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tain absurd practices which are derived from paganism. On the day of interment, the women assemble to weep, to dance, to leap, to shriek all at once, on the grave of the deceased. On certain days of the month in which the death happened, they return to the cemetery, and there repeat their contortions, their screams, and their tears. To see them, you would take them for witches. One alone speaks for the space of two minutes, while the others listen in silence. When she stops, at a certain sign the gesticulations and shrieks are renewed, and continued till weariness obliges them to desist. I have sometimes requested the curés, who are perfect masters of the Arabic, to explain to me what they say: but they have assured me that it is a language of their own, and that it is not understood even by their husbands. They added that all their preaching, all their remonstrances, have failed to put an end to this ridiculous and detestable custom.

Like almost all the Arabs, the Bethlehemites have a loud and most disagreeable tone of voice: you would suppose that they were always quarreling or in a passion. You hear two persons talking, as it were, both at once, and shouting with all their might; you ask your interpreter what is the matter, and whether they are going to fight. One of them has asked: "What o'clock is it?" and the other replied: "I cannot tell." These cries are uttered with such incredible volubility and in so shrill a tone as almost to split one's ears. It is at church that this practice is most annoying, especially when the congregation is numerous. All of them then speak at once, as though they were in the public street.

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BEHAVIOUR OF THE ARABS IN CHURCH.

To no purpose the Father warden and the curé may preach and exert themselves; their efforts are vain: if by chance they obtain one day some degree of silence, you may predict with certainty that the noise will begin again on the next. The pilgrim cannot get used to this scandal.

Relative to the behaviour of the Arabs in church, a singular circumstance happened on the festival of St. Thomas of Canterbury; it passed in the presence of five hundred witnesses, and yet you would perhaps scarcely believe it, did you not know my veracity.

On the preceding day, the feast of the Holy Innocents, the reverend Father warden of the Holy Land had confirmed the young boys of Bethlehem, who were very numerous. The same ceremony for the females was fixed for the following day, and there had not been one of them at church, but a great concourse of men attended. They made a frightful noise; the uproar never was greater.

Next day, the women and the girls came in their turn for confirmation. The Father warden had directed that they should be exclusively admitted. No heed was paid to this order. The multitude, composed of Catholics, Greeks, and Turks, was much greater than on the preceding day, and the tumult raised was in the like proportion. The curé addressed them, but in vain. The reverend Father, to show his displeasure, suspended the ceremony, and thus obtained a momentary silence; but the noise presently began again: again the Father paused, declaring that it was impossible for him to proceed. I was in the gallery and upon thorns. At length I rose,

SUMMARY EJECTMENT.

135

and cried with all my might in Arabic, Oskot! Silence! All eyes instantly turned about, and perceiving a man of lofty stature, clad completely in white, with a long bushy beard, they were all struck mute with surprise. Darting down among them, I directed the doors to be opened, and ordered them to quit the church forthwith. Never did I see any thing like the scene that ensued. All rushed towards the door as if panic-struck, each striving to get out first. Possessing considerable strength, I pushed forward the hindmost, who seemed to lag; the church was cleared and the ceremony was finished in quiet.

This victory cost me but the trouble of keeping my arm uplifted for a few moments, and the courage to pronounce a few words with energy. It was curious to see all those turbans, those black beards, those hideous faces, those sabres, those daggers, fleeing before a pilgrim and one or two monks who had come to his assistance. I stationed myself at the door, and declared that not a creature should be readmitted. I have since remarked much more order and decency, especially on New-year's eve and day. This state of things is kept up even at low mass, when I do not suffer the least noise. All are silent the moment they see me.

LETTER XXI.

RESERVOIRS OF DAVID-POOLS OF SOLOMON-GROTTO OF MILK-VILLAGE
OP THE SHEPHERDS ·
-WELL OF THE VIRGIN MARY-PLACE WHERE
THE SHEPHERDS HEARD The Voices of THE ANGELS-TEKOAH-LA-
BYRINTH-HILL OF THE FRENCH.

Bethlehem, January 21st, 1832.

I employ my days, my dear friend, in visiting the most remarkable places in the environs. When the

136

RESERVOIRS OF DAVID.

excursions are long, I mount my horse very early, accompanied by several monks and an escort of Arabs of Bethlehem, armed a needful precaution against the perils to which you are exposed under the present circumstances of Palestine, especially in the gorges of the mountains bordering the Dead Sea, where you have always reason to apprehend that you may fall in with the Bedouins.

The reservoirs of David, formerly contiguous to the gates of the town, are now a thousand paces distant from it, owing to the destruction of its ancient edifices, and the successive decrease of the population. They were lined at bottom with lead. One of them bears more especially the name of the prophet-king.

These reservoirs remind you at once of the victory gained by that prince over the Philistines in the plain of Raphaim, which I have already told you that I saw on my right coming from Jerusalem, and his glorious re fusal, though parched with thirst, to drink of the water which three brave men of his army had, at the risk of their lives, fetched for him through the midst of the enemy. "God forbid," said he, "that I should do this thing it would seem to me as though I drank the blood of those valiant men" - remarkable words, which it is impossible not to admire, when one knows the heat of the climate, and the excessive thirst which it causes, especially after the fatigues of a long combat.

As I have just made mention of water, I will tell you, by the way, that the water of the reservoir of the monastery at Bethlehem is delicious. When poured out, you would take it for the purest crystal; every drop is

SOLOMON'S PONDS.

137

like a diamond. That of the reservoir at Jerusalem is superior even to that. Never have I seen or drunk any so limpid. Would you believe that at table I have frequently suspended my repast, to enjoy the pleasure of looking at it, so extraordinary does its beauty appear to me?

About a league from Bethlehem are the ponds of Solomon, "the pools of water," which that prince enumerates among the great works which he wrought to make himself happy, and which, in the sequel, he could not look at without suffering this confession to escape from his heart-this confession, which all those who, in seeking happiness, seek it elsewhere than of God, will make in all ages, if they are sincere :

"Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do, and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun."

These ponds have been excavated in the bosom of hills of difficult access. There are three situated one above another, so that the superabundance of the highest basin runs into that which is immediately below it. They supply Jerusalem and Bethlehem with water. Unfortunately, the canals are ruined in many places, and hence the necessity, so arduous for the women of Bethlehem, to fetch it from a great distance. It would be easy to repair the mischief at a small expense. But what cares the pacha, who comes to his pachalik merely to oppress the inhabitant, to wrest from him his last farthing-what cares such a man, I say, whether every thing goes to ruin or not? He leaves repairs for his

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