the fruit also was larger, and in greater quantity. There is very little doubt of this being the fruit of the Dead Sea so often noticed by the ancients, as appearing juicy and delicious to the eye, while within it is hollow, or filled with something grating and disagreeable in the mouth. The natives make use of the filaments, which are inclosed in the fruit, and which somewhat resemble the down of a thistle, as a stuffing for their cushions; and they likewise twist them, like their rope, into matches for their guns, which, they assured us, required no application of sulphur to render them combustible."—Ibid. p. 450.

Joshua xv. 6. And the border wwent up to the stone of Bohan. "On the left bank stands a stone, about ten feet high, four feet wide at the base in its broadest part, and not more than one foot at the narrowest it has been set up on end by art, being placed contrary to the natural direction of the strata, and at right angles to the stream, very near the bank. We supposed it to be one of those ancient boundstones, of which we read so frequently in Scripture. Across the stream, but at a greater distance from its channel, is another similar stone, bearing obliquely on the path, its broad side parallel to the stream. There are no signs of sculpture on them, nor is there any appearance of their having ever been wrought with the tool."-Ibid. p. 463.

Judges v. 25. She brought forth butter in a lordly dish.-The Eastern people live in a great measure on the produce of their fields and flocks. The hospitality with which they entertain strangers is generally of the same kind. "Sometimes we had melted butter, and bread baked on an iron plate, in the form of a pancake to dip in it. The staple of the Arab's food, however, is leban and bread. The milk was usually presented in a wooden bowl, and the liquid butter in an earthen ware dish. The party, being seated round, dipped their bread in, endeavouring CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 264.

to make it imbibe as much as possible. The Arabs were very expert at this, pinching the thin cake in such a form as to make a sort of spoon of it."-Ibid. p. 481.

1 Sam. xxvi. 7. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground.— "Our party was continually gaining strength by armed persons dropping in from various directions until night. The reinforcements were distributed amongst the different tents, and rations were refused to such as had not brought guns or spears. The camp now began to assume a very warlike appearance: the spears stuck in the sand, the saddled horses before the tents, with the arms hanging up within, altogether had an imposing effect."Ibid. p. 395.

1 Kings iii. 8. He sacrificed and burned incense in high places.There is in this same valley another rude work, that may be referred to a remote period: it is higher up by perhaps a quarter of a mile than the two bound stones. A knoll of very moderate height rises detached, near the centre of the valley, upon the right bank of the rivulet. On its summit are the remains of a very large quadrangular platform, constructed of rude stones, laid together without cement. It is possible that this may be one of the altars of the high places. It is still a place in some measure consecrated. There is a tomb at the top with paltry Bedouin votive offerings hanging about it."—Ibid. p. 463.

Esther ix. 19. Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another." We found the meat both savoury and tender, being part of the hump (of a camel), which is considered the best: there was little fat, and the grain was remarkably coarse; however, we made a hearty breakfast. The feast was conducted with much order and

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decorum: the sheikhs fed apart in a double row, with several immense platters placed at equal distances between them; and a rope line was drawn round to keep the people from pressing in.. Narsah was at the head of the row, with a small select circle; amongst whom we were called after we had breakfasted, he having perceived us amongst the spectators. When the sheikhs had finished, the people were regaled with the remains; independent of which, portions were distributed to the different tents of the camp, which consisted of about two hundred: this latter arrangement was for the women and children. We believe that several camels were cooked, from the immense quantities of meat we saw." -Ibid. p. 265.

Job xxiv.5. The wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children. "These people having few wants are unacquainted with many cares, and are thus ignorant of the greater part of the troubles and difficulties which are experienced in more civilized society. Every Arab, having a tent of his own, is thus possessed of a freehold, which has nothing to do with either rents or taxes; and the shrubs of the wilderness serve him spontaneously both with food for his flocks and fuel for his fires." -Ibid. p. 279.

Psalm ii. 12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry. This may be designed either as an act of homage or a token of reconciliation. It was frequently done in both cases. Of the latter, the following extract furnishes us with an instance:-"While we were deliberating on this subject, we saw a great cavalcade entering our camp from the southward. There were many lances and mounted Arabs; and we observed that there were some amongst the horsemen who wore richer turbans, more gaudy colours, than is usual amongst Bedouins or peasants. As the procession advanced, several of Abou Raschid's Arabs went out, and led the horses of the chiefs by the

bridles into the camp. The whole procession alighted at the tent of our chief, and kissed his turban: this was the signal of pacification. Peace was immediately proclaimed throughout the camp, and notice was given that the men bearing arms who had come from a distance, many of whom had dropped in that very morning, were to return to their respective homes."— I bid. p. 400.

Psalm lxxx. 13. The boar out of the wood doth waste it." Towards noon we passed a valley, grubbed up in all directions, in furrows, by the wild boars: the soil had all the appearance of having been literally ploughed up."-Ibid. p. 275.

Isaiah v. 1, 2. A vineyard in a very fruitful hill; and he built a tower in the midst of it." We now ascended considerably; and, passing between numerous vineyards, with a watch-tower on each, some of which appeared to be antique, we reached Hebron at dusk.”—Ibid. p. 342.

To these illustrations of the canonical books of the Old Testament, it may be worth while to add the following illustration of a passage in the Apocrypha: 1 Mac. xiii. 28. Moreover he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brethren. Amongst some interesting particulars which are given in describing the tombs at Petra, it is stated, that immediately over one front "is another of almost equal extent, but so wholly distinct from it, that even the centres do not correspond: the door-way has the same ornaments. The rest of the body of the design is no more than a plain front, without any other decoration than a single moulding. Upon this are set, in a recess, four tall and taper pyramids. Their effect is singular and surprising, but combining too little with the rest of the elevation to be good. Our attention was the more attracted by this monument, as it presents, perhaps, the only existing example of pyramids

so applied; though we read of them as placed in a similar manner on the summit of the tomb of the Maccabees, and of the Queen of Adiabaene, both in the neighbouring province of Palestine."-Ibid. p.460. Luke xi. 5-8. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight? &c.-In these words the common rites of hospitality are generally recognised, and supposed to be acted upon, though not in so prompt and free a manner as was usual. In the following extract a remarkable conformity to them is presented to our view. "On two occasions we arrived at a camp late at night, and, halting before a tent, found the owner, with his wife and children, having arranged their carpets, &c. for the night, had just retired to rest; when it was astonishing to see the good humour with which they all arose again, and kindled a fire, the wife commencing to knead the dough, and prepare our supper,- -our Arabs making no apology, but taking all as a matter of course, though the nights were bitterly cold."-Ibid. p. 278.

Luke xiii. 19. It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. In the vicinity of the Dead Sea there was one curious tree, which we observed in great plenty, and which bore a fruit in bunches, resembling in appearance the currant, with the colour of the plum: it has a pleasant, though strong aromatic, taste, exactly resembling mustard, and, if taken in any quantity, produces a similar irritability in the nose and eyes to that which is caused by taking mustard. The leaves of this tree have the same pungent flavour as the fruit, though not so strong. We think it probable that this is the tree our Saviour alluded to in the parable of the mustard seed, and not the mustard plant which we have in the north: for although, in our journey from

Bysan to Adjeloun, we met with the mustard-plant growing wild, as high as our horses' heads; still, being an annual, it did not deserve the appellation of a tree: whereas the other is really such, and birds might easily, and actually do, take shelter under its shadow."-Ibid. p. 354.

John vi. 1. The sea of Tiberias. "About eight o'clock we reached Tiberias, having travelled about two hours along the side of the lake; we had occasion to observe that more pains appeared to have been taken to construct the road where it was very rocky, than in most parts of Syria which we had visited. The modern town of Tiberias is very small: it stands close to the lake of Gennesaret, and is walled round with towers at equal distances. At the northern extremity of the ruins are the remains of the ancient town, which are discernible by means of the walls and other ruined buildings, as well as by fragments of columns, some of which are of beautiful red granite. South of the town are the famous hot-baths of Tiberias: they consist of three springs of mineral water. We had no thermometer, but we found the water too hot to admit of the hand being kept in it for more than fifty seconds. We endeavoured to boil an egg, but without success, even out of the shell. Over the spring is a Turkish bath, close to the lake's side, which is much resorted to, particularly by the Jews, who have a great veneration also for a Roman sepulchre which is excavated in the cliff near the spot, and which they take to be the tomb of Jacob. Beyond the baths, a walk runs from the lake to the mountain's side, which rather perplexed us when we were taking the measures of the ancient walls of Tiberias: but it has since appeared evident that the walls did not extend so far to the south, and that this was the fortification of Vespasian's camp, as appears from Josephus (Jewish Wars, b. iii. c. 10. § 1), who places it in this position. The lake of Tiberias

is a fine sheet of water, but the land about it has no striking features, and the scenery is altogether devoid of character. It is remarkable that there is not a single boat of any description on the lake at present; and the fish are caught with casting nets from the beach, a method which must yield a very small quantity compared to what they would get with boats. It was on this lake that the miraculous draught of fishes took place. (John xxi. 6.)"-Ibid. p. 294.

Acts ix. 2. Damascus." Leaving this plain, we again entered a hilly country; when, arriving at the brow of a descent, the extensive and beautiful plain of Damascus opened on our view, with the town surrounded by woods, amidst which were several villages. The land was highly cultivated to the eastward the plain extends as far as the eye can reach in other directions it is bounded by hills, with Lebanon very conspicuous above them all. In about two hours we had descended into the plain, and in five more arrived at the convent of the Terra Sancta in Damascus. The last three hours the road was extremely beautiful, passing through rich olive groves and gardens, generally inclosed by walls of sunburnt brick, and surrounded and irrigated by streams of water, partly natural and partly conducted by art. Our time has been occupied in writing our letters, and in visiting different parts of the town, such as the place of the vision of St. Paul outside the eastern gate; the place where he was let down the wall in a basket; the house of Ananias, the street called Straight; all alluded to in Acts, ch. ix."-Ibid. p. 282.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

In the last Number of your valuable publication, a letter appears which contains very incorrect and exceptionable views of a portion of the

American Episcopal clergy, whone the writer accuses of being indifferent or opposed to Evangelical doctrine. To prove the extreme inaccuracy and looseness with which this writer expresses himself, I need only cite the passage where he speaks of "the infinite distance between all outward things, all ordinances, sacraments, ceremonies; and that inward and spiritual grace, whereby the recipient dies unto sin and lives unto righteousness." Is it possible, Mr. Editor, that the writer of this letter can be a "distinguished" minister of the Episcopal Church, and "preacher" of the "vital doctrines" taught in her Articles and Liturgy, who thus unhesitatingly and decisively opposes both? "An infinite distance between all sacraments, and the inward and spiritual grace!" Did not the catechism of his church teach him in his childhood, if in his childhood he learnt it, that a “sacrament is

mean whereby we receive" (without doubt only when possessing the proper qualifications) the inward and spiritual grace, and a pledge to assure us thereof?"Is it for maintaining this doctrine, which pervades the Liturgy and Articles and Homilies of the Church, that the clergy to whom he alludes are stigmatised as formalists? They may insist as faithfully and zealously as this "distinguished preacher," who aspires to be "truly evangelical," on the fundamental doctrine of salvation from the guilt and dominion of sin only through the all-sufficient merits and all-powerful grace of a Divine Redeemer; but, because they also maintain that "the church," the divinely constituted "body and spouse of Christ,” as in the Ordination Service this clergyman was taught to consider her, is the mean and pledge, in her ministry and sacraments, whereby these merits are applied to the soul of the penitent believer, and this grace assured and conveyed to him, they are denounced as distinguished only for "a kind of