Indeed at Gaza I had myself heard the French quarantine physician confirm some of the El Arisch narratives of predatory and murderous attacks; but my timid guides had lost all credit with me. I was nearly punished for this on this very day; for, as about ten o'clock of an intensely dark night, we were passing close to a large encampment of Bedouins, we came suddenly so near a discharge of firearms, that some of the balls whistled about our ears. I was thus within a hair's breadth of entering the heavenly instead of the earthly Jerusalem. Our falling in with this hostile volley was naturally merely an accident. But that the Bedouins, who had us here completely in their power, would exact an adequate tribute, was more than probable. My guides were noiseless; the least sound produced by the camels increased their anxiety. I myself took my girdle, filled with French gold coin, into my hand to cast it on the first alarm into the sand. Watch-fires were burning for a considerable distance, and the dogs barked. Nevertheless it seemed they had not noticed us; but I suddenly saw, after having scarcely lost sight of the lights of the tents behind the hills, at about fifteen paces from our road, two men, lying flat upon the ground, but who now most cautiously rose up, and keeping a close eye upon us, made some steps backwards. I leaped from my camel, as did also my dragoman. We advanced with our swords drawn, and guns and pistols cocked, with our looks directed to the suspected point. Against two highwaymen force would have availed us; but in case of an attack of the Bedouins, whose encampment was doubtlessly several thousand strong, our arms would have been ridiculous, if not dangerous to ourselves. Two persons on foot, who had joined us a few hours before, were suspected as belonging to the fellows upon the road; we therefore acted with the greater caution and determination, and continued on foot until midnight, in constant preparation against an attack. It was certainly less our number than our resolution which scared these footpads away. Although we pitched our tents near a village, still I and my dragoman alternately kept watch until the dawn of the tardy Sunday morning; and then, in the very depths of my heart, I offered up thanks to God.

In Jerusalem I learnt that the Bedouins of Bethlehem were engaged in a war of retaliating revenge against those of Gaza, and on that account the road we had just passed was considered as insecure. The recently missing Cairo post had probably fallen into the enemy's hands between Gaza and Ramleh. Two Frankish travellers related to me the causes of this sanguinary revenge, which they themselves had witnessed at Bethlehem. A Gazarene had arrived there leading a dromedary by the bridle, which carried a corpse enveloped in a white cloth. This corpse already emitted an offensive odour.

AVENGER OF BLOOD RAMLEH.

131

The population immediately collected together; speedily the wakewomen came howling around, and an aged woman hastened from the midst of the mob to the corpse, raising the winding-sheet so that the horridly mutilated head might be seen to some distance. In the impetuosity of her grief she then tore the veil from her face, plucked the hair from her head, and with yells of woe beat her breasts till they bled. Speedily a fresh incident was added to this melancholy scene. A young and powerful man forced his way through the crowd; waved his sword over the corpse, and solemnly vowed to revenge the murdered man; very shortly afterwards, when the funeral ceremonies took place, many others also took the solemn oath of revenge. The death of the man was the result of an amour.

The
A

On the seventh of July I took my siesta beneath the walls of Ramleh, in a large olive grove in front of the city, the soil of which consisted of coarse sand overgrown with nothing but thistles. city lay before us at the distance of only a few minutes' walk. European flag waved in sight from the summit of a consular dwelling. At a short distance behind our encampment stood a remarkable ruin with a lofty tower. I stayed but a short time in the city, but paid a longer visit to the tower. The city itself appeared to be attractive enough, for Ramleh is considered as the Arimathea of the New Testament, whence Nicodemus and Joseph came; and also as Rama, the birthplace of Samuel. The Monastery of the Fathers of the Holy Sepulchre is built, as it is said, precisely upon the spot where stood the house" of him who came to Jesus by night." (John, iii. 1. &c.) But there are important doubts as to the correctness of referring Ramleh to the period of Christ, and the time antecedent, although both Arimathea and Rama must be sought in its vicinity, although Ramleh presents itself as one of the earliest positions occupied by the Saracens in the Holy Land. It is only in opposition to one point, which the learned Robinson adduces in proof of the differences between Rama and Ramleh, that I must explain myself: that, viz., which he deduces from the etymological differences of the two names. Ramleh signifies "the sandy;" Rama, an "elevation." But Ramleh is sandy, and is situated at the same time upon an elevation: it is very possible that the modern Ramleh may have sprung from the ruins of the ancient Rama. The affinity in sound must have conduced the more to the preference of "the sandy;" as that in fact gives a distinctive character to this elevation, in comparison with the fruitful plain which skirts it: a circumstance which probably did not prevail in the earliest times.

But I hasten to the ruin with the tower. Its historical explanation presents difficulties. Possibly no church ever stood here, (the monument of Helena's piety, as the monks declare,) but that it was a large and

for as

splendid mosque. The "White Mosque," at Ramleh, is described by Arabic writers as grand and splendid: its origin they refer back to the foundation of Ramleh, at the commencement of the eighth century. There now exist, only in ruins, outlines of the quadrangular structure in walls and pillars; yet these are sufficient to indicate its by-gone splendour. The wide subterranean vault has a peculiar interest; for it is here that the Mahometan considers that the forty companions of his prophet lie buried; and here also it is that the Christian monk places the tomb of his forty martyrs ; viz., those of Sebaste in Armenia. I do not conceive it probable that it was, as Robinson supposes, originally a caravansera; such it would consequently have lasted to the present day, as even now the course of the large caravans lies by way of Ramleh. I concur, however, with him in considering the stone square tower, which is of considerable height*, strongly to indicate its having been a Turkish minaret, instead of, as has been supposed, the remains of a Christian belfry. But what words can describe the view that I enjoyed from the top of it? To the north and to the south lay before me the plain of Sharon, in all its luxuriance. Who would not recognise this celebrated plain, the beauty of which Isaiah lauds (xxxv. 2.), together with the magnificence of Lebanon; one of whose roses the beloved of Solomon states herself to be: " Comely as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon?"

Solomon, i. 5.)

(Song of

The crops now lay piled up in many fields; other fruits still stood joyfully upon their stems; the meadows were green and flowery. But I sought in vain for a rosebud of Sharon; these must doubtlessly have faded before the heat of July. Nevertheless, I saw mentally a rosebud at this instant: it was as dear to me as was to Solomon his celebrated rose of Sharon. It was she on whom I thought as I gazed far westward towards the silvery flood of the Mediterranean, and whither I wafted an ardent greeting for my distant home. Opposite the sea, to the east of us, the view was limited by the rugged mountains of Judea; but at their feet, nearer to us, there lay around upon the hills forming a vast amphitheatre stately villages, which looked cheerful with their olive-groves and minarets. Above all the rest, my eyes were fettered by the Diospolis of the Romans, the Lydda of the Bible, where St. Peter cured the palsied Eneas. (Acts, ix. 34.) It lay apparently nearer than it really was: it was the ancient city of the Benjamites, which, during the Christian era, has become most celebrated through St. George. St. George is said to have originated from Lydda; and therefore, at a very early period, a costly tomb

Robinson states it to be a hundred and twenty feet.

VALLEY OF AJALON - -SABA.

133 and a splendid church were erected to him, of which even at the present day many beautiful fragments are to be seen.

Towards evening, as we advanced some distance further towards the wished-for goal, Lydda looked long kindly towards us from its hill. That I dreamt of Jerusalem when I fell asleep this Sunday, need not be stated.

ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM.

The morning of the eighth of July dawned. I lay encamped with my camels and Arabs beneath a leafy olive grove, in the valley Ajalon. My Arabs delighted in it on account of its fresh springwater. I transferred myself to the time of Joshua, who has associated with this landscape the memory of his glorious achievements. Who remembers not his words, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon ?" (Joshua, x. 12.) Latrun which is indebted for its Arabic name to the old monkish description as domus boni latronis as the home of the malefactor pardoned upon the cross (Luke, xxiii. 43) lies to the south-west of the hill. Still further to the west, the ruins of a castle look down from the round summit of the height upon Latrun. No finer situation could have been selected for a watch-tower. If it belonged to the ancient Emmaus (not that of the New Testament), the subsequent Nikopolis, it may possibly have been very serviceable to the Maccabees.

We now ascended the mountain chain of Judea: for some distance it was picturesque enough. There was no want of forest trees or of tall shrubs. The character of this district greatly resembles that of the Oden forest; broad round hills lay beside and around each other; but it speedily became more barren, more rocky, and more precipitous. After a fatiguing ride of several hours, we stopped at a considerable ruin near a precipice of the mountain; I should think once a church of the Templars. I visited its interior, where stood many thick pillars, and some paintings were also still visible. It lies close to the stately Kuryet el Enab (city of wine), which is built of stone, and which some consider with Robinson to have been the ancient celebrated Kirjath Jearim (city of the forests), which in Samuel's time received the ark from the predatory hands of the Philistines. (1. Sam. vi. 21.) Upon our right we saw Saba, throned upon a beautiful mountain summit, which, according to Robinson, is identical with Samuel's birthplace, Rama; and the Arimathea of

134

VIEW OF JERUSALEM.

the New Testament. For some distance we continued to enjoy this exciting prospect.

We now descended so precipitously from one of the highest summits that we were compelled to dismount. We reached a fruitful narrow valley. Upon our left lay several groups of buildings, and also one of prominent eminence: this was Kulonieh. At a few paces in front of me a roe bounded over a vineyard. Upon our road there lay by the side of a fountain, which flowed out of an ancient ornamented stone enclosure, a Turkish horse at the point of death. The poor animal's mane and tail were cut off, and the blood flowing from its mouth in profusion. Our camels were compelled to pass over it. Thus cruelly could Turks only, certainly not Arabs or Bedouins, leave it to die. Unconsciously the idea occurred to me that this dying steed, convulsively heaving itself up, but always falling languidly back again, was an image of the present condition of the Turkish empire.

After having passed over a stone bridge, which was arched across a rushing stream, with a garden on our right richly glowing with figs, olives, and other trees, another very precipitous and rocky elevation lay before us. Our camels were quite exhausted on reaching the summit: the sun burnt hotly; it was near noon. How my heart throbbed! soon shall I see the city of God with its sacred habitations!

It is true that around us was no land flowing with milk and honey. The land about us much resembled Malta, where the naked rock often peers through the thin soil. I asked myself, did these masses of stone always lie so naked here? They looked as if washed smooth by torrents of rain; and certainly they had here and there been formerly clothed with a much richer verdure. We may have proceeded for a couple of hours beyond the bridge in the valley of Kulonieh, when we beheld in the east the bold sandy red mountain chain of Jordan, the Pisgah of Scripture. (Deut. iii. 27.) Upon our right we recognised amidst green foliage, in a verdant landscape, the monastery of the Holy Cross: now the Mount of Olives raised its olivecrowned head, together with its sacred buildings, above us to the north of it, tolerably high, stood a mosque upon the site of the ancient Siloah. A few paces further, and we beheld walls, towers, and cupolas there lay Jerusalem! What more memorable moment have I felt in my existence! I exclaimed from the depth of my heart, in the words of the inspired David; "I was glad to go into the house of the Lord, that my feet shall stand within thy gates, oh, Jerusalem!" (Psalm cxxii. 1, 2.) But what is the impression, I shall be asked, made by Jerusalem itself, when viewed merely as any other city? Who could satisfactorily answer this question? Should