Arrival at Beyrout--Fellahs--Backsheesh--Uncomfortable quarters--
Saida--Tyre--St. Jean d'Acre--Caesarea--Excursion among the ruins--
Jaffa--An eastern family--The Indian fig-tree--An Oriental dinner--
Costume of the women of Jaffa--Oppressive heat--Gnats--Ramla--Syrian
convents--Bedouins and Arabs--Kariet el Areb, or Emmaus--The
Scheikh--Arrival at Jerusalem.
May 25th.
This morning I could discern the Syrian coast, which becomes more
glorious the nearer we approach. Beyrout, the goal of our voyage,
was jealously hidden from our eyes to the very last moment. We had
still to round a promontory, and then this Eden of the earth lay
before us in all its glory. How gladly would I have retarded the
course of our vessel, as we passed from the last rocky point into
the harbour, to have enjoyed this sight a little longer! One pair
of eyes does not suffice to take in this view; the objects are too
numerous, and the spectator is at a loss whither he should first
direct his gaze,--upon the town, with its many ancient towers
attached to the houses, giving them the air of knights' castles--
upon the numerous country-houses in the shade of luxurious mulberry
plantations--upon the beautiful valley between Beyrout and Mount
Lebanon--or on the distant mountain-range itself. The towering
masses of this magnificent chain, the peculiar colour of its rocks,
and its snowclad summits, riveted my attention longer than any thing
else.
Scarcely had the anchor descended from the bows, before our ship was
besieged by a number of small boats, with more noise and bustle than
even at Constantinople. The half-naked and excitable Arabs or
Fellahs are so ready with offers of service, that it is difficult to
keep them off. It almost becomes necessary to threaten these poor
people with a stick, as they obstinately refuse to take a gentler
hint. As the water is here very shallow, so that even the little
boats cannot come quite close to shore, some others of these brown
forms immediately approached, seized us by the arms, took us upon
their backs amidst continual shouting and quarrelling, and carried
us triumphantly to land.
Before the stranger puts himself into the hands of men of this kind,
such as captains of small craft, donkey-drivers, porters, etc., he
will find it a very wise precaution to settle the price he is to pay
for their services. I generally spoke to the captain, or to some
old stager among the passengers, on this subject. Even when I gave
these people double their usual price, they were not contented, but
demanded an additional backsheesh (gratuity). It is therefore
advisable to make the first offer very small, and to retain
something for the backsheesh. At length I safely reached the house
of Herr Battista (the only inn in the place), and was rejoicing in
the prospect of rest and refreshment, when the dismal cry of "no
room" was raised. I was thus placed in a deplorable position.
There was no second inn, no convent, no place of any kind, where I,
poor desolate creature that I was, could find shelter. This
circumstance worked so much on the host's feelings, that he
introduced me to his wife, and promised to procure me a private
lodging.
I had now certainly a roof above my head, but yet I could get no
rest, nor even command a corner where I might change my dress. I
sat with my hostess from eleven in the morning until five in the
afternoon, and a miserably long time it appeared. I could not read,
write, or even talk, for neither my hostess nor her children knew
any language but Arabic. I had, however, time to notice what was
going on around me, and observed that these children were much more
lively than those in Constantinople, for here they were continually
chattering and running about. According to the custom of the
country, the wife does nothing but play with the children or gossip
with the neighbours, while her husband attends to kitchen and
cellar, makes all the requisite purchases, and besides attending to
the guests, even lays the tablecloth for his wife and children. He
told me that in a week at furthest, his wife would go with the
children to a convent on the Lebanon, to remain there during the hot
season of the year. What a difference between an Oriental and a
European woman!
I still found the heat at sea far from unendurable; a soft wind
continually wafted its cooling influence towards us, and an awning
had been spread out to shelter us from the rays of the sun. But
what a contrast when we come to land! As I sat in the room here the
perspiration dropped continually from my brow, and now I began to
understand what is meant by being in the tropics. I could scarcely
await the hour when I should be shewn to a room to change my
clothes; but to-day I was not to have an opportunity of doing so,
for at five o'clock a messenger came from Mr. Bartlett with the
welcome intelligence that we could continue our journey, as nothing
was to be feared from the Druses and Maronites, and the plague only
reigned in isolated places through which it was not necessary that
we should pass. He had already engaged a servant who would act as
cook and dragoman (interpreter); provisions and cooking utensils had
also been bought, and places were engaged on an Arab craft.
Nothing, therefore, remained for me to do but to be on the sea-shore
by six o'clock, where his servant would be waiting for me. I was
much rejoiced on hearing this good news: I forgot that I required
rest and a change of clothes, packed up my bundle, and hurried to
the beach. Of the town I only saw a few streets, where there was a
great bustle. I also noticed many swarthy Arabs and Bedouins, who
wore nothing but a shirt. I did not feel particularly anxious to
see Beyrout and its vicinity, as I intended to return soon and visit
any part I could not examine now.
Before sunset we had already embarked on board the craft that was to
carry us to the long-wished-for, the sacred coast of Joppa. Every
thing was in readiness, and we lacked only the one thing
indispensable--a breeze.
No steamers sail between Joppa and Beyrout; travellers must be
content with sailing vessels, deficient alike as regards cleanliness
and convenience; they are not provided with a cabin, or even with an
awning, so that the passengers remain day and night under the open
sky. Our vessel carried a cargo of pottery, besides rice and corn
in sacks.
Midnight approached, and still we were in harbour, with not a breath
of wind to fill our sails.
Wrapping my cloak tightly round me, I lay down on the sacks, in the
absence of a mattress; but I was not yet sufficiently tired out to
be able to find rest on such an unusual couch. So I rose again in
rather a bad humour, and looked with an evil eye on the Arabs lying
on the sacks around me, who were not "slumbering softly," but
snoring lustily. By way of forcing myself, if possible, into a
poetical train of thought, I endeavoured to concentrate my attention
on the contemplation of the beautiful landscape by moonlight; but
even this would not keep me from yawning. My companion seemed much
in the same mood; for he had also risen from his _soft_ couch, and
was staring gloomingly straight before him. At length, towards
three o'clock in the morning of
May 26th,
a slight breath of wind arose, we hoisted two or three sails, and
glided slowly and noiselessly towards the sea.
Mr. B. had bargained with the captain to keep as close to the shore
as possible, in order that we might see the towns as we passed.
Excepting in Caesarea, it was forbidden to cast anchor any where,
for the plague was raging at Sur (Tyre) and in several other places.
Bargains of this kind must be taken down in writing at the
consulates, and only one-half of the sum agreed should be paid in
advance; the other half must be kept in hand, to operate as a check
on the crew. After every precaution has been taken, one can seldom
escape without some bickering and quarrelling. On these occasions
it is always advisable at once to take high ground, and not to give
way in the most trifling particular, for this is the only method of
gaining peace and quietness.
Towards seven o'clock in the morning we sailed by the town and
fortress of Saida. The town looks respectable enough, and contains
some spacious houses. The fortress is separated from the town by a
small bay, across which a wooden bridge has been built. The
fortress seems in a very dilapidated condition; many breaches are
still in the same state in which they were left after the taking of
the town by the English in 1840, and part of the wall has fallen
into the sea. In the background we could descry some ruins on a
rock, apparently the remains of an ancient castle.
The next place we saw was Sarepta, where Elijah the prophet was fed
by the poor widow during the famine.
The Lebanon range becomes lower and lower, while its namesake, the
Anti-Lebanon, begins to rise. It is quite as lofty as the first-
named range, which it closely resembles in form. Both are traversed
by fields of snow, and between them stands a third colossus, Mount
Hermon.
Next came the town of Tyre or Sur, now barren and deserted; for that
mighty scourge of humanity, the plague, was raging there to a
fearful extent. A few scattered fragments of fortifications and
numerous fallen pillars lie strewed on the shore.
And now at length I was about to see places which many have longed
to behold, but which few have reached. With a beating heart I gazed
unceasingly towards St. Jean d'Acre, which I at length saw rising
from the waves, with Mount Carmel in the background. Here, then,
was the holy ground on which the Redeemer walked for us fallen
creatures! Both St. Jean d'Acre and Mount Carmel can be
distinguished a long distance off.
For a second time did a mild and calm night sink gently on the earth
without bringing me repose. How unlucky it is that we find it so
much harder to miss comforts we have been used to enjoy, than to
acquire the habit of using comforts to which we have been
unaccustomed! Were this not the case, how much easier would
travelling be! As it is, it costs us many an effort ere we can look
hardships boldly in the face. "But patience!" thought I to myself;
"I shall have more to endure yet; and if I return safely, I shall be
as thoroughly case-hardened as any native."
Our meals and our beverage were very simple. In the morning we had
pilau, and in the evening we had pilau; our drink was lukewarm
water, qualified with a little rum.
From Beyrout to the neighbourhood of St. Jean d'Acre, the coast and
a considerable belt of land adjoining it are sandy and barren. Near
Acre every thing changed; we once more beheld pretty country-houses
surrounded by pomegranate and orange plantations, and a noble
aqueduct intersects the plain. Mount Carmel, alone barren and
unfruitful, stands in striking contrast to the beauteous landscape
around; jutting boldly out towards the sea, it forms the site of a
handsome and spacious convent.
The town of St. Jean d'Acre and its fortifications were completely
destroyed during the last war (in 1840), and appear to sigh in vain
for repairs. The houses and mosques are full of cannon-balls and
shot-holes. Every thing stands and lies about as though the enemy
had departed but yesterday. Six cannons peer threateningly from the
wall. The town and fortifications are both built on a tongue of
land washed by the sea.
May 27th.
During the night we reached Caesarea. With the eloquence of a
Demosthenes, our captain endeavoured to dissuade us from our project
of landing here; he pointed out to us the dangers to which we were
exposing ourselves, and the risks we should run from Bedouins and
snakes. The former, he averred, were accustomed to conceal
themselves in hordes among the ruins, in order to ease travellers of
their effects and money; being well aware that such spots were only
visited by curious tourists with well-filled purses, they were
continually on the watch, like the robber-knights of the good old
German empire. "An enemy no less formidable," said the captain,
"was to be encountered in the persons of numerous snakes lurking in
the old walls and on the weed-covered ground, which endangered the
life of the traveller at every step." We were perfectly well aware
of these facts, having gleaned them partly from descriptions of
voyages, partly from oral traditions; and so they were not powerful
enough to arrest our curiosity. The captain himself was really less
actuated by the sense of our danger, in advising us to abandon our
undertaking, than by the reflection of the time it lost him; but he
exerted himself in vain. He was obliged to cast anchor, and at
daybreak to send a boat ashore with us.
Our arms consisted of parasols and sticks (the latter we carried in
order to beat the bushes); we were escorted by the captain, his
servant, and a couple of sailors.
In the ruins we certainly met with a few suspicious-looking
characters in the shape of wandering Bedouins. As it was too late
to beat a retreat, we advanced bravely towards them with trusting
and friendly looks. The Bedouins did the same, and so there was an
end of this dangerous affair. We climbed from one fragment to
another, and certainly spent more than two hours among the ruins,
without sustaining the slightest injury at the hands of these
people. Of the threatened snakes we saw not a single one.
Ruins, indeed, we found every where in plenty. Whole side-walls,
which appeared to have belonged to private houses, but not to
splendid palaces or temples, stood erect and almost unscathed.
Fragments of pillars lay scattered about in great abundance, but
without capitals, pedestals, or friezes.
It was with a feeling of awe hitherto unknown to me that I trod the
ground where my Redeemer had walked. Every spot, every building
became invested with a double interest. "Perchance," I thought, "I
may be lingering within the very house where Jesus once sojourned."
More than satisfied with my excursion, I returned to our bark.
By three o'clock in the afternoon we were close under the walls of
Joppa. To enter this harbour, partially choked up as it is with
sand, is described as a difficult feat. We were assured that we
should see many wrecks of stranded ships and boats; accordingly I
strained my eyes to the utmost, and could discover nothing. We ran
safely in; and thus ended a little journey in the course of which I
had seen many new and interesting objects, besides gaining some
insight into the mode of life among the sailors. Frequently, when
it fell calm, our Arabs would recline on the ground in a circle,
singing songs of an inconceivably inharmonious and lugubrious
character, while they clapped their hands in cadence, and burst at
intervals into a barking laugh. I could not find any thing very
amusing in this entertainment; on the contrary, it had the effect of
making me feel very melancholy, as displaying these good people in a
very idiotic and degrading light.
The costume of the sailors was simple in the extreme. A shirt
covered them in rather an imperfect manner, and a handkerchief bound
round their heads protected them from a coup de soleil. The captain
was distinguished from the rest only by his turban, which looked
ridiculous enough, surmounting his half-clad form. Their diet
consisted of a single warm meal of pilau or beans, eaten in the
evening. During the day they stayed their appetites with bread.
Their drink was water.
The town of Joppa, extending from the sea-shore to the summit of a
rather considerable and completely isolated hill, has a most
peculiar appearance. The lower street is surrounded by a wall, and
appears sufficiently broad; the remaining streets run up the face of
the hills, and seem at a distance to be resting on the houses below.
Viewing the town from our boat, I could have sworn that people were
walking about on flat house-tops.
As Joppa boasts neither an inn nor a convent which might shelter a
traveller, I waited upon the Consul of the Austrian Empire, Herr D---,
who received me very kindly and introduced me to his family,
which comprised his lady, three sons, and three daughters. They
wore the Turkish costume. The daughters, two of whom were
exceedingly beautiful, wore wide trousers, a caftan, and a sash
round the waist. On their heads they had little fez-caps, and their
hair was divided into fifteen or twenty narrow plaits, interwoven
with little gold coins, and a larger one at the end of each plait.
A necklace of gold coins encircled their necks. The mother was
dressed in exactly the same way. When elderly women have little or
no hair left, they make up with artificial silk plaits for the
deficiencies of nature.
The custom of wearing coins as ornaments is so prevalent throughout
Syria, that the very poorest women, girls, and children strive to
display as many as possible. Where they cannot sport gold, they
content themselves with silver money; and where even this metal is
not attainable, with little coins of copper and other baser metals.
The Consul and his son were also clothed in the Turkish garb; but
instead of a turban the father wore an old cocked hat, which gave
him an indescribably ludicrous appearance. A son and a daughter of
this worthy patron of the semi-Turkish, semi-European garb, had but
one eye, a defect frequently met with in Syria. It is generally
supposed to be caused by the dry heat, the fine particles of sand,
and the intense glare of the chalky hills.
As I reached Joppa early in the afternoon, I proceeded in company of
the Consul to view the town and its environs. In dirt, bad paving,
etc., I found it equal to any of the towns I had yet seen. The
lower street, near the sea, alone is broad and bustling, with loaded
and unloaded camels passing continually to and fro. The bazaar is
composed of some miserable booths containing common provisions and a
few cheap wares.
The neighbourhood of Joppa is exceedingly fertile. Numerous large
gardens, with trees laden with all kinds of tropical fruits, and
guarded by impenetrable hedges of the Indian fig-tree, form a half-
circle round the lower portion of the town.
The Indian fig-tree, which I here saw for the first time, has an odd
appearance. From its stem, which is very dwarfish, leaves a foot in
length, six inches in breadth, and half an inch in thickness, shoot
forth. This tree seldom sends forth branches; the leaves grow one
out of another, and at the extremity the fruit is formed. Its
length is about two or three inches. Ten or twenty such figs are
frequently found adhering to a single leaf.
I could not conceive how it happened that in these hot countries,
without rain to refresh them, the trees all looked so healthy and
beautiful. This fact, I found, was owing to the numerous channels
cut through the gardens, which are thus artificially irrigated. The
heavy dews and cool nights also tend to restore the drooping
vegetation. One great ornament of our gardens was, however, totally
wanting--a lawn with wild flowers. Trees and vegetables here grow
out of the sandy or stony earth, a circumstance hardly noticed at a
distance, but which produces a disagreeable effect on a near view.
Flowers I found none.
The whole region round Joppa is so covered with sand, that one sinks
ankle-deep at every step.
Consul D--- fulfils the duties of two consulates, the Austrian and
the French. From both these offices he derives no benefit but the
honour. By some people this honour would be highly valued, but many
would rate it at nothing at all. This family, however, seems to
have a great idea of honour; for the consul's office is hereditary,
and I found the son of the present dignitary already looking forward
to filling his place.
In the evening I was present at a real Oriental entertainment in the
house of this friendly family.
Mats, carpets, and pillows were spread out on the terrace of the
house, and a very low table placed in the centre. Round this the
family sat, or rather reclined, cross-legged. I was accommodated
with a chair somewhat higher than the table. Beside my plate and
that of the Consul were laid a knife and fork, that appeared to have
been hunted out from some lumber closet; the rest ate with a species
of natural knife and fork, namely--fingers.
The dishes were not at all to my taste. I had still too much of the
European about me, and too little appetite, to be able to endure
what these good people seemed to consider immense delicacies.
The first dish appeared in the form of a delicate pilau, composed of
mutton, cucumbers, and a quantity of spice, which rendered it more
unpalatable to me than common pilau. Then followed sliced cucumbers
sprinkled with salt; but as the chief ingredients, vinegar and oil,
were entirely wanting, I was obliged to force down the cucumber as
best I could. Next came rice-milk, so strongly flavoured with attar
of roses, that the smell alone was more than enough for me; and now
at length the last course was put on the table--stale cheese made of
ewe's milk, little unpeeled girkins, which my entertainers coolly
discussed rind and all, and burnt hazel-nuts. The bread, which is
flat like pancakes, is not baked in ovens, but laid on metal plates
or hot stones, and turned when one side is sufficiently done. It
tastes better than I should have expected. {101}
Our conversation during dinner was most interesting. Some of the
family spoke a little Italian, but this little was pronounced with
such a strong Greek accent, that I was obliged to guess at the
greater portion of what was said. No doubt they had to do the same
with me. The worthy Consul, indeed, affirmed that he knew French
very well; but for this evening at least, his memory seemed to have
given him the slip. Much was spoken, and little understood. The
same thing is said often to be the case in learned societies; so it
was not of much consequence.
There are many different kinds of cucumber in Syria, where they are
a favourite dish with rich and poor. I found numerous varieties,
but none that I found superior to our German one. Another favourite
fruit is the water-melon, here called "bastek." These also I found
neither larger in size nor better flavoured than the melons I had
eaten in southern Hungary.
The Consul's house seems sufficiently large; but the architectural
arrangement is so irregular that the extended area contains but few
rooms and very little comfort. The apartments are lofty and large,
extremely ill-furnished, and not kept in the best possible order.
I slept in the apartment of the married daughter; but had it not
been for the beds standing round, I should rather have looked upon
it as an old store-closet than a lady's sleeping-room.
May 28th.
At five o'clock in the morning Mr. Bartlett's servant came to fetch
me away, as we were at once to continue our journey. I betook
myself to the house of the English Consul, where I found neither a
horse nor any thing else prepared for our departure. It is
necessary to look calmly upon these irregularities here in the East,
where it is esteemed a fortunate occurrence if the horses and mukers
(as the drivers of horses and donkeys are called) are only a few
hours behind their time. Thus our horses made their appearance at
half-past five instead of at four, the hour for which they had been
ordered. Our baggage was soon securely fixed, for we left the
greater portion of our effects at Joppa, and took with us only what
was indispensably necessary.
As the clock struck six we rode out of the gate of Joppa, and
immediately afterwards reached a large well with a marble basin.
Near places of this description a great number of people are always
congregated, and more women and girls are seen than appear
elsewhere.
The dress of females belonging to the lower orders consists of a
long blue garment fastened round the throat, and reaching below the
ankle. They completely cover the head and face, frequently without
even leaving openings for the eyes. Some females, on the other
hand, go abroad with their faces totally uncovered. These are,
however, exceptional cases.
The women carry their water-pitchers on their head or shoulder, as
their ancestors have done for thousands of years, in the manner we
find represented in the oldest pictures. But unfortunately I could
discover neither the grace in their gait, the dignity in their
movements, nor the physical beauty in their appearance, that I had
been led to expect. On the contrary, I found squalor and poverty
more prevalent than I had thought possible. We rode on amid the
gardens, every moment meeting a little caravan of camels.
Immediately beyond the gardens we descry the fruitful valley of
Sharon, extending more than eight miles in length, and to a still
greater distance in breadth. Here and there we find villages built
on hills, and the whole presents the appearance of an extremely
fertile and well-populated region. In all directions we saw large
herds of sheep and goats; the latter generally of a black or brown
colour, with long pendent ears.
The foreground of the picture is formed by the Judaean mountains, a
range apparently composed of a number of barren rocks.
A ride of two hours through this plain, which is less sandy than the
immediate neighbourhood of Joppa, brought us to a mosque, where we
made halt for a quarter of an hour and ate our breakfast, consisting
of some hard-boiled eggs, a piece of bread, and a draught of
lukewarm water from the cistern. Our poor beasts fared even worse
than ourselves--they received nothing but water.
On leaving this place to resume our journey across the plain, we not
only suffered dreadfully from the heat, which had reached 30 degrees
Reaumur, but were further persecuted by a species of minute gnats,
which hovered round us in large swarms, crept into our noses and
ears, and annoyed us in such a manner that it required the utmost of
our patience and determination to prevent us from turning back at
once. Fortunately we only met with these tormentors in those parts
where the corn had been cut and was still in the fields. They are
not much larger than a pin's head, and look more like flies than
gnats. They are always met with in great swarms, and sting so
sharply that they frequently raise large boils.
The vegetation was at this season already in so forward a state that
we frequently passed stubble-fields, and found that the wheat had in
several cases been already garnered up. Throughout the whole of
Syria, and in that part of Egypt whither my journey afterwards led
me, I never once saw corn or vegetables, wood or stores, carried in
wagons; they were invariably borne by horses or asses. In Syria I
could understand the reason of this proceeding. With the exception,
perhaps, of the eight or ten miles across the valley of Sharon, the
road is too stony and uneven to admit the passage of the lightest
and smallest carts. In Egypt, however, this is not the case, and
yet wagons have not been introduced.
A most comical effect was produced when we met long processions of
small donkeys, so completely laden with corn, that neither their
heads nor their feet remained visible. The sheaves seemed to be
moving spontaneously, or to be propelled by the power of steam.
Frequently after a train of this kind has passed, lofty grey heads
appear, surrounded by a load piled up to so great a height, that one
would suppose large corn-wagons were approaching rather than the
"ship of the desert," the camel. The traveller's attention is
continually attracted to some novel and curious object totally
dissimilar to any thing he has seen at home.
Towards ten o'clock we arrived at Ramla, a place situate on a little
hill, and discernible from a great distance. Before reaching the
town, we had to pass through an olive-wood. Leaving our horses
beneath a shady tree, we entered the coppice on the right: a walk
of about a quarter of a mile brought us to the "Tower of the Forty
Martyrs," which was converted into a church during the time of the
Knights Templars, and now serves as a dwelling for dervishes. It is
a complete ruin, and I could scarcely believe that it was still
habitable.
We made no stay at Ramda, a place only remarkable for a convent
built, it is said, on the site of Joseph of Arimathea's house.
The Syrian convents are built more like fortresses than like
peaceful dwellings. They are usually surrounded by strong and lofty
walls, furnished with loopholes for cannon. The great gate is kept
continually closed, and barred and bolted from within for greater
security; a little postern is opened to admit visitors, but even
this is only done in time of peace, and when there is no fear of the
plague.
At length, towards noon, we approached the mountains of Judaea.
Here we must bid farewell to the beautiful fruitful valley and to
the charming road, and pursue our journey through a stony region,
which we do not pass without difficulty.
At the entrance of the mountain-chain lies a miserable village; near
this village is a well, and here we halted to refresh ourselves and
water our poor horses. It was not without a great deal of trouble
and some expense that we managed to obtain a little water; for all
the camels, asses, goats, and sheep from far and wide were collected
here, eagerly licking up every drop of the refreshing element they
could secure. Little did I think that I should ever be glad to
quench my thirst with so disgusting a beverage as the muddy, turbid,
and lukewarm water they gave me from this well. We once more filled
our leathern bottles, and proceeded with fresh courage up the stony
path, which quickly became so narrow, that without great difficulty
and danger we could not pass the camels which we frequently met.
Fortunately a few camels out of every herd are generally provided
with bells, so that their approach is heard at some distance, and
one can prepare for them accordingly.
The Bedouins and Arabs generally wear no garment but a shirt barely
reaching to the knee. Their head is protected by a linen cloth, to
which a thick rope wound twice round the head gives a very good
effect. A few have a striped jacket over their shirt, and the rich
men or chiefs frequently wear turbans.
Our road now continues to wind upwards, through ravines between
rocks and mountains, and over heaps of stones. Here and there
single olive-trees are seen sprouting from the rocky clefts. Ugly
as this tree is, it still forms a cheerful feature in the desert
places where it grows. Now and then we climbed hills whence we had
a distant view of the sea. These glimpses increase the awe which
inspires the traveller when he considers on what ground he is
wandering, and whither he is bending his steps. Every step we now
take leads us past places of religious importance; every ruin, every
fragment of a fortress or tower, above which the rocky walls rise
like terraces, speaks of eventful times long gone by.
An uninterrupted ride of five hours over very bad roads, from the
entrance of the mountain-range, added to the extreme heat and total
want of proper refreshment, suddenly brought on such a violent
giddiness that I could scarcely keep myself from falling off my
horse. Although we had been on horseback for eleven hours since
leaving Joppa, I was so much afraid that Mr. B. would consider me
weak and ailing, and perhaps change his intention of accompanying me
from Jerusalem back to Joppa, that I refrained from acquainting him
with the condition in which I felt myself. I therefore dismounted
(had I not done so, I should soon have fallen down), and walked with
tottering steps beside my horse, until I felt so far recovered that
I could mount once more. Mr. B. had determined to perform the
distance from Joppa to Jerusalem (a sixteen hours' ride) at one
stretch. He indeed asked me if I could bear so much fatigue; but I
was unwilling to abuse his kindness, and therefore assured him that
I could manage to ride on for five or six hours longer. Fortunately
for my reputation, my companion was soon afterwards attacked with
the same symptoms that troubled me so much; he now began to think
that it might, after all, be advisable to rest for a few hours in
the next village, especially as we could not hope in any case to
reach the gates of Jerusalem before sundown. I felt silently
thankful for this opportune occurrence, and left the question of
going on or stopping altogether to the decision of my fellow-
traveller, particularly as I knew the course he would choose. Thus
I accomplished my object without being obliged to confess my
weakness. In pursuance of this resolve, we stayed in the
neighbouring village of "Kariet el Areb," the ancient Emmaus, where
the risen Saviour met the disciples, and where we find a ruin of a
Christian church in a tolerable state of preservation. The building
is now used as a stable. Some years ago this was the haunt of a
famous robber, who was scheikh of the place, and let no Frank pass
before he had paid whatever tribute he chose to demand. Since the
accession of Mehemet Ali these exactions have ceased both here and
in Jerusalem, where money was demanded of the stranger for admission
into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other sacred places. Even
highway robberies, which were once on a time of daily occurrence
among these mountains, are now rarely heard of.
We took possession of the entrance-hall of a mosque, near which a
delicious spring sparkled forth from a grotto. Seldom has any thing
strengthened and refreshed me so much as the water of this spring.
I recovered completely from my indisposition, and was able to enjoy
the beautiful evening.
As soon as the scheikh of the village heard that a party of Franks
had arrived, he despatched four or five dishes of provisions to us.
Of all these preparations we could only eat one--the butter-milk.
The other dishes, a mixture of honey, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs,
onions, oil, olives, etc., we generously bestowed upon the dragoman
and the muker, who caused them quickly to disappear. An hour
afterwards the scheikh came in person to pay his respects. We
reclined on the steps of the hall; and while the men smoked and
drank coffee, a conversation of a very uninteresting kind was kept
up, the dragoman acting as interpreter. At length the scheikh
seemed seized with the idea that we might possibly be tired with our
journey. He took his leave, and offered unasked to send us two men
as sentries, which he did. Thus we could go to rest in perfect
safety under the open sky in the midst of a Turkish village.
But before we retired to rest, my companion was seized with the
rather original idea that we should pursue our journey at midnight.
He asked me, indeed, if I was afraid, but at the same time observed,
that it would be much safer for us to act upon his suggestion, as no
one would suspect our departure by such a dangerous road at
midnight. I certainly felt a little afraid, but my pride would not
allow me to confess the truth; so our people received the order to
be prepared to set out at midnight.
Thus we four persons, alone and totally unarmed, travelled at
midnight through the wildest and most dangerous regions.
Fortunately the bright moon looked smilingly down upon us, and
illuminated our path so brightly, that the horses carried us with
firm step over every obstruction. I was, I must confess, grievously
frightened by the shadows! I saw living things moving to and fro--
forms gigantic and forms dwarfish seemed sometimes approaching us,
sometimes hiding behind masses of rock, or sinking back into
nothingness. Lights and shadows, fears and anxiety, thus took
alternate possession of my imagination.
A couple of miles from our starting-place we came upon a brook
crossed by a narrow stone bridge. This brook is remarkable only as
having been that from which David collected the five stones
wherewith he slew the Philistine giant. At the season of my visit
there was no water to be seen; the bed of the stream was completely
dry.
About an hour's journey from Jerusalem the valley opens, and little
orchards give indication of a more fertile country, as well as of
the proximity of the Holy City. Silently and thoughtfully we
approached our destination, straining our eyes to the utmost to
pierce the jealous twilight that shrouded the distance from our
gaze. From the next hill we hoped to behold our sacred goal; but
"hope deferred" is often the lot of mortals. We had to ascend
another height, and another; at length the Mount of Olives lay
spread before us, and lastly JERUSALEM.