THE HOT BATHS OF EMMAUS.

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at the barrenness of the surrounding hills. In former times, when foliage was more abundant and the ground more cultivated, this, as well as other regions similarly situated, must have enjoyed a much more temperate climate. I would fain have made use of the little boat, the only one now on the lake; but I was too fatigued, and, besides, had the prospect of fresh toil on the coming day.

And no sooner had that day appeared, than I was again on my way. I first paid a visit to the hot baths of Emmaus, which are on the shore, at the distance of half an hour's walk to the south of Tiberias. Ibrahim Pasha had a new bath-house built here in 1840, but it is already falling into decay. I had an idea of indulging in the luxury of a bath; but when I saw seven or eight natives disporting themselves in the large octagonal tank under the cupola of the building, I thought no more of it, but hasted from the hot vapoury atmosphere of the place. There are, indeed, some private bath-rooms, but in such a state of disrepair as to be unavailable to Europeans. The bath is highly valued by the natives. Just as I arrived, two Turkish officers rode off on their return to the camp on the opposite side of the lake. This ride of about nine miles they had taken that they might enjoy the refreshment.

I returned to Nazareth by the ordinary way of Lûbieh and Kefr-Kenna. The latter is a large and also a fine village with rich gardens, and contains some ruins dating from the time of the Crusades. It has been taken by some for the Cana of John ii., but

erroneously, as is shewn by Robinson in his oftenmentioned Biblical Researches.

How did I rejoice when, on returning to the house of kind Mr Klein, I found your letter of- Signor Finzi, to whom it had been forwarded by Mr Black of Beirût, had sent it on to Nazareth. I return you my answer by the same way. The Lord willing, I intend to leave this land by the steamer of the 22d June. If you can at all represent to yourself the long and arduous journeys which I have prosecuted day after day, you will not be surprised to hear that I must soon bring my travels to a close. Moreover, the heat is daily increasing, which to the traveller is no small impediment. That I have been enabled for several months to lead a life of almost uninterrupted movement over mountains and valleys, through all kinds of privation and danger, is a mercy that calls for deep gratitude. But I begin to feel that everything has its limits. I dare not continue my travels beyond the middle of next month, however interesting, and in many respects pleasant, they are. I have yet much land to explore, but as my time is limited, I shall have to pass over it with hurried steps. I regret this the less, as there do not remain many places to which scriptural association gives an interest.-With best wishes, believe me.

P.S.-I forgot to speak of the missionary labours in this place. What shall I say, my friend? It is only a beginning as yet, and you know that all beginnings are difficult. To-day fourteen men came to hear Mr Klein preach the Gospel. Everything seems as yet to be

dead; if now and then a blade of the spiritual wheat begins to shew itself, the unfriendly hand of the Latins is ready to tear it up. But the Lord reigns, and will not forsake the work of His own hands.*

* See vol. i. pp. 270, 271, 277, 278. The information which we have since received about Nazareth, is full of encouragement. There seems to be no place in Palestine where the preaching of the gospel has been attended with so much blessing. From a letter of Bishop Gobat's (see Record, January 5th, 1854), we learn that the Protestant community at Nazareth already numbers 200 members. The persecutions of the Latin Church have made these declare themselves the sooner as Protestants to the Turkish authorities.

FROM NAZARETH TO BANIAS AND DAMASCUS-TRAVELS IN

LEBANON-RETURN TO BEIRÛT.

SAFED, 25th May.

MY DEAR FRIEND,-As usual, I take advantage of the first leisure hour to tell you all that I have seen, and all that has occurred to me. Last night I was too tired to take up my pen. I had made a tour of twelve hours, besides being oppressed by a heavy sirocco. I feel more and more, daily, that I am much less able to endure the fatigues of the journey than I was at the beginning. No wonder, indeed, having had no time of rest to recruit myself, and prepare for what is yet before me.

This morning there was a change for the better in the weather. The sirocco had ceased; heavy clouds had gathered from the direction of the sea, and had cooled the atmosphere by discharging themselves in a smart shower with thunder and lightning. It was something quite unusual for this season of the year, but it has had the effect of reviving and refreshing nature. Safed, which has itself a cool and lofty situation, has, since the shower, become a place where new life may be inhaled. You perceive by the date of this, that I have allowed myself a day and a half here; I have been making arrangements for my further travels, and also filling up my survey which in January last I

A LITTLE KNOWN DISTRICT.

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was able to bring only as far south as Kefr-Burreim. (See vol. i. pp. 176, 177.) I rejoice to be able to inform you now, that I have to-day had it in my power to complete the triangles of my surveys by an excursion to Sasa. When I add my previous tours, and the route I followed yesterday, to what has been made known to us of Galilee by the late consul Schultz and other travellers, then will at least the principal localities of this part of the land come to light, and I hope I shall succeed in drawing up a pretty accurate map. The least known part of Galilee was the hill-country, to the north and north-east of Kana-el-Jelil, the site of the Cana of John ii. Dr Schultz, of all travellers during these late years, has been the one that has communicated most on this tract of country, It is in this region that he found the ruins of Jotapata the fortress which Josephus describes in such lively colours as impregnable, but which was nevertheless taken by the Romans, on which occasion Josephus himself fell into their hands. The villages 'Arrabeh, Sachnîn, Sellameh, Kefr-'Anan, Rameh, Ferathi, and others, were also recognised by Dr Schultz, as some of the most important cities of Galilee named by the Jewish historian. Dr Robinson, and Dr Smith, too, as they told me, in their last journey from Beirût to Jerusalem, passed through that district, and verified some of Schultz's discoveries. Yesterday it was my turn to traverse it, in quite a different direction, however, from that followed by the American travellers. I had left Nazareth early in the morning. The kind-hearted missionary Klein accompanied me as far as Sephouris, the ancient Dio Cesarea of the Romans, and in their