the British consulate is represented, almost as a person who has too much money, and does not know how to get quit of it. Naturally, the greed of the Bedouïns is excited to the utmost by such a description, and Shech Hamdan is now convinced that you are about, in one way or another, to throw away some thousands of piastres in satisfying your curiosity with respect to the Dead Sea. He very well knows that should you refuse his price, you must make an agreement with some other Bedouïn tribe, and that they will demand nothing less. And the consequence is, that he is not now to be induced to lower his price."

"But according to what standard, then, do the Bedouïns regulate their price for allowing travellers to pass unmolested, and for accompanying them as escorts?"

"Standard! Why, according to any standard that the gentlemen who travel themselves choose to fix. For example, there came last year a party of four or five French gentlemen (M. de Sauley and his fellowtravellers), who travelled over a great part of the west coast of the Dead Sea, and Shech Hamdan was one of those with whom they had to enter into a contract with that object in view. Piastres seemed to be very abundant with those gentlemen; for I have heard the Bedouïns say that he even forced more gold upon them than they could with a good conscience accept, and I assure you the conscience of a Bedouïn is a wide one when the question comes to be of piastres. And when they are once spoilt, you can understand they do not easily lower their standard again.’

I now fully comprehended how matters stood.

Mr Mashullam received Shech Hamdan on a foot

ing of intimacy, and the shech shewed a wonderful degree of respect for him. Pipes were smoked during the conference, and coffee, with sugar, of which the Bedouïns are extremely fond, was liberally offered; what favourable effect Mr Mashullam's influence would have on the transaction was not long of being seen. But Shech Hamdan would not lower his terms, and refused, probably in the hope of my yielding at last, to take the sum that was offered; while Mr M. assured me that, with his assistance, I should meet with a better chance with one of the other Bedouïn chiefs. Once more, and this was perhaps for the tenth time, the shech went over the names of the places to which I wished to go :-meen hoon alla 'Ain Jiddî; meen 'Ain Jiddi alla Sebbeh; (from this to Engedi, from Engedi to Masada).

Nahm (yes), as often answered Mr Mashullam.

Meen (from) Sebbeh alla (to) Zuweira-alla Jebel Usdûm-alla Kûrnûb (in the southern wilderness)alla 'Ar'ârah (Aroër)-alla Bir-sheba (Beersheba) — alla Beit-Jebrîn.

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Nahm, challas!" (yes, you have gone over the whole), rejoined Mr Mashullam. But it was all to no purpose. At last the shech rose and withdrew.

"And who is this kind friend, Mr Mashullam, do you ask, who was so serviceable to you in this negotiation ?"

"Mr Mashullam (or Meshullam) came to Jerusalem at the commencement of 1841, for the purpose of establishing himself there.* Some years before that,

* See Rev. F. C. Ewald, Journal of Missionary Labours in the City of Jerusalem. London: 1846. Second edition, p. 90.

MR MASHULLAM.

the missionary Ewald had become acquainted with him and his family at Tunis. Having removed from thence to Malta, they were instructed in the way of the gospel by the missionary (now Bishop) Gobat, and on the 19th of July 1840, were baptized. 'I have reason to believe,' wrote Mr Gobat at that time, that the man is a true Israelite, and a living Christian.' Many books of travels have spoken of Mr M. as a keeper of lodgings in Jerusalem; until, scarcely three years ago, he withdrew from the din and bustle of the world to this calm valley behind the hills of Bethlehem. As a Christian and a British subject he was not allowed to purchase any landed property here, but this difficulty was overcome by his taking land under a long lease. Mr M. built for himself, close beside the ruins of the ancient Etam,* a small house, began to till the valley, which, though rocky, is watered by a running stream, ploughed, planted, and sowed, and may now gather in the fruits of his enterprise and industry. Yet his farm in Wadi-Urtas has not been brought to what it is without effort and difficulty, although even as yet it can be called only a beginning. WadiUrtas is a spot so rocky and bare, that it is hardly possible to conceive how Solomon could ever have thought of laying out his renowned pleasure-gardens in it; it is a narrow glen, betwixt high, bare, gray, calcareous hills, and a favourite camping ground of the Bedouïns. Hitherto they had been able in undisturbed repose to enjoy themselves at the charming brook; how then could they tolerate the presence of this foreign agriculturist? They were resolved to expel

* 2 Chron. i. 6.

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22

FARM IN WADI-URTAS.

him, and accordingly by day and by night he was molested and annoyed. Shots were even fired in the darkness of the night upon the quiet inhabitants of the valley from the heights. But M. kept his ground; by day he received the Bedouïns with kindness and goodwill, and redoubled his vigilance at night. Small services which he rendered to the Bedouïns ere long procured him friends among them; they began to appreciate his moral worth, and perceived that his establishing himself there was to be no disadvantage to them; and M.'s moral influence has now advanced so far that he is esteemed, honoured, and respected as the father of their fathers. Mashullam, as they have often experienced, stands under British protection, and has many a time done them service as a counsellor and mediator, when they have happened to fall out with the Turkish government at Jerusalem,—a matter of frequent occurrence, owing both to the despotic doings of the government, and to the lawless and independent manners of the Bedouïns.

Meanwhile, other rivals besides the Bedouïns have appeared upon the scene. I will not venture to inquire what first suggested the idea, but certain it is that a society has been formed in North America with the object of sending over colonists to Palestine, who were in the first instance to attach themselves to Mashullam's enterprise. Mashullam's name has been paraded in the Western world, at the head of the subscription lists, and the first seven North American colonists have, only within these few days, encamped in Wadi-Urtas. In travelling from Ramleh to Jerusalem I rode up to them, and had some hours' conver

AMERICAN COLONISTS.

23

sation with them, in the course of which they made me acquainted with their project.

"We believe, thus ran their story, from Holy Scripture, that the Lord will bring back his people Israel to Palestine, and that the time is at hand when He will shew His mercy for His banished ones. We are convinced also that the Lord in this case, as in His general government of the world, will make use of men in accomplishing all that He has promised. Palestine now lies waste and desolate, but if it is to be made fit for being inhabited, then must the soil be broken up and cultivated as in former times, just as the hearts of its inhabitants also must be broken up and cultivated to receive the seed sown by the Spirit. Well, then, we have forsaken our land and kindred in order to come and settle in Palestine. We will till the ground, in order to provide for our necessities by the labour of our hands, and to teach, besides, the poor Jews of Jerusalem how to procure their daily bread in this manner. At the same time we will make known to them Jesus, the Son of God, as the promised Messias who has fulfilled all things, and will thereupon wait for God's gracious blessing. Here we are ready to engage in his service. Let Him do with us as seems meet to Him."

Glorious undertaking! noble deed! thought I, and felt myself much encouraged by this remarkable incident. From the ends of the earth, the Gospel brought back to the place whence its first dawning rays were spread abroad! And behold, here this evening I find myself again among these American Christian colonists. Laden camels, together with implements and all sorts