CHAP. XIX. - DIPLOMA FROM THE CONVENT. DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM. ARRIVAL AT BEER. RESIDENCE OF GOVERNOR. LUDICROUS INCIDENT RESPECTING A FEMALE ARAB. DANGEROUS TRACK THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. -CAMELS. VALLEY OF SAMARIA. OBERVATIONS. BETHEL. WELL. WHERE BONES OF JOSEPH DEPOSITED. ARRIVAL AT SAMARIA. MOUNTAINS OF EBAL AND GERIZIM. ON my departure from the convent, the friars put into my hands a diploma, certifying the different holy places which I had visited *; and after giving a sum to the poor, I left the sacred scenes of this city on the 15th of February, accompanied by a military escort, which the Governor had a second time so politely afforded, with letters addressed by him to the commanders of the districts through which I had to pass in the course of the journey. Never shall I forget the sensations I experienced when leaving the gates, where an inexpressible sentiment of solemn melancholy pervaded my mind; and I repeatedly turned round to catch the last glimpse of the city, exclaiming, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem! let my right hand forget her cunning."+ I now directed my course through the hill country of Judea. The road, which was to the north, lay through a wild rugged country, and nothing occurred to break in upon that train of serious reflection which had naturally arisen. In the evening I reached the small and poor village of Beer, where I could not find accommodation for the night, which might be considered fortunate, since I afterwards learned that the Arab * See Appendix, No. 4. + Psalm cxxxvii. 5. inhabitants were in a state of rebellion, and my personal safety, as well as baggage, would have been exposed to danger. I proceeded to the commander, presenting him with a letter from the Governor of Jerusalem; I was kindly received, and he offered to afford accommodation for the night in his own apartment. This, to my surprise, was on the very summit of a ruinous, castellated building, resembling that at Jericho, to which I ascended by a ladder; this was drawn up on my reaching the top, which excited for the moment some apprehension. I found, however, this was adopted as a precaution against an attack from the natives, in whose eyes he had been an object of peculiar jealousy and hatred. This abominable place or cock-loft did not exceed sixteen feet by twelve, and was filled with ragged, dirty Turkish soldiers, of savage countenances, sitting cross-legged; I did not find myself perfectly at ease in such a state of captivity. They treated me, however, with civility, and I regaled them with coffee, tobacco, and rakee; they allowed me the best corner near the fire, where I threw down my bed, and enjoyed some hours of sleep. The carelessness of the soldiers, in permitting clusters of ball cartridges to be suspended about a blazing fire, deserved severe reprehension; from this I was often led to apprehend the place would be blown up. In every situation, I am inclined to think, the human heart is accessible to the subduing influence of civility: since allowing the Turks freely to partake in this manner, and showing I reposed confidence in them, they seemed disposed to pay me respect and attention. The Governor was a man superior in mind to the generality of Ottoman soldiers; and although his rank and situation were humble enough, yet these had been attained as a reward of his military abilities displayed in the field. We entered into conversation on a variety of subjects, especially respecting the triumphal entry of the allies into Paris, and the tranquillity this event would insure to Europe, by the effectual blow given to the restless ambition of Buonaparte, and he asked many questions respecting the Russian force. This led to an ex planation of the mode of warfare practised by the Cossacks. I presented him with what may be considered a trifle from our facility in commanding these and such like articles; namely, the representation of a Cossack mounted on horseback, in the act of charging an enemy, engraved on a paper, which I found accidentally in my watch-case. On viewing it, the Governor expressed the highest joy and delight, never having seen a military character of this description; and after handing it round to the soldiers, and muttering a kind of soliloquy, he appeared wrapt up in thought, having his eye stedfastly fixed on one part of the ground as he was smoking his pipe. When the soldiers returned the bagatelle to him, he, in a moment, made a signal, and they put a vessel with water on the fire. When it became hot, the Governor threw into it, with the greatest sang froid, smoking his pipe at the time, a couple of fowls, alive, which they brought him; these were afterwards speedily plucked, and roasted on the ramrod of a musket, with an expedition hardly to be equalled during a campaign. These, I was told, were in return for the present, and to be added to the provisions I had brought for the journey. Next morning, on getting up at sun-rise, I had a more perfect view of this deplorable den, where I had been attacked most furiously by vermin, during the whole night, and found them about every part of my dress. At my departure, a ludicrous scene occurred. An aged female Arab, who, it appeared, had, the preceding night, lost a hen, (which I hoped was not one of those sacrificed on my account,) attacked the castle, in the most enraged manner, with all her powers of speech. On this occasion a terrible uproar ensued, and the whole village turned out to join this virago. Nothing could be more amusing than this circumstance, and beholding the Governor with his soldiers, who had the precaution to pull up the ladder on my leaving the place, arguing the point, in a body, from the top of the castle, with an enraged crowd, and their venerable leader or beldam below. I considered it prudent to take my leave hastily from the place, apprehensive if I re mained to see how the matter was decided, I should have been involved in the confusion it created. * This village is supposed to be the Michmash alluded to in Scripture. It is at present distinguished by the name of Beer, signifying a well, and adopted, most likely, from a delicious spring of water flowing through it; near to which are the ruins of a church, built in commemoration of the parents lamenting the loss of our Saviour, who not being found by them there, was afterwards discovered with the expounders of the law in the Temple.+ It was to this place, also, that Jotham had recourse, in order to escape the fury of his brother. ‡ After leaving Beer, the road for some time passed over a chain of mountains, where I overtook a prodigious band of camels § marching in regular order, heavily laden, accompanied by numerous keepers. A jingling noise was heard a considerable distance, in consequence of the tinkling of bells, each having one attached to the neck. Their ears not being insensible to such kind of sounds, this mode, it is said, is adopted to cheer them, especially when fatigued with a long journey, accompanied by their keepers singing loudly. This formidable spectacle brought to my memory the camels, on their journey belonging to the Ishmaelites ¶, charged with aromatic substances, on their way to Egypt; and that strong comparison which was made** by our Lord, to the state of the man, whose heart is so engrossed with the riches of this world, as to neglect his eternal interests, thereby teaching us that he cannot inherit everlasting life. Here I must be permitted to suspend the narrative for a moment, and advert once more to these noble beasts of burden, formed by the wisdom of God, for the use of man. These quadrupeds halt a short time during their journies, at particular fountains which have been built by * 1 Sam. xiii. 16-23. + Luke ii. 44-46. + Judges ix. 21. Zech. xiv. 20. ** Luke xviii. 25. pious Mahomedans at certain places, from which time and distance are calculated previous to the guides setting out on a journey. The sight is interesting at some of these resting places, from the crowd of camels which are seen on their knees in a kind of methodical order, with the keepers sitting cross-legged, under trees for shelter from heat, partaking of refreshments and smoking their pipes. They never touch these things until the camels are supplied with such provisions as are necessary. Distances of time are often calculated according to the length of the shadow of the camel about sun set. Further, camels constitute a great part of the wealth of an Arab; nay, I may add, they are his whole treasure. In his eyes their number is held in higher estimation than even bags of money; and, as formerly remarked, they entered into that part of the calculation which was formed of the wealth of Job. * It may appear extraordinay that these people, by whom they are considered as sacred objects, should emphatically call them "their ships." It is supposed that the patriarch, in speaking of his time upon earth hastening like "swift ships+," had these animals in his view. The extreme usefulness of camels, and their capability of transporting enormous piles of merchandise to a vast distance, especially along the most dreary deserts, is as surprising as their patience under such ponderous weights. They are graceful in form; the neck approaches in some degree to the front part of a vessel; the eyes are keen, and they proceed at a steady pace; but to quicken their motions, the whip is rarely, if at any time, applied. It is a surprising circumstance, that these animals are supposed to smell water at the distance perhaps of a mile; and the powers they exercise in sustaining hunger, thirst, and incessant toil, under a burning sun, is also striking; without the accommodation afforded by them, these dreary regions never could be traversed by man. Should it, however, occur, that his camels are cut off by accident, in the course † Job ix. 26. * Job i. 3. Ezra ii. 67. |