receiving every one of those balls. During this conversation, which lasted about an hour, interlarded, on the part of Djezzar, with a more than ordinary allowance of aphorisms, truisms, and childish stories, he was occupied, as usual, in cutting paper into various shapes; such as those of coffeepots, pipes, cannon, birds, and flowers. At last, his engineer coming to consult him concerning the improvements he imagined himself making in the fortifications of Acre, we took that opportunity to retire. Some notion may be formed of his talents in fortification, by simply relating the manner in which those works were carried on. He not only repaired the memorable breach caused by the French, and so ably defended by Sir Sidney Smith, but directed his engineers to attend solely to the place where the breach was effected, regardless of all that might be wanted elsewhere. "Some persons," said he, putting his finger to his forehead, "have a head for these matters, and some have not. Let us see whether or not Buonaparté will make a breach there again. A breach is a breach, and a wall is a wall!"

The Bath of Acre is the finest and best built of any that we saw in the Turkish empire. We all bathed here, during our stay. Every kind of antique marble, together with large pillars of Egyptian granite, might be observed among the materials of its construction. A great quantity of cotton is exported from this place. The country abounds in cattle, corn, olives, and linseed. In almost every town of Syria there is a fabric for the manufacture of soap; but every thing depends upon the will of the Pacha: the produce of the land was exported, or not, as it pleased Djezzar, who cared very little for

conse

CHAP. XII.

Commerce of Acre.

CHAP. XII.

consequences. His avarice, it is true, prompted him to increase the income of his custom-houses, but his ignorance, as it was observed of him by Baron de Tott', prevented his discovering, that "speculations of revenue, when they strike at industry, cannot, for that reason, ever be calculated on any principles of commerce."

(1) Memoirs, vol. II. p. 326. ed. Lond. 1785.

Commencement of the Author's Journey in the Holy Land-Camp of Djezzar Pacha's Cavalry Cavalcade for the Expedition- Syrian Tents-River Belus-Plants-SHEFHAMER-Reception by the Agha -Grave of an Egyptian form - Plain of Zabulon-SAPPHURA, or SEPPHORIS Medals-Druses-State of Christianity in the Holy Land-Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne-Gothic RemainsDiscovery of Antient Pictures - Their probable Age-Country between Sephoury and Nazareth-Dress of the Arabs-Alarm of the Plague -NAZARETH-Condition of the Inhabitants - Fountain of the Virgin-Custom illustrating a Saying of our Saviour-Franciscan Convent-Pretended Miracle-Superstitions of the Country -Empress Helena - Other Objects of Reverence in Nazareth Mensa Christi-Environs of the Town-Ordinary Penance of Travellers in the Holy Land.

UPON the third of July, we began our journey to Jerusalem; intending first to visit all those places in Galilee rendered

remarkable

CHAP. XIII.

CHAP. XIII.

Commence

ment of the

Author's Jour

ney in the Holy Land.

remarkable by the life and actions of Jesus Christ.
We left Acre', by the southern gate of the city, at four
o'clock P. M.2
o'clock P. M. It would be curious to ascertain when this
place obtained a name so near to its antient appellation,
after bearing that of Ptolemaïs, not only down to the
time of Strabo, but to that of Pliny, who also calls it
Colonia Claudii*. It is moreover named Ptolemaïs in the
history of the actions of the holy Apostles, wherein mention
is made of the visit paid to it by St. Paul and his compa-
nions, during their voyage from Tyre to Cæsarea'. The
Editor of the Oxford edition of Strabo affirms that it regained
its antient name under the Mahometans 6. Ammianus Mar-
cellinus", as cited by Maundrell, best explains the cause;
by saying, that "the Greek and Roman names of places
never took amongst the natives of this country." It is
therefore

(1) Brocardus affirms, that Acre was never included among the places properly belonging to the Holy Land. (Vid. Loc. Terr. Sanct. Desc.) "Nunquam fuit terræ sanctæ connumerata, nec a filiis Israël unquam possessa: tametsi tribui Aser in sortem ceciderit." It may therefore be considered with regard to Phoenicia, which he describes as a part of the Holy Land, what Gibraltar now is with reference to Spain. He makes it the centre of his observations concerning Terra Sancta; "taking his departure" always from that city. It was moreover the rallying place of the Christians, in every period of the Crusades.

(2) About the same hour, 63 years before, Pococke set out upon the same journey. (3) Strab. Geogr. lib. xvi. p. 1077. ed. Oxon.

(4) Hist. Nat. lib. v. c. 19. p. 264. ed. L. Bat. 1635.

(5) Acts xxi. 7, 8.- ——" And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemaïs ..... And the next day, we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Cæsarea."

(6) "Sub Mahommedanis nomen vetus revixit." Vid. Annot. in Strab. Geogr. Ed. Oxon. p. 1077.

(7) Lib. xiv. Hist. non longè ab initio.

(8) Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem, p. 64. Oxf. 1721.