at Damascus, was requested by the Pasha to act as mediator, after the representatives of some other European nations had volunteered their services and failed. This tended to increase the great influence he had formerly possessed with the Druzes, the dominant party in the Haurân. He arranged a meeting with Sheikh Saîd Jimblât, the most powerful and influential of all the Druze chiefs, and, in company with him, proceeded first to Edhr'a, but afterwards, on account of the scarcity of water there, to Busr el-Harîry. Here the sheikhs of the Haurân all assembled to receive the proposals of the Government, and discuss the terms of peace. It was a stormy scene; and more than once a peace congress was well-nigh changed into a fierce battle. The fanatical Muslems feared, or pretended to fear, treachery on the part of Mr. Wood and Saîd Beg, and once the cry was raised to pull down the house in which they were sitting. The proud Druze chief could ill brook such insults, and haughtily stated that if he had anticipated such insolence he would have brought from his native mountains such a force as would have effectually prevented its recurrence for the future. In fact, it was only the smallness of his retinue-about a hundred and fifty men-that prevented him from taking instantaneous revenge. Still, notwithstanding such threats and insinuations on the spot, and no less dangerous intrigues of disappointed consuls in Damascus, Mr. Wood, with his usual ability, succeeded in opening up communications which have secured a long truce, and promise to effect final reconciliation and peace.

Mr. Wood, on his return to the city, assured me of the practicability of a journey to that province, after the feel

ings of the people had quieted a little, and the bandits, whom war ever draws toward it, had withdrawn to some other quarter. In the mean time I had received from Khurshid Pasha (General Guyon) a copy of a map of the Haurân, which had been constructed by a Turkish officer of engineers (Fezzy Beg). He had visited the country before the war, for the purpose of surveying it; but I afterwards found that, though his map contained some new and useful information, it was not constructed with any degree of care or accuracy. A sketch of this, as well as of Burckhardt's map, I took with me on my journey. Toward the close of January 1853, an American gentleman, Mr. arrived in Damascus, and expressed his determination to visit the Druzes of the Haurân; and I at once agreed to accompany him. The Rev. Mr. Barnett also expressed his desire to join our party. Mr. Wood kindly favoured our proposed journey, and promised us strong letters of recommendation to the five principal Druze sheikhs. The great difficulty now was to get to the Druze district. A blood feud existed between the Kurds and the Druzes; and the former, being irregular troops in the pay of the Government, were scouring the plain of Damascus, attacking and murdering little parties of Druzes wherever they could find them. The Pasha was either unable or unwilling to prevent these base and cowardly deeds; and thus, when it was the interest of the Government to conciliate the rebels, whom they were unable to subdue, and while they were compelled to supplicate foreign interference and mediation to aid them in their difficulties, they were permitting their own soldiers to perpetrate crimes which could not but excite the Druzes

in

to revenge, and at the same time disgust those whose mediation they were soliciting. And this is just a fair specimen of Turkish misrule. An incident that occurred near this city, only a few weeks before our journey, is worthy of being recorded as an example of the way which affairs are managed by the Government in this unhappy land. A small party of Druzes were returning home after having disposed of their wheat in the city. They were seen and attacked by some Kurdish irregulars. In self-defence they fired upon their assailants, and killed the Kurdish chief. At length, overpowered by numbers, some being slain and a few wounded, they were led back prisoners to the city-their captors, no doubt, expecting soon to see their heads gracing the palace gate. The Pasha dismissed the Druzes in peace; and he dismissed the Kurds also with an admonition not to perpetrate such acts in future! The Kurds knew, however, and all the city knew, that twenty piastres were at that time given for each Druze head that was laid at the Pasha's feet. There are few Kurds but will risk an admonition for twenty piastres.

This blood feud prevented the Druzes from approaching the city; and hence our difficulty in obtaining an escort to the borders of their territory. The kindness of Mr. Wood again aided us. Mr. Misk, his dragoman, came to me on Saturday the 29th of January, bringing with him a Christian, an inhabitaut of the village of Hît, in the Jebel Haurân. He informed us that a large caravan was to leave the city on Monday for his native village, taking the direct road by Nejha, and along the eastern border of the Lejah. This was the route which of all others I preferred to travel.

I did not expect to make any striking discoveries upon it; but I did hope and expect to see the features of the country and the character of the soil.

I lost no time in communicating with my companions, and making the necessary preparations for a fortnight's travel. A single change of clothes, a substantial lehâf to serve as bed and coverlet, a pocket sextant, a large and a small compass, with my note and sketch books, formed my whole luggage.

Jan. 31st.-Soon after sunrise Aiyûb (Job), our guide, appeared, and urged our immediate departure, as the caravan was then starting, and he was afraid of being left behind. My experience of Arab haste in such matters prevented all uneasiness; but as Aiyûb became boisterous in his urgency, and as our letters of introduction had not yet arrived, I gave him a note to Mr. Misk to bring the letters, and was thus relieved for a season. Our servants in the mean time arranged the travelling equipage; and by the time Aiyûb returned we were ready for the road. Our luggage was now packed on donkeys to be conveyed to Bawâbet Ullah, from whence we were to start, as neither promises nor entreaties could persuade the suspicious villagers to bring their horses to my house in the city.

The first appointed place of rendezvous was Bab Shurky, and there our little party was mustered. It consisted of Mr. Barnett, Mr. ——, myself, Nikôla (Mr.'s dragoman, formerly my dragoman), with Ibrahîm and Hâtem, servants. We were all well armed; for though we expected a hearty welcome from the Druzes, we well knew that the late war, and the probability of its renewal, had filled the country with armed marauders, against whom

our only security would be ability to repel aggression. We knew also that wandering parties of Arabs occasionally visited the districts we wished to traverse, and against these fire-arms would enable us to stand.

After a brief pause to ascertain that all was right, we set out, skirting the south side of the ancient city wall, and then entering the suburb of the Medân. After many turns and windings we at last emerged into the open country at the southern extremity of the city, by a gate near Bawâbet Ullah. Here we dismounted to await Aiyûb and his animals. A few scores of camels, passing out of the city by the several gates and portals near us, were the only signs we could see of the caravan. While standing here our city donkey-driver managed to pick a quarrel with a peasant from the Haurân. The result was, that the latter gave him a sound drubbing, and only desisted when I seized him by the neck, and at the same time threatened the impudent boy with my whip. Such is the state of affairs in this country, that every man must be, in most instances, his own peace-officer, thief-catcher, judge, and executioner. If one cannot redress his own grievances, there is little use in applying to the nominal authorities. A good deal of noise may be made, in case a complaint is lodged in the law-courts; a liberal bakhshish will be demanded, and there, in nine cases out of ten, the matter will end.

Aiyûb at last appeared, and with him a large company of men, horses, and camels. After some searching and much wrangling he succeeded in dragging from their reluctant owners two miserable-looking horses, not much larger than ordinary donkeys, and the state of whose