we passed Sidon, but at too great a distance to have a good view\nof it. I hope to obtain this on my return, as my plan is to return\nby land, for the purpose of seeing as much as I can of the country.\n\nThe mountains appear to retain nearly the same height and appearance\nas those near Beyroot. They seemed, however, to fall back from the\nsea and leave a wider plain along the coast, and to the south they\nappeared to decrease in height. Night came on, and shut out the\nland from our observation. With the night, a fine wind arose, and\nbegan to pass rapidly to the south. About midnight we passed Soor,\nthe ancient Tyre: we were thus unable to see it. It would have been\npleasant to have seen it from the sea, and to have been able to\nmake some observations on the plains and mountains, by which it is\nsurrounded on the land side. We passed Acre too early, and at too\ngreat a distance to see it distinctly. It has a wide plain to the\neast, and a little to the south-east the great plain of Esdralon\nextends from the Mediterranean to the sea of Tiberias. Having a most\nfavourable wind, we passed on at a great rate, and just as the sun\nrose we passed the north end of Mount Carmel. It is a mountain, or\nhill as we should call it, a straight and regular ridge, eight or\nten miles long, running north and south; on the top and side next\nus, almost wholly destitute of trees, and without cultivation. It\nhas very little rock on the surface except near the north end--much\nless than Lebanon, and appears favourable for cultivation.\n\nI should not have estimated Carmel to be more than eight hundred\nor one thousand feet high. It is, however, usually said to be much\nhigher. This ridge is separated from the branches of the Lebanon by\na part of the plain of Esdralon. Indeed, Lebanon has come down from\nthe great loftiness which it has near Sidon, and has spread itself\nover the country in small ridges. Carmel lies more west than the\nLebanon range. At its north end it forms an abrupt termination in a\nbold promontory. On the top of this promontory, and near the end, is\na monastery belonging to the Latins. There are a few monks there,\nhow many I did not learn. It has an imposing appearance, but I could\nsee no other human habitation near it. There is a plain of varied\nwidth between Carmel and the shore. It is almost wholly destitute\nof trees, hardly a bush to be seen unless of a very small size. The\nplain varies in width from one to two miles. Much of it, especially\nnear the shore, was covered with sand. I saw no human being, or\nhuman habitation on it, except a few old ruins. A few miles south of\nthe monastery there were considerable ruins on a sandy point that\nprojects into the sea. It has, probably, been a fort.\n\nAt the distance of eight or nine miles from the promontory, the\nridge called Carmel suddenly sinks down, and gives place to a\nwide-spread plain. Near the south end of the mountain, they point\nout on the shore the site of the famous city Cesarea, which is often\nmentioned in the New Testament--the place where Paul was detained a\nprisoner many years, and made his admirable defence before Agrippa\nand Festus. It was once a place of considerable importance, rose\nsuddenly to much celebrity, and almost as suddenly declined, and for\na long period has been in a state of utter desolation. I saw a few\npillars standing, and some other remains of departed greatness. The\nplain which begins at the southern end of Carmel, is the celebrated\nplain of Sharon.\n\nWe reached Jaffa about the middle of the afternoon, having had a\nmost expeditious sail from Sidon. The wind had served us a good\nturn, in bringing us so soon to Jaffa, but we now experienced\nanother consequence not so pleasant; it still blew hard, and made\nthe sea so rough that we could not land. The harbour of Jaffa is not\ngood, or rather there is no harbour worth the name. We had to anchor\nsome miles out at sea, where there was a tremendous swell; there was\nno help, we had to bear it as we could. We landed the next morning,\nand were most kindly received by the American consul. He did all in\nhis power to render us comfortable.\n\nJaffa stands on a sandy point, which projects a little distance into\nthe sea. The ground at the point is more elevated than farther\nback. It is a walled town, with a double wall and fosse in some\nplaces, all, however, much out of repair. We saw but a few cannon\non the part of the wall which we examined, and those small and in\nbad order. We passed a number of soldiers in our walks about the\ntown, and found a strong guard at the gate. Most of the houses\nhave a very old appearance, few of them are good; the streets are\nnarrow, crooked, and filthy, as in almost all the Turkish towns I\nhave visited. The houses are much crowded together, and cover a very\nsmall space, considering their number. This is the case with most\nof the Turkish towns in the East, especially their walled towns on\nthe coast. We visited the Latin and Greek convents, and were kindly\nreceived, and had coffee and sweetmeats handed us. The bazaars and\nshops appeared exceedingly poor, and to be scantily supplied with\narticles of merchandise.\n\nJaffa is a place of interest, chiefly, as being the sea-port nearest\nJerusalem, and the landing-place of a large number of pilgrims that\nannually resort, by thousands, to visit the holy places in and\nabout Jerusalem. It has also, in the noble plain of Sharon, a most\nadmirable back country. But what avails a country, however good,\nif there be not people to cultivate it, and if the government be\nso unwise and oppressive as to hold out no inducement for industry\namong the people?\n\nWhile looking at the city, we went without the walls as far as the\ngrave-yard. I had noticed on the shore, and in the street, great\nquantities of a small but beautiful sea-shell, and at the grave-yard\nI found them very abundant, and put to a singular use. They were\nlaid on the graves in great numbers, often forming quite a little\nmound on the top of the grave, and in many cases, a newly-formed\nstone, which is found at certain places on the shore, and which is\nin great part made up of these shells, was set up at the head and\nfoot of the graves. It had a tasteful and pretty appearance.\n\nThe place was pointed out to us at a distance, where Bonaparte is\nsaid to have shot several thousand prisoners. He has been much\nblamed for it, and probably not without some cause. If, however, his\nown account, as I have seen it given, be true, that they had before\nbeen his prisoners, and had been set at large on parole, under\nengagement not again to take up arms against him; that they had\nbroken parole and were again captured while fighting against him;\nif this were the case, he is, according to the laws of war, less to\nblame than many have supposed. Not that I would justify him, but bad\nas he was, his opponents did not give him credit for the good he\ndid, and made the most of his bad actions. Had he lived until the\npresent time, on the throne of France, the state of Europe would\nprobably have been twenty if not forty years in advance of what it\nnow is, in knowledge and arts, in civil and religious liberty. Those\nwho have succeeded to the now divided power, which his powerful arm\nwielded, have laboured and still labour to hold the people back--to\nrepress the spirit of enterprise and improvement, and especially\nrepress and root out the spirit of freedom.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XI.\n\n\n_October 5th, 1836._\n\nWe left Jaffa in the afternoon for Rumla, which lies about half way\nfrom Jaffa to the commencement of the hill country, on the road\nto Jerusalem--leaving the gate of Jaffa, (and I may add, there is\nonly one gate on the land side,) we took a north-east direction.\nThe point of land on which Jaffa stands, a kind of sandy knoll,\nis higher than the country back of it. We of course made a small\ndescent, and for a considerable distance passed through gardens,\nenclosed lots and fields, many of them well filled with trees, as\nfig, orange, lemon, pomegranate, palm. The Indian fig was much used\nfor forming enclosures, and generally planted on a ridge of sand.\nIt makes a very good fence, as the prickles with which it abounds\nprevent man or beast from coming much in contact with it. Some of\nthese gardens had wells and water-wheels, many of which were at\nwork, mostly with oxen, raising water for the benefit of the trees\nand vegetables. There is much sand on the district that borders the\ncoast, and in many places directly on the coast the sand has fairly\ntaken possession--nothing is seen but fields of white sand.\n\nAt the distance of half a mile from the shore, the ground is very\nlittle higher, I should think, than the surface of the water; and a\nnumber of things indicate that this low district was once a marsh,\nor at least much subjected to water. And now, in the rainy season,\nmuch water would collect on it were it not for its loose and sandy\ncharacter, through which the water easily runs. The abundance of\nwater, found at a very little distance below the surface, may arise\nfrom the fact that it is but little below the level of the sea; and\nthe sandy character of the district allows the water to percolate\nfreely, and thus supply what is taken up by man and vegetables.\n\nIt may be nine or ten miles from Jaffa to Rumla. The road is good;\nit is over a plain, and except a little waving of the surface,\nforming slight elevations and depressions, such as we often find on\nthe sea-coasts, and on the flat districts which border large rivers,\none would say it was level. These elevations suggest the idea\nthat the water may have once covered this plain; and in retiring\ngradually from it, left those graceful elevations and depressions\nwhich give a beautiful variety to its surface. But a small part,\nafter passing the gardens, was cultivated. From time to time we\npassed portions that had been sown with grain--none of it, after\nleaving the gardens, was enclosed--all lay open. We passed several\nplaces where there were a few trees; they formed, however, but\nlittle green spots on the face of this wide-spread and noble plain.\nThe greater part was destitute of verdure; the burning heats of\nsummer having burned up the grass; the crops, except an occasional\ncotton field, being all gathered in. I think I saw no Indian corn,\nalthough I had seen it on the Bokar, but of a very diminutive kind.\nThe cotton fields were few and small, and held out the promise of\nbut a light crop.\n\nThe plain is highly fertile, and if under proper cultivation would\nyield largely. The soil is rich, deep, and very free from rock, at\nleast sufficiently so for all purposes of cultivation. We do not,\nindeed, often meet with a finer district of land; but it is thinly\ninhabited.\n\nRumla is a town of considerable size, and has some pretty good\nhouses. It stands on a slight elevation, and commands a fine view of\nthe plain out of which it rises. It is surrounded with gardens, many\nof which are protected by hedges of the Indian fig. There are some\nolive groves about the town; other fruit-trees, and the palm, are\nalso to be seen. Around the present town are ruins, walls, cisterns,\nand other indications that the town was once spread over a much\nlarger space than it now covers. It is supposed to be the ancient\nArimathea mentioned in the New Testament, John xix. 38.\n\nThe ancient Lydda lies within a short distance of Rumla, not above\nthree or four miles; but I had not time to visit it, as my company\nwere urgent to proceed. It is, I am told, a poor village, and has\nnothing to give it interest, unless it be the fact that is mentioned\nof it in Acts, ix. 32, 38.\n\nI ought to have mentioned respecting Rumla, that there is near the\ntown a very remarkable tower, old, and of a singular structure,\nwith some large apartments under ground connected with it. At what\ntime it was built, by whom, and for what purpose, is not now known:\nprobably, however, as a place of defence, and when built, the town\nextended to, if not beyond it. The history of many things in these\nregions is lost--irrecoverably lost--until that great day shall come\nwhen the whole history of man shall pass in review, and all shall be\njudged according to their works.\n\nThe American squadron left Jaffa only the day before we reached that\nplace. The commodore and a party of officers visited Jerusalem. A\nlarge party spent a night at Rumla with the American consular agent,\nand had made him a present of a large and beautiful flag, with a\nnotice of its presentation written on its border. If what was told\nme at Jaffa be true, that some of the officers, on their return from\nJerusalem, rode from Jerusalem to Jaffa in five or six hours, it was\na matter-of-fact proof that the distance is less than the old books\nof travel have stated. Ten hours was named at Jaffa as the usual\ntime--that would make thirty miles, at the usual mode of counting\nthree miles to the hour: this is probably the real distance.\n\nWe spent a Sabbath at Rumla; but as there was no Protestant worship,\nand I could not have received much if any benefit from attending a\nservice in an unknown tongue, I remained in my room all day, and\nfound, although thus alone, that the Sabbath of the Lord is a most\nwise and gracious appointment of Heaven for the benefit of man. He\nneeds times which may call his thoughts from worldly things, and\nconsecrate them more especially to God, and the things that relate\nto the welfare of the soul. I have, therefore, whenever I could, in\ntravelling, rested on the Sabbath day, and found it good so to do.\nIn almost every step I take in this country I find myself on ground\nreferred to in Scripture; and it is with no little interest I walk\nover places where the events recorded in God's word took place. But\neven in those scenes I find it good to observe the Sabbath of the\nLord. I do not even go out to look at these places on the Sabbath:\nthe other six days may suffice for that. The Lord's day is better\nspent as a day of rest and devotion.\n\nWe left Rumla on Monday morning for Jerusalem. Our course was still\na little south of east. The general character and condition of\nthe plain was much as the part of it already described, with the\ndifference that there was much less sand. Indeed there was little,\nif any, to be seen--the soil was a fine, rich, black mould. The\nstate of cultivation was rather better, but still only a small part\nwas under the care of man. The country began more regularly to\nrise as we approached the hill country. The rise was however very\ngradual. Irregular and rounded hills became more numerous, but none\nof them were steep. A road could pass over them in any direction;\nthey were rather pleasant swells than hills. More stones and pebbles\nwere mixed up with the soil, but not in quantities that would impede\ncultivation. In truth, this part of the plain, that is from Rumla to\nthe hills, forms one of the richest and most lovely districts that\nI have seen. We were above three hours in going from Rumla to the\nhills, which would make the distance from Jaffa about eighteen or\ntwenty miles. The road however does not cross the plain at right\nangles, but declined considerably to the south.\n\nWe passed no village worth naming. We did, indeed, pass a few huts\nat one or two places, but too few to deserve notice. We passed\nseveral places that appeared to have once been occupied, and saw\nseveral villages at a distance, but they appeared small. In short,\nthe plain--the noble and celebrated plain of Sharon, appears to be\nalmost deserted; and while it has a fertility and extent, were it\noccupied and properly cultivated, sufficient to sustain a nation,\nit is now roamed over by a few flocks--has small patches of it\ncultivated, and here and there a small, poor village to sustain.\nWith regard to trees, &c. the eastern part of the plain was on a\npar with the western. It was only on little spots, and at a great\ndistance from each other, that a few olive and other trees were to\nbe seen. They were mostly confined to the immediate vicinity of the\nvillages, or where villages have once stood.\n\nWhile passing over the plain of Sharon, it would have been out of\nall propriety not to have thought of the rose of Sharon and the lily\nof the valley. I did think of them, and was on the watch for them;\nand so eager was I to get one, that could I have met with any sort\nof a flower that would in any fair way have admitted the name, I\nwould most willingly have reported it, _but not one could I find_.\nI consoled myself, however, with the thought, that I only shared\nthe disappointment which other travellers had experienced. For what\ntraveller in these regions has not sought the rose of Sharon, and\nthe lily of the valley? And what one has been able to assure and\nsatisfy the public that he has found them?\n\nAs we approached the hills, the face of the plain became more\nuneven; the points of the ridges ran out irregularly, and more\nrocks began to appear on the surface. The line of hills is however\nmore regular than is usual, and the transition from the plain to\nthe hills is more gradual than is usually found on the borders of\nlarge plains. We passed over a low, rocky point of a ridge, and\nsaw some ruins; and at one place the large hewn stones and broken\npillars indicated buildings of some consequence. The hills are\nnot continuous ridges, but knobs, not very high, nor very steep;\nthe top rounded over. Many of them are separated from each other\nalmost to the base; but a greater number join at one or more sides,\nat various heights from their bases. Taking the hollows, and the\npassages between the hills, (and in some places there are little\nlevel spots,) as the level of the country, I should say that the\ngeneral level, as we pass east, rises; and the height of the hills\nabove this general level, continues about the same for a great part\nof the way from the commencement of the hills to near Jerusalem.\nThis district is well called the \"hill country of Judea.\" Nothing\ncould better express it. They are usually in books called mountains;\nbut their size, that is their height above the general level of the\ncountry, hardly entitles them to that appellation. They are rather\nhills than mountains.\n\nAs we rode among the hills, we began to see a few small shrubs and\nbushes of oak. Most of them, however, were small; few as high as a\nman on horseback. There were also, at some places in the hollows,\nwhere, during the rains, water flows, some bushes, thistles, and\nother kinds of vegetation, but small of size and few in number. As\nwe passed farther in among the hills, the vegetation increased,\nboth as to size and quantity; it however never amounted to much.\nWe saw, from time to time, some orchards of olives, and a few\nscattering trees; as we approached the higher part of the hilly\ndistrict, we saw some hills that were to some extent covered with\nthe olives. Still but a small, a very small part of the country\nwas thus made to minister to the wants and comfort of man. As we\nadvanced, the rock became more abundant; it was all limestone, mixed\nin some places with veins of flint; usually horizontal, and often\nprojecting out on the sides of the hills, and much stratified; and\nthe various strata being of different degrees of firmness, causing\nthem to have a singular appearance. The soft stratum had in many\nplaces disintegrated, and formed a stratum of earth, which entirely\nconcealed the rock; while the hard stratum formed a kind of wall,\nand in many places, from its regularity in thickness and direction\nround the side of the hill, it had much the appearance of having\nbeen the work of man. In some places again, where a hard stratum\nlay directly over a soft one, the crumbling away of the soft one\nformed a kind of natural cave under the hard one; places could be\nseen where a man might find shelter from the rain under rocks thus\nhollowed out by the wearing away of a soft rock, while its more\nsturdy fellow above held on to its proper size and shape. A ride\nof between two and three hours, from the time we entered the hill\ncountry, brought us to the higher part of the district. Our road\nstill lay along what may be called a hollow, and on each side of us\nthe hills rose to a considerable size.\n\nWe passed on this high district one or two villages. In one of\nthem were some pretty good houses, and an old ruin, which, from\nits size and form, seemed once to have been a building of some\nimportance. The country around this village was in a better state\nof cultivation; more trees, figs, and vines, than I had seen since\nleaving Rumla. From a part of this high ground we had a most\nextensive and fine view of the seabord; the deep black sea, till\nwhere it met the sky; the white sand-hills along the shore, and the\nwide and long plain of Sharon, extending as far as the eye could\nreach, to the north and south, and coming up to the hilly district,\non the top of which we stood. The view was interesting, and\nespecially so when we thought how often the pious Israelites, when\ngoing up to the house of the Lord, must have stopped at this place,\nand looked back on that rich and lovely part of their inheritance.\nThe \"flocks of Sharon\" was a term which then expressed much; but now\nfew flocks feed there, and those of an inferior kind of cattle.\n\nAfter taking this, as I supposed, farewell-look at the plain of\nSharon, the sea-bord, and wide-spread ocean behind it, we set\nforward, and thought we must soon reach a point from which we could\nsee Jerusalem. We found, however, that we had to descend a hollow,\nwind along it for some distance, and then a long ascent to make, to\ngain about the same level from which we had taken our farewell-look\nat the vale and sea behind us. Above half an hour must have been\nspent in doing this. This is said to be the valley of Elah, where\nDavid slew the Philistine. The precise spot where the engagement\ntook place is not known. We now found ourselves on ground which was\nnearly as high as any near us. We had passed to our right, at some\nconsiderable distance, a cluster of buildings on the top of a hill,\ncalled the tomb of the Maccabees. It looked like a fort, or place\nof defence, and was, as I am told, not long since, the residence of\nAboo Goosh, who used to make free with the property of other people;\nin other words, was a notorious robber. But Ibrahim Pasha has taught\nsuch gentry a good lesson. He has nearly, if not wholly, put a stop\nto such practices; he has taken the matter into his own hands. What\npeople have to spare, he himself takes, or has taken from them;\nand, indeed, much more than they are willing to part with; but as\nto every fellow who chooses taking for himself, as was the old way\nof doing things, why that is not now permitted. The time was, when\na company could hardly have passed from Rumla to Jerusalem, as we\ndid, without having been relieved of some of their cash, and perhaps\nclothes into the bargain.\n\nWe passed a district where an immense quantity of stone had been\nquarried and removed; the refuse stone lay in piles, and the\nexcavations showed that large quantities had been procured. The face\nof the high ridge, or kind of table land, over which we now passed,\nwas almost wholly destitute of vegetation. A few thistles and an\noccasional small thorn-bush might be seen; but a more naked district\nI had not seen in the holy land. Several miles to the right, I saw\na hill or hills pretty well covered with trees of some sort--olives\nI thought from their looks; and at a greater distance on our left I\nsaw several patches of trees on the side of a high and long ridge,\nand a small village or two near them; but more immediately about\nme, and over the whole face of the ridge which I was passing, all\nwas naked--all was destitute of vegetation, except a small enclosed\nspot. I was struck not only with the absence of vegetation, but\nwith the enormous quantity of rough rock that almost literally\ncovered the face of the ground. Much of it lay in irregular patches,\nprojecting from eighteen inches to five or six feet above the little\nearth that could be seen. It really appeared as if the district\nwas _given up_ to be _occupied by rocks_, to the exclusion of all\nother matter. We soon began a slight but gradual descent, and after\na little, some towers came into view. These were the parts of\nJerusalem first seen. Presently we saw the top of the walls--the\nminarets, the domes, and the whole city.\n\nJerusalem stands on the east side of a high, _flattish_ ridge,\nwhich runs nearly north and south. To the west of the city, and at\nsome distance above, towards the top of the ridge, a small hollow\nbegins, and running south-east, deepens rapidly, and forms the\nsouthern boundary of the city. This is the channel of the rivulet\nGihon. In it are the pools, the upper and lower; but it is only in\nwet weather that there is water in them. The lower part is called\nthe valley of the Son of Hinnom. The brook Kedron, or the valley in\nwhich the water would run, if there were any water,--for you must\nknow except during the rains it is a dry channel, runs nearly north\nand south, and has a deep channel, with high steep banks. The valley\nor ravine of Gihon falls into that of the Kedron, nearly at right\nangles, with a high point forming the angle between them. On this\npoint the city of Jerusalem stands. It fills, or did originally,\nthe space that lies between these two ravines, for some distance up\nboth of them. The ground on which the city stands has a considerable\ndeclination to the east, and is on the side of a hill, on the lower\nend of the ridge, when it terminates abruptly at a deep ravine,\nboth on the south and east. The site has other inequalities. At the\nsouth-east corner, next the Gihon, was the highest point. That is\nthe hill of Zion. Part of it is now without the walls, and used as a\nburying-ground. The missionaries have recently procured a small plot\non Mount Zion for a burying-place, to be appropriated to Protestants\nwho may die at Jerusalem. A little north of Mount Zion, and close on\nthe bank of the Kedron, is Mount Moriah, or an elevation so called.\nOn this the temple stood, and on the same site now stands the mosque\nof St. Omar. This elevation was formerly separated from Mount Zion\nby a considerable valley. It is now nearly filled up, at least\nthat part within the walls, and much so without; still it is very\nperceptible without the walls, and especially at the pool of Siloam,\nwhich lies at the junction of this ravine with the valley of the\nKedron. Mount Zion was once connected with Mount Moriah by a bridge\nor elevated causeway; but the filling up of the ground within the\nwalls has covered it, or supplied its place.\n\nThere is a large space around the mosque of St. Omar which forms a\nfine promenade, but Christians are not allowed to enter it. They are\nnot allowed to enter the mosque, or at least this is the general\nunderstanding. In many cases, however, it has been entered lately;\na party of English had been all through it, under the special\nprotection of the governor, but a few days before my arrival. There\nis little doubt that in a few years, unless some reaction takes\nplace, free admission will be allowed, and many other foolish and\nunreasonable customs and prejudices of the Mohammedans will pass\naway.\n\nJerusalem has a high, strong wall around it, and is occupied by a\nlarge body of the Pasha's troops. There are at present but four\ngates open and used, several having been walled up some time since.\nThe Jaffa gate, by which we entered; the Zion gate being east of the\nJaffa, and on Mount Zion; St. Stephen's gate, which opens next the\nvalley of Kedron and north of Mount Moriah; and the Damascus gate,\nwhich lies on the north side of the city. The highest part of the\ncity is a little west of the Jaffa gate, at the point where the wall\nleaves the top of the hill near Gihon, and runs north and north-east\ntoward the Kedron.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XII.\n\n\n_Jerusalem,1836._\n\nOne of the first objects that we visited after our arrival was the\nChurch of the Holy Sepulchre. It so happened that the day after\nour arrival was one of the many days, which for some reason I know\nnot what, is called a festa, and this church was opened. This was\nwhat we desired, as it is not accessible at all times. This church\nis said to be built over the place where our Lord was buried; and\nit also includes the place where he was crucified--that is, it\nincludes that part of Calvary on which the crosses of our Lord and\nthe others who were crucified with him were fixed--and the garden\nin which Joseph's tomb was placed. It ought, therefore, to have\nbeen _without_ the city, as our Lord was crucified and interred\nwithout the city. Heb. xiii. 12, and John xix. 41. The excuse for\nits being in the city is, that the city does not now occupy the\nsame ground that it did at that time--its walls were farther west\nand north--and the present walls take in what the old walls, when\nthose transactions took place, left out. It appears to me very\nmanifest, that the places now shown as the places of crucifixion and\ninterment, must have always been _within_ the city. A wall so run\nas to leave it out, would be located in a way that no wise builder\nwould ever think of in running a wall to defend a city situated as\nJerusalem is. These places are not on a hill, but rather in a low\nplace or hollow, and the wall in passing to the east of it would\nleave so much higher and better ground close to it on the west, and\nwould so straiten the space between it and the ground occupied by\nthe temple, and take so irregular and winding a route to enclose\nsufficient ground to hold the city, that I must believe that a\nwrong place has been fixed upon as the spot where those memorable\nthings transpired. It is, however, a matter of trifling importance;\nwe know they took place near Jerusalem. There is no virtue in the\nspot where they took place more than in any other. But the poor,\nblind, superstitious people believe, and are taught to believe, that\nthere is great, yea, saving virtue obtained in visiting these places.\n\nThe church of the Holy Sepulchre is a large, and in some respects a\ngood-looking building, especially the circular room with the large\ndome over the holy sepulchre, as seen from the inside, for it is\nsurrounded with other buildings, and so connected with them without\nthat it makes but a feeble impression. It needs to be large, as it\ncontains a chapel for each of the Christian sects which prevail in\nthe East, as the Greeks, Latins, Armenians, Copts, Syrians.\n\nWe entered at the north side. There is a small open space before the\ndoor, which once belonged to the church, but most of the pillars are\nremoved. The doors of the church are large, and there is usually\none or more Turks acting as door-keepers. As there are always\nmonks and priests in the church to take care of it, attend to the\nlamps, perform the sacred offices, &c., there is a small opening\nthrough the door, by means of which food and other necessaries are\npassed to them at those times when the doors are shut. Some monks\nand priests, it is said, spend weeks, and it may be months, in the\nchurch, without once going out of it; they no doubt think this a\nmost meritorious act.\n\nImmediately on passing the door of the church, we came to a large,\nflat, marble stone, a little elevated from the floor, having small\nmarble pillars at the corners, and an ornamental covering above it.\nThis is called the \"stone of unction.\" It is pretended that the body\nof our Lord was laid on it while he was anointed, or rather when he\nwas taken from the cross, and rolled up in linen with the spices,\nby Joseph and Nicodemus. East of the \"stone of unction,\" and within\na few yards of it, there is an ascent of several steps, called\nthe ascent of Calvary; and on the top, which is called Calvary,\nthree holes were shown, said to be the holes of the three crosses,\non which our Lord and the two thieves were nailed. The middle\none stands rather in advance of the other two. Below this, in a\ncave-like place under the spot where the crosses stood, is shown the\nsplit in the rock caused by the earthquake, which took place at his\ndeath. These places are, however, so fenced about with metal plates,\ndoors, bars of iron and wire network, that you can barely see and\ntouch them, and that with a poor light; all arranged to prevent too\nclose an examination--all adapted to increase the superstition and\nblind credulity of the people.\n\nThe Empress Helena, Constantine's mother, was the great patron\nof all the holy places, and built churches upon them. How she\nascertained for a certainty the precise spots is not so clear; but\nthat she selected certain spots and had churches erected on them is\nadmitted. So great an advocate for such matters, ought of right to\nhave some honour shown her. They have, therefore, east of Calvary,\nand at a few yards' distance, prepared a chapel for her. It is\na low, damp place, quite under ground, and does not do her much\ncredit. It was down in this place, however, that she found the true\ncross, it is said, and an odd thing is told about her identifying\nit. Three crosses were found, and the question was, to which one\nof the three was our Lord nailed, for it would have been a fatal\nmistake to have selected for such deep veneration, amounting nearly\nto worship, the one on which the thief was nailed, instead of the\none on which our Lord hung. Helena was not more zealous in hunting\nfor places and things, than fertile in expedients to identify them.\nA child, either sick or dead, was brought and laid on the crosses,\nand strange to tell! it was made well when it touched a certain one.\nThis was ample proof that it was the true cross.\n\nAnother thing was found in this place, now set apart as the chapel\nof Helena. She found _Adam's skull_, which came out of the rent made\nin the rock caused by the earthquake. How she identified it, the\naccount, as I received it, did not relate. No doubt she contrived\nsome way to do it. Many such things are gravely told to the poor\ndeluded pilgrims that resort here, and many believe them. And to\ntell all such folly and nonsense, and to fill their minds with them,\nis the business of the monks and priests, instead of teaching them\nthe great leading truths of the word of God, and urging the nature\nand necessity of personal holiness and practical religion.\n\nWe returned from the chapel of Helena to the stone of unction. A\nwall is run up between this and the main body of the church, forming\nthe place in which it lies into a kind of entry or antechamber.\nPassing a few steps to the west, we turned short to the north,\nand found ourselves in the body of the church, which is large and\nnearly circular, with a large dome over it, and lighted chiefly from\nabove. In the middle of this large room stands a small building\ncalled the holy sepulchre. It may be sixteen feet by ten, and ten\nor twelve feet high. It is divided into two rooms. The first, which\nis to the east, forms a kind of entry, and is entered at the east\nside. In the middle of this first room is a place or seat, not\nunlike a little table or stool. This stands on the place where the\nstone lay, after the angel had rolled it from the door and sat on\nit. There are twelve or fifteen lamps burning in this room; and\nthrough the walls are several holes, out of which the light or holy\nfire comes, while the bishop plays off that lying miracle to the\npoor deluded pilgrims. This miracle is performed at Easter. The\nsecond room is the sepulchre. On the north side of it lies a large\nmarble tombstone, about as high from the floor as a common tombstone\nwould be. The remainder of the room is not much larger or wider\nthan will allow two persons to pass each other with ease. In this\nroom are about forty lamps, which, with those in the outer rooms,\nare the property of different leading sects, as the Greeks, Latins,\nand Armenians. For much as they hate and quarrel with each other,\nmatters are so arranged that each shall have a chapel in the church\nand lamps in the holy sepulchre.\n\nEast of the holy sepulchre and separated by a slight partition, is\nthe Greek chapel. This is the best chapel of the establishment--is\nneatly fitted up, and has some pretty good paintings. In the middle\nthere is a kind of pillar, and on the top of that is marked the\n_centre of the world_. How they found out the precise spot my guide\ndid not tell me, nor who was the happy finder. Possibly the good\nHelena who found so many things, for she had a wonderful talent for\nsuch matters.\n\nTo the north of the holy sepulchre lies the Latin chapel. It is\nrichly furnished, and possesses some antiques that are among the\ncurious, such as the sword and spurs of Godfrey of Bouillon. This\nchapel has also a pretty good organ, and the organist was so polite\nas to play us several tunes.\n\nAt the west end of the holy sepulchre, and in contact with it, is a\nsmall chapel for the Copts. It is but a few feet square, and is like\na shed or tent-like place, put up against the end of the sepulchre.\nThis chapel stands, of course, within the large circular room in\nthe middle of which the holy sepulchre is placed. To the west, and\nonly separated by a slight wall, is a small chapel for the Syrian\nChristians. It is a small dark place, seldom if ever used. Adjoining\nit is the tomb of Nicodemus, a little dark hole quite in keeping\nwith his fear of the day when he came to Jesus by night; but as he\nafterwards came out openly in favour of his lord, he deserved a\nbetter tomb than they have allowed him.\n\nTo the south of the holy sepulchre, but raised so as to permit\nthe entrance to pass under it, is the chapel of the Armenians. It\ndoes not equal that of the Greeks or Latins, but far exceeds the\nCopts and Syrians'. Thus the large and nearly circular area with a\ndome over it, in the middle of which the holy sepulchre is placed,\nis surrounded with chapels, separated from it by single walls,\nthrough which they are entered from the large area. All this mass\nof building is called the church of the holy sepulchre. There are a\nnumber of other places pointed out, in and about it, as places at\nwhich some of the facts recorded are said to have taken place--as\nwhere the centurion stood, who declared his belief that Jesus was\nthe Son of God. But I have said enough about these places. My memory\nwas so burdened with these things, it would not be strange if I\nshould have lost some on the way, and possibly I may have misplaced\nsome of them, not designedly however, in giving this brief detail.\n\nThere are nearly twenty convents in and about Jerusalem. The Greeks\nhave, if I recollect aright, thirteen. Most of them are, however,\nvery small. Their large one is directly adjoining the church of the\nHoly Sepulchre; and the top of the church (not the dome) may be used\nas a terrace for its inmates. From the top of the convent I passed\nover most of the top of the church, or of the chapels contained\nwithin its walls. This large monastery is able to receive and\nentertain many pilgrims--this is one design of those establishments.\nThe Latins have a very large monastic establishment. It covers\nseveral acres of ground; is so constructed as to be capable of\nmaking a good defence; is a strong fort. It is a community of\nitself, and has within it provision for carrying on all kinds of\nwork. It has smiths, carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, millers,\nbakers, chandlers, and I know not how many other artisans within\nit. The Armenians have a large establishment of a similar kind,\nwhich is said to be equally capacious, and in good condition. While\nthese establishments no doubt are of use in the way of entertaining\npilgrims, they are most corrupting; as it is their interest to\npromote superstition among the people. From their number, wealth,\nand influence, they are able to effect almost any object they\nplease, and defeat any one that falls under their displeasure.\nThey will, humanly speaking, be one of the greatest obstacles to\nall missionary efforts to spread the light of truth in Jerusalem,\nand dispel those dark and foul superstitions that have long been\ngathering over these, so called, holy places.\n\nA few days after our arrival, we set out one morning to make a\ntour of the city. We went out at the Jaffa gate, which is situate\nat the south side of the southern corner, and near the edge of\nthe valley of Gihon. Up this ravine, a mile or more, is the upper\npool of the fuller's field, mentioned in 2 Kings, xviii. 17. It is\nmade by running a strong wall across the ravine, walling the sides\nand covering them with a water-proof cement. There was no running\nwater in this ravine at present, nor is there often except in the\nrainy season. A little east of the Jaffa gate is the lower pool. It\nis made in the same way as the upper pool. The wall is used as a\nbridge--the road passing the ravine on it. There is no water in this\npool.\n\nThe valley of the Gihon becomes deeper as it passes eastward to\nwhere it meets the Kedron. Below the second pool it takes the name\nof the Valley of the Son of Hinnom or Tophet. It was formerly used\nfor many unclean purposes--some of the most abhorrent kinds of\nidolatrous worship was once practised here--the burning of children\nto Moloch, Jer. vii. 31. The valley appears to have been much\ncontracted by the great quantity of rubbish of all kinds which has\nbeen thrown into it from the city. A road from the Jaffa gate passes\ndown the valley, dividing at the lower pool. One part passes to the\nsouth side, and winding along the top of the bank for some distance,\ncrosses the plain southward to Bethlehem. The other winds down the\nvalley until it reaches the bottom--then along the valley until it\nmeets the one from the valley of Kedron, following the course of the\nunited valleys towards the Dead Sea. On the south side of the valley\nof Hinnom, and near its junction with Kedron, is the potter's field.\nIt is a small parcel of ground near the top of the bank with an old\nruined house on it. There was a small level spot thirty feet below\nthe top of the bank, at the bottom of a thick stratum of horizontal\nrock. Walls have been made enclosing a part of this--the face of\nthe rock forming the south wall of the building. The roof, which\nis flat, is on a level with the top of the bank; and in it are a\nnumber of holes, through which they used to throw the dead bodies.\nIt is not used now as a place of interment, and is fast going to\nruin, part of the walls having fallen in. All along the south side\nof the valley are to be seen old tombs cut in the rock--some are of\nconsiderable size, having several rooms--some are so large as to be\nused by mules, donkeys, and other animals, as places of refuge from\nthe noonday heat of the sun.\n\nAt the junction of the valley of Hinnom with that of the Kedron,\nwhich is nearly at right angles--the Hinnom running nearly east and\nthe Kedron nearly west--there is a level space of several acres,\nlaid out in gardens, and well set with trees. These gardens and\ntrees continue up the valley of the Kedron, which is wider than that\nof the Hinnom, for some distance; this rich and beautiful-looking\nspot, watered by the fountain of Siloam, is called the _King's\nDale_. These valleys have all steep, high banks. To the east of\nthe Kedron lies Mount Olivet, which runs north and south, and is\nseparated from the hill on which the city stands only by the deep,\nnarrow valley of the Kedron.\n\nMount Olivet terminates abruptly, or rather a break is made through\nit nearly in a line with the valley of Hinnom, bearing a little to\nthe south of east. At the mouth of this new valley, which lets off\nthe water (when there is any) to the eastward, is a small pool,\nand adjoining it is a kind of resting or lounging-place, now much\nneglected--and close by is the well of Nehemiah, which is very deep,\nand we infer from indications about it, that formerly it was much\nused; but it is now almost entirely neglected. This is supposed by\nsome to be the En-rogel in 2 Sam. xvii. 17. Down this valley there\nare a number of gardens, and fig and olive trees.\n\nTurning up the valley of the Kedron, we passed some pretty gardens\nand lots of ground well set with the fig and other fruit trees. A\nfew hundred yards brought us to the pool of Siloam. It lies in the\nmouth of that little ravine I mentioned as separating Mount Zion\nfrom Mount Moriah, and is now much filled up within the walls,\nwhich cross it at some distance from its mouth. It has, no doubt,\nbeen much filled without the walls, still it is very manifest on\nthe outside, and near its mouth. There is quite a high bluff on the\nMoriah side, near the pool. This valley was formerly called the\nvalley of the Cheesemongers. It was over this valley that Solomon\nis said to have made that splendid ascent to the house of God from\nMount Zion, where his palace stood, that struck the Queen of Sheba\nwith so much astonishment. 1 Kings, x. 5. The pool of Siloam is\nsmall, not more than twenty or twenty-five feet long, and ten or\ntwelve wide. It may be eight feet deep, with only eighteen or twenty\ninches of water in it. It is fed by the fountain of Siloam, which\nrises about three hundred yards farther up the valley, and is taken\nunder ground through the point of the hill which projects into the\nvalley from Mount Moriah, and comes out at this place. The water\npasses through the pool, and is conveyed by a channel to the edge of\nthe valley of the Kedron, (for the pool is a little up the valley of\nthe Cheesemongers, say twenty-five or thirty yards,) then it passes\nthrough a set of troughs, where the people come to obtain water for\nthemselves and their cattle.\n\nA considerable part of Mount Zion, the part which forms the point of\nthe angle between the valley of Hinnom and that of Kedron, is not\nnow included in the city. The wall no doubt formerly ran down the\nvalley of the Gihon to the point keeping close on the edge of the\nprecipice, up the valley of the Kedron, crossing the valley of the\nCheesemongers at the mouth, and keeping on the precipice, passed\nMount Moriah. The remains of the basement of the wall that crossed\nthe mouth of the valley of the Cheesemongers may yet be seen, south\nof the pool of Siloam, near the large trough into which the water\nflows from that pool. The present wall of the city leaves the edge\nof the bank of the valley a little east of the Jaffa gate, and\ntraversing for a little space the higher part of the hill of Zion,\nbut leaving a large part of it to the right, takes nearly a straight\ncourse across the upper part of the valley of the Cheesemongers to\nMount Moriah, leaving out most of this valley, and also the angle\nof Mount Moriah, which is between the valley of the Kedron and the\nvalley of the Cheesemongers. Much of this space is now made the\ndepository of rubbish and filth of all sorts. The whole face of\nthe hill, both on the Gihon and the Kedron side, is evidently much\nenlarged, and made to project into the valley, from the quantity of\nrubbish thrown over it. Once it must have been a high and almost, if\nnot altogether, a perpendicular bank, but now the rubbish has almost\nwholly hidden the face of the rock, being visible only in one or two\nspots; thus forming a steep but sloping bank of rich, soft earth.\nSome parts of it are planted with trees, and portions are used for\ncultivating vegetables of various kinds. The present walls were, if\nI mistake not, built by Caliph Omar, the successor of the celebrated\nSaladin, who warred so bravely against the Crusaders, and wrested\nJerusalem and most of their possessions in Palestine from them. We\nsaw in the lower part of the wall on Mount Moriah, many rocks of a\nvery large size; but none that equalled those at Baalbec. The style\nof building in the walls at Jerusalem reminded me of those parts of\nthe walls of Baalbec of a more recent erection, especially that on\nthe east side and adjoining the great temple.\n\nA few hundred yards north of the pool of Siloam, we came to the\nfountain of Siloam. This is a small spring on the city side of the\nvalley, and nearly opposite the corner of the city wall, where it\nmeets the precipice, and includes the space occupied by the temple.\nMilton therefore was nearly right when he spoke of\n\n    \"Siloah's stream, that flowed\n    Fast by the oracle of God.\"\n\nThis fountain is in a place like a cave, artificial, however, as\nall the appearances indicate. You descend eight or ten steps which\nlead down into the side of Mount Moriah--there you find a stream\nof indifferent water. The quantity of water is not large, and it\nis said that it has more water in it one part of the day than in\nthe other, more, for example, in the morning than in the afternoon.\nWhat is the cause of this is not certainly known. Possibly it may\nbe the syphon form of the passage through which the water flows.\nThere are many cases of syphon springs. It may, however, arise from\nsome connexion which this fountain has with the water, brought by an\naqueduct to the mosque of St. Omar, on Mount Moriah. The quantity\nof water brought is too great to be all used in the service of the\nmosque, and as none flows from the platform, it has most likely some\npassage under ground, and may possibly find its way to the fountain\nof Siloam. The depth of the fountain below the surface of the ground\ndoes not allow the water to flow off. A passage is cut on a level\nwith the fountain, large enough to admit a man to walk erect for\nsome distance. It passes into the hill, and under that high point of\nMount Moriah which lies between the valley of the Kedron and that of\nthe Cheesemongers, and comes out at the pool of Siloam. When this\nwork was done is not known.\n\nThe part of Mount Olivet near and opposite Mount Moriah, is very\nmuch covered with Jewish graves. It is the favourite Jewish place\nof interment. The rock is horizontal, and in many spots next the\nvalley, much of the face of the rock is bare. Parts of the stratum\nare sufficiently thick to allow tombs to be cut in the face of it,\nand by hollowing the softer stratum, caves have been formed for\nthe deposite of the dead. There is at one place a little village\nalmost entirely made up of old tombs that have been altered more or\nless. Near the fountain of Siloam, are several sepulchral monuments\nof more distinction than the mixed multitude that cover the side\nof the mountains. The most remarkable are, the tomb or pillar of\nAbsalom, as it is called in 2 Sam. xviii. 18, that of Zechariah, and\nJehoshaphat. The tomb of Absalom is in the form of a house about\ntwelve feet square, hewn out of a solid rock, except the top, which\nhas a round cover of stones, neatly put together, and rising like a\nshort cone. It is hollow, and appears originally to have had but one\nsmall entrance, high up in front, which was probably stopped with a\nstone made to fit it. Several large holes have been broken through\nthe sides. The side walls appear to have been from eighteen inches\nto two feet thick, leaving within quite a neat little room. It was\nprobably designed as a place of interment for himself. He found\none, however, in a very different place,--in a pit, and, instead\nof resting in the neat stone chamber he had prepared with so much\ncare, he had a great pile of stones thrown on him. We saw here a\nstriking sample of the Arab custom of throwing stones at the graves\nof persons whom they abhor for their crimes. There are large piles\nof stones in and about this monument, which persons in passing have\nthrown at it, to express their hatred of Absalom for his unnatural\nrebellion against his father. The stratum of rock at this place\nis much more thick and compact than is usually met with in these\nregions.\n\nThe tomb of Zechariah is much like that of Absalom, and stands\nbut a short distance south of it. The style of architecture is not\nprecisely the same--there is no door to it that I could find, and of\ncourse could not ascertain whether it was hollow. There is behind\nit, in the open space that has been cut between it and the rock from\nwhich it is separated, a hole, which descends, but so winding that\nit is soon lost. It was so filled up that we could not descend it.\nIt may have some connexion with the inside of this building, and\nhave been intended for a secure place of interment.\n\nAbout half way between the pillar of Absalom and the tomb of\nZechariah, is the tomb of Jehoshaphat. The same compact rock is made\nuse of, but it is of a different order of building. In this case,\nseveral large rooms are hewn out of rock connected with each other.\nA large front door or opening separated by pillars, and enriched\nwith carved work, is cut in the face of the rock, eight or ten feet\nfrom the ground. The way of access is through a small, low hole,\n_at the outside_, near the tomb of Zechariah. After entering a few\nfeet the space becomes larger, soon you can walk erect. The passage\nascends a little, and opens into a fine large room, in the front\nof which is the large door that I have described. This room is of\ncourse well lighted, and would make no uncomfortable habitation.\nFrom this front room, doors and passages lead to others that lie\nfarther in the hill, and of course are dark, except the little light\nthey may receive from the antechamber. I wonder that this place is\nnot occupied as a residence, as it must, I think, be much better\nthan any of the tombs a little to the south, that are thus occupied.\n\nThree or four hundred yards north of Absalom's pillar we came to\nthe place pointed out as the \"Garden of Gethsemane.\" It lies on\nthe Mount Olivet side of the valley, not far from the bottom.\nThere are four or five acres at this place, partly in the valley\nand partly on the foot of Mount Olivet, that have been laid out in\ngardens, and some of them are still cultivated. There are a number\nof olive-trees, some of them old and large. They point to one of\nthe enclosures, as the Garden of Gethsemane, where our Lord was in\nagony, and where Judas led the band who took him. As is customary,\nthe priest will tell you the precise spot where the disciples\nslept--where our Lord withdrew--and where Judas betrayed him. That\nsomewhere here was the place where those transactions took place,\nis not unlikely, but it is all idle folly to pretend to be able to\ndesignate the precise spots.\n\nA little north of this is a chapel under ground, said to be the\ntomb of the Virgin Mary. It is near the valley, a little on the\nMount Olivet side. A small part of the top of the building is above\nground, but the great body is below. We descended a wide, noble\nflight of steps for ten or fifteen feet, and then we had a great\ndisplay of lamps and other rich ornaments, with a large altar in\nfront. At our right was a recess or little room, shown as the tomb\nof Mary; and about half way up the steps were recesses on both\nsides, said to be tombs of--I forget whom--Anna, perhaps, and other\nfemales mentioned in the Gospels. When this place was made, or by\nwhom, I am not able to say. It is, however, one of the best pieces\nof under-ground building that I have seen, and is in good keeping.\nBut how all these good people were found, after centuries had passed\naway, is not for me to tell.\n\nThe gate of St. Stephen is nearly opposite the tomb of Mary, and\na road leads up from near the tomb to the gate. About two-thirds\nof the way from the gate to the bottom of the valley, they point\nout the place where Stephen, the first martyr, was stoned. It is\nrather singular that they have erected no monument over it. It is\ndesignated by a ledge of rocks, which projects from the ground.\n\nMount Olivet is higher than most of the ground on which the city\nstands--higher than Mount Moriah, and about as high as the ground\nabove the Jaffa gate on the top of the ridge. There are a few\nolive-trees scattered over the mount, but not as many as I had\nbeen led to suppose. There is a mosque near the top of it, nearly\nopposite Mount Moriah, and what is singular, there is a small church\n_in the inside of the mosque_. The mosque is not used at present,\nand was probably a part of the church formerly. The church is said\nto be built on the spot from which our Lord ascended; and they\ngravely showed us what they said was his track, or the print of his\nfoot. We know, however, that the ascent was nearer Bethany, which\nlies on the east side of the mount. Luke xxiv. 38.\n\nWhile the Jews chose Mount Olivet as their burying-ground, the\nMohammedans love to inter their dead on Mount Moriah, outside the\nwall, and as near as they can to the mosque of St. Omar. They extend\nthese interments beyond the gate of St. Stephen, as there is more\nroom outside the walls, north of this place, for this purpose. Thus\nthe Jews bury on Mount Olivet, the Mohammedans on Mount Moriah, and\nnorth of it along the outside of the city walls, and the Christians\non Mount Zion. There may be other burying-grounds occupied by each\nof these classes of persons; but these appear to be the ones most in\nuse at present.\n\nThe north and west sides are the most assailable parts of the city.\nThe wall there runs on ground nearly level; it is, however, high\nand strong. The rock for making it appears to have been raised from\na space twenty or thirty feet outside the wall, and thus a pretty\ndeep ditch has been formed, which gives much strength to the wall as\na means of defence. There is north of the city an extensive grove of\nolives, and a few other trees. It seems to me almost certain, that\nthe city must once have extended farther north and north-west. The\nold ruins and cisterns indicate that buildings have extended in that\ndirection.\n\nI had often heard of the Sepulchres of the Kings, and took this\noccasion to visit them. They are about a mile north-west of the\ncity wall. Instead of being on the side of a hill as I expected, I\nfound them on a level part of the plain. That part of the plain,\nas indeed is usual, is based on a horizontal stratum of rock. At\nthis place the rock is more firm and compact than usual. A space,\nperhaps forty feet square, has been cut down fifteen or twenty feet,\nperhaps originally twenty-five or thirty feet, and the whole of the\nrock removed, leaving the sides regular and smooth, like the walls\nof a house. Parallel to the south side, and at the distance of\neight or ten feet, a graduated road has been made fifteen or twenty\nfeet wide, on a moderate descent, which brings it down near the\nsouth-east corner, to nearly the same level with the floor within. A\nnoble archway is hewn through this wall, wide enough to admit three\nor four men abreast. The whole is evidently much filled up--enough\nremains to show that it was well planned and well executed.\n\nWithin this house-like place that I have described, and at the\nwestern side, about eight feet of the upper part is covered with\nsculpture of various kinds, wrought on the face of the rock. It\nis rich, and of admirable execution. The part under this is hewn\naway, and a kind of portico made, twenty feet long, ten or twelve\nfeet wide, and twelve feet high. I give these as the probable\ndimensions, as I did not measure them. At the south end of this\nportico, the rubbish, which had accumulated several feet, has been\nremoved, and an opening was found cut through the solid rock. Only\nso much of the rubbish was removed as would enable a person, by\ncreeping, to enter. After creeping a few feet, we entered a room of\nconsiderable size, say twelve feet square. From this room doorways\nopened to another room, and from this to others; most of them on the\nsame level, but some of the passages lead to rooms below, and, in\none place, the hollow sound which the floor gave clearly showed that\nthere were yet other excavations beneath. These rooms had niches all\naround for receiving the dead.\n\nOriginally these doorways had stone doors, with stone hinges. The\nplace for hanging the doors was obvious, and we saw several of the\nbroken doors made of a single stone slab. In one of the inner rooms\nwe saw some richly carved covers of a sarcophagus; the sarcophagus\nitself was gone. The door of this room was lying there nearly\nentire; it was richly carved, and wrought in a kind of panel-work.\nThe stone hinges were like those wooden hinges which we often meet\nwith in cabins, stables, &c. On one side of the stone a piece is\nleft at both ends to project out a few inches; holes are cut in\nthe doorway of such a size as will receive these projections, the\nupper one made deep, the door put in, and made to turn on these\npoints. These tombs, although called the Tombs of the Kings, are\nnot believed to have been the place where the kings of Judah were\ninterred. We are told that they were usually buried in the city of\nDavid,--that is, on Mount Zion. 2 Chron. xxiv. 16. We know not why\nthey are so called; possibly because they are the most remarkable\nsepulchres that are known in the vicinity.\n\nLearning that at the distance of a mile or two to the north-west, on\nthe same plain, there was a remarkable set of sepulchres, called the\nSepulchre of the Judges, we concluded to visit them also. There are\nextensive beds of rock in this part of the plain, and in many places\nits upper surface is six, eight, and ten feet above the level of the\nsoil. The rock is softer than that at the sepulchre of the kings,\nbeing of that soft, friable limestone, which, from the ease with\nwhich it is worked, is so much used in building. I could see that in\nall directions it had been quarried and removed.\n\nAdvantage was taken of a place where the rock rose eight or ten\nfeet above the ground. It was cut so as to make a plain, smooth\nfront. Then a little porch-like place is hewn out, not unlike that\ndescribed at the sepulchre of the kings, the rock being left above\nfor a cover. A door was then cut in, with some rich carving over it.\nThis led into a large room, around which were a number of niches for\ndepositing the dead. Doorways opened at the three sides to other\nrooms, and around these were niches--from these again to others.\nPassing down through a hole in the corner of the first large room,\nwe found that there was one under it of nearly the same size. It\nwas in a less finished state than any of the others. It is usually\nsaid, that there are seventy or seventy-two of those niches for\ncorpses--the number of judges in the Jewish sanhedrim. We could not\nmake out that number. We found sixty-eight or sixty-nine, if my\nmemory be correct.\n\nMany ruins are to be seen on this plain to the north and north-west\nof the city. There are many olive-trees scattered over it; and\nwherever the massy, compact limestone rises to a height and size\nthat will admit of it, you are almost sure to see tombs cut in it.\n\nThere are several pools in the city. About half way from the Jaffa\ngate to the church of the Holy Sepulchre there is one of large\ndimensions; it is surrounded by houses, and is, I think, called the\npool of Hezekiah.\n\nAn aqueduct can in part be traced from the upper Gihon to the city\nin the direction of this pool, and possibly it may be the work of\nHezekiah, mentioned in 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. \"He stopped the upper\nwater-course of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side\nof the city of David.\"\n\nThe pool of Bethesda lies near the gate of St. Stephen, and almost\nadjoining the large open square, on which the mosque of St. Omar now\nstands. It is now dry, and has not the appearance of often having\nwater in it. It is a small place. Several arched places are shown at\none end, as a part of the five porches mentioned in the Gospel.\n\nIn truth, Jerusalem is badly, very badly supplied with water.\nMost of the houses have cisterns for rain water, but there is but\nlittle of good spring or running water. The fountain of Siloam,\nwhich is small and not good, is the only spring I have seen in the\nneighbourhood of Jerusalem. Water is brought in for the use of the\nmosque of St. Omar in pipes from the pools of Solomon, not I think\nfor general use.\n\nThe streets of Jerusalem are narrow and filthy; the houses have an\nold and weather-beaten appearance. There is one peculiarity about\nthem which is rather singular. I saw something of it at Jaffa and at\nRumla. The _dome roof_ is almost universal. To me it has a pretty\nappearance, and is a much better defence against rain than the flat\nroofs which are so universal at Beyroot, and all the towns and\nvillages in the northern part of Syria.\n\nThis mission find their chief employment in distributing books\nand conversing with the people, and find a good deal to encourage\nthem in their work. There is an increasing disposition among the\nMohammedans to have intercourse with them, and to converse with them\non the subject of religion. This is a promising circumstance.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIII.\n\n\n  _Jerusalem, October 10th, 1836._\n\nWe left Jerusalem early on the morning of the 8th, for a visit to\nHebron. Being informed that there might be some danger of robbery or\nevil treatment on the road, we applied to the governor for a guard,\nand received an order to the commandant at the pools of Solomon, the\nplace where the dangerous district begins, for a guard.\n\nWe left the Jaffa gate, and crossing the valley of Gihon, passed\ndown a pretty plain to the south of Jerusalem towards Bethlehem.\nThis plain is very fertile, but does not appear to be under\ncultivation to any great extent. On several parts of it we saw\norchards of olive and other trees. When near Bethlehem we took the\ndirect road to Hebron, intending to visit that place on our return.\n\nIn the vicinity of Bethlehem is the tomb of the beloved Rachel.\nIt is a high, oblong mass of masonry, of an old and venerable\nappearance. A neat stone building with a dome has been erected over\nit.\n\nWe saw an encampment of soldiers under the olive-trees to the west\nof Bethlehem, and learned that Ibrahim Pasha had attempted to disarm\na powerful tribe of Arabs that reside near the Dead Sea; that they\nhad proved refractory, and that he had ordered a considerable force\nto the neighbourhood, and directed some of the powerful tribes that\nacknowledge his authority to aid in the work. There were in the\nvicinity of Bethlehem several thousand men, and the disarming of the\ntribe was going on.\n\nThe whole district about Bethlehem is exceedingly rocky; more so\nthan usual in this rocky country. This continued the case most of\nthe way to the pools. The country to our right, that is west of us,\nrose higher, and on the side of the ridge were several villages;\nmost of them had pleasant groves of trees near them, and there were\nextensive districts abounding with the olive, and plains finely\nadapted for cultivation.\n\nThe pools of Solomon are situate about three miles from Bethlehem,\non the road to Hebron. They lie in a ravine that runs east from\na little plain surrounded on all other sides by moderately high\nhills. A small spring rises in this plain, and the water from it was\nprobably made, formerly, to pass through the pools. At present, the\nwater from the spring, or from some of them,--for there are probably\nmore than one, although sealed up and conveyed away under ground in\nsuch a way that the water can be seen in but one or two places,--is\nconveyed in earthen pipes, set in rock, and under ground along the\nside of the pools, until it passes them, and is then made to unite\nwith the old aqueduct that took the waters from the pools to the\ncity. Most probably the temple was supplied with waters in this way,\nand that the pools were made for this purpose. The distance direct\nis about nine miles, and must be increased by the windings necessary\nto find a water level. Ibrahim Pasha, since he took possession of\nthis country, has had the aqueduct repaired. The pools are called\nthe Pools of Solomon, but it is not with certainty known that he\nmade them. They are in plan and structure much like the pools in\nthe valley of Gihon, called the upper and lower pool. They are three\nin number, and lie one below another; each may be about six hundred\nfeet long, and three hundred broad. There is a large building\nadjoining them, which may have been intended for a khan. It is now\noccupied by the guard of soldiers that are usually stationed here.\n\nThe order for a guard was safe in our pockets, but on reaching the\nplace not a soldier was to be found--what were we to do? There were,\ncounting our servant and muleteer, and one or two persons who had\njoined us on the way, as we supposed for the sake of enjoying our\nprotection, six or seven of us and two brace of pistols--we did not\ntherefore hesitate to push forward without a guard; and saw no cause\nto regret it. The district we now entered was more rough, rocky,\nand hilly, with less cultivation and more wood upon it, than any we\nhad yet seen. The trees were small, not much higher than a man's\nhead when mounted on a good horse. It looks much as if it had been\nstripped of its trees and the sprouts allowed to grow unmolested\nfor about two years. Much of the fuel that is used in Jerusalem is\nobtained from this district. We met many mules and donkeys loaded\nwith wood going to the city, and this, I may add, is the usual mode\nof transporting wood through this country. Everything is packed on\nanimals. Wheel-carriages they have none. We also met a number of\n_females_ with _large parcels_ of wood on their backs, making their\nway towards the city. In some cases they must have to carry it from\nsix to ten miles. What a labour for females! It is now, as in the\ndays of old, the women and children sink under the wood. Lam. v. 13.\n\nFrom many of the hills over which we passed, we had repeated views\nof the Dead Sea lying in a long narrow strip from north to south.\nFor about two hours we passed through a district hilly and very\nrocky, and mostly covered with bushes. In many places these were\nso abundant as to justify the use of the word _thicket_. These are\nthe places which are considered the most dangerous, as the robbers\ncan conceal themselves, and thus with more ease perpetrate their\ncrimes and escape pursuit. This whole region has once been under\ncultivation, and a portion of it is yet. That portion, however, is\nsmall. On the sides of the hills were the remains of terrace-work,\nand in many places old buildings and mounds of rock, which showed\nthe labour of man. We saw several villages in the distance, and\nfar to the east on a high hill, towns and other indications of\ninhabitants. We passed one of the largest and best springs in\nPalestine. It rises at the foot of one of the thickest and softest\nstrata of white limestone rock that I have seen. A number of tombs\nwere cut in the face of this rock, which may have been eight or ten\nfeet thick. On first seeing them I thought, from the soft character\nof the rock, that they might lead to extensive excavations, but\non examination found this was not the case. We were now within an\nhour or two of Hebron. The face of the country improved, more pains\nwere taken to collect the loose rock into piles or fences, and more\nground was under cultivation. Many villages were seen, at a distance\nfrom our road.\n\nWhen about three miles from Hebron we turned a little off our road\nto the west, to look for an old ruin which was said to be worth\nseeing. This led us on higher ground; and gave us a more extensive\nview of the country; and I was not a little surprised and pleased\nat having a fine view of the whole district to the west, embracing\na part of the hill country of Judea, the southern part of the plain\nof Sharon, and the wide-spread Mediterranean sea beyond it. I was,\nin fact, on the highest ridge of the hill country, which runs north\nand south, and could see below me the secondary ridges and hills,\nwhich extended about half-way to the sea, becoming lower and lower\nas they approached the plain--then the plain beyond, and the white\nsand-hills and banks along the shore. I fancied that I could see the\nsouth-east corner of the sea near El-Arish, where it turns to the\nwest--possibly this was fancy. The view, however, was most extensive\nand interesting, as I knew that my eyes were ranging over, not only\na large and rich portion of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah,\nbut also part of the land of the Philistines, those inveterate\nand powerful enemies of the people of God. Oh! how often has the\ndistrict which I now beheld, witnessed the mustering, and marching,\nand warfare of the Philistine against Israel, and the Israelite\nagainst the Philistine.\n\nWe now entered a gently declining valley. The soil did not appear\nbetter than usual, but much care and labour had been bestowed on it,\nand evidences of this increased as we passed through to the south.\nThe stones were gathered off--good stone fences were made along\nthe road--the ground was well set with vines, and for miles we had\nnothing on either side of the road but a succession of vineyards\nloaded with the most delicious grapes. Surely, thought I, this\nmust be the valley of Eshcol. It was here the spies procured the\nvine loaded with clusters, which they carried into the wilderness\nto the astonishment of the whole camp. If my conjecture was not\nentirely correct it was nearly so, if the Jews of Hebron are to be\nbelieved, for this, if not the valley of Eshcol, terminates in that\nvalley about a mile from Hebron. This valley through which we passed\nbecame wider and more rich in its fruits until it joined the other\nvalley, which comes in more from the west. This second valley is\nthe widest, has a considerable breadth of level, rich soil finely\ncultivated, interspersed with trees, and covered with vineyards.\nThis is called Eshcol, as we learned from the Jews with whom we\nlodged, and who took us out to see it. About a mile up this valley\nis pointed out the tree under which they say Abraham received the\nangels, Gen. xviii. 4-8. It is the largest tree in the vicinity, is\nof the oak kind, which here grows low and sends out many branches,\nand looks at a little distance not unlike a large apple-tree. If it\nbe the self-same tree under which Abraham entertained the angels, it\nmust have attained a good old age. I am, however, slow to believe\nit, although assured of it by a descendant of the patriarch. It\nmay be a descendant of that tree thus honoured, either direct or\ncollateral, but that it should have lived until now, does not agree\nwith the great law of mortality which spares no living thing,\nneither man nor beast, animal nor vegetable, since death entered\nthis world. These, however, are the plains of Mamre, and the good\nold patriarch long sojourned, and somewhere on these plains his\ntent was pitched, his altar raised, and his worship went up with\nacceptance to the God who was \"his shield and exceeding great\nreward.\" How many generations have passed away since that time, and\nyet his name is known, is dear to the people of these lands--seeing\nthe \"memory of the righteous is blessed!\" Abraham had his trials--he\nwas ordered from the land of his nativity, and, although Canaan\nwas promised him, he was made to live as a stranger in it, and at\nthe sufferance of others--while he saw the nations which possessed\nit building cities, increasing their defences, and using means to\nsecure it as an inheritance for their children, he was not allowed\nto secure a foot of it, except a burying-place for himself and\nfamily; and although he was promised a numerous posterity, yet\nhe saw himself and wife getting old, passing the age in which men\nbecome parents, and not one son born to them. Yet he believed and\nloved and served God, and the event proved that not one word of\nGod's promise fell to the ground.\n\nFollowing this united valley a little to the south-east, we came to\nHebron. The country about it is better cultivated than any district\nI have seen. There are many enclosures and vineyards; olive groves\nand fig-trees abound. As we drew near the town, we passed several\nwells; these, we were told, were, one the well of Jacob, one of\nIsaac, and one the well of Abraham; so each of the patriarchs has\none. It at least shows their regard for the memory of these good\nmen. Hebron stands in the valley; but at a place where the two\nridges, which bound it on either side, are not uniform, but rather\nlike separate hills placed near each other. While most of the town\nstands in the valley, its edges rise in a small degree on four of\nthe hills by which it is surrounded, but in the greatest degree on\nthe hill to the south-east. The town has a very old appearance; the\nstreets are narrow and dirty, and to a great extent arched over,\nespecially the bazaars. Few of the houses look well; they are placed\nuncomfortably close to each other, and are badly aired and lighted.\nThe bazaars appeared poorly supplied with goods and provisions;\nand, on the whole, it was a poorer place than I was led to expect,\nfrom the improved state of the country around it. Much the largest\npart of the population is Mohammedan. There are few Christians in\nHebron; we were told, but one family, and that was the family of\nthe secretary of the governor. We had a letter to him, and expected\nto find lodgings with him, but to our regret he was not at home.\nWhile inquiring for him, the governor passed, and ascertaining that\nwe were travellers, and were recommended to his secretary, he sent\na soldier with us to introduce us to a respectable Jewish family,\nwho were ordered to take care of us. We were kindly received and\nprovided for. They showed us the synagogue, which was near our\nlodgings. We found a school in operation in the synagogue; the\nscholars were reading in the Hebrew Bible. They showed us a most\nsplendid roll of the law, which they had recently received. It was\nfixed on two rollers, so as to roll off the one as it rolled on\nto the other, leaving such a part exposed as might serve for the\nlesson to be read. The whole put nicely in a case, and fastened with\nclasps, and laid away in a closet not far from the reading-desk or\npulpit.\n\nA few years ago, when Ibrahim Pasha's troops took Hebron, they\ncommitted great outrages on the Jews, by plundering them of all they\ncould find. They broke into their synagogue, and opened all parts of\nit in which they thought anything could be found, mutilated and tore\ntheir roll of the law, and perpetrated many other enormities. Hebron\nis esteemed by the Jews as a sacred city; and they think it a great\nprivilege to live here. They pretend that persons, when old, if they\ncome and live at Hebron, can renew their age. They need not go far\nfor materials to correct the opinion; for some of them had about\nthem ample proof that old age and all its infirmities come upon\npeople at Hebron as certainly and as fast as at other places.\n\nThe great mosque, which was probably once a Christian church, stands\nover, as we were told, the cave of Machpelah. We were not allowed to\nenter it. It is a very large building, and the lower part contains\nstones of a very large size. It stands on the side of the hill, at\nthe south-east part of the city. The palace of the governor joins\nit; and it is not improbable that the palace in which David reigned\nfor seven years was in that quarter. Near the mosque is a very large\ncistern, which the Jew, who was our guide, pretended was Sarah's\nbathing-house. It was, however, of much more modern formation; the\ndeclaration of the Jew to the contrary notwithstanding.\n\nAt the south end of the town is a fine pool. This is the pool, as\nis supposed, over which David hung the hands and feet of Rechab and\nBaanah, the murderers of Ishbosheth. 2 Sam. iv. 12. It appears to\nhave been formerly fed by a stream through a small aqueduct, that\ncomes into it; but the stream is now dry, and the aqueduct out of\norder. A short distance to the north of this pool, is another of a\nsmaller size; but the water in it does not appear as good, nor is it\nas much used.\n\nWhile rambling among the olive-trees that almost cover the hill to\nthe south-west of the town, we came to the ruins of an old building,\nwhich must have been a place of some consequence formerly, but is\nnow wholly deserted. Our guide took us into it, and in one of the\nrooms showed us a small hole in the wall, which he told us was the\ntomb of Jesse, the father of David. The Jews, who were with us,\ncertainly showed much reverence for the place, pulling off their\nshoes, and performing other acts of regard. Whether this be the\ngrave of Jesse none can tell, nor is it worth much inquiry. It is\nnot impossible that Jesse may have died at Hebron, notwithstanding\nBethlehem was his usual place of residence. When David came under\nthe jealousy of Saul, and was obliged to flee, his family fled\nwith him, and David had to provide for and protect his father and\nmother. 1 Sam. xxii. 1-4. It is not unlikely that while he reigned\nin Hebron, and the sons of Saul over the rest of Israel, his family\nmay have resided with him; Jesse, who was an old man when David was\nanointed, may have finished his days while his son lived and reigned\nat Hebron.\n\nI could not but notice in passing, some piles of wood of a larger\nkind than any I had seen in Palestine. It was pine, and cut into\npieces of four or five feet in length. Many pieces were from a foot\nto eighteen inches in diameter, which, in this country, is large\ngrowth. I noticed also over their shops, and at other places, pine\nbranches used as a protection from the sun. On inquiry I was told\nthat, a few hours to the south-west, there was much wood of that\nkind. As the pine, in these countries at least, is seldom found\nexcept in sandy districts, there must be a sandstone formation in\nthat quarter. Hebron, indeed, lies far south in Palestine, and on\nthe borders of the wilderness, and probably the limestone formation\nterminates not far south of this, and gives place to the sandstone,\nwhich accounts for the immense regions of sand which are met with\nin that district. Had time allowed, I would gladly have made a tour\nof a day or two to the south, and taken a glimpse of that waste,\nhowling wilderness in which Israel, for their rebellion, were made\nso long to wander. The peculiar circumstances of my companion,\nMr. B----, whose aid I needed as interpreter, imposed on us the\nnecessity of limiting our time. There is a pretty good road from\nHebron to Gaza and El-Arish on to Egypt, which may be traversed on a\ndromedary in four days.\n\nWe wished on our return from Hebron to take a route more to the\neast, and pass Tekoah and the region of the Dead Sea. We learned,\nhowever, that that district was now in a troubled state, as the\npopulation on it were among those whom the Pasha was disarming,\nand some of the more desperate were for keeping out of his reach,\nand might, in their ill-humour, injure those who fell in with\nthem. As we had no guard, we thought it the part of prudence to\nkeep out of harm's way, and accordingly returned as far as the\npools of Solomon by the same route we had traversed in going to\nHebron. From the pools we went down the hollow in which they are\nsituate, and followed the course of the aqueduct. This led us over\na new district, and brought us to Bethlehem on the other side. The\ndistrict over which we passed was exceedingly rough and rocky. The\nhollow, along the side of which we passed, became deep, rough, and\nhad very little level space at the bottom, and the sides of the\nhills that bordered it really appeared given up to rocks and stones.\nThe little earth, however, that was to be seen, was fertile, for the\nrock was a soft limestone, which always forms a good soil.\n\nAbout half way from the pools to Bethlehem, we passed a place where\nthe valley spread out so as to leave, for a few hundred yards,\na strip of level land from twenty to fifty yards wide. This was\ndivided into lots, and walls made across it to prevent the washing\naway of the earth. Trees and garden herbs were planted, and the\nwhole had a most pleasing appearance among the wilderness of rock by\nwhich it is surrounded. On the adjoining hill were a few low huts,\nsome of them more in the ground than above it, where the owners of\nthis green spot dwell.\n\nThe hills in the immediate vicinity of Bethlehem were finely\nterraced, and many olive and fig trees planted. I could not but\nnotice the number and beauty of the watch-houses or little towers,\nwhich were placed in the vineyards--some of them were round and some\nsquare--made of stone, from ten to fifteen or twenty feet high.\nThese serve as places from which a watch is kept on the vineyards\nduring the season of the grape. It is common to watch in this way\ntheir gardens and fruit-trees, as otherwise they might be pillaged.\nReference is made to these towers in Scripture, \"as a cottage in\na vineyard,\"--\"as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers,\" Isaiah i. 8;\n\"built a tower in it,\" (_the vineyard_,) Matt. xxi. 23. The ground\non which Bethlehem stands is rough and uneven. It is a poor-looking\nplace, and has but a small population. It was swarming with the\nPasha's troops when we were there, and that, as well as other\nreasons, made our stay short.\n\nThe principal object of attraction here is the Church of the\nNativity. This is a large establishment, and includes in it both a\nmonastery and church. It properly belongs to the Latins, but is,\nin part, a joint concern, as the Greeks have a chapel in it, and\nprobably some of the other Christian sects. They pretend to show you\nthe place where our Lord was born, and the manger in which he was\nlaid. The church is built over them. They may be said to be under\nthe level of the ground, and in a grotto, as almost all their holy\nplaces are. You descend ten or twelve feet, and approach the place\nof nativity through a narrow passage, which is paved, and the sides\nfaced with polished marble. The place itself is small, and used\nsomewhat as an altar,--a little recess in the wall. It is almost\nfilled with lamps, which are kept always burning. The manger is a\nfew yards to the right, on the other side of the passage. It is also\nvery richly ornamented, lined in part with silk, and illuminated\nwith many lamps. From these places a way leads into the Latin and\nGreek chapels.\n\nNo sooner was our arrival announced than we were beset by a number\nof persons with all sorts of trinkets for sale, crosses, large\npieces of mother-of-pearl, with the likeness of some holy person or\nthing carved on it, beads, and snuff-boxes. They followed us into\nthe church, waylaid us in the passages, and beset us in the streets.\nA great part of the population are engaged in manufacturing such\nthings, and they form the chief article of trade at this place. They\nwere really troublesome in their efforts to induce us to buy, and\nthey took care to ask a good price.\n\nWhen about to start, some of our party were detained in the church\nafter I came out. I waited on my horse, and, as the day was hot, and\nthe sun beat down with great power, I spread my umbrella over me.\nThis excited the curiosity not only of the boys and common soldiers,\nof whom the place was full, but of some of the inferior officers.\nThey gathered about me in crowds, and looked at the umbrella on all\nsides--wished to understand the mechanism for raising and letting\nit down--tried it, and held it over them. They examined my clothes,\nespecially my shoes, and on the whole, gave the Frank a pretty close\nexamination as to his exterior. They exhibited great good-nature in\ndoing it, and appeared much pleased with my willingness to gratify\ntheir curiosity. After leaving the town, we passed many soldiers and\nhorsemen under the olive-trees which abound in the vicinity. One\nof the horsemen joined us in the ride, and took a hat from Angelo,\nwhich he put on his own head, and caught hold of the umbrella of\none of the company, and spread it over him, assuming in pleasantry\ngreat dignity, to the no little amusement of his companions. I have\nheard it said that the Turks seldom laugh, and I believe they do\nlaugh less than Franks; yet I have met with several samples of the\nhumorous and droll among them that was not a little amusing.\n\nOn our return to Jerusalem we learned that a French prince, one of\nthe sons of Louis Philippe, the present king, had just arrived,\nescorted by the governor of Rumla. The governor of Jerusalem and a\nnumber of important personages had gone out to meet and welcome him;\nthe Catholics were especially assiduous in their attentions--as the\nFrench king, infidel as he is, is considered the protector of the\nCatholic church in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. There has\nalso been a little excitement lately between the Catholics and the\nGreeks, as the Catholics have attempted to take possession of some\nholy places (they say, only get back) which the Greeks claim. The\nLatins had contrived to get an order from Mohammed Ali, it was said,\nin favour of their taking them; but the Greeks were not disposed to\nyield willingly what they had long possessed and considered as of\nright belonging to them. The presence of the son of Louis Philippe\nat such a time was important.\n\nThe great quantity of rock on the surface, and the little earth\nthat is at times to be seen, must at first strike the observer as\na great objection to this country, and may lead to the inquiry,\nhow could such a rocky land be called \"the land flowing with milk\nand honey\"--the glory of all lands? There are many districts that\nare sadly encumbered with rock, yet the soil among these rocks is\nof a very superior kind, and were the rock somewhat broken up, the\nlarge pieces piled and the small mixed with the soil, it might be\nmade very productive. There is very striking proof of this in some\ndistricts, as that about Hebron, which abounds with rock, and yet\nis covered with the most productive vineyards. As to such a rocky\ncountry being so spoken of in the days of the patriarchs, I suppose\nthat it was in truth, at that time, the finest of lands; that the\nrock which now lies bare in so many places, was then all covered\nwith earth of the richest kind, which has gradually disappeared in\nthe wastings, and tillage, and pasturage, of four or five thousand\nyears. The more I see of Palestine, the more I am persuaded that it\nwas once one of the first countries in the world. The time was, I\ndoubt not, when all these rocks were covered with a fine vegetable\nmould.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIV.\n\n\n  _Jerusalem, Oct. 13th_, 1836.\n\nWe have just returned from a visit to Jericho, the Jordan, and the\nDead Sea, and I now set myself to the work of giving you a short\naccount of these places. If you wish for a full and detailed account\nof these celebrated places, I must send you to books and the makers\nof them. My object is to give you such brief notices, as I have time\nto commit to paper. The Rev. Mr. Lanneau of the Jerusalem mission\njoined us, and made a very agreeable addition to our party; we took\nalso two soldiers as a guard, this district being notorious for\nrobbers.\n\nWe left Jerusalem by the gate of St. Stephen, passing between the\nchapel of the Virgin Mary and the garden of Gethsemane. We crossed\nMount Olivet a little to the south of the church of the Ascension,\nwhere there is a slight depression in the mount; the part south of\nthis is called the Mount of Corruption. On it Solomon built places\nfor his heathen wives, to practise the heathen rites. They point\nout a place where they say he had a large establishment for these\n\"_strange women_.\" The Mount of Corruption! very well named, when\nput to such uses; a very corrupt business it was--bad enough at\nany place, but still worse at the holy city, and by the ruler of\nthe chosen people! Solomon was, no doubt, a very wise man in some\nthings, but he did not show it in his relation to females. In that\nrespect he behaved very foolishly. It is the dictate of wisdom for\na man to have one wife, it was thus intended by his Maker; and\nhe will be the happier and even the better man, all other things\nbeing equal, for being thus connected. If he uses a little wisdom\nin making his choice, and a little more in treating and taking\ncare of his wife, as every good man ought to do, he will find, nine\ntimes out of ten, that his wife will be a great comfort and help to\nhim, and do him good all the days of his life. But what is to be\nexpected of the man who is so very foolish as to gather them about\nhim by the score, yea, the hundred? And then, what a selection from\nall the idolatrous nations within his reach! I doubt not they were\na _bad set, a very bad set of women_; but what right had he to\nexpect a better from the quarter whence he obtained them? Had he\ngone to some good old pious father of his own people, and married\nhis well-raised, virtuous, and pious daughter, and confined himself\nto one wife as a wise man ought to do, and a good man would do, he\nmight have been happy in the married life. But behaving as he did,\nthere is no wonder that he was unhappy. It is not at all courteous\nand gallant in him, in these circumstances, to show his spite in\nmaking hard speeches about the ladies, as if there was no fault on\nhis own side.\n\nMount Olivet, where we crossed it, had a few trees on it, and a\nportion was laid out in gardens and vineyards, but a great deal of\nit evinced neglect. It has a wide, flat top, over which we passed\nfor some time, before we began our descent. We had a pretty good\nview of the northern end of the Dead Sea, the valley of the Jordan,\nand the mountains of Moab, which run north and south, not far east\nof the Jordan and the Dead Sea. These mountains do not appear to be\nvery high; I should judge them to be about the height of the hills\nto the west of Jerusalem. My attention was arrested by the apparent\nstraightness of the range, and the uniform height of the ridge. The\ntop of it, from the south to the north, as far as it could be seen\nwith distinctness, appeared almost perfectly level. It forms a most\nbeautiful eastern horizon to a person on the high grounds about\nJerusalem.\n\nOn the eastern side of Olivet, a little on the descent, is Bethany,\nwhere Lazarus and his sisters lived. It is a low, miserable village,\ncontaining only a few families, and most of these live in the lower\nrooms and cellars of old buildings. Not one good house did I see in\nthe village. It is little else than a mass of ruins. An old ruin\nis pointed out as the house of Martha. We were shown the grave of\nLazarus; it is an excavation in the rock, narrow at the mouth,\nbarely allowing a person to enter; we descended eight or ten steps,\nand there found a small room, in which was a place that served for\nan altar, on which service is at times performed. In one side of\nthis room is a small _hollow place_, rude enough certainly, in which\nwe were told the body of Lazarus was deposited. The whole concern is\ncertainly a very poor one, much less like a place of interment than\nmany we had seen, but may have been intended for that purpose.\n\nOur course was now nearly due east. We had a very steep descent to\nmake on the eastern side of Olivet. We found some cultivated ground,\nand a few olive and fig trees. Among the limestone on the surface\nwe saw many masses of silex, much of it of a variegated and fine\nkind, which had the appearance of the coarser kinds of agate. We\npassed from the Mount of Olives into a deep hollow, which runs east\ntowards the valley of the Jordan. Near the head of this hollow is a\nspring of water, with a ruin in the vicinity, which appears to be a\ngreat stopping-place for those who are passing to and from Jerusalem\nand Jericho. We found there a company of Arabs and muleteers. Our\nroad led us down the valley. The hills on both sides were steep,\nand the valley narrow. From this place there is a change in the\ncharacter of the rock, and a corresponding one in the character of\nthe soil and the aspect of the country. The rock becomes a friable\nlimestone of the softest kind. This continues most of the way to\nthe valley of the Jordan. It is easily disintegrated, and of course\nbut little of it appears on the surface. A fine-looking soil covers\nthe face of the country, the hills are rounded over, and but few\nrocks are seen projecting out. Those veins of silex, which I have\nmentioned, form an exception; and there are several of them, one\nabove another, at a greater or less distance. They vary from two\nor three to twelve or eighteen inches in thickness; and, in some\nplaces, form a kind of cord-like appearance round the hills. While,\nhowever, the land looks more favourable for tillage, it does not\nshow the evidences of it--far otherwise--we saw less and less of\nits surface under the care and cultivation of man, and fewer traces\nof a resident population; no villages, no houses, no vineyards nor\nolive trees, and but occasionally a spot that had been made to yield\ngrain. About half-way from Mount Olivet to the plain of Jordan, we\npassed a district that exhibited rather a singular aspect. The rock\non both sides of the narrow valley down which we were passing, was\nthrown much out of the horizontal position, which is the general\nstate of the rock in this district, and forced up in the middle,\na rod or two it may be, and made to have much the appearance of a\nregularly-formed arch. It was manifest especially in the siliceous\nstratum before-mentioned. In some places you might count many of\nthese arches along the side of the hill, on both sides of the\nvalley, and in part corresponding with each other. They had all the\nappearance of having been formed by the action of some great force\nfrom below, acting partially on small locations. I noticed the same,\nbut on a more extended scale, on the road by which I returned from\nthe Dead Sea, which lay considerably to the south of this. It was,\nhowever, as far as I could judge, about the same distance from the\nvalley of the Jordan. It is, indeed, the same district, and may\npossibly exhibit a similar appearance both north and south to a much\ngreater extent. It deserves an examination from some one who has\nleisure and the desire to gain a perfect knowledge of the geology of\nPalestine.\n\nThe west side of the valley of the Jordan is bounded by a very high\nhill; it might well be called a mountain. It cannot be less than\nfrom 500 to 800 feet high. The rock of these hills is limestone,\nso very soft and white that I hesitated whether it did not more\nproperly belong to the chalk formation. As the valleys approach\nthis abrupt border of the plain, they cut deep into the earth, and\nsome of them form most tremendous chasms. They reminded me much of\nthe mouths of the streams in some parts of Kentucky, and on the\nKanhawa. They are all destitute of trees, and hardly a bush is to\nbe seen that would shade a goat. This nakedness of the banks and\nprecipices gives them a wild appearance. On the sides of these deep\nchasms you occasionally see ledges of rock jutting out, and caves,\neither natural or artificial, entering under them--a noble place\nfor thieves and robbers. The descent from the hills to the plain of\nJordan is abrupt and steep. To our left was a most tremendous gorge,\nwith a small flow of water in it. The face of the hill towards the\nplain, was almost entirely destitute of vegetation, and deeply\nfurrowed, from the washing of its soft and yielding soil. Directly\nbefore us, and a short distance from the foot of the hill, we saw\nsome ruins, and the remains of a wall which enclosed a considerable\ndistrict. Whether this was the remains of some old village or city,\nwe could not tell, as our road turned north of it, towards Jericho,\nand we had not time to visit it and examine it more minutely. We\ncrossed the rivulet flowing out of the deep gorge to our left, as we\ndescended the hills; on its banks were some old ruins, and, to our\nright, was a large and very high mound, which, from its regularity,\nhad the appearance of being artificial, and was much like some of\nthose large mounds that are seen in the valley of the Mississippi.\n\nA few small trees adorned the banks of the rivulet within the gorge,\nand marked its course through the plain. This noble, wide-spread\nplain lay almost as much at waste, especially toward the hills, as\nif there was no man to till the ground. It had the appearance of\nhaving been fertile, and not wholly deprived of its fertility, but\nas worn a good deal with former usage. There was, as is usual with\nplains near water, a scattering of water-worn pebbles over it, but\nnot so many as to be at all in the way of tillage. As we entered\nmore on the plain, we passed some spots that bore marks of having\nyielded grain not long since.\n\nAfter travelling about three miles, we reached the village which is\ncalled Jericho. Just before entering it, we crossed a small brook\nwhich flows from the north-west, and has its rise in the fountain\npointed out as that which Elisha healed. 2 Kings, ii. 21. About this\nbrook, and spreading out over the plain, were a number of bushes,\nmostly of the thorn kind, and not unlike what I have heard called\nthe white thorn in some parts of the United States. The largest of\nthem were about as high as a peach tree, but were rather a clump\nof branches growing out of one root, than branches from the same\nstem. They have many very sharp thorns on them. Some of them bore\nan apple, of a whitish colour, larger than a grape. There was also\nanother bush with prickles on it, which grew from four to five feet\nhigh. It bore a yellow fruit, about as large as the apricot, that\nlooked very rich and pretty, enticing the appetite, but the taste\nwas unpleasant and indescribably nauseous. When cut, they were soft\nand watery.\n\nThe village called Jericho, may stand about mid-way from the hills\nto the Jordan. It is one of the most miserable villages that I ever\nsaw. The houses are low, dirty, miserable places, hardly deserving\nthe name. Piles of rubbish, ashes, and filth, lie all about. There\nis one building now occupied by the soldiers stationed there, that\nhas high and strong stone walls, but is much out of repair. The\nvillage has, however, some gardens about it, and a number of fig and\nother fruit trees. Of the many palms which may once have decorated\nthis city, but one remains. We encamped near the house used as a\nfort by the troops, under some fine spreading fig trees. There were\nsome cattle in the village, but we were not able to procure any milk\nthat was fit to drink; a small vessel which they sent to us, being\nso bad that we would not have it, but sent it back to the owner. We\nhave usually found it difficult to procure milk.\n\nWe set out in the morning to visit the fountain of Elisha before\nwe went down to the Jordan. It lies about three miles north-west\nof Jericho. As our guide did not know the way, we tried to engage\na person from the village, and on inquiring for a boy, they told\nus they had no boys; all their boys and young men were taken for\nsoldiers. They are all Mohammedans in this village; and it is only\nMohammedans, or Druses and Ansairi, who are next-door neighbours to\nthem, that the Pasha honours with a forcible incorporation into his\narmy--a happy deliverance for the Christian. After some inquiry,\na woman engaged to be our guide so far as to put us in the right\nroad. The spring is a fine large one, near a small hill, half a\nmile in the plain. There were some appearances of ruins in the\npiles of stone that lay about its head. The water is clear, but not\ncold; there is a considerable spreading of the waters by means of\nsmall channels, and also from the level character of the ground.\nThis district is for some extent covered with the thorn-bush I have\nmentioned, together with some intermixture of other growth.\n\nMount Quarantania, which is one of the highest and roughest parts\nof that range of hills that border on the plain, has a peculiarly\ndesolate appearance, and is full of holes and caves. This is the\nmountain into which, as the monks tell us, our Lord was led, after\nhis baptism, to be tempted of the devil. Between its base and the\nfountain are a number of old walls and buildings, which indicate\nthat a place of some consequence may once have been situate there.\n\nThe French prince whom I have mentioned before as on a visit to\nPalestine, we learned, had spent the night at the fountain with his\nretinue. He had come the day before from Bethlehem to the Dead Sea,\nand from thence came up past Jericho to the fountain of Elisha, and\nwas off this morning for Jerusalem before we arrived. It would seem\nthat even to unbelievers this land has a most intense interest; and\nwell it may, for what land ever witnessed such wonders as have taken\nplace in Palestine?\n\nWe took a south-east direction across the plain, which differed\nbut little from the district we had already passed over, in the\nsterility of its aspect. This appearance may in part have been\nowing to the circumstances, that we were now at the close of the\nsummer, and these plains had been parched with a six months burning\nsun, without the protection of a good covering of vegetable growth,\nand not favoured with a shower of rain. This was enough to parch\nthe life out of almost anything. Parts of the plain had been under\ntillage, and on some spots the stubble on the ground showed that a\ncrop of grain had been gathered, but the greater part lay untilled.\nIt no doubt serves, as much of the best lands of these regions\ndo, for pasturage--a matter, in the estimation of the people of\nthis country, equally, if not more important than land employed\nin tillage. This is not the season for flocks to be seen on the\nplains, as they are too much burned up; and I know not where they\ncan find districts at present that are not. At the distance of a\nmile and a half from the Jordan we made a descent of eight or ten\nfeet. The descent was rather irregular, the edge of the strata much\nwashed, and there were many irregular parcels of earth along the\nedge, that had resisted the wastings which had removed the strata to\nthis extent. The whole surface of this part of the plain was very\ndestitute of vegetation. At the distance of nearly three quarters of\na mile we made another descent, nearly as great as the former; the\nedge of it had much the same washed and irregular appearance. The\nland on which we now entered had many of these irregular mounds of\nearth that I mentioned as lying along the water edge of the former\ndescent. It looked as if the whole plain had once been on a level\nwith the part above the first descent, and that a sweeping torrent,\nextending out to where the first bank is, had passed over it, and\nswept away about ten feet of earth, except a few hard spots near\nthe edge; then, that another torrent had come down, reaching out\nonly to the place where the second bank is, and within its range\nhad carried off about ten or twelve feet of earth, leaving a large\nnumber of spots that resisted it; for the mounds between the first\nand second banks nearly agreed in height with the plain above that\nbank, while those below the second bank agreed in height with the\nland between the first and second banks. In the space between the\nsecond and third banks much of the ground looked as if it was often\ncovered with water, like the dried mud on which water has long\nlain; this was not the general character of this district. There\nwere at places many small bushes, and on some parts of it a pretty\nconsiderable crop of dry weeds. We made a third descent near the\nstream, of about the same depth. On and near this last bank, down\nto the water's edge, there were many bushes of various kinds; among\nthem considerable quantities of the willow, \"the willow of the\nwater-courses.\"\n\nThe Jordan, where we visited it, may be twenty or twenty-five yards\nwide. It is, however, very various in its width, but I should think\nwhat I have given embraced its common width. It had a strong current\nat this place, and was very muddy; whether this is its usual colour,\nor was in consequence of a considerable fall of rain two days\nbefore, I am unable to say. After amusing ourselves in the water for\nsome time, we thought it would not do to come away without crossing\nit. We swam to the other side, and cut some rods from the willows,\non \"the other side of Jordan.\" We could have waded across, if it had\nnot been for the rapidity of the current, which swept over a gravel\nbar into a deep hole. Many lives, it is said, have been lost at this\nplace. We, however, swam over and returned in safety. I gathered\ntwelve stones from the Jordan, and cut half a dozen stems from the\nwillows that grew on its banks. We looked at the water, and the\nbanks again and again, as if we were fearful we might forget how\nthey looked; and at last, yet with reluctance, set off for the Dead\nSea.\n\nWe saw the Jordan at the place usually visited by the pilgrims,\nthree or four miles from its mouth. Its course makes it enter the\nDead Sea somewhat east of the middle of the plain. It may be that\nsome visitors follow the course of the stream, and see it at its\nentrance; we, however, did not do this, but made for the Dead Sea,\nat a point about midway from the entrance of the Jordan to the\nwestern side of the plain. I may here remark that the valley of\nthe Jordan appears to be very uniform in its width. The ranges of\nhills which border this valley or plain, run nearly parallel to each\nother. The Dead Sea fills up this valley nearly from ridge to ridge,\nleaving but a small border of land along its shores.\n\nIn going from the Jordan to the Dead Sea, for a considerable\nspace, not a blade of grass or vegetation was to be seen. It was\nso soft and dusty, that the horses sank to their fetlocks; and in\nsome places it was rendered uneven by the irregular mounds--many\nof which did not seem to know what vegetation is. Whether this\npeculiar barrenness was owing to the unfavourable nature of the\nsoil I know not; possibly this may be the case. I did not see any\nother indication of salt, which has been reported as found on the\nsurface of the ground, until very near the sea. Between this barren\ndistrict and the Dead Sea, there was an evident change in the aspect\nof the ground--we found some dry grass and small bushes; and as we\ncame nearer the shore the bushes increased in size and number, and\nsome spots might be called thickets. We saw also a cane brake and a\nvariety of other growth. To my very agreeable surprise, I found the\nshore fine, smooth, gravelly, and deepening very slowly, so that a\nperson might wade in for some distance. There was along the shore\ndrift-wood, most of it small, but still larger than any I had seen\non the Jordan. This would seem to indicate that somewhere on its\nshores there is more timber than we found in the spot we visited.\nThe water was not only very salt but exceedingly bitter, as much so\nas most travellers have stated. The great density of the water was\namply proved by its power to bear up the body. There is some truth\nin the saying, that it requires an effort to keep the feet and legs\nunder, so as to use them with advantage in swimming. Some writers\nhave, however, stated the matter in rather too strong terms.\n\nI could lie on my back in the water, with my head, hands, and feet,\nall out at the same time, and remain thus as long as I pleased\nwithout making any motion whatever; this I could not do in any other\nwater that I have been in. Still it is carrying the matter too far\nand beyond the truth, when it is said to be so heavy, or so dead,\nthat it never rises in waves, but always lies smooth and unruffled,\nlet the wind blow as it will. The drift-wood thrown out is evidence\nto the contrary. The shore exhibited proof that but a day or two\nbefore the waves had run high; but the best proof of all was the\nocular and sensible one that they were then chasing each other out\non the shore, as they do in all other seas--true they did not run\nhigh, but then there was not much wind to make them. The water was\nso clear that the bottom could be seen with great distinctness. In\nwading in there was, at some places, more softness at the bottom\nthan I was led to expect from the firm character of the shore. There\nwere, however, some spots on the shore where the soil gave way under\nour feet, and exhibited a kind of quicksand, as I demonstrated by\ngetting into one of them over my shoes. Still the bank, the water,\nand the bottom, so far as I saw and tried it, had much less of the\nterrible, fearful, and unnatural, than I had expected. Instead\nof that dark, gloomy, and turbid spread of water, that from my\nchildhood I had imagined, it struck me as a very pleasant lake.\nIt reminded me of the beautiful lake of Nice. As to the deep and\nfearful gloom which many writers describe as hanging over it, I\nmust think that it is mainly found in their imaginations. It is not\nwonderful that a place, which, for its great wickedness, was doomed\nto such a fearful catastrophe as were the cities which stood on this\nplain, should be long looked upon with fear and horror. It is a wise\nprovision of our nature that it should be so. It operates, and no\ndoubt is designed so to do, as a check to that fearful wickedness\nthat calls down such a doom. It is not an uncommon thing for people\nto think that there is something fearful and gloomy in places where\nthey know awful crimes have been perpetrated, and on this principle,\nperhaps, we may account for the fact that so many travellers\nhave dwelt on the deep gloom which hung over the water, and the\nfearful desolation that reigned over the whole region. Now to me\nit did not appear thus; the shore, the waters, and the lake, had\na natural and even a pleasing appearance--the more so as, from my\nold habits of thinking, I expected something of the fearful, if not\nterrible. The district was, it is true, rather destitute of trees\nand vegetation; but not more so than many districts that I have\nseen; not more so than the district from Mount Olivet to the plain\nof Jordan, and a very large district near Damascus, which I noticed\nin a former letter. There are more small trees, bushes, canes, and\nother vegetable growth, for a quarter of a mile along the shore,\nthan there are on some districts north-west of Damascus, perhaps\nten miles square, leaving out the narrow slips of land irrigated by\nthe water of the Bareda. There is quite a cluster of small trees or\nshrubs at a point on the edge of the water, where it is soft and\nswampy. The question whether there are any living things in these\nwaters is one that I am not able to decide from my own observation.\nI saw none.\n\nThere is a small island fifty or a hundred yards from the shore,\nrising six or eight feet above the level of the water, and appears\nto have some stones at the upper part of it. We thought we could\nsee most distinctly another island, far to the south. As similar\nstatements have often been made, and again contradicted, we looked\nat it the more carefully; and our conclusion was, notwithstanding\nall the declarations to the contrary, _it must be an island_, and\none of considerable size, unless connected with the other shore by\na very low neck of land, which the great distance prevented our\nseeing: this time will show. It is a singular fact, that a piece of\nwater, which for ages has excited more intense interest than any\nother in the world, should yet be so little known, and so few should\nhave been found who have made a serious attempt to explore it. There\nhas not, as far as I know, been but one boat on the waters of the\nDead Sea for ages, if from the days of Abraham; there may have been\nin the days of the Jewish nation, but I have not seen it confirmed\nby any writer. Last year an intelligent Irishman took a boat across\nfrom Acre to the lake of Tiberias, and after amusing himself with\nit on that lake, he passed down the Jordan to the Dead Sea, and\nspent some days in exploring it. How far he went to the south, and\nwhat discoveries he made, is not known. He had the misfortune to be\ntaken sick, owing in part, it was supposed, to his imprudence and\nuseless exposure. With much difficulty he got back to Jericho, and\nwas then carried to Jerusalem, where he died. He had taken but few\nnotes, which were unintelligible to all but himself. When inquired\nof concerning his expedition on the Dead Sea, he declined answering\nuntil he should recover, when he would tell them all about it. But\ndeath closed up the communications for ever. The boat was taken\nout and carried up to Jericho, as I have since learned. I did not\nknow it was there, or I should have ascertained its fitness for\nanother voyage. Were some one, acquainted with navigating a small\nvessel, and capable of taking soundings and making a proper survey\nof the lake, to spend a month or two in doing it, and to publish\na full account, with a correct map of the sea and the coast, he\nwould confer a very great favour on the Christian world. It would\nbe so easy of execution, and of so universal interest when done,\nthat I wonder that none of those men who long for public fame have\nnot before now thought of it. It would be a curious matter, were\nsome of the ruins of those ancient and devoted cities yet to be\nseen. Several of the old authors have mentioned them as to be seen\nin their day, and it is a current report among the natives that\nthey are now to be seen beneath the water. Travellers now begin to\npass to the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and visit Kerek at its\nsouth-east corner, and Petra the capital of ancient Edom.\n\nOn our return we took a course much more to the south, than the road\nby which we went down--having in view to visit and spend the night\nat a celebrated monastery, the San-Saba, which lies south-east of\nJerusalem, and on the borders of the Engedi region. We therefore\nascended the hills near the north end of the Dead Sea. Several beds\nof torrents lay in our route, which, although now dry, exhibited\nevidence that they do at times carry much water into the Dead Sea.\n\nWe had a striking proof of how little the people here knew of the\ncountry out of the common track. In ascending the hills, which\nwere high and steep, and of the same soft yielding character before\ndescribed, we had near us, on our right, a very deep gorge. It\nstruck me that this might be the Kedron; and on asking our guides\nthey at first hesitated, but after consultation, agreed that it was.\nWe, however, found to our satisfaction before we reached Jerusalem,\nthat this could not be the case, as we left this hollow far to our\nright in passing over the hills; and still found that the Kedron was\non our left as we approached Jerusalem. I could not but often think\nduring the tour of the expression, \"going up to Jerusalem,\" and\n\"going down to Jericho.\" It is down, down, all the way to Jericho;\nand up, up, all the way to Jerusalem.\n\nHaving reached the top of the first steep ascent from the Dead Sea,\nwe entered on a more gradual one, which continued for several hours'\ntravel. Our course was south-west--the Dead Sea lay to our left,\nand could be seen extending far to the south. The district we were\npassing over, was almost wholly without trees. There was a little\ngrass, and some thistles, and an almost innumerable multitude of\nsnails about the roots of the weeds and small thorn bushes.\n\nThis district appeared to be used only for pasturage. We saw signs\nof sheep and goats, and passed one or two wells, that had recently\nbeen used for watering flocks. This whole district appeared\nfertile. The rock was a very soft limestone; but I saw no signs of\ncultivation, and not a village was to be seen.\n\nBefore we reached the monastery, the night came on--and our guides\nbecame doubtful as to the way. We passed a grave-yard, but when the\npeople had lived, who had been interred, no one could tell. After\nhunting our way for some time, we concluded that we must be wrong,\nalthough our guide still insisted that we were going in the right\ndirection. We ought to have yielded to him. The majority, however,\nwere so confident that our course was wrong, that we turned back,\nand took another road, which we had passed; after following this for\nsome time, we came to a full halt, as our muleteers affirmed that\nit was not the right way. While we were debating the merits of the\ncase, the horse of one of our guard, who had alighted, got his foot\nfastened in some part of his harness, and taking fright at it, made\na most ludicrous affray. The Turkish soldier, who was previously out\nof humour with the guide, on account of his not knowing the way, now\nlost all patience; and while his horse was like to break his neck in\nfloundering, he fell to beating the guide with the but-end of his\ngun.\n\nOur whole case was unpleasant. We were lost, and our guard was\nlikely, in his fury, to injure our guide. We loudly commanded the\npeace, and after a little, things began to look better. The horse\nbroke the straps that had alarmed him. The soldier ceased beating\nour guide, and a muleteer, who had gone out to explore the road,\nreturned with the assurance that he had found the right one, and\nthat we were not far from the monastery.\n\nWe again set out, and soon reached San-Saba; but there new trials\nawaited us. It was now near midnight, and the gates were shut. We\nknocked loud and long before any one took notice of us; at last a\nsmall window, above one of the gates, was cautiously opened, and\ninquiry made who we were and what we wanted.\n\nIt was too dark for them to see us distinctly; and in our eagerness\nto get the gate opened, we all talked and urged our suit, each in\nthe language which he could best use--English, Italian, Turkish,\nArabic, and Greek, were all put in requisition. The good fathers\nwere evidently in doubt of us--who we could be, and wherefore come\nat such an untimely hour! All our entreaties did not move a bar\nof the gate. We pleaded, which was true, that we were suffering\nfor water. A small jar of water was let down by a rope. This was\nsoon emptied--it was let down a second and third time. This, in\nsome degree, satisfied our present wants; but our animals were not\nsupplied, except the horses of our guard, who poured water in their\nred caps and gave it to them to drink. The jar was drawn up, and the\nwindow shut, all our entreaties to the contrary notwithstanding.\n\nWe had no alternative but to wait until morning. We were hungry,\nbut our provisions were exhausted. We could not cook, for we had no\nwater. We felt a good deal of displeasure at the fathers who thus\nrefused us admittance. We lay down at the gate and waited for the\nmorning. About sunrise, after seeing that we were Franks, and but\nfew in number, they opened the gates and gave us admittance. The\nsuperior apologised for their refusal to admit us in the night. He\nsaid most of the monks were absent, it being the season for making\ntheir wine--that there were but a few old men in the monastery--that\nthe district about them was in a disturbed state--and they did not\nknow who we were--they knew not but that it might be a stratagem of\nsome freebooters to get in and rob the monastery--that had we sent\nthem word from Jerusalem that we were coming, they would at once\nhave admitted us. I thought that there was much reason in what they\nsaid; and this, together with the readiness with which they provided\nus refreshments, and showed us all parts of their establishment,\nmade me cordially forgive their seeming rough treatment in refusing\nto admit us before.\n\nThe monastery of San-Saba stands on a narrow, deep ravine. It takes\nin part of the ridge on both sides, and has a very high and strong\nwall, which crosses the ravine at two places, so as to include the\nvalley for a considerable distance. In the valley within the walls,\nis a small spring, the only one that is near. On the hills are\ntowers connected with the walls. There are many buildings within,\nand rooms sufficient to hold several thousand persons. There are\na number of chapels, several of which are richly furnished, and\nthey, as well as most of the Greek monasteries in Jerusalem, have\nlately received rich presents from Russia. Above twenty boxes were\nlately sent to the Greek church in these regions, filled with rich\nchandeliers, censers, crosses, altar cloths, and priests' garments.\nThey showed us a chapel, in which was a pile of human skulls, said\nto be of monks and martyrs. There was an altar before them, on which\nreligious service seemed to be at times performed.\n\nMost of the chapels had many pictures in them. The Greeks make much\nuse of pictures in their worship. I was especially struck with a\npicture of the Last Judgment. God was represented as an old man--a\nfiery stream came out from before Him. The apostles were acting as\njudges--the dead were rising, and a halo of glory was around the\nhead of the righteous--Peter was opening the gates of Heaven to\nthe righteous, and the fiery stream was beating on the wicked, and\nforcing them into the mouth of a monstrous serpent.\n\nThere were many artificial caves in the sides of the ravine on which\nSan-Saba stands. These were formerly inhabited by monks, it is said,\nbut their number now not being great, they can find accommodation\nwithin the building.\n\nWith the history of this monastery I have very little acquaintance.\nIt is an old institution, but still in good repair. The whole\ndistrict about San-Saba, and from that to the Dead Sea, and I\nmay add from that to near Jerusalem, is unusually destitute of\nvegetation.\n\nIn several places the rock had the dip, and not unfrequently veins\nof flint were seen in the limestone rock, and in many places the\nrock was nearly as white and soft as chalk. The whole district from\nthe foot of Mount Olivet to the plains of Jordan, and from the end\nof the Dead Sea to Jerusalem, past San-Saba, seems not to have\nbeen cultivated, at least in modern times. The soil appears good,\nbut from some cause it lies neglected; while west and north of\nJerusalem, where the soil does not seem better, and where there is\nmuch more rock on the surface, there are many villages, and much of\nthe ground is under tillage.\n\nTo the south of San-Saba, we saw the Frank mountain. It rises much\nabove the neighbouring hills--has a sugar-loaf appearance, and is\nsaid to have many ruins on and about it. Still farther to the south,\nlie Engedi and Maon, and a second Mount Carmel, the one referred to\nin the life of David. 1 Sam. xxv. 2.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XV.\n\n\n  _Nazareth, October 17, 1836._\n\nWe left Jerusalem, and passed northward; and having in view to visit\nNabloos, Samaria, Tiberias, Nazareth, and many other interesting\nlocalities, on our return to Beyroot.\n\nOur route led us near the tombs of the kings, and I could not but\nnotice the immense quantities of loose stones that lay over the\ndistrict west and north-west of Jerusalem--most of them are small.\nThey often form immense piles. What may have caused such banks of\nthem is not known. Possibly they indicate that buildings were once\nspread over this district--or it maybe that much rock has been taken\nfrom the upper stratum, and these piles are the refuse rock--or\nit may be that in the many sieges which Jerusalem sustained, the\nbesieging armies may have collected them for embankments, or for the\npurpose of defending their camps. To the north of Jerusalem there\nare some fine orchards of olives. The country is rolling, but not\ntoo much so for cultivation; and we passed a succession of small\nplains, which were fertile and under tillage.\n\nAt the distance of about six miles, we passed Rama, the city of\nSamuel the Prophet. It stood to our left, and on one of the highest\npoints of the hill country of Judea. It is now a poor Moslem\nvillage, surrounded with groves of olives and other fruit trees: the\nMediterranean sea, and a long stretch of the plains of Sharon, may\nbe seen from Rama.\n\nNear Rama, and north-west of it, stands Gibeon, the city of the\nancient Gibeonites, who made peace with Israel under Joshua, and\npractised a deception on them. (Joshua ix.) It stands on the top\nof a small sugar-loaf hill, and is capable of being made a strong\nplace. It is now a poor village--several other villages lay to our\nleft, the names of which I do not now recollect.\n\nTo our right we passed several villages, but most of them lay\nat some little distance from the road--as Anathoth, the town\nof Jeremiah, now a poor Mohammedan village--Geba, and Gibeah\nof Saul--Michmash, where Jonathan defeated the garrison of the\nPhilistines--Rimmon, in which the Benjamites found refuge when\nGideon was destroyed. (Judges xx. 45.)\n\nAt the distance of ten or twelve miles from Jerusalem we came to\nBeer, the town to which Jotham is supposed to have fled from his\nbrother Abimelech. In approaching it, we passed over a fine plain, a\npart of which was under cultivation; near the town were orchards of\nolive and other fruit trees.\n\nWe had intended to spend the night here, but we found several\nthousand Turkish horsemen encamped on the plain near the town. They\nwere spread over the whole district adjoining the springs; and men,\nhorses, camels, and donkeys, mixed together in the most irregular\nmanner. Some of the officers and men had tents, but the majority\nof the army either had none or did not think it necessary to pitch\nthem. The town, which is not large, was overrun with troops. We\nthought it, on the whole, not best to lodge with such company, and\npassed on to Ain-Brood. This led us past ancient Bethel,--there is\nnow a small village there, and many ruins that show that it has\nonce been a place of considerable size. It stands near the top of\nthe ridge, and commands a fine view of the adjacent country. It was\nhere that Abraham pitched his tent soon after entering the land of\nCanaan--and from this place he was made to look north and south,\nand east and west; and was assured that all the land he saw should\nbe given to him and his seed. (Gen. xii. 8, and xiii. 3-14.) And\nhere Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves, and induced Israel to\nworship before it. (1 Kings, xii. 29.)\n\nThe precise situation of it, which lies a little to the east, is not\nknown. There are ruins in several places, but a doubt remains as to\nwhich is the site of the city first taken by the Israelites on the\nhill country.\n\nThe country about Bethel is slightly diversified with small plains\nand ridges; it is fertile, and well adapted to tillage--olive\norchards, fruit trees, and vineyards are more numerous than in most\nparts of Palestine--the country is, moreover, better watered than\nthe parts of the hill country that lie more to the south.\n\nIt became dark before we reached Ain-Brood (_Cold Spring_). The\nvillage of that name stands a little off the road, on the top of a\nhill. It is a small place, and has nothing that distinguishes it,\nunless it be the excellent vineyards, and olive-orchards, and fruit\ntrees with which it is surrounded: to which may be added that a good\ndeal of labour has been expended in gathering off the stones, which\nabound on the surface, and forming low walls around these vineyards.\nIn some places the rock had been broken up about as fine as would\nsuit for a Macadamized road, and earth mixed with it, and thus lots\nare prepared that produce fine grapes and fruit trees.\n\nAs the night was clear, which is always the case in Palestine during\nthe summer, we did not take the trouble to hunt for lodgings; but\ngetting over one of these low stone fences with our horses, we\nspread our carpets, and made our beds under a large fig-tree, and\nthere spent the night.\n\nKnowing that the company of troops that we had left at Beer were\nmoving northward, we concluded we would make an early start, and try\nand keep before them. In this, however, we were disappointed. We\nhad not gone many miles before we saw some horsemen not far behind.\nWe whipped up our animals, but it would not do; they gained on us\ncontinually: and in a few hours we had them pouring by us in all the\nconfusion of the Turkish march. They, however, were perfectly civil,\nand some of their officers entered pleasantly into conversation with\nus.\n\nThey had been to the south of Bethlehem, disarming a tribe of Arabs\nthat frequented the country near the south end of the Dead Sea; and\nhaving accomplished that service they were returning to the north,\nwhere most of them lived.\n\nThey were much scattered, and altogether regardless of order on\ntheir march; and it was several hours before they all passed us.\nBetween ten and twelve o'clock we descended a long steep hill into\na plain of some extent. Near the foot of the hill was a spring, and\nwhen that came in view there was a kind of rush made for the water;\nand it was a striking spectacle to see such a body of horsemen\npouring down the hill, each trying to be the first, or at least not\nthe last, to water his horse, and obtain a portion for himself.\n\nWe were willing to let the men of war be satisfied before we\napproached. They then rode to a fine growth of olive-trees that\ncovered a part of the plain, and then separating themselves into\nsmall companies, dismounted and placed themselves and horses in the\nshade to pass the heat of the day.\n\nWe pursued our journey and passed several villages, and one or two\nof a larger size than are usually met with. The country was more\nhilly, and intersected with deeper valleys, than it had been near\nJerusalem; but on the whole it was fertile, and a considerable\nportion set with vineyards and orchards, or bearing marks of\ncultivation. Passing over a ridge from the plain in which we left\nthe troops, we entered a wide plain, which ran north and south.\nThe hills which bounded the plain on our left were of considerable\nheight, and had several villages on their sides. On the east side\nof this plain, the hills were lower, and appeared to become still\nmore so as we proceeded north. After several hours' travel along\nthis plain, which was a fine one, and partly set with cotton, we\nreached a place where a small plain came in from the west at right\nangles. The hill on the north of this small plain is the Ebal, and\nthat on the south the Gerezim, of the Scriptures; and this is the\nplace which Moses pointed out as the place at which the Law was to\nbe read, while six tribes stood on the one side to say amen when the\nblessings were read, and six on the other side to say amen when the\ncurses were read. (Deut. xxvii. 12-14.)\n\nI do not understand it as meaning that all the people stood on\nthe top of the mountains; I suppose they were divided into two\nparts--one part stood on one side of the priests, who probably\noccupied the middle of the plain, and the other part on the other\nside, and occupied the sides of the mountains as far as might be\nnecessary. The place is most admirably adapted for such a thing;\npossibly a more suitable place could not be found. In this plain the\nancient Sychar or Shechem stood. It is now called Nabloos. It may\nhave 6,000 or 8,000 people; the most of them are Moslems.\n\nAt the mouth of the small plain is shown the piece of ground Jacob\nbought when he came from Padanaram, and which he, at his death,\ngave to his son Joseph; (Genesis xxxiii. 19; John iv. 5.) There are\nsome sepulchral monuments on it; and nearer the city they show what\nis called Jacob's well. A little east of the town is a spring, the\nwaters of which flow eastward; and close to the town, on the west\nside, is a fine spring, the waters of which flow west, and fall into\nthe Mediterranean. There are fine olive orchards, and other fruit\ntrees about the town, and some fine gardens, especially on the west\nof the town.\n\nI saw at the gate of Nabloos eight or ten lepers. They were covered\nwith spots that looked like raw flesh; had a most disgusting\nappearance; they seemed to be shut out from the city, and were most\nimportunate as beggars. They were the only lepers that I recollect\nto have seen in Palestine.\n\nThere are remains of an old Christian church here, which must have\nbeen a most splendid building. The pillars, and other parts which\nremain, have a richness of workmanship about them that excels\nanything that I saw in Palestine. Not much of them, however,\nremains. There are many indications about the town, and on the\nmountains, that a large city once stood here.\n\nPassing west along the narrow plain for a few miles, we then turned\ndue north, and at the distance of eight or ten miles, we came to the\nsite of ancient Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of Israel. The\ncountry around it is rocky, but very fertile. The rock is the soft\nlimestone, which disintegrates so easily that very little is seen on\nthe surface. There are about it more extensive orchards of olive and\nother fruit trees than are usually met with, and the whole aspect of\nthe country is fine.\n\nSamaria stood on a low, broad, sugar-loaf hill. It seems to have\nbeen terraced all round, and all the way to the top; but the\nterraces were so wide as to admit a row or rows of houses, and\na street. These rose one above another, and, when filled with\nhouses, must have had a fine appearance. All are now gone but a few\nruins, piles of rock and rubbish, and a few pillars. This hill is\nsurrounded with a narrow plain, except at the east side, where a\nlow ridge connects it with some adjacent hills, which, at a little\ndistance, border this plain.\n\nSamaria was the seat of great wickedness while the capital of the\nkingdom of Israel, and now it lies desolate. It deserves notice,\nthat the capital of both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah stood on\nthe hill country, and distant about forty miles from each other, and\neach of them about midway from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.\nJerusalem is on the highest ground, but Samaria on the most fertile.\n\nNorth of Samaria, we passed over a high hill. There is more\nbrushwood on this hill than is usually met with, and among it some\nsmall oaks. On the north of this hill, the country presented a\nvariegated, rolling surface, with more natural growth than usual,\nand a number of small villages and ruins. Many of the small plains\nwere very fertile, and we saw some fields of cotton.\n\nAs it grew dark, we reached a fine spring of water, and about it\ngrew a good many fig and olive trees. We spread our mats and made\nour beds under one of them, and there spent the night. A number of\nother travellers encamped at the same place, and all slept under the\ntrees in the open air.\n\nNext morning we pursued our route three or four hours northward,\nto the plain of Esdralon; we passed over two or three plains of\nconsiderable extent, separated by hilly districts. The plains\nwere very fertile, and on some of them cotton was growing. The\nhills were low, and on some of them were small villages, and ruins\nindicating that villages or towns had once stood there. In much of\nthis district the rock was of that soft kind which I have often\nmentioned. Many of these hills exhibited remains of the ancient\nterrace-work, and showed that, in days past, more labour was\nexpended on them, and much more of them were cultivated, than at\npresent.\n\nWe at length approached the great plain of Esdralon. A row of low\nhills, with small spaces between them, separated a strip of the\nplain to the south. This portion was especially rich; a good deal\nof it had the appearance of having once been under water. It looked\nlike the bottom of a lake, from which the water had been removed.\nIt being the latter part of the long dry season, the ground was so\nshaped in many places, that I really felt a fear that my animal\nmight step in some of the cracks and fall, or break a limb. The\nsoil, as seen in the edge of these cracks, seemed as rich as soil\ncould be.\n\nWe reached the edge of the great plain at a considerable town called\nJeneen. It stands on the point of a ridge, a little above the level\nof the plain. The similarity of the name made me think it might be\nthe ancient Jesreel. Its distance from Carmel would agree with this\nsupposition, as Ahab passed from Carmel to Jesreel in a part of a\nday, when Elisha ran before his chariot. (1 Kings, xviii. 40-46.)\nThere are ruins about the town which indicate that it may have been\nlarger in time past than it is now.\n\nThere is near this village a large garden spot, well inclosed, and\nplanted with various trees, which grow so thriftily as to show how\neasy it would be, with proper care, to raise trees of various kinds,\nin such quantities as greatly to contribute to the comfort and\nadvantage of the population of this country.\n\nWe passed from Jeneen north-east across the plain. But a small part\nof it is cultivated--around its edge a few villages were to be seen,\nwith their vineyards, olive and other trees about them. We saw some\nflocks and herds on the plain, but not in as great numbers as I had\nbeen led to expect.\n\nTo our right the point of a ridge ran out considerably into the\nplain. This is Mount Gilboa, on which Saul and his sons fell in\nbattle against the Philistines. Bethshan, the village to which the\nPhilistines fastened their bodies, lies a few miles north-east of\nthe end of this hill. The battle seems to have begun on the plain,\nand when overcome, Israel fled to the hill, and then Saul and his\nsons fell. I could not but notice, while looking on the mount from\nthe plain, how it accorded with the statement, that the chariots and\nhorsemen followed hard after Saul on Mount Gilboa. The ascent from\nthe plain is such that horsemen and chariots might pass up even to\nthe top of this hill.\n\nThe plain of Esdralon may be thirty-five or thirty-six miles by\nforty. Our course led us to the east of a rough and very rocky\nhill, that rises in the plain a little south-east of Mount Tabor.\nAs soon as we passed the south-east corner of this hill we entered\non a district that was evidently volcanic. The lava was very old,\nand much disintegrated, so as to make a most excellent soil. This\ncontinued all the way to the edge of the lake. We did, indeed, for a\nshort distance, as we passed close by the foot of Mount Tabor, get\noff, for a short distance, the bed of lava. Mount Tabor did not to\nme appear volcanic. I did not, however, ascend it. It was Saturday\nafternoon, and wishing to reach Tiberias to spend the Sabbath, I\nhad not time to make the ascent. We, however, wound round nearly\none-third of the mountain at its very foot, and examined the stone\nthat cropt out, and the stone that had rolled down from its sides,\nand saw no signs of its being volcanic. How the matter may appear on\nits top I know not. There are ruins there, and as much lava lies on\nthe plain a little east of Tabor; and as it is used in the buildings\nof several villages, the fact that some of it may be found on the\ntop of the Tabor would not prove that the mountain was volcanic.\nIt may have been taken up as building stone. Tabor is a sugar-loaf\nhill, and rises to a considerable height. It is supposed that our\nLord was transfigured on this mountain.\n\nA small branch of the Kishon rises north of the Tabor, flows east of\nthe mountain, washing its foot, and then runs south and west, and\nfalls into the Mediterranean Sea at the north end of Carmel. The\nKishon is at best a small stream; and the branch which we crossed at\nthe foot of the Tabor was about the size of a good spring.\n\nNear Tabor we passed a small village called Nain, the place where\nChrist brought to life the widow's son.\n\nLeaving Mount Tabor, we passed over a high part of the plain,\ncovered with disintegrated lava. Part of this plain had been\ncultivated. It is, perhaps, the most fertile district in Palestine.\nIn many places the weeds were nearly as high as a man's head, a\nthing of rare occurrence in the East.\n\nThe descent to the lake from the level of the plain is very\nconsiderable--I should think from five hundred to eight hundred\nfeet, opposite the town of Tiberias; at the southern end of the lake\nof course it is much less, as the plain lies like an inclined plane\ntowards the south.\n\nIt was night before we reached the town; but we were readily\nadmitted by the guard of soldiers who kept the gates. We found\nsome difficulty in finding a place to lodge in. After employing\nseveral persons to look for a place, and waiting some time, we were\nconducted to the court of the Greek church, and told we might lodge\nthere. It might be called a church-yard. It was a space before the\nchurch, inclosed with a wall, with a gate to it; but all open to\nthe travellers. It was in part at least paved with rock. We found\nother travellers there, with their animals. As the air was mild, and\nthere was no danger of rain, the case was not as bad as some might\nsuppose. We had slept out every night since we left Jerusalem--and\nin places not more comfortable than Tiberias. It did indeed appear\nrather hard that in the heart of a walled and garrisoned town we\ncould not find a house to lodge in.\n\nWe found a great merry-making going on in the town. Nearly the whole\npopulation were gathered before what we learned was the governor's\npalace. On inquiry we were informed that the merry-making was\nin honour of the circumcision of the governor's son. The Moslem\nreligion has borrowed the rite of circumcision from the Jews; and\nthey perform it on all their male children--at the age of thirteen,\nif I remember right. They usually honour this occasion with some\nfestivities. They had various kinds of musical instruments--some\nthat were bad enough in all reason. They had dancing; and some,\nespecially the women, made a singular noise, somewhat like a short,\nshrill whistle. I was especially struck with one thing which took\nplace. It was a procession of a considerable body of persons, who\nbore torches. I was told that they were Jews, and did it in honour\nof the occasion. It reminded me of the parable of the virgins who\ntook their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (Matt. xxv.)\n\nIn the morning of the Sabbath, before we had dressed and finished\nour breakfast, the people began to come to church. Our situation\nwas even worse than it had been at Baalbec, where we had to make\nour toilette on the house-top, in the face of all who chose to look\nat us. Here we were, with men and women, and children, all crowding\nabout us, and looking and thinking more, I fear, about us than they\ndid about the church-service that was going on. We hurried and got\nthings put to rights as soon as we could, and deemed it proper to be\npresent at their service, although we could understand but little of\nit. It consisted of a great variety of prayers, and crossings, and\nbowing before the pictures and kissing them; and reading portions of\nGod's word.\n\nThere was a great want of reverence in the worshippers; and, for\nthe most part, the reading was so hurried and indistinct, that\nnot much of it could, I should think, be understood. The whole of\nthe service was not performed by the priest himself; from time to\ntime he called on some one to read portions of the service. At its\nclose, the priest and a number of his people remained for some\ntime, in part to look at us and talk to us. We asked him why he did\nnot preach to the people, and instruct them in religion? He seemed\nsurprised that we should think this necessary. We reminded him that\nthe apostles preached and taught the people; at this he shrugged up\nhis shoulders, and said somewhat significantly--\"Oh! that was before\nthe church was regulated as it now is.\" This was getting out of the\ndifficulty with more tact than we had expected from him. It must\nbe a bad regulation, however, that sets aside the preaching of the\ngospel!\n\nAs we were a good deal annoyed with the multitude of people that\ncame into the court to see us, and as our baggage was not altogether\nsafe unless we kept a watch over it, we requested the priest to\nallow us to take up our quarters in the church; which he permitted,\non our engaging that we would take care that nothing was injured.\n\nThis church is said to be the house of Peter. It is an old building,\nwith an arched roof, but has no just claims to an origin so early as\nthe days of the apostles. There is, I think, another reason given\nwhy it is called the house of Peter, that is, it stands on the place\nwhere our Lord appeared to the disciples, and put the searching\nquestion to Peter--\"Lovest thou me?\"\n\nAmong those travellers who spent the night in the court of the\nchurch, was a sick man for whom we felt most deeply. He lived near\nConstantinople, and had visited the Holy Land as a pilgrim. He had\nleft a family at home; was well dressed; rode a good horse, and\ntravelled with a company of the better sort of pilgrims. He had been\nunwell for several days; but as his company could not or would not\nstop, his great unwillingness to be left induced him to travel on,\nwhen under a raging fever. On Sabbath morning he was utterly unable\nto rise--and seldom have I seen a person that more needed medical\naid. We tried to do what we could for him; but I had not the medical\nknowledge which his case called for. While I stood over him and\nfelt his pulse, he gazed on me with a brightening countenance; no\ndoubt in the hope that I might give him relief. He tried to make\nme understand the nature and seat of his pain; but he spoke modern\nGreek, and we had no one that could interpret; and, moreover, his\ncase was one that was utterly beyond my skill. Never did I feel\nso deeply my need of medical knowledge; never did I feel more\ndeeply how impotent is man to save his fellow-man. When I turned\nfrom him in despair of doing anything that would at all benefit\nhim, he seemed to read my feelings; and never did I see a deeper\ndisappointment than was expressed in his looks. It seemed to say,\nYou see I am dying, and yet you do not save me.\n\nWe gave him some simples, which might possibly afford momentary\nrelief. His company had left him. We prevailed on the Greek priest\nto take him into his family, and had him conveyed there. What became\nof him I know not. There was little prospect of his living.\n\nThe lake is a pretty sheet of clean, fresh water, about twelve miles\nlong and six miles broad, of an oval shape. The water deepens very\ngradually on the western side where I visited it. I saw many small\nfish in it; but saw no means for taking them. It is said, however,\nthat the Jews have a fishery at the southern part, and take a good\nmany. I saw but one boat on the lake. It would hold eight or ten\nmen--it lay off the town--but I saw no one in it during the time I\nwas there.\n\nThe banks of the lake were more precipitous on the eastern than on\nthe western side; and as it seems to have been on the eastern side\nthat our Lord healed the demoniac, and permitted the devils to enter\nthe swine, I could not but think that it did argue that the swine\nwere possessed, that the whole herd should leap from the top of such\na precipice into the sea.\n\nThe town of Tiberias stands on the western side, about mid-way\nof the lake, and on the edge of the water; it is walled, and has\na small garrison in it. The population is but a few thousand,\npossibly not above 3,000. Most of these are Moslems; there are a few\nChristians of the Greek church, and a small number of Jews.\n\nThe whole district about the lake, as far as I saw it, is volcanic.\nThe walls of the town, and of most of the houses are built of lava,\nand most of the rock that lies about the town, and the bottom of\nthe lake is lava. There is a mixture of limestone among it; for the\nwhole district is based on limestone. The volcanic district extends\nnorth of the lake, and also far to the east of the Jordan, according\nto my best information.\n\nThere were originally many towns about this lake--most of them\nhave disappeared; and the very sites of Chorasin, and Bethsaida,\nand Capernaum, on which the Lord pronounced a woe, are not with\ncertainty known.\n\nThe Jordan rises some distance to the north-east of Tiberias, and\npasses through another small lake called the waters of Merom. It\nwas by it that Joshua defeated the second confederacy of kings.\n(Joshua ii. 5.) Passing through this lake, the Jordan enters the\nlake of Tiberias at the north-east corner, and leaves it at the\nsouth end, and passes through the plain of Jordan from sixty to\neighty miles, and falls into the Dead Sea. There is no outlet to\nthis sea. The waters are carried off, as is supposed, by evaporation.\n\nThere is a fine district of country, it is said, about the waters of\nMerom, and formerly the towns of Cesarea and Philippi stood there.\n\nNorth of lake Tiberias, and on the top of a high mountain in sight,\nstands Safet, a town of considerable size. This is one of the sacred\ncities of the Jews; and more Jews are found here than in any place\nin Palestine. The whole district about it is volcanic, and has\nbeen a good deal disturbed by earthquakes. On the western side of\nthe lake, and a mile or two south of the town, are some copious\nsprings of warm salt water. They are so hot as to require to be\ntempered when used for bathing. There is a good bathing-house, and\na considerable resort here for that purpose. On the east side of\nthe lake, and a little from it, is another spring of warm water;\nand, if I was rightly informed, there is another west of the lake,\nand I think on some part of the hills near Mount Tabor. The whole\ndistrict is a good deal subject to earthquakes, and gives evidence\nof internal fires.\n\nThe road from Tiberias to Nazareth runs nearly west; and the\ndistance maybe about twenty or twenty-five miles. At the distance\nof six or eight miles, we passed a low hill to our right, with two\nlittle elevations on it; this is called the Mount of Beatitudes.\nIt would afford a very good place to take a seat and address a\nlarge assembly collected on the plain below. We cannot be certain,\nhowever, as to the sermon on the mount having been preached here.\n\nOur road passed north of Mount Tabor, and the range of hills\ncalled the hills of Nazareth. The plain over which we passed was\nfertile. It was uneven on its northern side, where the ridges of the\nAnti-Lebanon shut it in. We passed several villages, both to our\nright and left, but most of them were at a distance, and their names\ndid not accord with those of the Bible. But a small part of the\nplain was cultivated. A few miles before reaching Nazareth, we came\nto Cana of Galilee, the place where our Lord turned water into wine.\nIt is a small village, and has nothing that gives it much interest,\nexcept the above fact.\n\nAt a large well below the town, we saw a fine sample of their mode\nof drawing water, and pouring it into troughs, and allowing their\nflocks and herds to come up in succession and drink. Thus the\nshepherds were engaged as we passed the well. They allowed us to\nride up, and let our animals drink of the water which they had drawn.\n\nCana lies on the north side of the hills of Nazareth, and Nazareth\nlies on the south side, a mile or two farther to the west. This\nrange of hills is not high, and Nazareth is built on the side of\nit, and, in part, on a little level space that is somewhat elevated\nabove the small plain that spreads out before it. A ridge of the\nhills runs to the south-east, so as nearly to shut out Nazareth from\na view of the great plain in which it stands.\n\nNazareth is one of the best built towns that I saw in Palestine. At\nits east end, and on the edge of the little plain that lies before\nit, is a spring or well; and here, it is said, the angel appeared to\nMary; and here she often came, accompanied by the infant Saviour, to\ndraw water for family use.\n\nThere is a church over the place that is shown as the house of\nMary, and adjoining it is a Latin convent. We lodged in this\nconvent, and were kindly entertained. There was a paper in our room,\nstating that the convent was authorised and required by the Pope to\nreceive all persons who were devoutly visiting the holy places, and\nentertain them three days; after which, it was expected, that such\npersons would pass on their way. The church was the best we saw in\nPalestine; the organ was good, and well played; and the religious\nservice was, on the whole, better conducted than any one I had seen\nin Syria.\n\nNear the middle of the church, a wide flight of stairs descends\nfor about twelve or fourteen feet; there stands an altar. Passing\na door, we entered a small room, in which is another altar. On\nboth of these, religious service appears at times to be performed.\nPassing through another door, we were in a low cave, that has been\nhewn out of the soft limestone rock. The wall on all sides is rough;\nmade so, perhaps, by the pilgrims breaking off pieces of the rock\nto carry home as holy earth. This is shown as the room in which\nMary lived and raised the infant Saviour. It did not appear to me a\ncomfortable place for a residence; and I could not but think that\nJoseph must have loved his wife, and prized the privilege of raising\nthe Messiah, to such a degree as to have induced him to provide for\nthem a more suitable place. The whole appearance of the place was,\nin my view, against its being the true locality. We know they lived\nat Nazareth, but as to the precise spot, the Bible is silent, and we\nare left in doubt.\n\nThey show the synagogue in which our Lord read the law; and, a\nlittle out of town, they show the precipice over which the enraged\npeople wished to cast him. The situation of the town on the hill,\nand the height of the hill, agrees with the account recorded, but\nwhich is the precise spot may not be perfectly certain. They show\nalso the shop in which Joseph followed his trade, with some other\nthings that need not be specified.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVI.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, Oct. 23d, 1836._\n\nWe left Nazareth by the same road that we entered it; but on\nreaching the top of the ridge north of the town we took a north-west\ndirection into the plain which we had left, which is here broken\nwith hills, and can hardly be said to be continuous. Some of these\nhills are very much covered with rocks. After a few miles we passed,\non the top of a hill on our left, the ruins of Sefora, which was\nat one time a place of note. There is more natural growth on these\nhills than on those more to the east. This district is stony; but\nappears to have had more labour bestowed on it than most of those\nthat are better adapted for cultivation. The plain of Zebulun, a\nlittle farther on, is separated from the great plain by some hills,\nwhich are, however, not very high. It is a most lovely and fertile\ndistrict. On one side of it were many olive-trees, and a part of\nit was cultivated with cotton. The cotton appeared to have had but\nlittle labour bestowed on it, and promised a corresponding small\nreturn, notwithstanding the fertility of the plain. Between this\nplace and the plain on the coast, and lying between Acre and the\nhills, we crossed a considerable distance that was hilly; the hills\nwere not very high, but spread pretty generally over the face of\nthe country. Most of them have more or less rocks on the surface,\nbut, as a general thing, they are not so rocky as the country about\nJerusalem. From this low hilly district we entered the plain which\nlies east of Acre, and spreads along the coast. This is a noble\nplain of considerable extent, and is generally exceedingly fertile.\nOn entering this plain we saw Acre, nearly before us, on the shore\nof the sea. A little to the right of the city, and out near the\nmiddle of the plain, were some good-looking buildings with gardens\nabout them, and others partly finished. I have seldom seen a finer\nset of orange and lemon trees. There is an aqueduct that brings\nwater from the hill, across the plains, to Acre. This water is used\nfor watering the gardens, which, we were given to understand, belong\nto Ibrahim Pasha. At some distance to our left, we had the north\nend of Mount Carmel in view, with the Latin monastery on the top\nof it. Between us and that point was a fine spread of plain, which\nmight be called either the plain of Acre or the plain of Esdralon.\nThis plain, as I have before stated, crosses the whole district\nfrom the lake of Tiberias and the Jordan to the Mediterranean. It\ncomes to the coast directly at the north end of Carmel, and there\nthe plain is a wide and noble one. The plain of Esdralon, on the\neastern side, is higher, except at the south-east corner near\nGilboa. It lies toward Safet, a high, rolling table land, most of\nwhich is exceedingly rich. The Lebanon, or rather the Anti-Lebanon,\n(for I think the Lebanon may be considered as terminating north of\nthe river Leantes, which comes out of the Bokar near Soor,) lowers\ndown at the high points near Safet, and spreads its still lowering\nridges towards the middle and western part of the plain, between the\nlake Tiberias and the Mediterranean. There are various hills, rather\nseparated from each other, on the plain, which may be considered as\nbelonging to it,--the Tabor, the mount south of it, and the hills\nnear Nazareth; but the terminating ridges are more continuous, north\nand north-west of Nazareth, and run down south, so as to narrow the\nwestern side of the plain of Esdralon. I doubt not, indeed, that the\nmountains which rise south of the plain, and cover the whole middle\ndistrict, from north of Sebaste to south of Hebron, forming the hill\ncountry of Israel and Judah, may with propriety be considered as the\nsouthern continuance of the great Lebanon chain. It is there lowered\ndown much, and is more spread out, and more like an elevated table\nland, with many low hills covering its general surface.\n\nIt would have been highly satisfactory to me could I have proceeded\nto the north of Safet, far enough at least to see the southern end\nof the plain of the Bokar, and ascertain how the mountains, Lebanon\nand Anti-Lebanon, dispose of themselves and their branches at that\nplace, and in their further progress south. I am inclined to think,\nthat our usual maps are not very accurate in their delineations of\nthis northern district.\n\nAcre stands on a sandy point which projects out in the\nMediterranean. It is strongly fortified, having a most stupendous\nwall, and a deep ditch. It is a place of great strength, and is\nunder the keeping of a considerable body of the Pasha's troops.\nThere was some shipping there, but not much. The city is much\ncrowded together; and to be comfortable ought to be spread over\ntwice or thrice as much ground--the streets narrow and filthy--the\nbazaars poor, and badly supplied with goods. There is a large open\nsquare within the city, which appeared appropriated for the use of\ntroops and cavalry. A new bazaar was pointed out, which was said to\nhave been put up by the present pasha. It was, compared with the\nothers, pretty good; but needed that comparison to make it pass\nmuster. Acre is interesting from its location on the coast--has a\nfine back country, and, under a proper government, might become a\nplace of some importance. A great effort was made by the French,\nunder Buonaparte, to take this place. He attempted several times\nto carry it by assault, and it was mainly owing to the efforts of\nSir Sidney Smith that he failed. The name of Smith is still held in\ngreat respect by the natives of this region. They say of him, that\n\"his word was like the word of God--it never fell to the ground,\"\nthat is, he always did what he said he would do. So true is it,\nthat while people tell falsehoods themselves--and the people of\nthis country have no little propensity that way--they still have a\nregard for those who are known to adhere strictly to the truth. This\nplace was long held by the Crusaders, and was one of the last places\nin Palestine that was wrested from them; and there may be, and no\ndoubt are, ruins in the town and vicinity that may be referred to\nthe period of their power. I had not time, however, to make much\nresearch respecting them. The pasha has some public works going\non here. We saw a good deal of timber in an open square, but did\nnot learn the use it was intended for--probably for the building\nof a vessel, from its size and appearance. We lodged in the Latin\nconvent, which is a place of some size, and would contain many\npersons, though much out of repair. We found only two or three\nmonks, and a lay brother, who appeared to act as steward, servant,\nfactotum, &c.\n\nFrom Acre we went along the coast, towards Soor, the ancient Tyre,\nwhich lies about twenty-five miles to the north. The first part\nof our route was over the noble plain by which Acre is bounded on\nthe west. It is, as to its general character, good; and ought, and\nwould, if properly cultivated, richly supply Acre with bread-stuff\nand many other necessary articles. Much of it, however, lies in\na neglected state. In several places there are small districts,\nthat are more improved--a few garden spots that are beautiful, and\nseveral elevations near Acre that have buildings or ruins on them,\nand were, probably, in the days of warfare, places of much more\nimportance than they now are. About three hours' travel brought\nus to the termination of this beautiful plain, and we began to\nascend a high promontory called Capo Blanco, or White Cliff, from\nthe whiteness of the rock of which it is composed. This is made\nup of the softest limestone I have ever seen, interspersed with\nnodules of flint. It was well for our nerves that a barrier had\nbeen left between us and the precipice, for sometimes there was a\nperpendicular descent from the road above, to the sea below, which\nwas dashing and foaming at its base. From this point, or ridge of\nhills, we entered the plain of Soor. This plain is narrow at first,\nbut gradually spreads out, and presently has a wide extent, with\na gentle rising of its eastern side into hills, with mountains\ntowering beyond. The soil is rich and productive. There are some\nvillages, on the hills, but none of any size. We passed several\nplaces near the shore where there had evidently once been villages;\nin one or two of these there were remains of walls and other relics\nof former habitations. As we approached Soor, the mountains and\nhills fell back, making a kind of amphitheatre; rising more or less,\nas it approached the mountains; but forming a rich and valuable back\ncountry to this former mistress of the sea. Night came on before we\ncould reach Soor, and a small part of the district nearest the town,\nwas, of course, not subjected to that close inspection which, under\nother circumstances, it would have received. We passed a fine flow\nof water, on which there appeared to be mills or other buildings;\nbut it was too dark to allow us a clear view of what they were.\nThere are, it is said, several remains of ruins on the south of the\ntown, which the darkness prevented our seeing. As we approached the\ntown, there was a much wider border of sand along the coast.\n\nSoor stands on the point of a projection that runs out, it may be,\na half or three quarters of a mile into the sea. Its outer part\nis broader and less covered with sand than the neck of land that\njoins it to the main land. About half way from the main land to the\nextreme point, a wall crosses the isthmus, and through a single gate\nin that wall, you enter the village which stands on the extreme\npoint. The site of old Tyre was, as we learn from history, on the\nmain land. When hard pressed, the inhabitants, availing themselves\nof their shipping, moved their more valuable articles to this point,\nwhich was then an island, and there built a town, and escaped the\ncapture which threatened them. This first capture of Tyre, and the\nescape of the people with their riches to the island, is referred\nto in Ezek. xxix. 18; where the army of Nebuchadnezzar is said \"to\nhave served a hard service, and yet to have got no wages\"--failed\nto obtain the wealth of the captured city. The new city was also\ntaken in after-times by Alexander the Great; and his army had a hard\nservice. Being on an island, and having command of the sea through\ntheir vessels, they braved the power of the Grecian king for a time.\nBut he resorted to a stratagem which was successful. He constructed\na wide causeway from the main land to the island, and thus made a\nway for his soldiers, who soon took the city. For centuries past,\nas all travellers during that period assure us, it has been almost\ncompletely desolate. The old site on the main land is so now--not\none house, and scarcely a vestige remains to mark the spot. It is\nscraped as a rock, and probably was thus treated by Alexander, to\nget materials for the stupendous causeway he made. The city, on\nwhat was once an island, was also almost wholly forsaken, as many\ntravellers assure us, and thus the prophecy has had its fulfilment.\nThere is, however, a new village growing up on its site. It has\nmuch increased within a few years. There may be between one and two\nhundred houses, the quarter part of them very miserable things, but\na few tolerably good for this region. The pasha has established some\nfactories here, and the place is evidently reviving. Three or four\nof the European powers have consuls residing here, and the Americans\nhave a consular agent. The old harbour, which once contained the\nfirst trading ships in the world, lies on the north side of the\ntown, and was once surrounded by a strong wall, some small fragments\nof which still remain. The harbour is much filled up, so that only\nvessels of small burden can come within it. It does not, indeed,\nappear to have much trade of any kind. The water at the extreme\npoint of the island is very shallow--a considerable space barely\ncovered with water. There are some ruins on a part of this, and some\nfallen pillars--whether it was once covered with houses, I am unable\nto say. To the south, the water is deeper, but still so shallow as\nto oblige vessels to lie off at a considerable distance from the\nshore. The neck which joins the island to the main land is little\nelse than a bed of sand. The part next the village, and without the\nwall I have mentioned, is full of old walls, mounds, cellars, and\nall the indications of having once been covered with houses. There\nare, indeed, one or two huge old buildings still standing on it.\nThe part of this neck adjoining the main land is so low as to have\nconsiderable pools of water in it. We passed a number as we coasted\nalong the edge of the sand from the south, on approaching the\nvillage. There is all the appearance that the water once came out to\nthe steep bank at the edge; but the passage between the island and\nthe main land being stopped, the sand, both to the north and south,\nhas been thrown up so as to form a wide, flat beach, extending out\nnear the island as far as what was formerly the east side of the\nisland. The whole space here shows great changes.\n\nThe most remarkable and interesting relic of antiquity which I saw\nat Soor, was the remains of the church of Origen. It stands at the\nsouth side of the village, and makes part of the wall at that place.\nMuch the larger part of it is fallen and removed. The remaining\nfragments show that it has been of very great size. There are a few\nsmall huts on the ground on which that part of the church that has\nbeen removed stood. There is some richly-wrought stone in the walls\nand about the stairs that run up at one part of the building. The\nstone is the soft spongy limestone which abounds on this coast,\nand I may add, through most of Palestine. It is a stone that works\neasily, but wastes away under the action of water, and is especially\nliable to be saturated with water, and to form damp walls. No part\nof the ruins of this old and celebrated church more interested\nme, than the stupendous granite pillars which were once connected\nwith it, but now lie on the ground, and some of them almost buried\nin it, and by the ruins which covered this quarter. These pillars\nwere of the fine Egyptian granite, of great length and thickness.\nThey formed masses of stone of a most enormous weight. We seldom\nsaw pillars of a larger size. There must have been some regard\nfor Christianity at Tyre when its citizens erected this splendid\nedifice. But oh! what changes have passed over these lands since\nthose days, when Origen ministered here, and raised his voice to the\nthousands which this church was capable of holding. A deep darkness\nnow rests on all these regions--the Moslem rules, but his pride is\nhumbled--his strength broken--and he appears conscious that the\nday of his glory is past, and not likely again to return! The few\nChristians that are now found in these regions have lost the spirit\nof Christianity. It is with them a body without a soul--a form, and\na greatly altered form, without the spirit and power which makes it\na transforming principle among mankind. But the darkness is passing\naway--rays of light are breaking upon these regions--and we doubt\nnot the day is not far remote when the religion of Christ will, in\nits enlightening and transforming power, revisit these regions, and\nmake them revive and flourish like the garden of the Lord.\n\nFrom Soor we made our next stage to Saida, the ancient Sidon, which\nis so often mentioned in connection with Tyre--\"Tyre and Sidon.\" It\nis a day's travel distant. We found the northern part of the plain\nof Soor not much different from the southern, which we have already\ndescribed. In many places along this coast, there are old mounds\nof rubbish, or piles of stones, that bespeak former buildings. On\nthe whole, ancient Tyre had a fertile district adjoining it, and\nwas, no doubt, more or less the seaport for the lower part of the\ngreat valley of the Bokar, through the passage on the borders of\nthe river Leantes, which flows out of that valley and passes into\nthe sea a little north of Soor. The district of mountains that\nborder the plain must also have contributed its share to the market\nof this port; for in these countries and among these nations, the\nmountain districts are often better cultivated than the plain, and\nare occupied by a more enterprising and efficient people. About\nmidway from Soor to Saida, a ridge of hills comes into the shore,\nmuch like the one between Acre and Soor. The plain is superseded by\na rough and hilly district. It is, for a short distance, exceedingly\nrough and rocky, and for a still greater space, the level along the\nshore is narrow and much covered with sand. Gradually the plain\nopens, and spreads out to a considerable extent, and becomes one\nof the finest plains, when taken in connection with the low ridges\nof hills that bound it, and from the rising ground towards the\nmountains, that I have seen on the coast. The several ridges of low\nhills that lie between the level space along the shore and the high\nmountain range, are finely covered with a soft, rich soil; and have\nscattered over them more trees than we usually see on this part of\nthe coast. The plain about Soor was rather barren of trees--this was\none of its greatest defects--that of Saida is much better furnished.\nWe passed several streams of water and some small villages, on\nthe low hills to our right. The mulberry-tree, which we had but\nseldom seen to the south, here made its appearance. We passed some\nconsiderable districts covered with them. This shows the limits of\nthe silk-making district. The culture of the mulberry, and raising\nthe silkworm, is a main business all through these mountains about\nBeyroot; how far north it may extend, I am not able to say; but we\nhad ample proof in our tour that it is not much, if at all attended\nto in the land of Palestine, properly so called.\n\nBack of Saida, among the low hills that border the foot of the\nLebanon range, Lady Hester Stanhope has her residence. She was\nengaged to be married to Sir John Moore, who fell near Corunna,\nin the Peninsular war, in the contest which the English had with\nthe French. That Lady Hester Stanhope felt the affliction most\ndeeply, may well be supposed; other matters tending to alienate\nher affections from England, she came to the East, and has for\nmany years made her home in the mountains near Saida. She has\ngained the affections of the native population, and has had great\ninfluence over them formerly; her power is now on the wane. She is\noccasionally visited by foreigners, but does not see all who would\ncall on her, as some of them have made statements about her that\ngave her displeasure.\n\nSaida, like most of the towns on this coast, stands on a sandy point\nthat projects out a short distance into the sea. It is surrounded\nwith gardens, and has more fruit trees about it, and a greater\nextent of groves, than any of the towns on the coast south of this,\nthat I have visited. The plain about it appears peculiarly adapted\nto fruits. The town is walled, and has a garrison of soldiers. The\nhouses are old, as you may suppose; the streets narrow, crooked,\nand dark, from the fact that many of them are, in many places,\narched over; so much so, that you are nearly one half of your time\npassing under arches, which shut out all the light but that which\ncomes in from the end of these narrow, crooked streets. I have often\nmentioned narrow, crooked streets, and once more repeat it, with\nthe addition of _dark_. The bazaars and markets are much as those\nat Soor and Acre, poor, and badly supplied. On the whole, while the\noutside of the town had a most lovely appearance, the inside was\nthe reverse. The harbour appeared mean, and not such as would give\nany recommendation to the place. The distance from Saida to Beyroot\nis between twenty and twenty-five miles. For some miles north of\nSaida, the road is much covered with sand, and the whole district,\nuntil near Beyroot, resembles that already described, some parts\nrocky, and others good, and well adapted to tillage. A few small\nvillages are scattered along the coast. As we approached Beyroot, we\ntook a road through the olive-grove, and not by the sands. This gave\nme a more perfect knowledge of the extent of the plain, south-east\nof Beyroot, and of the large orchards that lie in that quarter,\ncovering miles, and bordering the lower part of the hills. The plain\nis more fertile, and more thickly settled, than I had at first\nsupposed.\n\nWe found our friends at Beyroot well,--the mission families had\nreturned from their summer residence on the mountains, and were\nengaged in carrying on their various operations in and about\nBeyroot. At first view it appears a rather untoward circumstance\nthat they have to resort to the mountains during a part of each\nsummer. It must, no doubt, in some degree interrupt the thread of\ntheir operations; but the climate makes it necessary, especially\nuntil they are well acclimated. The evil, however, is not so great\nas might be expected. The mountains are full of villages; indeed,\nthe mountains of Lebanon are the most populous districts in these\ncountries. The missionaries take their station in some of these\nvillages, and when their number will admit they occupy two or more.\nThere they usually open schools, mix with the people, distribute\nthe Scriptures and other books, talk and preach, as the nature of\nthe case will admit. Thus village after village becomes personally\nacquainted with the missionaries, and persons are brought within\nthe hearing of the truth who might never be reached by the sound of\nthe gospel were the missionaries always to remain in Beyroot. Thus\nwhat in one respect may seem an evil and a drawback to their work,\nin another is beneficial, and contributes to the furtherance of the\ngospel.\n\nI have much reason to bless God for his kind care over me during\nthe tour I have now finished, and hope that I shall be led by it\nmore and more to realise that it is only His hand that keepeth me,\nand maketh me to go out and come in in safety.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVII.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, December 18, 1836._\n\nI think I have mentioned in several of my letters, that the mulberry\ntree is much cultivated in this region, principally for the raising\nof the silk-worm. At times vegetables are raised on the same lot,\nbut generally nothing else is allowed to grow among them, and the\nweeds are carefully removed. The trees are planted in rows, and the\nplough is passed among them several times in the year. I now find\nthat the tree serves another purpose, and one of some importance,\nthough secondary to the making of silk. They gather the leaves from\nthe trees in the fall and beginning of winter, to feed their sheep\nand cows. The first crop of leaves is eaten by the silk-worms; by\nthe time the worms begin to spin their silken shrouds, the trees are\nnearly bare; the branches are then all cut close to the body of the\ntree, and used for fuel. In a few days new branches shoot out, which\nare soon covered with leaves. They gather the leaves with their\nhands, put them in baskets, and give them to their sheep and cows.\nThey appear, indeed, to be the chief food of these animals for many\nmonths in the autumn and beginning of winter. The entire absence of\nrain during the long hot summer burns up what grass may have been\non the ground in the spring and early part of the summer, but the\nmulberry trees, which have much care taken of them, and watered,\nwhen it can be done, by a channel from a stream, or by the hand,\nretain their greenness, and serve the important purpose of food for\nthe cattle. So far as I have observed, they were always fed with\nthe green leaves, at least I have not seen any dried and preserved\nin that state, excepting the fibres of the new leaves, that the\nsilk-worm rejects, which are carefully collected and preserved\nfor the animals. The mildness of the climate causes the leaf to\nretain its freshness much longer than it would in the northern and\nmiddle parts of the United States. We have entered on the month of\nDecember, and yet the leaf of the mulberry is as green and fresh\nas it was in midsummer; true, most of the trees near us are nearly\nbare, not, however, by the fall of the leaf, but by their having\nbeen gathered for the animals. The horses, mules, and donkeys,\nare fed with barley and straw, which is cut fine by their mode of\nthreshing out the grain. For a few weeks in the spring of the year\nthey are kept on the green barley. I have generally seen the camel\nfed on weeds, which are gathered for that purpose.\n\nI mentioned that some rain fell, about the time I set out on my\ntour to Jerusalem. The showers were light, and but few of them.\nSmall showers fell from time to time during the month that I was\ntravelling, but not in such quantities as to give us much annoyance.\nThis was a matter greatly to our comfort, as we had to sleep nearly\nevery night out under the canopy of heaven, and as we wished to\ntravel without much incumbrance, we did not carry a tent with\nus. During the month of November there was a great increase of\nclouds and cloudy weather, but not much rain. There were, however,\noccasional showers, and some of them fell in snow on the upper parts\nof Mount Lebanon. It was not until the first part of the present\nmonth that it began to rain in good earnest, and for some days\nit has rained as if the \"windows of heaven\" were opened; great\nquantities of water have fallen, and the earth, thirsty from the\nlong, dry summer, seems to drink it in as if it would never say--It\nis enough. Still, I have not yet seen a long, cloudy period, as we\noften have in the United States, of many days and weeks, in which\nthe sun is seldom seen. Not a day has past in which it has not\ncontrived to find some opening in the clouds through which to show\nitself. Indeed, the rain generally comes in showers; large masses of\nblack clouds are driven over us, often with strong winds accompanied\nwith thunder and lightning, and pour down water as if from buckets;\nthen there is an intermission, and possibly the sun shines forth,\nand then comes another cloud loaded with water, which it pours out\nand passes away. Thus, \"the clouds return after the rain.\" For\na day or two the rains have ceased, and the weather is fine, a\nlittle colder and more chilly, as might be expected from the great\nfall of water, but not to the degree that I expected. The higher\nparts of Mount Lebanon are covered with snow. They have a singular\nappearance, two or three thousand feet of the top, especially the\nhighest peak, called the Sunneen, is covered with snow, while the\nlower parts are bare. Snow may be found at all times on some of\nthese high points, from whence it is brought down during the summer\nin considerable quantities, for the use of those who will pay the\npretty good, though not unreasonable price, that is asked for it.\nThe rains have caused the grass to spring forth, and whole districts\nthat were before dry dust, or stubble, are now fresh with verdure.\nThe face of the land looks like spring, so wonderfully does the rain\noperate to give beauty and fertility to the earth. The heat without\nthe water will not do it, nor the water without some degree of heat;\nbut when both are united, they make vegetation spring forth, and\ngive food for man and beast.\n\nThe troops which marched from this place to the Houran, a few months\nsince, have returned. It is now said they were sent there to aid\nin killing the young locusts, which had appeared in great numbers,\nand threatened to destroy the crops. Last year the troops were thus\nemployed towards Aleppo, and with great advantage to the country. It\nis, however, a new kind of warfare for a regular army to be engaged\nin.\n\nIt would be inexcusable in me to omit mentioning honey, an article\nstill to be obtained in abundance, and which deserves notice for its\ndelicious flavour. Bees are kept in various parts of the country.\nMilk can generally be obtained without much difficulty, although it\nmay be said of it, as of honey, that the land does not literally\n\"flow\" with it. The Arabs, I think, do not often use milk in a fresh\nstate: they convert it into an article called lebban, not unlike\nbonny-clabber, and eat it with rice, bread, &c. Some cheese is\nmade, but of an inferior kind; it is generally white, and made in\nsmall pieces. A considerable quantity is imported from Cyprus. The\nprocess of churning in skins I have before alluded to; most of the\nbutter thus produced is boiled, and thereby converted into more of\nan oily substance. It is much used in cooking, but the Arabs do not\nspread it upon their bread, as is our custom. In the spring, the\nproduce of the churn can be procured in Jerusalem and its vicinity\nwithout having been boiled; this, by picking out the hairs, washing\nthoroughly, and salting, can be made very palatable.\n\nThe Irish potato, as it is usually called, is grown about Tripoli,\nand succeeds well. It is of a good size, dry, and of a good flavour.\nThe sweet potato is not known in this country; this is much to be\nregretted, as there is reason to believe that the soil and climate\nwould suit it, and it would be a most valuable addition to the\nvegetables already cultivated. I hope that some one will make an\neffort to introduce it. The principal vegetables are the cabbage,\ncauliflower, onion, cucumber, lettuce, and radish, which are all of\nan excellent quality; the coosa, a small kind of squash; beans of\nan inferior kind; bammey, a mucilaginous pod, which, when cooked\nwith butter and the juice of a lemon or pomegranate, forms a very\npleasant article; addice, a kind of bean much used in a dried state;\nturnips of a diminutive size and an inferior quality; bateinjan, a\nkind of egg-plant much esteemed by the natives; beets of a superior\nkind, and tomatoes of a rich and fine flavour. The first notice\nthat I ever met with of the sugar-cane was in the account of the\ncrusaders, who found it on this coast, and it is _here yet_. Below\nSidon, there are places where it is cultivated, but not for making\nsugar. When ripe, it is cut and brought from time to time into the\ntowns, and sold in the stalk. The people buy it and chew the stalk;\nchildren especially are fond of it. Boat-loads of it are brought\nup to Beyroot, and sold in the market. Much of the sugar used here\ncomes from France, and is the fine loaf-sugar made from the beet,\nand is sold cheap; brown sugar, the product of the West Indies, may\nbe occasionally procured. The flour which is used here comes in part\nfrom Damascus, but more from the plain that lies between the Lebanon\nand Anti-Lebanon. Some of the wheat is grown on the mountains, and a\ngood deal comes from about Acre, and from some other quarters. Much\nof the flour, however, is ground in the neighbourhood, and the bran\nseparated from the flour with a common sieve. I know not that there\nis such a thing as a bolting-cloth in the whole country. Meal made\nof Indian corn is usually found in the market at Beyroot, and is\ncalled smeed. It is much used in the Frank families, not, however,\nin the form of bread, but in that of hasty-pudding, here called\nsmeed. Very good French flour may at times be had, and sometimes\nwheat is brought from Constantinople, raised probably about the\nBlack Sea. Rice forms a considerable article of diet, and is brought\nfrom Egypt.\n\nThe principal meat used is mutton, which is certainly the best\nI have ever eaten. The beef is poor, and is not much prized by\nthe natives; and pork is an abomination to most of the people in\nthis land. I have seen a few swine, but am told they are kept by\nforeigners. The chickens are mostly small, and not much encumbered\nwith fat. Geese and turkeys are exceedingly rare. Great quantities\nof sparrows are found in the towns, and they sometimes visit the\nhouses, and build about them to such a degree as to become an\nannoyance. The singing of birds is not often heard in Palestine;\nthere are a few species of birds with a gaudy plumage, but\ntheir notes are not melodious. The sweet, plaintive note of the\nnightingale is sometimes heard, but oftener the harsh cawing of the\ncrow. But few wild animals are now found in the country, excepting\nthe jackals, immense numbers of which are found in this vicinity.\nThey are gregarious, and a most noisy animal. They are like a small\ndog, with short, upright ears, and a short tail; all that I have\nseen were of a light-brown colour. We often hear them in the gardens\nand near our houses.\n\nThe natives have a taste for flowers; the females cultivate a\nvariety in pots, and are fond of ornamenting their turbans with\nthem. They are generally decked with a profusion of them on their\nbridal days. They also place them about and upon the dead bodies\nof their friends, as mementos of affection. It is a common saying,\nthat, in making their visits, they never go empty-handed. At such\ntimes, it is not uncommon for them to take from their pockets, an\nappendage with which each person seems to be furnished, either\nan orange, a sweet lemon, a few nuts, a piece of sugar-cane, or\nsomething of the kind, and present the person visited. At other\ntimes, they will bring you a beautiful nosegay of rosebuds,\ncarnation pinks, geraniums, jessamines, &c., which they arrange and\ntie together very tastefully. A rich profusion of wild flowers are\nfound in the spring.\n\nIt is amusing to one not accustomed to the sight, to observe how\npartial the people are to a sitting posture. You may see the\nblacksmith sitting and hammering his iron; the carpenter sitting\nand hewing his wood, or planing his plank; the merchant sitting\nand selling his goods; and the women sitting and washing their\nclothes,--not sitting on chairs, or on benches, but _\u00e1-la-turque_,\nwith their feet folded under them.\n\nHaving remained in Palestine as long, and even longer than I\noriginally intended, I was about preparing to leave this place for\nEgypt, when Mr. W. M. Thomson, one of the missionaries, called on\nme as a committee, in behalf of the station. He informed me that\nhe had held a consultation with Mr. Hebard about carrying on the\nmission work, and had come to the conclusion that part of it must\nbe suspended for the present, unless I remained to assist them.\nThey had little expectation that Mr. Bird, then in America, from\nthe peculiar circumstances of his family, would be able to return;\nthat Mr. Smith, then in Smyrna, would probably visit the United\nStates before his return to Beyroot, and could not be expected back\nunder a year or two; that he himself had just begun to preach in\nArabic, and that the labour of preparing for it, superintending the\npress, with other necessary calls, gave him full employment; that\nMr. Hebard had the High School to superintend, and wished much to\ngive a course of lectures on natural science, which the opposition\nnow made to the school made it very important he should do; but that\nhe could not do this, and keep up the English preaching, which many\ncircumstances rendered it important should not be suspended; and\nin this state of things, they laid the case before me, to see if I\nwould not remain and assist them. I considered the case as a strong\none; and after looking at the whole matter, I have concluded that I\nwill remain for a time. I may, therefore, write you again from this\nplace.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XVIII.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, May 29th, 1837._\n\nOn the first day of the new year, (the orientals follow the old\nstyle, which is twelve days later,) about four o'clock P.M., while\nwe were assembled at the Mission-house, and engaged in celebrating\nthe Lord's Supper, there was a very severe earthquake; at first a\nsudden shock, then a momentary pause, then a rocking motion, so\nthat the arms of nearly every person were involuntarily extended\nto preserve their balance. It was preceded by a dull murmuring\nsound. The sound and motion seemed to proceed from the north. There\nhad been for several days a haziness of the atmosphere which is\nunusual; no rain had fallen since the first of December, and the\nground had become dry for this season of the year. The haziness\nincreased considerably about the time of the first shock, and part\nof the sky was covered with a fleecy cloud, in some places of a\ndark appearance. This was very unusual in the region. There were\nseveral slight shocks during the night. It did not do much injury in\nBeyroot, excepting cracking some of the houses; but Safet, Tiberias,\nand many other villages were almost entirely destroyed, and many\nlives lost. A meeting of the Franks was held, to see what could\nbe done for these suffering villages; a collection was made, and\nMessrs. Thomson and Calman appointed as a committee to visit and aid\nthem. I would gladly have accompanied them, and made observations\nfor myself, but the circumstances of the mission rendered it\ninexpedient for Mr. T. and myself to be absent at the same time.\nSlight shocks of earthquakes were frequent for ten or twelve days,\nand the people were much alarmed. Many have feared to sleep in their\nhouses. A Jew at Damascus prophesied that the whole coast from\nSidon to Antioch would be destroyed. The governor, believing, very\nproperly, that he was an impostor, had him confined, and threatened\nto punish him if his predictions were not fulfilled. Most of the\nJews left their houses, and encamped without the city.\n\nThe attention of the English government has, for several years\npast, been much turned to the opening and maintaining a passage\nfrom some port in Syria, through the valley of the Euphrates to the\nEast Indies. Two steam-boats, the _Euphrates_ and _Tigris_, were\ntaken across from the Mediterranean Sea, near Scanderoon, to the\nEuphrates, at Beer. They were carried in pieces on camels, and put\ntogether at Beer, and the expedition, under the command of Colonel\nChesney, proceeded, on their exploring tour down the river. The\n_Tigris_, which was the smaller boat, was lost in a tornado; the\n_Euphrates_ continued on her route, and the river was explored.\nThe matter did not succeed quite as well as some of its more\nardent advocates expected, but well enough to prove that it was\npracticable. Large quantities of bitumen are found in that region,\nand the experiment was tried of substituting this for coal, as there\nis not much wood in the vicinity. It would not answer; it melted\ntoo rapidly. A person is now engaged in examining whether coal may\nnot exist there. In the meantime Mr. Farren, the Consul-General\nat Damascus, using the great influence he has gained over some of\nthe Arabs, opened a direct communication with Bagdad through the\nwilderness. He made use of dromedaries, and the mail passed in six\nor eight days. Since Mr. Farren's recal, the post is continued under\nthe present consul. There is thus a regular communication from\nBeyroot to India, vi\u00e2 Damascus and Bagdad. In a few years, I doubt\nnot that steamboats will run regularly on the Euphrates, and that a\ngreat travelling route will thus cross the most interesting part of\nthe great valley of the Euphrates, the ancient seat of early cities,\nkingdoms, and civilisation. This will, as it may be hoped, prepare\nthe way for the spread of the gospel in the interior of Asia.\n\nI have attended, by special request, an Arab wedding, the parties\nbeing members of the Greek church. The men and women were in\nseparate apartments. In both rooms there was music from a rude drum,\nand the women kept up a singular hallooing, or kind of shrill cry.\nI was taken into the female apartment, and introduced to the bride.\nShe was much adorned with gold and gold foil, her face and hands\npainted in the most fantastic manner; she kept her eyes closed, or\nnearly so, which she must do for several days. They made her put on\ncob-cobs, a kind of sandal nearly a foot high, and dance before us,\nor rather walk very slowly backwards and forwards, keeping time\nwith the music; her hands were held up by an attendant, to be seen\nand admired. They then took her into another room to eat, after\nwhich the marriage ceremony commenced. The priest read the marriage\nservice, during which he put a ring on the finger of each, with\nmany crossings, and touching the head and breast, and afterwards he\nchanged the rings; he then put a chaplet made of an olive branch\nwith its leaves on the head of each, and after a similar crossing\nand touching the head and breast, the chaplets were changed; he\nthen took a cup of wine, and made them both drink of it: this, with\nthe priest's blessing, closed the marriage. The bride was then made\nto follow her husband to the place where the horses were fastened.\nHer attendants led her, and her walk was as slow as you can well\nconceive,--a step, then a pause, then a very slow moving of the\nfoot forward; she must show great reluctance, and be forced after\nher \"well beloved.\" He seemed to give himself no trouble about her,\nbut mounted his horse, and waited with his back towards her, until\nthe signal should be given for starting. At last, by half carrying\nand half pushing her, the bride reached the horse brought to take\nher to her new home, and was mounted astride, as is the custom for\nfemales to ride here. The signal was given, and the bridegroom moved\nforward, accompanied by most of the male guests, while the females\nsurrounded the bride, some on animals, others on foot. The music and\nscreaming were kept up, and \"the friend of the bridegroom\" danced\nand played all sorts of odd tricks before him. It was his business\nto make sport for them. A pomegranate was given to the bride, which\nshe breaks as she enters her husband's door, thus showing that she\npromises to be an obedient and dutiful wife. About dark, a few\nweeks ago, we were somewhat startled by a discharge of artillery\nfrom the castles about the town, one of which stands very near\nus. We were, however, soon told that it was meant to signify the\ncommencement of the fast of the Rammedan, a fast of the Mohammedans.\nDuring the continuance of this fast they are not to eat, drink, or\nsmoke, from sunrise to sunset. They may, however, eat and drink\nduring the night, and they make amends for their abstinence during\nthe day. Many of them turn day into night, night into day, eating\nat sundown, midnight, and just before sunrise, and after making it\na time of great revelry and wickedness. This fast is a moveable\none, and passes round to all seasons of the year. When it falls in\nmidsummer it must be a sore trial to abstain from water in these\nthirsty countries; they have, however, various ways of getting round\nthe law of the fast, and in some degree modifying the deprivations\nit would cost them. All the systems of religion in the eastern\nworld lay much stress on fasting, and with many it is carried to an\nidolatrous extent. They make a saviour of them. That this should be\nthe case with systems that do not take God's Word for the rule of\ntheir faith and practice, would not surprise us; but that those who\ncall themselves _Christians_, and profess to found their faith on\nGod's Word, and appeal to it as their rule, should do so, may well\ngrieve us. It is true, that while the Bible is in a general way\nacknowledged as the Word of God, they do not appeal to it, but to\nthe authority of the church; they have left the word of God,--have\nrendered it void, that they may \"follow their own devices,\"--that\nthey may \"keep their own traditions.\" The fasts of the Christian\nsects are rather a distinction of meats, an abstinence from animal\nfood, than fasts properly so called. The Greeks, in accordance with\nall the Oriental churches, observe Wednesday and Friday of each\nweek. The Papists, Friday and Saturday. In addition to these weekly\nfasts, they have others of many days in succession. During one of\nforty days' continuance, they are not allowed to eat until after\ntwelve o'clock at noon. It is astonishing with what rigidity even\nsmall children observe these seasons.\n\nA few days since, some dervishes, or Mohammedan priests, who have\nbeen on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, returned. They came back as holy\nmen, and great crowds went out to see their wonders. I was assured\nby several persons who witnessed its performance, that boys threw\nthemselves on the ground, in a row as close together as they could\nlie, with their faces to the earth, making a row of forty or fifty\nyards, and one of the priests paced his horse over them, the horse\nliterally stepping on their backs. The boys jumped up very briskly,\nthough some of them showed what they were unwilling to acknowledge,\nthat they were slightly hurt. The fact may seem strange, but\nChristians have tried the experiment, and succeeded as well as the\nMoslems. Some of the priests thrust spears and swords through their\ncheeks--a most unnatural thing. The people consider such things in\nthe light of a miracle.\n\nI had a very pleasant interview not long since with Dr. Wilson, of\nScotland, who has just returned from a tour through Palestine, and\nwho went south as far as Petra. At Hebron he made a special contract\nwith a Sheik, who for about one hundred and fifty dollars took him\nand his party to Petra and back, and left his own brother as a\nhostage with the governor, until they returned. Petra is in a very\nrough district. The El-Ghor is a wide valley, but much more elevated\nthan I had supposed, much more so than the Dead Sea, possibly\na thousand feet at the highest part. It is very destitute of\nvegetation, and this is especially the case with the country about\nMount Hor, and Petra. There is a district more to the south that is\nmore fertile, and has a good many inhabitants on it. The antiquities\nat Petra are most wonderful; a town hewn out in a sandstone rock,\nonly one house of any size built above ground, and that a church.\nThis building has been slightly injured by the late earthquake.\nThere are most extensive excavations--a considerable town under\nground; the tomb of Aaron on Mount Hor is an excavation. The mount\nis a round sugar-loaf hill, with a small level on the top.\n\nWe have had fearful accounts of the prevalence of cholera at\nJerusalem, Aleppo, Malta, and some other places; much fear is felt\nthat it will visit us; may the Lord preserve us from its ravages!\n\nA few days ago, a moolah, a Mohammedan priest, died at this place.\nHe was one of those who last spring made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem,\nand on his return rode over the boys in the plain outside the town.\nAfter his death, the other priests pretended that his body would\nfly off to heaven, if they did not prevent it. They, therefore, had\nropes tied to his body, and fastened them to other things, that the\nbody might not get away. They held on to the ropes as they took the\nbody to the grave-yard. On their way the bearers stopped several\ntimes, and would pull this way and that way, as if some invisible\npower would not let them go forward, and the pretence was, that the\ndead man was not willing to go that way, or to be buried. They at\nlength, however, got him to the grave, put him in, and made great\nlamentation over him. This is a sample of the tricks they play to\ndelude the people.\n\nI spent an hour on the 17th of last month, very pleasantly, with\nLord Lindsay, who has travelled extensively in these countries.\nFrom Egypt he passed Mount Sinai and the Elanetic Gulf--visited\nPetra, Bosrah, Gerash, and most of Palestine and Palmyra. He says\nthere are many ruins about Bosrah; a Roman road thirty feet wide\nruns from that place towards Bagdad. It is in a good state of\npreservation, but not used. Lord Lindsay had the affliction to lose\na brother, who travelled with him; if I mistake not, he died from\nwhat is called a stroke of the sun. Means were used to preserve the\nbody, and he took the corpse with him in the same vessel to England.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XIX.\n\n\n  _Beyroot, October 14th, 1838._\n\nYesterday I returned with my family from the mountains, where we\nhad been to recruit from the effects of the warm weather. For you\nmust know, that after knocking about in a very extempore way for\nsome time, I concluded it was better to go into partnership, and\naccordingly we commenced house-keeping for ourselves, early in March\nlast. In doing this, I showed all my partiality for my own country,\nby passing by all the dark-eyed beauties of the East, and selecting\none of the daughters of my own people.\n\nBhamdoon, the village at which we spent the summer, stands high on\nthe mountains; only on one occasion before had any Franks lived\namong them. About two-thirds of the people belong to the Greek\nchurch. The remainder are Maronites. We found the people friendly,\nbut the Maronites were less disposed to have intercourse with us\nthan the Greeks. We distributed a number of books in that and the\nadjacent villages, and almost every night some of the people came in\nto hear the Scriptures read, and to be present at evening prayers.\nThis was usually followed by conversation, which often lasted an\nhour or two. Sometimes the number was so great, as to fill the room.\nHykel, my teacher, was almost always present, and took part in the\nconversation; not unfrequently curious and puzzling questions were\nasked, as what that light was, which is spoken of as separated from\nthe darkness, in the first of Genesis; and how the day and night\nwere measured before the sun was made? They often showed a good deal\nof intelligence. To vary the exercises, I sometimes gave them tracts\nto read, and generally very good attention was paid to the reading\nof them.\n\nThe old priest of the village was blind, and there was a monk\nassisting him, who was better informed than any of that order that\nI have met with. He visited us frequently, and read portions of\nthe New Testament with us, and commented on them. He often gave\nexhortations, or preached to the people. He, as well as the people,\nseemed to consider this as a matter that did him some credit. My\nknowledge of the language was not sufficient to enable me fully to\nunderstand all he said, but from what I could understand, I thought\nhe was fond of giving curious and far-fetched interpretations.\nBoth he and the people seemed to rest on the outward form of\nreligion, and to be strangers to its inward and spiritual power.\nThe Greek church stood near our house, and we often saw travellers\nin passing the church ride up to it, touch it with their hand, put\nthat to their heads, cross themselves, and then pass on. The same\nwas done by the villagers, and they would often kiss the stones a\nnumber of times. I witnessed a rite in this church that was new\nto me. I had been informed by one of the leading men, that our\nfriend, the monk, would preach the next morning. I considered the\ninformation as a kind of invitation to attend, which I did. His\nsermon, as far as I could understand it, was not very instructive,\nbut rather of the spiritualizing kind. It was, however, delivered\nwith earnestness, and listened to with attention by a full house.\nAt its close, prayers were read, and some bread produced and broken\ninto very small pieces, and handed to the people in a plate. It was\nsought for with great eagerness, and many of the little boys were\nparticularly pressing to receive it. I supposed at first that it was\nthe Lord's Supper, but was told afterwards that it was not, but a\nrepresentation of the body of the Virgin Mary.\n\nI made a second very pleasant trip to Baalbec with Mrs. P. and\nour two little girls. We had many opportunities of distributing\nbooks and tracts along the road. In most instances, as soon as it\nwas known that we had books, our tent was surrounded by persons\nimportuning for them. As soon as one was supplied, he would withdraw\nto a little distance, and set himself to reading in good earnest.\nThe success of some encouraged others, and each had some particular\nreason to urge, why he should be supplied before the others. We were\nabsent five days, and on our return, were welcomed with great joy by\nour good friends in the village.\n\nBhamdoon is surrounded with vineyards. The vines are, for the most\npart, allowed to lie on the ground. In a few places peculiarly\nsituated, they are trained on supports, which raise them several\nfeet above it. The grapes are of various kinds, most of them\nwhite and large. We are supplied with them most generously and\nmunificently by the people. There are several houses that seem to be\ncommon property, where they express the juice of the grape. They\nhave, along one side of the house, a row of large vats, into which\nthe grapes are thrown; and beside these, stone troughs, into which\nthe juice flows. Men get in the vats, and tread the grapes with\ntheir feet. It is hard work, and their clothes are often stained\nwith the grape. The figures found in Scripture, taken from this, are\ntrue to the life. \"I have trod the wine-press alone;\" \"I will stain\nall my raiment;\" \"The wine-press was trodden without the city.\" The\njuice that was extracted when I visited the press, was not made\ninto wine, but into what is called dibbs. It resembles molasses.\nThey take the juice from the troughs, put it into large boilers,\nand reduce it to one-half, possibly one-third of the original\nquantity. It is then removed to large earthen jars, and subjected to\na process, not unlike churning, which is repeated for a few days,\nuntil it thickens. When properly churned, or beaten, but little\nseparation of the particles takes place. It forms a very pleasant\narticle for table use, and is decidedly preferable to molasses.\n\nWe witnessed the process of making raisins. The grapes are collected\nand dipped in a weak ley, with which a small quantity of olive-oil\nhas been mixed. They are then spread out on the ground, and several\ntimes a day this mixture is sprinkled over them. This is continued,\nfor six, eight, or ten days, according to the dryness of the\natmosphere, until the raisins are cured. They are then taken up, and\nwhile warm from the sun, put into jars and pressed down hard, and\nthus preserved for use or sale. There is, however, but little wine,\nraisins, or dibbs exported. Most that is made is kept for family use.\n\nThe salutations of these people are very similar to those of\nancient times. In passing persons at work, as in cultivating\ntheir vineyards, or thrashing out grain, the usual form is\n\"_Salam-a-laykoom_,\" Peace be unto you; and the answer is,\n\"_A-laykoom-issalum_,\" Upon you be peace. On entering a house, it\nis Peace be upon you, or \"_Olloh makoom_,\" God be with you. In\ngiving orders to servants, or requesting favours of friends, the\nanswer generally given is, \"_A-lah-rass-ee_,\" On my head be it. The\nwomen, in taking a quantity of flour from their store for a batch\nof bread, will precede it with a \"_Bismillee_,\" In the name of God.\nAs a general thing the Arabs may be said to be a polite people.\nThe morning and evening salutations are always passed among the\ninmates of the same house; they will seldom pass you in the road\nwithout some kind word. When lights are brought, the servants will\nsay, \"Good evening to you,\" and the company will say the same to\none another. They have a great variety of salutations, forms of\nexpression, and compliments suited to all the various circumstances\nof life, and these are familiar to all; to the youngest and the\npoorest, as well as to the prince.\n\nSeveral bands of gipsies at different times visited our village.\nThey came in companies of from ten to thirty, men, women,\nand children, mostly mounted on donkeys. They encamped in a\nthrashing-floor near by, which gave us an opportunity to observe\ntheir motions and learn their habits. They carry with them a few\nutensils for cooking, and a few articles with which they cover\nthemselves at night. They will occasionally put up a rude tent to\nshelter them from the sun. Some of them manufacture a few things,\nwhich they dispose of in their rambles. Attached to each company\nare two or three who play on musical instruments, and amuse the\npeople with their feats of jugglery. They have a language of their\nown, with which they converse among themselves, but are familiar\nwith Arabic. They are great beggars, and notorious thieves. The\npeople are careful to secure their chickens and donkeys when the\ngipsies are in the neighbourhood. They do not remain long at one\nplace,--here to-day and gone to-morrow. They stroll over the\nmountains in the summer, but remove farther south in winter.\n\nApril 18, 1838.--On the first Sabbath of the present year, a Druse\nfamily was baptised by the missionaries at this place. They had for\ntwo years been attentive to the instructions of the missionaries,\nand both the parents gave evidence of piety. They, with their six\nchildren, were baptized at the mission-house at the close of the\nArabic service. It was an interesting occasion, and excited a good\ndeal of interest among those who are in the habit of attending the\nArabic preaching. There are several other Druses, who are constant\nin their attendance at the Sabbath school and Arabic preaching, and\nprofess a great desire to become Christians.\n\nYou are, no doubt, familiar with the account of Asaad Shidiak. I\nhave learned several things about him lately, which to me, at least,\nhad a considerable degree of painful interest. I have seen several\npersons who, as they declare, saw him during his imprisonment, and\none who saw him after his death. He was of the Maronite church, and\nfrom his intercourse with the missionaries he came to understand the\ncorruption of his church, and the nature of true spiritual religion.\nThis brought on him the displeasure of the dignitaries of that\nchurch. He was a man of learning and talents, and, with the truth on\nhis side, he was too much in argument for any of them. After various\nattempts to bring him back to their corrupt system in vain, he was\nseized and imprisoned, and subjected to much cruel treatment. He\nheld fast to the truth which he had learned. His faith was built on\nthe Bible. One of the individuals from whom I gained information\nabout him said, he had a long conversation with him while in prison.\nHe was shut up in a small room only a few feet square, the door\nwalled up so as to leave but a small opening, like a window. He was\nloaded with chains, and his food handed to him through this small\nopening. He assured this person that his religious faith rested\nalone on the Bible.\n\nHis confinement was so close that it had become, with people\ngenerally, a matter of doubt whether he was dead or alive. Thus\nit had been for some time before the Egyptian government took\npossession of this country. Some of the Franks felt an intense\ninterest in his fate. Immediately after the fall of Acre, which\nevent secured to the Egyptian government the control of this part of\nSyria, an English merchant of this place by the name of Todd, waited\non the Pasha, and made known the case of the imprisoned Asaad, and\nasked and obtained authority to examine the convent where he was\nconfined, and have him set at liberty if he were alive.\n\nTodd visited the convent, and made some search, but Asaad was not\nfound. He was informed that he was dead, and was shown what was\nsaid to be his grave; this confirmed the opinion that he was dead.\nThis movement on the part of Todd was well meant; it may, however,\nbe doubted, whether it was well managed. The news got out that he\nwas about to visit the convent, and search for Asaad. It was known\non the mountains before he reached Cannobeen. It is now declared,\nand pretty generally believed on the mountains, as I am told, that\nTodd was over-reached in the matter, that Asaad was then alive, but\nconcealed when the examination was made. Todd spent but a few hours\nin the convent, and that at night, and left the place with the full\nimpression that Asaad was dead.\n\nAfter this, it is said that the high ecclesiastics, fearing that\nthe matter might be divulged that he was still living, had him\ndestroyed. A sheik, who lives near the place, and who has since had\na quarrel with the patriarch, has declared lately that Asaad was\ndestroyed not long after the search by Todd, and that he saw the\ndead body before it was interred. How much truth there may be in\nthis I know not; for truth is a thing that does not abound among\nthis people. From the fact, however, that a wide-spread opinion on\nthe mountains places his death subsequent to the search by Todd, and\nascribes it to violence, there is much reason to believe that it is\ncorrect.\n\nHis case has evidently made a great impression on the people of\nthe mountains. When I went to Bhamdoon, I was almost immediately\ninquired of for the little book that told about Asaad Shidiak. I\nsent to Beyroot, and procured some copies of a small Arabic tract,\nwritten by Asaad himself, giving a short account of his change of\nviews, and discussions with the priests, up to near the time of his\nimprisonment. These were sought for with more eagerness than almost\nany book I had. The solicitations for it came principally from the\nMaronites. It is, however, proscribed by their church; still I found\nthat some of them would read it. A good-looking young man, who was\nevidently a pretty good scholar, would come to my room and read the\nbook by the hour. He would not take it away for fear of the priest.\nAnd this reminds me of a case that was rather amusing, that took\nplace not long before we went to the mountains. Some of the Maronite\nprinces were down from the mountains, and one of them procured the\ntract containing the account of Asaad Shidiak, and a priest saw\nhim reading it. This being strictly forbidden, the prince had a\npenance assigned him, as did also the servants who were within\nhearing at the time the book was read. He was directed to fast so\nlong; make so many prostrations; and pay such a sum of money. The\nprince replied:--as to fasting, it made him sick, and he could not\ndo it; and as to the prostrations, they gave him the back-ache, and\nhe could not perform them; that the priest might, if he chose, make\nthe attendants do it--and there was some money, throwing down a part\nof what was called for, which they might do what they pleased with.\nThere are a good many indications that the power of the priesthood\nover the people is beginning to give way. The time, I hope, is near,\nwhen more of the people will dare to think for themselves, and\nfollow the dictates of an enlightened conscience.\n\nA few months ago, a heavy conscription, as it may be called, was\nraised over the most, if not the whole of Syria; and out of it\nhas arisen the present war in the Houran. This is the name now\nused to designate an extensive district east of the Jordan. It\nembraces the country occupied by the tribes that lived east of that\nriver--Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh; the country of\nBashan, Moab, and a district to the east, that is not much known\nto Europeans. It is said to be a high country, and abounding with\nremains of cities. The Egyptian government extends over this, but\nhow far to the east I do not know.\n\nIn raising soldiers, the Pasha sent a body of troops out among\nthese towns and villages, to take such as were fit for soldiers.\nThe people, who have much of the Arab character, did not like this,\nrose on the soldiers, and destroyed several hundred of them. The\nPasha then sent a considerable body of troops to destroy the towns\nand chastise the people. The people left their towns as the soldiers\napproached, and joined the Arabs of the desert. They were joined\nby many from other parts of the country, and in all made a pretty\nimposing force. Taking advantage of the rough and mountainous\ndistricts, they did not allow the troops of the Pasha to bring them\nto a fair fight; and attacking his army in a situation that gave\nthem the advantage, they have twice beaten his army; and on the last\noccasion, with a great loss to the Pasha, both of men and munitions\nof war. The army of the Pasha had to retreat towards Damascus.\nThere is much discontent with the Pasha; and it need not cause much\nsurprise if other movements of a rebellious character should follow\nthe affair of the Houran, especially if it be not soon put down.\nSome slight indications of the kind have appeared at Damascus; but\nseveral, suspected of causing it, had their heads taken off with\nlittle ceremony, and the matter seems to be stopped. Should the\nPasha subdue the Houran, it will produce a safer state of things\nto the east of the Jordan than what has heretofore existed, and\nthrow open a vast region that must have peculiar interest to the\ntraveller, from the multitude of ruins that exist there, as well as\nthe connexion which it has with many of the events of ancient and\nsacred history.\n\nOn the evening of the first of April, we witnessed a most wonderful\nflight of locusts. They came like a dark cloud, filling the air for\na long distance. The greater part of them were above the tops of\nthe houses; but many flew lower, and passed through the tops of the\nmulberry trees. There had been a strong south-east wind for about\ntwelve hours. They came from the east, and must, of course, have\ncrossed the Lebanon. Their course was west; but as they approached\nthe sea, I thought they varied, and passed more south-west, as if\nnot willing to go out of sight of land. For about half an hour the\nair was full of them; afterwards their number decreased, but it\nwas a long time before the last straggler had passed. About three\ndays afterwards, we had them again from the south-west; the wind had\nchanged, and now came from that quarter. They now seemed disposed\nto stop: the gardens and sands were full of them. They did not seem\nto eat anything, but were employed in depositing their eggs, which\nthey place in the sands or earth. An acquaintance of mine, who has\njust returned from Tripoli, states, that all the way from Ji-bail to\nthe river Beyroot, a distance of nearly twenty miles, the locusts\nare thrown out on the shore in such numbers as to lie from eighteen\ninches to two feet deep--they have been drowned in the sea. The old\nlocusts do not do much injury; it is the young ones, which will\ncome out in a month or six weeks after the eggs are deposited in\nthe sands, that eat so voraciously, and destroy all before them. I\nunderstand the Emeer has issued an order for each person to collect\nabout a quart of their eggs, as a means of destroying them, and thus\npreventing the destruction which the young locusts would make.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XX.\n\n\n  _Jaffa, May 21st, 1838._\n\nHaving concluded to return during the ensuing summer to the United\nStates, and made my arrangements accordingly, I took passage from\nBeyroot to this city, in a Greek vessel, April 20th. The families\nof Rev. Messrs. Thomson and Hebard had preceded us, to attend the\nannual meeting of the mission, which was to be held at Jerusalem.\nIt was not without feelings of sorrow that I left Beyroot. For\nabout two years I had considered it my home, and excepting while\nmaking tours, which I occasionally did, I had remained there and on\nthe adjacent mountains. I had preached a good deal to the English\ncongregation at Beyroot, and aided, in all the ways I could, the\nmission work. I had become acquainted with many of the natives,\nmore particularly with those who maintained a friendly intercourse\nwith the mission. I had enjoyed the acquaintance and friendship\nof the consuls and English residents, and could not bid them a\nfinal farewell without strong emotion. But circumstances made it\nindispensable, and we parted, expecting to see each other no more.\n\nWe reached this place on the 22d, after a moderately short but\nrough passage. To our great discomfort, we found that the plague\nhad broken out a few days before; the city was shut up, and we were\nnot allowed to enter. At first we were not permitted to land; but\nafter some entreaty we were permitted to land at the Lazaret, under\nthe watch of the health officers, who took us and our baggage into\nthat building. There were some cases of plague in the Lazaret, and\nit was the last place we wished to be in; and, moreover, our room\nhad literally nothing in it. I wished to send word to the American\nconsul, whose hospitality we had more than once experienced; hoping\nthat he would be able to place us in a more comfortable situation,\nand was told that he was at his country-house, about two miles from\ntown, and that we might go there if we chose; but that we must walk,\nas all the animals had been used by the pilgrims, who were returning\nin great numbers from Jerusalem, and might be infected. After a\nmost laborious walk through the sand, with our children--two of\nwhom we were obliged to carry--we reached the house of the consul,\nbut he was not there; his family being still in town and his house\nshut up. It was too late to return to the Lazaret; and there was no\nalternative, but to lodge, without bed or supper, on the floor of an\nunfinished room that was designed for a kitchen.\n\nIn the morning, the consul came out with his family, and our\nsituation was made more comfortable. Through his aid we had our\nbaggage landed and conveyed to a place of safety, excepting what\nwe wished to take with us; and having procured animals, we set off\nfor Rumla about sunset, which we reached about ten in the night.\nFor once we resolved to make trial of the camel, and we all rode on\nthem; but before we arrived at Rumla, we were satisfied that the\nhorse, the mule, and the donkey, are each and all to be preferred\nto the camel, as a riding animal. The motion of the camel is a long\nswinging motion, with rather a sudden stop at each step; for a\nlittle while it is pleasant, but soon becomes tiresome and at last\npainful.\n\nWe were on our way at an early hour on the morning of the 25th,\nand reached Jerusalem about five in the afternoon, where we were\nkindly entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Nicolayson. We found the friends\nwell. The sessions of the missionary meeting were drawing to a\nclose. Professor Robinson, and the Rev. Messrs. Smith and Adger, had\narrived some days before from Egypt, _via_ Suez and Sinai.\n\nOne object I had in view in revisiting Jerusalem and its vicinity\nbefore I returned to the United States, was to correct, as far\nas I might be able, any errors that might exist in my former\ndescriptions, and supply any defects which a second visit might\nsuggest. I have not seen much that deserves special notice in the\nway of correction or addition.\n\nIt struck me at the time that I visited the plain of Jordan and the\nDead Sea, that the descent from Jerusalem to them was greater than\nthat from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean. It is now a pretty well\nascertained fact that the Dead Sea is lower than the Mediterranean;\nand as the water of the latter sea is above thirty feet lower than\nthe Red Sea, it must follow that the Jordan never flowed through the\nEl Ghor into the Elanetic Gulf. Count Barteau, who has just returned\nfrom a visit to Petra Acaba, and an examination of the district\nbetween the south end of the Dead Sea and Acaba, states that a high\ndistrict crosses the El Ghor, and causes the water to run north and\nsouth from it. Dr. Wilson and Lord Lindsay gave me substantially the\nsame information. From some experiments it is estimated that the\nlevel of the Dead Sea is several hundred feet lower than those of\nthe Mediterranean. If a passage then were made connecting the Red\nwith the Dead Sea, the waters would flow into it, so as to cover all\nthe plain of the Jordan, and even raise the level of the waters of\nLake Tiberias. The question will naturally be asked, where did the\nwaters of the Jordan flow to, before the destruction of the cities\nof the plain? what outlet did they find? The more common opinion\nheretofore has been, that before the overthrow of those cities there\nwas no lake on the south end of the plain of Jordan. The Bible does\nnot, however, say so, but rather intimates the reverse. The Salt\nSea is mentioned before the account of the overthrow of Sodom and\nGomorrah. It seems to me most likely that there was a lake at the\nsouth end of the plain, and that those cities were situate near its\nborders; their destruction was followed by the enlargement of the\nlake, and the ruin of some part of the plain on which they stood. It\nis indeed an almost universal opinion among the Arabs, that some of\nthe ruins of these cities may yet be seen. Costigen found ruins, as\nhis servant declared, which he took for the ruins of those cities;\nand Count Barteau states, that he saw at the south end of the lake\nold cisterns, and other things that indicated the former existence\nof towns. There is now not much doubt that we shall in due time have\nthe facts so examined into and certified, as to add another proof to\nthe many which have lately been given, of the verity and accuracy of\nthe Scriptural account of things.\n\nWhile at Jerusalem, I had occasion to visit Jaffa. I rode down past\nRumla, and reached Jaffa in about ten hours. My horse was not a\ngood one; the day was warm, and I did not ride fast. I infer, from\nthe time spent on the road, that the distance must be at least\nthirty-five miles, and possibly forty.\n\nI returned by a road which separates from that of Rumla, a few miles\nfrom Jaffa, and passes over the plain farther to the north. It led\nus past several villages on the plain, among which was Lydd, the\nancient Lydda, where Peter healed Eneas. It is a small village, but\ncontains some better buildings than we usually meet with in such\nsmall towns. It is surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards of\nfruit-trees; and on the east side of the village is a good well,\nmuch resorted to for water. The plain of Sharon on this road was\nvery fertile, and more of it had been cultivated than is usual. The\nharvest was going on, and men, women, and children, were out in the\nfields: some reaping with the common reap-hook--some pulling up the\ngrain with their hands--some binding up the grain in bundles--some\ncarrying it on their shoulders, or on donkeys, or mules, or camels,\nto the thrashing-floor--and some thrashing out the grain by driving\nthe cattle over it. They use a thrashing instrument not unlike\na harrow. In its under side they have pieces of stone or iron\nfastened which serve as teeth. These instruments are dragged by the\noxen over the grain, and thus separate it from the straw.\n\nAfter leaving the plain, our road followed a ridge for a\nconsiderable distance; a little west of the highest ground we passed\ntwo ruined villages at some distance from each other, that were\ncalled Beth-horon. They are, I doubt not, the upper and the nether\nBeth-horon. This opinion is, I think, confirmed by the account given\nof the defeat of the kings that were confederated against Gibeon.\nIt is said that Israel \"chased them along the way that goeth up to\nBeth-horon; and it came to pass that as they were in the going down\nto Beth-horon, that the Lord threw down on them great hailstones\nfrom heaven.\" Josh. x. 11, 12. Beth-horon lies on the west side of\nthe ridge, and Gibeon lies on the east side, and at the distance of\nseveral miles from the top. The flight began from Gibeon, and was\nfirst up to the top of the ridge on the road towards Beth-horon; and\nfrom the top of the ridge it was down to Beth-horon, and on this\nlast part of the way, that the hailstones fell on them. Until I saw\nthe ground, I never understood the \"_up_\" and \"_down_,\" as used\nin the record of this flight and pursuit. Near Gibeon I saw some\nsandstone, singularly mixed up with the limestone. It lay about in\nlarge masses, but I saw no continuous rock of it. The ancient Gibeon\nis now a small-village, inhabited by a few Mohammedan families. It\nstands on the summit of a round hill, and from the steepness of its\nsides is capable of being made very strong. There are various old\nruins and some arches of great size running into the sides of the\nhill, forming rooms, in which various labours are now carried on. A\nlittle out of town is a spring in a cave, and below it, on the side\nof the hill, the remains of an old pool, which is probably the one\nbeside which Abner and Joab, with their men, sat down before the\nbattle in which Asahel fell.\n\nThe plague made its appearance in Jerusalem shortly after our\narrival. We did not pay much attention to it, excepting that we\nwere more careful in passing about the city not to come in contact\nwith the people. The monks from some of the religious houses left\nthe city, and took refuge in other places. We found the monks at\nBethlehem keeping quarantine, and there was plague in some of the\nconvents in the country.\n\nA health officer from Jaffa visited the city on the 16th, and\ndeclared his intention to shut up the gates and prevent egress or\ningress, until the plague abated. He gave us permission to leave,\nprovided we would do it early the next day. Having no wish to be\nshut up even in Jerusalem, for a month or two, we made all possible\nhaste to get ready to leave town the next morning. We found some\ndifficulty in procuring animals, but at last succeeded, and bidding\nfarewell to all our kind friends, and the missionary brethren\nresident there, we left the city and bent our course to Rumla. Our\nanimals proved miserable creatures, and one of our muleteers gave\nus the slip and returned, leaving us to make our journey as best\nwe could. We had been informed at Jerusalem that we would not be\npermitted to enter Rumla; but supposed that we should arrive in\nseason to consult with the consular agent, and obtain lodging in\nthe old tower, or some place in the vicinity. Our mules were so\nintolerably bad, however, that it was dark when we approached Rumla.\nTo our frequent inquiries of the muleteer, as to where he was taking\nus, we received the reply, \"to the water,\" and supposing that we\nwould halt at some watering place near the town, we allowed him to\nproceed. Finding from the length of the way that we must be taking\nthe road to Jaffa, we insisted on coming to an understanding of the\nmatter. He had no idea of stopping, but intended to land us safe\nat Jaffa that night; after a great deal of noise on both sides we\nprevailed on him to halt. He took us under an olive-tree near by,\nsaying, what he supposed was true, that if he took us to the town\nthey would cut his head off. Angelo set off immediately, to see if\nhe could gain admittance within the town. The children, worn out\nwith the fatigue of the journey, had lost all patience, and were\ncrying for their suppers. I seated them on the ground and began to\nsearch about in the dark for the remains of our luncheon, which\nthere was much reason to fear the muleteer and his boy had eaten.\nPresently Mrs. P. began to shake with an ague fit, and called out\nto me that she should die with the cold if relief was not soon\nobtained. I had procured some wine at Jerusalem, which I was taking\nhome as a sample of the wines of Palestine; and thinking this was\na time, if ever, when its use would be justifiable, I succeeded in\ndisengaging a bottle from our baggage and administered a quantity\nof it to those \"who were ready to perish.\" Drawing a small carpet\nfrom the saddle of the mule on which I rode, I covered up my little\nfamily, and with no enviable feelings waited the result. It was not\nlong before the well-known voice of Angelo hallooing in the distance\nbroke upon my ear. He came with one of the consul's sons, who\nwelcomed us to his father's house, assuring us there was no obstacle\nin the way of our admittance. Thus our difficulties were removed,\nand we were most hospitably lodged for the night. The next day we\narrived at the country-seat of our very kind consul at this place,\nwho has furnished us with a room, and is assiduous in his attentions\nto promote our comfort and happiness.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XXI.\n\n\n  _Alexandria, June 21st, 1838._\n\nWe left Jaffa on May the 24th for this place. It was not without\ntrouble and delay that we were able to obtain a passage. On our\narrival at Jaffa, in April, we found many vessels there. They were,\nwe were told, waiting for pilgrims, who were at that time returning\nfrom Jerusalem, where many attend during the great feasts. They were\nat that time coming down in crowds, and going off to the vessels:\nbut before our return from Jerusalem, in May, they were gone, and\nhardly a vessel remained at Jaffa. Possibly the fear of the plague,\nwhich prevailed at Jaffa, had driven some away, and at the same\ntime prevented others from coming. Our wish was to take passage to\nDamietta, and ascend the Damietta branch of the Nile to Grand Cairo,\nand come down the Rosetta branch to Alexandria. We found a vessel\nthat was willing to take us to Damietta, but before we had completed\nour bargain, the Russian consul, whose family had lost many members\nby the plague, made, in his great eagerness to get away, so large an\noffer, as induced the captain to change his course, and immediately\nsail with the consul for Smyrna. As we passed Damietta, about a week\nafterwards, we spoke the same vessel, and learned that, soon after\nsailing, the consul took the plague and died, and the vessel put in\nat Damietta. The consul fled from Jaffa, but not from the plague\nor death--both met him on the way--how little do we foresee what a\nday may bring forth! After some delay a vessel came from Beyroot,\nwhich offered to take us to this place, but asked about four times\nthe usual price--there was no help--no other suitable vessel\noffered--and the captain said, which was true, that he would have to\nperform a long quarantine. A letter came to the consul, from several\nother travellers, to engage them a vessel, as they would be at Jaffa\nin a few days; and it was agreed that I should pay one-half of the\nrequired sum, and those travellers the other, and the engagement was\nclosed.\n\nThrough the kind attention of our consul, who spared no pains to\npromote our comfort, our arrangements were made, our baggage put on\nboard, and our provisions and stores laid in. The plague added much\nto the trouble of doing this. On going on board we found it was a\nTurkish vessel, and a Turkish crew. The captain seemed to be much\nof a gentleman for a Turk. He was polite, silent, and would sit\nall day smoking his pipe, and watching the working of his vessel.\nThe crew also were sober, silent, and appeared to move about as if\nthey had no care but to mind their own business. We had stipulated\nto have the sole use of the cabin, provided we should prefer it.\nOn examining the premises, however, we decided on taking up our\nquarters on the deck, as plainly the cleanest and most comfortable\nplace. The captain readily yielded to our wishes, and fitted up the\nlong boat, which was on the deck, spreading a sail over it, and\nmaking quite a tent--in this we took up our abode.\n\nWhen the travellers referred to came on board, we recognised them\nas a party we had met a few miles this side of Jerusalem. They had\ncome from Egypt to Palestine through the wilderness, and were on\ntheir way to Jerusalem as we left it. Their cavalcade had attracted\nour attention, being all mounted on camels; and what looked rather\noddly, two were on the same camel, in what are called baskets,\nsitting back to back--one facing to the right and the other to the\nleft. The party consisted of two German officers, who belonged to\nKing Otho's army in Greece--a Frenchman and a Swiss. The fact that\nwe had no common language prevented our having as much intercourse\nwith them as we should otherwise have had. They also took up their\nquarters on deck, the captain having put up an awning. As there\nwas no danger of rain, the deck was decidedly the most comfortable\nplace. While we could not fully understand the subject of their\ndiscourse, we were not a little amused during our voyage with the\nlong and almost continual debates of our fellow-voyagers. It was\nall in great good-humour, but a set of more everlasting talkers and\ndisputants I have seldom met with.\n\nThere were several others on board, who came in without paying\ntheir part of the expense. This is almost always the case when\na Frank charters a vessel. I have heard of a captain, who had\nespecially engaged not to take any one on board except the Franks\nwho had chartered his vessel, stowing away privately in the hold\nnearly a dozen who were never to be seen on deck. The captain of\ncourse gets a fee from such--it is so much clear gain. He first\nasks and gets a full price for his whole vessel, and then stows\naway as many persons and things as he can, on such terms as may\nbe offered. We had a Greek sea captain as a passenger--he was one\nof the most silent Greeks I recollect to have met with, for, as a\ngeneral thing, they are a talking, noisy people. He hardly ever\nspoke a word, and had little intercourse with any one except a\nGreek servant. There was another, \"old Dominico,\" as we called him,\nwho, oddly enough, passed himself off as one of my party, and not\nonly went rent free, but ate of my bread. On reaching our consul's\nfrom Jerusalem, we saw there a middle-aged man, who had much the\nappearance of a domestic, but in a Frank dress. He seemed to turn\nhis hand to anything--at times he was in the garden directing the\nwater to the trees and plants--then again he was going with a mule\nor donkey and bringing home loads of grass for the animals--at one\ntime called here and another there. On first seeing him, it struck\nme he might be a Scotchman--but he knew no English--I then thought\nhe must be an Italian--he proved to be a Genoese. He had been at\nJerusalem, and was living on the consul until he could get a passage\nfrom Jaffa--and the consul, very properly, to keep him from rusting\nthrough mere idleness, was employing him in all sorts of ways, as\noccasions offered. When on the point of starting, the consul, who\nwas probably willing to get clear of him, requested that Dominico\nmight so far be considered, as belonging to my party as to secure\nhim a free passage; and, according to his own rule for managing such\ncases, advised that I should keep the old man in employ as far as I\nhad anything that he could do. Of course I assented. After getting\nall on board, and under sail, and the time for eating had come,\nAngelo reported old Dominico as minus all sorts of provisions for\nthe voyage. I was fairly in for it. He belonged to my party, and\nmust not be allowed to suffer. This however was an appendix to the\nmatter that I had not looked for; and in laying in stores, for each\nparty found themselves, (old Dominico excepted,) I had not counted\nhim--and no small eater was he. Angelo was directed to give the old\nman his rations from my stores, and advised that he should give him\nsomething to do--make him cut the wood, kindle the fire, watch the\ncoffee--do anything that would keep his hand in: for I hold that\nperfect idleness is not good for man or beast. And finding that the\nold man had a pretty good knack for pleasing children, many an hour\nwere they permitted to while away with him, to his own as well as\ntheir amusement.\n\nThe Moslems are in their way a religious people. They are regular\nin saying their prayers at the prescribed times. They usually pray,\nwherever they may happen to be, when the proper time arrives.\nThey do not retire to a secret place, but spread a small mat, and\nkneel and prostrate themselves on it--touch the ground with their\nforehead, facing towards Mecca, and repeating at the same time, in\na low and almost unintelligible voice, their forms of prayer. The\nfore-part of the deck was the place at which they performed their\ndevotions.\n\nOur winds being light, we did not lose sight of Palestine for nearly\ntwenty-four hours after we embarked. We had a pretty good view of\nthe south part of the plain of Sharon and of the hill country that\nrose behind it. Several villages were seen, surrounded with their\nolive-trees, vineyards, and gardens. The land at last disappeared,\nand nothing but water was seen on all sides. Our course brought us\nwithin sight of Egypt, east of Damietta. The coast was low, and\nseemed to be a bed of sand. To the south-east we saw some large\nbuildings that appeared to rise out of the water. We learned that\nthey were forts at the mouth of some inlet. As we passed to the\nwest, our course brought us nearer the shore, and gave us a better\nview of it. The water had a greenish colour, and such a current set\nto the east, that during a calm that took place we had to cast out\nan anchor to prevent our being swept far to the east.\n\nIn passing Damietta, we saw several vessels lying off. The shallows\nand bars at the mouth of the river are such as to prevent vessels\nfrom entering, and cause much trouble and delay in loading and\nunloading at that place. Large lighters are used in passing produce\nand merchandise to and from the shore. We could not see much of\nthe town. It lies a little back, and the sand hills near the coast\ntended to prevent a good view of it. From all I could learn, it is\na small place, and much on the decline. There are some strong forts\nat the mouth of the river, and so placed as to command the entrance.\nThe implements of war are everywhere to be met with in the dominions\nof Mohammed Ali.\n\nGroves of date-trees began to be seen on the coast. This is the\ntree of Egypt, and is everywhere in Egypt to be met with in greater\nnumbers than any other tree. It has a singular appearance, and\nnot unlike a spread umbrella. The stem is long, and of the same\nthickness, and has no branches until you reach the top,--then a\nlarge cluster of branches, which bend out and hang down their tops,\nso as to look much like the top of an open umbrella. They often\nare found together in groves or orchards, and make a very fine\nappearance.\n\nAlong the coast, and near the water, are many sand-hills. They\nalmost line the coast--are of various shapes and sizes. Most of\nthem are composed of white, fine sand, and are utterly destitute\nof vegetation. In a few places I could see some small bushes about\nthe base of some of them; and through the openings between the\nsand-hills we could see groves of palms in the interior. In a few\nplaces we saw villages; for the most part they appeared small. Some\nof them had minarets, which indicated Moslem places of worship; and\nin several places we saw the top of minarets where we could see\nneither the village nor the mosque to which they belonged.\n\nThe minaret, I may here remark, is to the mosques what a steeple is\nto the church. Instead of a bell to call to worship, the moolah\n(the Mohammedan priest) mounts the minaret, proclaims the hour,\nand calls his people to prayer. The minaret rises higher above\nthe mosque than the steeple usually does above the church. It is\nalways white, and has a stairway up in the inside, by which the\nmoolah ascends to the place from which he proclaims the hour and\nits accompanying duty. Near the top is a door through which he\ncomes out. A little platform runs all round the minaret, fenced in\nwith a low railing. There is a cover over the top, which protects\nthem in time of rain. If I may compare a small thing with a great,\nI would say that a minaret is much like a tall candlestick, with a\nlong spermaceti candle in it, and an extinguisher on the top of the\ncandle. They have a very pretty and tasteful appearance.\n\nThe whole coast from east of Damietta to the west of Rosetta, bends\nlike a bow, the convex part being next the Mediterranean. It is\ncaused, no doubt, in part at least, by the immense deposits which\nthe Nile makes of the mud, with which its waters are loaded. There\nare, however, some very deep bays on the coast, as the bay of\nAboukir.\n\nThe coast about Rosetta did not differ much from that about\nDamietta. The mouth of the river is obstructed with bars, which is\nmuch in the way of its commerce. The town lies back, so that we had\nnot a good view of it, at the distance at which we passed. There\nwere once, I am told, many good houses here; the trade was much\nconcentrated here; but since the canal has been made from Atpi to\nAlexandria, the trade has taken that direction, and Alexandria has\nbeen built up at the expense of Rosetta. All along this coast the\ncurrent seemed to set eastward.\n\nWe reached Alexandria on the first of June. It stands on a point of\nland that projects considerably into the sea, and has a part that\nturns west like the upper part of a capital T. On this west point\nstands a palace of the pasha, to which he resorts in summer. There\nare two harbours, one on the east and the other on the west side of\nthe town; and in each harbour is a Lazaret.\n\nWe had hoped, that as we had kept quarantine at Jaffa--as our vessel\nhad little intercourse with the shore, having come from Beyroot,\nand as the health-officer promised he would state this on our\npapers, that we would have but little, if any, assigned us here.\nBut we found that all availed not. We had twenty-one days assigned\nus, and all our entreaties availed not to lessen the number. The\nTurks, for the most part, take things patiently, and in few things\nis it more wise to imitate them than in this. We had our place\nassigned us in the Lazaret of the eastern harbour, and early the\nnext morning the captain had us and all our baggage conveyed there.\nOur fellow-passengers were all assigned to the same place, while\nthe captain and his crew were allowed to perform their quarantine\non board their vessel--one soldier being put with them to see that\nnone left the vessel, and none entered it; while another soldier was\nassigned to us to have a similar watch over all our doings.\n\nOn reaching the Lazaret, we were a good deal disconcerted at finding\nthat all men, women, and children, masters and servants, were to be\nput in one and the same room. Who ever heard the like! I protested\nagainst it, but of what use to protest! We were told the rooms were\nscarce, and that this was their mode, to put all who had come in the\nsame vessel in the same room. The room was large--about sixty by\ntwenty. Several years' experience had satisfied me that there was\nmore trouble than profit in trying to get Turks and Arabs to think\nand reason as we do. I therefore set myself to make the best of the\ncase, and set off to examine the premises. At and about the door of\nthe room--for we were not in the open court before it--I met several\nof our voyagers, who, with much earnestness, urged me not to go in.\nAngelo, who had just come out, earnestly advised me not to enter,\nand let me know that the place was literally overrun with fleas. I\nfound them there in great numbers truly. But after having it swept\nagain and again, and using other means to destroy them, we took\npossession. I had a strong cord stretched across, so as to cut off\nabout one-third, and made a room about twenty feet square. On this\ncord we hung sheets, and blankets, and bed-spreads, and thus made a\nprivate and comfortable chamber. We procured a frame-work of palm\nwood that was a very good substitute for bedsteads--and some other\narticles of the first necessity, and did very well; for our room, as\nwe found it, had not an article in it.\n\nOur fellow-voyagers took possession of the other part of the room,\nand renewed their discussions and debates, which for a little had\nbeen suspended.\n\nThe Lazaret has a set of large rooms, formed into squares, and\nsurrounded with high walls. Attached to each room is a court, rather\nlarger than the room, and open to the heavens. There is a tank of\nwater in this court, and at one side, what is called a parletorio--a\nplace with a kind of wood grating, through which they may see and\nconverse with friends who call on them. Those in quarantine have,\nduring the day, free use of the court attached to their rooms, but\nat night they are locked up in their rooms, their guardian with\nthem, and the key taken to the room of the head of the quarantine.\n\nThere is a kind of market in the Lazaret, or rather a shop is kept\nthere, at which most of the common necessaries may be had, and at\nabout a fair price. I engaged a man to send us bread and milk daily,\nand was well supplied. Angelo as usual cooked for us and had the\ngeneral management of our table, and continued to have it nearly as\nwell furnished as when we were at Beyroot, and at about the same\nexpense.\n\nWe were a few times allowed to walk out as far as the sea-side,\nbut not without our guard. Nor were we allowed to go more than a\nfew rods from the walls. We much wished to take some walks in the\nvicinity, but this was not allowed. There was, however, nothing rude\nin their mode of denial.\n\nThe Lazaret is a new building, and not yet finished, and the work\nis still in progress. It is made of a soft limestone, which is\nbrought in vessels and landed near the building. I observed that\nfemales were almost wholly employed in unloading the stone from\nthese vessels, and the attendance on the workmen was chiefly, if\nnot wholly, done by females. There were small companies of girls,\nfrom twelve to sixteen years of age, who carried stones and mortar.\nThey usually went together, and sung and kept a kind of time. Their\nsinging was in a kind of response to each other, and was evidently,\nin part at least, extempore; as they often alluded to what they saw,\nand to what was taking place about them. It reminded me of what is\ncalled the corn-song, as sung by the slaves in the southern States.\nThey seemed cheerful, and are said to receive some wages for their\nservice.\n\nSoon after we were in the Lazaret, Mr. Gliddon, U. S. consul, called\non us, and kindly tendered his aid in any way that might add to our\ncomfort while thus shut up in the Lazaret. To be twenty-one days\nshut up in a room was tiresome, but not so much so to us as might\nbe expected. We had books--we read and wrote, and through the\nkindness of our consul and others we received files of papers, which\nlet us know what was going on in that much-loved land, from which we\nhad been so long absent, and to think now we were about to return.\n\nAlexandria stands on the site of the old town of that name. The\npoint of land which I have before mentioned, is pretty much covered\nwith houses. The houses of the older part of the town are very\ninferior, but many of the buildings lately put up are in European\nstyle, and very good, and some splendid buildings. These stand, at\nleast most of them, near the eastern harbour, and on a long street\nthat runs south-east across the town. Many of these new and elegant\nhouses are occupied by Europeans, of whom there are a considerable\nnumber in Alexandria. There are many Frank shops, and stores, and\nartists; and almost all kinds of European articles and goods may\nhere be obtained.\n\nA little to the east of the Frank quarter, as it may be called,\nstands Cleopatra's Needle. It is a granite obelisk--near it lies\nanother on the ground. There is a large space on the south-east\nside of the city, that is not built on. It is a bed of ruins. In\nmany places excavations have been made, and curious antiques found.\nThe city is surrounded by a high and strong wall, with a deep\nfosse on the outside. The gates are always guarded with soldiers.\nThe Navy-yard and Custom-house are on the western harbour; and in\nthat harbour ride some noble vessels, and others are being built.\nThe pasha and the sultan seem running a race in ship-building, and\ncertainly each has done a good deal within a few years past. A\nlittle south of the town, and on a small elevation, stands Pompey's\nPillar. It has so often been described that I may well pass it\nover, with the remark, that it is a large and beautiful shaft of\nsolid rock.\n\nAlexandria has been much revived of late, and is now the chief\nseaport of Egypt. Having selected it as the place for his navy-yard,\nand through the canal of Mahmudieh opened a direct communication\nbetween Alexandria and the Nile at Atpi, the trade has almost all\ncentred at Alexandria, to the ruin of Rosetta. The population of\nAlexandria may be from 30 to 40,000.\n\nThe district about Alexandria has, with few exceptions, a dry and\nburnt-up appearance. In a few places the date and the acacia trees\nare seen, but a large part of the surface has almost nothing on it.\n\nThe pasha has shown a commendable degree of zeal for introducing\nthe arts and improvements of Europe into his dominions. He has\nmanufactories, and artists, and schools, at Alexandria and other\nplaces. His leading object in the whole seems to be, to promote and\nconfirm his own power over the people that he now governs. He has\nintelligence enough to see that arts and improvements have given\na decided advantage to those who possess them, and for the sake\nof those advantages he desires to be possessed of them. This has\nled him to employ many European artists and masters--has induced\nhim to send a number of youth to Europe to be educated there, and\ninstructed in the various departments of useful knowledge.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XXII.\n\n\n  _Cairo, June 29th, 1838._\n\nWishing to make our tour up the Nile as soon as we were relieved\nfrom quarantine, we had in part made our arrangements when that\ntook place. On the 21st, we were called down to be inspected\nby the man of medical science, and were declared free from all\nsuspicious symptoms, and entitled to mingle with the good people of\nthe country, and travel where we pleased. It was farcical enough\nto see the man stand at the distance of ten or fifteen feet, and\ninspect our tongues, and make us move our arms, and then gravely\ndecide that we were free from infection. Our keepers, who, on the\nwhole, had been kind and attentive, but careful not to touch us,\nnow approached and gave us a cordial shake of the hand, and their\ncongratulations on our restoration to freedom. Each had to pay a\nsmall rent for the room. We had also several small fees to pay--as\nthe board of our guardian. Through the aid of our consul a boat had\nbeen engaged, and some other preparations made for our trip up the\nNile: deeming it best, after so long a delay, to lose no time in\nmaking our visit to this place. We found the boat in readiness, with\nsuch stores as were necessary; and the American flag floated in the\nair at the mast-head. This was to make known to all whom it might\nconcern, that the boat was mine _pro tem._, and not to be searched\nor molested while under my protection. We were soon in readiness to\nleave. Several persons, however, whose animals we had used in riding\nfrom the Lazaret to the boat, and some who had brought us various\narticles, were to be paid. As I knew not what the usual prices\nwere, I requested a Janissary to give each what was right. He soon\nsettled the matter, and paid them about one-third of what they\ndemanded of me. Thus, almost perpetually, these people try to extort\nfrom travellers more than is due, and especially if the traveller be\na stranger among them.\n\nAlexandria does not stand on the Nile, but near thirty miles west of\nthe Rosetta branch of that river. A canal (the Mahmudieh) connects\nthe town on the western harbour with the river, not at its mouth,\nbut at Atfi. This place may be nearly sixty miles from Alexandria,\nbut not so far from the mouth of the river. This canal is the work\nof the Pasha. Owing to the bars and shallows at the mouth of the\nriver, much difficulty was found in loading and unloading vessels;\nand the trade of Egypt, which was carried on mainly through that\nbranch, was much impeded. Possibly a wish to build up Alexandria,\nwhich was the best harbour for his navy, may have had its influence.\nThe Pasha resolved to open a canal from some point of the Rosetta\nbranch to Alexandria. Atfi was fixed on as the point. The course of\nthe canal marked out, and multitudes of people from all the adjacent\ntowns and villages, marched down to different parts of the line and\nset to work. The greater part had nothing to work with but their\nhands; but the soil was soft and no stone in it. In a few months\nthe work was done, but it is said, many lives were lost through the\nhardships to which the people were subjected. Sail-boats are used\non the canal; but as the wind is not always fair, they at times use\nthe tow-line, but men, and not animals, pull it. The boats that are\non the canal do not pass into the river, nor those of the river into\nthe canal. There must of course be another boat taken at Atfi, and\nthe baggage changed from one to the other. This consumes time and\nis attended with some expense.\n\nThe country through which the canal passes is nearly a dead level,\nand, in some places, I should think, lower than the level of the\nriver. The banks of the canal were from eight to twelve feet above\nthe water. They were too high to allow us to have a good view of the\ncountry over them. At some places, however, they were lower, and at\nothers, by stopping the boat, and ascending the bank, we had fine\nviews of the rich meadows of Egypt. For many miles after leaving\nAlexandria, we passed a succession of houses and gardens, along the\ncanal, that had a very pleasant appearance. Several of them were\nfitted up in Frank style, with glass windows, and other fixtures\nindicating European society. They may have been occupied, possibly\nowned, by Europeans. Connected with several of these houses, were\nextensive gardens, and in a good state of keeping. In addition to\nthe palm tree, which is the tree of Egypt, there were several other\nkinds along the canal, as the acacia. It is low, and not unlike the\nolive in its shape and size, but its bark and leaf approach more to\nthe locust. It is pretty as a shady and ornamental tree, but I know\nnot its other uses.\n\nThere are, all along the canal, water-wheels at work, raising water\nfor irrigating the adjacent gardens and fields. The mode of making\nthem is simple: a channel is cut into the bank, so deep that the\nwater will flow into it; a wheel is made to turn in this cut, being\nsuspended over it; a rope, with a set of jars, passes over this\nwheel, and is turned by it. This is long enough to allow the jars\nto pass through the water and come up full, and, in turning, the\nwater is poured into a cistern, and thence conveyed by small troughs\nto the place where it is needed. The wheels are usually worked\nby oxen. The number of wheels is very great, and most of them are\nconstantly in motion through the day.\n\nWe passed some villages near the canal, but none of much size. There\nwere some of a larger size at a distance, as we concluded, from\nthe minarets which we could see. In several places we saw water\nat a distance that looked like a lake. In passing up the canal,\nand the same was true after we entered the river, I could not but\nnotice how the people and the animals loved to be in the water. The\nchildren and youth were seen in it, and the cattle seemed to have\na passion, not only for wading in the water, but for lying down in\nit, so as often to cover their whole bodies, except a small part of\ntheir heads. This may, in part, have been to keep off the flies,\nbut mainly, I judge, to enjoy the coolness which the water imparted\nto them. I never before understood the force of the expression in\nPharaoh's dream, where it is said, he \"saw seven kine coming up out\nof the river.\" It is true to the life. They lie in the water until\nsatisfied, then come up and feed on the low grounds or meadows near\nit.\n\nWe had often heard dismal accounts of the annoyances met with in the\nboats of the Nile; we were now to have a proof of them. On entering\nour boat we observed that it had recently been painted, and hoped\nthat this betokened a deliverance from those gentry that so annoy\nFrank travellers. But in this we were mistaken. No sooner were our\nlights put out, than they came upon us from their hiding-places\nin such numbers, as to make it one of the most trying nights we\nhad ever passed. And especially did they assail our children. And\nwhether it was that they liked their young blood better, or that\nthe children, in their sound sleep, made less resistance, I know\nnot, but so it was, that in the morning their faces were disfigured\nwith bites, and their eyes so swollen that they could hardly see.\nFortunately, we were not doomed to spend another night in this\nboat. We reached Atpi during the following day, in time to transfer\nourselves and baggage to a river boat, which was about leaving for\nCairo. This boat was happily less infested with the gentry above\nreferred to, and we made out pretty well as to sleeping.\n\nAtpi is a small village at the place where the canal leaves the\nriver. It has grown up since the canal was made. There are some\nstores and shops, and a number of persons who attend to the produce\nand goods that pass and repass from the canal to the river. We here\nprocured a boat, and made other necessary arrangements. In all these\nboats we had to provide for ourselves, from the beds we slept on to\nthe fuel with which we cooked our food. As necessary articles are\nnot to be had at all places, and especially as the boat may not stop\nwhen you find yourself minus in some needful article, the only sure\nway is to keep a good stock on hand. We had our flag, as before,\nflying at the mast-head, and could not but feel a little national\npride at the notice which it attracted.\n\nNear Atpi, on the eastern side of the river, is a considerable\ntown, with some pretty good buildings, and among them some occupied\nas factories. There was also a large building on the western\nside, where the red fez, now so much used throughout Turkey, are\nmade. These manufactories are, we were told, public property. The\ngovernment monopolizes all things in this land. The policy may\nwell be questioned. Possibly in no other way could they be so soon\nintroduced.\n\nThe average height of the banks of the Nile may be from twelve\nto sixteen feet. Fields of corn and sugar-cane were seen on the\nbanks, but not in as great numbers as I had expected. This in part,\nhowever, was accounted for by the fact, that the time of the rise\nwas at hand, and their crops were gathered off.\n\nThe productiveness of Egypt depends on the annual overflowing of the\nNile. The Nile is the river, and the only river of Egypt; and beside\nit, it is said, there is not a brook, not a spring, of running water\nin Egypt. There are wells; for by digging down to nearly the level\nof the water in the Nile, water may be obtained at any place. There\nis no rain in Egypt. Near the sea coast, as at Alexandria, light\nshowers may fall, but up in the country there are none. There may be\ncloudy weather during the winter, but no rain. Once every year the\nNile rises so as to cover the greater part of the country. It begins\nin the latter part of June, and gradually continues for nearly two\nmonths, then gradually falls to its usual volume of water. The\nrise has now begun, but it is perceivable only to those who are\nacquainted with the river. The cause of this rise is supposed to be\nthe great rains, and possibly melting of snows, in the high country\nin which its main stream rises; but the matter is not certain. As\nthe Nile falls, the grain is sown on the wet ground, and produces\nmost abundantly.\n\nThere are many canals, from four to six and eight feet deep, and\nwide enough to convey a considerable body of water. These pass off\nfrom the river, and from these, smaller channels pass in various\ndirections, so as to divide much of the surface into lots or small\nfields. These were much more observable at some places than at\nothers. The design of these channels, probably, was to bring the\nwater more generally over the ground than it would otherwise come;\nor when the Nile did not rise high enough to cover the field, the\nwater, by means of these small canals, would pass in so many\ndirections through the district, as, by percolation, to moisten the\nground more generally than it otherwise would do.\n\nThere were along the river a great many water-melons, cucumbers, and\nother vegetables. It reminded me of the complaint of Israel, in the\nwilderness, that they were deprived of the melons and cucumbers of\nEgypt. Num. xi. 5.\n\nThe Nile winds a good deal. It has many of those long sweeps that\ncharacterise the Ohio and Mississippi; and as the whole country is\nalluvial, the water at those turns washes away the banks against\nwhich it strikes, while, on the opposite side of the river, a shoal\nor a sand bank is formed. In these places, and they increased as we\nascended, considerable districts lay along the edge of the water,\nand only a few feet above it, and on them the vegetables above\nnamed, with many others, were raised in great numbers. There was\nusually a small place in these garden spots built to protect a\nperson from the rain, whose office it is to prevent pillage, and\nsell the vegetables to boat-men and passengers; for almost all the\ntravelling from Alexandria to Cairo is done in boats on the Nile.\nIt reminded me of the \"cottage in a vineyard,\"--\"a lodge in a\ngarden of cucumbers.\" A little more than half-way, from Alexandria\nto Cairo, on the western side of the river, we saw the end of a\nnew and much larger canal, now being made in a more direct course\nto Alexandria. It will probably intersect the Mahmudieh canal, at\nsome point south of Alexandria. The southern end is near where the\nsands have almost covered the district west of the Nile. Whether\nit will pass into the sandy district, and thus reclaim some of it,\nand prevent the farther encroachments of the sand, I know not.\nThere is no doubt that tillage extended much farther to the west,\nin some places, formerly, than at present. The canals and means\nof irrigation have been neglected, and the sands have spread over\nconsiderable districts; some of these might no doubt be reclaimed,\nwere a proper mode followed with respect to them. This will hardly\nbe done at present, as there are large parts of Egypt now irrigated,\nthat lie neglected; the population, with their idle habits, are not\nsufficient to cultivate the whole. For a considerable distance on\nthe west of the river the sands from the desert covered the banks,\nand ran down to the edge of the water; it was a very white, fine\nsand, and easily moved by the wind.\n\nA little below the junction of the Rosetta and Damietta branches of\nthe Nile, which takes place twelve or fifteen miles below Cairo,\nthe Pasha has begun a great work for the more perfect irrigation of\nthe Delta, or the district between the rivers which is thus called.\nThe plan is to make a strong dam across both branches of the Nile,\nand throw the water into a new channel, the bed of which shall be\nmuch more elevated, and thus bring the waters nearer the level of\nthe country, and of course greatly facilitate the irrigation of the\nland at all seasons. The greater part of the most valuable land\nof Egypt lies between the rivers. This part is called the Delta\nfrom its likeness to the Greek letter of that name, which is of a\ntriangular form. A district of land on both sides of the triangle\nwas cultivated and productive as far as the waters of the Nile could\nbe made to reach it; but beyond that, the long burning suns scorch\nup vegetation, and convert all into a waste of barren sand. At some\ndistance in the interior, both to the east and west, water is found,\nand there vegetation exists, but these places are not in the valley\nof the Nile.\n\nMost of the villages we passed were poor and small; the houses for\nthe most part made of mud or unburnt brick; sometimes the brick had\nstraw in it. We saw several places where they had establishments\nfor hatching eggs. This practice has long prevailed in Egypt. They\nspread the eggs in layers on the floor; and have a way of subjecting\nthem to such a degree and uniformity of heat as perfects the process\nof incubation. Their fowls seemed to me to be inferior both as to\nsize and flavour.\n\nThe Nile seemed to me to be about as large as the Ohio at\nCincinnati. It was, however, at its lowest state when I saw it. The\nrise began while I was at Cairo, but at first it is so slow, that\na person not acquainted with the river would probably not observe\nit for several days. Our boat, which was not as large as a common\nsteam-boat, grounded several times in ascending the river. The\nboatmen would readily get out in the water and push her off. This\nwas easily done, as there were no rocks in the river, but mud and\nsand banks. The boatmen are a shameless set and were often, and\nespecially when in the water, in a state of perfect nudity, and this\nwas the common condition of the multitudes which we saw bathing in\nthe river.\n\nWe had a daily wind up the river, which at times blew pretty strong.\nIt usually began soon after sunrise, and increased as the day\nadvanced. Towards night it began to abate, and nearly ceased soon\nafter sundown. The causes which give it this regularity we leave to\nbe explained by those wise men in philosophy who feel bound to give\nreasons for all the phenomena of nature. During one or two months in\nthe year it is said to change its direction, and blow the other way.\n\nI had several times in the south-west a fine view of the whirlwinds\nof the desert; several of them could often be seen at the same\ntime. A thick column of dust and sand seemed to run up to the\nclouds, and then gradually disappear; at times they would pass with\nconsiderable rapidity; and while thus in quick motion, had a pretty,\nbut rather singular appearance. While considerably below Grand\nCairo, we had a view of the pyramids. Their tapering points ran high\nin the air, and broke the smooth outline of our southern horizon.\n\nGrand Cairo stands on the western bank of the Nile, and at the\ndistance of above a mile from the river. One of its large suburbs,\ncalled Bulack, is on the river, and may be considered its port.\nThere the boats lie, and there much of the business of the town\nis transacted. For several miles before we reached Cairo, we were\npassing gardens and country-houses, some of which are of a superior\nkind. Cairo is rather an assemblage of towns than one great and\ncontinuous city; its parts lie contiguous to each other, as chance\nand caprice may have decided. Close to the south-east side of it a\nrange of hills rises, the first and almost the only hills that we\nsaw in Egypt--those back of the pyramids of Gheza excepted--on a\npart of these hills the citadel is situate, which commands the city,\nand is a place of considerable strength.\n\nBetween the town and the river there lies a large open\nspace--immense piles of rubbish disfigured some parts of it. The\nPasha is making improvements here that will add much to the beauty\nof this open space--he is levelling it, and with the rubbish\nfilling up low places, and making wide, elevated roads across it\nin various directions, and having it planted with trees. A large\ncanal crossed this place; many people were employed in cleaning it\nout, and putting it in order to receive the waters from the Nile.\nThere is also within the city, and before the palace, an open space\nof considerable size, which has lately had much labour bestowed\non it. Elevated roads or causeways are made round it and through\nit, and their edges set with trees, which give the whole a pretty\nappearance. The water from the Nile, when at its height, is let into\nthis square; but the elevated parts are designed to be above the\nwaters, and afford pleasant walks for the idlers and loungers, which\nare found even in Egypt.\n\nThe pyramids, so much talked of, lie near Grand Cairo, and it would\nhave argued a great want of curiosity not to have visited them when\nso near. A few days ago, we made a visit to those of Gheza, which\nlie on the west side of the Nile, and in full view of the city. We\nset off about six in the morning, and rode up the river to the upper\npart of old Cairo; this took us about an hour. We then crossed the\nNile in boats, to a small old village called Gheza, which gives its\nname to this cluster of pyramids. We then had the wide river bottom\nof the Nile to cross; this took us about two hours. The river being\nlow, there was no water in the several deep and wide canals that\npass through this river bottom, and we were able to cross them. This\nshortened our ride much. We passed several remains of villages on\nthis plain. As we drew near the last village, which seemed little\nbetter than a pile of ruins, several Bedouin Arabs came out, with\nnothing but a long shirt on, and ran as hard as they could until\nthey met us, and urged us to employ them as our guides. It now\nappeared, that it was a race among themselves, on the plan that\nthose who first reached us, were considered as having the right to\nbe employed as a guide and get the pay. As we had a cawass with us,\nwhom we brought from Cairo to manage all such matters, and among\nother things to save us from the annoyance which these Bedouins at\ntimes give travellers, we left it for him to make such a bargain\nwith them as he thought best. He engaged one or two, and let the\nremainder know that we did not need their aid. We saw, at a distance\non our right, a line of arches on the plain, and a bridge-like place\nover them, the uses of which we could not ascertain.\n\nThe pyramids stand on the first rise after leaving the river flats.\nThe ridge of that place may be from one hundred and fifty to two\nhundred feet. The ground on which the large one stands (the Cheops)\nis nearly level. The pyramid is square, and stands to the four\ncardinal points. Each side, its base is said to be seven hundred\nfeet, while its height is only six hundred. It seems to be a solid\nmass of rock, excepting the small rooms which I shall presently\nmention. The plan on which it is built is singular. A large platform\nis laid down, seven hundred feet square--this is the first row;\nthe stone is nearly three feet in thickness. A second row is laid\non of a similar size. This row is not laid out to the edge of the\nother, but falls back all round about eighteen inches. The third\nand fourth and following rows are laid in the same manner--forming\nstairs. There are about two hundred rows of stones, which average\nnearly three feet in thickness, and terminate in a small flat at\nthe top of about thirty feet square. The ascent is usually made at\nthe north-east corner. About half-way up there is a small room,\nwhich seems designed as a resting place. There have evidently been\nsome stones thrown from the top, a part of one row being left, and\npossibly one stone of a second row at the south-east corner. It\ntook me not quite half an hour to ascend; this included the several\nstops in order to rest. From the top I had a most splendid view,\nas to space--Grand Cairo and all the villages and gardens about\nit; the valley of the Nile far to the north; the several groups\nof pyramids, and the palm trees that lay to the south, and in the\nregion of ancient Memphis. The descent required about as much time,\nbut was attended with less difficulty than the ascent. The whole,\nwith the time spent on the top, occupied about an hour, and did not\nseem to have half the peril or labour that some have represented.\nThe entrance to the interior is on the north side. We went to the\nmouth and examined it, but, on the whole, concluded we would not go\nin; the descent is long, and nothing to be seen within, but one or\ntwo empty rooms. While the rocks of which the pyramids are built,\nare limestone of the secondary formation, as is manifest from the\nshells in it, the passage is lined with polished Egyptian granite;\nthe same is said to be the case with the rooms. The entrance of the\npassage may be fifty feet above the ground, but it descends as one\nenters.\n\nA little to the south-west is a second pyramid, nearly as large\nas that of Cheops. It is sharp at the top, and cannot, with ease,\nbe ascended. To the south is a small one. There were in all\ndirections tombs, many of them of most enormous size. The pyramids\nare in the midst of a large grave-yard. We went up the hill to the\nnorth-west some distance, and visited several rooms that were full\nof hieroglyphics. Passing round the southern side of the pyramids,\nwe examined several places where excavations had recently been\nmade. Some old monuments, that had been covered with sand, were\nlaid bare; and, from the bottom of some deep well-like places,\nseveral most beautiful sarcophagi had been raised--two of black\nporphyry, beautifully polished, and covered with hieroglyphics, lay\non the ground; others had probably been removed. We then visited\nthe Sphynx, and took our lunch under the shade of its head. It has\na lion's body, in a couching posture, with the head and face of a\nNubian female, and is of most enormous dimensions. The head about\nten feet in diameter. The height from the ground, and the length\nof the body, in proportion. It is hewn out of a rock, which is\nthe soft limestone, and has much disintegrated; the features are\nmuch injured. The back is almost wholly covered with sand, which\nhas blown in from the desert. As we crossed the low grounds to the\nriver, on our return, we had a fine specimen of that wonderful\nphenomenon called the mirage. From some cause, the air near the\nground assumes the appearance of water; the similarity is such, that\npersons are often deceived, and are confident that it is water,\nwhen seen at a little distance. We had crossed the plain about\nnine or ten o'clock A.M., and there was no appearance of water;\nbut now, between one and two P.M., there were many places, at some\ndistance, that had the precise appearance of water. In some cases,\nthe spots that had this appearance were but a few inches, or one or\ntwo feet in width, and looked precisely like puddles of water after\na rain: at other places whole acres seemed covered with water, and\non several occasions, it was round the roots of trees; which seemed\ngrowing out of it. I had, on one or two occasions, seen the same as\nI came up the Nile. At a considerable village on the western side\nof the river, just below where the sands come in so near the river,\nour boat stopped, and while the captain and part of the crew went\ninto the village, I ascended the bank, and walked to a place at a\nlittle distance that was more elevated than the other parts of the\nplain. It gave me a fine view of the face of the country; but I was\nsurprised to see, towards the north-west, an extensive portion,\nas far as the eye could reach, that appeared a lake of water. In\nseveral places there were clusters of palms growing out of it. I had\nnot seen on any map a lake marked in that place, nor had I heard of\nany such thing. I wondered if it could be the mirage; the appearance\nwas so perfectly like water, that it was hard to believe it could\nbe anything else. On returning to the bank, I inquired of some one\nif it was water that I had seen, and was assured that there was no\nwater in that direction, but that it was a curious appearance in\nthe air. I will leave it to the philosopher to explain this matter.\nThe ruins of what is said to be ancient Heliopolis lie but a short\ndistance from Cairo; we did not, however, visit them; the remains\nabove ground are so few, as hardly to repay the trouble of a ride to\nthem. The sandy deserts are to the east and south of Cairo, and the\nwhole way from that city to Suez on the Red Sea, a distance of about\nsixty miles, is a cheerless waste of barren sand. The remains of an\nold canal can be traced, it is said, most of the way from the Nile,\na little south of Cairo, to Suez, and it is supposed that it might\nbe reopened. Much has lately been said about the Pasha's making a\nrailroad from Cairo to that point, and I was assured some materials\nfor that purpose were brought from England; but nothing as yet has\nbeen done, and probably years will pass before the plan is carried\ninto effect.\n\nWe had several pleasant interviews with the mission families at\nCairo; less, however, than we had hoped, and would have had, but\nfor the sickness of some of their number. They are mostly Germans,\nin the employ of the Church Missionary Society. Their attention is\nprincipally, but not exclusively, directed to the Christian sects\nin the country. Miss H. has lately, at the special invitation of\nthe Pasha, opened a school in the harem, and is giving instruction\nto the females of the Pasha's family. Thus far it has been well\nreceived; what may be its result, time alone will show. About the\ntime we reached Cairo, several of the missionaries of the Church\nMissionary Society, who had for some years been labouring in\nAbyssinia, returned from that country. Some difficulty had arisen,\ngrowing out of the intrigues of persons unfriendly to them, which\nmade it advisable for them, for a time at least, to leave that\ncountry. It was hoped that before long they would be able to return\nand resume their labours.\n\nThe Pasha has a number of schools at this place, and various\nmanufactories and establishments, which no doubt are doing good.\nWhether the good will equal what has been expected from them, may\nbe doubted. His improvements and innovations are certainly tending\nto produce changes in the Moslem manners, habits, and modes of\nthinking, which will in part remove the obstacles in the way of\nintroducing the gospel among them; \"but he meaneth not so, neither\ndoes his heart think so.\" While the great body of the Egyptians\nare Moslems, there are a number of the Christian sects to be found\nhere--as the Armenians, Greeks, Copts, Latins, and perhaps some\nothers. The state of all these sects is much like what it is through\nthe East--the life and power of the gospel is not known. The Church\nMissionary Society have for many years maintained a mission at\nGrand Cairo; they have distributed the Scriptures and other books,\npublished at their mission press at Malta--conducted schools--talked\nand preached to the people. Their success has been but moderate. At\npresent, their schools are in a pretty prosperous condition, and\ntheir field of usefulness seems more encouraging.\n\nGrand Cairo is much the largest town in Egypt, but its precise\npopulation is not known. A fire broke out in the Frank quarter, (the\nplace where most of the Franks live,) a few days before we arrived,\nand destroyed several hundred houses and much property.\n\nThe Copts have a curious custom about making their Patriarch. He is\nalways taken from a particular monastic establishment. When chosen,\nhe refuses to serve, and they literally beat him until he gives his\nconsent. The Abyssinians receive their Patriarch from Egypt; and\nafter having been chosen, and even gone into Abyssinia, he will\nrefuse to serve, and deny that he is the person sent to be their\nPatriarch, until they give him a sound drubbing, when he will agree\nto receive the office. There is a strange mixture of childish folly\nand weakness in such a practice.\n\nI was much struck with the immense numbers of water-carriers,\nemployed in bringing water from the Nile; some to deal out to\nindividuals by the cupful, some to sell to families by the load, and\nothers to water the streets before the houses of their employers.\nThere were hundreds, and possibly thousands, thus employed. The\ncommon goat-skins, taken off nearly whole, and sewed up, excepting\na small place, was the usual vessel. This they generally carried\non their backs, but some used donkeys, and others had camels, with\nenormous leather bags, made much like saddle-bags, that would carry\na barrel or more of water.\n\nThe range of the thermometer at Alexandria was from 74\u00b0 to 76\u00b0.\nThere was great uniformity, except when a sherack prevailed, which\nraised it several degrees. We had one while in the lazaretta,\nwhich covered us with dust, and increased the heat six or eight\ndegrees; it did not last long. As we ascended the river, there was\na considerable rise of the thermometer; and at this place it stands\nfrom 92\u00b0 to 94\u00b0; and it is not so warm now, I am told, as is usual\nat this season.\n\n\n\n\nLETTER XXIII.\n\n\n  _Alexandria, July 14._\n\nA little before we left Cairo on our return, I had a disagreement\nwith the captain in whose boat I had gone up from Atfi. On reaching\nCairo, I was induced, in part owing to the fire which was raging\nin the Frank quarter of the town, to think I had better not take\nrooms in that quarter, as otherwise I might probably have done.\nThe captain, who had been wishing to engage to take me back to\nAtfi, expressed his willingness that I should remain in his boat,\nretain the use of his cabin, and he would take me back for what he\nreceived for bringing me up; and engaged to be ready to start back\nat the time I named. When the time drew near at which we were to\nset off, I found that he was not likely to be ready to go, as he\nhad not discharged the loading which he brought up. It came also to\nmy knowledge, through Angelo, that he intended to make a special\ncharge for the use of the cabin, which I fully understood was a part\nof the accommodation he was to find me. On inquiry, I found that\nthus it was; and the prospect was that I would be detained, as well\nas greatly overcharged. I told him, as we had misunderstood each\nother, we must have a new bargain. I would agree to the bargain as\nI understood it; but not as he now explained it. He declared he\nwould not agree to it but as he understood it. I let him know I\nwould leave his boat, paying him for the time I had used the cabin.\nOn inquiry I found another boat was about to start at the time that\nI had fixed on, and made my arrangements to leave him. This took\nplace near night, and the captain changed his tone, and declared I\nshould not leave his boat. He would not allow his men to hand my\nbaggage; forbade the men of the other boat that was hard by to set\nfoot on his deck. The English consul was fully engaged with taking\ncare of the effects of the Franks who had been burned out; and,\nmoreover, night came on, and we had no way to get word to him. I\nthreatened the captain with a complaint through the consul; but he\nlet me know he cared not for the consul. Poor Angelo was in a great\nfright. He always had a fear of the Turks, and now all his fears\ncame over him. I did not myself feel altogether comfortable. There\nI was with my wife and three little children, in the cabin of a\nboat, the captain and crew of which were Turks, and had not only\nabused me, but positively refused to let me leave it. I had but\none servant, and he was much frightened. There was no alternative;\nwe had to stay and did stay that night, and that without any\nmolestation. At the dawn of day, the crew were at work unloading,\nand getting ready to set off. I had no intention, however, of\nremaining in the power of a captain who had shown me so little\nrespect. I found means to get word to a cawass of the consul's,\nwho was often employed near where our boat lay; and through his\ninterference had my baggage landed per force, paid the captain\nwhat the cawass said was right, and went on board the other boat\nwith my family. When the captain found that leave him I would, he,\nTurk-like, submitted to it with more quietness than I had expected.\nWe were all glad to get out of the boat, after the dispute, and none\nof us more so than Angelo, who did not seem to think his head was\nsafe on his shoulders, until he was safely on board another boat.\n\nThe vessel in which we took passage to Atfi had two giraffes on\nboard, destined for the United States. We did not see them until\nwe went on board the boat. They are a mild and inoffensive animal,\nand feed on dates, bread, and hay. They were under the special care\nof a mustapha or janissary of the U. S. Consul, who had engaged to\naccompany them to the United States. He had with him two Arabs, for\nthe twofold purpose of waiting on himself, and taking care of the\ngiraffes.\n\nThe wind up the river was so strong, that we found it much more\ndifficult to get down than we had found it to ascend; and but for\nthe energetic character of Mustapha, who had special orders to be\nin Alexandria by such a day, we would, in all probability, have\nhad a long passage. He hurried, and scolded, and used his cowskin\nfreely on the crew, hardly sparing the captain, with whom he had\nsome terrible quarrels. The wind was much against us, and we had a\nfew days that were most oppressively hot. At times we were obliged\nto lie by, and the wind covered us with dust and sand. We at last\nreached this place, but it took us nearly half as long again as it\ndid to go up. We did not get back, however, without experiencing\nsome of the evils of travelling in Egypt. The hot winds and dust met\nwith on our return, had given sore eyes to all our children. Some\nof them could hardly see; and Angelo, who had been our factotum in\nall our travels, was entirely laid up with the same complaint; and\nunder this affliction his heart began to fail him as to the long\nvoyage on which we were about to enter; and he fairly intimated\nthat he felt like changing his purpose, and remaining in the East.\nHe had lived with me above two years. In all my journeys, and\ntravels, and residences, Angelo never left me. He knew enough of\nEnglish to understand the directions I gave him, and enough of\nArabic to have intercourse with the people. I always found him\nhonest, and faithful, and attentive to my wants and interest. I\ntried again and again to teach him to read, but it really seemed\nthat his talents did not lie that way; after going over the same\nlesson twenty times, he still could not make it out; and without\nlosing his book, he gradually fell into the way of not using it. He\nwas raised a Catholic, as most of the Maltese are, but had fallen\nout with his priest before he left Smyrna, and seemed not inclined\nto have much to do with his church. He generally attended family\nworship, and either the English or Arabic preaching, but showed a\ndisposition to let little things keep him away. On the whole, he had\nless religious feeling than his advantages ought to have produced.\nHe always showed much attachment to our children, was a good nurse,\nand the children loved him. From the early part of our acquaintance,\nhe declared his wish to accompany me home; and up to the day of our\nreaching Alexandria, I did not doubt that he would do so. I did not\nindeed see how we could do without him. But now his heart seemed to\nfail him; his eyes were grievously sore--and, possibly, as the time\ndrew near, he may have had an increase of fears as to how he could\nlive, where no one could understand his language. I am not sure,\nindeed, that a more special cause existed. He had manifested much\nkindness of feeling for a young female servant that had spent some\ntime in our family before we left Beyroot. I could not but think\nthat the thoughts of having so many thousand miles between them, had\nan influence which he did not own, and possibly hardly admitted to\nhis own mind. However that may be, he expressed a desire to remain,\nand we were able to make such arrangements as allowed of it. He\ncontinued his attention to the last day we stayed, and carried with\nhim our best wishes and prayers, that he prove as good a servant of\nJesus Christ as he has been to us; and meet us again, where all is\nlove, and purity, and peace.\n\n\nTHE END.\n\n\nBradbury and Evans, Printers, Whitefriars\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nTranscriber's note:\n\nText enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).\n\nSmall capital text has been replaced with all capitals.\n\nApparent minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.\nIrregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained\nas printed.\n\nThe cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the\ntranscriber and is placed in the public domain.","title":"Letters from Palestine: Written during a residence there in the years 1836, 7 and 8","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":87303}