land of desolation, shut out as it were from the world, should amount to a fulfilment of duty, according to the principles of a religion, essentially social in all its obligations, as that with which the world has been blessed in the doctrines of Jesus Christ. These retreats overlook a deep gulf or ravine, which is so terrific and sublime, as to be calculated to shake every nerve. A short way further, the great plain of Jericho and the surrounding country, of inexpressible grandeur, burst into view. I stood rivetted to the spot on this most commanding eminence, but it is impossible to describe my feelings at the critical moment. The prospect excited my admiration from the prodigious extent of country stretching in all directions, which appeared as a map under the feet; and it occurred to my recollection that it had been the theatre of some of the most tragical and extraordinary events that ever occurred in the world from the powerful and irresistible arm of the Almighty. The plain is in the form of a semicircle; on the east, where the Jordan runs, it is bounded by the mountains of Pisgah* from which the children of Israel had the first view of the Land of Promise, and where the ashes of Moses repose+; on the west by a chain of mountains, at the foot of which Jericho is situated; and on the south the plain appears to the eye almost boundless; and at the northern extremity of it is the vast Lake, in dead and awful silence. It was on this plain that the manna, which at one time was rained from heaven, ceased to fall; that many of the utensils and vessels were made for the use of the splendid temple at Jerusalem; the natives of Jericho had cooperated with others in repairing the walls of that city, which was honoured by the presence of monarchs who ornamented it with splendid edifices; but, above all, the Redeemer took his sacred steps, and proclaimed his doctrine. As I entered Jericho, when the sun was going down, other remarkable events recorded in Scripture occurred to my recollection, especially of the crowd which * Deut. iii. 27. + Deut. xxxiv. 5. 8. M ‡ 1 Kings vii. 45, 46. followed him when he entered it, and proclaimed salvation in the house of the rich man.' * I stopped at what has been called the house of Zaccheus, which is the wreck of an old castle, and the residence of the commander or governor of that district. Familiar as I had become with the general misery that pervades the houses, and conditions of the inhabitants in the Holy Land, where I had been taught to submit to many privations, and indeed blot out the word "comfort" from my recollection; the residence of this man appeared to be, of all others, eminently distinguished for wretchedness. On the visit being announced, I was requested by an Arab servant to alight, and on entering a stable, which extended through the lower part of the place, was conducted up a narrow broken staircase to the terrace on the very top of this ruin, where I found him in the corner of a small dirty apartment, which was almost suffocating from want of air. He was a feeble man, diminutive in stature, tottering under the age of eighty years, and sitting cross-legged, in the very quintessence of beggarly pomp, with a few ferocious Arabs as attendants, in a kind of shabby military costume, I delivered the letters of introduction; he desired me to sit on a filthy piece of carpet, like a hearth-rug, spread out on the ground, and presented to me, direct from his mouth, the pipe he was smoking; an act, as I formerly observed, which is considered in the East as a mark of honour, coming from persons in authority. Afterwards coffee, like ditch-water, in a broken cup, was handed, when he entered into conversation, and promised an escort the following day. On this occasion he gave me an order for lodgings in the village, which, although perhaps the best in his power to recommend, were in reality nothing more than an empty hovel built of mud, hardly fit for the reception of cattle. Here I entered with the horses, the animals occupying one side of the place, and myself and attendants the other. We lighted a fire of sticks, laid down our beds on the *Luke xix. 2. 9. floor of earth, and took some refreshment, after a most fatiguing journey. The hut being besieged by the Arabs, occasioned some alarm; several of them rushed forward in the most impudent manner, and arranged themselves round the fire, in a sitting position, resting on their heels, with their hands folded across their legs, staring us in the face, and watching all our motions. The countenances of these barbarians were almost black, with long beards, and their eyes sparkling with uncommon fire. They had the finest set of teeth, but appeared in the very extreme of wretchedness, being almost in a state of nudity, some of them having merely a ragged shirt with a belt or girdle about the body *, and old slippers; others with a coarse woollen cloth thrown round one of the shoulders, a piece of leather like the soles of old shoes, attached to the feet by strings or cords, like the form of sandals, and armed with coarse daggers or knives. The females were dressed something after the mode of those on the Nile, which I formerly described, with a kind of loose wrapper or night-gown, their faces veiled, and the arms and legs of some of them ornamented with large rings made of glasst, which are sold at Jerusalem. They eat from one dish, and take out the victuals with their naked hands ‡, not using any spoons or knives. 彝 Although greatly disturbed, yet I considered it my interest, in so savage a spot, not to show any opposition to the intrusion of these savages, being so completely in their power, and appearing as an intruder. I therefore supplied them from my provisions, especially with tobacco and coffee, these things being esteemed by the Arabs the highest luxuries, upon which they constantly fixed a sharp eye. I thus secured their friendship, as I was afterwards treated with marks of condescension which amounted to consideration and respect. * Isaiah xi. 5. Luke xii. 55. Psalm xviii. 32. + Genesis xxiv. 22. Isaiah iii. 16. 18. Matt. xxvi. 23. THIS COUNTRY. DECEPTION. OPTICAL IMPORTANT ACCURACY OF SCRIPTURE. DISCOVERIES TO BE EXPECTED IF BOATS PERMITTED. ANALYSIS OF WATER. RETURN TO JERICHO. FINAL IN TERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR. ARAB'S TENTS. RETURN TO JERUSALEM. ALTHOUGH a heavy rain had fallen during the night and the following morning, I was resolved to prosecute my journey to the famous banks of Jordan, and afterwards to the Dead Sea. The governor performed his promise, for at an early hour the promised escort arrived at the hut, composed of several men on horseback, armed with muskets slung across their backs, pistols, sabres, and several sharp instruments in belts round the body. These, with the persons who accompanied me from Jerusalem, amounted in all to twelve in number. We set out in a tract along a dead plain, preceded by a powerful person with a long spear, which not only appeared as an instrument of warfare, but was carried as a mark of honour; this appears to have been adopted as far back as the first kings of Israel. * Notwithstanding the exertions of our leader to amuse us by exercising his horse, and flourishing the weapon which he carried, with singular dexterity, yet the journey was very dreary. The day was dark and gloomy, as if Heaven in its righteous judgment had frowned on this land, and marked it out as one which should be excluded from the |