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CHAPTER XI.

 

We returned at our leisure down the ravine leading to the city, visiting the excavations, and viewing with delight the peculiar scenery; this defile runs at right angles with El Syk, than which it is much wider; it opens on a large space, where is one of the most curious objects in Petra--its theatre, which has thirty-­three rows of seats, hewn out of the rock, most of which are quite perfect; at the back, above; the seats, are chambers or boxes, also hewn in the rock.

 

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Its width is one hundred and twenty feet, and the scene (which was built) has disappeared altogether.

The beautiful proportions of the theatre are seen to great advantage from the upper seats, and thence, too, the view of the other ruins are splendid. H.-- and I remained behind the others, and reclining on its topmost bench, gave ourselves up to the contemplation of the extraordinary scene around.

The western range is full of excavated tombs  “high as the eagle's nest," many of then, being hundreds of feet from, the ground; and nearer stand rich and lovely specimens of temple and tomb, whose formation hewn as they all are, must have occupied the ancient dwellers in Petra through successive generations; unlike the Egyptians, the inhabitants of this rock ex­pended their wealth and talents in beautifying the exterior of their sepulchres, leaving the in­terior quire plain: but upon all has been stretched out the " line of confusion," and their stones are become " stones of emptiness;"

 

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" thorns and briars have come up in her pa­laces,” " nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof."

In attempting to describe this "terrible city, the words of the prophets offer themselves irresistibly, for the most complete picture of the capital of Idumea, in its present state, is that given in the sublime language of the Bible, uttered in its days of "pride;" and, yet how strong it was! far before us lay piled up moun­tains of rock, barriers that appear irresistible, but

 

"God cursed! and there was none to save."

 

We remained a long time absorbed in silent thought, and on arising bent our steps towards the Doric Temple, in the eastern range, over­looking the city.

This beautiful temple recedes considerably within the plain of the mountain, out of which it is hewn; two tiers of arches beautifully con­structed, support the large open terrace in its

 

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front, on each, side of which is a gallery hewn out of the rock, with five Doric columns; it appeared to me that the workmen, in cutting away to gain a surface sufficiently large for the facade, had removed the rock to too great a depth, and were obliged to replace it by the substructure to which I have alluded. The entablature and pediment; (which is whole) are surmounted by an urn, and supported by four immense Doric columns.

The simplicity and colossal proportions of this temple (which is one of the most perfect in Petra) pleased us exceedingly; after having contemplated it for some time, we threw our­selves on the mossy bed of the terrace, which is some height above the city, intending to feast our eyes on the scene from this point; but we were not destined to enjoy the calm and quiet so naturally looked for in such a place; a dozen strange Bedouins came running down the ravine towards the place where we were; they were talking as only Arabs can talk, and appeared

 

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very much excited, on seeing us they halted, but only for a moment, and were soon out of sight. In a few minutes after, the plot of ground near our camp appeared filled with Arabs whose furious tones rang through the valley; we de­scended in haste, and on our arrival found the men who had passed us.

It appeared they had heard the report of our guns in the ravine, El Syk, and had come down determined to share the tribute we had paid to our conductors; the fear that the Bedouins would make some such demand, no doubt was the reason of our guide's unwillingness to allow us to go to the entrance of that ravine, a mile beyond which is the abode of the whole tribe whose emissaries now honored us with a visit.

They are all great rogues, and will cheat one another, if possible; we did not interfere in their dispute, but retired to our tent, where the ther­mometer stood at 94°, but at night it stood at 74°, and the temperature was delightful.

 

 

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We were disturbed in the morning betime by the fellaheen, who were assembled at a short distance from our camp, still quarrelling, and making a great noise; we were glad on this account to rise a little earlier than usual, and after breakfast, started with an escort to see the wonders of the western range.

The principal object is El Deir, which stands at a great height at the back of the western range; we approached it over shelving rocks, and through narrow chasms, filled with olean­ders and wild fig-trees, the ivy and brambles hanging in rich festoons on the mountain's sides.

We passed an immense number of excava­tions, some of which had door-cases and small square openings above them; and at the very foot of the range these excavations were innu­merable. We found the track rather difficult, although in many places we met with flights of steps hewn out of the rock, much worn away.

No scenery can be more wild and grand than that by which El Deir is surrounded; the lofty

 

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peaks of the western range with its deep chasms filled with foliage, and the rugged crags of Mount Hor rising out of a perfect chaos of rocks, add much to its imposing appearance.

Its facade is towards the west, and there is a large open platform before it; the cold, gray colour of the mountain out of which it is hewn, gives it a dull appearance, when contrasted, in idea, with the lovely tints which illuminate the Khasn’e. The style of the Deir is exceedingly fantastic, and approaches nearer the Doric than any other: in spite of the relief given by the broken pediment, it has a heavy appearance, owing, perhaps, to the massive circular shields which ornament the architrave. The design is very bold; and though this temple has not the lightness and elegance of the Khasne, its colos­sal proportions and perfect preservation, strike the beholder forcibly. This was the temple which Captains Irby and Mangles saw only from a distance through a telescope.

We took an early dinner, and afterwards I--accompanied me to the Corinthian temple,

 

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in the eastern range; its design is similar to the Khasne, to which it is by no means equal, and from its exposed situation, it has suffered very much. Close to it, and hewn out of the same mountain is an immense excavation, which, from the smallness of its chambers, and the great number of them, I imagine to have been a tomb.

Its facade is splendid, and the largest in Petra, but like its companion it has suffered much from exposure. It has three rows of columns one above another, and from the ap­pearance of the rock above them, I believe it had two more at least.

The principal remains, except those I have mentioned, are a ruined bridge and triumphal arch of diminutive proportions. The only mass of masonry now standing, is one small build­ing near the western range, and called by the Arabs, Kusr Far'on; but an immense area is covered with small square blocks of stone,

 

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broken pillars, and walls. The appearance of Petra, when viewed from any point, is singular and interesting, but it is desolate in the ex­treme; the Arabs rarely enter it, and although many of its excavations are commodious, they seldom make use of them, even for folding their sheep and goats, on account of the scorpions, lizards, and other creeping things, which are to be found under almost every stone. On the first day after our arrival, we found two large scorpions in our tent, and I shuddered every night when I went to bed.  At 9 P.M. we had a gentle shower, and the temperature was de­lightful: went early to rest, having arranged to leave in the morning.

11th. At 7 A.M., I started before breakfast, attended by only one of the tribe, to take a last long look at El Khasn’e. I gazed on it with extreme delight, heightened, perhaps, by the knowledge that I should never have another opportunity; it appeared more lovely and bril­liant than ever. Of the local colour of the

 

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stone I have more than once spoken: it is no exaggeration to call it rosy; it is literally of a pink rose tint, varying only in its hue, which is in some places deep, in others, only a faint blush: fancy this material wrought into a tem­ple of exquisite beauty, and garlanded with the verdant gifts with which nature loves to de­corate the ruin: fancy this, and beyond this, temple, tomb, and heaped rock, glowing in the light of an eastern sun, and you may have some idea of the spot on which I now looked an adieu, which I doubt not is eternal.

M -- was there before me ! and as we re­turned together, we once more climbed the moss-­grown seats of the theatre, to take a last view thence; and there we found Mr. B--, (the Scotch gentleman, who it may be remembered, set out on the expedition equipped in European costume) seated, and diligently engaged in comparing the objects around, with--what will it be supposed? with the description in an old number of the Penny Magazine!

 

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Other chart or description I believe he had none; and sin­gularly constituted must that man have been, who could undertake the journey from Europe only upon the strength of the true, but brief account given in the work in question; or who, feeling even the inclination to do so, did not possess himself of some further information on the subject: but, perhaps lie was right; for at any rate, he must have been astonished the more, not knowing what to expect.

While he was endeavouring ( suppose) to test the exactness of the outline wood-cut lie held in his hand, I found myself insensibly oc­cupied, perhaps less successfully, in endeavour­ing to fancy what the scene before me might once have been; and in the contemplation of the ideal city, reached our camp, which was in all the bustle of preparation for departure,

 

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CHAPTER XII.

 

At half-past 10 on the morning of the 11th we left Petra, following the same track by which we bad entered; we, had not proceeded far when we left our caravan, and attended by half-a-dozen fellaheen and a few of our own men, ascended to Aaron's tomb on the summit of Mount Hor, to gain which it took us nearly an hour. In our progress we saw an immense number of lizards; they resemble those of Italy, sand I thought them so beautiful, that I asked the Arabs to catch one for me; but they all

 

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made their escape, some of them by leaving their tails in the hands of the men.

The view from this mountain is fine; towards the west, the valley of El Ghor appeared at our feet; its white sands pointing out the course the Jordan once held; the range of hills on the other side of the valley was low, and we saw for a great distance beyond them. Wady Moussa was completely shut in by mountains; we had a good view of the Deir.

The view to the east was confined by a very high regular range of mountains, resembling our downs of England; it divides Arabia Petra from Arabia Deserta, and runs as far as the eye cart reach; it was not so fine at this hour as in the early morning, and we could not see the Dead Sea, which, when the atmosphere is clear, is visible from this elevation.

A small mosque is built over the tomb, which is of white marble, with an Arabic inscription one of the fellaheen, more bigoted than the rest, objected first, to our entering the tomb;

 

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but he soon gave way, and we descended a flight of a dozen steps, which led to a very narrow vault, in which we could only see a lamp burning.

We descended to our camp, which was pitched half an hour's march from the mountain. This evening, with our tents closed; it was only 64°; but we were at least from 1000 to 1500 feet above the Wady El Ghor.

12th. As I threw down the clothes of my bed, to rise, I saw a very large scorpion creeping close to me. I instantly leaped out, taking care not to touch him; and as I had no wish to pass another night with such a bed-fellow; I put him into A--'s bottle of spirits of wine, and felt thankful for my escape: this dreadful visitor, no doubt, came from Petra in my bed.

At 8 A.M. we left our caravan, and with a few Guides, descended to the valley of El Ghor, by a shorter track than the one our camels followed; it was a tedious road, and it was four hours before we reached the valley; our caravan

 

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was not in sight, and we crawled under some miserable shrubs to escape from the heat of the sun, in spite of scorpions and all other creeping things: we had only one small bottle of water with us, and suffered much in consequence. In about half an hour, Salami came galloping in advance to find us; soon after our caravan made its appearance, and we were glad to get on our camels; we struck out for the other side of the valley where we en­camped; found several coveys of partridges, and fortunately bagged a brace.

As our servants were pitching our tents, Mr. –-‘s dragoman struck a camel with his tent-­pole, for which the owner of the animal seized him, and a fight ensued, which might have ended seriously, had we not interfered; though large men, they were like children in our hands none of them have any muscular power.

13th. We started at our usual hour, and marched nine hours, one of the most fatiguing days we had in the desert; in the morning it

 

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was cloudy, but our protectors soon vanished: we left the valley, and turned in among the low sand-hills, which bound it on the western side; and were nearly broiled by the intense beat of the sun: there was not a breath of wind. We passed several springs of excellent water. At a great distance we saw a few gazelles, and in the evening an Arab brought a small one to our camp.

We were very much annoyed by flies, the first we had seen since entering the desert; and our tent was full of beetles, and camel's and other lice: our provisions were nearly out, but we were only three days from Hebron.

An hour after our start the next morning, we ascended a very high mountain-pass, called Syke Suphe; it was very steep, but my camel carried me up with ease: from its summit we had a fine view of the desert, through which we had toiled so many days. It was over this pass that one division of Ibrahim Pasha's army retreated from Syria; and fine as the desert

 

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appeared to us, it must have been a terrible prospect for the poor Egyptians; the pass was covered with skeletons of men, horses, camels, and donkeys; also, saddles, harness, and cloths. Hundreds must. have perished here.

We passed through several narrow valleys, and crossed an extensive plain, called Turaybat, where we met a great company of mules and asses with their drivers: the latter saluted our sheik: encamped at a place, called Kaurnoole, on the site of a ruined town.

15th. Having crossed the range under which we had spent the night, we entered the pretty Wady Cuperbal, in which were a great many ruined walls; the herbage was brown enough, but delightful to our eyes, and several herds of camels and flocks of sheep and goats were scattered about.

This led to the great plain Wady Ilwaller (for wady means plain as well as valley) in the centre of which are two fine Roman wells, about sixty feet deep; the coping-stones much worn by the ropes.

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There were a few Arabs drawing water, who 'saluted us in a friendly manner, and drew for us, and for our camels. Near the wells were large stone basins for the cattle to drink in, and not far distant, the remains of a very large town; the plain was covered with a scanty crop of brown herbage, on which, as in the Wady Cuperbal numerous flocks were feeding. I rode my camel into a rich patch of grass, but it pre­ferred a miserable shrub that grew near it; we found plenty of quails in the small patches of corn.      At evening we pitched our tents on the borders of Palestine, but we did not get much rest, for our Arabs were seated in a circle round a good fire, singing, and clapping their hands, and making a fine noise, almost all night.

At the usual hour, 8 A.M., we started by a track which led us over the mountains; after passing the first range, the scenery changed, and we entered on an undulating country; the

 

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hills were rocky, and many of them covered by ruined towns; about 10, we saw for the' first time since leaving Cairo, small fields of cultivated ground. As we approached the ruined town of Issemoor, an Arab, well mounted, rode up to the head of the caravan; he had only a few men with him, and they were unarmed; but in the distance we saw the whole tribe running towards us. The sheik, who was armed with a mace, which lead an iron head, fluted, ordered us to the halt: to show the fellow that we were not defenceless, we brought out all our fire­arms, 40 barrels, independant of the matchlocks of our men, (a sight quite sufficient for any one tribe of Arabs,) and without saying a word to him, we drove our baggage-camels before us, and continued our march, leaving Salami to settle the affair, which he did (he said) by pay­ing forty piastres; the object of the tribe having been to exact tribute for passing through their territory.

The track we followed, uphill and down dale,

 

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was very difficult and dangerous in places: the corn was out in ear, and enriched by its deep colour the scenery in the valleys, but the hills were very rocky and barren; till at half-past 3 P.M., we entered, by a very difficult pass, the beautiful little Valley of Hebron, called Wady Khalyle; and we were quite delighted with its green freshness, as we rode along, returning the friendly salutes of its inhabitants. The vine­yards looked beautiful; and the whole valley (which is about two miles in extent) is exceed­ingly well cultivated, and filled with fig, olive, and other trees.

The town of Hebron lies at the base of the Mount of the same name; the houses are built of stone, and rise one above another on its slop­ing ascent, so that the whole many be seen at a glance; the dwellings are so clean and white, the gardens so nicely kept, and the springing trees were so refreshing to look on, that it ap­peared to us a perfect paradise: hundreds of its people came out to greet us.

 

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We pitched our tents on a nice open grass­plot, to the west of the town; where, as soon as we were settled, the Jews made their appear­ance, and supplied most of our wants. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and the town looked splendid. The dew was heavy, and we found it very cold and damp; the ther­mometer stood at 60° in our tent. There were immense number of dogs; their howlings re­minded me of Egypt.

Early in the morning we paid a state visit to the Governor, who sent a janissary to conduct us over the town. The first object of interest was the Mosque, containing the ashes of Abraham and Sarah. We were only permitted to look through two holes in the wall, through which nothing was to be seen; they refused even to let us go up the steps leading to it. We then visited the Jews, who live by themselves, in a very snug quarter of the town, which we found exceedingly comfortable and clean. We were kindly received by the Rabbi, a fine old

 

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fellow, who appeared delighted to see us. Re­freshments were handed round, and we talked with him for a long time; but his tongue was tied by the presence of the Turkish Janissary; for he secretly informed us that they were still the objects of persecution. They conducted us through the schools, and pointed out everything of interest. It was quite a treat to us to see the women unveiled; they were all very fair, and many of them pretty. The faces of those we passed in the town were so entirely concealed, that we could not see a single feature.

On our return from the schools, we passed through the bazaars, which were very poor, but all the houses are well built.

After dinner, the Governor, attended by the military commandant, returned our visit, and found our tobacco so good, that I thought he intended to sit smoking all night.

18th. It rained hard early in the morning. We held a grand council, at which Salami at­tended, with his men.

 

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We informed him that we were well pleased with them all, and pre­sented him with the remainder of his money, and also, the handsome dress we had promised him. He appeared exceedingly pleased, thank­ing us with much warmth, and after the usual salute, took his leave. His tribe is one of the most powerful to the south of the Dead Sea the fine dress and arms he wore were given him by the Pasha of Egypt, for escorting the Hadj.

I cannot conclude this chapter without ex­pressing my regret that talented men should lose so much of their valuable time in insisting on the literal and entire fulfilment of the pro­phecy against Edom,  “None shall pass through it for ever and ever;" as if the traversing of that land by a single individual, in any degree, invalidated a prediction visibly fulfilled in its minutest particulars. And yet, that some such fear impressed one writer, who admitting that Burkhard did pass through the land, thinks it necessary to qualify his statement by assuring

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us  “that he died immediately after," is clear. Is this the way to look at this subject? Does the writer imagine that the Arabs of Wady Moussa never stray beyond the narrow limits of their valley? We did pass through Idumea from south to north, and encamped three days in its capital, and nevertheless, I am as satisfied of the fulfilment of the above prophecy as mortal can be. Idumea was once the great highway of the nations, and Petra a rich and powerful city; the former is a desolate wilderness, the once flourishing and strong city of the Rock, almost unknown to man. Let any one look, as I did, on the one and the other, and then say, if more than he sees be required to complete the prophesied condition of Edom!

 

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                                                                                                                 CHAPTER XIII.

 

The best months for crossing the desert, are February, March, and April; the heat was occasionally oppressive, particularly in the nar­row passes; but, on the whole, I did not find it so great as I had expected.

The Khamseen is terrific; it blew only for three days, and fortunately at our backs; for had it been in our teeth, we must have halted, for the camels will not face it.

In the desert no dew falls, and we had not a spot of rust on any of our suns or swords.

 

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On the seventh day from Cairo, we reached the Fountain of Elim, and on the eighth, a small pool, an hour's march to the left of our track; but the only good water between Cairo and Sinai, are the two pretty streams running through the Wadys Feiran and lne; the former is reached on the tenth day. From Akaba there is plenty, and thence we carried very little with us, there being abundance at Petra, and on the way to Hebron. Besides these places, there are numerous natural basins in the mountains, known only to the Arabs, but which must not be relied on. To Akaba, three travellers, with two servants, must carry five skins; they keep the water very cool; but I found it, after the first day, so offensive, both to the smell and taste, that nothing but extreme thirst would in­duce me to touch it; on these accounts I would recommend a small barrel for drinking-water, unless the skins are particularly good, which ours were not. I have mentioned, that I carried a large bottle of tea, and that my companions adopted the plan. A camel cannot well go

 

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longer than three days without water, and like the Arabs, will never pass it without filling their skins. They drink an immense quantity; are timid and patient; they rarely trot, unless urged: ours were loose, and fed by the way, except between Cairo and Akaba, where they found little to eat, and were fed on beans; but from thence they subsisted entirely on the herbs and shrubs. Between Sinai and Akaba, the valleys are filled with a low shrub, with a yellow flower, the odour from which is so dreadfully disagreeable, that I could hardly sit my camel after it had eaten of it: they will not feed on it unless forced by hunger.

Our charcoal lasted only half way to Akaba, but our cook picked up plenty of sticks by the road. We consumed great quantities of tea, coffee, and tobacco, and lived principally on mutton, rice, maccaroni, and biscuits, with now and then a fowl or kid: we carried flour, which is a great necessary, and Ishmael used to make capital puddings; but pilaw! pilew! Quite

 

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sickened me; and nothing short of camel-riding, which is strong exercise, could have rendered it tolerable.

In the evening, when the camels were driven away to feed, some of the Bedouins would assist the cook in making a fire, (the first thing to be thought of,) while others would get up the tent, and arrange the beds, in form of a divan; meanwhile, we enjoyed a little repose on the sand, and after a wash in half a pint of water, used to look anxiously towards the cook's tent, and take our seats with an appetite truly enviable; but very necessary for the enjoyment of the poor fare set before us. After dinner, we used to recline on our divan, smoking and en­joying our coffee, when old Hassan, or Salami, generally paid us a visit, or rather, our coffee. After this, I used to take a stroll, and the beautiful picturesque position, in which our camp was sometimes pitched, and the moon­light, often tempted me to remain wandering round, or seated near it, till a late hour.

 

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The common Egyptian tents are the best, for they are better understood by the Bedouins than the English ones; our neighbours, in the big tent, which had been brought from Europe, were hammering away long after we were comfortably settled in ours, which we had taken from Cairo.

We saw but little of the tribes in our pro­gress--now and then a few tents; but the sheik informed us they lived higher up in the mountains. A few of the tribe would come out as we passed, and salute our sheik: they take the hand thrice, repeating each time the word "Salami." The Bedouins are great admirers of fine arms, and were astonished when I drew my long straight sword from the stick; and Ishmael was delighted when I afterwards gave it to him. They all carry sticks of a peculiar from, which are manufactured in great numbers at Damascus. The men of Wady Moussa are the best made, and best-armed tribe we saw. The Arabs have the character of being great

 

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pilferers, (which I believe they well deserve), but fortunately, our conductors were not anxious to sustain it, and we lost nothing. Ishmael was my dragoman through the desert and Syria, he spoke English and Italian, and was a capital cook-an Arab.

Agassi was my favorite dragoman; I had him only in Egypt; he is a capital fellow, but could not think that Khawaja  Englese's purse had an end, and consequently mine met with no mercy at his hands. He, too, is an Arab and speaks Italian well.

Our men were handy, and willing to do any­thing for us, and the Alouins certainly improved on acquaintance; but I was much disappointed with the Arabs generally; they lack that bold and daring spirit of which I always fancied them possessed; and instead of the open chi­valrous bearing which I thought the chief cha­racteristic of the lords of the desert, we found them mean, cunning, and avaricious in the extreme; and on every occasion in which we

 

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had to deal with them, have I been disgusted, as they cavilled for piastre after piastre, in the fashion of a Dutch auction. I did hope to see the opinion I had formed, fully sustained; and felt exceedingly annoyed as it dwindled on the development of their real character. There is nothing manly about them, and they rejoice in few good qualities: among these are, however, a strict regard to their own rude laws of ho­nour, and extreme humanity towards animals; it is, no doubt, a mistaken feeling on this point that induces them to refrain from killing an animal when disabled. We had proof, too, that they will on no account kill even the most noxious reptile; and in a country where human life is so little valued, this strikes one as singular.

They have no idea of distance, counting by so many days' march. From Cairo to Sinai is 13 days, (or by a different track from that we followed) 12; from Sinai to Akaba, 6; from Akaba to Petra, 5 ; from Petra to Hebron, 5.

 

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                                                                                                                  CHAPTER XIV.

 

APRIL I8th. The sheik whom we had engaged to take us to Jerusalem presented himself at 10 A.M., and at that hour we struck our tents, and left Hebron. The appearance of our caravan was much altered; we were mounted on horses, and our baggage only carried by camels. I should have enjoyed the ride, even on the miserable hack I had, had I been able to stretch my legs; but their saddles are perfect instruments of tor­ture, for it is impossible to sit in them except in the Turkish style.

 

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The track we followed was one of the most dangerous I ever travelled; we crossed a great many rocky mountains, about which, numerous flocks of goats were scattered, and the valleys were rich and well cultivated. We passed Solo­mon's pools--they are three in number, and almost all perfect; there was little water in them, but a beautiful little stream was running through the aqueduct thence to Jerusalem.

A ride of two hours brought us in sight of Bethlehem. On our arrival at its convent, we found the monks could not accommodate us all, so I and two or three others, encamped in an olive grove about a mile and a half from the village.

We joined our companions at the convent next morning, and were conducted by the Superior over the establishment, which is of great extent, and well fortified.

The church possesses considerable claims to notice: it is large, and its roof of cedar is sup­ported by forty-eight columns, (each of a single

 

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block of marble), arranged in two rows on each side of the centre, forming aisles and side-aisles, as in Notre Dame, Paris.

Our conductor led us hence through a long subterranean passage into a small chapel under the convent, and as tradition says, over the manger in which our Saviour was born. The pastoral inhabitants of the neighbourhood of the present time certainly make caverns like these occasionally serve as places of security for their cattle; and thousands of pilgrims who come to kneel in this chapel, made solemn as it is by silence, and the constant soft light shed from the hanging lamps above them, believe that the rocky caves in which it stands, were applied to a similar purpose more than eighteen hundred years ago, and that they verily worship at the “Shrine of the Nativity."

It would, doubtless, add to the interest of the looker-on, if he could think so too; but the single consideration that many years must have passed after that event, before the manger at

 

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which the wise men of the East knelt to offer their typical gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus, would have been sought out, forbids it. His earthly companions and im­mediate followers, they who worshipped in spirit and in truth, would naturally occupy themselves rather in meditating on the mercies and mira­cles of his life and death, and in doing his will, than paying external reverence to his humble birth-place. It is only when a church becomes less spiritual, that its members seek with avi­dity, visible objects to stimulate their waning faith; this has filled the church of Rome with relics, and her worship with forms.

If we admit the above consideration, in refer­ence to the first Christians, we shall perceive, that the generations who succeeded them, must have found it difficult, if not impossible, to identify a spot, of which the recollection had not been preserved by earlier inquiry; and which time, and his mutations, in the meanwhile, might have done his worst to efface. Whatever others may think

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on the subject, I must confess, that this view of it always prevented my believing the traditional locality of the events, of which this Holy Land was the theatre, except where supported by na­tural and historical facts; and I felt more delight in gazing from the top of the convent, over the beautiful view around, and thinking, that within ken lay, perhaps the very spot, where the shephreds watched their flocks, when the multi­tude of the heavenly host proclaimed the good tidings of great joy, than in listening to the monks' account of anything in their keeping.

It was something too, to be in Bethlehem; the place, which as infants, we learnt to know and love. With what simple beauty is it chonicled in Holy Writ: the virgin and her child --the angelic anthem--the wail of Rachel;--who can think of all these, and walk unmoved through the vineyards and olive groves, which now sur­round the ruined village of Bethlehem?

The inhabitants are almost all Christians, most of whom speak Italian. The village stands

 

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on a high hill, and is built of stone. An hour's march thence brought us within view of Jerusa­lem: little of the Holy City is to be seen from this road, but I found the general aspect of the un­dulating country around it, just what it is repre­sented in most of the old prints; offering, (no doubt,) in its present uncultivated state, a strong contrast to the view it must have exhibited, when made to minister to the necessities of a populous city.

At noon we arrived at the Bethlehem Gate, but were not allowed to enter. An Italian doctor, in the service of the Sultan, informed us, that the plague was raging at Cairo, and that we should be obliged to perform quarantine for ten days at least; we were ordered on to an open space, and guards were put over us. A few minutes after this, H--, (one of our party who had preceded us) made his appearance, with the British Consul, and was quite surprised to find us in quarantine: we hastened to inform the doctor that our contract, signed by the

 

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British Consul at Cairo, would prove that we had left that city more than forty days; he said, if we could produce that document he would be satis­fied: it was then placed on the ground, and the farce ended. The majority of our party went to take up their quarters at the convent, but the consul took me and two of my companions to a private house, where we were offered the accom­modation of one large room; and while our ser­vants were cleaning and putting it in order, invited, us home with him, and we did not take possession of our apartment till the evening--a miserable one it was to look at; its walls were broken and discoloured, and the only furniture it contained were two or three chairs, which had lost their legs, and a broken table; but we enjoyed ourselves in spite of our little troubles: folks are not apt to be very fastidious after sojourning in the desert; and after a refreshing night's rest, I arose, anxious to tread the footpaths of that city, which so many pilgrims, from afar have, through successive generations, sought and loved. And here, let me

 

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say, that the beauty of Jerusalem must not be sought in her present fallen and deserted state; but lies almost wholly enshrined in all that links her with the past, with the prophets, priests, and kings, whose history God himself has chronicled, and with him who united in his own person their three-fold offices. Its streets are gloomy, ruin­ous, and dirty--its bazaars poor; but from some points beyond its walls, the city still has a grand and imposing appearance, and in every view the magnificent mosque of Omar is the most con­spicuous object.

This mosque occupies the site of the temple, and was commenced by the caliph, whose name it bears, in the early part of the seventh century. No Frank is permitted on any account to set foot within its precincts; but from the top of the Pasha's palace, which is near it, we had a fine view over the large open space in which it stands, and over which are scattered fountains, orato­ries, cypress, and olive-trees; the raised centre of this space is paved with marble, and in nearly

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the centre of this marble space, rises the elegant dome of the mosque itself: along one side of the inclosed space is a long range of buildings of rich Sarecenic architecture, used as schools, &c. A gentlemen, who contrived, under an assem­blage of fortunate circumstances, to get within the enclosure, thus describes the building, in his letter lately published:--" It is octagonal in form, each side measuring sixty-seven feet. The lower division of the wall is composed of various coloured marbles, arranged in elegant and intri­cate patterns. The remaining portion is pierced with fifty-six pointed windows, filled with the most beautiful stained glass imaginable, per­haps, of greater brilliancy than the finest specimens in our own cathedrals.

A narrow corridor, about thirteen feet wider runs round the entire building inside, having eight piers and sixteen marble columns: the second corridor, which also runs round the building, is about thirty feet in breadth; the interior diameter of it is ninety feet: the dome is sixty-

 

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six feet in diameter, supported by four massive stone piers, and twelve ancient Corinthian mar­ble columns. The corridors are airy, light, and elegant; and the sun, streaming through the richly-stained glass windows, casts a thousand varied dyes upon the highly-decorated walls and marble pavements. In striking contrast to this is the sombre and impressive appearance of the dome: the eye in vain strives to pierce its gloom, to unravel its maze of rich Arabesque ornaments, and read its lengthened inscriptions, drawn from the Koran. In perfect keeping are the groups of pilgrims and Mussulmen, from all parts of the Mahomedan world.

Their picturesque variety of dress and feature, their deeply devout deportment, as headed by dervishes in green robes and high conical caps, they silently prostrate themselves in prayer, are very striking."

In the afternoon of this day, we paid a visit to the English Church, which has been founded near the Bethlehem Gate; it has risen four or

                                                                                                                           I 2

 

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five feet only above the ground; and a combi­nation of circumstances which has arrested its elevation at that point, seems likely long to re­tard it. The vice-consul and architect took us over the church, and chewed us the design; which is very beautiful.

Our first visit to-day was to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Whatever be its title to be considered as covering the tomb of our Lord, this edifice must ever have the strongest claim on the sympathies of all Christians, both for the sake of the blood and treasure lavished to rescue it from infidel hands by those whose

 

" Bodies are (lust, their good swords rust;

Whose souls are with the saints, we trust."

 

As well as for the feeling which has led thou­sands hither through sickness, toil, and pain, to kneel and pray the sins of a life away, as they believed, on the holiest spot of earth. Though it is impossible to identify with certainty through the rubbish five fathom deep, which now covers the original Jerusalem, many of the spots which

 

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claim to be those we would most willingly reve­rence, it must be admitted that nothing is ad­vanced to prove that this could not have been the place of the sepulchre, though the much debated question of the course of the ancient city wall, must ever make the matter doubtful.

Under the centre dome of the church rises a white marble edifice, consisting internally of two divisions; the innermost of which encloses the sepulchre, or rather the marble, which is supposed to cover the rock in which it was hewn. The appearance of this inner sanctuary is impressive in the extreme; the faint day-beam, which struggles through its entrance, is dimmed by the light of very many pendant gold and silver lamps, of elegant form, which burn ever night and day, and shed a holy light on the prostrate figures of the pilgrims absorbed in devotion: incense burns around, and we regret being aroused from this impressive scene to look at the very slab on which Christ's body was laid-the stone on which the angels were seated when the

 

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Marys came to the grave, and many other relics."

I felt more delight in walking (as I did this evening) to the Garden of Gethsemane, and down the valley of Jehosophat, than I did looking on these things. The position of the Garden of Geth­semane, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, and the evident great age of the trees, which there for centuries have reared their venerable trunks, favour the tradition, that here it was that the Redeemer prayed in agony. After lingering some time here, we pursued our way by the dry bed of the brook Kedron, and the base of the Mount of Olives, through that portion of the Valley of Jehosophat, in which are the so-called tombs of Absolom and Zachariab, hewn out of the rock, and a few other excavations, forming the most remarkable group of tombs round the city; though it is impossible to say for whom they were hewn, there can be no hesitation in saying, certainly not for those whose names they bear. The first-named (Absalom's) is of a

 

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mixed Greek and Egyptian style, ornamented with Ionic pillars; another has a Doric entrance, and a third (that of Zachariah,) can be referred to no order.

Above these ancient tombs rises the range of rugged rocks, which is now the great burying ­place of the Jews, and hundreds of funeral slabs, covered with Hebrew inscriptions, are seen through its whole extent; for it is still the anxious wish of the sons of Israel to lay their bones in this valley, where sleep their kings and mighty men, and where they, as well as Christians and Mahomedans, believe they shall be aroused, when "time shall be-no longer," to meet their God, with the assembled world in judgment.

" I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people, and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations.

 

"Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. for there will I sit to judge all the heathen.

 

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" Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near.

 

"The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

 

"The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel."—JOEL iii. 2, 12, 14, 15 Ss 16.

 

Having seated ourselves, for some time, on the brink of a well near Absalom's tomb, and drank of its waters from the pitchers of some Arab women, who came there to draw, we crossed the ravine by a bridge opposite this spot, and returned home, deferring to another day, the further exploring of this awful valley.

One of the women who drew for us at the well was very beautiful, like her companions, she wore a large white linen veil over her head, falling in graceful folds on the shoulders, a sort of boddice or jacket, and a somewhat full petti­coat, with a scarf round the waist, completes

 

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their costume; the feet and arms are bare, with the exception of massive bracelets on the latter their limbs are beautifully formed, and all their movements graceful.

 

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                                                                                                                CHAPTER XV.

 

APRIL 23rd. I took my way this morning, through one of the few places about Jerusalem, from whose sanctity doubt and tradition have taken, and can take away nothing, "the Mount of Olives."

Leaving the Garden of Gethsemane, we slowly climb the ascent of the holy mountain, pausing often to look on the glimpses of the city presented to our view, beyond the openings in its ancient trees; but, though many of these partial views were grand, they sunk into insignificance when compared with the memorable prospect

 

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presented to the eye from the summit of the mountain.

Jerusalem, from this point still beautiful, is spread at our feet; and every object of interest she contains may be individualized. The most conspicuous is the Mosque of Omar, already de­scribed, standing in the centre of the view, on Mount Moriah, the summit of which has been levelled, and the lower portion artificially raised, to form the large platform on which it is built. On the left hand is Mount Zion, where is a mosque, said to cover the tomb of David, and near it the Armenian Convent. On the right of Mount Zion, the domes and tower of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre rise conspicuous; beyond Mount Acra, on which they stand, rises another elevation, Bethesda, crowned with a mosque. The curious low domes on all the houses, and the ruined and tottering condition of many, give a singular and picturesque character to portions of the city, to which the massive masonry of the

 

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ancient wall, (still in many places conspicuous,) offers a strong contrast.

The natural situation of the city is fine; I have named the hills on the summits of which it is built, and low at their bases lie the deep valleys through which the brook Kedron took its way. On the east is the Valley of Jehoshophat; on the south, the Valley of Hinnon; and on the west that of Gihon; but, looking beyond the city itself, other points of interest present themselves; be­low the olives of Gethsemane, the grave-stones of the Jewish cemetery and the tomb of Absalom gleam through the trees; a little further the village of Siloam is seen, and further still, ex­tends a bleak space, where the nations, which successively “encamped against Jerusalem," set their battle in array.

Between the Mount of Olives and Siloam runs the road to Jericho, through wild volcanic-look­ing hills, and the eye ranges from these up the Valley of the Jordan, towards the Dead Sea; the

 

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mountains of Moab, and a vast extent-of desert country.

This was all lying before us in the broad-noon day, but this is not the time to view, in its fallen state, the city over which in its beauty, Jesus wept; rather let the traveller who would muse on its past and present, gaze on it from this mountain, when the red flush of sunset fades, and the shades of evening succeed to the rich dyes with which it has tinted temple and tower, deep­ening the gloom of the olive groves and the valley where sleep her dead.

Having spent some time in contemplating the objects here mentioned, we took our way towards the western extremity of Mount Olivet, where lies the village of Bethany; its approach is through corn-fields, and from these its white roof's are seen beyond groves of olive. It is a beautiful walk, and cannot fail of recalling to the me­mory many touching portions of the New Tes­tament.

We were fortunate in being at Jerusalem at

 

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Easter, when it is thronged with pilgrims, who at this season annually resort thither. Christians of various denominations, and from distant parts of the world, come to experience the healing or sanctifying powers which they believe the waters of the Jordan to possess. The way lies by Jericho as unsafe for travellers now as when it was chosen by our Lord as the scene of the parable of the Good Samaritan; and we have arranged to ac­company the English Bishop to-morrow, in their track, for it is not safe to undertake the journey unless well protected.

April 25th. A beautiful day; we mustered (as had been agreed,) outside the town, near the Mosque of Omar, and numbered twenty-five English, including Bishop Alexander.

Our baggage was packed on mules, and we were mounted on very good horses. The great ­Hadj had left the town very early in the morning, and consisted of from five to six thousand Chris­tians, from almost all parts of the world.

      After passing through Bethany, the track was

 

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difficult, and as we approached the great valley of the Jordan, it became dangerous, and so very steep, that we were obliged to dismount; at this point we were at least three hundred feet above the valley, over which we had a fine view, but could see nothing of the river; the rear-guard of the Hadj was forming at the foot of the mountain, and a long, straggling line of camels, donkeys and their drivers, stretched across the plain to a great distance.

We passed the site of Jericho, about a mile from the foot of the mountain, close to the deep bed of a torrent; it was a mass of ruins, Ibra­him Pasha having destroyed it during the war; but in spite of its ruinous appearance, I was delighted to find myself in a town I had been so repeatedly requested to visit; " Go to Jericho," rang in my ears; and I thought I had at last gratified many a friend. This thought, however, soon gave way to others which the history of Jericho may be supposed to suggest.

We found the pilgrims encamped within a

 

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short distance of it, and amused ourselves in their camp until our baggage made its appear­ance; it was protected by a regiment of Turkish troops, five or six hundred strong, commanded by the Pasha of Jerusalem: we were surprised and delighted to see so much toleration: en­camped about three miles farther in the valley, close to the Well of Elisha;  the water was sulphurous, but we drank great quantities of it.

The Pasha politely offered to send a company of soldiers to protect us at night, which we de­clined with many thanks: it was fine moonlight, and the appearance of our camp was very beautiful, though perfectly different from what I had so often viewed with delight in the desert; instead of camels and wild Bedouins, our tents were surrounded by horses and mules, and Syrian peasants; after a long look at it I retired to rest.

About half-past 3 A.M., I was awoke by a great noise; I jumped out of bed and dressed as soon as possible; I had not left my tent

 

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many minutes, before an immense multitude rushed by our camp, at a great pace; it was very dark, and here and there were fires in iron frames, held high in the air, which threw a faint light on the mass as it swept past us, through a very uneven country; the noise they oc­casioned was thrilling in the extreme: horses, mules, donkeys, and camels, (many of the latter carrying whole families,) were urged to their best pace, and hundreds on foot were running, guarded by a cordon of soldiers; it was a very striking and imposing sight.

After burning our throats with coffee, we jumped into our saddles, and made across the valley after them. M-- and I took the lead, and as I dashed over the brushwood and uneven country, I felt a little of the excitement I had so often enjoyed in merrie England; it was quite a treat after so much camel-riding.

We over­took the rear, and found ourselves in a glen filled with underwood, from five to ten feet in height, and with all sorts of animals pressing

 

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forward to the Jordan; the fires were still blazing, and the appearance of the glen was wild and singular in the extreme.

We squeezed ourselves with great difficulty through the mass of pilgrims and cattle, and after half an hour's hard work, reached the high bank of the Jordan, on which the Pasha was seated, enjoying the scene, which was extraor­dinary indeed. The glen was lighted by fires, and every twig appeared alive; all were press­ing forward to the river, in which were men, women, and children of all ages, undergoing the ceremony of submersion, washing their clothes, and filling their water-bottles. Instead of dip­ping the old people, they poured three cups of water over their heads, but the young ones were ducked without mercy; they all wore loose white garments, and behaved with the greatest propriety.

All was over by the time the sun lighted up this beautiful spot; the wood naturally grows to the water's edge on both sides, but is kept

 

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low on this part to allow a passage for the pilgrims. The Jordan is a very rapid and muddy stream, about fifty feet in width. After the pilgrims had left, we followed the course of the river for some distance above the place they had occupied, but found it so muddy that we re­traced our steps, and fixed upon bathing at a spot about five hundred yards below that where they had been.

The great Hadj returned the same day to Jerusalem, and we sent our baggage in the same direction, and proceeded ourselves through the valley of the Jordan, which has much the same appearance as the valley El Ghor, only its width is greater.

On reaching the Dead Sea, some of our party bathed, and found its waters exceeding buoyant; I was afraid to experimentalize myself, having only a few hours before bathed in the Jordan. The water of this lake is of a yellowish green colour, none of our horses would touch it.

 

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I washed my legs, and it stood in drops upon them, as if they had been greased.

We rode round the head of the sea, and up a very steep mountain pass, from which we had a fine view of the valley, and over some very high mountains, to the great convent of St. Saba. I had left my tent in such a hurry in the morning, that I found myself unprovided with tiffin, so had to depend on the liberality of my companions, who were themselves but slenderly provided; we had not a single water-bottle be­tween us, and suffered dreadfully from thirst.

The approach to the convent of St. Saba is singular, the road being on the edge of a deep ravine, and in whose rocky sides, hundreds of cells are excavated; they were inhabited by hermits, who were murdered by the Turks. We arrived between 3 and 4 P.M., and entered by a door at a great height above the convent, to which we descended by several low flights of steps. We were kindly received by the Superior,

 

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and after a wash, and a very long pull at the water-jug, we all assembled in the divan, where we were served with sweetmeats, arrack, and coffee; and in an hour after with a capital din­ner. This convent is extensive, well-built, well­-fortified, and exceedingly clean. Eight of our party slept in a room large enough for fifty.

We left at nine next morning; the Bishop, with some of our party went on to Bethlehem, and I and the others returned to Jerusalem; we walked our horses all the way, and reached the villages and pool of Siloam at half-past 12. The latter is surrounded by a wall of loose atones, and its waters flow as " softly" as in the days of the Prophet, who so described them. Gracefully are these walls garlanded with foliage of a tender green, and the view from the time-worn steps that lead to the smooth waters, is very imposing. The picturesque pool and its approaches, with groups of women, camels, and horses, coming for water, form the foreground; and the steep ascent of Mount

 

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Moriah, which rises behind it, is varied by groups of mulberry and olive-trees, and crowned by the embattled wall of Jerusalem, (which at this point exhibits its towers in all their ancient strength), relieved clear against the sky; for at this distance below the city nothing is seen to rise above them.

The village of Siloam lies near the lower extremity of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, which we had not before explored; and if we were struck with the appearance of the upper extre­mity, we were much more so with this part which is not often visited by travellers. Siloam lies high above the bed of the brook Kedron; in the tombs hewn in the steep rocks of the valley, to which the mighty men of Judah were borne with all the pomp of funeral  “burnings," many of the Arab inhabitants have made their' dwelling-place, and there do they fold their flocks; while those who have not found accommodation in the tombs themselves, have erected among their fragile huts whose appearance adds

 

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to the wild aspect of the scene: and anything more wild and grand than the prospect all along the rocky valley from this elevation, can­not well be imagined. Descending from this  “wild Arabs' nest," we took our way home­wards, and reached our quarters in the evening.

April 30th. At 2 P.M., went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to witness the “miracle" of the descent of the " Holy Fire," Two com­panies of Turkish troops were drawn up in front of the Church, to which we were admitted by the monks of the Greek convent, who placed us in the gallery within the cupola, from which we had a good view of the interior; the floor was crowded to excess by a sad set of ruffians, who were fighting and making a terrible noise. It was a motley assembly-- Greeks, Turks, Arabs; Copts, Armenians, and Abyssinians were there; in a terrible state of confusion.

About half-an-hour after we entered, the Greek, Armenian, and Latin Bishops, walked twice in procession round the sepulchre, with