evening was delightful; and soon we found they had become quite merry on their mutton. They laughed and sung joyously. At length, before a large fire they prepared themselves for the exhibition of one of their war-dances. A number of singers stood up in a row, singing loudly, at the same time performing various gesticulations, such as clapping their hands, and bowing themselves at times nearly to the ground. There was but one dancer at a time; and he performed a few feet in front facing the singers. He held in his hand a sabre, which he continually flourished as he moved backward and forward, uttering at times a kind of gruff shout. They reminded me much of American Indians. The head sheik of the party was, I think, the handsomest Arab I ever saw. He was tall and straight, with a very pleasant and expressive countenance; was neatly dressed, and moved with dignity among his people. They called him Sheik Handam.

It is rather supposed, and not without good ground, that the ancient city of Jericho stood near these rivulets. There were ruins but a short distance from our place of encampment. I examined them; but at this lapse of time, it is not to be expected that many traces are to be found of the city which Joshua destroyed. On starting for Jerusalem early the next morning, we soon passed ruins. In several places were low, tumulus-like hills, which to me looked rather like ruined fortresses. In the immediate vicinity of these, were ruins of some extent, but all seemingly of unhewn stones. Not far from these are the remains of an aqueduct and other ruins; and

just south of the Jerusalem road, are other ruins, and the remains of a large, shallow reservoir. It is very probable to me, that the more modern Jericho of the days of Herod, stood in the place of these ruins. The miserable ruined village on the plain, is of still more modern date. Now, that is destroyed. At all events, a curse seems to rest on the fate of Jericho. "Cursed be the man before the Lord, who shall rebuild Jericho."

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem lies over a most broken, desolate, and unpropitious region. With the exception of the wilderness of Sinai, and some portions of Idumea, I never saw so rugged and dreary scenery. In some places we ascended by the side of precipitous and yawning chasms, where a false step of the horse might dash the rider to sudden destruction. It is on this desolate route that the Saviour lays the scene of the parable of the good Samaritan. "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves." The reputation of the road still holds the same. Here the unguarded traveller would be very apt to fall among thieves. The mountains abound in grottoes and caves, where robbers watch for prey, and from which they are ready to issue forth to plunder the defenceless traveller. At a certain place in this dreary region, we started a large flock of wild boars. The Arabs took after them on horseback, at full chase. Several guns were fired, but no shot seemed to tell. The chase was a fine one; but at length the boars, gaining the ascent of a mountain, made their escape. The road was almost one continual ascent, and totally destitute of interest, till we reached

Bethany, where we arrived at about 1, P.M. Near the place we overtook several miserable-looking Arab women, bearing bundles of small brush on their heads, for fuel.

Bethany is a miserable-looking village of some twenty or thirty buildings, situated on the eastern range of the Mount of Olives, sloping to the east. The houses are rudely built, mostly of rough stone, though some of them bear a few marks of antiquity, being constructed partly of hewn stones. It is probable that these have been used in other edifices before. Of course the monks show the house of Martha and Mary, that of Simon the leper, and the sepulchre of Lazarus! The pretended tomb of Lazarus is a deep vault, excavated in the limestone rock in the middle of the village. The descent to it is by twenty-six steps. The form is unlike that of ancient Jewish sepulchres; nor does its position accord with the New Testament narrative-that seems to represent that the tomb was out of the town. The name of Bethany, however, has much of sacred interest connected with it. It was there that Lazarus, Martha, and Mary dwelt. It was there our Lord raised Lazarus from the dead; and it was from a place near Bethany, that the Saviour ascended to heaven. Of the location of Bethany there can be no reasonable dispute.

Somewhere not far from Bethany was the village of Bethphage. Of that there are now no remains to be found. Probably it was situated a little east of Bethany.

Our course to Jerusalem lay over the middle range of the Mount of Olives; and thence, by the road that

winds round the south side of the western range. Passing the Garden of Gethsemane, the tomb of the Virgin, and the gate of St. Stephen, we were soon at our quarters in the Latin convent.

CHAPTER XIX.

Preparations for Departure-Last View of the Holy City-Samuel's Tomb-Ruins of Bethel-Inviting Scenery-A Night's Lodging-Joseph's Tomb-Jacob's Well-Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal-Nablous, the Ancient Sychar-Remains of the Samaritans-Ruins of Samaria-A Beautiful Landscape-All's Well that Ends Well-A Wedding Party-Janeen, or Jezreel-Mount Gilboa-Scripture Scenery Identified-Arrival at Nazareth.

It may be said the glory of Jerusalem has indeed departed. From her ancient high estate as the great Jewish metropolis, "the beloved city of the nations, and the joy of the whole earth," she now sits crushed under the iron rod of oppression. The sceptre has indeed long since departed from Judah, and Jerusalem is trodden down of the Gentiles. The cup of indignation from the Almighty, has been poured out upon her to the very dregs. She sits solitary; and a strange gloom has gathered over the beloved city and all her surrounding scenery. The Saviour of man wept her approaching calamities; and most fearfully have they come. The awful whirlwind of utter desolation swept over her, and Roman hands laid her glory in the dust. Successive woes have followed, and have now, for almost eighteen centuries, kept her bowed to the earth. How fearfully, and almost to the very letter, have been accomplished the awful predictions that pointed Jerusalem to her doom!

ཞ་

PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE.

I saw Jerusalem's sun had set

Her hills around look sear!

Messiah wept on Olivet,

Her coming woes-her fall; and yet,

She scoff'd at Mercy's tear!

Those woes have come-her charms have fled,
Save hills, and vales, and name;

Her Kedron no more laves its bed,
Bethesda's healing power is dead,
And Zion droops in shame.

But Palestine, to hope allied,

Again to life shall spring—

Shall burst her bands and fetters wide,
When He, whom once she crucified,
Shall reign, her rightful King.

303

Having now spent about ten days in Jerusalem and its vicinity, and having examined every thing in and around the Holy City, deemed of much interest, we were ready to leave and pursue our journey onward. A letter was given us by the governor of Jerusalem, to secure a kind reception wherever we might call for entertainment. This governor, by the way, is a very pleasant, accommodating sort of a Turk. He also instructed us to take a certificate from the health officer of the city, to secure us from any molestation by quarantine laws. This, too, on application, was readily furnished. A muleteer was engaged to convey us to Nazareth, and as much farther as we might desire. As there are no wheel carriages, nor roads for them, in the land of Palestine, conveyance on horses or mules is the best the traveller can expect.

The evening before leaving, we held a very pleasant interview with the good-natured old Superior of the convent. We handed him a suitable present in