being dirty and disfigured by numerous trenches for carrying off the
rain. The houses, between which lofty palms raise their towering heads,
are built of mud and stone. The inferior quality of stone consists of
shell detritus and shale conglomerate from the neighbouring
sea-shore, and the better material is brought from different ruins,
sometimes from a distance of ten to twelve hours' journey. The roofs of
the houses are flat, and over many of the entrances, which have wooden
lintels, a piece of bone is fixed as a protection against the influence
of the Evil eye. For the better defence of the inhabitants against the
incursions of the Bedouins, the houses have loopholes; ventilation is
provided for by a number of round holes arranged either in rows or
tasteful designs. As has been said, the principal feature of Khanyunis
is its Kala (see sketch), which abuts on a broad place or square, the
left side of which still shows traces of a former enclosure. On either
side of the entrance is a hall, with a fragment of a pedestal. That on
the left contains the modest dwelling of the governor, who lives quite
alone here, with but one servant. The Kala, which is 850 years old, once
formed a square, at the corners of which were circular towers, with oval
cupolas, and three embrasures. The two front towers only now remain, the
back wall having been quite destroyed, and the once enclosed square is
now filled with a wild confusion of wretched houses, half in ruins,
which serve the soldiers as a place of habitation. In the centre of the
front side is a gate with loopholes within the pointed arch, above
which is a Moorish frieze crowned with lilies. On both sides of the
gate, and on the broad front wall, are pyramidical battlements with
tapering ends. Inside the archway is an inscription of Sultan Bargut of
Cairo, and either side is ornamented with a lion, rudely sculptured in
relief. Arabic inscriptions are cut in the walls on both sides of the
gate, and in the gateway itself; no regard having been paid to keeping
within the stone rows. To the right of the gate, within the Kala, rises
the octagonal minaret of the mosque, from which is obtained a fine view
of the ruinous interior, with its labyrinth of dilapidated houses, as
well as of the whole village. From here four roads can be seen diverging
from Khanyunis, namely the El Harish road, the road leading to Suez
_via_ Akaba, the Benishaela road, and lastly, the Gaza road. At the
entrances to these roads are grouped the houses of the village. Raising
our eyes towards the horizon we saw the yellow sand-hills which bound
the plantations towards the sea, strikingly contrasting with the bright
green trees, and on the other side the rich verdant plain stretching
away towards Gaza, which may be discerned in the distance. The numerous
prickly-pear bushes surrounding the village on the Gaza side are a
conspicuous feature in the landscape.
We now descended to complete our inspection of the Kala. In the interior
the mosque, with its oval dome, has almost gone to ruin; but the fine
though simple marble pulpit still stands in good preservation. In the
midst of the ruins, which have a somewhat picturesque appearance, is a
house in a very dangerous condition, in consequence of a considerable
portion of the mosque having fallen on it a short time since.
Notwithstanding this, however, the people are heedless enough to
continue occupying it. Only a few steps' distance a lofty palm was
recently blown down by a violent storm. Thus the works both of man and
nature meet with a common destruction, the inhabitants not thinking it
worth while to do the least in the way of repair, or to make the
slightest attempt to protect themselves against impending danger.
Lethargy and nonchalance are the leading characteristics of Eastern
nations, and a certain evidence of the gradual decay of their religion
and race.
There is another mosque in the village opposite the Kala, but without a
minaret. From its exterior it is scarcely to be recognised as a Jama.
Near one of the ruined towers of the Kala's outer enclosure, and at the
corner of a house on the road to Gaza, stand ancient pedestals, serving
as seats for the Mayor, Sheik el Beled.
The Souk or Bazaar of Khanyunis is formed by two streets lined with
wretched Turkish shops, with mud or clay projections for seats. The
doors are made to flap upward, but they close imperfectly; the roofs
are, as usual, made of the Artemisia shrub. The goods exposed in these
shops come for the most part from Gaza and Jaffa; but the caps of
camel's hair and of cotton, as well as the white and black Syrian
mantles, are made by the villagers themselves. At the end of the
village, near the Souk, and on the road to El Harish, is the second
public well, about 18 fathoms deep, and built entirely of ancient marble
fragments. At the side is a cistern with cattle-troughs of the same
material, which evidently belongs to a more flourishing period than the
present. Somewhat further on, behind a slight hollow with stagnant water
and a few palm trees, in the Akaba and Suez road, is the burial-ground,
containing a few whitewashed tombs of step-like construction. At the
opposite end of the village, where the road is open to the surrounding
country, we came upon a hollow with embankments, and then took the road
leading to Benishaela.
In the neighbourhood of Benishaela there are many gardens, which bear
witness to the extreme fertility of the soil; though unfortunately there
is not a single well among them. Almonds and apricots are the chief
productions, and the raised ground enclosing them is often covered with
small branches of the thorny "Sidr." Near the village we saw several
"Sidr" trees, as well as tamarisks (Atel) and sycamores. The most
numerous class are the thorny Opuntias, which grow round some of the
gardens in rank luxuriance.
The people of Khanyunis do not live exclusively from the cultivation of
the ground; they are also largely engaged in cattle-breeding, and a
great many cows are to be seen in the neighbourhood. Of camels there are
but few; horses, on the other hand, are numerous. I also saw four
greyhounds of the Syrian breed. As is well known, it is Richard Coeur
de Lion to whom is ascribed the introduction into the Holy Land of the
greyhound, which, crossing with the ordinary street dog, originated the
above-mentioned breed. These dogs were not of pure blood; they were
spotted white and yellow, with shaggy hair and blue stripes, studded
with cowries, on their haunches. They are used for hunting gazelles,
which are frequently caught alive when very young. One of these graceful
creatures was brought to us and offered for a sum equal to six
shillings; it was very tame, and we carried it for some distance. But at
length it died, in consequence, as was said, of having eaten bread,
which, according to Abou Nabout's assertion, is very unwholesome for
these animals. The more probable cause was the trying journey it made in
a basket on a camel's back. There are only a few street dogs in
Khanyunis; but, as a compensation, any quantity of kites, kestrels, and
crows, which alight in hundreds on the loftier sidr or sycamore trees in
the neighbourhood, and may often be seen hovering over the village on
the look-out for prey and carrion.
X.
FROM KHANYUNIS TO GAZA.
The broad sandy road from Khanyunis to Gaza passes for some distance
through gardens with Opuntia hedges, and embankments crowned with thorn
bushes. To the left, the gardens extend to sandy hills; and to the right
as far as Benishaela, a village standing on an elongated hill, and
containing 500 inhabitants. Behind this is another village called
Abansan, with many cultivated tracts in the neighbourhood. On the
uniform hill-range on which Benishaela is situated, and which bounds the
valley on the land side, is the grave of Sheik Mohammed, at the foot of
an old tree, and adjoining a small house which serves as the Koubba. To
the right are the tents of the Bedouins, who are numerous here, and are
the sole proprietors of the rich meadow lands.
After keeping for some distance to the telegraph posts across the sand,
we again passed through meadows, and then reached the dry sandy bed of
a brook called Wadi Selga, bordered on the left by earth banks and on
the right by meadows. After heavy rainfalls the stream of this brook
extends from the mountains to the sea.
On the left hand, about half-an-hour's ride from the main road, is the
village of Der el Belah (enclosure of date-trees), the only one we met
with before reaching Gaza. It lies in a valley, on a Melleha, which is
only separated from the sea by a rather low shore, and bounded at the
lower end by sand and clay hills. The village is recognised from a
distance by the numerous slender palm trees, which give it a
particularly charming and picturesque appearance. It contains about 100
inhabitants, and consists of a few ruinous houses, the mud roofs of
which are covered with grass. Between the buildings are cultivated
pieces of ground, fenced with mud walls. Here and there we met with
fragments of ancient pillars. There is also a rudely-built and
dilapidated tower, tapering upward, and provided with loopholes, which
is occasionally occupied by soldiers. To the north of the hamlet there
is another Melleha, enclosed by beautiful groups of palms, and on the
seaside by sandy hills. Not far from this a direct road leads from Der
el Belah to Gaza, but we wished to follow the main road, and
therefore crossed the hills behind Der el Belah, over green meadows,
where we saw plenty of daffodils and squills. From the top of the hills
we had a view of the luxuriant meadows of the valley, where many cows of
the small South Syrian breed were grazing, and in which we observed an
old "Sidr" tree, called El Jemeter, near which there are said to be some
ruins. On the other side we had before us the wide sea, separated from
the meadows by sand-hills only, on which is a group of trees called Em
Maharnes.
[Illustration: NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GAZA.]
Having reached the road, we continued to advance across the plain, where
we met with numerous tents of Tarabin Bedouins and several head of
cattle. We remained but a short time for breakfast on the open meadow
land, being anxious to get to Gaza. Soon after we came to the dry sandy
bed of the Wadi Gaza, and, climbing the low hills lying behind it, we
could see in the distance the minarets and palms of Gaza, the sight of
which cheered the last steps of our journey. The town is situated to the
right, commanded by the Mountar Hill, so called from the Sheik who is
buried there. This hill is the principal feature in the landscape.
Leaving to the left the path which we have mentioned as joining the
main road from Der el Belah, we followed the sandy path along the
telegraph posts. We then passed through fields and gardens fenced by
thorny Opuntias, and planted with almonds, figs, olives, sycamores, and
a few tamarisks, and finally reached the Quarantine Building of Gaza by
half-past two o'clock.
Here we had to take leave of our camel-drivers; and not without regret
did I grasp the hand of honest old Daud, who had accompanied me the
whole distance from El Kantara.
All our superfluous luggage was here disposed of, for we were now in the
Holy Land, the land of Plenty and Wealth. After a few days' rest in Gaza
we started again with our horses and mules to make for the third time
the pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO BAZAAR, GAZA.]
THE END.
_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, _Edinburgh_.