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 in 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

bodies did not speak well for the fatness of the pastures of Bashan. These our somewhat saucy servants were persuaded to mount; we, of course, rode our own steeds. The beds and other baggage were placed on the backs of camels, and on we swept with the now swelling caravan.

These arrangements, simple as they may appear, were not made with such order or despatch as might be expected by those unacquainted with Eastern life and travel. No. genuine Arab can ever be persuaded to comply with any, even the most reasonable demand, without an amount of shouting, swearing, and even threatening, that, to the uninitiated, is almost appalling. For this reason, we, of course, took no part in any arrangements made. Aiyûb was our wakil, or agent, and he managed the whole. It was amusing to see him seizing the animals he wished to hire, dragging their owners from their backs, and contending long and loudly about the disposition of the saddle-bags, abeihs, and numerous et ceteras, which the peasants always arrange for a saddle; and it seemed like the winding up of a comedy when he closed the scene by a coup de main, having snatched up the disputed property, and, with wild gestures, hurled it on the back of a passing camel. It was only when the actors assumed a more threatening and warlike aspect, or when the slow progress of events was stopped altogether in the heat of the fray, that Nikôla interfered.

I have detailed this little scene to the reader, because it is illustrative of the habits and character of the people. Civilization and education have not given to the poor Arab that suavity of manner and that courtesy to which we are accustomed in the West. Lying and deceit are

here universal, and therefore every man distrusts his fellow; and it requires vociferation and oaths innumerable to convince him that he is in earnest. It speaks well for the English character, that, wherever Englishmen have dealings, this stage-play is almost wholly dispensed with. And now in Beyrout, and even in some parts of Damascus, the most solemn assurance a native can give of the truth of his assertion is, that he speaks as an Englishman.

We left the gate of the city at half-past ten o'clock, and rode along the plain in a south-easterly direction, amid vast droves of camels. On each side of the road are extensive olive plantations, with intervening open fields of wheat and barley. After proceeding about a mile, the plain upon our right became entirely open-not a tree or fence to break the view, but one continuous green carpet for miles, to the base of the bleak and barren slopes of Jebel el-Aswad. The little village of Baweidah, farther to the east, surrounded with its gardens, appeared like an island at the foot of the hills.

In twenty-five minutes we passed Yelda, close upon the left, containing a few ruins, consisting of foundations of hewn stone and Corinthian columns of black porous basalt; but like many ruins in this land, there is no record of its history. In half an hour more we reached Kabr es-Sit, a populous village, surrounded by fields and gardens of great fertility.

This is considered a place of great sanctity by the Muslems, especially the Shiites, as it contains the tomb of Zeinab, the daughter of Fâtimeh and grand-daughter of Mohammed, and the wife of 'Omar Ibn el-Khattab, the second Khalif. Zeinab died in the plain of Damascus, and