Christian inhabitants of this town are, however, also numerous of this we were convinced, by the multitude we saw coming from the morning service of the church, CHAPTER XV. THE HOLY LAND-TIBERIAS TO NAPOLOSE. Well. WE took Departure from Tiberias. E were on horseback by six o'clock, on Monday CHAP. XV. morning, July the sixth, notwithstanding our excursion, and continued our route. Leaving Tiberias, we a different road from that by which we came, and crossed an extensive valley, hoping to visit Mount Thabor. In this valley, three hundred French cavalry defeated an army of ten thousand Turks; an event so astonishing, even to the Turks themselves, that they considered the victory as obtained by magic; an art which they believe many of the Franks to possess. CHAP. XV. Effect of the of the Desert. All the pleasure of travelling, at this season of the year, in the Holy Land, is suspended by the excessive heat of the sun. A traveller, wearied and spiritless, is often more subdued at the beginning than at the end of his day's journey. Many rare plants and curious minerals invite his notice, as he passes slowly along, with depressed looks fixed upon the ground; but these it is impossible for him to obtain. It appears to him to be an act of unjustifiable cruelty to ask a servant, or even one of the attending Arabs, to descend from his horse, for the purpose of collecting either the one or the other. All nature seems to droop; every animal Productions seeks for shade, which it is extremely difficult to find. But the chamaeleon, the lizard, the serpent, and all sorts of beetles, basking, even at noon, upon rocks and in sandy places, exposed to the most scorching rays, seem to rejoice in the greatest heat wherein it is possible to exist. This is also the case in Egypt, where no desert is so solitary but reptiles and insects may be observed; proving that the ostrich, and other birds found there, are by no means, as some writers have maintained, at a loss for food. It is more probable that the desert offers to them nourishment they could not easily procure elsewhere. A very interesting volume of natural history might be made, relating only to the inhabitants of the Desert: they are much more numerous than is commonly believed: and if to these were added the plants which thrive only in such a situation, with an account of those extraordinary petrifactions found in the African deserts; the various jaspers, and other siliceous concretions abounding in the sandy tract between the Red Sea and the Nile, as well as all over Arabia, Petræa and Mauritania; the description would be truly marvellous. The enterprise of another Hasselquist is not required for this purpose; because, although much remains to be discovered, naturalists are already possessed of sufficient materials for the undertaking. After three hours, walking our horses, we arrived at a poor village, called Labi, situated upon the brow of a range of hills, which bound the valley before mentioned, towards the south. During our ride, we had suffered apprehensions from the tribes of Arabs under arms, who were occasionally seen, descending and scouring the opposite hills, as we cross ed the valley. We could plainly discern them, by means CHAP. XV. of our glasses, reconnoitering us from the summits of those hills. They were described at Labi as collected in great Lubi. force upon Mount Thabôr; so that our visit to that mountain became impracticable: the guard whom Djezzar had sent with us would not venture thither. We were therefore compelled to rest satisfied with the view we had of it from Lûbi. Djezzar's troops had, on the preceding day (Sunday), taken many thousand cattle from the Arabs; therefore, besides their natural predatory disposition, they were at this time actuated by motives of the most direful revenge, not only for the loss of their property, but also of many of their friends and relations, who had been captured. The mere sight of an escort from their bitter enemy, Djezzar Pacha would have induced them to put every one of us to death. We had lost somewhat of our strength by deserters from the pilgrims of our caravan, who had thought proper to remain at Tiberias, intimidated by the state of the country. Our number, upon arriving at Labi, amounted to only thirty-three horsemen: these, by the advice of the captain of the guard, we had dispersed as much as possible during the journey ; and taught them to skirmish at a distance from each other, that the scouts of the Arab army, upon the heights, might not be able to count our whole force. We were at this time in the midst of a country continually overrun by rebel tribes. The wretched inhabitants of Lubi pretended to be in hourly expectation of an assault, from which they said nothing but their poverty had hitherto preserved them. We could not, however, place any confidence in these people, and determined to make our stay with them as short as possible. Mount Thabôr seemed to be distant from this Mount place about six miles. Its top was described as a plain of great extent, finely cultivated, and inhabited by numerous Arab tribes. It appears of a conical form, entirely detached from any neighbouring mountain, and stands upon one side of the great plain of Esdraelon. We breakfasted at Lûbi, beneath the shade of some mats covered with weeds, set up against the side of a house; not being perfectly tranquil as to our hosts, who, in a rebel country, evidently brought us food with reluctance, and seemed disposed to quarrel with our guard. Our bread was baked upon heated M m State of the Thabor. CHAP. XV. stones, in holes dug in the ground. The women, who were principally occupied in preparing it, and who occasionally passed us for that purpose, were without veils, and of such unusual beauty, that we saw nothing to compare with them any other part of the East. Change of in Being therefore compelled to alter the plan of our journey, we returned from Lûbi, by the way of Cana, once more to Nazareth; passing through the field of bearded wheat before mentioned, where the Disciples of Christ are said to have plucked the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day. It lies nearly opposite to the village of Turan. We collected specimens of the wheat, in imitation of the other pilgrims of our party, who all seemed eager to bear away the produce of the land, as a consecrated relique. It was, in fact, the only wheat now standing, for the harvest of the country was generally by this time collected. The next morning, Tuesday, July the seventh, we were refused camels to carry our luggage, by the people of Nazareth; upon the plea, that the Arabs would attack us, and seize the camels, in return for the cattle which Djezzar had taken from them., Asses were at length allowed, and we began our journey at seven o'clock. Every one of our party was eager to be the first who should get out of Nazareth ; for although we had pitched a tent upon the roof of the house where we passed the night it had been, as usual, a night of penance, rather than of rest: so infested with vermin was every part of the building. The Author, accompanied by a servant, set out on foot, leaving the rest of his companions to follow on horseback. Having in quired of an Arab belonging to Djezzar's guard the shortest road into the plain of Esdraelon, this man, who had lived with Bedouins, and bore all the appearance of belonging to one of their roving tribes, gave false information. In consequence of this, we entered a defile in the mountains, which separates the plain of Esdraelon from the valley of Nazareth, and found that our party had pursued a different route. Presently messengers, sent by Captain Culverhouse, came to us with this intelligence. The rebel Arabs were then stationed at a village, within two miles distance, in the plain; so that we very narrowly escaped falling into their hands. It seemed almost evident that the Arab, whose false information as to the CHAP. XV. route had been the original cause of this deviation, intended to mislead, and that he would have joined the rebels as soon as his plan had succeeded. The messengers recommended, as the speediest mode of joining our party, that we should ascend the mountainous ridge which flanks all the plain towards Nazareth. In doing this, we actually encountered some of the scouts belonging to the insurgents; they passed us on horseback, armed with long lances, but offered us no molestation. As soon as we had gained the heights, we beheld our companions collected in a body, at a great distance below in the plain; easily recognizing our English friends by their umbrellas. After elambering among the rocks, we accomplished a descent towards the spot where they were assembled, and, reaching the plain, found Captain Culverhouse busied in surveying with his glass about three hundred of the rebels, stationed in a village near the mouth of the defile, by which we had previously proceeded. It was at this unlucky moment, while Narrow the party were deliberating whether to advance or retreat, Author. Escape of the that the Author, unable to restrain the impulse of his feelings, most imprudently punished the Arab who had caused the delay, by striking him. It is impossible to describe the confusion thus occasioned. The Mahometans, to a man, maintained that the infidel who had lifted his hand against one of the faithful should atone for the sacrilegious insult by his blood. The Arab, recovered from the shock he had sustained, sought only to gratify his anger by the death of his assailant. Having speedily charged his carbine, although trembling with rage to such a degree that his whole frame appeared agitated, he very deliberately pointed it at the object of his revenge, who escaped assassination by dodging beneath the horses, as often as the muzzle of the piece was directed towards him. Finding himself frustrated in his intentions, his fury became ungovernable. His features, livid and convulsed, seemed to denote madness: no longer knowing what he did, he levelled his carbine at the Captain of Djezzar's guard, and afterwards at his drageman Signos Bertocino, who, with Captain Culverhouse, and the rest of us, by this time had surrounded him, and endeavoured to wrest it from him. The fidelity of the of |