CHAPTER VIII.

THE DEAD SEA, JORDAN, &c.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE JOURNEY-ARAB PASTIMES-PLAN OF THE JOURNEY

COMMENCEMEMT OF THE JOURNEY-MOUNTAIN-PASS TOWARDS MAR SABACONVENT OF MAR SABA-TOMB OF MAR SABA-ROUTE TOWARDS THE DEAD SEA-SODOM-GOMORRAH, ETC.-THE JORDAN-THE PLAIN OF JERICHOJERICHO-FOUNTAIN OF ELISHA-ROAD BETWEEN JERUSALEM AND JERICHO.

Ir was on the thirtieth of June that we commenced our journey to the Dead Sca, and the scenes of scripture-history connected with it. An addition was made to our party in the person of the Rev. John Rowlands, Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge-an old and dear friend, whom I had the happiness of meeting in Jerusalem, after several years of separation, which he had passed in Syria, Palestine, and various parts of the continent of Europe. If he should happen to take up this book, he will not be surprised at finding in it a record of the delight afforded me by our meeting.

With the Arabs, preparations for an expedition are generally attended with wearisome and harassing delays. It was so in this case. By four o'clock in the afternoon, however, all our preparations were made: tents, mats, cooking apparatus, &c.all were packed and ready, after the manner of our desertroute. The party consisted of Sheikh Hamdan-a calm, dignified, and intelligent-looking Arab-the Chief or Regal Sheikh of the Dead Sea and the district lying between it and Jerusalem; eight Bedaween, of the same region and tribe, as

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guards, all of whom, as well as Hamdan, were mounted on Arab horses, and "armed to the teeth" with sabres, pistols, crooked knives in their girdles, and matchlock guns slung at their backs; and, in addition to these weapons, some carried the long Arab spear, with its tuft of camel's hair, dyed black, surrounding the bottom of the blade—a fearful instrument in a dexterous hand. Great precaution is always taken in making this expedition, on account of a fierce and powerful tribe called the Beni Sakhrs, whose territory lies just on the eastern side of the Jordan; and between whom and the tribes on the west there is great jealousy, and who not unfrequently take measures for harassing pilgrims and others who visit these desolate regions. It is well, therefore, to take a considerable escort, and to shew as many weapons-especially guns, as possible. Besides our guards on horseback, we had with us two mules and two asses, with drivers, to carry our tents and various other provisions for the journey-food, bedding, water-skins, and such like. Then there were our two servants, Hassenein and Abd’lawahyed, and Mr. Rowlands' servant, Giovanni-a Maltese, who was so armed, that he looked like an arsenal on horseback. Hassenein, too, being fond of arms, and a little quixotic in his habits, was girt about with an abundance also. We were all tolerably well mounted on Arab horses procured at Jerusalem, and made altogether a considerable party, somewhat formidable as well as picturesque, when winding our way among the mountain passes. The Turkish saddles, with their high pommels covered with crimson cloth, afford a safe and comfortable seat when once one gets accustomed to them but the arrangement of the stirrups-placed far back, is disagrecable, and compels the rider to bend the knee in a very acute angle, which, upon a long journey, becomes excessively fatiguing.

Our Arabs were mostly fine dashing fellows-any one of whom, I should, however, have been extremely unwilling to meet alone on any hill-side, except he were in my service, and had caten of my bread. When they came to any open

ARAB PASTIMES-PLAN OF THE JOURNEY.

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plain, they were fond of setting up a kind of mock fight among themselves, in order to give us some idea of their agility and dexterity. The picture which they presented was sometimes terrific; but yet, every action both of man and horse was graceful in the extreme. At one moment, some would be seen in the hot pursuit of others, with the long spear poised and brandished, as if in an instant to transfix the fugitives; and then suddenly the pursued turned upon the pursuers, checking and bringing up their horses at speed, with wonderful dexterity, and, drawing their sabres, appeared ready for a deadly conflict hand to hand. For an instant, they seemed almost maddened, and rushed towards each other with a wild shout or war-cry. Then bounding off again at a fearful speed, and again mingling as if for a deadly mêlée-they would all at once break off with a loud laugh; and, returning to us, claim our applause, saying, "Tayeeb tayeeb, Khowaga?" (Is it not very good, Sir?)

The plan upon which we made our journey, was, upon experiment, the most successful that could be desired. Most travellers have, I believe, found this expedition a great tax upon their strength, on account of the great heat of the plains and mountain passes, which generally exceeds the temperature of the surrounding country. It is, therefore, always looked upon as an arduous affair; and we set out with an apprehension that it would be as much as we could do to endure the heat. Even the Arabs themselves sometimes quail at it, especially when in the Ghor, or plains of the Jordan.

Most travellers, who take this journey from Jerusalem, proceed direct to Jericho on the first day, and there pitch their tents for the night. On the following morning they visit the northern shore of the Dead Sea, which is somewhere about two hours distant in a direct route; then the River Jordan, distant about an hour and half from the Dead Sea, and return to their tents worn and exhausted by the almost intolerable heat. On the third day they commonly return to Jerusalem by the way they came, or by way of Mar Saba;

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COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNEY.

in which latter case, they visit the Jordan first, and then the Dead Sea. We made our journey in a manner quite the reverse of this; and though it was performed on the thirtieth of June, and the two first days of July, yet we suffered no real inconvenience. Indeed, the severity of the heat was in a great degree avoided. Having made the experiment so successfully, I would strongly recommend all travellers to do as we did, and make a condition about it, while bargaining with their Sheikh for the escort.

It was soon after four o'clock in the afternoon of the thirtieth of June, that we left Jerusalem by the Bethlehem gate; and, winding down the steep sides of Mount Zion, crossed the valley of Hinnom, by the place of Tophet, which brought us to a mountain pass, at the bottom of which is continued the bed of the brook Kedron, after it turns off from the valley of Jehoshaphat. Before entering the pass, we made a halt at Bir el Eyoub (the well of Joab), in order to get all the party together. Our guards called to some Arabs loitering about the well, who brought us fresh sparkling water, in buckets made of skins. We took a plentiful draught, and deemed it luxury. There is, after all, I repeat, no beverage to be compared with delicious. water, in the estimation of an unvitiated palate. We formed altogether a wild and fanciful group while gathered together around Bîr el Eyoub; and when I thought of the nature of our expedition, I felt there was an indescribable sensation of romance connected with it. Before we moved from the spot, we were joined by a young Greek, two Russian pilgrims, and a Greek priest, all of whom had expressed a desire to join our party, in order to have that sort of protection against marauding Arabs, which the appearance of numbers is calculated to afford. After all had satisfied their thirst, we

resumed our journey.

The route lay south-eastward, between a rapid succession of hills of beautiful form and considerable magnitude, some