upon an elevation, looking down on a valley encircled with mountains. I walked to the bottom of it; here I had a full view of the whole village, formed of a cluster of small detached houses, built of stone, resembling the compact cottages to be seen from a distance in the Highlands of Scotland. The inhabitants appeared quite unlike the turbulent savages I met with in the villages I passed through on my way from Jerusalem, and were orderly and inoffensive. At one time the plague made great ravages in this quarter, when the Monks were in a state of сарtivity, the doors having been kept shut to prevent all communication with the Convent, for a period of nearly eight months. Early on the following day I left Nazareth, with my servant, and a domestic of the convent, and passing the hill I mentioned, which is named, "Il Precipizio," I descended into the plain of Esdraelon. Having crossed it, I came to Mount Hermon, the dew of which has been so beautifully alluded to by the Psalmist.* Near this place stands Naint, which is so called from its pleasant situation, where the only son of a widow was cut down in the flower of his age; but the compassion of Christ ‡, who, on this occasion, proved not only the husband to the widow, and consoled her under the bereavement, but was induced miraculously to raise and restore him again to his rejoicing mother. Though, at present, this is but a poor deserted village, consisting of only a few houses; yet from the ruins scattered round it, though no monument of antiquity is to be found, must have been formerly of considerable extent; it is finely situated, having the vast plain and mountains of Nazareth in front. About two miles from Nain, is seen Endor, where the sorceress resided who was consulted by Saul §, and in the vicinity are the mountains of Gilboa, where the forces of Israel were collected. || With respect to the state of the soil in this country, it may be observed, that a knowledge of agriculture has been * Psalm cxxxiii. 3. + Luke vii. 11-16. + Acts ii. 22. § 1 Samuel xxviii. 6, 7. | Id. xxviii. 4. derived from the very suggestion of God himself*, at an early period of time, when, in a particular manner, he blessed the springing of the earth. It was, in fact, the very first employment assigned to man. † To him was given all the activity, industry, and perseverance necessary for a proper cultivation of the ground, that in due time his toil might be crowned with success. The distribution of fields into acres, the use of the plough, and the assistance of oxen in the different operations, are distinctly laid down by revelation. The ground here, as in our country, is broken up by the plough, and being drawn by oxen, reminds a reader of many passages in Scripture where they are mentioned, and from the number sometimes employed §, suggests an idea of the wealth of their owner. This machine is differently constructed, in some parts, from that used by British husbandmen; and though rude in its formation, is extremely simple, serving all the purposes required. I obtained a model of one at Nazareth ||, and perhaps a better idea of it may be conveyed by the sketch I have introduced of the village, than any description which can be given. This plough is not moved upon wheels; the share, which is small, scarcely grazes the earth; and it has only one handle, or shaft, for the husbandman to guide it, resembling the head of a staff used by "stooping age." The man holds it with the right hand; and when the oxen are large, their motion is increased by goading them with a long stick, held in the left. It is made so light, that a person may, with facility, carry it in his arms. The share is covered with a piece of broad iron, and pointed at the end, which might be converted into a weapon for warfare, and be again restored to its former state, and applied to agricultural purposes. In all probability, it is to this operation that one of the prophets refers, when he calls on the nations to relinquish rural occupations, and convert their ploughs into instruments of * Gen. ii. 15. Sam. xiv. 14. + Isaiah xxviii. 24. § 1 Kings xix. 19. Models of this plough may be seen in the Museum in the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. battle.* Another of the sacred writers has reversed this recommendation, and applied it to that tranquillity with which it is prophesied the church shall be ultimately blessed in the latter days. † I was sometimes induced to suppose, in viewing the operation of the oriental plough, from a short distance, that the person who conducted it was merely amusing himself, there appeared such careless indifference manifested, arising, most likely, from the soil being light, and it not being necessary to make the furrows deep; while at others he may be seen to lean over the top of the shaft, so as to press it with his weight, to prevent it skimming along the surface, and penetrate so as to make a proper impression on the ground. To this watchful and steady care, I should conceive, our great Teacher has introduced an allusion in a remarkable declaration of Scripture.‡ In the same manner as I had also occasion to observe when travelling from Ramah to Jerusalem, the seed is first scattered upon, and afterwards ploughed into the ground; although in many parts of this country, the land is so covered and choked up with stones, as to excite surprise how a plough can possibly turn up the soil at all, and any thing whatsoever can be produced by it. Notwithstanding these apparent obstructions, the most bountiful crops are raised in such "stony ground;" this is evidently referred to in the parable respecting the sower.§ It must be kept in view, that the barren appearance of the Holy Land in general, at this moment, is not so much to be attributed to the nature of the soil, as from the want of inhabitants to bring it into a proper state of cultivation. A stronger proof cannot be adduced of this than the fact, that the country of Judea alone having at one period brought into the field nearly six hundred thousand men ||, was capable of supporting a number so formidable. On returning to Nazareth, I was met by some Turks on horseback, who stopping short, one of them, apparently above the common class, addressed me, and from his fierce * Joel iii. 10. + Isaiah ii. 4. + Luke ix. 62. 2 Chron. xii. 3. Id. xiv. 8. countenance, and quick utterance of speech, I appeared to have given him great offence. On my making signs that I was ignorant of his language, and communicating with the interpreter, at a short distance behind me, I found it had been discovered that I was a Christian, and was challenged for presuming to wear the white turban. Those Mahomedans who can trace a direct descent from the prophet, are distinguished by wearing exclusively, a green turban. To Christians, Jews, and infidels, particular colours are assigned. A proclamation was issued at Cairo, not long since, prohibiting Christians from wearing white turbans, under the penalty of death. When, however, he was informed I was a Briton, and ignorant of the distinction of colours observed among Mahomedans, he permitted me to pass on, and I arrived at the convent in Nazareth. On the 24th of February the thermometer stood here at 65 degrees. CHAP. XXII. JOURNEY THROUGH GALILEE. -CANA. - PITCHERS. WELL. WATERSTRIKING COINCIDENCE OF AN EVENT THERE DISCIPLES' FIELD. BLESSED MOUNT. WHERE MIRACLE PERFORMED IN FEEDING A MULTISUBLIME VIEW OF THE LAKE OF GENESARETH. ARRIVAL AT THE TOWN OF TIBERIAS. TUDE. - OBSERVATIONS. GREEK PRIEST. — LODGING IN A CHURCH. I SET out by sun-rise on the morning of the 26th of February, with the view of visiting those parts of Galilee which had been so eminently blessed, not only by a residence, but those miracles of the Redeemer of our world. Since there was tranquillity over the whole country, in consequence of proper vigilance exercised on the part of the Pacha at Acre, it formed a striking difference to those disturbed districts through which I had hitherto travelled, and rendered it unnecessary to have recourse to any military escort. On this occasion, therefore, I was only attended by my servant, and Michel, formerly a domestic in the convent, who was recommended to travellers as a person of activity and intelligence. The morning was glorious, my expectations ran high, and at every step the delight I experienced strongly increased, I pursued my way in a northern direction, went through some vallies, and in two hours arrived at Cana, almost contiguous to the plain of Zebulon, distinguished as the favoured spot where the Son of God illumined the world, by a most striking and glorious display of the performance of his first miracle.* Under an overpowering sun, I stopped at a fountain near the entrance of this village, to take refreshment; I sat down on * John H. 11. |